The Official Work Pictures Thread

Fidler, you probably know but you have to be very careful making cuts like that with all the limbs extended on one side. If you just cut through from one side and let it lay into the crane as opposed to making a snap cut the load on the crane can be greatly magnified due to leverage. I had a VERY scary pick one time due to the leverage thing....
 
Sorry Paul I don't get that. Surely a steady cut through would transfer the load gradually as opposed to a rapid transfer when a snap cut breaks?
 
Putting the choke on the limb side too would help it lean less.

Good pics.
 
Pete, that was always my way of thinking and still is the majority of the time, ease the load onto the crane. However when you have a pick that has a lot of side extension that weight is cantilevered past the strap so until the cut is released the weight of the cut can be multiplied many times with scary consequences.
 
Ha, I know pretty much nothing about crane work...learned a fair bit the last couple weeks though.

I have been putting a small cut on the far side first on all picks so far (more to keep from tearing out to my tie in)...that piece actually stopped my saw for a bit and I had to get it out to get it going again...he didn't' lean it out until after the saw got stuck.

I had the piece hooked on how the crane op wanted it (he does trees every day).

I was expecting the second piece to flip some like the first did, but after sticking the saw and leaning it out (can't believe how little wood was holding), it didn't come back toward me very much...I've been cutting a ways above my head just to make sure if the piece swings my way it goes above me, not sure if that's SOP but seems safer to me...
 
Great pics, Dave. Amount of pull is an important factor in how things go. Good when a climber can judge that in combination with the operator. It's really the climber's call if experience can justify. One trick that might be helpful if unsure of how balance is going to affect things, is to open the cut up from all sides and shave it down to the middle like sharpening a pencil. The last part remaining is the center. We actually call it the pencil cut. Takes longer for sure, but before you sever the pick it will be telling you what it is going to do, twist or shift over. The operator can make adjustments with boom position and amount of pull. It also works on the ground if there are things adjacent that could be damaged. Not often used but a sometimes to have.
 
Love the pics Dave.. Some good sized pics.. Narrow spot for that tree Rich

Just some views from work. Setting up a gin pole rope slipped through for Dave's tree. Mike is down with an ankle sprain. Just Dave and I climbing right now. We'll work the job into the weekend. 45 tree one. Rob will start milling the big logs this weekend I hope. Maybe early next week. Excavator with thumb to help move them will be there Friday or Saturday. Crane Saturday for the pins in a planter. Still rigging those down. Maybe render some film later of that going on. Big trees coming up next into the weekend. Start one 48 DBH 150 footer tomorrow. Dave does anyway.
Short.. Enjoy
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Such an awesome pic!

When I'm working lines like that, I always like to have the working side a tad above level.
 
Dave: Those were really cool man. You runnin' Westco's? Those were some good looking boots.

Rich: Wow, nice double-cut hinge man. Those are tough.
 
Pete, that was always my way of thinking and still is the majority of the time, ease the load onto the crane. However when you have a pick that has a lot of side extension that weight is cantilevered past the strap so until the cut is released the weight of the cut can be multiplied many times with scary consequences.

Paul, can you provide a little more detail to what you are saying here? Are you saying that if you cut thru from one side, if the op doesn't follow the top as it leans over while being cut, that would cause nasty excess leverage? Thanks.
 
Cory I will try to explain but suk with words:)

consider the piece of wood with all those extended limbs on one side as just a straight line representing the center of mass. It would be a line at say 60 degrees. the crane would be attached at somewhere near the midpoint. This is hard to visualize but it is the easiest way to demonstrate. So now if you cut with a snap cut it will release and the pick will tip to find its balance point. This will be a violent motion as with the one sided pine it is nowhere near balanced. However if you just make a back cut as you get near to finishing the cut the remaining wood fibers will bend as the piece tries to find its balance however in this case because of the weight extended past the sling will try to pull the but up but the holding fibers will "pull" on the trunk below. The longer the limbs/lever the more the fibers will pull up on the tree and this can be many magnitudes higher than the weight of the pick. As John said put a spider leg way out on one of the limbs will then move the balance point so this doesn't happen.

Clear as mud right. Maybe I can draw some pictures and take a picture.
 
No, I think I understand. But if the crane op followed the piece as the cutting proceeds, allowing it move as it wants, that wouldn't cause any problems, would it? In theory just keeping the weight of the piece on the hook, not trying to carry the piece plus more while it is still attached to the tree.
 
If you are doing pines with heavy weighted on one side . You will either have to half hitch the pick high so the crane has more control or use a secondary sling to pick up one of the branches . Leaving that secondary on the looser side so it's not supporting the entire tree but just enough to catch it from flipping. Anytime cutting a pine or most tree I have never used a wedge or anything like that. Just have to judge the way the tree is going or if it's a pine with average weight or picking wood . We use a shackle on the end of our slings so our crane op likes to do a relief on the opposite side of the shackle and then just come from the back so the crane is picking as your cut is coming through the back. 9 out of 10 times you shouldnt pinch
 
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