One Wild Ride

Massive mature oak removal while working things out with another crew. The know guru: www.educatedcl...
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[@BRIDGEBURNERSTV]

I think you push the limits on what can be done when working alone. Having said that, a good ground man, rigger, or partner is invaluable. But you need the right one, who is the right fit for the way you work. On this job, like you said, you got a lot of bigger stuff done, but you weren't really in sync as much as you would ave liked to be. I work with one guy, all the time. Sometimes I do small jobs alone, but it's rare. When I started out, I did most jobs solo, and occasionally I would bring my partner in on them (when he wasn't at his 9-5 job). The learning curve was a bit steep, and the first few jobs together definitely took longer than they would have taken solo (lots of explaining and everything), but in the end it was worth it for both of us. We've tried to bring other guys in here and there, but they just don't have it. I hope you find the perfect fit in a colleague, but I also know you'll do just fine the way you've been going. I speak for everyone when I say I want to see more Port-a-Rim.

[@metaspencer]

Reading what you've said there makes me realize that I've really been looking for the perfect fit with someone to work with and run rigging ropes ... not having found that kind of fit yet, I'm super happy tackling the stuff I can do alone. I used to have a landscaping business for several years with another guy and we worked together like well oiled and fitting gears: a seamless working relationship. Having had that kind of thing work out I know when it's not there ... so yeah, thanks for the thoughts! :)

[@shermanhofacker4428]

I think we have been using a wheel rim as a lowering device for about 50 years. It's always worked great, but at some point, an old steel dive tank got turned into a bolard.

[@hollandduck79]

from the Netherlands thanks for the video Spancer

[@metaspencer]

thanks man

[@THETIMINATORTHETOOLMAN]

Dude, my hands were sweating just watching this. Good job. The way you go around the tree up there is wild

[@metaspencer]

It was a big one for sure ... nice to be down on the ground again after those days :)

[@rickstafford5316]

Wow A few close calls. A ground person really needs to know the meaning of let it run. I was so nervous for you. Stay safe

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, in retrospect I should never have done the job. Too risky

[@sjfarish]

You are definately an artist in your own right for sure !

[@metaspencer]

Nice of you!

[@rickstafford5316]

Raining down hell fire!! Love it. Great job Stay safe

[@metaspencer]

Yeah that was a crazy one ... glad I survived

[@PoplarMechanic]

Great job on the crispy ones, ive been there man, handled it nicely 👍

[@metaspencer]

Thanks buddy. Good hearing from ya

[@Billster1955]

The first time I saw Patrick tie the Daisy Chain I was like, wait, what was that? He tied it so fast I had to replay it. Now it's my go to knot. It's so easy to tie and untie. I'm thinking, if my Groundie isn't letting big cuts run I'm prolly gonna get hurt somewhere in the near future. Solo is the way to go.

[@metaspencer]

It's a wonderful knot -- I'm always surprised to see that it's not that popular for rigging

[@Johnnyreengo]

You're the man. Thanks for sharing what you do.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks buddy!!

[@littlemogocreek]

That is some tough work. Bravo.

[@metaspencer]

Twas tough, that's for sure ... good to be done :)

[@Billster1955]

You were fortunate not to get whacked. They either don't understand what let it run means or the rim didn't give them the control a porta-wrap would. I was ducking out of the way just watching. Great work.

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I actually did take a log to the should at one point -- so it was a less than ideal situation. Something to learn from! Thanks man

[@luisfernando-mm3jt]

Nice work

[@metaspencer]

thanks buddy

[@carolinegray3150]

You and your wife have a lovely day

[@metaspencer]

Thanks! All the best to you, too

[@blockadeboyz]

Nice stuff.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks buddy

[@InDisTREETV]

nice work Spencer....tip tying limbs and logs can be a super effective technique ..I actually use this method a lot but if you are not on the same page with your rope guy it can also be dangerous. I vary rarely tip tie anything back to the base of the tree I mainly use crotches further out on the limbs ( either double crouching or using the fishing pole setup) that keeps the crotch out further and keeps the rigging line more directly over the limbs I am tying off. Minimizing the shock load and more importantly the swing back towards the base of the tree where I am standing. I think you did a great job understanding the shortcomings of your ground help and working a game plan accordingly🤙

[@metaspencer]

I've got a lot to learn about this kind of rigging for sure ... good to hear more about your technique. I'll get there! Thanks man

[@lorenmeyer5290]

Spencer I see you using a battery powered chain saw in the beginning is that new! Enjoyed swing along with you! God bless you!

[@metaspencer]

That saw was a loaner just for a few cuts ... but I kinda liked it! Easy to start and quieter :) thanks for commenting, Loren

[@carolinegray3150]

Good 👨‍🔧

[@carolinegray3150]

A man who gets the job done and is not scared of being high up cutting the branches off

[@metaspencer]

Absolutely :)

[@br-dj2ti]

Great work, buddy, definitely. But man the rope guy had me nervous. It all comes in time though everybody's okay that's all that matters

[@metaspencer]

Yeah that was one damn sketchy job -- glad to have lived to tell about it :)

[@br-dj2ti]

Yeah, great job, nobody, she was a big in

[@MrGcovell]

Just fyi, those lines that you put the limb into are primary voltage. They’re insulated for primary but they aren’t 100% and are sometimes skinned in spots.

[@metaspencer]

Yeah that job was sketchy as heck. I'm glad I survived.

[@gregbrown9271]

That was a beast 💪

[@metaspencer]

Absolutely. Crazy one

[@dan-dan-da-treeman]

My hat is off to you. Excellent job making sure you had something between you and what you were rigging. The sketchiest thing about that was your rope men. The porta rim have a patent? 😁

[@metaspencer]

With an expert on the rope I think that rim would have worked out, but those guys were all about locking it off and letting no run ... tough job! I shouldn't have taken it, I guess ... glad I got out alive!

[@konstantinusstoyanov9749]

You are hell of tough guy

[@metaspencer]

I try! Thanks man

[@redbudfarm]

Nice work Spencer! That Milwaukee looked a little heavy than that Stihl 😀 Glad everything worked out.

[@metaspencer]

I think I'd like to use that Milwaukee on the ground ... nice and simple

[@havespurswillclimb]

Ooooh, rough two days. Nice challenging tree to dismantle. But, lack of experienced groundie made for a nightmare. By end you were really good at hiding in the tree to avoid swinging logs. Hiding is invaluable when rigging big stuff. Enjoyed the video. Need a Stein RC portawrap.....and a "right hand man" to run it. Hope you find your ideal groundman. I enjoy climbing so much....especially when I know I've got a good groundman/woman below backing me up.

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, that was a sketchy job ... I kept thinking we had an understanding and then the guy on the ground would tie off the piece hard. Dangerous and I probably should have left but stuck it out. Bad news but a learning experience

[@Clothis64]

Awesome! This tree was huge and not having all the control when the branches are cut and fall must be insecure.

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, it was a doozy ... glad to be done with it :) (or almost done)

[@c4man690]

Ehh that's probably too big a piece... lol good job man, be safe!

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, you called it: too big by like 10x ... livin' and learnin'

[@joshuap7501]

I was hoping hed let it run but hes tieing it off lmao your content is great man

[@metaspencer]

I should have tied those pieces differently in the event of those locked-off rigging situations, but we got through

[@WoodCutr1]

14:48 for that stopper what I use is a slipknot (grab rope, roll a loop into it, and pull the TAIL side up thru the loop in a bight, and pull on the side thru the ring/block to tighten while holding the bight this is nice because its faster and easier to tie, and comes undone with a sharp yank on the tail, if you pull the side at the lowering device it locks up tighter, stopping it from falling

[@metaspencer]

Sounds pro, dude! Functional and effective

[@WoodCutr1]

@@metaspencer it is, one of my favorite knots I had one set at the base of my SRT line to hook a lanyard to as a weight for ropewalking, switched to DRT in the tree and bombed out, well I kinda forgot about the ropesnap that came flying up to my face at about 30 mph, ouch

[@psullivan40]

I recognize that tie off knot. Have you been watching The educated climber? That's his favorite knot for lowering limbs. It's quick and easy for ground crew to untie.

[@psullivan40]

I was too quick on the draw. No lie, 10 seconds into the video after posting above comment, you say where you learned the knot. Oh well. Love your videos Spencer. Keep'm coming.

[@metaspencer]

Good eye! Yeah, my wife tells me it's a crochet chain :) Yep, the educated climber is full of good info. Great guy

[@rosslee1378]

Not gonna lie when I saw the Milwaukee I wondered, nice job though

[@metaspencer]

yeah, that was one goofy saw to use in the tree ... worked for a few cuts tho

[@joshuap7501]

7:05 smash and bash i like that lol

[@metaspencer]

haha ... that was the truth of it man

[@Cholton222]

He sucked on the rope. Glad u didn't get hurt. Lol. Those were big pieces for a newbie on the honda rimm. Bsafe Spencer

[@metaspencer]

Yeah looking back at it I just shake my head ... never should have done that one ... still, learned a lot. Thanks man

[@Kitchenwills509]

Are you running pole gaffs or tree gaffs in this film? I just bought a set of pole gaffs today. The consensus seems to be that pole gaffs are preferable here in the east.

[@metaspencer]

Pole. I prefer pole on all but the climbs with really thick bark ... just like the feel of them

[@romualdasmarcinkus7879]

When you have a 75 foot tree, shock load and stress on the rest of the rigging are the same whether you tie it off and cut it, or drop it safely below the feet of the climber as he cut's it so he doesn't get clobbered. So why the death grip on the ground end? I haven't been on the ground line end for forty years, but nobody ever had to teach me that back then, it was just common sense not to kill your boss. What would I have done for a job if I did that?

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, as you describe it's a pretty simple system out there ... those guys and I never understood one another and I should have walked away from the job (looking back at it now)

[@jeffschroeder9089]

How did the wood go?

[@metaspencer]

The wood? Ya gotta refresh my memory on that one ... I just know that very little went well on that job. Should never have offered to help the guy out

[@jeffschroeder9089]

@@metaspencer how did chunking the wood go?

[@metaspencer]

Oh gotcha! Chunking went well … big tall drops and a nice mulch crash pad for it. Was just nice to be done with that crew

[@joshuap7501]

Whatd you get a 201tc? And im impressed man that was a monster oak

[@metaspencer]

Yeah 201 -- I picked it up in NY. Haven't seen a top handle saw for sale around here in a few months

[@anthonyholloway5522]

dude I was scared for you! bcs of that lowering guy lol I thought for sure he was gonna smash a piece into you. maybe next time show them what let it run means lol

[@metaspencer]

Yeah that was sketchy and dangerous as heck. He actually did smash me but I survived to learn from it. My technique could have been better too

[@SidearmSinner]

Gotta communicate with those guys better. Don’t tell em good job when a big branch almost takes you out. Be stern but respectful. Tell them to get that ish away from you. If they don’t understand, elaborate. That’s your life on the line

[@metaspencer]

Yeah you said it. I should never have taken on that job -- and should have walked away many times. Livin' and learnin' over here.

[@SidearmSinner]

@@metaspencer no man you did great as far as the job goes. Then again, you were there to help them, so they needed to step it up and make sure you weren’t In harms way; which they didn’t. Having a good groundsman that understands is super valuable. You can tell they don’t run ropes often lol. That’s not your fault. Personally I would’ve told them to back off and done it yourself, I’ve watched a bunch of your videos. Might’ve taken longer but you would’ve been safer and more efficient in the end

[@metaspencer]

@@SidearmSinner I ended up working with one of those guys later on another job and he was great on the ground ... I know what you mean: that relationship and communication with the guys on the ground is critical. I still shake my head thinking of that job ... it got sketchy way too many times

[@caseyjohnson986]

Idk how u tolerated doing that job with those guy lol there a bunch of hacks. Keep up the great work your doing👌👌there going to get someone hurt

[@metaspencer]

yeah it was rough but at the same time, nice to be able to help out: they were in a real jam with that tree

[@chrisconner6446]

...might have had a bit more rope control with a proper porta wrap instead of a tire rim 😆🤷‍♂️ ..just sayn. Good job man . Big tree

[@metaspencer]

Absolutely!!! What a crazy mess

[@ClimberinChrist]

Those rope guys will get you injured, after every single rig coach them on how they did and what they did right and wrong and what to do next rig to improve.

[@metaspencer]

Yeah you said it. We talked for a long time on the ground but were not getting through to one another. Never did another job with them because I didn't want to die. That approach you describe is the way to do it

[@WoodCutr1]

I see you keep taking saws off the lanyard while cutting, and keep hearing about them being dropped... wise up old man on a side note, you like that sequia? so far I love my new notch sentinel btw, if im ever in your area, we gotta meet up and do some work together, trade ideas and the such

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, I'm a habitual saw dropper: gotta break the habit, not the next saw! I'd be happy to work the ground on a job for ya! :)

[@WoodCutr1]

@@metaspencer we are trying to get off the road (dad travels for work) but maybe one day id be able to make the trip, its only an 8hr trip, would be a fun weekend deal

[@metaspencer]

Oh yeah it’ll happen

[@carlobernardi1387]

OMG...I hope the red dragon has been replaced by that new 201 or 193 ...yeah day 2 your ground guy sucked 😯😯😯.. Thank God 🙏🙏 one of those big pieces of Oak didn't land on your lap.. That would leave mark.. and where can I buy one of those Rim porta raps ...🤔🤔🤔..

[@metaspencer]

Yeah day 2 was rough: I should have called it. I could have done better up there myself, too. Anyhoo: livin' and learnin' ... I actually did get a big one in the shoulder. Lesson learned.

[@ShadowMoonFarms]

I was afraid one of those would swing back and hit you with the ropes not dropping them fast enough. You kept trying to hide behind the tree. Please be careful working with others who don't quite understand what you want.

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, I could have done a few things better up there ... livin' and learnin'

[@misterz2719]

Hope your saw Is not to damaged, it sucks when u help someone and your equipment gets broke somehow, and u lose money on the job, sometimes u have to laugh.

[@metaspencer]

Yeah, I had to laugh about it: first cut and I'm down a saw ... it'll all be good in the end

[@SteampunkSteve]

That oak was huge. If it had been me up there with my luck I'd have been kissed by that big one.

[@metaspencer]

A big one ... nice to be back down on solid ground again :)

[@aus71383]

Yikes. Ground crew needs to have some amount of intelligence and understanding. This could have been so bad! Ropes can break easily if loads aren't allowed to move and load the rope gradually. Here's a somewhat brief video that has some explanation ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnaTZ4WweJd6oas ) . Spending 15 or 20 minutes of calm conversation with ground crew might be time well spent. Hard to justify if it's a new stranger every so often. Glad you got through it safely enough!

[@metaspencer]

Yeah that whole job was so sketchy ... after many conversations we simply weren't seeing things the same way. In retrospect I should have walked off that job. Got lucky!

[@williamkeehn3637]

If you don't play Well ll with others you don't work well while others in my case I'm better off Working solo

[@metaspencer]

you said it man! thanks

[@jasperdeveraux3069]

You’re obviously a good climber. Why not try to do some training with those guys? That looked so sketchy, not how it should be.

[@metaspencer]

That ended up being a one-time connection -- I never worked with that crew again in that way. You make a great point though