Rigging black cottonwoods.

[SouthSoundTree-]

After a lead blew off, the homeowner got motivated to have 3 CW removed from over the power lines/ homes, carport.

I did some stripping of limbs to open up things on this dry, warm Friday. The interesting work is ahead. 12' logs can go to the nearby log buyer for pulp, providing an offset to disposal expenses. I can flop the bottom 50- 60' of these 24" x 90+' cottonwoods which are the overstory trees, so spread up top.

broken lead was about 14" diameter at the break. It's in the left tree. Just next to it, on the middle tree is the large lateral going toward the left. It looks small in this picture, but it's about 14" diameter as well, over the power that can't be dropped.

I have one large side lead over power that can't be dropped easily, coming off of the equal sized vertical lead (the neighboring lead that blew up was a large lateral, like this one). I figure that's swinging to the main lead with a bit of an overhead rigging point with a block. Just time consuming to do it in small enough pieces to be safe, as I would use the rigging leader as my TIP as well. A good tree for another dry day. This lateral is the biggest problem for the crane, as it's on the far side of the tree, but I think it's quite doable.

I'm trying to figure a bit about considerations for rigging and climbing TIP strength, and welcome your input. I've never climbing- rigged down cottonwood before.

Topping, and swinging some logs are my main concern. Generally, they seem to be solid, for cottonwood.

I can get a crane in. But have a limited landing zone, and it's a $500-600 bill, with tight manuevering access, backing around three tight 90 degree corners, possibly cracking the asphalt edges of the driveway.


Thoughts?

 

[Fiddler]

Is this the limb you are concerned with? If so Is it running back away from or toward the camera?

Are the conductors running behind the trees or between them? Is the power service?

 

[SimplyArbor]

Without a good idea of tree spacing, etc. I'd try to establish a rigging point in one of the bigger leads on the right or left tree. Stay on bigger wood for your rigging and you should be fine. If you can flop big stems, no need for a crane. My general rule for CW would be 4"+ for climb line tip, 6"+ for rigging and/or utilize redirects to minimize forces.

 

[Fiddler]

"bout the same rule for what we have here.

 

[sotc]

Without a good idea of tree spacing, etc. I'd try to establish a rigging point in one of the bigger leads on the right or left tree. Stay on bigger wood for your rigging and you should be fine. If you can flop big stems, no need for a crane. My general rule for CW would be 4"+ for climb line tip, 6"+ for rigging and/or utilize redirects to minimize forces.

Totally agree though those numbers are bare minimum in that species, prefer 6" for TIP!

 

[SimplyArbor]

For sure! All depends on size you want to rig and tree condition.

 

[rbtree]

Sean!!

Left ya a v mail..Call me.... I'm sure I can help advise ya, ya bum

It didn't seem like it blew much here, but we took three trees off houses today.. and got a fourth ready to chip (2 crews) ~$5k or more..... got home at 0730.... easy work, even easier moolah!

Go Hawks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Crane! Crane! Crane!!!

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Is this the limb you are concerned with? If so Is it running back away from or toward the camera?

Are the conductors running behind the trees or between them? Is the power service?

The stub is about 6' long coming toward the camera. The long limb is circled from the base to about half way to the tips.

This reaches 30-35'+ sideways from the vertical trunk, with a good upward component. The lateral is equal sized to the vertical. The blown out stub took up the space in the other side.

This is over a tightly tensioned one-aught line that splits into two duplex's service drops at an intermediate pole, which is not well buried due to the down slope , which can be dropped on the duplex's' ends, BUT, BUT, since the hill drops a lot just past the trees, there is only 6' of pole below ground, poorly supported. If the pole tips when service drips are cut, the electric company engineer tells me I'm looking at $700-1200 to get it reset and restrung. The neighbors, with electric heat would be without.

The two service drops would be great to have out of the way. I want to cowboy it and jump the service drops with a big lead up high.

Climbing and rigging cottonwood in the rain would such up on this site, and in general. Getting the power company involved means messing with the neighbors and not being able to play the weather.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Without a good idea of tree spacing, etc. I'd try to establish a rigging point in one of the bigger leads on the right or left tree. Stay on bigger wood for your rigging and you should be fine. If you can flop big stems, no need for a crane. My general rule for CW would be 4"+ for climb line tip, 6"+ for rigging and/or utilize redirects to minimize forces.

My thoughts are similar, but a fiveto six inch TIP leaves a good sized top to catch. These trees are somewhat far apart for rigging of each other, sorta, and I don't have an experienced roper, ATM. One leaves for vacation for two weeks vacation tomorrow. New female groundout to start Monday. Good saw experience, I believe, trained by WA DNR. NO roping experience.

They are of a similar size and structure, so it would mean rigging a 6" x 35-40' top, straight sideways 20' on 6" wood.

My plan is to try to rig onto a different lead than my TIP, AMAP.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Sean!!

Left ya a v mail..Call me.... I'm sure I can help advise ya, ya bum

It didn't seem like it blew much here, but we took three trees off houses today.. and got a fourth ready to chip (2 crews) ~$5k or more..... got home at 0730.... easy work, even easier moolah!

Go Hawks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought of you, Rog. I'll call you tomorrow.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

The only storm contact I got today, after forecasted 55 mph gusts, was a thank you again for taking out a dying tree last summer, we slept so much better than we would have.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I like those kind of calls. Looking forward to checking on some cable installs as well this month

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Dry, calm day yesterday. Stripped the third on to my 85' TIP. Maybe 30' above me. Checked the spread, alders and lines below, and rigging points. Climbed in pole spurs rather than my new Ti tree spurs. Big improvement.

Going to see about rigging it down, with power lines left up, with the assistance of another independent climber who usually prunes more than anything, but has roping experience. A few redirect blocks and rigging onto non-TIP leaders should get it done.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

This is the broken lead from the wind storm with an atlas glove on the end.

Blew off from here.

I stripped about 30' higher to my TIP, lowering down and piecing out some limbs entangled with the alder. I considered topping down some stuff solo, but figured that cost/benefit was not in my favor.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

The middle tree in the last picture is actually farthest away. This is what I did in 2 hours without breaking a sweat, thanks to the Wraptor and APTA.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

The middle tree in the last picture is actually farthest away. This is what I did in 2 hours without breaking a sweat, thanks to the Wraptor and APTA.

You can see the crouch which no longer has the broken leader attached. There is still a bit of a noticeable bump in silhouette.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Doesn't look it, but about 14" on the butt.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Figuring out the Tapatalk icons, quote vs. Edit.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Got it done. Well, 3 sticks to pull over and buck to log length tomorrow, and haul out Mini and a bit of this and that. Almost no firewood. 10+ yards of chips blown into a pile onsite, 6"+ diameter logs, 12'+. A couple came up at 10', which is not listed on the log buyers price sheet for pulp. Maybe get $100/ mbf (thousand board-feet) for pulp, $150/mbf for plywood peeler logs. If they take under 12' for free, is a win, as the log buyer is 3 miles from the job.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Scared the duplex power and internet lines some. 6-9" tops meant 30-40' pieces. Dropped the tallest to free, into the yard, with a little room to spare. Planted one free dropped log on end, as I couldn't flip it, and maintain forward movement, as the drop zone required. Dropped/ hopped a lead over the house service drop, butt in grass, shattered on drive, no blood, no foul. Saved a lot of rigging and house-scaring.

 

[sotc]

Got 4 days on 3 trees this week. Some video on our FB page. Were rigging 40-50' pieces as well

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Link?

 

[sotc]

How do I link it?