Backpain

Thought I'd loaded them.

I've been asked to reduce the canopy of one limb of a large beach tree. My concern is a cavity at the lower part of the limb. The guy from the planning dept has viewed the tree and doesn't see any danger with it. He suggested the cavity had taken 50% of the limb section and there was good reactive growth around the cavity. On a practical level there's a hell of a lot of weight on this part of the limb and the it's on the side where all the tension should be, so the front and sides of the limb are taking all the weight because its leaning. Q1 - would you climbing it to carryout the reduction? Q2 - does it pose any danger to the people whoes garden it overhangs? (its not their tree)

Been thinking about an ISC Micro Grab, what do people think of them. I'm still using rope on rope and it works for me but understand the views of progression. Tied a VT but it felt like I was arming a bomb and strapping to my ass before going up the tree. Not for mee I'm affraid.

How much weight are you hoping to save? Its not the tour de france. 13mm Rope with an ISC rope grab.....hang a landrover off it!

80 kg but feels more like 180kg some days. Need to cut down on the white bread!

There was a cavity at the base which the officer said had heald well (not in those exact words as you'd expect). The tree still stands but I feel like I've conquered my nemesis Been climbing 24 years and absolutely trust my judgement and follow my instinct, they're usually right. Thanks PJ

Been working on a old sycamore probably about 20m high and just wondered if anyone has the same fellings I got when climbing it. It was mostly covered in ivy and there was lots of dead wood on it. Generally, I'd say it felt very spongy and the branches very bendy. Lots of large branches had rot in them, upto to 6" stuff and some were dead at the ends. The tree officer said it was fine and not dangerous. I don't normally have a problem climbing most species and size of tree's but this ones been giving me nightmares. Thanks god its over. Has anyone ever felt like this?

Hi, does anyone own or know anyone who owns woodland in the National Forest that needs managing. I'm really struggling to find woodland thats being managed in the area and wondered if anyone else had come across the same.

Hi Stereo, in my opinion with such an established woodland you would be best to take the policy of maximising the biodiversity. This could include the creation of woodland glades and consequently the removal of some valuable timber for the mill or firewood. The value all depends on the cost of removal and of coarse quality. Include some new planting and your well on the way to getting a grant depending where you are. Where are you? I may be able to help.

Hi, I could also be interested. Sounds like you could auction it.

Hi, Does anyone know a reliable source of hardwood timber for firewood anywhere in the UK? Ideally I want someone in central uk to reduce delivery costs and order in smaller lots maybe 40 tons per month. Thanks.

I don't get on with the lopper too well, had to take the cord out of the first pully so it cuts in one action instead of using the ratchet. Balls ache changing over to saw but still have me nuts! Wish I'd bought Jamesons now bit more cash but far better quality. I think because the pole section is kind of oval shape it's weaker on the thin section so if it gets stuck and twists it just folds like spagheti....if you think about it when was the last time you saw an oval shaped fishing pole? Never.

Just wondered if anyone else has a Hayauchi pole that's snapped? I was lopping at the weekend with the pole fully extended to 4.9m, pull rope got caught on the falling branch and the pole snapped clean in two, just above the handle.

I'm in the Midlands so pretty well placed I hope. I'm paying for my tickets my self and working weekends to get some experience. Learn to cut wood first. Then I'm taking my climbing ticket and will probably go contracting if possible. I want the independence of working for myself. i don't want to be salaried to a big firm, but I know what you're saying. If it's less than £400 we'll just have to get a flat:scared1:

Cheers Dodger, I'm not really looking to be a millionaire far from it. It's more about quality of life. We're downsizing the house to allow for a lower income so we'll not be any worse off. As long as I can pull about £400 a week we'll be ok. Is that unrealistic? I'm willing to work seven days a week if I have to.

Well that was easy! Expensive but easy....just booked my Cs30/31 course for end of March at Moulton. Just hope there's enough work out there this summer to get some experience. My plan is to carry on working for a while and try to get some experience at weekends. Cheers for all the comments and support. Be stump carving by summer:001_smile:

Stick um under that thing and they'll be nothing left. Crackin idea and got to be worth a try just for the laugh if nothing else. Just make sure you video it. First time I made cider I used a large blade on the end of my bosch drill. Apple pulp all over the kitchen, mum went bonkers. It tasted great though. I've moved on to renting a masher and press from my local home brew shop for £10 a weekend. I use my sisters apples, don't know varieties but they're a mixture of nice eaters probably 70% and cookers 30%. I just ferment the juice in a demijohn £3 each, no added sugar or yeast (although you're best to add a champagne yeast which will makes it fizzzz) once it stops bubbling, syphon into another demijohn (it's known as racking) leave it to clear for a week or so. Then bottle it in screw top bottles, not corks you'll have it all over the place. Be patient and wait til the following summer and it'll be lovely. I've got about 1/2 dozen bottle in the garage maturing. I was in the brew shop a while ago and this bloke came in talking about having 70 gallons he needed to bottle. He'd got a sample with him for us to try, well the shop owners face was a picture when it tried it. He looked like he'd just been smacked in the chops. It was like vinegar. It's all in the apples. Good luck with the splitter:laugh1:

I was always looking at it from the point of view of making it into a long tern career or own business. Staying in it longs term I'd look at getting some qualifications probably in forestry or land management. Own business route wise, well my better half is really into gardening so we could do garden maintenance or landscaping further down the line once our child starts school. The easy part will be taking the first step! I'm sure. Is the work starting to dry up due to the crunch?

Wow guys there's some fantastic tales behind all of you ventures and i'm so pleased there's other people out there who have made the break. You've really given me that extra boost I was hoping for. I'm really gonna go for now because I can see from what so many of you are saying that basically you feel alive! Just looking forward to getting my first throbbing chainsaw. I probably quite lucky too because I've got a mate in the game who's been learning from a couple of masters, so there's a chance I can join the gang...as their groundie. Oh what stick I'm in for. Keep looking after those trees boys and I'll look forward to some more yarning. Better get me CS30/31 booked next week. Cheers.

Sounds like it's no different than any other skilled craft you're never going to pick it up over night. I served my apprenticeship in the machine shop and I still remember the sound and the feel of the lathe when you were cutter. You could feel when it wasn't right and you adjusted feeds and speed to suit. It's like your in tune with things and think thats what makes craft jobs so much more rewarding than....well brain jobs.

Nice one Treewarrior. I guess 2nd order differential equations don't give you same buzz as being 65ft up a tree. I've been in engineering for 20 years, worked my way up, did a degree and all that and could never really find a job that payed very well or provided any kind of fulfillment. Why aren't working the trees full time?

Cheers for all the comments guys, it really is appreciated from fellas in the know. It's nothing short of daunting but I'm really passionate about the outdoors and this feels absolutely the right thing to do. I've already put the house up for sale so we can down size and live on a lower income. Not that sales pays that much. I've got loads of experience in project management and estimating so I could move back to the shiny elbow job once I'm burnt out and need to slow down a bit. Once I've got my tickets and some experience I definitely get some formal qualifications, any suggestions which one are the best to take.

The thing is it's not like I've never climbed. I used to be a rock climber until my early thirties and I know trees are completely different. I know what you're saying through, 40 does sound a bit old to be turning your hand to something like climbing trees for a living. I sure I could hack it up there I just think I'd be a bit slower than the young whippets. How much pressure is there to get the jobs done fast? Is it more about getting the job done right?

Hi All, There's quite a few threads on here about people changing career and it always seems to provoke an interesting discussion. There's some great stories about people getting into trees later in life and this is really my question. When are you too old for it? I'm 40 this year. I've always been active in the outdoors doing things like mountain biking, walking (with a child on my back in recent years) so consider myself pretty fit. At the moment I'm in a dead end sales job phoning people who don't want to speak to you and trying to sell something I have no real interest in......I drifted into it after being made redundant last year so it's not entirely my fault, needs must and all that. Anyway, one day it struck me that what I really wanted to do was some thing in the outdoors. I've a mate who's a tree surgeon and he let me go out for a couple of days to try it out. It was hard work and ached the next day, but boy was it satisfying. I reckon I've got at least another 10 years hard graft left in me. Long term I'd plan to get RHS and forestry qualification and do ground based like forestry management or planning and supervision. Is there anyone who can seriously say don't go for it you're way past it!!!