The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Untrained. Staring at the far end of the limb while running a saw is the first clue. Not doing an undercut to keep from damaging the remaining limb base is another. My father's technique was to undercut, and then straddle the limb base to do the final cut. If it was big enough to sit on, he would not stand on a ladder, as he considered that to be more hazardous. Sometimes he used a safety harness, if he thought the tree's condition was questionable. That, or use one of his frontend loaders to stand in. Sometimes limbs or trees don't fall as expected, for a number of mostly hidden factors. Trees can kill you if you don't pay attention.
As an aside: I was walking through a local park the other day when I saw a man climbing one of the huge mature trees growing there. He was way at the top working ropes and carrying tools. There was another man at the base. It turned out the man at the base was teaching the younger man how to climb and handle tools and equipment in a tree top for his tree business. Someone was thinking ahead.
He shoulda made a small undercut first, to 'stop' the peeling bark effect as it falls. This happens a lot to the novice limb cutters out there...
ReplyDeleteUntrained. Staring at the far end of the limb while running a saw is the first clue. Not doing an undercut to keep from damaging the remaining limb base is another.
ReplyDeleteMy father's technique was to undercut, and then straddle the limb base to do the final cut. If it was big enough to sit on, he would not stand on a ladder, as he considered that to be more hazardous. Sometimes he used a safety harness, if he thought the tree's condition was questionable. That, or use one of his frontend loaders to stand in. Sometimes limbs or trees don't fall as expected, for a number of mostly hidden factors. Trees can kill you if you don't pay attention.
The rule of The Seven 'P's was not applied here, it is -
ReplyDeletePrior Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.
My neighbour across the road removes trees as a side business. He always ties the ladder to the tree and he always undercuts.
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
As an aside: I was walking through a local park the other day when I saw a man climbing one of the huge mature trees growing there. He was way at the top working ropes and carrying tools. There was another man at the base. It turned out the man at the base was teaching the younger man how to climb and handle tools and equipment in a tree top for his tree business. Someone was thinking ahead.
ReplyDeleteSeemed like a good idea at the time...
ReplyDeleteHell, I thought he was going to cut between the ladder and the tree.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, it could have been dumber.