Gentle persuasion over time

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JR.
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Gentle persuasion over time

Post by JR. »

I have a big, dead tree in my back yard (on the right end of the yellow belt)
IMG_20191014_131417523.jpg
You can see the handle from my come-along winch in the middle of the two yellow belts putting pressure on the big dead tree so hopefully it will fall in a safe direction, away from my neighbor's store. :o

I put the come along in place over a week ago using a nylon tow rope for the line to the right side of the come along. Every day I would tighten it a couple clicks tighter. This morning for the second day in a row, I couldn't make it any tighter... :oops: Then about midday I heard a loud pop and that nylon tow rope let go... :lol: only one strand of the multi stand nylon rope did not shear completely apart. I forget what that tow rope was rated for, likely more than half a ton. I bought it for pulling my big mower out of muddy rain ditches. Now I own two shorter tow ropes. :lol:

I remain optimistic that my gentle persuasion (and entropy) will bring the tree down in a safe direction. Perhaps next weekend I can weaken the trunk opposite the direction I want it to fall in, with my chain saw... no hurry (we are still under a burn ban), but the tree was hit by lightning 2+ years ago, and is not showing signs of falling by itself any time soon.

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mediatechnology
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by mediatechnology »

I have a neighbor who has the reverse situation trying to save the tree that looks like it is going to fall onto his house.
It's tethered to a larger tree using tow straps.

This happened in 2010 when we had a wet winter - saturated ground - and then got lots of ice and snow.
A lot of trees just fell over exposing a big huge wet root ball.
His tree didn't but it sure looked tipsy.
I had a Hackberry do that the same episode.
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by JR. »

mediatechnology wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:22 pm I have a neighbor who has the reverse situation trying to save the tree that looks like it is going to fall onto his house.
It's tethered to a larger tree using tow straps.
Maybe he should have a professional drop it. I was lucky that the huge cottonwood next to my house fell away during hurricane Katrina. The root ball from that cottonwood was taller than my house.
This happened in 2010 when we had a wet winter - saturated ground - and then got lots of ice and snow.
A lot of trees just fell over exposing a big huge wet root ball.
His tree didn't but it sure looked tipsy.
I had a Hackberry do that the same episode.
I lost a half dozen trees during Katrina, and maybe that many since that I helped down. I will git this puppy down sooner or later, but i am OK if it just falls on it's own...

Most trees get eaten from inside by ants and whatever even when alive, this dead tree seems pretty damn solid.

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terkio
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by terkio »

From my limited experience at cutting down trees.
They mostly fall the way they want to. Ropes to persuade them to fall another side is likely bound to failure.
It all depends of the side they have more weight and the side they lean too. This must be carefully inspected.
Dangerous ones are those where that is not clear.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by billshurv »

Is a 'come along' what I would call a 'ratchet strap'?
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by JR. »

billshurv wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:59 am Is a 'come along' what I would call a 'ratchet strap'?
A similar concept but the come along has a longer handle for more mechanical advantage to apply more pulling force.

The ratchet straps appear more intended to lock down loads so they don't shift around. A come along is a winch that can lift/move heavy stuff.

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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by billshurv »

Ah, I get my friend to come over with his offroader and use the winch for heavy stuff :)
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JR.
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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by JR. »

terkio wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2019 1:25 am From my limited experience at cutting down trees.
They mostly fall the way they want to.
over the decades I've cut a bunch of trees but I am far from expert. Yes, that is my experience too, they fall where their center of mass pulls them unless steered with lines.
Ropes to persuade them to fall another side is likely bound to failure.
I actually had some professional tree guys in my yard about a year ago trimming a bunch of branches from my stand of old pine trees, and taking down one leaner. They had the advantage of a bucket truck so they could attach a steering line higher up the tree where it can be more effective.
It all depends of the side they have more weight and the side they lean too. This must be carefully inspected.
I've been inspecting this particular tree for over a year and it is still standing uncut because of my respect for the mass (its a lot of tree), and height that means it could hit a neighbors building if it falls wrong.
Dangerous ones are those where that is not clear.
Only dangerous if you ignore the reality. I had a dear old neighbor, now RIP who ran a logging company in his prime so he knew stuff about cutting trees. According to him the most dangerous are dead trees where you cannot see inside to completely understand the internal structure, especially if rotten. I cut down one decent sized and rotten tree in his yard (three different kinds of ants inside) a few years ago and he wouldn't get within 50 yards of the tree while I was cutting. He has seen trees just about explode when cut into as they disintegrate violently in unexpected ways. I respected his concern and that tree came down safely.

Back to my current project. This tree hit by lightning 2(?) years ago is dead as a door nail, so should be prime ant food, but I do not see evidence of structural deterioration. I had a huge pecan tree fall a while back because ants weakened the trunk on one side. With the come along I applied so much force the first nylon tow rope failed (all but one strand sheared), and the tree barely budged after over a week under tension.

I am not in a hurry and hopeful that my come along applying force in the general direction I want it to fall could help it come down gracefully. If I let nature take it down, I don't have to explain to my neighbor how it hit his store. :lol:

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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by JR. »

billshurv wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2019 8:49 am Ah, I get my friend to come over with his offroader and use the winch for heavy stuff :)
I bought the come along so I could pull myself out of my muddy rain ditch next time I get stuck...

So far I have used it to pull another neighbor's mower out of mud in his yard. I haven't had to use it to rescue myself, but that is OK... 8-)

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Re: Gentle persuasion over time

Post by billshurv »

I now have images of you and your neighbour doing swamp drag racing on zero turn mowers :)
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