Nobody has more fun than me

[Kevin]

Here's a tree with lots of top --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/photo/74882584/171306524iTusNk]TOP BIND[/url]



view full size  below picture or normal size near the top

[DanManofStihl]

Thats a nice looking tree looks like he was making you work to get it down you gotta becareful when they are stuck on another tree My wifes uncle died when a big branch came down on his head. while he was cutting it from a still standing tree.

[leweee]

Yes Dan that's what makes chainsaw felling  such dangerous work, You have to antisepate that trees every move and every thing it may come in contact with ...including ground debri .  To a logger or arborist this danger is how we get our kicks. This element of risk management is  what makes your heart beat faster. Danger = FUN for us. Most  folks just thinks  we's CRAZY   ;D :D 8) 8) 8)

[DanManofStihl]

Thats what keeps me doing what I do Its what I love and its what I will always do.

[tony_marks]

every things goin good and u bout thru for the day.. then this happens.. which makes  u day a lot longer and slower to get it over with,, just my experience.. i wont leave it hanging there until the next day.. all i need is a bunch o kids to find it and of course they got to walk it,or some sort o thing like that..jmo

[Kevin]

That tree had four cuts in it.
The first on the right, second was on top along with removing a wedge of wood to remove the top bind, a third was made on the left and the final cut was made from the bottom.
It was pretty much a non event.
The tree was then winched back and off the fiber com --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.--Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/photo/74882584/171624220CwrtTF

[Ianab]

Ahhh...
The second winching picture makes everything clear.
I'm guessing knocking that cable down would be Expensive? :D

Ian

[Kevin]

That one feeds a few thousand customers and hundreds of special circuits.
When they go down you pay by the minute for lost revenue plus the damage, it's not pretty.  ;D

[leweee]

Kevin  you saved them money this time...hope they rewarded you for this miracle .You make difficult look easy....I bet impossible just takes a little longer.  ;D You arborists could teach use loggers a few tricks I bet Thanks for sharing & keep up the good work. 8)

[Kevin]

leweee, I think loggers and arborists benefit from learning from each other.
I'm not an arborist but have adopted their rope climbing skills in order to help me work safer .
In fact by using a throwline and bag I was able to secure a rope to the  top of that tree without leaving the ground.
As you mentioned previously, it really is necessary to read the tree and make the proper cuts.

[rebocardo]

I just bought a dog trainer for getting my rope and cables higher into trees without leaving the ground.

Instead of using the tennis balls to launch, I am going to use my bag I made (socks filled with 1.5 pounds of cushioned gravel).

I made it heavy enough so it pulls all the way down to the ground with the line attached. Nothing like getting the line perfect through a branch and end up with the small bag being 15 feet off the ground where you can not grab it.

[Kevin]

R;
Your bag sounds to be a tad heavy.
The line doesn't come down most likely because it isn't designed for the purpose.
Check out an arborist supply for the proper stuff.
This picture is from Baileys...

[Bobcat_pa]

Your thread was just in time for our next project--taking down some trees along the power line up to the our cabin.   What is the best method when working on the side of power/telco lines ?   Get a line on EVERY tree; just in case ..... ?      I am no Pro, so how safe should I go ?    

[Kevin]

I wouldn't take chances around the lines, use your best judgement and rope what you can.
Don't use metal cable and be sure to use a good quality bull rope.
Won't the power company clear those lines for you?

[Kevin]

Looking at some serious END BIND --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/photo/26601181/177103451BGcamq

[Woodhog]

Bobcat..
If I were you I wouldnt mess around the power lines..
At our last suppliers meeting they had rep from the local power company there, he mentioned all sorts of real ugly
scenerios as well as legal implications for mistakes regarding cutting trees near the line.

Here they have a 1-800 number that you call, they send a crew out with a certified forester if you are logging near their lines, they will cut the wood and you just skid it out from near the lines...for free....

If you short out the lines you could be liable for any problems
caused by outages on the phone or power lines.

Here you even have to have an inspection done if your road goes under the lines into the woods...

[Bobcat_pa]

Woodhog:
I think you have given some good advise here.   I will make a call.
bob

[beenthere]

Last spring I had some white oak (one just died, and was big) I wanted to take down, and all 10 of them could reach the power lines, if everything went wrong.
I called the electric co. to ask if they would take them, and was told that next year the contract brush crew might be in that area (they told me that last year too - next year). So I asked if they would turn off the power so I could take them down with no risk of getting juiced (this was on a dead end line to an old farm, not needing power every day).  They said someone would call me.  The first couple calls were from higher ups who misinterpreted my request. Finally a line crew supervisor stopped by and I told him what I wanted to do. He asked if I cared if they laid the lines down after the power was off, and I said that would be great (it was what I really wanted all along). They put in a temporary disconnect (cut the line and put in an insulator) and then laid the lines down. Found out they had a bad pole too (pole crew had just been there to check them all out ).  I dropped the trees and one did go where I didn't want it to, although I wasn't particularly fussy when nothing was in the way.  
All worked out well, after I managed to talk directly to the 'ground' level where the workers were, and away from the higher level desk jockey's who operate on a different level. Most confusion came from passing the buck to someone else, and getting the story confused as the buck was passed.
I was happy with the results. When I was done, they took out their insulator and put in a new pole, and now all is back to normal. Took 3 days.

[leweee]

beenthere
That sounds a heck of alot better than "next year". We have the same problem here. Top end  not too concerned unless theres a crisis.
Field crew ends up getten it right .The more burocrats they add the more they seem to pass the buck. :

[Kevin]

This is just one reason you need to be careful around the power lines ...

http://www.uswa.ca/eng/news_letter5/lewis.htm

[Tom]

That is truly a sad story.

[Bobcat_pa]

Kevin:
Thank you.  Such a tragedy for anyone; especiall a young man at the beginning of life.    This is a real "reality check".    Whether for employment or fun,  our chain saw activities need to be taken very seriously.     bob

[DanManofStihl]

God that is everyones worst nightmare their that has to be one of the worst logging stories I have heard lately.

[whitepe]

Kevin,
I think I am going to be sick now.

Back in Feb. 2002, just before I bought my LT15.
I looked at an old circle mill about 20 miles from me
that a man in his late 20's had for sale.   It turned out the circle mill was owned by his late father who was a lineman for the local electric utility here in central illinois.  I don't know
the details, but his father was electrocuted in
a high voltage accident while on the job.
Perry

[Bobcat_pa]

I called the power line folks.  They will not cut any trees, but they will drop the power line before I start, and reinstall when I am done.  No charge for their services.  

[Gordon]

That story is tragic.

Some real good info on this thread. You can NEVER be too safe around power lines. Only takes one second for everything to go bad.

When I was in the burn center a man down the hall had been in a bucket truck and gotten into an electric line. One was killed and he had massive burns and the side of his leg was actually blown out by the electric.

Gordon