Andrew Gale
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Everything posted by Andrew Gale
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That's one lucky fella, could have ended a lot lot worse; a rag doll springs to mind. In my opinion the top was way to big to carry a snatch like that; he should've gone up another few meters and made it a lot small, the rope looks pretty small too in terms of diameter. Hope the guys ok, probably a few cracked ribs from the flying chainsaw, ouch.
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My mistake, thought the OP was talking about big saws; note to self, read posts more thoroughly before commenting.....
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In the past I've installed a sling and pulley system and got the ground crew to pull it up, a whole lot easier.
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I grew up in a place called Rose Green and about 200m from my house was a field where the land owners horse used to live; we spent every summer making camps, climbing the trees and generally having a blast; a few events spring to mind: 1. Making bow and arrows and firing them into the air directly above our heads and playing chicken to see who would move first 2. We decided to try and dismantle the old barn by removing the nails; I turned a bit sharpish and caught the side of my face, right next to my right eye; I went running home confronting my poor mum with a covered eye and blood running down my arm. Luckily it missed my eye but I still have the scar 35 years later 3. Climbing the row of Monterey cypress, weaving the branches together to make a base and throw the cones down at unsuspecting passers bye What fun........
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A guy walks into a pub, sits at the bar and takes a handful of nuts from the bowl whilst he waits for the barman; then he hears a voice, "That shirts looks nice on you" He turns around and no ones there; he turns back to the bar and hears the voice again "That's a really nice jacket, really suits the shirt you're wearing" He turns around again and nothing, no one there. At this point the barman walks over, "Good evening sir, what can I get you", to which the guy replies, "Did you hear a voice? He said my shirt and jacket were nice". "Ah" the barman said, "that'll be the nuts, they're complementary.........."
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Hi Fungi I run a AAAC and if you're already 'playing by the rules' i.e. adhering to H&S issues etc then it wouldn't be difficult to achieve; as Paul said. I prepared all my policies etc in house and didn't out-source them to another company; that was hard graft but if you're willing to put the hours in it is well worth it. Definitely go on the AA workshop for the AAAC and risk assessment, I found this help tremendously. Hope it helps and good luck Andrew
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If I may suggest that Mynors 'The Law of Trees, Forests and Hedges' is read ref encroaching branches etc (section 4); I shan't go through it all here, but in my opinion it's pretty much spot on. Regarding the issue of access into the crown of the tree to carry out the works, is the gate wide enough for a small tracked MEWP? With a MEWP you'd be able to achieve some very fine tip pruning and any heavier pruning required.
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I'm 43 and spent my early years thinking I was invincible; turns out that I wasn't! Knackered shoulder, dodgy neck and an iffy knee; still carry out climbed inspections but haven't wielded a chainsaw in anger for a few years now. Miss the buzz of getting up high and onto the tips, but don't miss visiting the chiropractor every 6 weeks.......
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Phaeolus schweinitzii - a brown rot leading to a brittle fracture; tends to be around the lower stem/rooting zone. I've seen a few high up before Well I hope its that anyway.......
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Well done Ben, no gain without pain.....
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Yet another tree ID, please!
Andrew Gale replied to spandit's question in Homeowners Tree Advice Forum
I'd wager a poplar of some type; never been great on my poplars I'm afraid -
anyone get much work from check-a-trade
Andrew Gale replied to smudge1's topic in Business Management
Not sure how big your outfit is Smudge, but we use it as an incentive for the guys who work for us; we tell them the score they got from a particular client, if it's 10s across the board it boosts their confidence and makes them feel valued, if they've dropped a point here and there it helps me to increase their awareness in those areas. -
anyone get much work from check-a-trade
Andrew Gale replied to smudge1's topic in Business Management
Hi Smudge I'm on Checkatrade and to be honest, initially I was very apprehensive; how wrong I was. We probably get 50-60% of our new contacts via it; a bit pricey but well worth it, I would definitely recommend it. The ability to respond to any negative comments is good too; we've had to use this twice when I thought the comments were overly harsh (I had a client whom we worked for for years and in his last posting he said that we were expensive, yet he never ever said that to us, we were able to comment on this, which was very useful). You can also post the feedback via twitter which we do all the time. Hope this helps Andrew -
Prunning/pollarding Limes.... next week, help!
Andrew Gale replied to normandylumberjack's topic in Tree health care
They look healthy enough from the photo; don't use wound sealant and the 'bleeding' will soon stop as the wound gums up, therefore sealing itself! Not the best time to do it but if they're going to be felled otherwise you've nothing to lose -
I'll have a punt at Acer rubrum
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Hi Paul, as you say, all good stuff, I guess a well established tree can weather the effects of possible nitrogen loss; however, a mature tree that's been knocked about by storms and lost a lot of growth may not be too keen on fresh stuff, possibly air on the side of caution? Photo's before and after would be good; interesting about the Rosaceae wood chips, not heard of that. Andrew
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Richard Court Forestry Engineering, close to Dunsfold; top bloke
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Well rotted mulch though, not the green stuff from the pruning exercise; the Woodland Trust's Ancient and Other Veteran Trees book has a good section on mulching too
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I've a TreeMotion and use both cari-tools and bent gate karabiners; I've had a number of the cari-tools break on me when climbing up through conifers and other tight crowns hence the move to the karabiner option.
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Sorry to hear that, bloody awful feeling when it happens; good luck in getting the kit back.
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I've always used Woodward Brothers at Coneyhurst. Good build quality, can be a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. Not sure if they have a web page; where are you based?
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Well done Michael, good to hear it went well. If you don't have it already, get yourself a copy of the Art and Science of Practical Rigging; it's a must. As has been said, steady and methodical gets the job done well and safely. Andrew
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Firstly, well done on asking questions and getting stuck in; very commendable Secondly, I agree with everything that's been said by all the other contributors; however, I do think your boss should be around to guide you through this. Can your groundie perform an aerial rescue should anything nasty happen? I appreciate the only way to learn is to do it, but this sounds a tad tricky for a newbie (no offence meant), especially with fencing, driveways and what sounds like an inexperienced grounds person. Anyway, all the best with it, take your time, good communications with the groundie and go steady Andrew
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It begs the question where the hell does all this kit go? We lost all our small plant, thankfully they left the chippers etc, but all the small stuff went, even the file sets; now is this to start another company somewhere? Does it all go to Ireland as so many people seem to suggest (please note that I am not casting any aspersions here) or is it mainland Europe as I've also been told. I really have no idea but we hear of all this kit being stolen on such a regular basis someone must have an idea of where it ends up, surely? Anyway, I'm rambling and thinking out loud; hope you get things sorted Matty Andrew
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That's a real shame, really feel for you; we got turned over mid Feb, makes you feel sick to your stomach. Just make sure you've got the receipts and invoices for all the kit taken; our insurance company wouldn't pay out without them, just another little bit of extra stress to put on you at an already stressful time. Andrew
