Doug Blease

The skills you would pick up from a degree would accelerate this process ten fold.

Hama, this is an unbelievable contact. Hopefully this is the start of what you are striving for. If you are serious about going down this route, you will make the finances work, whatever it takes. Doug

Its not about covering old ground Hamadryad. Whatever your degree subject, you will learn something in every part of it. If you opted for a BSc Honours degree. Your Honours project is part of your final year. However, there would be plenty of opportunity to direct your own learning, but by applying the skills and knowledge you pick up in lectures. In reality, it is always a case of YOU taking charge of the application of the teachings in the form of assignments, presentations and exams. Hamadryad, you are an ideal Open University/distance learning student. If you contact the intsitute of your choice they would be able to advise on funding streams. What about your employer? Perhaps they could contribute to tuition fees in return for you professional development?

What a shame to lose really good Oaks. What was the reason for felling? Surely not just for oak planks?

Hama, Why dont your approach Forest Research with your ideas? I think the most you can gain here is the credit of producing/inputting to research papers. Which is a very credible thing to accomplish. In order to gain credit for your degree, you will still need to gain this through an acreditting institution I believe, unfortunately they do require some sort of funding/payment in order to facilitate your learning. Doing the research project is only one bit of gaining your BSc. The idea is also that you achieve credit for a wider range of learning through modular subjects.

Matt, you can only take out a load at a time no matter what the weight is. If you were working in Oak then the tonnage would increase but the cubic metreage would be the similar. Hope you're well Doug

Did i see the Foringall Yew sneaking in the original line up?

I am on the verge of giving up. Numerous people have discredited your technique. This is called peer review. Its the split second before release, you know, the precursor to being seriously injured which is the effect of the tensions and compressions acting on the windblown tree. Physics are predicatable. But are you telling me that 100% of the time you can very accurately calculate the forces being exerted from the root plate and at the tip of the tree (some distance away)? It doesnt change the fact that there are a range of quick, efficent, approved, safe, methods for dealing with this situation. You are undermining them and encouraging, at best, a questionable technique.

Sorry, this is now a quote within a quote within a quote which makes it look like I asked for scenarios where I didnt. I replied to the above saying that the butt will not fall straight down when tensions and compressions could not be accurately predicted. I would agree that you can make an educated guess. But it is still a guess at best.

SO here's a question for you all... What is the one situation where the butt will not drop straight down? Anyone know? When you have no real idea on variable, abstract and unpredictable tensions and compresions. Yes, there is approved methods of dealing with hung trees. Which all British foresters are tought and examined on in a practical situation. If I were dealing with this situation in an Arboricultural sense, i think it would be a fully rigged and safe sectional dismantle in manageable, safe, predictable pieces. Stop trying to train on no budget with no idea.

OMG, this gets more and more ridiculous every time you talk about it. You are making excuses for variable situations. Anyone with enough experience of felling trees within a crop will tell you that, yes people do do it, but nobody ever recommends this technique. Therefore it really is an "at you own risk" technique. I reckon you might be the first to advertise it as a proven, safe method on an international video forum. Whats the score about "controlling the top" with an over head lowering line? Why not do it propoerly with a lateral winch line, using approved cuts at the base of the tree? Surely that is quicker? Doesnt involve climbing and overhead rigging? And means you can control the pull on the stem from a remote position? Where the risk of death lies? Well how is this for a start: - Your section is falling from shoulder height or above in a direction and speed which you have little control. - In the video and in every practical situation you have no time to exit the felling area using an esvcape route. - All timber species will split and react differently under realistically unknown tensions and compressions. Even at the preliminary boring cut, not to mention the step cut underneath. - Am I correct in thinking that your windblown tree is actually on an uphill incline (could be wrong) encouraging any piece to use gravity to come back towards the operator. - The tree which is causing the hang has a massive effect on what happens to the hung stem. This is infinately variable. Endless viable risks. Sorry mate, but by making a public video you are opening yourself to real criticism. The reality is that there is a lot of people who are willing to go out and try this technique with renewed confidence and curiosity. Genuinely, you could have someones death on your conscience.

Yeah, sorry dude. It took me ages to believe what I was reading and write a coherent reply! Thank god I am not the only one.... ...unless its a wind up?

I find this a little worrying...... Did nobody notice how slowly(not) the piece broke away at 4.55? Many many many people have died using this exact technique. There is NO control in leaving "straps". No control over speed or direction. I shudder to think that some people here on this forum who publicly represent the professional image of this industry, would even condone such terrible, lazy unsafe practice. Unless I am not seeing the sarcasm in the previous posts. I agree with the sttement that it is a regular occurance in the realms of motor manual forestry. One which I got toasted for by the FC years ago. Shorlty before a death occurred on our site doing exactly the same thing. If you were tasked with dealing with nasty windblown trees, whats the big rush? Why wouldnt there be the budgeted time to complete the job as safe as possible? No excuse for not using a winch of some description. Even if it was a rope and a vehicle.

I agree this is very inspiring. I am currently studying and working and would hope one day to get a crack at completing an MSc. Please keep us informed as to the progress of your studies. Doug

Excellent story, worthy of the local press I think. Raise the profile of professional tree surgeons as habitat managers. Excellent Bat habitat, even if just for the foraging value. You could have enhanced this further by installing discreet bat boxes, ensuring a future warm dry roost incase the tree hollows become wet and unsuitable. Keep up the good ecological profile!

Sounds a bit confusing there mate. Why would you mark 250 yr old veterans for felling when they pose no risk to the public? The wide variety of fungi and species associated with veteran trees/ deadwood is called biodiversity and quite rightly should be managed/enhanced/preserved. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick on your post?

DM Chainsaws...always excellent in every way.

Bob, I understand "you gets what you pay for" and I have always had yale lowering rope before. In all honesty, 99% of my lowering is medium sized bits. Not maxing anything out. My real bug bear is the amount of rope I have binned in the last few years due to sloppy/undertrained groundworkers getting trigger happy and cutting rope. In fairness, this has been limited freelancing to one company in particular. I was looking for a reasonably priced rope to see me through a winter of medium sized jobs. The upshot was FR Jones sending me 14mm Yale for a decent price. So a Marlow review from me will have to wait. Thanks for all the replies.

Thanks for all the detailed responses. I have been away surveying for a couple of weeks. I will need to get sorted again for the Autumn. I only use a pulley system. No natural crotch rigging anymore. Not for a good few years now anyway. I think the Marlow are the most realistically priced ropes. Seeing that no one as slated them yet, I guess I will give them a try.

I have been looking at buying some new lowering rope. Last time round I invested wisely in Yale double esterlon 14mm. Needless to say, great rope. I do very little REALLY big lowering at the moment so dont really require big heavy rope. I was looking at some of the 12-14mm ropes on the market. Does anyone have any recommendations? They all seem about the same to me. Any retailers got any deals on just now? Thanks in advance. Doug

cheers.....not as dumb as I am cabbage looking after all.... better get the axe out from summer retirement!

I dont sell that much firewood. Just friends and family really. But I have a customer who needs to fill a section of a shed measuring: 2.0m High 2.4m Long 2.0m Wide Am I right in saying the volume of a cuboid is HxLxW? Therfore the answer is 9.6m3 !! Surely thats wrong??? Cant believe it could be that much, I think I am having a blonde day. Can someone hit me with a stick and do my maths homework for me please?

I wouldnt class it as a premium firewood. But I have found that if you cut and split it while its green, it is quick to dry out and easy to light. Burns fairly quickly. Useful to mix in with other species of firewood. Dont think I have ever had BAD firewood. Its just how you manage it.

Hama, Thats great that you are on a degree course, and I am sure you will find it VERY rewarding in the long run. Sorry to hear about you financial situation. I would be comforted in the fact that you are trying to better yourself during a time when the economy is in stalemate or potential growth. Therefore you can only benefit by becoming further qualified and expanding your already broad knowledge and experience. I think at this time, I would prefer to be 4k behind, than to have no house at all. I for one will find it impossible to get onto the property market without becoming employed with a high salary. Therefore I am stuck renting at extortionate rates. Hopefully people like me and you are on the up, because hard works pays off. Sorry, still a de-rail!