Jeff and Tammy's Property. Kevin takes down a dangerous tree.

SwampDonkey · September 02, 2007, 01:44:43 PM

We get some kind of blight in our black ash. Some branch tips will die off from it. Seems to hit any sized tree. Sometimes kills the whole tree, sometimes no ill effects.

Who had the ash trouble? Jeff? In wetlands it could be flooding to. I lost a whole stand to beaver activity. :

Black ash over my way starts to shed leaves about now. A lot sooner than any other tree species. I just mowed the lawn friday and already there was a lot of leave liter on top of the fresh mowed grass. Starts from the top down. :

Leaf fall on the fresh cut grass.

black ash beginning to thin out (leaves dropping), but still not bad looking.

Will post another pic next weekend. ;D

Radar67 · September 02, 2007, 01:48:48 PM

SD, I looked forward on some of Jeff's videos on You Tube and he mentioned the tops of his Ash were bad in one of the videos.

Stew

rebocardo · September 02, 2007, 03:08:45 PM

> i sure could use a gauge like that

Want mine, free? I can put it in an envelope and mail it to you. I couldn't use it properly with my glasses and it was not accurate enough for the urban tree work I do. I still have it around here somewhere ...

Forestry Applications ? in GA sells them.

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 03:51:42 PM

Starting the Back Cut

Kevin motions to start taking line in on the winch

After alternate cutting and drawing the rope tight, Once he gets to where he feels the tree is ready to come back over, Kevin retreats to a safer location and then continues to instruct on the winching.

Video Clip
http://www.youtube.com/v/tXtKQ5PjoT4

Shotgun · September 02, 2007, 05:07:56 PM

You drop the video camera, Jeff, or did the tree get you? :D

metalspinner · September 02, 2007, 05:32:44 PM

Talk about a cliffhanger! :D

Riles · September 02, 2007, 05:46:10 PM

No updates in almost three hours, I think they all got squashed.

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 06:04:07 PM

:D

Sorry, I had some chores to do. Let me regroup and see where I am. :D

sawdust · September 02, 2007, 06:05:03 PM

He can't get squarshed!!! We NEED him, Tammy too.

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 06:10:37 PM

Well, if you watched that last video clip, you will see that the tree did not do what we intended it to do. Look at this photo. You can see that the hinge broke on one side and the tree fell to the side where the holding wood was sound, hanging up in several other trees. It's standing almost at the same angle now, only in a different direction. :D I've got a very good photo that will show you exactly why what happened, happened, but I'll wait until the tree is safely on the ground for that.

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 06:13:18 PM

We examine what happened in this clip. In it I say something like "there should be a pretty good video clip of me turning and running the other way" :D

http://www.youtube.com/v/21gUuy2uABU

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 06:24:36 PM

After sizing up the situation, we decide to change the location of the winch in order to bring the tree on down. Its decided that we don't need any additional lines but could use the one already attached.

Here is Kevin attaching the line to the winch where I had secured it to an aspen almost 180° from the location of the first winch tree.

Ianab · September 02, 2007, 06:45:16 PM

Quotere should be a pretty good video clip of me turning and running the other way

Just call it 'tactical withdrawal' :D

I had a feeling something like that was going to happen, but due to good planning everyone was a sensible distance away when things came unstuck ;)

Cheers

Ian

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 07:05:09 PM

Kevin begine to crank the winch to try and pull the tree down.

Tree is on its way down.

Um... A slight problem yet. The tree is down, almost. A tall slender ash was under the rope as the tree came down creating a spring pole. Another dangerous situation if you are unprepared. Actually its dangerous even if you ARE prepared.

Video clip.
http://www.youtube.com/v/v2ih_gNT23I

Were not quite done yet after this one. There is still the matter of the spring poles and widow makers.

Dave Shepard · September 02, 2007, 07:34:45 PM

This is a great series of pictures. It really shows that even with the right tools and experience, some trees can be really difficult, and really dangerous. I coulda used you guys with the oak I had hung up yesterday. ;D

Dave

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 07:36:36 PM

With the use of the winch, we had all kinds of control. Kevin was able to siimply reverse direction and let rope out releasing the tension created from the ash. In this case it was the rope that created the spring pole, not another tree.

This is our last ideo clip, releasing the rope and seeing the tree settle on down to the ground. Pay no attention to the stuttering fool in the video. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/v/USslWTcGgE0

Kevin approached the area cautiously as things are still falling from the trees

Surveying the tops of the trees to see if there are any more hang ups or widowmakers that might endanger us when we come back into the area.

Here is a very good photo showing what caused the tree to topple the wrong way. As you can see on one side of the hinge, there is normal holding wood. You can see the fibers as they should look. On the other side of the hinge, which broke, the wood was rotten. It was'nt rotten in the notch cut, but the rotten wood appeared where we needed to have good holding wood. In the video of the tree being cut, you can hear this wood pop before the tree started coming in my direction.

Jeff · September 02, 2007, 07:46:47 PM

It was decided that all was well and it was safe to let Kevin's dog Jesse and my Dog Ice loose so they could play sniffy butt...

While Kevin and Tammy and I relaxed and surveyed our handy work from our table in da woods.

THE END.

Or is it? ;)

Shotgun · September 02, 2007, 08:08:01 PM

This has been a good series, Jeff. Glad it all turned out well. People 14, tree 6. thanks for putting it up for all to see. Good job Tammy, Jeff, Kevin and dog crew. 8)

Norm

WDH · September 03, 2007, 12:16:20 AM

Outstanding tutorial ;).

asy · September 03, 2007, 02:55:35 AM

What a FANTASTIC thread, thanks heaps guys!

I've really enjoyed it and learned lots too.

Especially the instructional video on "how to run when a tree comes your way"... :D ;)

asy :D

Kevin · September 03, 2007, 07:51:29 PM

It's the Forestry Forum motto, always expect the unexpected. ;D

That old birch was a little too far gone to hold it's wood at the hinge.
One side of it just popped out of the stump like a cork and the little holding wood that was on the other side just pulled it over sideways which was in hindsight probably a good thing to demonstrate how things can go wrong when you think you have done everything right.
The only way to keep control of a tree like that is to set up a hold line that prevents the tree from falling any where but the intended lay.
Jeffs camera is like another appendage of his body and mind, he did a spectacular job of capturing the story when I wasn't even aware he had the camera running.

Tom · September 03, 2007, 07:58:11 PM

Well!! Y'all did a Dang good job.

I'm impressed with the offer of a helping hand.

Reddog · September 03, 2007, 08:06:45 PM

If anybody is wondering, I believe the winch is a GRCS. It is built using a capstan sailing winch.
Very handy from what I have seen for doing tight removals.

Kevin · September 03, 2007, 08:16:52 PM

That's right, it's a Harken two speed, self tailing, sailing winch which has been adapted to be used in tree work by an arborist by the name of Greg Good.
It can be used as a winch to raise or as a brake to lower big wood.

The gunning sticks are home made.
The side stick just supports the two folding top sticks so a level can be rested on top of them.
It's unique for setting up the corners of a notch which is critical when accuracy is needed.

Gary_C · September 04, 2007, 12:21:46 AM

I have not used line nor winches to fell trees and that was a good explanation of how it's done.

That makes me think of a couple of questions. If you did not have the line and winch, how would you have felled that tree? Also, knowing the problem that occured, what would you have done differently to fell that tree?