scottythepinetree

Reckon that's what it is anyway (cue hama....). Found on a dead branch up a really old Beech. Rare that I have a camera on me up a tree with an oppurtunity to take a snap without the chief screaming to hurry up and quit messing around.

Gecko is utterly rubbish mate. Much better ropes on the market for not a whole lot more, but every penny spent over the price of the Gecko will be money well spent. Haven't use the Yale fire but had a go on a workmates Yale Ice and reckon it's the nicest rope I've ever climbed on. If I hadn't just bought a tachyon I'd be getting some today.

Did my 38 and 39, and the RFS with Billy in 2002. Sound lad, supplied all the gear back then. How's he keeping?

Good attitude mate, good luck with it. So many people resign themselves to the dole queues when they lose their jobs lately. Good to have something to fall back on. Losing your job might be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Do a different ticket every year and pick the instructors brain about anything that may have changed works for me.

What licence you got mate. Not too sure about over there but know a lot of gangs in Dublin that are always looking for lads with a but of general work experience who can drive a lorry and work on the ground.

Get eye spliced. Saves so much time. As for length, depends on the size of tree you climb most often. I used to do a lot of street trees and having too much rope can be nearly as annoying as not having enough. If you are going to be doing big trees you'll probably want to go 45m not many trees you wont manage with that length. If you don't do many big trees pulling 45m of rope through a small tree can be a pain.

I would say that if it genuinely bothers you, you should tell them. No matter the result you can at least say you tried. You could even suggest they should get a second opinion (and here I would emphasise that they get someone with proper credentials).

I live right on a surf break. The fun I could have with that would never get old. Would clear the lineup n seconds.

PM me your e-mail and I'll send it over.

Used to sharpen the outside of my gaffs until I bought a Bashlin gaff maintenance kit and the instructions said to sharpen the inside edge following the little curved edge around as you go. Makes getting them razor sharp much easier and definitely not going to argue with the guys who make them. Important to get the profile right. Would recommend a maintenance kit not much in them really just a flat file, sharpening stone (to get a really fine edge) and a gauge so you can make sure the profile is right.

Just as a matter of interest do you clip your strop onto the chainbrake on that side? We used to do it all the time to carry over the shoulder (utility work, long treks through fields, lots of gear) until a brake handle snapped one day on a saw the guy in front of me was carrying. Put a stop to clipping on that side and been months since we have had a broken handle.

Might seem a silly question, but is there a general rule of thumb as to telling when decay is in it's late stages without the use of decay detection equipment?

If you do run with your idea try and get it on video. Would be interested to see whatever the outcome.

For saws and other small bits a jobox or some sort of safebox with a covered lock that can't be got at with a bolt cutters works well for us. Means they have to grind it or cut it with a torch. We lost the keys once and had to force one open. Was a nightmare. Took ages and made a load of noise. Could rig up the gas mains to pump gas into your lock up when they trigger a silent alarm. Then when they light the torch..... BOOM!! Just make sure your policy covers fire damage.

Not taking the mick here or anything, genuinely interested, as it seems odd that they'd bother teaching it on the RFS if there wasn't some relevance to trees. Do you know if there has been many unsuccessful actions taken? You could easily have uninterrupted light for 20 years and then have your light blocked by someone's leylandiis at the rate they grow. Either way unless they have a huge garden the trees will eventually become a problem for the owner as well. At which point there will be a queue of tree surgeons all under cutting each other to take them down.

Wasn't me mate I promise, have a 200t I can loan you if your stuck . Will keep an eye out on e-bay as I'm pretty much always on the hunt for good deals on saws.

Right.... practice over. Cuts are good. Now to try it on a live tree.

Might not be relevant or possibly outdated, but we were told on the RFS cert 7 or 8 years ago about the Prescription Act which states something along the lines of: while you have no right to a view you do have a right to light. Anyone know anything about this? Was a long time ago and details are a bit fuzzy.

Is it live yet? can't seem to access it

The book is standard reading on all arb courses, and a great place to start before getting into some of the more scientific or technical aspects of tree care. Personally I think it should be required reading for anyone who wants to put a chainsaw to a tree other than to fell it. Pretty expensive though. Cheapest place I could find it is here: Treesource Tree Care Practice Don't think there's much difference between one copy and another, but I could be wrong. The great man died in 2006.

Don't know if this has been up before but this is about as close as it gets. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRILH4mNjIo&feature=related]YouTube - My Pride Is my Shame, Too Big Of a Top with a Crane[/ame]

Looks cool in slow mo. Just no going to satisfy the craving tho. Swell hitting here the last 2 days and onshore everywhere.

Couldn't get on with the carbon fibre ones. Found the top strap digs in a bit if you're in them all day. So got a pair of Buckingham titanium stuck velcro top pads on them and never looked back. If you get velcro top pads go for the ones with the metal inserts. Much more comfy.

Was working as a sound engineer for a semi-pro trad band. The fiddle player was training to be a tree surgeon and was the first person I had ever met who loved his job. When the late nights and partying became too much needed a career change. Seemed like I couldn't go far wrong with trying to get into tree work. Took a crappy job and paid for the RFS cert (where I knew I was making the right choice) and a chainsaw and climbing ticket. Got a job with a big company. Worked for them for a few years under some really good climbers. Left and went to work for a smaller company where I realised I wasn't as bad as I thought I was. Was offered silly money to work for a mate in construction banking and occasionally driving cranes so left tree work for a while. Construction boom went pop fell back into it. Refreshed from the break and looking at the industry with new eyes can't see myself ever leaving it again. Am studying up to get some more qualifications, maybe next year. Depending on how much of a head start I can get either the ND or Prof Dip.