Big dead pine has to go

Naw... Just get a line in that upper set of stout limbs 35 - 40 feet or so up and either SRT to where you wanna be or Ddrt with the spurs on and work the tree on the way up. Sounds like you ended up under the lean.
 
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  • #152
I ended up in the only spot we could get a clean shot with the bow and arrow...you all know how much I suck with a throwbag...and it wasn't a complete removal, just a branch...
 
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  • #157
I have a big shot head...I need poles and new rubber bits...pending...
 
A few here have constructed poles for BS from bamboo...would make me a smidge nervous on high shots, but what do I know. New sling is less than $30 USD from Sherrill catalog here...shipping probably sux though. If it would make it more reasonable I'd be willing to see about picking one up off the shelf at the local Vermeer shop and mailing it to you, Fi.
 
A horse panic snap, found here at a farm supply store for about $8USD, with some accessory cord can fashion a sweet BS release (surely nothing like a $90 set-up, but you get what you pay for, but cost/benefit ratio is great). We used it for the high shots we were having to do recently in the 120'+ range. Allows you to stretch it to the distance you want, pick it up and point if like a rifle, with no trembling. I advice a face shield for shooting like this, or at the very least safety glasses, in case the rubber breaks, or the unlikely case that it slips off the BS head if the soapy water for installation is not dry yet.
 
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  • #160
PM Burnham...

Two 4' poles here will cost me about $95 plus shipping, I inquired at Wesspur as the whole unit was only $119 but shipping the long poles was too expensive. On the balance getting the poles locally is a bit cheaper than sourcing them from anywhere overseas myself.
Just managing the budgets at the moment, truck payments are first.
 
Fi...give me a day or so to get some pictures of my homemade big shot...I am using a 10' conduit (pretty thickwalled, no bending), spear gun rubber (I KNOW you have some of that down there) and a cross bar that I mount the rubber to. I am using a water balloon pouch for the pouch...I think it was $22, but works great.

I'll get you some pictures of what I have done...I can hit 60-70 foot shots easily and have gone a bit higher before. It donna cost much and works well.
 
Thanks Gerry!
You all would laugh at my sometimes 'creep climb' style though...if I'm not particularly comfortable then the back of my trousers get scuffed from where I sit down and shuffle.
Jed, my flipline wasn't long enough to go around this pine, and its all branchy and knobby...and the first tie in left me suspended about 6' out from the trunk.

Sorry Fi: I had no idea that it was such a pig. Wow. BTW--on a pig like that, I would never make fun of ANYONE'S climb style.
 
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  • #163
We cool Jed, I never thought you were making fun :)
Bugger's still there, there was a lot of rain and thunder and lightning last night, then the wind made up around 5am...the big dead pine insinuated its way into the morning fog in my brain...wonder if it is shedding any bits...also a big bendy branch on an ash up the road, also my beetle laden wattles on the windward side of the new truck...ghaaahhhh, so much for any more sleep.
The landowners are doing a big cleanup on the whole boundary, replacing all the fencing as well, going halfsies with the neighbours, so the time is drawing closer.
Look forward to your pictures Gary
 
Fi, here is what I am using, for over a year with this particular version..the spear gun rubber I am using is approx. 15 months old now.

The pouch is from a water balloon slingshot.

The conduit is 10 feet long.

The crosspiece is 18" long...you can use some conduit for the crosspiece.

The crosspiece is attached to the conduit with a stout "S" hook that came from a black bungee cord...or just buy the proper sized one from a hardware store...make it fit your conduit securely. One end of the "S" hooks into the end of the conduit, the other end cups around the crosspiece.

The angular braces from the cross piece to the main conduit are turnbuckles (inside the tape you see)...they are probably 3 inches. The turnbuckles let you adjust the tension equally on the crosspiece so it stays square to the conduit. I taped stuff to get rid of sharp edges.

The turnbuckles attach to the cross piece with eyebolts that go thru the cross piece.

The eyebolts are inset 5" from the end.

The turnbuckles hook into the eyebolts. The eyebolts are installed thru a hole you drill down thru the crosspiece parllel to the conduit. The conduit end of the turnbuckles is 5" below the crosspiece.

The end of the turnbuckle at the conduit must hook into a hole I drilled in the conduit (I don't remember how I did it but I don't think it is an eyebolt. I'd have to dissect mine to decipher how I did it...mainly take the tape off. I'll do that if you decide to try to make one).

The spear gun rubber is tied over some foam I put on the crosspiece to give me a larger diameter area to tie around. I secured the ends of the rubber with shroud line (the gray cord).

The pouch hangs freely (at the end of the rubbers) at 36" below the crosspiece.

I use a 16 oz throw weight and make 60-70 foot shots regularly. You can go higher with a 12 oz. bag.

When you shoot the pouch must ride along the conduit side of the crosspiece. If you shoot the pouch from the wrong side of the conduit it hits the crosspiece and things get exciting at that point. When you shoot, the crosspiece is on "your" side of the conduit and the pouch is on the lower side of the conduit, away from you.

Hope that helps...ask questions as you need to.
 

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If you ever decide to change out the cross piece that is the part of the head that has the rubber tied on ends (sling shot head). Use a piece of rigid copper instead (probably L) and solder some 45* bends on it about 1/2 or 3/4 the distance you have now. Then solder a couple of small lengths to extend out to the distance you have to tie the rubber onto. Pouch will clear better. Just a thought.

Cool fab though :)
 
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  • #171
Did I just hear a big dead crunch? maybe
...

...not!

Thanks for the pics Gary, food for thought, I'll show my Mr. Fixit, he's already been scoping out poles and stuff at the hardware store to make one!
 
If you ever decide to change out the cross piece that is the part of the head that has the rubber tied on ends (sling shot head). Use a piece of rigid copper instead (probably L) and solder some 45* bends on it about 1/2 or 3/4 the distance you have now. Then solder a couple of small lengths to extend out to the distance you have to tie the rubber onto. Pouch will clear better. Just a thought.

Cool fab though :)

That's pretty interesting, Stephen...I could take the "bump" out of the pouch slide up the pole...good thankin'.
 
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  • #175
That one is from before my first crane removal 43" DBH 80' Norfolk Pine...
 
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