Clearing large trees for more solar.

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if you are breaking cable at the clamps, chances are the clamp is on wrong, the saddle goes on the live (load) side , the u bolt goes on the dead side (cut) this is important, the u bolt crushes the strands and weakens the joint considerably, easy to remember, "never saddle a dead horse"


I did NOT know that thanks for the tip!
 
if you are breaking cable at the clamps, chances are the clamp is on wrong, the saddle goes on the live (load) side , the u bolt goes on the dead side (cut) this is important, the u bolt crushes the strands and weakens the joint considerably, easy to remember, "never saddle a dead horse"

I checked my cables before starting this morning and they are all on correctly U-bolt on the cut end.


Well I managed to break the cable again. Tree is still standing tall. Time for more digging now that I fixed the cable and sharpened the saw. I have the stuff to make up another cable. It's just one flying around is enough two at a time I just don't know. What started out as an 80 foot cable is now about 75 foot. Guess I should be thankful it has broken at the end every time.

No worries I do have a 5/8's cable on the way!
 
Dang tree is still standing! I dug around it twice more and broke the end of the cable twice more before giving up for today. I should have 5/8s cable tomorrow. Provided I can get 5/8s cable clamps somewhere close I should get that @#$%^&*()_)(*&^%$#@#$%^&*())*&^%$R#@$%^&*U(I)O_(*&^%$# tree down!
 
I got the 5/8s cable in today along with a slip hook for it. But it looks like it'll be late next week or after before I get the clamps and stuff to make up this 5/8 cable. So I think tomorrow I will put together another 3/8 cable same as the one I already have. So I can try pulling with two these last two trees in this space need to come down now not some time in the future. To many projects are waiting for this part to get finished up. The 5/8 cable is rated at 23,000 lbs break strength the 3/8s is only 8,200 lbs hopefully 2 will do it.
 
any time you loop and connect a cable to its self you loose 50 % of the strength, unless you use crane type loops wedges, but the vast amount more strenght of 5/8 over 3/8 should be enough, I've broken 1 1/8 cable, but that takes a lot
 
any time you loop and connect a cable to its self you loose 50 % of the strength, unless you use crane type loops wedges, but the vast amount more strenght of 5/8 over 3/8 should be enough, I've broken 1 1/8 cable, but that takes a lot
You must have had some sort of rigging job at some point.
 
I have worked around cranes and winch tractors for years, and I have a 50 ton hydraulic winch on my Peterbilt.
 
@Tirediron That makes sense.

Woo Hoo happy dance!

I finally got that one big bastard of a pine tree down. Stump is free too. Using 2) 3/8" cables just did do it. I was waiting for them to snap at any given time. Glad it didn't fall straight or the top would have been over top the dozer. It was even taller than I thought, about 20 ft taller!

Only one big trash spruce pine to go, in this area. This one is maybe 20 foot shorter and maybe one or two inches larger around. I don't expect it to be nearly as well anchored though. I sure hope not anyway.
 
ALL right the last one in this section is on the ground. Now the harder physical work starts again. De-limbing and cleaning up all the mess. Plus I still need to drag all the logs up the hill. Then I get to try and burn the slash and stumps. Which that part is going to have to wait some as we are currently under a burn ban. I am so thankful to finally have both of these last two on the ground now. They were tall enough to do some real damage had they fallen on their own or had they gone in the wrong direction.
 
ALL right the last one in this section is on the ground. Now the harder physical work starts again. De-limbing and cleaning up all the mess. Plus I still need to drag all the logs up the hill. Then I get to try and burn the slash and stumps. Which that part is going to have to wait some as we are currently under a burn ban. I am so thankful to finally have both of these last two on the ground now. They were tall enough to do some real damage had they fallen on their own or had they gone in the wrong direction.
Can you share an image of the aftermath?

Ben
 
first up my little backhoe attachment
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I said earlier I still need to drag all the logs up. Having forgotten I already took about a dozen up a week or so ago. There are at least that many and probably more that still need to go up.
 
Can't get my butt in gear this morning, feeling fairly well used up. No surprise there!

Heavy clouds with No sunshine this morning to see what if any time difference these last two trees made in getting sun on the panels. I know these two trees should have made the sun hit 30-45 minutes earlier.

This project may have to go on hold again for a few days. My body needs time to rest and a fair chance of bad weather in a couple days. Not the best or worst stopping point but at least there are no more half dug or dug trees swinging in the breeze. That really had me worried this last week especially with all the wind we've had.
 
We got a few big gobs of logs drug up the hill. After getting that last big spruce pine limbed up. Still another 3 or 4 trips dragging logs out then we see what happens next. Sure is looking a lot different as we get it cleaned up. Now I'm thinking it more than doubled the size of the front yard.
 
Glad that you are at another stage, now the trick is to remember when your body starts to complain, take a break not just finish the stage, this I am learning really make the next days project some what more possible
 

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