My First Crane Removal - Plus

[CurSedVoyce]

Yes, I finally popped my crane cherry.
The removal was a call from a new client that we had started work on. Seems an oak failed over her dog kennels, and luckily for the critters, hung up in some tree on the other side.
Not really a straight forward removal as I figured out the mechanics of it. We had some rigging to do as well.

So boys have at it as I post it.. You will see some questionable things. Risks taken.. Have at it.
We got film from more than one angle and kept the edit so as I could learn from the job. Maybe hone the team a bit for the next time.
Mike got to pop his cherry as well.

So we begin with rolling up on the job on a Saturday call... Shooting guys into the limb and supporting it untill we could get the crane scheduled.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

The next visit, Mike and I started removing the brush from the forward leader to allow for the crane to take picks. We only had a 15 ton to work with with not much reach.
We also need to reset all the guys and add lateral stabilising guys for sideways movement. Blocks were placed on the "good" (a questionable term) stem and two 9/16ths guys were set. We already had the good stem guyed with a 5/8ths line to aid in the support of the tree. This will enable us to move guys in alternate down the stem as we release the limb from the other tree. Basically... between the crane and the guys, that will be all that is holding the stem up as we take the picks.
So mike got up there, we zip lined the brush out and set her up for crane day...

Some Zip Line fun..... And the Dingo staged it all for the chipper.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lAgukc8B_zM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Well... So much for the order of up loading.........

This is going to be long and drawn out for the shorter attention span folks... bear with me.
Especially the video footage... Yeah..... Mini movie.
Any who.... Crane day...
This is our local, next town over crane company. His daddy's before it was his. Sam and Oakhurst crane. Cute lil ol thing with (as I found out after a couple picks... ) has no scale
Small picks anyway, not to worry right ?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2K3x4x9VpTU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Crew sets up... Couple more checks on the rigging... Here goes ... Lets get that brush out!
It was like pulling velcro apart!
Limbs through limbs, under limbs that were over limbs... crikey!
Normally as a climber, I have the luxury of hacking my way in from underneath and pitching the offensive nastiness in bits down to the ground... Not Today! OI!
Took a bit to get used to how this was all going to come apart. Time to figure each other out. His hands on the lever and mine on the saw. Judgement calls on the picks I was setting up. Crane was pretty much extended to max without the jib. He hates putting on the jib. Oh well.
Here goes.


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9cpL4sVzXLo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[CurSedVoyce]

More from the brush picks.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Way to GO!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

So onto to the wood.. Brush gone... It was time to get the wood set to be released. Guy lines were tensioned. Crane was strapped and loaded. The cut was made. It kind of looks worse than it was. I repositioned for the final nip JIC. I had a second tie in sent up that I had set first thing.
The lines held as planned. Now it was just a matter of alternating the crane, lines and move on down the stem. 3 hours of crane time.
There are a few pics of the crew setting tension. I wish we had got more of that.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

More to come... Uploading is coming along.....

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

A crane op headset is amazing. The CO can always use a cell phone and ear buds, too, if a cell signal is present.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I bought the operator set for this job and future. He lovvvvvvved it. Chipper, saws, crane all going and no yelling or misreading hand sigs . he is going to buy a set. Heads up Paul.
The op had never worked with comms before.

 

[Limbrat]

Very nice job! What a tangled up mess of limbs.

 

[Jed]

Yeah, no criticism here Stephen... all I can really see is a super messed-up job. That and some messed-up shin pads you guys seem to like.

 

[squisher]

Cool Stephen. Looks like a nasty tree even with the crane to help out.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Looks like a funny way to tether your 200t. Is your ring missing from the rear of the saw. I don't like things near the trigger and throttle interlock. Possible breakage.[SUP][/SUP]

 

[stig]

That looked like an "interesting" job, even with the crane.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Crane really help out... a lot!!!

 

[Grendel]

Great job! I liked the write up too.

 

[biggun]

Quality pictures.

Did you get any footage of the crane picks?

 

[Mick!]

Nice pictures, what was the temperature?

 

[RegC]

Nice work mate

 

[sotc]

Cool deal, hope you made money on it as well. I know I learned to bid heavily for the crane and a couple hours longer than I expected after my first

 

[pete mctree]

Great work Stephen- professional approach & work

 

[cory]

Nice pics. Hard to believe its your first crane job. I'm here to make a bold prediction- you will become addicted to crane work

I still remember my first pick. It puts a huge smile on a tree guy's face seeing all that tree material float away

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Definitely a threadworthy job. Again, Good Job, Stephan.

 

[Raj]

Very nice!