Fun removal shots and video

[rbtree]

I just did a quick put together of the video. Will add titles later maybe.

The job entailed climbing and felling a bunch of cottonwoods near Duvall, where the trees grow tall. Big ones up to 150', young ones up to 110'.....big ones in the woods, lots of room. Small ones near structures, felled with wedges or pull lines, all set from the ground with throw lines.

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Andy (lakeside_53 from AS, who scores me tons of work around Tuck Lake)missed getting the vid of me felling the tree on the old shed.

[MasterBlaster]

Man, those trees are TALL!

[rbtree]

Here's a slide show
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbtree/sets/72157612683421021/show/with/3208987820/

[Newfie]

cool8)

[Wagnaw]

Are cottonwoods invasive out there or something? Looks like fun, for sure! Like the semi-handstand!

[littlenick]

Nice pictures and video:thumbup:

[Gord]

I love knocking apart cottonwoods like that when there's lots of room...rigging them not so much.

Nice pics and video Roger.

Cottonwoods are nothing but giant weeds in the PNW wagnaw...with a few exceptions.

[MasterBlaster]

And they're NEVER small. They're born full grown!!!

[Old Monkey]

We've got nothing even close to that tall around here. I could give all the the 100'+ trees names here.

[No_Bivy]

no clean up ...sweet.

[forestryworks]

nice video... looked like fun. and those were some big cottonwoods...

[TreeDimensional]

Opps, I shoulda thought more!

[No_Bivy]

that looks like childs play:/:

[TreeDimensional]

Ya noticed the secondary and service power lines? To the right (not shown) is the primary, with the phone lower on the poles!

[squisher]

Service lines are a free drop here and telephone are cheap or easy enough to do yourself. Looks like easy access for a bucket too?

Heck and you have your own crane don't you?

[Skwerl]

I do trees like that all the time and that one looks particularly easy. Wide open yard, huge landing area, I can set up in the street, nothing that needs roping over the house, just start cutting and try not to hit the ground crew. ;)

[squisher]

I only get service drops if I have to, usually I just work around it.

[No_Bivy]

let me get my 50 cal....
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[sotc]

cool roger, nice to have room for big stuff

[rbtree]

Nice Roger, send that young fella up here for a few days. I have one that will test his nerve!populus alba? alive?

easy to climb.....just kill the power and oldschool'll shinny out on those wires:P

[rbtree]

no clean up ...sweet.
Rented the chipper to the customer. He and Andy chipped up all the trees Andy had felled and maybe some of our mess....and all the storm damaged stuff at Andy's place ( gratis of course for that--Andy's scored me close to 5 figures of work this year) He said he had 100 feet worth of rhodys that were ruined by the 3 feet of snow they had.

[rbtree]

This was the scene when we arrived yesterday morning

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3330/3208788952_a8aa54b43a_o.jpg

[CurSedVoyce]

Sweet Rog... We don't have that many cotton woods that big. Most break and fall over under 100 feet. Love to top and drop em though :D

That one looks like a fun day TD :D

[rbtree]

Second time I've seen this curious growth, which is caused by freezing fog, I think. Both times I've seen it, it's been on decaying alder branches. It's like cotton candy. These shots were taking as it was metamorphosing. It melts down to almost nothing. I'm guessing it takes a few nights to grow. And can survive daytime temps a bit above freezing if the sun stays off it...which melts it quickly! Woulda made a good time lapse sequence.....


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3208202263_89200fcce7_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/3209087900_211ec07a3d_o.jpg

[Wagnaw]

Yeah, that stuff reminds me of the rhine frost we have around here that forms on everything at high elevations from cloud moisture condensing and freezing.

[Old Monkey]

Hoar frost?

[goodgrief]

Not to change the subject,

but Mr RBtree, You rent your chipper out to your customers?

[MasterBlaster]

I bet a nickle he says "no."

[rbtree]

I bet a nickle he says "no."

only to someone like Andy who knows how to use it....

[rbtree]

Hoar frost?

Similar, but it seems to be formed (perhaps) by drawing moisture from the wood.

[oldschool]

populus alba? alive?

easy to climb.....just kill the power and oldschool'll shinny out on those wires:P

Wicked vids roger. I tried to post lastnite but the hotel server kept kickin me off and my iPhone was dead. I was to tired to mess with it. We climbed all day in the snow. It takes a shitload out of me wrestling around up there with all those damn clothes on.

[MasterBlaster]

Man, I hate climbing in bulky clothes. Good luck!

[No_Bivy]

Wicked vids roger. I tried to post lastnite but the hotel server kept kickin me off and my iPhone was dead. I was to tired to mess with it. We climbed all day in the snow. It takes a shitload out of me wrestling around up there with all those damn clothes on.

ditto....15 this am. Here comes the layers:X

[woodworkingboy]

Do they sell heat patches over there, not ones to put on sore muscles, but actually intended to help keep you warm. Put them in your boots, or stick on the back of your undershirt, and they really do make a difference. Everybody here uses them, especially when working outside, and very cheap.

[rbtree]

Ditto that. Hard to fit a saddle on over all the bulk...and if you don't tuck everything in, then its hard to find gear and gear rings on the saddle.

Plus, cold fingers and toes affect attitude and ability to perform.

Felling that little cottonwood on the shed, (the one where Andy didn't get the video going) I barely hit the side of it, and as I turned to run, I stumbled a bit. It bounced off the wall edge and fell off. Andy had earleir tried to demolish the shed too, and had a tree come at him. He called it the "killer shed"

[stig]

Similar, but it seems to be formed (perhaps) by drawing moisture from the wood.

It forms when the water in semirotten porous wood freezes.
Water expands when turning to ice, as everybody who has overfilled an ice cube tray knows.
As it expands, it is pressed out of the pores in the wood forming the little threads of ice.
Same process as when you force melted polyester through a jet or nozzle to make hollowfill fibers for sleepingbags.

[Blinky]

no clean up ...sweet.

That's what I was thinking.

Cool pics Roger, especially the morning shot. You need to work on that handstand though.

It's against my tree hugging nature but I love watching the kerf open on a big-ass top and watching the crash.

[rbtree]

Had my own mess-up today, (Cowboy Ave had one yesterday which I haven't talked about here.) whilst felling the 6 big sticks, which ranged from 80-120 feet tall, yet none over 40" dbh......So, the trees were 130-150' total height......

Failed to judge the favor on the third stem, after an easy fell of the first two. Got cocky, cutting up the backcut, and didn't watch it. It sat back before I could get a wedge in.....then when I tried to make another face higher up, it closed that up as well, then started to barber chair up behind the hinge, on the face I'd put in. Scary to say the least, especially with all the downed tree debris everywhere.

So, I tried to set a line....this was 96 feet up, into a 2 foot wide target crotch...after about 8 tries, sort of got it, but we couldn't get the pull line to pass thru. Meanwhile, Andy had brought a chain and load binder, and I'd bound the split, which made me feel better about walking around near and under the stem which now had a 3-5% lean. So, we left the half installed pull line, with the throw line on the other side, in an attempt to nudge it in the right direction....that was a waste....anyhow, I then made a smaller face below the other two...and bore cut in. There was still 12 inches of back wood, which split out straight up to the middle face cut as she fell, and I beat feet sideways. Moral of the story, don't get cocky---put wedges in right away...and do a better job of reading the favor.

Of the next 3 trees, two were the largest yet, and hard to read the favor. Andy and Jake helped me determine which way to face the one that was 110-120 feet tall, and they were right. It went over nicely, with two 12 inch wedges not even tapped in, but there for insurance in case of a sitback. The next tree was hard to face up due to the lay of the land and underbrush. Was unsure of it, so pounded two wedges quite smartly. Didn't know where the guys were, so didn't yell for them to start the video. Anyhow, it smacked dead center onto a 120 foot fir that Josh had hit with a big top, stripping off most of the brush on one side. Bent the tree over like a toothpick and broke it at 30 feet, making a nice habitat snag. On the ground the fir was further split and tattered.

6th tree was a breeze, save for running out of fuel.

Video and shots will be up in a few hours.....

[MasterBlaster]

Lordy. Good to hear you made the most from it.

[CurSedVoyce]

Hate days that go like that .... I do have a question for ya... And this is just me askin some one with hella more experience than I, no criticism... Why did you have to set the tag/pull line 96 feet up... I never had to. Most I set lower (usually between 12 - 20 feet) to pull them to the lay...
I ask this because Rob and I have a theory that the line higher up just means more line you have to pull in to bring the tree into the commit to lay. Less slack when lower... Enlighten me please :)

[CurSedVoyce]

Ok Rob just corrected me here.. I have set a line 30 feet up for a 130 foot tall tree.. SO height does play in... And he also asked what you were using to pull it over and how much lean to lay would make a difference.. But he also asked "96 feet up? Were they hand pulling?".

[rbtree]

Hate days that go like that .... I do have a question for ya... And this is just me askin some one with hella more experience than I, no criticism... Why did you have to set the tag/pull line 96 feet up... I never had to. Most I set lower (usually between 12 - 20 feet) to pull them to the lay...
I ask this because Rob and I have a theory that the line higher up just means more line you have to pull in to bring the tree into the commit to lay. Less slack when lower... Enlighten me please :)

Look at the pics already up. This was a skinned snag......no place to set the line....which turned out worthless anyhow....I felt better with the slightly split butt chained with the load binder.

[CurSedVoyce]

So you hand pulled these.. We use come along on our pulls ... Don't need to set the line as high.

[sotc]

higher is better as you have more leverage. rog, ive been there with a set back and recently learned a new to me trick. bore under your back cut a little, wide enough to set a wedge and deep enough to drive it. the wedge will "snap" the thin layer of wood and lift the tree. i havent got to try it yet but seems like a great idea that you probably already know and couldnt implement for some reason beyond my grasp:)

[rbtree]

So you hand pulled these.. We use come along on our pulls ... Don't need to set the line as high.

Reading comprehension? didn't pull any of them....didn't want to have to....would never have gotten the ropes out. Wedged them

[rbtree]

Raw video, no titles, fading etc. The first cottonwood clip shows the camera falling off its perch. The second, if you look close, you'll see the kerf closing...go back and read my above commentary.

<object width="400" height="302"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2916576&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;sho w_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ad ef&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2916576&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;sho w_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ad ef&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="302"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/">Lake Tuck Cedar and Cottonwood Sticks</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1090539">Roger Barnett</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.
The last went fine, ignore Andy's blabber about it barbering.....

He's the Stihl guru on AS......note my cussing at my 660 that won't run right (reckon Andy's gonna have to tune it again) then he got caught on tape saying G-D Stihl's ...gotta love it....I'll roast him with that on AS, where he is nearing 20,000 posts.

[rbtree]

Thanks for the tip, Willie......Didn't think of that...maybe woulda worked.....but doubt it.... I had two wedges started, but they weren't giving any lift...this was a big tree, and had already set back a few feet at the top. Then, I broke 'em both off......some faller I am.

[Paul B]

ha! nice RB. :D

[CurSedVoyce]

Reading comprehension? didn't pull any of them....didn't want to have to....would never have gotten the ropes out. Wedged them


So, I tried to set a line....this was 96 feet up, into a 2 foot wide target crotch...after about 8 tries, sort of got it, but we couldn't get the pull line to pass thru. Meanwhile, Andy had brought a chain and load binder, and I'd bound the split, which made me feel better about walking around near and under the stem which now had a 3-5% lean. So, we left the half installed pull line, with the throw line on the other side, in an attempt to nudge it in the right direction....that was a waste....anyhow, I then made a smaller face below the other two...and bore cut in. There was still 12 inches of back wood, which split out straight up to the middle face cut as she fell, and I beat feet sideways. Moral of the story, don't get cocky---put wedges in right away...and do a better job of reading the favor.



As far as comprehension... Dude.. I am not a remedial reader...:roll: I had it in my mind the first time ... and yes.. I went back and read you again in case, no matter.. AS FAR AS reading comprehension... I asked a simple question... One that was never answered save by Willie..
My opinion on the video I finally got to see.....
1) carry steel wedges in case of set back so you can get in the Kerf and get more wedges in... Stackable preferred.
2)If you climb a tree, limb and top it out... Set a line while you are up there....
3) You have a GCRS... That will easily pull a tree into the lay... And you could have probably set the line in LOWER and use it.

I ALWAYS carry a couple steel wedges... along with my nylon...
I ALWAYS carry 2 Come alongs for pulling my trees in case...
I RARELY pull a tree by hand pulling...

4) We all have had bad days where we just screw it up...

BTW Roger.. I recently did one on my property.. I felled some trees (all Bull Pine)... All went perfect till the last one. I read the tree.. It was pretty well balanced. All the previous falls went right where and how I wanted them to dance. Previously I had discussed lining out the tree. I got over confident and started cutting with out the line in.. Tree started going the wrong way in a wind change. kerf closed on saw.... Stopped.. Started a new felling cut with a diffy saw and got her down.. And YES I should have walked the 20 feet for the steel wedges after the back cut kerf had closed. Granted the tree went right where I directed it on my second felling cut.. BUTTTTT
I agree with you.. don't get over confident...

BTW looked at your first video before you posted the newer one and ascertained you were hand pulling if you COULD HAVE set the line BEFORE recutting and wedging. Sorry if I was mistaken ... :D

Thanks for the pics and the video... Wish I could have been there to drop some of those with you.. Looked like fun actually :D

[rbtree]

Maybe I didn't state that I did NOT want to use lines on this job....too tough walking through the downed mess, and these were huge trees.....no way did I want to risk burying a line.

You're making too much out of it......

I did explain that there was nowhere else to get a line set on the skinned stem.....AND that line was there only to maybe try to pull the tree over after it had started to split. and had sat down on 2 unfinished face cuts--my bar and chain were stuck in the kerf...that was wishful thinking, not only did we not get the line properly set due to a hang-up, but we might not have been able to break it off, even with a truck....dunno about that....but got it with the chain saw, but that placed me in the danger zone while cutting..even tho it did go right where it was leaning without further splitting.

Just made a simple and sloppy mistake, got casual with one tree. That's it. Planned on doing the felling another day, with crew elsewhere, which is what I did. They were finishing the cedars. $ on the job was low....relatively, that is. Had it not been for the snafu, I'd have had the 6 trees down in a couple hours, with half that time spent getting to each tree, and clearing escape paths thru the mess.


Also, like Willie, I prefer to have lines set higher than 20%...makes the pull easier.

Also, after that tree sat back, I'd have prolly have needed more power than any wedge could provide, to get it over. Couldn't have stacked, either, it woulda spit them out. Plus, that soft cottonwood was mainly just compressing around the two wedges that I did get in.

[sotc]

nice strip roger! pretty cool to see that back cut close on ya:P
"pound it roger!" :lol:

[wiley_p]

Wow, Roger you knocked down a whole six trees in a couple of hours. That's real, real, not highballin. For the record, in the woods in 2 hours on that crap, you had better be on like your 30th tree. "walking thru the brush and stuff" man up and get the appropriate footwear.:P

[rbtree]

sheeeit..i knew there wuz sumthin' better than my water sandals for grip....


fast and furious might be me, but not when I'm fellin. Then, it's slow and shaky, and hope I get lucky....