forestboy1978

It's possible it can help it depends on what damage is done and how it was caused in the first place. I busted l2 or l3 and had spinal surgery 11 years ago. Can't remember which, they bridged l1-3 or l2-4 one or the other. Obviously I had a period of rehab, physio, my own extensive study etc. I tried inversion therapy, you name it. In the end strength training, mainly abs, as the OP suggests, and whole posterior chain fixed me. I don't do it much any more as I get it at work as I adopt the correct posture to make my back strong as I work, not bust the shit out it. Which is SQUATTING DOWN low to pick up anything, heavy, or even a spanner. Keep focus on a straight back and tight abs in the process, breath out as you lift. Only thing I have to adjust with is shovelling. I use a long German shovel and a lower back support. Shovelling and raking I tend to avoid as much as possible though cos I will suffer if I have to do it all day.

yeah gonna try and enjoy it. I do like the fact that for 2 weeks each year phone an email goes dead. I prefer to have Jan booked though when that happens. Just dragged my ass out for a run in rain to pick myself up but god it's grim out there lol

I think I have it worked out I'm having 13 days off. Dunno about anyone but I need it, I'm absolutely shattered last few days and down in the dumps for some reason I don't even know. I am not broke but I'm not comfortable but sod it I'm not working. It's my own fault. Just, always gotta do everything at once and finish the process so just spent way too much like a damn fool. Good thing about a longer break is I don't really get weekends. On a longer break you can actually do nothing and not worry about doing nothing for a while and work piling up. I can't fully enjoy it though due to low money and not much in the bag work wise. Just ticking over ATM so there is the obv worry of keeping work coming in in the new year.

Yeah well I'm definitely boring.....

Don't know if it matters but it would fall under my last policy I had prior to annual change, which was also with another company. Not even sure what the excess is with them or who they were. Does it damage your premium much making such a claim? Never claimed on an insurance policy in my life yet so no idea.

I wish. I don't get that lucky lol.

In summation as brief as I can I "possibly" broke a sewer pipe when fitting a fence several months ago. I say possible cos when digging I came across it and didn't break it so spent quite some time deliberating on how to work around the problem. Obviously I cut the concrete post down but I knew the neighbour was going to hang a gate on it so I made a wider hole and buried the post around 14 inch deep and concluded that it'd prolly be ok as it was encompassed, kinda binded up with surrounding concrete footpaths and patio etc and it had a wide anchor of concrete fitted to it. A- I'm wondering what the cost is gonna be. They need to get a drainage person, cut concrete footpath, re fit drain, do some kind of re fit on the fence etc and disassemble neighbours gate and re fit it again. He did a proper bodge fitting his own gate so you'll be quoting for working on a bodge on the gate refit. Then re pour concrete footpath. B- I'm wondering if it was even me and not the neighbour who fitted the gate clattering the hell out of the post or something C- I'm wondering if it's worth claiming on the PLI and what future damage that is likely to cause. Excess is 1k anyway. D- I'm contemplating disputing it as, I definitely left the pipe intact prior to pouring a small amount of dry post crete above it and then carefully placing post in the whole before pouring water and more post crete. You don't cut a concrete post to avoid breaking a pipe if you've broken it if you catch my drift. What's the point. I would do it myself but the guy is a twat. He said he wanted to walk behind his shed after fence was installed. Then went out. Then I realised the line he chose wouldn't allow it so I spoke to his wife and her exact words were "Yeah, put in a small deviation so he can get behind the shed. I'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY" Then he came home and made a right song and dance about it so spent 3 hours re aligning 3 semi set concrete post fitted with closeboard concrete gravel boards. These weren't the gate offending posts btw that caused the drain breakage supposedly. 3 months later I get a call about blocked toilet and reason and I go take a look. Wish I'd video'd the gate and wall plate it was fitted to now. Gah

I have used them and they are great but god, domestically, when can you actually use one in the field of work is literally 20% of the time. Random fact. The dryer concrete is when you mix it and apply it the harder it will cure. Every now and then some old boy has gone old school and fitted a fence properly 20 odd years ago probably and made mixes ultra dry to make the posts stay put almost immediately. They are a bugger to break and you want a post puller on them. Can be hours of hard labour to break a single post out if concrete is plentiful and was put in dry as hell.

We shall see...

Good old hedge reduction bank account destruction. Done it at least twice. Easily done and though I'm new to tree work I've done 100s of hedge jobs. On my own mistakes.... The list is endless up until my 30's, ....with a gradual reduction. I fear, now going slowly into tree work, the graph is going to spike quite badly.

Me neither. Gotta work Sunday though. ?

I don't see the point in reading up on it. I did, and I still don't understand it. And as you say, neither does my accountant. I just do what I have to do, keep my head down and my nose clean and hope no bureaucratic idiot decides to climb up my ass for some reason or another. Cos "they" can find a reason if they look into absolutely anyone far enough.

Interesting topic. Some days I'm driven and ready to attack the day, others I dread it. Currently I'm on a job that I'm hating and I knew I would, knowing it would be a bast*** and the weather is also depressing as hell. On the no motivation, doom and gloom days, I just get on with it. I tell myself things could be worse, self pity is futile. Every man has to work. On the motivation days I CAPITALISE on that free drive and get as much done as humanly possible. I find the hardest bit dealing with customers, when you just wanna be doing bugger all at home with your feet up. Faking that enthusiasm about their project that I am undertaking can be draining if I really don't give a crap. I hate being disingenuous, even if it is just faking peppyness. My current goal is to maximise profit and minimise effort. Garnering regular smaller well paid 1 hour jobs so you can get a few days per month where you earn a days wages in 2-4 hours helps the motivation. I avoid working for friends and family as much as possible. I flat out tell them that my intention is to get as much as possible for doing as little as possible and our two objectives are definitely incongruous. I usually recommend trusted friends who don't have biz costs and do a bit of this and that on the weekends who are much cheaper of course than me. Don't get me wrong, I sorta like working also and get depressed if I don't do physical stuff to some degree but over working ruins me as well. Looking forward to 13 days of at xmas, even though I'm flat broke ATM due to OCD spending problems.

It's pretty complicated. I pay around 1k for PL and EL turnover is 85k. I literally stay just under the threshold even if it means not working. That will change possibly next year. Not sure. Anyway.... I think you'll find also that sub contractors need to be have their own insurance also to be bona fide subs or you could get up shit creek with the inland rev. Especially if they are working for you job after job. They no longer qualify as subs. I don't fully understand it. Get ready for stress though lol Good luck.

Got a 10/10 And a FYI Dempsey, yes it was actually, definitely all me and not passing it off as myself cos supposedly it was beyond me. (sorry couldn't resist) Applying for TPO and taking crown of 4 oak trees down by approx 30%. “Tree crown taken down and area maticulously clean. Larger branches cut and left for wood burner. Work carried out in treacherous conditions and well controlled by .......”

What's the big issue with just carbing direct to the bridge and not the ring itself. Wear?

Don't listen to doctors entirely. Aim for the top. I was told I'd prolly walk but never be the same when I burst l2. They said it was a bad break. Been running a fencing company 8 years and that accident was 11 years ago. Only pain I got is my damn shoulder? All the best.

Really hope customer gives me a review for the oaks. I spoke to him cos I finished and he wasn't there and said any issues, let me know. He said his wife's happy but he hasn't had a chance to see it in the light yet cos of work. I said don't worry too much about payment till you've had a chance to inspect the tree properly. Been paid. Still waiting on the review.

Thank you for that extremely useful tip. I will definitely use it. Often I would imagine. Currently reading the art of rigging and I've learn't something quite interesting about myself. I can learn knots faster by the imagination of the way they look and feel rather than looking at them. Been practising most nights various things and once I can close my eyes and know what it's going to look like I have it logged in memory. I have a crap memory so it really helps. For example. Can easily do a bow line with 1 hand and eyes closed in seconds 100% without fail but each time I tried with both hands and eyes open I'd sometimes screw it and end up with some kind of slip knot type thing. Once I closed my eyes and visualised it I was able to to do it without fail. Really odd but anyway.....

I got it thanks. But you almost may as well have just had the one up there other than the safety aspect I guess. Unions don't look the grandest. How come no cambium savers? I need another long line..... gah

I'm more talking about logs than brash but the wheelie bin is a damn good idea that I may steel. Current finished job I just removed a fence panel and opened a whole in the hedging behind the fence to access was 10 meters approx from tree to chipper so no issue. Tree officer mentioned the whole in the hedge as it was council property. I said, literally, are you saying I can't tie back brambles? He said no, just no cutting anything out, which I hadn't and he did have a look but was cool. Actually quite a nice guy he seemed.

Just tried it from the door frame. Got 1 foot off the ground... lol

No, I get what you mean. That pic was so horizontal looking it put me off what he was getting at.

I don't get it. So you put your main line in high then limb walked out to the end of the branch and tethered a double rope from it's end to the trunk and then used that horizontal rope to lanyard yourself around the branch whilst weight was taken mainly on the main line? Correct?

I lolled...