Here goes, our big lombardy poplar job

rbtree

Climbing Up
Joined
Jun 22, 2005
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It'll be an ongoing photo/video story, as much as I have time for..will depend on crew size how much I can film.....

Here's the posts I've made already on a different thread:

I've made some posts at the TH, and will copy them over here, then document the job as much as I have time for with photos and videos....hope the weather isn't too bad...sun makes for far better images....and the winds of today dissapate!

posted 5 days ago:
<< <<There's a badasp poplar removal that some yahoo landed, but doesn't know how to do. My consulting arborist buds (ScottBaker)were concerned about this guy's abilities, and referred the client to me. He called me right away. This yahoo wanted to crane everything when there's no real way to do it. The crane co. told me what they had planned, but they didn't think it would work..and they also realized he was clueless.....He'd bid $12k, but his crane costs, if the job would even go down, would be $4500-$7000, and wood removal up to $2500. I'm gonna bid about $16000 plus or minus $1500, but will only need my regular crane guy for the wood. He has a rented 28 ton with narrow spread for the back outriggers (needed due to space between the houses being 20 feet or so)....plenty of room for the front outriggers.
There's a badasp poplar removal that some yahoo landed, but doesn't know how to do. My consulting arborist buds (ScottBaker)were concerned about this guy's abilities, and referred the client to me. He called me right away. This yahoo wanted to crane everything when there's no real way to do it. The crane co. told me what they had planned, but they didn't think it would work..and they also realized he was clueless.....He'd bid $12k, but his crane costs, if the job would even go down, would be $4500-$7000, and wood removal up to $2500. I'm gonna bid about $16000 plus or minus $1500, but will only need my regular crane guy for the wood. He has a rented 28 ton with narrow spread for the back outriggers (needed due to space between the houses being 20 feet or so)....plenty of room for the front outriggers.

Remember my story of him tipping his 23 tonner over? Well, I found out the deal. He asked the homeowner where the septic tank was..turned out the fool didn''t know. Anyhow, Mike had already picked 5 trees, when the crane punched through and tipped over fast. Mike could have been crushed when it tipped, but he fell into the septic tank......pppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuuuwww wwwwwwwww, ,, but better stinky as all get out than dead, huh??

Now he has a sharpened long piece of rebar and a mallet...to check out the ground......>>


<<now I gotta put together the army base bid...gonna be in the 35-50 k neighborhood.....and the big poplar bid-- the guy keeps calling. He really wants to talk, but I've been swamped. My guess is we'll land that job....there's only a handful of companies that could handle the job...a very small handful....>>

posted yesterday:

<<Scored the big poplar job!!! At about $16,000 and change. He may handle the wood removal with his trucking firm...same profit margin for us.....

Got a world class crew...Eli wants to climb..Cowboy Dave...Cert arb Ian (who' now pretty much running the show at another firm, on the ropes, and winches--he's been featured in my stories and photos for years.....tennis shoe Brian (who won't have them on) on ropes and the chipper- he's also great on the ground--and a climber....and this old fart on cameras, and everywhere else.....

figure 3 days of roping out brush and a bit of wood, then ACDeucy Mike with his 28 ton crane for the wood.....Monday, we're on for him, Wednesday to start the job. Estimated total tree weight---100 tons!

Cirrcumferences at ground level are: 21'9", 19'6", and 19' hope the price is enuf. turns out the client is a hard core skiier and instructor who knows all my Crystal Mt buds!! And he's getting married...maybe he'll want me to shoot his wedding?!

I gotta split, came home to take more salmon out of the food dehydrator (yumm, it's awesome --wild silver-alaska, for $3 a pound!!!!! and go do a little one man job, look at a job for SnoCo Public works--at 4 homes...she must love me, said do it, no bid!!!! UMM, I think I love HER!!!

Then meet Cowboy Dave later to cut back a silver poplar that had lost a limb and landed in the neighbor's yard, almost clocking the little Peruvian fella named Vita--who married to Rita...HAH!>>


from earlier today:
<<--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skwerl
I'd charge 'em extra for building the new house smack up against the tree and then deciding to remove them before the house is finished.


Got the job, we start tomorrow! My client cut a couple 8 inch roots. Trees aren't any more hazardous than they were. But one of the two coowners of the trees wants them out. My client doesn't own them, but is footing the whole bill, out of his pocket. Major bummer. Tree work--$16,300, grinding the stumps $1500, relandscaping the yard where the trees are, $5000..hauling the stump chips---his problem, but there will prolly be 50 cubic yards worth!!


Rigging will be fun...marl every branch--spread way out to make safe....maybe run a carriage with lower/and speed line both at the top..but will need a tag line on the butts (either 3-1 mech advantage, hand pulled, or winched out--whatever works..or speed line on the butt....Will have to see how it plays out.

I'd like to be able to limit the branch rigging to two lines each rather than three.... a clusterfluck it could be.....>>

update, last evening, Dave wrecked that poplar overhang lickitysplit...in maybe 110 minutes...got out of the tree at 8:25 pm....there was some crazyline angles....he had to tie in (both rigging and life lines) lower than was optimal due to an old breakout on the spar. There are few climbers anywhere as fast and talented as he!

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For now, just a few photos...but you can see the difficulties.....

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A big job to say the least, but why wait till the new construction began. Seems it would have been an easier takedown with a bit more room to work with.
 
Those things must like the west coast more than the midwest .They were at one time planted around here for windbreak type of trees .They would only live for maybe 20 years but would get about 50-60 feet tall before they croaked .
 
Those things grow damn big over here too. Me and Pete Mctree did some late last year that had been previously topped at 40 foot. The regrowth was enormous, with the trees reaching about 120 foot.

Interesting job Rog. look forward to more pics...
 
how tall were the lombardies? I have worked on a few large ones in the uk... usually rotten to the core :(

looking forward to the pics.:D
 

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A big job to say the least, but why wait till the new construction began. Seems it would have been an easier takedown with a bit more room to work with.

I explained above, Robert, what happened. Client doesn't own trees, but cut some roots extending over his property. One of two tree owners complained. Now he's footing the bill, outta his pocket....

Sorry I haven't gotten the Amboy pics done yet..for everyone, and you for Rhonda...it's been rather busy of late....
 
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  • #10
how tall were the lombardies? I have worked on a few large ones in the uk... usually rotten to the core :(

looking forward to the pics.:D


They are 148 feet tall!!! plus or minus 5 feet....

Not practical or realistic to crane the brush out.....there goes all our profit for one thing.....too narrow between houses for crane counterweight to swing...primaries on the street side would mean you'd be craning 20 footers...

The original yahoo who'd (sort of) landed the job wanted to ride the ball...crane co said no...then he wanted to ride in the basket---which, of course, is 100% impractical. This is the same doofus who I first saw 20 feet up in a wolfy fir, with his groundie pulling a 12 foot section, toward a house. First, I thought, huh? Then, I realized that the house was far enuf away, and that the piece would nose in and fall toward the tree. But, due to the proximity of the house, the pull line angle was acute. Now, for a good cutter, that would be no problem. But this clown climbed out of the tree to help pull the wood over. Hilarious. An d this is the guy who thought he could pull off one of the gnarliest jobs around? Guffaw...

The GRCS and Hobbs (if it's needed) will be our crane, till we get the sticks down to 80-100 feet, then Mike with his 28 ton truck mount will be just the ticket. sure, we'll have to cut the butts short...but he'll have no problem handling 800-10000 pounds.. which is about what the last 6 feet of the biggest tree weighs, I think.
 
Wow Roger. May the job go smoothly for ya.

Sure looks like alot of brush
 
I am amazed at your enthusiasm for large jobs Roger. I find I do not get paid what large jobs are worth here. I make about the same hourly on big nasty jobs or little snip snip jobs. Given that there is less risk on snip snip jobs, I usually just price myself out of the big nasties.
 
"One piece at a time" always been my motto. But looks to be room enough for a for two or three climbers in those trees. Course available room to manage the work dictates how it's done more.

Luck in the tops, brittle things, dropping and catching them in butt rigging. Likely for some to shatter. Wished I had more time to plan on being there to record it. Next time.
 
I am amazed at your enthusiasm for large jobs Roger. I find I do not get paid what large jobs are worth here. I make about the same hourly on big nasty jobs or little snip snip jobs. Given that there is less risk on snip snip jobs, I usually just price myself out of the big nasties.
__________________
Darin Turner, Tanager Tree Service, Boise ID and more importantly, Haley's Dad.

I have often thought about this sentiment Darin but still bid to get the big mofos. I have come to realize that Im trying to compensate for a small pecker:P..............
 
I am amazed at your enthusiasm for large jobs Roger. I find I do not get paid what large jobs are worth here. I make about the same hourly on big nasty jobs or little snip snip jobs. Given that there is less risk on snip snip jobs, I usually just price myself out of the big nasties.
__________________
Darin Turner, Tanager Tree Service, Boise ID and more importantly, Haley's Dad.

I have often thought about this sentiment Darin but still bid to get the big mofos. I have come to realize that Im trying to compensate for a small pecker:P..............

You're not supposed to admit to that.:?
 
I wish I could be there when you lower those tops out. You'll have to cut some pretty big pieces in order to have a large enough diameter to avoid breaking, and that will be something to see. Can't wait for the pics!
 
You are frigging nuts Roger, but I can't wait to see how it plays out!!
Balls of steel my man, balls of steel!
 
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  • #21
~2850 NW 66th.....

Well, we kicked ass on those pecker poles today!! 40 yard of chips....front tree brushed, two leads guyed to each other, complex back tree done save for the tops--Cowboy Dave Sturm is amazing. Eli on the front tree. Ian competently managing the GRCS....some tag lining on the butts...manual labor to pull em past the garage to be, some chipper winching, and some speedlining with our 24000 k spectra 1/2 inch line....

We'll get 'em done tomorrow..may have to do some raking and final cleanup Friday..then craning em Monday.

I had to drive back to get my clipboard/work contact book, which I'd stupidly left..and picked up the Hobbs, which we didn't need...... did two bids, cooked some salmon trimming scraps from the filleting of two fish, cooked one more fillet (5 days old) and have one fish marinading to dehydrate while I sleep.

Then I gotta do my quarterly taxes which I always leave to the last minute, but they'll be easy, relatively...and maybe file a saw and fix the starter assembly on another.....

It's all adrenalin, etc....I don't need speed, or any other drug...just fun and life...

Pics, I'll try, but time is short...gotta leave at 6:30 am to dump the truck...we ran both my trucks today so as to have no downtime.
 
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  • #22
"One piece at a time" always been my motto. But looks to be room enough for a for two or three climbers in those trees. Course available room to manage the work dictates how it's done more.

Luck in the tops, brittle things, dropping and catching them in butt rigging. Likely for some to shatter. Wished I had more time to plan on being there to record it. Next time.

Piece o cake, relatively speaking, Ger....all went well...these trees are bomber..healthy as all get out...just like the two we did last year that were even larger...but in a much better location.

We have to be careful with sideloading when speedlining. We're crotched in at ~110-115 feet, at maybe 7=8 inches, with the two leads guyed together.

We were swinging some 500 plus pound wood....kinda delicate, but all OK so far!!
 
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  • #23
Wished I had more time to plan on being there to record it. Next time.

Wow, Ger, that would be a treat! One, my little digicam is hard to use....for video, and I was busy. We had two climbers, so needed all 4 of us groundies...

Tomorrow will be better for shooting--one climber at a time, and 4 on the ground. I'll set the camera on a tripod. And should be able to go around the corner to get a better angle for the zip lining.
 
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  • #24
aarrggh, gotta leave in 15 minutes to dump the twuck...haven't eaten or dressed yet...been up since 4:30--hate it when I wake up so danged eary...but I had to finish my quarterly taxes...and wanted to edit some pics and get em hosted.......

this is all I have time for...

see you hosers tonite!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbtree/sets/72157606451192509/show/
 
WOW inspiring to say the least.
Makes me wonder if we underbid this weeks job.It was nothing like what you are doing ,but still its taken 4 solid days . It was one big oak and about 20 medium size sweet gums oaks and populars.All smaked in around a house i bid 8200 to 9000 on it. Got the best climbers in my city wrecking it and chipping it .It will take one full day to load all the wood with a t 190 tracked loader.
seems cheap.What do you think?
No crane acess so no rental fee.
They aint no way id tackle RB .s tree, maybe for 20k
 
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