Mark Bolam
-
Posts
30,061 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
340
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Classifieds
Tip Site Directory
Blogs
Articles
News
Arborist Reviews
Arbtalk Knot Guide
Gallery
Store
Calendar
Freelancers directory
Everything posted by Mark Bolam
-
Cheers Phenom. I'll order one this week.
-
Had a Robin sit on my shoulder once. In a shed doing a chainsaw maintainence course in Northumberland in January. Probably trying to get warm! Good job John. I always find Ash tough to reduce purely because of the amount of growing points I snap!
-
Keep at it Danny, sounds like you're getting there! Use Ocean and Marlow, both ok when bedded in. Hoping to get some Armor Prus from NZ next month. Had the same problems with slippage at first - 4 wraps then keep adding braids till it doesn't slip. Jobs a good 'un. The VT / HC combo never seems to work for anyone the first time they try it, but it's awesome when you nail it. Sending a loop of rope down to the groundie and letting him pull up your saw is another great benefit!
-
Thanks for the input fellas. Groundie reckoned I was like a headless chicken today, didn't know what to do with myself when I wasn't climbing. Bait box was empty by 2pm. Some really good advice. Problem isn't really the nicotine as such, it's the habit of smoking itself. Walk round tree discussing strategy? Smoke. Come down for brew? Smoke. Pull away from site at end of day? Smoke. Need to replace those moments with something healthy. I'm not using any nicotine replacement products because as stated I think that may prolong the agony.
-
Right. I'm packing in the fags tomorrow. Any advice on what to expect in terms of increased energy, putting on so much weight I can't get my harness on, even more bad tempered than usual with groundies etc? Ta. And yes, I know it will be hell.
-
Mick, re rigging and roping thread, Rich Rule says you got a new lowering pulley recently?
I need one to run with my 16mm bull rope, and don't want a stupidly big one. What kind did you go for? Where from? How much?
Ta.
-
Thanks Rich, will PM him.
-
What's the latest on bleeding canker in Chestnuts? Seems to have gone a bit quiet following massive publicity last year. Several affected down here in Kent, but plenty not as yet.
-
Nice tree, by the way. Monster. What happened to the timber?
-
What are you on about Stevie? I climb in bale bashers and Bullseye wellies.
-
If you think that Smudge I think I better give you a job mate!
-
This looks great. Will try one at the arb show. Anyone switched to this from a Butterfly? Pros/cons? Any feedback on longevity so far?
-
What pulley do you use Tom?
-
Nice Mike. Not a lot of room for chips in that set up though!
-
What next fellas? Dog tags?
-
How much are these little fellas then? They look awesome.
-
Here we go again! Since Arbtalk I seem to spend more time up a tree thinking about different systems like these than actually doing any bloody work! And my climbing bag now weighs just under 1/4ton.
-
Time to move out of the dark ages and get myself a lowering pulley (use 16mm double esterlon) as I've recently been alerted to the dangers of the tight bending radius of lowering through a crab. Would like the smallest, lightest pulley that will do the job. What would that be? ISC medium? Also, is it safe securing it with a 30kn webbing strop, or should I be using something beefier? We don't tend to rig down 200ft Wellingtonias too often, so I don't want to over-spec the job.
-
10KG sandbag tied to the end of my climbing rope. I've got massive arms, me.
-
If anyone topped my conifers for me I'd probably march them down to the pub and buy their drink all night after the couple of weeks I've just had! Seriously, it's a bit of a liberty isn't it? Did they make a reasonable job of it?
-
I know Lee very well, the gobby little munchkin. Do Universal still exist? Used to hire loads of their machines for telecomms mast surveys. Access is a problem for most of my typical back garden jobs. Would love a little tracked MEWP, but as Dean has said it would stay at home for most jobs. Too much money to have sitting in the lock-up. Does anyone hire these out in the Kent area for anything approaching sensible money?
-
Nice work Treeworld.
-
In at the deep end there Danny boy....
-
Both. No buzz using a MEWP, but they are great for certain jobs. BT lines are a pain, but with a MEWP you can clear them in seconds. Totally agree that becoming reliant on them dulls climbing skills, and Hucks comments about reduced drop zone. I think we all enjoy climbing, but MEWPs have their place because we all like making money (and staying alive on trees like Dean's). This is turning into a bit of a Stihl vs. Husky thread is it not?
-
Good thread. I am thinking of beefing up the signwriting on my Transit double cab. Got full size ali greedy boards on the back, which is a lot of advertising space sitting there doing nothing. Vinyl writing straight onto the ali, or printed on background and stuck on as one big rectangular sign? Went for the discreet look originally, with small signs on each door, but think they may be too small. Does size matter?
