eva908•2d ago

Remember when we used to just muscle through a heavy limb drop?

I was on a job in Austin maybe 8 years ago, clearing a big live oak with a massive, horizontal limb over a shed. The old way was to just notch it, cut it, and let it slam down hoping the rigging held. This time, I tried something a guy at a conference mentioned: using a second, smaller notch on the underside of the limb, about a foot out from your main notch. You cut that one first, just a shallow relief cut. Then when you make your main top cut, the limb hinges and settles way more gently instead of cracking and dropping. It felt like cheating, but it worked perfectly, no shock load on the ropes at all. The crew looked at me like I'd done magic. Anyone else pick up a simple trick like that that just changed how you handle a common risky cut?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena3732d ago

Love hearing about tricks like that. Makes a dangerous job just a bit safer for everyone. Really smart way to handle the shock load.

jennyp192d ago

Read an article about using old fire hose sections as sling protectors. They said the woven fabric absorbs energy and reduces snap-back risk. Simple tricks from experienced crews often beat fancy gear.