Loved the video, but one thing that you should have mentioned at the end, is if you plan on pulling the piece away from the COG towards the chipper, you are introducing a "force multiplier" on the piece that will make it seem like it weighs a lot more and has the potential to than break off the rigging point/s at the stem.
Good demo of span rigging (we call this setup butt heavy rigging with a split anchor double pulley system), but tensioning the system after making the face cut is a big mistake. In this type of rigging, the time from starting the cut till the piece is fully in the rigging and stabile is the red zone. The system should be tensioned enough to help load the rigging as well as show where the limb & anchor points want to flex before any cut is made. This is especially true as the pieces being removed get larger. During the cut, the cutting can be stopped and small adjustments made as needed to balance any shifting of the rigging or limb. Alternatively, if a mistake is made during the cut or a defect missed with no tension in the system, the limb can snap off suddenly or tear and shift causing all sorts of problems. If the situation is really hectic, a short piece of rope tagging the butt to another branch or trunk is very beneficial and can easily be removed after the piece is cut and stabilized. Thank you Treestuff for all your videos and the other benefits you bring to our industry!
Without a GRCS, you could achieve a similar effect with a block and tackle (which you can whip up with steel carabiners, slings and prussik cords in a pinch, although actual pulleys will be much more efficient) and a port-a-wrap. See the following video and PDF for visual aids: Video: ua-cam.com/video/TMADD6KV0ZY/v-deo.html Port-a-wrap instructions (page 3 and 4) You'll need a good eye to estimate how much mechanical advantage is needed for your ground worker to lift the piece, and you need to know how much force every piece of your rigging can withstand with the mechanical advantage. With this technique (which is called "tip tie and lift" in the ISA arborpods), the angle of the face notch should be equal to or very slightly smaller than the angle by which the piece will be lifted to ensure a clean break-off, without the climber having to free the piece of any remaining hinge. Ideally the piece should be vertical at the break-off point to reduce swinging, in which case the face cut can have one side perpendicular to the length of the piece and one side parallel to the ground. I highly recommend these two videos to arborists and anyone who likes the idea of gaining mechanical advantages to pull heavy stuff around: wwv.isa-arbor.com/education/onlineLearning/podcastDetail?ID=5&EP=1040 wwv.isa-arbor.com/education/onlineLearning/podcastDetail?ID=5&EP=1051 Although all the arborpod videos are well-made and informative!
Adam, this technique also works without lifting. I use the span technique frequently while balancing a limb. Once I have the money to get the big Stein bollard with a winch, I'll be lifting, too, because sometimes a balanced limb takes some finessing to get to the ground around obstacles. Ground guys like big pieces, too, because they spend less time wrapping the port-a-wrap and untying running bowlines on a bunch of small pieces.
Always let a little weight off after you get the piece stood up straight to avoid shock loading. I’ve never seen a piece stood up on the hinge that didn’t have more force on it than the weight of the limb itself. Don’t try to break hinges with the Grcs big open face then cut through when it’s vertical and loaded correctly. You wouldn’t break wood fibres with a crane don’t do it with your rigging and the tree you’re tied into. Realistically the butt of that limb could’ve flown up in the air and then come back down hard on the climber. Other than that good video.
Had the pleasure of seeing Jeff compete n win the Climbing Competition this weekend. Bad ass dude n climber
Right first time. This demo could have ended at 3:40.
Exactly. Some like to be fancy.
Loved the video, but one thing that you should have mentioned at the end, is if you plan on pulling the piece away from the COG towards the chipper, you are introducing a "force multiplier" on the piece that will make it seem like it weighs a lot more and has the potential to than break off the rigging point/s at the stem.
Insanely helpful
Super. Helps us figure how to handle other tricky situations. Thanks.
So I'm wondering where do you tie in if you're on SRT without getting your rope that you're climbing on caught up it tangled with the rigging rope
This is awesome. Definitely going to use this one day. As a green arborist.. I want to learn and employ all of this. So good. Thank you
Go for it!
Good demo of span rigging (we call this setup butt heavy rigging with a split anchor double pulley system), but tensioning the system after making the face cut is a big mistake. In this type of rigging, the time from starting the cut till the piece is fully in the rigging and stabile is the red zone.
The system should be tensioned enough to help load the rigging as well as show where the limb & anchor points want to flex before any cut is made. This is especially true as the pieces being removed get larger. During the cut, the cutting can be stopped and small adjustments made as needed to balance any shifting of the rigging or limb. Alternatively, if a mistake is made during the cut or a defect missed with no tension in the system, the limb can snap off suddenly or tear and shift causing all sorts of problems. If the situation is really hectic, a short piece of rope tagging the butt to another branch or trunk is very beneficial and can easily be removed after the piece is cut and stabilized.
Thank you Treestuff for all your videos and the other benefits you bring to our industry!
I like using a second safety line to control butt swing. Not much time to set up, but nice insurance to have
Great concept I wish things were this black and white on in the field
Heck yea!
Great tree stuff! Tell the champ not to get to comfortable, we're coming for that foot locking crown!
Works good if you have a $3000.00 GRCS. I also think taking bigger pieces only easier for climber, not ground crew who has to get piece on ground.
Without a GRCS, you could achieve a similar effect with a block and tackle (which you can whip up with steel carabiners, slings and prussik cords in a pinch, although actual pulleys will be much more efficient) and a port-a-wrap. See the following video and PDF for visual aids:
Video: ua-cam.com/video/TMADD6KV0ZY/v-deo.html
Port-a-wrap instructions (page 3 and 4)
You'll need a good eye to estimate how much mechanical advantage is needed for your ground worker to lift the piece, and you need to know how much force every piece of your rigging can withstand with the mechanical advantage.
With this technique (which is called "tip tie and lift" in the ISA arborpods), the angle of the face notch should be equal to or very slightly smaller than the angle by which the piece will be lifted to ensure a clean break-off, without the climber having to free the piece of any remaining hinge. Ideally the piece should be vertical at the break-off point to reduce swinging, in which case the face cut can have one side perpendicular to the length of the piece and one side parallel to the ground.
I highly recommend these two videos to arborists and anyone who likes the idea of gaining mechanical advantages to pull heavy stuff around:
wwv.isa-arbor.com/education/onlineLearning/podcastDetail?ID=5&EP=1040
wwv.isa-arbor.com/education/onlineLearning/podcastDetail?ID=5&EP=1051
Although all the arborpod videos are well-made and informative!
Adam, this technique also works without lifting. I use the span technique frequently while balancing a limb. Once I have the money to get the big Stein bollard with a winch, I'll be lifting, too, because sometimes a balanced limb takes some finessing to get to the ground around obstacles. Ground guys like big pieces, too, because they spend less time wrapping the port-a-wrap and untying running bowlines on a bunch of small pieces.
Great teaching tool very good stuff 😁😁😁👍👍
So instead of taking two pieces, you set a line in another limb. Adding unnecessary climbing.
Always let a little weight off after you get the piece stood up straight to avoid shock loading. I’ve never seen a piece stood up on the hinge that didn’t have more force on it than the weight of the limb itself. Don’t try to break hinges with the Grcs big open face then cut through when it’s vertical and loaded correctly. You wouldn’t break wood fibres with a crane don’t do it with your rigging and the tree you’re tied into. Realistically the butt of that limb could’ve flown up in the air and then come back down hard on the climber. Other than that good video.
Traditional spider leg rigging way should also do the job.
It seems like you will get caught up
Terminating your rigging line out on a smaller limb above a larger limb is a recipe for disaster regardless of "load share".
Too funny.
Added way more bad factors for climbers safety and took half a day setting in needed rigging. #makeshit happen
Why not just use a simple spider leg? 🥱