RopeKnight

Another first for us! Bustin concrete out of the chained up Sugar with a Hammer drill first and then a Jack Hammer. Good test of strength and endurance. 65lb Jack hammer makes the 660 feel like a walk in the park. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RBbjv8IpOQ]YouTube - Cpt Jack Hammer The Movie Trailer[/ame]

Sugoi rocks most any pruning right up to 200t and right small as pencil thick. Tip is a knife edge to slice off sprouts, pull out hangers, grab an out of reach rope/biner or limb to aid climbing. Love it strapped to the lower leg is always easy to find just have to watch the rope or lanyard gettin snagged at the ankle and plastic sheath tip. Plus it is fairly easy to sharpen.

Ars Secateurs Haven't used these for many years but still the best i have ever used. Worked Nursery pruning grafts, taking cutting etc. Thousands and thousands of cuts and these as I remember are the best. Lost them somewhere. Bahco are my next choice. Felco never liked them much except for the one with the extra length for two hand use. Thats a good one.

Here are a few pics of a Norway Maple I ring barked last year with a crown clean/train and then again this year with the crown reduction and with many more ring barks. It works well to slow the growth about 1/2 the expected length of normal increments of growth.

Works fine for me for a few years. I use potato forks and pull out the sides first to release some of the pressure. Also have plastic rink boards along the rail and over the wheel well to avoid lock ups. I would be happier with a tilt box, mb next year. Oh the good thing is it doesn't add much weight to the truck. I have the small version in my Dakota and the large in my Ram. Larger one is made with steel opposed to plastic.

I wet myself, that was awesomely funny. Thanks!

The cap is a solid plug of concrete. Approxiomately 1000lbs. I worked away at for a couple of hours to get it away from the stems. Real chore! The gravitational forces along with the change in fulcrum as the leaders are pushed in will create some unwanted forces lower in the bole. we got the go ahead to do the pruning and install a primary cable. The plug of concrete will be attacked with a product call Dexpan or cut off saw and jack hammer. http://http://www.youtube.com/user/Ropearmour Ozzy reference got zero reply lets try Elvis. [ame=http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UcY_KsvHho]http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UcY_KsvHho[/ame]

Consulting for the New owner of this over 100 yr old home. The Sugar may be that old to. There are three sets of cables/chains in this tree. All in the bottom 1/2. 3/8" chain, 1" rod and weld on eye. There is nothing done right with this chain system and since nothing was done right, it can not be trusted in part or whole and is one big redo. Or remove YouTube - Ropearmour's Channel What do you think? Crown reduction at the same time. Should the chains stay?

Ugly enough to apples through a picket fence!

Deer Hunter and for giggles Nacho Libre. And for some strange reason Hood Winked.

Here is a pic.

Here is a new vid about a large old hollow Silver Maple we saved. The tree is healthy and needed crown reduction and slowing down. Ring barking was performed on average 3 to 4 traces per lead, spiralling down the stem and a few inches below the major pruning wound. YouTube - Ropearmour's Channel

Tree climbing comp in Hamilton a couple of years ago. Heard and then saw a 25' lead slip through the crown. It was dead for awhile. Children and people where around but luckily no one was hit.

Used both the new sharpies today in Silver crown reduction. I have to admit they are awesomely sharp and agressive. Next Best part is knowing I saved myself another 100 dollars or more on replacement blades. Cheers

I also sharpened an Ibuki and Stihl Brand pole saws(the telescoping one with the deep notched blade) I think I have used it on a finer tooth corona as well that gets used for root pruning. So I am pretty sure it will work on most anything. Impulse hardened, treated steel etc.

Its not that hard to do. [ame] [/ame] If you sharpen it before it gets real dull, it makes it easier to follow the angles and you will have less material to take off. From my experience, the teeth in the centre of the saw need to be touched up more often. I like to use a fine stone to smooth out the dings and such on the tooth edges or the flat side of the saw and then sand and oil. Helps relieve alot of the elbow grease/pains. If you know what I mean. I most save a 100 or more dollars every year. My one Sugoi is over 5 years old now.

I have a Pear and Cherry in the back yard i reduced so to keep the squirrels from using them like a highway to the neighbours Walnut. My Jackapoo mut is bonkers for squirrel. I will get some pics or vid shortly.

That makes me hungry. Think I'll cook up a Burger. Thanks for the chuckle.

We use it to increase or decrease the build up or blocking of hormones, water and nutrients and to tie up energy with callus production rather than adventitious growth. Just need to remember Auxins from Apical buds stimulate Differentiation Cytokinins from Roots stimulate Growth Gibberillin from Buds and roots stimulate growth and differentiation So this week I was doing a crown reduction and below the pruning wound or at the point of attachment, i will score the bark and cambuim about 1/3 the diameter. Depending on the vigor if it is high a may do upto 3 traces. This is done to avoid the sprouting. Most times it works. On a young tree you can apply this trace on the stem where you want to encourage growth or branching. I use this also to promote flowering of vines and flowering trees. It is alos handy when you have a limb you want to control but pruning it will detract from it aesthetically so I just trace it out a few times to slow it down. The thickness of the saw, 1/3 the diameter and spiralling up the branch/lead. Timing is the main factor. I practiced this technique quite vigorously with a Norway maple in front of my parents house growing under the lines. My mom wanted it kept small, so over the years i figured out what worked and what didn't with a vigorous young tree. It works really well in maintaining a small tree with out looking like a pollard. Just dwarfed it. And everything heals up fine. Initially I only used secateurs and a tiny srew driver. I would make two paralles cuts and then pop out thin strip of tissue. Now it is much easier to saw it out. Thats my experience and how I apply it, even with mature trees.

That is where "rule of thumb" stems, Pun intended. You are not to beat with anything thicker than your thumb. I have used this with clients that wish a thin straggley old bush would thicken up. Give it a wack or shake it vigorously.

Static loads get the dyneema. Recoil is scarey. Lowering lines good poly cover and nylon core has never let me down. Slam dunk or cut swing and drop.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rovf8j2DMWw&feature=related]YouTube - ‪Scott Weiland - Son‬‏[/ame]

Tree fungus in the world book. Cool! For me, Something I am already familiar with like a Tree ID Book. For the professional and amateur. Identification and prominent characteristics. Photographs/Drawings at times are better Culturing. If I can promote or advocate the use of fungi in the landscape as an ornamental, all the better! It has happened a few times so why not more. Fungal terms Divided into Groups and Identification Key Small enought you do not mind carrying it into the field but substantial so it can be passed on to the next generation

:beer:I am grateful for the education gentlemen. Good thing I did not quit with this thread. It has lead to higher ground/crown. I am consistently faced with over mature Acer saccharinum and a. negundo. Both considerabley poor comparmentalizers. And due to the past pruning practices here in Canada of Lions tailing and lopping off of lower limbs has left many with a high hazard rating. Basically these trees I am challenged by are long, over reaching, tip heavey multi-leaders with poor points of attachment and wood that shows moderate to low strength with fair flexibility and structural abnormalities. Maintaining these trees every 5 to 10 years tends to serve the best interests of the tree and the client. But at times the challenge to climb and work or rig in these trees is overly stressful. I am looking for additional techniques or answers to/for a net increase in safety. With out the use of mewps and cranes. So far what I have learned 1. girdling has some potential but general consensus from replies has been its a sucky Idea. I have learned and will try my best to take heed. 2. Srt rigging. Vertical speedline works. 3. Shoring works 4. Support cabling 5. Controlled Srt with friction device applied to load being lowered. Need experimentation and should work with tuned properly. 6.Anyone with anything else to add? Thanks again