Precisely Aimed

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

[Sedalia Dave]

This guy needs more practice. 
 

 

[Eyesa Horg]

That was a whole bunch more than "oh s**t"  

Time to call area motels!!

[J-BAR #18287]

2 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

This guy needs more practice. 
 

 

Around here they would start at the top, saw operator in a cherry picker, controlling dropping limbs with ropes to fall safely, then after the trunk was whittled down to 10-12 feet make that last cut close to the ground.  It's wonderful to watch tree trimmers who know what they're doing!

[Sedalia Dave]

Never saw a person yet that could get a tree with a significant lean, get it to fall the other way.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Cranes can have their own issues. 

 

About 15 years ago a company tried removing a tree from a back yard with a crane.   It didn't go well. 

 

 

 

 

 

Family either had just moved in about 3 months before.  Took almost 2 years for a settlement. 

 

 

 

 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

I watched my brother in law drive a stake in the ground, then drop a tree on the stake.
I listened carefully to his descriptions and war stories about felling trees.

I freely admit that is an art form I'd like to stay away from!

[Rip Snorter]

A fell scheme for sure!  Look how many have unfortunate outcomes.

[Eyesa Horg]

There was a time when I was competent with a chainsaw. Things I wouldn't do now as a geezer! 😋

[Rip Snorter]

18 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

There was a time when I was competent with a chainsaw. Things I wouldn't do now as a geezer! 😋

You & me both, brother!   I have a great, large Stihl, just refurbed, (How many years ago?) Did a lot on the property with it, even have the protective Chaps, new helmet with Eye / Ear protection. Sitting, ought to sell it. Probably the best blessing was what a Rancher friend, recently retired, suggested.  "If you don't have stock, the property will take care of itself just like it always has.  You get to decide if you let it kill you."

[Eyesa Horg]

I absolutely hate this 'pay somebody to do it' crap!! But good God, I just don't have it in me now for hours of wielding heavy tools!!

[Rip Snorter]

5 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I absolutely hate this 'pay somebody to do it' crap!! But good God, I just don't have it in me now for hours of wielding heavy tools!!

There are many things I can't do or won't do anymore by hand.  I was beating myself up mowing close around the house with a quality, self propelled walk behind mower - a big area and hard on my beat up old bod. I do the outer with a 5' tractor mower. Got a Cub Cadet Ultimate zero turn riding mower.  Other than hitting bumps, no stress on the carcass and the area is better mowed.  I actually look forward to the mowing, small scale hot rodding, actually fun.  Love the groomed look.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I worked a summer (1962) for the Fraser River Lumber Company up in Idaho.  I saw guys do a mighty fine job using Michigan pattern double bit axes.  No power tools except jack hammers and some cranes and derricks, and lots of Cat bulldozers....and huge trucks.  No one considered that sort of thing a "sport" save one day at the end of the season when they had food, beer, contests, races, and lies...and tons of fun.  Families and local citizens a were always welcome.

[Pat Riot]

10 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

There was a time when I was competent with a chainsaw. Things I wouldn't do now as a geezer! 😋

Same here. My old man was a Gen’l Contractor but started out a tree trimmer. It was something he was very good at. He could do things others wouldn’t attempt trimming or taking down trees. 
He only had an 8th grade education but he figured out the physics and engineering of bringing down dangerous trees as if it was instinct. 
I learned a lot from him only I used it for my own properties and sometimes at work in rail transit. In the latter it was overseeing contractors that were taking out hazardous trees on our alignments. 
One misstep by a tree contractor could strand thousands on a rail line for extended periods or make their leisure commute home a several hour affair. 

I had one instance where we had trees that were coming out by their roots on a hillside directly above our new rail line. It was not in service yet. 

I told the contractors what I thought they should do. I had my Director and the Director of Contracts tell me to mind my place and stay out of the contractor’s hair. I told them both they’d regret this. They took it as a threat. I meant it as reality. 
This contractor had 3 crews being rushed to complete the job so they could meet their time limit for an on-time bonus. 
There was no finesse with this bunch. Long story short they dropped 2 trees into the OCS (overhead catenary system). The electrical system that provides power to the trains. Those trees hitting the wires and poles took out over 1/4 mile of OCS and two poles. 
I dearly love saying “I told you so” to Executive Management and I did it often in my job. 
 

 

 

[Dapper Dave]

Our trees are small, stunted, and thorny - we shoot them down, safer for everyone. 

[Subdeacon Joe]

10 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

Our trees are small, stunted, and thorny - we shoot them down, safer for everyone. 

 

8.8cm Flak 36?

[watab kid]

had too many big ones on my house or near it to even think of smiling or making comment , this is a serious problem , 

[Dapper Dave]

18 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

8.8cm Flak 36?

Don't tempt me, I do know where one of those is right now!

[Subdeacon Joe]

37 minutes ago, Dapper Dave said:

Don't tempt me, I do know where one of those is right now!

 

But .....

 

Will it fit in your gun safe?

 

[Dapper Dave]

Not QUITE yet...and MidwayUSA seems to be out of stock on the reloading dies. 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 8/2/2025 at 2:38 PM, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

But .....

 

Will it fit in your gun safe?

 

I'd like to see the dies, etc to reload for that thing.

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 7/31/2025 at 9:30 PM, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

I worked a summer (1962) for the Fraser River Lumber Company up in Idaho.  I saw guys do a mighty fine job using Michigan pattern double bit axes.  No power tools except jack hammers and some cranes and derricks, and lots of Cat bulldozers....and huge trucks.  No one considered that sort of thing a "sport" save one day at the end of the season when they had food, beer, contests, races, and lies...and tons of fun.  Families and local citizens a were always welcome.

Went out to the shop and dug out my old Blue Sager double bit axe.  4.5 pound head, two spare handles, and a leather blade protector.  It's still in really good shape and haven't so much a chopped kindling with it for about sixty  years.  Found my old bull hide three buckle kidney belt, too.  I had forgotten I had it.  Has "Tommy" written on it with India ink.  It doesn't fit any more.  I had about a 32" waist and a 52" chest in those days.  Somehow those numbers have gotten reversed...... but I'm still gorgeous and cuter than I have any right to be....so THERE!

[watab kid]

there is an art to felling trees , im not that guy , ill let the professional do it any day 

 

oh , and ive got at least four that tall to go soon a couple are twice or better