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Had a nice wee job today pruning an apple tree and rowan, until.... my silky got tired of abuse it suffers and decided to bite me! Didnt bleed at first but then it started. just a trickle then squirting! At this point i realized id hit my vein (very close call). Luckily had my first aid kit handy so pressure went on with a bandage. Finished the job and went to parents as they are both docs. Update of a tetnis is required i think. This is after about an hour and a half under pressure.

Remember silkys can be your best friend if you are nice to them.

Be safe!

I was using it today, with 8oz throw bag. All you need to do is shorten the elastic tubing a bit so you get the full extent of the power. Also if the tree aint too hairy with epicormic growth you can get away with a lighter bag to get the extra height. If all that fails then as you say the pup should be happy.

Ouch! Hope the throw bag is still in one piece, sounds like the ultimate game of "conkers"!

 

I have to be honest that it's launch distance with tennis balls is a bit less that i thought, will try it proper soon.

Ha, yeah im pretty handy with a needle and thread. I was a little disapointed with the distance of a tennis ball but you can always shorten the elastic to get full extent of the power. At the end of the day its cheap and as already said a bit of ingenuity and imagination can go a long way.

It finally arrived today, already in trouble with the wife for shooting apples against the wall, drive-by style from the ride on mower! not tried it for throw line lobbing yet, and tips?

I found that the ideal weight for it is between 6 and 8 oz. So i cut open my 8oz one and turned it into a 6oz. Then stitched it into almost a ball shape to fit the pouch better. Oh and make sure you have a clean line out the front of the slingshot, i learned that the hard way when it caught in the end and swung down and punished me for being such an idiot if you get my meaning.

Hello Neil. Welcome to the forum.

 

When I first started out in tree work I did my CS30 in hope of getting work, I found that no one wanted to know until I had some experience and that's the chicken and egg scenario we all have to overcome to start out in tree work.

 

I ended up taking two years to do a national diploma in arboriculture at Sparsholt college in Hampshire, I worked for nothing but fuel and lunch money for a while just to get the experience. Slowly I built up more and more contacts.

 

As long as you are prepared to graft ridiculously hard for not a lot of reward, always be ready for a hard day and never grumble at the horrible jobs, you will do well. It's always useful to have big ears and a small mouth when you are starting out. Listen to advice and use it, it's being given to you for free!

Well said! Im not going to lie dude, its really hard to get your foot in the door but once you have cs30/31 email, phone, visit all companies in your area. Make yourself available at the drop of a hat. The more contacts you can gain the better it will be. Then once you have a bit of experience then maybe try and get your climbing tickets. Best of luck bro.

Yeah i got mine for 15 quid i think. cant remember where though. Shop around a bit and im sure you will find a cheap one. they come in 2 ball and 4 ball launchers. You can get a tennis ball to go over 170 foot ish so its good for the pup at lunch time. glad i could be of service.

I bought the "Hyperdog" tennis ball slinshot. I use it with a modified throwbag which i stitched into a ball rather than a bullet shape which makes it easier to hold in the pouch. Works really well. Iv hit a 60ft branch first time with minimal effort. But as the others say it doesnt hurt to get out and practice. http://www.hyper-pet.com/hyperdog.html

Hi all, looking to do my cs40 in the very near future and am struggling to find somewhere or someone in Glasgow that has a course coming up. Can anybody help. The sooner the better.

Hi all, looking to do my cs40 in the very near future and am struggling to find somewhere or someone in Glasgow that has a course coming up. Can anybody help. The sooner the better.

Still a bit pricey but what about the "Stein Arbor-trolley". Have used one a few times and it saves your back the world of trouble. Just a thought.

Thats awesome! inspired me to go and dig out my old scalextric. Mine was a Ford Cosworth rally car and mini i think.

Thats awesome! inspired me to go and dig out my old scalextric. Mine was a Ford Cosworth rally car and mini i think.

Whilst taking down a large oak a few years back i managed to hit something quite large and metal inside. Quite annoyed at blunting the chain but at the end of the day we split the offending section only to find what looked like a quick release from some sort of harness complete with buckles, webbing and all. So ended up taking it to the museum where i was told it was the quick release from a german airborne parachute harness from WW2.

In Scotland we dont really have a choice!

Employees dont not respect property.

 

but on a monday morning, ask them to sign an agreement to cover the weeks damages to all and sundry.

 

I bet they will freak out, and only the brave will sign and take responsabilty.

Granted there are some employees who dont respect property but you cant tar us all with the same brush. Like i said if you are honest and own up to mistakes people tend to be more understanding. After all we all make mistakes. Show me someone who doesnt and ill show you a liar

As a self employed climber/groundie its my reputation and work getting judged if things go wrong. For example, taking down a small syc the other day i missed a small peg on the main stem. Dropped it and the peg chipped a paving stone in the customers garden. Didnt notice at first until the boss pointed it out. I felt really bad and was fully prepared to pay for damages as it was my fault and no reflection on the boss and his company. In my honest opinion if something gets broken or damaged, own up to it. If it was a genuine accident people appreciate honesty and you are more likely to get work from them again.

Scrappy looks like a right character. well played sir!

Nice one chap! i remember i was very nervous before my first job.

lets face it, as Arborists we are a strange breed. Just curious as to see what other pets you all have. Ill start, Jake my collie, freddie the parrot and the snakes dont have names so any suggestions are welcome.

The APF show is coming up 13/14/15th Sept in Warwickshire. Should be good.

There is a few threads by "Peter" about the "pro tipper" its an awsome idea and well worth a look mate.

Dude, sorry to hear that! I swear some swines are just out there to make life hell for us who just want to work hard and make a living. Had all 4 of my tires slashed about a month ago. hope they catch who took it. good luck mate!

Dude, i feels for you. Youre not the only one looking in Scotland, Iv been looking for work for about 3 years. Both in wales and in Glasgow where i live. Theres very little about about at the moment. Im afraid that after you have taken all the right steps like emailing cvs and phoning every company in the area its going to come down to catching a lucky break somewhere. Good luck mate, if i get any work ill keep you in mind. Be much appreciated if you could do the same. we all gotta look out for each other as times are tough!

Lads, you can watch the whole of ax men series 1-5 if you type into google "watchseries" then look up ax men. Many hours of viewing.

Heres a few of mine. If anyone is interested in Gorge walking etc check out our short film on youtube. "Gravity chasers" 1 and 2.