Screw fixings into a tree

[Andrew Gabriel]

Are there any particular metals to use or to avoid when fixing something to a live tree? In this case, a fir tree.

[Alan]

In message , Andrew Gabriel wrote

copper

[Ericp]

Use stainless.

[Bill]

In message , Andrew Gabriel writes

40+ years ago I fitted a bracket to a fir tree using ordinary steel coach bolts, as used by BT/GPO to fix to telegraph poles. The bracket is still there and the tree very much alive.

[andrew]

I still consider it to be vandalism to do this to a tree but in general metals don't harm a tree much. I felled a pine in 1980ish that contained a dozen or so copper clad .45 calibre slugs, presumably from a negligent discharge during the war and whilst the tree was stunted compared with its neighbours it was still growing.

The main effect of metals is how they stain the wood, green for the copper and blue for any wood with a high tannin content and iron, think quink. When timber was more valuable we could show the likes of Mr. Lamb the error of their ways in stapling fencing to field edge trees.

The only other issue is the damage it can cause to saws, they,re indifferent to aluminium and mild steel wire < 12 gauge but anything bigger or high tensile and they do significant damage to the saw.

AJH

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Bill writes

2 Years ago I found one of those brackets imbedded in an Oak tree! Apart from the purple stain in the timber and the damage to the chain saw, everything else looked fine:-)

regards

[Tim Lamb]

Yes.

A landlords agent once took me to task for this. Luckily I was able to point to a clause in the tenancy agreement requiring the owner to provide materials for fencing repair.

Quite!

regards

[damduck-egg]

Had a tree surgeon trim some tall trees last year and turned the branches into firewood at ground level myself. Sods law that a staple that must have grown upwards* with the tree for 60 years or so was exactly where I started to cut was embedded under the bark.

*unless someone had fixed a wireless aerial to it in times past. G.Harman

[Jeremy Nicoll - news posts]

I've twice used trees to support one end of a washing-line. I did it by putting fencing chain around the tree and joining the ends with a karabiner onto which the washing line is clipped. The chain itself runs inside black plastic hose, which I hope spreads the load on the tree, as well as making the chain etc much less visible.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Thanks, that's what I've done.