The Official Sap/Pitch Removal Thread

[cory]

This topic has popped up in different threads, I thought maybe if we had all the solutions in this one place they would be easier to use.

I thinned and shortened a large Norway spruce yesterday, and my rope, hitch cord, leather tube FS, and even the ring and ring FS are heavily sapped. Rubbing mayonnaise on the gear to get the sap off has worked ok in the past, I'm wondering what other methods are out there.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Oil dissolves sap on skin. I wonder how it would work on textiles. I use canola bar oil. I wonder if oil, then washing with detergent, or it soap, would depitch and clean grit, too.

I just did a pondo pine. I wonder if Blake's hitches work better for sappy trees????

 

[wiley_p]

Gojo, the stuff without pumice.

 

[bonner1040]

Mix fuel? Thats how I get it off my hands. Otherwise I would try splicing up dedicated friction savers, lanyards etc out of 3 strand rope. We rarely work on conifers here in Ohio that are outside the realm of a pole pruner or flop it and chip it. The removals that do warrant climbing are generally pretty straight forward, not requiring a lot of movement.

I am sure its different though on the east and west coasts.

 

[atw]

I sometimes use butter to get pitch off my hands and such

 

[cory]

I like the GoJo idea, but I only have the pumice Gojo hand cleaner in stock, I wonder if a Zep citrus heavy duty degreaser would work and be safe for ropes, it says don't use it on fabric/upholstery/carpet, I presume for staining reasons.

 

[cory]

I would try splicing up dedicated friction savers, lanyards etc out of 3 strand rope.

A decent idea, but my ring and ring basically got welded to the tree, I had to climb back up and get it. I guess it would be cool if you were going to abandon them up there! And this happened despite best efforts to avoid pitchy areas.

Your post reminded me, my lanyard will barely go thru a microscender now due to pitch. Yes, I have to get some tubular webbing to use as a cover for the heavy use part of lanyard. Hard to find webbing big enough to pass 1/2" rope, last time I checked.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I use Lava and a teflon scouring pad to get it off me in the shower and saw gas to get it off equipment.

 

[cory]

I wonder if Blake's hitches work better for sappy trees????

Simple taut line might be the best, easy to tie and retie. My regular hitch locked up totally.

 

[bonner1040]

.... Yes, I have to get some tubular webbing to use as a cover for the heavy use part of lanyard. Hard to find webbing big enough to pass 1/2" rope, last time I checked.

This is what you want Cory.

https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=227&item=1356

 

[cory]

Ha, superb! Too easy! Thanks!

 

[NickfromWI]

...Hard to find webbing big enough to pass 1/2" rope, last time I checked.

No sir. That is incorrect. One inch tubular webbing is readily available and fits perfectly.




love
nick

 

[cory]

1" webbing wouldn't take my half inch lanyard rope, just too tight. I figured the webbing should also be large enough to easily permit being bunched up to allow for the occasional extra short lanyard length

 

[Tucker943]

Simple taut line might be the best, easy to tie and retie. My regular hitch locked up totally.

No. Tautline glues shut too.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

1" webbing wouldn't take my half inch lanyard rope, just too tight. I figured the webbing should also be large enough to easily permit being bunched up to allow for the occasional extra short lanyard length

I just pulled it through with my basket fid.
I use margarine or butter on life support or let it wear out.

 

[bonner1040]

Where is the unofficial sap/pitch removal thread.

 

[Bixler]

Just gummed up sling on a pitchy pine, soaked for a day in OXY CLEAN and water mixed, worked great.

 

[cory]

I just pulled it through with my basket fid.

As I recall now, I got it thru but didn't like it cuz it was too tight and wouldn't bunch up a little when needed

Where is the unofficial sap/pitch removal thread.

I'll tell you if you tell me why there are 2 Arbortrolly threads.

This thread could be a rather short one, I tried Wiley's no-pumice GoJo and it worked fine to clean up 150' of line, lanyard, 2 FS, and some hardware. Thanks.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Where is the unofficial sap/pitch removal thread.

At the other tree sites.

 

[climbernz]

the lads doing cone picking over here cover themselves and gear in vege oil to stop hitches binding etc.

 

[bstewert]

OXI-CLEAN is hands down the best for me. But be careful on the mix rate, and time factor. A little mixed with water and a toothbrush will take off all the crud on my hand saws, saw chain, gear, almost instantly.

After a nasty pine removal, I threw a bunch of ropes and cords in a 30 gal trash can with 1 cup of oxi-clean for 3 hours, and everything came out a different color, especially the Tenex. It took most of the green off my Pantin. I left my Stihl 24" hedger in a tube with Oxi-clean for two hours, and it started taking off the plating. Now, the little spray bottle, (leave it on about 2 min.) is all it takes.

 

[flushcut]

the lads doing cone picking over here cover themselves and gear in vege oil to stop hitches binding etc.

That's a horrible mental thought. LOL Welcome to The House!

 

[cory]

the lads doing cone picking over here cover themselves and gear in vege oil to stop hitches binding etc.

That's not a bad idea. I've been thinking of in-tree applications as necessary to stop the problem before it stops me.

 

[cory]

OXI-CLEAN is hands down the best for me.

As aggresive as you say it is, how do you know it's not bad for your ropes/life support?

 

[bonner1040]

My old boss uses diesel to clean his ropes.