gibbon

Might have about 20-25tonne of Beech in Devon in the next 6 weeks. What you offering roadside?

Thanks for the comments. I'm using 8mm roblon on a distel on the side strop. Mark, These are TPO'd and felling them wouldn't be an option here. All the Holm Oaks will now be under a pollarding Cycle, I suspect these will be done again in 10 or 12 years. Hama, I use the kit I've got, there lots more I'd like to have, I do have a 45kn swing cheek but it was used a redirect above the grcs, I don't think they are desinged to be used as a top block for snatching. It was the guys on the ground you did the best job. Felling some of the tops towards the rigging piont meant that they had to remove slack quickly and still let it run out blind as the lower shoots blocked the line of site between me and the lowering drum. They are really very good.

Here [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRt1_5Qt5G4]YouTube - EDTC Holm Oak Pollards1.wmv[/ame]

Still trying to get to grips with the head cam. This job was to reduce back these badly managed Holm Oak pollards. These trees were crown raised to 10 or 12m when the flats were built in 2002. Since then the tops have been declining and we decided this year to repollard them. It was a fidly job as we had lv lines under them for a few hours before wpd arrived to drop the wires. There was limited rigging pionts and we had to get some of the tops to jump the lower fluff. Using a grcs a good grounds man can remove quite a lot of slack from the system as the tops are falling and still let them run out.

Not a champion Lucombe though. The biggest by girth was in Phear Park in Exmouth till it fell over last winter, I think they had the second largest by girth there too which would be the now champion. The tallest is in Bicton Park I believe. There are some real big Lucombes in Devon, 30m not at all unusual

The stem is most likely just growing in diameter so quickly that bark can't keep up and is splitting. Seen it happen lots of times. Doesn't look like a deformed stem to me which might indicated that the cracks are effecting the woody tissue. Some people are too quick to reach for the vas when they see a tight crack.

Good video. Its very similar to the system we use-tensioning the speedline on the grsc and using a portawrap to secure the control line. I like the use of the double lowering bollard to keep both lines tidy and in easy reach, but I like the speed of the grcs for raising the line under load.

Sorry if I'm about to come across as an arse here Tony, but I can't understand why you have such a down trodden view of the world. If you want to achieve something or be somewhere then you have to fight to make it happen. Perhaps being employed is holding you back as you are hoping someone is going to help you acheive your personal goals? I'f you can't afford to achieve your dreams in your current job get another. If your ideal job isn't out there then its down to you to create it, no one gets anything in this world without having to fight like a dog to get it. For the record the most successful and most respected proffessionals I know are the ones who have a grass roots background in the industry and had spent years on the tools before they moved into other roles, not 20 somethings straight out of college. Also, with all due respect isn't the online FdSc a little over a thousand pounds a year? If this blows all your training budget and you can't go to seminars then you may just have to decide where the money is best spent. The seminars wil still be there in 3 years as will the degree, maybe you just need to be more patient.

Thats proper tree work. Good job

Havent done this very often, but here are a few photos of the last one. Hope it helps. http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/picture-forum/27-general-tree-pics-522.html

Sorry no luck still, do you have a link? Surely to could make up a narrow probe .5mm wider than a narrow twist drill? Or is there some other reason why it would need to be a larger hole?

I saw some years ago an autmomatic punch device that delivers a spring loaded punch at a consistent force. It was used to record the resistance at 10mm intervals of a steel probe entering a tree. This could be using in a simialr way to a resitograph to map areas of decay. Are these still available? if not where could I find a device which delivers a consistent force to use in a similar application?

I think the most recent assesment schedule ses something along the lines that it is expected the the majority of the work will be carried out by inhouse employees, but it is exceptable to use sub contractors during peak times to meet the work load. The subbies would then be working under the umbrella of you H&S infrastrure and which would need to be of the standard set by the AA. So the way I interpret this is that you should have staff trained and competant to deliver the services you offer, but the use of subbies is exceptable so long as you are not soley relying on sub these contractors to deliver the companies services.

Driver ants, milipede, land crab, tailless whip scorpion and strawberry dartfrog

Are foriegn beasties permitted here?

I'm also in Exmouth. What you doing to the tree?

Is it for supervisors or operatives? I can send Chris to make up a place if theres still one?

Why would they dislike you?

My brother regularly goes out to Seirra Leonne and teaches people how to shoot each other. They're armed 24/7 in a group of likeminded people and travel in convoy. His perception of Africa is totally different to mine, but so is the attitute he takes with him

I don't want to dispute what your brother says, but oil companies are not always the most popular organisations with local populations, plus everyone knows foriegn oil workers are paid very well and often on short contracts. I'd travelled a fair bit either for surfing/work or both and have been to places which were considered to be not safe or total no go zones. I've never had a guard and I've never felt at all treatened bar one or 2 incedents which were entirely my own doing. Infact some of the poorest people in the most deprived areas I have found to be the most generous and hospitable. Meeting people from vastly different backgrounds and sharing experiences is incedibaly rewarding, especially when you learn some of their ingenious solutions to everyday problem. I'd say go go go, whatever happens your sure to have a blast. Don't fear it embrace it.

I think you find it hard to find tree pruning work in true 3rd world countries. Most countries in South America aren't really 3rd world but are rapidly developing. I'm sure you'll find work, most likely in the private sector working for a bit of cash. It will be difficult to get a work permit to work for companies doing municipality works. The best advice would be to learn spanish, take your kit and find work whilst your there.

Few from today. Clearing a fallen Monterey Pine from a river

Couple more from the achive

Get collected from lodge Turn left at oyster camp Head to Big Forest Climb tree Meet bees