Tried cabling a big oak last week and got a surprise
I had this big red oak in a backyard here in Portland, about 30 inches across, with a split crotch that looked risky. I decided to use steel cable and hardware to brace it up, something I've done maybe a dozen times before. But after I finished and tightened everything, the tree actually started leaning more toward the house over the next two days. I checked my anchor points and realized I put the cable too low on the trunk, which pulled the whole thing off balance instead of holding it steady. The homeowner was pretty worried, and I had to go back and redo it with higher anchors and a second cable for support. Learned that even with the right tools, placement makes or breaks the job. Has anyone else screwed up a cabling job and had to fix it mid-project?