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Loggers and climbing

Started by Kevin, August 17, 2001, 03:03:34 PM

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Kevin

I just received my Baileys catalog and there`s a guy climbing what appears to be a Giant Redwood.
My question is ...why are loggers climbing these trees today when these trees can be felled and limbed safely from the ground?
Is this still a common practice?

Tom

How do you fell a big tree like that without topping it first?

Kevin

What`s the reason for topping it Tom?
Will the tree split  if allowed to fall as is?

Tom

I'm no expert but topping helps to keep the tree from splintering when it hits the ground, is used for a bed for the tree to fall on, coming off first helps to keep the trunk from hanging up.  I guess I have just always heard of those big big trees being topped.  That's a long way for one to fall.

Kevin

This guy is really going to be ticked when he gets to the top and reaches for his chainsaw! ;D

Don P

Man, most of what I saw would hide in the furrows on that thing! :D

Tom

Holy Moly what a tree!

How long do you reckon your spurs have to be to climb bark like that?


timberbeast

With trees of that size,  they usually cut them in sections and winch them to the ground.  Saves a lot of broken timber and such.  Sure isn't a job I want!!  I get nervous on a stepladder!!  Hell,  that picture probably has a couple thou bf in it!
Where the heck is my axe???

CHARLIE

It's amazing the different conclusions people come up with when they see a picture. I don't see a logger climbing a tree. I think the picture is a warning to other loggers not to take too long for lunch. This guy obviously was late coming back from lunch and his co-workers tied him to a tree as punishment. But then he could be a tree hugger too. :D :D :D :D
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

RavioliKid

RavioliKid

CHARLIE

You're right about that Rav! Someday I'd like to see those giant redwoods but I'm scared of earthquakes :o. I bet carvers would love to have some of that bark. I know some carvers that enjoy carving cottonwood bark because it is so thick. They get pretty specific about it too. A carver was telling me once that he preferred the bark from trees in Canada instead of Wisconsin or Minnehaha 'cause it was thicker. Well....it looks like he should try carving giant sequoia bark. :)
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

Kevin

Tom,
I use 1 1/2" gaffs on poles without bark and I have climbed a few trees with them but anything with rough bark is a real gamble.
Tree spur gaffs start at 1 3/4" and go up to 3 1/2".
With no bark you come straight to the bottom if you cut out unless you get real lucky and cut back in on the way down then hope it`s the pole you cut into and not your leg.
Your arms turn a nice fleshy red color on the inside and you have mega slivers for a few months.
If the pole has had a creasote treatment it hurts even more.
With really rough bark and a rope lanyard there`s a pretty good chance you`ll get hung up on the way down.
For laughs when working on the opposite side of the pole from another lineman we`d slip a gloved hand in the form of a fist between the linemans belt and the pole as he was strapping in.
Just when he leaned back and wiggled his butt to get comfy you pull your hand out from under his belt and watch his eyes bug out.  :D
We were much younger then!

Tom

Kevin,
most of the line work around here is done from a bucket truck.  I feel sorry for those guys that have to climb with all the nails, tape, tack and staples on the poles covering the bottom 10 feet..  If a fellow broke out above that stuff I'm afraid his voice would change.

Creosote is murder.  I let a customer talk me into cutting some creosote treated poles for him to use for timbers even though I new better.  In 2 minutes I had that fine bandsaw sawdust all down my back and in my ears. When I finished the job I still had 30+ miles to drive to get home and was burning to high heaven.

Our favorite joke was to bump the back of someone's knees and unlock them.  That is unerving enough without the thought of falling off of a pole.

CHARLIE

Tom, I'd like to see the "Bucket Truck" that you Florida boys would use to work on that Giant Redwood!  :D :D :D
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

Tom

It would probably look something like this, Charlie.
                                    

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