Large Limb(?) Removal - How Would You Handle It?

[lxskllr]

I got the go ahead to deal with the trees at work, and this one has been taking most of my thought...

It's the left leader the guy wants removed. I think it's the coolest part of the tree, but he's worried about falling branches. Kind of comes with the territory regarding trees. Every tree has a non zero chance of shedding branches, but as long as you look up every so often, you probably aren't gonna get hit.

Anyway, it may be bigger than it looks in the pic. The guy thought it was too big for his 18" bar(>36"), but I think it's probably 32"-34". My concern is getting a catastrophic tear out that goes into the main stem. The way I'm leaning towards handling it is run a static rope to the main tree, climb out towards the end of the leader on a moving rope, then use that as a lanyard once I'm over it, and remove weight coming down the leader til it gets pretty fat, and then drop the stem using either a facecut, or a snap cut.

I've toyed with numerous other scenarios that may make more sense, but I keep coming back to removing weight before I drop it. Seems like it may be be a lot of unnecessary work, but I want it to go right.

How would you all handle this?

 

[SeanKroll]

Shallow facecut, pointed at 5:00 or 7:00 Bore cut with back strap release.

Chain or large/ trucker ratchet strap if concerned. 2 if you're really concerned, above and below the cut.




Offer to clean his car with sand paper while causing other unnecessary damage for a fee.

I mean, the tree is an imminent hazard... I'd be really tired if I was holding my flesh and bone arm up there.

Aka arborphobia.

 

[Mellow]

K.I.S.S. Shallow notch or snap cut, with ears. A foot or two from the trunk, then a finish cut to make it pretty. Don't overcomplicate things.

 

[Bermy]

Is it showing signs of decline or immenent failure? Splits cracks, lots of fresh reaction wood?
If not, end weight reduction, retain the limb. Avoid a massive wound at the trunk

 

[lxskllr]

I agree Bermy, but the guy really seems to want that limb gone. He specifically mentioned it again when he stopped by the office to see if I came up with a price. The only "problem" I could see was he told me that limb is dropping. It bumps his head now, but didn't before. I was wondering if it was starting to uproot. I didn't see any sign of it, but... :shrugs:

If it were my tree, I wouldn't do a thing. I especially like the way that lowest branch swoops down. It's a tulip poplar, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to see a major failure in a windstorm or something, but that could be dealt with if it happened. There's no targets unless someone is foolish enough to stand under it during a windstorm. Tulip polars don't get much more special than that tree. They're typically huge, tall, and straight. I've seen a small number of interesting specimens, but it's very uncommon.

 

[davidwyby]

Keep it like Bermy or small face, plunge and trigger.

 

[davidwyby]

Maybe reduce it and see how he feels.

 

[SeanKroll]

Its growing and getting heavier, especially throughout the season.

If he's hitting his head, cut the top off his head.

Seems only one portion would hit his head. Remove that smaller limb rather than the whole thing. Reduce the rest, if he's really worried. his money. Ask him if he wants a large, open wound to become infected and be detrimental to the tree as a whole.

$.02

 

[davidwyby]

Is there effective “wound paint” out there?

 

[SeanKroll]

no

 

[lxskllr]

I could try talking to him. Problem is I'm not an arborist. I'd like to give him some better data than "Cause I like trees". If something happens later, I'll be the asshole. Being an arborist wouldn't protect me from that, but I could at least say the data I derived my decision from was sound, and "shit happens". He's afraid a branch will break and hit his dog(he literally said that). I can't guarantee a branch won't break and hit his dog, but if I remove that leader, I can guarantee no branch from that leader will break off and hit his dog. With the unreasonable paranoia, I'm not sure he'd be happy with anything less than removal, and I don't have the expertise to convince him otherwise. See where I'm coming from?

 

[davidwyby]

Tell him a bunch of arborists on the internet said.

 

[Maximalist]

Cabling and pruning is probably the best option in this case…

 

[Bermy]

Honestly, look at the area it joins to the trunk, there will be differences in texture of the bark because of tension and compression forces but they are normal. Deep cracks into wood isn't normal
But relieve the weight, and a large percentage of issues are mitigated, even tearouts
If there are not targets, there is no risk. If his doggie goes there once or twice per week the probability of smooshing the pooch are greater than 1/1000000. Is that justification for putting a very large wound in a tree that then opens the whole tree up to invasion by decay organisms?

 

[stig]

Fiona, you have developed a nasty habit of saying excactly what I want to say, before I can get around to it.
You've done it twice in this thread.

I'm blaming it on the time difference.
I'm 8-9 hours behind the Yanks, are you ahead of me?

I'd hate to have to admit, that you are simply smarter and faster.

 

[flushcut]

I am in the cable and prune camp personally. But it looks like a wide open drop zone so I would be inclined to do a coos bay, flop, and chop.

 

[Maximalist]

I am in the cable and prune camp personally. But it looks like a wide open drop zone so I would be inclined to do a coos bay, flop, and chop.

Coos bay, flop, and chop? Could you decipher what it means?)

 

[lxskllr]

Coos bay...

Beranek's Coos Bay felling cut vs. Burnham's

Jerry, I was very interested to note in your Fundamentals that the method you describe for forming this felling cut is somewhat different than that I was taught. You put no face cut in at all, just take a third of the diameter off each side, parallel to the head lean...then cut hell for...

www.masterblasterhome.com

Limb flops over
Limb gets chopped up and moved

For the sake of discussion, would hardware store cable and J hook lag screws be sufficient?

edit:
I remembered I saw a video from Blair Glenn a long time ago. Old news to most of you, but someone might find it interesting. Old school cabling...

 

[Mellow]

I thought J-lags went out with tree paint back in the 1980's.

 

[stikine]

John is a Renaissance man.

 

[Bodean]

J lags are like zip ties on your flip line.

 

[flushcut]

Coos bay, flop, and chop? Could you decipher what it means?)

I would use a Coos Bay felling cut, flop (fell) it, and chop it up for disposal. But I like the cabling and pruning idea better than removing such a large limb.

 

[Mellow]

So you want to turn a 20 minute removal into a two hour pruning/cabling operation, against the client's wishes? Good luck selling that. Just send it!

 

[Bermy]

Yes Stig I'm 6-8 hrs ahead of you, different time zone but same wavelength

 

[SeanKroll]

I'd written the following, but somehow got distracted and didn't Post Reply.


Point out that the occupancy rate of the area is .00001% of time. Maybe .0001%.