Rupe

Yes, split tail is good. You always use at least one size up from your rigging line, so a 16mm is good. If rigging with 16mm rope you would attach block with 19mm split tail etc. That is because there can be double loading on the anchor (theoretically) and so it maintains the rope as the weakest part. and ive never been able to work out the difference with whoopie and loopie slings, can you enlighten me? Your gettign technical now! Erm, well...... A loopie is an adjustable circle, and a whoopie is like an adjustable split tail in a way. You can adjust the lenght of the eye I think. I've never owned a whoopie cos I've never had a flying capstan thingy.

I just checked and that lirios rope is pretty strong!! And a Tad stronger than the other one. Either would be perfectly good I'm sure. Yes to that Block. You need something way stronger than the rope for your main anchor. The lightweight one is rate 45k, that less than the rope, thats no good. The rope should be the weakest part of the sytem ideally, you'll learn all this on the course. The ISC blocks should last a very long time so they are a good investment. The lightweight one (if used as a top anchor) wouldn't last long at all.

All good, but you will be quite limited with that pulley. Its ok for top rigging lightweight stuff but not for dropping loads onto. I use them as redirects and for final lowerign points but not for main anchor. A small ISC block would be better and then the lightweight one aswell if you can afford it. And for rope, a little more money would get you the 13mm double braid rope which is much better.

Most people who need an arborist in the long term will aske their peers for recomendations. YP only covers the one off, price shopper. IMO.

Thats what I was getting at. Not a blanket "I'm not responsible" and definatly not after the damage is done. As for what constitutes damage, I think I stated roof tiles not include but structural damge to roof i.e. beams and woodwork etc would be covered. I can dig out some pics I think, it will be clear why I did it that way for that particular job.

You can quote how you like. I'm not saying I've done it often, and I'm not suggesting it would be the thing to do in this case. I agree you can't say its a fixed price and then change it, thats no good at all and I'm not suggesting that. But you can state that your price does not include covering damage to the crappy roof, as long as thats in the quote. Weather you get any work doing it that way depends on the customer and any other quotes they might have. An honest quote with no loading for possible damage but no liability for damage might be a better choice for the client than a loaded high just in case quote. Its their chioce. I'm not keen on paying for asbestos roofs if, for example, the client is planning on replacign the roof later once the tree is gone. Discuss with the client what their expectations are and then quote accordingly. If the roof is perfect and they want/expect no damge then of course I would quote on that basis.

Especially if you don't really want the job cos you can tell they are going to try and get a new roof out of you!

Rubbish, you can state what you like in a quote. Its up to the customer which quote they accept. If something is in a weakened state already you shouldn't have to make it better than it was?

I've detailed in quotes that I will do my best to not break fragile roofs BUT if they are fragile, I won't be held responsible for minor damage. If the client needs to replace a sheet of asbestos then i'll leave them to it. I take responsibility for overall structural damage of course, but you can't be expected to pay for old asbestos sheets that should have been replaced years ago. ANd insurance is a waste of time as most excess payments are too high to make it worth claiming.

That looks like a good compromised solution, well done. Pics are now legally required.

Ok, I'll try that.

Don't you need the top ascender to move independantly of the croll?

You only need the URL not the embed code. Arbtalk embeds it for you.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Fd_B_P82M&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Top half of poplar removal[/ame]

No, you should of had more rope!! It was the coolest thing I ever saw, your my hero! It is a good method, but there are many methods all with their own advantages/disadvantages. A floatign false crotch is great for working one side of a tree on you way up and can eliminate the need to ever get to the top, so if that suits the work you are doing then perfect. If you are going to work the whole tree then footlock or srt is more efficient and you can still work a bit on your way up. In my video I couln't get my throwline into a perfect TIP, so there was always going to be some climbing to get to where I wanted to be but I didn't struggle up because og no friction saver, I struggled up with a pantin and ascenders instead!

Well sort of. In that video its a rope guide instalation (a pulley saver as you call it) but I've footlocked up to that point using a pre installed line set from a throwline. So no different to Str and then installing a saver and way better than installing a saver from the ground and then body thrusting up. And yes, I did work the tree on the way up, I cut many small frithy bits off, but of course I couldn't cut anything major off until I had got to the top and installed the rigging system.

Sure yes that is good and can be used in many situations. The whole point of SRT though is efficient access to the crown. Replacing that with a Ddrt system defeats the object. It would work on jobs where you only need to work off a few low branches on one side of the tree. I think I saw noddy doing this same thing in the first climbing comp I ever went to in 2002, except he footlocked up one line and had another Ddrt system waiting for him once up there.

Ok, then the hitch failled or was wrong. The Pantin cannot be at fault because its not vital, if that makes sense? My pantin fails all the time, or I get tired of using it, whatever, I don't end up up side down.

You were using the pantin wrong then!! Its an aid, not a point of atachment. Hand ascenders are good for SRT, I use them from time to time, a place for everything, and everything in its place.

I use a pantin for going up any distance so don't worry about it too much. I have tried it extended away from me using the "O rig" method, but I'm so bad at tieing friction hitches that I worry they won't bind when needed, so I prefer to keep them well within arms reach.

Just onto the ring on the treemotion harness.

I can't find the slings on line, but they were from proclimber, made by cresto, and they are an awesome 750kgs SWL, so I'm happy using them for most situations.

Err, gecko carbon firbre spikes

No. Tim Bendal is a trainer/assessor at some colleges in the area. Top bloke, don't think he's ever been on here.

Sometimes you do the easy bits first to make space to rig the difficult bits into, but the rigging must be set up with the difficult bits in mind. And set up before you start cuttign bits off, even if you think you know where yo want to set up its sometimes best to have an option to go for plan B if required.