Spur / Foot Ascender

[KevinS]

Sorry if this is a ridiculous question but if you are wearing spurs why not just walk up on spurs? Likewise if pruning why be wearing spurs? What is the benefit?

 

[Mark13y]

I can ascend faster and with less effort than I can spiking up and there's not always a trunk where I want to move up

 

[MikePowers321]

I cannot figure a way, bolts or pop rivets, for the CT foot ascender to attatch because there is virtually no back plate to it. I'll take a look at my old CMI tomorrow and see if that may work better.

 

[MikePowers321]

I can ascend faster and with less effort than I can spiking up and there's not always a trunk where I want to move up

Your right, and I have been climbing Srt a lot more for removals. It all depends though, sometime I still just spike up...but that only where there is no rigging and I don't need a high tie in point right off the bat. Every tree is different.

It's pretty common to need a foot ascender for fast ascents Srt, when working the tree and just the initial climb.

 

[KevinS]

Ok I assumed it had to be an efficiency/ speed thing. Thanks fellas

 

[tuttle]

why not look at using a Chicago screw....

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Chicago screw??? Link? Pics?

 

[tuttle]

Try 'SEX SCREW' in google images, you'd surprised how boring they are

 

[MikePowers321]

why not look at using a Chicago screw....

Something nice and low profile like that might work.... but how do you get the bolt nice and tight without having anything on the "flat" side to grip onto?

 

[tuttle]

use a washer with teeth

 

[MikePowers321]

I am going to countersink 2 screws through the shank from the back end, into foot ascender, which will be pre-threaded, then use some Loctite to hopefully finish her off . I will post pictures when its all done.

 

[tuttle]

Mike, I think you'd be better off doing it the other way round, as the ascenders arn't that thick so you would be limited on the thread cut, and could pull free, i'm sure the spikes are better for the thread cut.

 

[MikePowers321]

Ideally, but there is no room to work with "inside" the foot ascender. So coming through the back seems like the way to go. Not to mention the cmi has a descent sized backplate to it so I think the threads will hold, especially if I thread through the steel as well to give it a tighter hold.

 

[tuttle]

One thing I thought of today, was to get any ascender, like an old hand ascender, and just grind it down to the right size and leave points for tapping.

 

[MikePowers321]

Okay, well I finished it. I am highly confident at how tight and strong the connection is. Drilled clean through the Aluminum CMI ascender, Tapped/Threaded the Steel Buckinghams, 3 Bolts, 3 Locking Washers, and Permanent red Loctite. No play at all. Thanks to everyone for helping with ideas. I'll get to give it a more thorough testing tomorrow.

 

[cbugg]

very cool

 

[tuttle]

top job.

my one comment about tapping aluminum is based on my old makita chainsaw, which has the alloy body tapped for the bar, I had to have helicoils fitted to sort the thread wear.

 

[MikePowers321]

I had an awesome elm removal today to try it out on today. It worked flawlessly. To be honest, I couldn't believe how much more comfortable and smooth it was in comparison to wearing my CT foot ascender, either over or under my spurs. No lie, it felt much better.

 

[tuttle]

Now i'm not saying its going to work, or its a work safety thing...but I just wanted to try a method that could be throw away if needed, and something that takes two seconds to do...its a wide cabletie wrapped in a figure 8 on a croll, the position is good and it only moves a bit with my full weight on it.
Should be giving it a try in a few days.

 

[TreeLogic]

Cool Tuttle. Let me know if it works. I'm thinking about trying something similar.