# Where's WYK been, and what trouble is he making?



## wyk

Well, guys, I been in Dorset England the last month. I am doing some forestry work and some arborist/land scaping stuff in Southern England. It looks like I will be here through the winter.

Here are some of the major differences I have been noticing VS the US:

Saws are smaller. My general issue is an MS341 with a 16 or 18" bar. We use full comp full chisel. Today I was using a 441 on 24-30" Ash, Beech, and Sycamore with an 18" bar. Two of the Ash stumps were nearly 3' in width and the boss told me I could use the 880 if I wanted to, but I didn't feel like swapping out the 60" bar on it. I told him I can just stump the things one at a time 

Mature leaning beech can be ridiculously hard. I have felled more hardwood in the last 2 weeks than in my previous life altogether. We are on a huge estate thinning the woods currently. It used to be an old manor, so we get to occasionally run our chains in to wires, etc. Most of the wood on the current project is 12-18". And I am dying to get my hands one a ported 346 or some such that can run an 18-20" 3/8 BC. The weeks before I was falling Cedar, Larch, Spruce, and Doug Fir in the 12-30" range on an estate further north. I'll add some vids at the end here. We mostly fall the trees and winch them or drag them out with a backtrack.

We are required to wear chainsaw trousers, steel toes, personal first aid pack(when falling in groups of 2 in the woods VS arborist work), and ear protection. I use a helmet Dave K gave me that has hearing on it. You have to have your first 2 NPTC chainsaw certs before they can even insure you.

We use land rovers and Toyota HiLux's to get around. We also have Valmet tractors and some back trax as well as a few bucket trucks. We basically do forestry, ecological, and arborist stuff. I have been working more of the forestry stuff, but occasionally they grab me and put me on a different crew just to keep me honest.

Here's the hardwood thinning project. We aren't burning the trees! Just the brambles  I don't want it to look like our idea of forestry is to burn the mofo down 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TwdTPFbWNV0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Random vid of the wood we are clearing of softwoods:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_Tc_avnesAk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here I am struggling with how tight the canopy is and how much young cedars act like velcro if they get near another tree. Even though the first cedar is weighted to the left for it's limbs, it still just sticks in to that oak and doesn't want to roll off. I sent it that way to avoid getting stuck on the huge limb sticking out of the oak on the left of the video. All in all, just a mess. We weren't allowed to bring down any Oaks. Only softwoods could be culled from that wood. So it made it interesting until we got some openings going:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6lAHV-v4LEU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

To make matters worse, no one ever seems to use a gauge to lower the rakers. You will see me often sawing back and forth so I can lightly work a cut because the stupid rakers are way too low in a couple vids. The chatter from that ms341 in the cedar vid was massive before I sharpened the hell out of the cutters. Now I don't bother. The first thing I do when I show up on site is reshape the chain. It takes forever sometimes, but it pays later in saved time and safety. Yet another drawback of using company EQ. So, uh...if anyone has a light saw that can handle a 20" 3/8 BC in hardwoods, let me know. I have been using the Echo on occasion as well. It keeps up with the MS341's OK, but the carb needs replacing(Walbro T model). Otherwise, the Echo has taken a LOT of abuse, including having a sycamore land on it. I am very impressed with it.

WYK


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## dave k

Glad to see you are having so much "fun" ! I expect you to study SlowP's GOL posts in particular the " poking cut " and you are not nearly dayglo enough for a European forest worker ! 
Joking aside it's a great part of the UK you are in and the company seem ok ? I know what you mean about the saws, I used to look after 30 odd saws when I worked for a large arb company in London years ago my Saturdays where spent fixing stupid and ignorant damage to the saws, it wasn't theirs so they didn't care !


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## jdkeire

Can you not use your own saws working for a company? Looks like the kind of stuff I'd like to be at, I got onto the November cs30 cs31 course after, thanks for the recomendation.


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## wyk

dave k said:


> Glad to see you are having so much "fun" ! I expect you to study SlowP's GOL posts in particular the " poking cut " and you are not nearly dayglo enough for a European forest worker !
> Joking aside it's a great part of the UK you are in and the company seem ok ? I know what you mean about the saws, I used to look after 30 odd saws when I worked for a large arb company in London years ago my Saturdays where spent fixing stupid and ignorant damage to the saws, it wasn't theirs so they didn't care !


 
Here's my pokey little cut. Lots of folks like to say 'rock hard tree', but that leaning beech literally was rock hard. The rakers on the 385 are set up for softwoods, but it pulled through it like a champ. Bevelling the back of the cutters allows that bar to bore cut like a dream. My video camera is starting to hurt from the abuse of forestry, so it skips on occasion now.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4dWYBy2fPSs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

They like to see that back angle on the stumps to make sure you get the cuts to meet. Personally, I think all it does is get your bar trapped. I use a LOT less of an angle now. Our 660's are always away on other projects, so I keep my 385xp handy. But I am gonna have to sell it and get a ported 346xp eventually. A ported 346xp or maybe a ported 357xp would do most all what I need it to do.

Dorset is stunning country. it's been in the 50's and 60's most of the time with a lot of sun. A tad humid much of the time, but I can't complain. This is a 3-6 month contract for forestry and arborist work. We'll see how she goes. The company seems OK, but the pay is not so hot  It's great experience, tho. In one of the vids, I am the one operating the backtrack.

Here's your typical Dorset, England village(complete with silly name)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F4KU2t6tOL4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## porsche965

Great arm chair tour with you wyk. Thanks, wish I was there.

Subscribed.


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## Samlock

Looking good, WYK! Where is your back flap? And the Orangutan - orange coat, eh? (You know Orangutan means in Borneo "the Man of the woods")

Oh, those kolkhoz saws and chains. Enough to drive an average citizen mad. On the other hand, if the pay isn't too hot, you just should keep yourself cool while working.

Your videos made me kinda miss back to Britain - watery food, ugly chicks, warm beer, cold houses and bad weather!


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## wyk

*Not so cold England!*

It was nearly freakin 80 degrees today!!!! And 70% humid. WTH?! We had felled a bunch of beech and ash. The keeper of the manor asked us to drop some off at the barn. So we got the backtrack and dropped off a dozen healthy ash trunks - 8'X2-3'. WHat does he say? "Eh...terribly sorry. But could I bother you to cut some of that ash. You see, the groundskeeper hasn't a chainsaw long enough to do so. Terribly sorry". So I spent the last hour or so of the day cutting those trunks into 12" cookies so they could split them. All of this with an MS341 and an 18" bar. Made me feel like I was back in Oregon again. 

The video camera took a tumble today and got a bit crushed. SHe still seems to work, aside from the shutter being messed up. I'll clean her up once I get back from the pub. I gotta meet me work mates for beers in a moment. Cheers!

WYK


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## wyk

*Warmer yet*

It was 85* today - the warmest Sept 30th on record since 1895. I was over in Poole, established circa 1100AD, doing arborist work at a 'Heritage site' today. A 300 year old farm and barn. We had to remove all the growth from when it was left to decay a few years back. I was mostly cutting down and trimming Ash and Blackthorn bushes. 

Here's part of the barn after some of the team removed most of the ivy:







The rafters inside the barn:






And here are a few pics of the random chasms we fell into while clearing the brush. I fell into the second one chasing the limbs on an ash - grasping at stinging nettle the whole way down...:











That was basically the icing on my whole warm and humid day. The cake came before when the lil flippy oil cap on the Stihl came off and spewed oil all over me. I put it back on, and it later fell off while in use in some brush, never to be seen again. So I grabbed the wrapper from a Breakfast Pasty and shoved it into the gaping hole - which works far better and makes oil changes much faster than the over-engineered flippy cap ever did:











Man, I woulda much rather had an MS250 than that POS 181. It struggled stumping a 7" sycamore that was growing inside the barn.

Anywho, one of our contract renegotiations may not go well... there's rumors of lay-offs(redundancies). So we'll have to see what comes of it next week... Wish me luck.


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## wyk

*A vid from earlier last week*

We had to pull down a couple of Ash trees that were too close to the drive in to the 'keepers cottage'. The boss told us to brace the Ash with the back track due to it being close to a 100 year old iron fence, so we did. It wasn't really necessary, but the boss is the boss. I had ears on in the first part of the vid, the humidity was so bad that the sweat and condensation dripping off my helmet was driving me nuts. Don't try this at home without a helmet, tho . The saw in the vid is my mildly ported Echo CS-520 with a 16" BC using semi chisel chain.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/alX6hTpgYZs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## Samlock

wyk said:


> And here are a few pics of the random chasms we fell into while clearing the brush. I fell into the second one chasing the limbs on an ash - grasping at stinging nettle the whole way down...:



The old manors and farms are full of surprises. Just last week the local newspaper reported a man drown in an old well. Such a miserable way to go... I remember years ago a mate decided to walk over a mound and suddenly found himself in the cabin of a Ford Transit.


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## wyk

*Ugh! I need Echo parts*

Anyone know a dealer in southern England? I had the starter assembly off the Echo and managed to lose ALL the freakin bolts that held it on in the brush! Grrr! Also, the Sycamore did more damage to the handle than I had thought - it's much too close to the brake now. I may have to just find a parts saw, I guess. Will a 510 work, anyone know?


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## jmethodrose

sounds like you're having a great time mate!


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## wyk

Samlock said:


> Looking good, WYK! Where is your back flap? And the Orangutan - orange coat, eh? (You know Orangutan means in Borneo "the Man of the woods")
> 
> Oh, those kolkhoz saws and chains. Enough to drive an average citizen mad. On the other hand, if the pay isn't too hot, you just should keep yourself cool while working.
> 
> Your videos made me kinda miss back to Britain - watery food, ugly chicks, warm beer, cold houses and bad weather!


 
I rarely wear reflective clothing. However, with winter coming, I sorta want one of them little flaps for the back of my helmet. I do have a hi-vis jacket for when it gets cold. I also am gonna grab me a 346 from Neal.

The food here is GREAT! I love me a breakfast pasty, cornish pasty, cottage pie(or any pie, really), fish N chips, and the curry is excellent. Beer prices aren't so nice, but the pub experience is. Fuel prices are painful. So, for roughly $750 I bought me a 1999 V Polo that gets 60mpg. Woo! And it's perfect for dodging around in the hedges. The weather has been excellent. This is southern ENgland, remember. I am not too far from France right now. Still, the houses CAN be cold. Especially since I am holed up in a renovated school house... prolly haunted, too. It's across from an old church and a grave yard... boo!


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## wyk

*Sherbourne*

We were at Sherborne Castle today(circa 12 century, with the new castle build circa 1590ish). Mostly arborist work today. I finally got to run a Stihl 200T - nice saw. Our MS341 started acting up and flooding. So, I went to the 441C we had as back up for most of the work. It was a gorgeous day to be in England.











Here's some of the logs off of the castle grounds itself:











Many of the oaks on the property are well over 400 years old. Some are ~7-8 feet DBH. One of the oaks had branches out of it that were easily 3' in width. 






Random road sign:


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## slowp

All those chimneys!! Must be expensive to have them cleaned.


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## Sport Faller

slowp said:


> All those chimneys!! Must be expensive to have them cleaned.


 
That's what 7 year old child labor is for, remember Oliver Twist :jester:


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## wyk

bigskyjake said:


> That's what 7 year old child labor is for, remember Oliver Twist :jester:


 
Dik Van Dyke does all our chimney sweeping.

Today was very tame. Nothing worth photos of. However, we did end up doing some work in Moreton, Dorset. This is where I spent my lunch:











T. E. Lawrence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## wyk

We have a large chestnut to bring down tomorrow that has collapsed on a structure. I will be cutting some large limbs and working from a bucket truck, so I have prepared my VW Polo:


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## madhatte

Cool! (the Lawrence Of Arabia gravesite, that is, tho the saw's no slouch, either)


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## cat-face timber

Great thread, thanks for posting!


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## wyk

wyk said:


> Anyone know a dealer in southern England? I had the starter assembly off the Echo and managed to lose ALL the freakin bolts that held it on in the brush! Grrr! Also, the Sycamore did more damage to the handle than I had thought - it's much too close to the brake now. I may have to just find a parts saw, I guess. Will a 510 work, anyone know?


 
I raided the storage unit in the yard and found that Stihl starter assembly bolts work on my Echo. Only problem is now I have a mix of philips and torx bolts on the Echo. I also took the handlebar and bent the begezuz out of it so it would work OK and not crowd the brake. The carb acts up on occasion, but I cleaned her out, OK. The idle adjustment screw retainer is missing, tho. So I put some plumbers tape in there to keep it from wandering much. We'll see how she does tomorrow in a bucket truck. I do much rather enjoy using my lil Echo than the 341's.


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## dave k

Don't forget to visit his cottage and take in the tank museum while you are at it !


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## wyk

Yet more Arborist work. I don't mind it. I need to practice more with hardwoods and structures anyways. The outfit I am with has a lot of old contracts to tend to a lot of the older properties in southern England. This is near Sturminster, a barn that's a couple hundred years old had a Chestnut attack it. The garage area is a write off, tho. It looks like we'll be back to remove the Chestnut. We'll have to cut a path to it to get the equipment in to haul it out:






















Here's one of the climbers with an ms660:






And here is the limb gone:


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## wyk

Here's the Echo helping free another saw, and the typical abuse she gets in work and keeps on ticking.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TQulB2AMG20" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## slowp

Now, I am expecting a photo of you with Prince William.


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## wyk

slowp said:


> Now, I am expecting a photo of you with Prince William.


 
One of the keepers of a wood we work in basically has that royalty sort of accent and talk. He isn't all ears and teeth, tho. William frightens me. Bear in mind that I am in Dorset - basically the farm country of England. While there is a lot of money here, I doubt I will be running in to royalty any time soon.


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## dave k

There is a suprising number of titled folk here in Ireland, Ive just a few mins ago picked up a cheque from a Lord and on Monday felled a yew tree for his father an Earl and work a great deal for the Earl's brother who comes in as a Right Honrable. Ive worked for another 3 Lord's / Earl's and find them to be some of the most honest easy to deal with people I work for.
Im not sure if it is still the case but Barttlet Tree Experts bought a company in UK in 96 called Southern Tree Surgeons who used to have the Royal crest on the trucks since they used to do the Royal estates tree work. Mind you there was also a agricultural contractor that had the same crest as they spread the Royal farm's manure !


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## wyk

Ah yes. I have already met several 'landed gentry' types. All very polite, very unpretentious. As an American, I have been groomed for a distaste of royalty. However, I have found that gentry, royalty, and working class are all unpretentious and rather good fooks here in England. It seems the middle class here(which is classified a bit differently than the US middle class is), anyways, I find the English middle class to be the pretentious snobs. As though they feel they have something to prove. What a difference a country makes. 

I did meet a descendant of Earl Digby at Sherborne Castle the other day. As I would have - we do their work for them.
Or should I say we do their 'bidding'? 

Cheers, Mates -

Wez



dave k said:


> There is a suprising number of titled folk here in Ireland, Ive just a few mins ago picked up a cheque from a Lord and on Monday felled a yew tree for his father an Earl and work a great deal for the Earl's brother who comes in as a Right Honrable. Ive worked for another 3 Lord's / Earl's and find them to be some of the most honest easy to deal with people I work for.
> Im not sure if it is still the case but Barttlet Tree Experts bought a company in UK in 96 called Southern Tree Surgeons who used to have the Royal crest on the trucks since they used to do the Royal estates tree work. Mind you there was also a agricultural contractor that had the same crest as they spread the Royal farm's manure !


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## wyk

*Douglas Fir*

Just realized I hadn't put up any of the Fir vids I had. Here I am having to thread a 20" Douglas through two oaks. We finally had enough clearing for me to start falling the Firs(they were usually much taller than the cedars). BUt it was still very tight, and remember we are not allowed to bring down any hardwoods. That gap is about 10' wide or so. I still nicked one of the oaks. Ah well. All the wood came out OK, so I was happy. The saw was the 'new guy' saw. An MS341 with a 15" bar, which is no fun to use on 2' worth of wood. As mentioned previously the rakers were ridiculously low, even for softwoods. So you will hear it engage the brake randomly, and maybe I may do a bit of swearing at it. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DHn3qMzHk6I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## wyk

Here's my current set up until the 346xp arrives:

Echo CS-520, 20" bar, 325 full chisel in a recently stumped sycamore stump:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/O02RXQqZuvE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## huskynoob

wyk said:


> Anyone know a dealer in southern England? I had the starter assembly off the Echo and managed to lose ALL the freakin bolts that held it on in the brush! Grrr! Also, the Sycamore did more damage to the handle than I had thought - it's much too close to the brake now. I may have to just find a parts saw, I guess. Will a 510 work, anyone know?


 
Get yourself to a decent bike shop and pick up all the allen-headed metric bolts you need!


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## wyk

*Not a whole lot to report on for the week, really..*

We were sent down to Bexhill to clear an area for some more Ecologist work. This time it was to count how many reptiles were in the area. So they sent us in to freakin level the entire area of mebbe 200 acres. It was thickly overgrown in parts. At one point I had a backtrack following me as I cut a path through the trees. The canopies and brush were so thick the backtrack had to pull the trees off of me and from behind me as I progressed through the thicket.

Not much photos of the work. I was exhausted and busy trying to keep the backtrack busy. I do have a few photos from the Friday we took it easy and from fueling up both Land Rovers:






That is roughly $210 worth of diesel for two smallish trucks. £1.40 per liter works out to nearly $8.50 per gallon.

We took most of Friday off and had a break at the beach:











And the drive home took us past Arundel castle:






Yes, that sign does say "Dorking" on it 

Here's a couple more English countryside pics just for the fun:


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## porsche965

Great photos and tour Wyk. From Chainsaws to Countryside this is a great thread. Thanks for all the time to continue your adventure and to share with all of us!:msp_biggrin:


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## jmethodrose

nice photos mate! how's your saw situation at the moment?


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## wyk

jmethodrose said:


> nice photos mate! how's your saw situation at the moment?


 
I have a 346 on the way courtesy of the NMurph/Mastermind combo. Randy seems to think it can pull a 24" bar in hardwoods...we'll see...  I would like a good pair of dogs on it for falling and bucking, but there doesn't seem to be any other option besides 357 heavy dogs - and those look monstrous on a 346, let alone a 357.

You get that 365 running yet? I wanna try and see if we can fix it before you give up on it. Go ahead and PM me if ya like. My mobile is in a work van in the yard. I won't have it until Monday.

BTW, does anyone know a good on-line place in the UK for parts? I am playing around with Clark Forest at the moment...


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## wyk

*Lawrence of Arabia*



dave k said:


> Don't forget to visit his cottage and take in the tank museum while you are at it !



It turns out one of the guys in work lives near the base and that cottage. So, I dropped him off after work and checked it out. No photos, but it was pretty cool. My cam is slowly dying. I am maybe gonna pick up another one tomorrow. I am taking the day off because this last week was absolutely brutal. We finished clearing an area in Hastings, all small trees and shrubs, then we had to chip ALL of it! All 100 or so acres we did of it. That was 2 days straight of feeding a chipper and moving brush and trees around and cutting them up to fit. The last day we were without any heavy machinery to move the stuff. It was absolutely brutal. We took turns, so now I am far more proficient with a chipper than I care to be. 

Tomorrow I am back on the team that is doing the softwood thinning where we can't cut the hardwoods. We'll see how that goes. I hope the idiots didn't cut down the big douglas firs the landowners want saved. I'll try and get some pics of those. Ya saw the video where I felled one of the smaller ones through that lil opening. I am told it is much mroe open now that they had a different team there last week. We'll see...

Oh, almost forgot. I don't got me any photos, but I did get to check this thing out:

Bayeux Tapestry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I should prolly add that the version they have at the Reading Museum is a hand made reproduction, which in itself is stunning. They hand-knitted a copy of a *230 foot long tapestry*. I was amazed.


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## wyk

*Good to see AS back*

Hey, Buds. I was unable to get in to AS the last few days. 

The lil Samsung camera I have is nearly dead. I am considering getting something like an Olympus 'Tough' or a Panasonic FT series. They are supposed to be waterproof and shockproof. 

These are the last few images and video of from the Samsung:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mnYEjO_MX8k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That's me destroying a felling lever. And shortly thereafter the walbro on the Echo gave up the ghost as well. I prolly should also mention in that vid that we only let the smaller cedars lay like that. You risk damaging the larger cedars if you fall them across each other. In any case, they are nearly worthless, and we are told not to spend much time on them. It's the oaks that are worth money in England. They do not build with wood here. 

I am currently using a nearly new Stihl MS261 and it is a bit of a dog for the small stuff, but has good torque for the bigger stuff. Speaking of bigger stuff. I tried to drop a 2' cedar through a pair of oaks today. I thought for sure the thing would get enough momentum to power thru. Of course I was mistaken. So, it was left leaning enough for me to take an 8' chunk of the trunk(we are cutting ~6/8/13/16 foot sections for the mills). You want to do better on a trunk, but because it is so tight in there, we often have to settle for 8 if we can not get a forwarder near it or drag it ourselves. Anyhow, I take an 8 foot section off of the bottom and not only does it not fall down and come loose, but it swings towards the oaks, suspended by it's branches, hits one oak, and then falls to the ground and immediately decides to try and kill me. I see something new every day. I thought no way in hell could that happen with what had to be several tons of wood. But, there ya are.

I was up north of Bristol in the Forest of Dean last Sunday hanging with Jmethodrose. He introduced me to some buds of his whom chainsaw sculpt(along with his self):






The photos don't do it justice. There is some really cool stuff there. Including a bunny woman. 

The area itself is quite nice:

This is the pub - 





This is in front of a pub that is actually in the forest itself. It reminded me a lot of Oregon, actually. Really beautiful place. This also shows off Joe's very cool diesel Land Rover complete with snorkel and two pints of bitter:






And finally, Joe gave me a 365 that didn't work. All I had to test it the other day was my 32" lightweight bar and chain. I got her to idle after cleaning up the carb and making some adjustments. Eventually I got it to run OK. We'll see if she keeps working:


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## wyk

huskynoob said:


> Get yourself to a decent bike shop and pick up all the allen-headed metric bolts you need!


 
I did even better. I got me one of those chainsaw multi tools:






Stihl, husky, torx, allens, it all works with this one lil tool. Wow, I just noticed that mine has 2 allen wrenches on it VS just the one it shows in the photo. Bonus. It also has a place on it to hold yer chainsaw files as well.


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## wyk

*New camera on the way*

I ordered a Panasonic FT-10 on sale(an older model). It is supposedly shock and water proof.

I also found some time to edit a vid from earlier with the old Samsung. This is a leaning cedar no one else seemed to want to mess with. You can see the canopy opening up a bit now. That's using an MS341 with an 18" bar if I recall:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vjkN0-QxqXU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's a random car I found in a parking lot in a rest area(AKA, a 'car park' in a 'lay by'):





It does a good job of looking bigger than it is, but it's actually a tad smaller than my VW Polo.

I also don't recall putting these pics up:

This is Milton Abbey itself, near where we did the hardwood thinning last month:






And this is the standard Forestry warning sign the UK uses:






Here's the view down the road from the home I am in:






The circa 1700's church across the way that has a nearly 300 year old Yew tree in the yard:






And a photo of the old schoolhouse that I live in:


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## madhatte

Geeze, Wyk, you're having too much fun!


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## wyk

madhatte said:


> Geeze, Wyk, you're having too much fun!


 
As my boss is fond of saying - livin' the dream.

It must be said - England is a really nice place to be. Dorset is amazing country, too. It has those quintessential English villages dotting the countryside with their manicured gardens etc. After spending time in Dublin, it's almost too nice. But, I imagine I can find a way to get used to it


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## wyk

Well, I pulled the 365 apart yesterday. Afraid it's not good news:


















That piston is toast. The cylinder isn't as bad, though. So I ported it for the practice and just to see if it would make much of a difference. Surprisingly enough, the compression isn't terrible from the feel of it, even if she is a bit sluggish running rich unmodified with a stock muffler.

Here's the vid of it after a very mild porting, squish adjustment, and adding a new exit hole in the exhaust muffler:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8nZeLZtS6sk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I didn't have much wood to test it in, but I think you get the idea. There's a large sycamore that has to come down next door. I may do it just for the firewood in payment. We'll see if this thing can do the job if that ever materializes. 

Here it is before when I adjusted the carb and set her rich(after she hadn't been working for a long while) and compared it to my ported Echo CS-520 - the Echo is running full chisel 325 on a 20" bar whilst the 365 is running a 24" bar, 3/8 semi chisel:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X36e52q9wwU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My next move is a ported BB kit from Aussie1, I reckon. Assuming the stock 365 carb can feed it.

Just got a call from work. I am meant to be away this week again. So dunno when I will be posting again. Dunno where I'll be for sure yet.

Almost forgot to add a photo of my work shop


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## jmethodrose

glad to see you at least got her running OK! hope she comes in useful. Still can't rep you as haven't spread it around enough...


----------



## wyk

jmethodrose said:


> glad to see you at least got her running OK! hope she comes in useful. Still can't rep you as haven't spread it around enough...


 
I managed to rep ya . Don't forget yer 365 in yer sig is now in my hands. I think I am gonna 372 it and port it.

Turns out I will be in High Wykcombe this week - a bit north west of London. This means another early start tomorrow. G'night!


----------



## wyk

*WYK returns to the states*

Well Folks,

It seems my contract here is completed. All the cutting is done for now. Must be said that I had a very unique and interesting experience. It's too bad my new camera came in too late. I did miss a few good photo and video ops, but I'll have memories to last my lifetime.

Last week I was in Beaconsfield, a very affluent area not far from London. We were clearing the larger unhealthy, unsightly trees before the clearing crew came in with the chippers as some businessmen had bought the area and wanted it looking sharp in short order. There was a wide array of trees that had to come down as well as a good amount of ridiculously large Rhododendron since the place had been left abandoned for nearly 22 years. After breaking in the rings on the 365, she seems to be pulling decently. She'll still need a new piston, though. Here she is after stumping either a lime or a willow:






That is the only photo that came out at all. The old camera is full of water 

Speaking of water, here's a very nice Chip shop I found in Dorchester:






A bud pointed her out to me. Good stuff. I'll sure miss it. 

Here's some images I don't think I've shared with you previously:

The forest floor view at Milton Abbey once we finished clearing some of it:






Here's a photo from a short badger wrangling job we did in Yeovil:






This is the view I have from my window currently:






Here's another view of the farm across from our yard in Dorset:






And a view from a recent job, again from the forest floor:






I'll be here for a couple weeks more tying up loose ends. Then I either go back to Oregon or Texas depending on where I can find work. I'll be sure to take more photos and upload them to this thread before I leave for the States.

I want to thank all the folks in England whom have made this possible and who've helped me out greatly; namely Dave Keith and Joe Rose. What some folks here don't know is I spent 3 months in Ireland before I ended up in England. I greatly enjoyed my time in Ireland as well. 

I hope you guys enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

Wes


----------



## Joe46

Certainly appreciate all you've posted! Welcome back to the good ol US of A. Hope you find work soon.


----------



## lfnh

Thanks for the thread and photos you put together.
Sure enjoyed reading your regular updates and the tour of the countryside.


----------



## dave k

It was a pleasure to help in any small way I could Wes and just shame the downturn is as bad as it is here in Ireland. Look after the Husky can back in the States !!


----------



## jmethodrose

sorry to hear that mate, I thought you'd be in jolly old England for a few months more at least! Glad to hear you've had a good time over here, stay in touch! And don't go messing that 365 up with all the ethanol you seem to get in the States :msp_biggrin:


----------



## wyk

I'll try and stay outta trouble. I think this 365 is going to end up with a BB top end much like Aussie1's. We'll have to see how things go for me. Everything is on hold for now until I get my bearings. I still have a 50cc saw being worked on by Mastermind, too. 

Although I had hoped to stick it out longer, this recent turn of events can be serendipitous since I now have a couple of weeks to simply be the tourist and hang out with a few buds I have met along the way to now. It must be said that the English have all been very good to me and very friendly. They've made my time here very special. I spent last weekend in Bournemouth with a work mate that I got on with quite well. It was Guy Fawkes night. So there was a lot of beer, fireworks, and a ridiculous amount of 420 paraphernalia tossed about. I have a few videos of it I may upload here.

Cheers!


----------



## wyk

I've been poking around my puter since I got some new hardware for it. I found this little video of me using A 16" bar on an ms341 IN 20-24" Cedars. This was typical until I got a 20" bar for my Echo:

[video=youtube;D1tbLs7rbS8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1tbLs7rbS8[/video]


I'll sure miss England


----------



## wyk

*Timber Cruising?!*

I'm back!

I managed to pull a few stringshere and there(mostly here) and got ajob as a nomad (contracted) Timber Cruiser. What's that? Well, anyone who's logged will know. We are the guys that go in and inventory the timber in an area for it's amount and health. 

Right now I am easing into it with an environmental survey we are doing near Tacoma, Washington. Today was the first day I went out on my own and worked th timber(of ya no wut I meeen!). 

Photos to follow. But, eh, it's mostly just a lotof fir and pine, which I am sure you guys have already seen.

Arf!

WYK


----------



## wyk

Uh... I think I lost my camera in the field

Ah well. I need a new one anyways. I also need a chainsaw as well.Lots of roads are blocked by the recent ice storm we had here. I cleared 2 roads today with an axe. I nearly vomited.

Arf!


----------



## wyk

So here's the first week review:

Truck died twice. Lost it's tumbler, stopped shifting. I now manually shift it from under the dash(It's an f150 automatic) and am awaiting a new steering column. Got stuck twice. I need to get a 4X4.
Got whipped in the eye so bad while flying down a service road, I thought I might lose my sight. Well, I did, for nearly 2 days.

Everything hurts. 

Had to clear several roads with an axe coz I sold a chainsaw to fford the fuel to get here.

Had to swim thru the forest at a few points it was so thick. 

I need some decent caulk boots.

Other than that, it's been a hoot


----------



## Samlock

Bummer, wyk. You're in the middle of a classic nomadic dilemma. You're broke and need to get some work done to get paid (if I understood it right). In order to get some work done you'll need tools (wheels & saw). Tools cost money. You'll get money once you get paid. And so forth...

Yes, done that, been there... I know you're not a whiner type of bloke, I just wish there was something I could do to help you out. Thoughts and prayers won't do, I guess. You need some hardware instead.

Other than that, I'm glad to hear you've got a contract and you like it.


----------



## lfnh

wyk said:


> So here's the first week review:
> 
> Truck died twice. Lost it's tumbler, stopped shifting. I now manually shift it from under the dash(It's an f150 automatic) and am awaiting a new steering column. Got stuck twice. I need to get a 4X4.
> Got whipped in the eye so bad while flying down a service road, I thought I might lose my sight. Well, I did, for nearly 2 days.
> 
> Everything hurts.
> 
> Had to clear several roads with an axe coz I sold a chainsaw to fford the fuel to get here.
> 
> Had to swim thru the forest at a few points it was so thick.
> 
> I need some decent caulk boots.
> 
> Other than that, it's been a hoot



Got a 1st Gen Eager Beaver for lease if thatd help ya :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## mile9socounty

wyk said:


> So here's the first week review:
> 
> Truck died twice. Lost it's tumbler, stopped shifting. I now manually shift it from under the dash(It's an f150 automatic) and am awaiting a new steering column. Got stuck twice. I need to get a 4X4.
> Got whipped in the eye so bad while flying down a service road, I thought I might lose my sight. Well, I did, for nearly 2 days.
> 
> Everything hurts.
> 
> Had to clear several roads with an axe coz I sold a chainsaw to fford the fuel to get here.
> 
> Had to swim thru the forest at a few points it was so thick.
> 
> I need some decent caulk boots.
> 
> Other than that, it's been a hoot



Dont you love it up here in the PNW. Give it time things will pick up for you. Congrads on cruising.


----------



## wyk

I gotta admit - I actually enjoyed busting out the axe. It was all fir, so it chopped fairly easily. Still, it was a good work out.

Madhatte is up this way and has really been hugely helpful. So a solid shout out to him. Joe46 is givin a hand as well. Thanks, guys.

I love being out i the woods But getting started at this isn't the easiest thing. So I certainly appreciate all the help and advice you guys have deliverd unto me.

I took today off. I had a lot of chores to run around town and, frankly, I urt a bit and wanted to go easy on me and not push myself too far the first week. 6 days straight to start ain't too bad, I don't think. I go back to it tomorrow and then Sunday I gotta fix the steering column on the ford. I am also saving up for a 4X4 - preferably sumfin like a pre 94 cherokee, etc. I see lots of em in the CL here.

Ugh, the space bar on this old laptop is messed up, so forgive my typing until I replace this old thing.


----------



## Samlock

Bless the good guys!

Getting help is always more difficult than giving it. Some day you'll be able to pass it over. That's how the great wheel of life goes around, I think.

How about one of those tiny 4X4 Subarus. I remember Sam had one. I think a cruiser's crotch would just fit in.


----------



## madhatte

Samlock said:


> cruiser's crotch



OHOHOHO! Got a chuckle outta me. I'm gonna call 'em that from now on.


----------



## Samlock

madhatte said:


> OHOHOHO! Got a chuckle outta me. I'm gonna call 'em that from now on.



To me a crutch is:







And a crotch is:






They get mixed all the time. A morphological kinship.


----------



## madhatte

Samlock said:


> They get mixed all the time. A morphological kinship.



Too true, and all the better opportunity to ruffle the feathers of seasonal employees. I takes my funny where I finds it!


----------



## wyk

I now have over 100 plots to my name. We're gonna be callin it quits at this site tomorrow night is my guess. I only have 6 plots scheduled for tomorrow.


----------



## wyk

*WYK to the rescue*

I was resting at the PIlot stop at exit 99 on I5 just south of Olympia, Washington when I got a call about 4pm. It's one of the cruisers I was working with last week. He tells me his truck has a flat in the south part of the forest near fort Lewis, which is about 20 miles from me, and his jack is't working. It was in such a bad area his standard jack could not lift the truck up enough for him to get the tire off. I got his coordinates, plugged them in to my GPS unit, and headed out to rescue him with another jack.

I arrived about an hour later, out in a remote area that was flooded and getting more rain every moment. We then had to walk about another mile through the forest into the area he was parked because I did not have a 4X4 to reach him. The wind was picking up. The entire area was blown down trees, limbs, and mud. Try as we could, the two jacks just could not give enough articulation to get his wheel off. When it grew dark he said he'd go camp in his truck, and with the aid of my GPS unit I walked in the dark back to my truck and readied it to camp in for the night. Just then, the other cruiser appears from the wid and the rain down the trail and tells me he needs beer, pizza, and a hotel room. He would pay if I got him out of there. He really didn't want to camp in the truck for the night.

Well, this was 3 hours after I arrived - by then the roads were flooded and I was hoping to wait until the water ran off the next day and drive out. But the thought of a dry hotel room cold beer, and hot pizza was mroe than enough incentive. It was very dark, and my headlights are nearly worthless...but i wanted beer.

I fired up the Ford F150 and headed out. Only one problem, there was no room to turn her around, so I would have to follow a small trail another 3 miles until we were out of the forest and on to a proper road. It would be the longest 3 miles of my life.

The trail was full of blown down trees and huge limbs that had fallen from Douglas Firs and Hemlocks. The rain had collected at the bottom of every hill and formed huge ponds I had to ford with my Ford. On several occasions we became stuck and my fellow forester had to get out and stand in the bed of the truck for extra traction as I rocked it back and forth. I had to fly up every hill nearly sideways to maintain enough speed to top them without becoming stranded. All the while it poured rain, the windows were fogged, and the mud and branches were flying in thru the windows we had open to keep the misting down. At one point we were moving huge branches from the road so the truck could get thru, at other times we were hacking and sawing tree trunks to clear the road.

From boarding the Ford until we made it out to the pavement, it took narly 2 hours to end that 3 miles of trail hell.

That night we stayed at the Super 8 near Lacey, I as absolutely stunned the Ford made it thru that torture test. We had a lot of beer and a lot of pizza. Even Carlow had some crust and a few pieces of sausage. At 8 am the next morning we were at the CRAP(Cut Rate Auto Parts | We've Got Your Part!) auto parts buying a REAL jack. By 1030 we had hiked the mile or so to the truck, swapped out the tire, and drove her the 3 miles out back to the flat top and then up to where I had parked my truck. The 3 mile trail was far less intimidating in the daylight without rain and in a 4X4. 

I was treated to a very healthy lunch.

I am now back at the Pilot at exit 99 ...


----------



## Samlock

What a man wouldn't do for a beer...

Good thing you apparently had a working radiator fan. Got stuck myself a couple of weeks ago, the road melted into mud during the day. I found out just then that the fan was dead. It never rolls in winter. Fortunately there was snow available, I kept shoveling it onto the block.

That case left a good story to tell. With an happy ending!


----------



## madhatte

A-yup. I know those roads well. I probably wasn't far from you when this all went down. It's a mess out there, and will be for awhile. There's just too much to do.


----------



## wyk

Someone asked me who Carlow was:






She's my lil Greyhound I brought back with me from Ireland. She's named after the county I got her in- Ceatharlach, AKA Carlow in English.


----------



## wyk

Well, it's been a while since I have given an update. I struggled to find further work in the states. So, I recently took up an opportunity to work at a friend's Greyhound rescue on a volunteer visa in Ireland. I'll be here for a year, helping transporting and looking after the Greyhounds the Irish racing industry chews up and spits out.

I am finding some forestry and felling work on the side here and there. I'm i the process of building a new saw from some parts - a 365special and a new chinese top end I got from Matt. I am porting it as we speak. But I need tools, and Ireland is crap for DIY stuff. So, I been searching around for the stuff I need.

Here's a photo of the country where I am staying:


----------



## Joe46

Good to know where you're at. Hope it all works out for you. Look me up again if you're back here in the NW.


----------



## wyk

Been looking around for an axe to pound wedges and to do some small splitting with for the forestry side work I've been getting here in Ireland. Most hatchets are crap for splitting, and most forestry axes are a bit more than I need right now. So, when I came across this little tomahawk, I had to have it. It's heavy enough to split smalls pieces to put into the wood stove, and much larger and beefier than a typical hatchet, but just small enough to tuck into my tool belt and use for wedges with it's nice flat butt. It's an Iltis Ochsenkopf(Ox Head) axe. They usually go for about $50 Euro or so, but I got this one on sale after Christmas:


----------



## nmurph

So, you're WYK???


----------



## wyk

nmurph said:


> So, you're WYK???



Yup. Decided I didn't wanna play the REP game so much any more, took a break from AS, then came back with a new ID and new country 

Hows tricks?


----------



## wyk

wyk said:


> Someone asked me who Carlow was:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> She's my lil Greyhound I brought back with me from Ireland. She's named after the county I got her in- Ceatharlach, AKA Carlow in English.



Oddly enough - Carlow is back with me here in Ireland. I am in county Tiperary. So, one county over from where I got her. She was kept in a shed in the country. I heard about her and decided to head out to see if I could find maybe find a place in a rescue for her, but ended up keeping her as my own. Not sure she's happy back in Ireland for the cold. But she is prolly used to the accent, at least. Here's the story of my travels with her to here:

an American living and working in Ireland during the height of the Celtic Tiger: I recently brought my Greyhound with me back to Ireland.


----------



## nmurph

Wes, I had seen some of your posts using your new handle and thought they looked familiar. And of course, I knew your connection to Ireland. I'm glad to see you around.

Your saga was an awsome read. Someday you need to take up writing as a vocation.

Good to see you around.

Neal


----------



## wyk

nmurph said:


> Wes, I had seen some of your posts using your new handle and thought they looked familiar. And of course, I knew your connection to Ireland. I'm glad to see you around.
> 
> Your saga was an awsome read. Someday you need to take up writing as a vocation.
> 
> Good to see you around.
> 
> Neal



Thanks, mang. I have an entire blog of stories I am writing about my journeys. Just hit 'older' or 'newer' at the bottom of the page on that url I gave out above. I used to drive a recovery vehicle for the Irish state police and have a few stories in the blog. Here's one of them:

http://wherewereuwhenuforgotwhereuwere.blogspot.ie/2012/10/no-english.html


----------



## OlympicYJ

Read your blog. excellent read! Hope all goes well in the green hills :msp_thumbup:

If you run into any Killoughs or Kelloghs they are probably distant relation. Same family of the Killough massacre down in Texas. But maybe not cause most came from N. Irland by way of Scotland.

Best regards,

Wes


----------



## wyk

Kellogh is originally Scottish in origin, isn't it? Like the cereal? 

Kill or Cill, btw, means 'church' in Irish. So LOTS of stuff with that in their name here. So, Kill Lough or CIll Lough or CIll Lach or etc - would mean "The Church on the lake". My Greyhound's name is "Ceatharlach"; after the county I got her from. It means 'four lakes'. 

So, anywho - my full time job in Ireland is working at a sighthound/Greyhound and dog rescue. Today we got in a freaking stunningly beautiful female lurcher(greyhound/shepherd cross). It looks to be an Aussie Shepherd or maybe Collie/Greyhound mix:











Also snowed the other day:






I was in Wales and Oxford, dropping off a load of Greyhounds to the local rescues there to rehome in England. I'll see about getting a few images from England and Wales up. I am with: PAWS Animal Rescue - Home - feel free to donate if you are feelin' generous. Even a few bucks helps a lot. And now yer also helping feed me, too, since I mostly work for room and board. 

We currently have over 80 dogs and hounds on site.


----------



## OlympicYJ

Good lookin dog! Have a soft spot for Aussies, used to have one, hell of a dog.

Yupp originally from Scotland, slightly different spelling. There's a gillion differen't ways to spell it lol


----------



## wyk

OlympicYJ said:


> Good lookin dog! Have a soft spot for Aussies, used to have one, hell of a dog.
> 
> Yupp originally from Scotland, slightly different spelling. There's a gillion differen't ways to spell it lol



A bit more Gaelic while we're on the subject - why not an Irish poem:

*Go n-éirí an bóthar leat 
Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl 
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d'aghaidh 
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna 
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís, 
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú. 

May the road rise to meet you 
May the wind be always at your back 
May the sun shine warm upon your face, 
The rains fall soft upon your fields 
And until we meet again 
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.*


----------



## wyk

Well, I met an Irish Gal the other week and we are now seeing each other regularly. So, not so much forestry on the weekends anymore. Here's what she looks like:

Marija Sestak, slovenian female triple jumper (re-uploaded) - YouTube

OK, maybe not. But, DAMN! Look at that video. 

Headed out to hers for valentines tomorrow. I think I may be in trouble. I like this girl a lot. She's yer typical red-haired, blue-eyed Irish gal, too. Just adorable. So, now ya know why I haven't posted much


----------



## Samlock

I say what my father said: Sleep on your belly, son!

Didn't really work...


----------



## wyk

Well, I have't posted in a while. I've been still doing the rescue thing and seeing the same lovely Irish gal. I have a bazillion photos I still need to upload. For now, here's like, 1% of them, I have uploaded:

Various Irish and European sights Photo Gallery by WYK at pbase.com

I am trying to get back in to forestry, but it's starting from scratch now. I only have a chassis for a saw, and that's still in England. Ugh.


----------



## jrcat

What do you need for parts for the 365?


----------



## wyk

jrcat said:


> What do you need for parts for the 365?



I appreciate the thought, but sending stuff to Ireland from the States ain't cheap. I have a piston and cylinder I've already ported I got from MCW for a great price(thanks!). I just need to go over to England and grab that chassis. It's not even cheap mailing a chassis from the UK to Ireland - about $150. It cost me about that much to simply go get it since it's not far from the Ferry near Cardiff. I might go and do it weekend after this(this weekend looks like I will be in Cork). I think my bud will meet me in Cardiff if I help with fuel. The Ferry is something silly like $25USD round trip. SO that's not a bother except for the time it would take.

I am trying to save up for something like a 560 or a 550. But those are silly expensive here(nearly half a again what they are in the states). So I am just keeping a look out for a 50cc saw. Man, I miss my ported lil Echo - that was a great lil runner. 

So, what are you guys up to then? I'm about to head in to work 
We just sent 12 Greyhounds to Italy this week for adoptions. Greyhounds in Ireland are treated like livestock, so it's a great feeling to home a few.

Y'all take care!


----------



## Joe46

Nice pictures Wes. Thanks for posting them. After looking at the roads, I believe I'd be hard pressed to get around in my crewcab Superduty:hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## wyk

Joe46 said:


> Nice pictures Wes. Thanks for posting them. After looking at the roads, I believe I'd be hard pressed to get around in my crewcab Superduty:hmm3grin2orange:



Gawd I love yer Ford. Wish I had me one. But -not here. Here, I'd settle for the DMAX(Isuzu diesel version of the Chevy Colorado).

If you've read my Blog - an American living and working in Ireland during the height of the Celtic Tiger you'd know I have driven a lorrie, AKA truck, in Ireland for a living at one point. Here's the little gallery for that: Wrecking In Ireland Photo Gallery by WYK at pbase.com

And the Gallery from my time in Dublin back in 2008: LIVING IN IRELAND Photo Gallery by WYK at pbase.com - many of those photos are from the trucks I was driving. I ran in to a lot of things like this while driving a 13 ton recovery truck: 






Hrm, bridge could be 50 years old or 250 years old - hope I'm lucky.


----------



## madhatte

Nice pics indeed. Generally, the older things are, the cooler I think they look. By the by, it's raining like Florida here right now. Won't last more than a few minutes, I'm sure, but it does take a bit of the edge off my worry about a dry June and a long fire season.


----------



## wyk

We've fortunately had a very mild summer. No real rain at all. I've been spending each weekend travelling about with my GF. We get to see sights like these:

The Rock of Dunamase, AKA Dún Másc(Fort of Másc)






Cahir Castle(Caisleán na Cathrach):














- That's the lady herself hiding behind the signage.

Tramore(Trá Mhór - the big strand/beach)









And Timahoe(Tigh Mochua: 'House of Mochua')






I'll try and upload more tonight. I literally have hundreds of pics I haven't upped yet due to me living in the boonies in Tipperary. I'm really lucky just to have internet at all.


----------



## treeslayer2003

beautiful country


----------



## wyk

I'm down in Cork this weekend, out in the boonies(mostly Béal an Dá Chab, meaning "mouth of the two river fords" and Schull - pronounced SKULL!, with the exclamation). I'll take some photos and see if I can share em. Here's more eye candy in the meantime:

View from The Rock of Dunamase:






The Rock of Cashel viewed from Hore Abbey:






Hore Abbey viewed from the Rock of Cashel:






And an old Irish yield sign:


----------



## wyk

Still toolin around. Here's Glendalough with my girls.


----------



## wyk

Me and the Greyhound(Ceatharlach/Carlow), chillin in Bray head county Wicklow;






And here's a road out of Fethdard:


----------



## wyk

Was at Glendalough last weekend:
















And Baltinglas:











And Cork the weekend previous:











Been hot recently. They say likely will be the hottest summer on record if it keeps up, and there is no end in sight.


----------



## wyk

Almost forgot; here's the lady herself wondering what all the ruckus is coming from the park in Bray, County Wicklow:


----------



## wyk

OK, I nearly forgot I was at the forestry show in Sraidbhaile, AKA Stradbally, AKA 'town with a street', aka middle of nowhere.

Here are a couple of photos:

Random guy with a coon hat:






Wood Henge:






People climbed things:






I touched a 560xp. They told me to stop touching it so much. It creeped em out.






Some dude had a silly little saw with a muff mod






A place where they showed forestry stuff to forestry people:






A uh..a thing...with a thing:


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> I touched a 560xp. They told me to stop touching it so much. It creeped em out.



Toldja them things was something special! I wouldn't have believed it either but Funkysawman made a believer out of me.


----------



## treeslayer2003

some of that wood looks like poplar, do ya have that there or what is it? just curios. 
wood henge and a block behind the silly saw guy.


----------



## wyk

treeslayer2003 said:


> some of that wood looks like poplar, do ya have that there or what is it? just curios.
> wood henge and a block behind the silly saw guy.



Plenty of poplar hereabouts, much of which is large. Those logs in the back look like they could be ash, or sycamore/maple, as well. Ash is extremely common here and is used for just about everything. Basically, if you can find it in England, it's also here. We also have spruce, cedars, tamaracks, pines of all types, lots of noble fir and some douglas fir(usually referred to as Oregon pine here), atlas cedars, loads of cypress, and even giant sequoias and coastal redwoods(I am literally around the corner from a bunch of 7-8'DBH sequoias right now in Bray, Ireland). Remember, David Douglas, whom the fir was named for and after, lived in England. He brought back a LOT of species from the PNW and west coast that thrive here today.

I just checked the video, and the wood he is cutting with the piped 3120 looks to be seasoned Beech. I'll try and upload it now that I am in Bray(county Wicklow, 40 mins from Dublin) instead of backwoods Tipperary.

OK, here's the vid. Mind you, this isn't a race, it's simply a demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0rnhCEF1gs


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Toldja them things was something special! I wouldn't have believed it either but Funkysawman made a believer out of me.



They are nice. Only one problem...

560XP 18 INCH CHAIN SAW | The Husqvarna Centre Cork



For half that I can get a new Echo 500P(known here as the 500ES)...


----------



## Samlock

reindeer said:


> They are nice. Only one problem...
> 
> 560XP 18 INCH CHAIN SAW | The Husqvarna Centre Cork
> 
> 
> 
> For half that I can get a new Echo 500P(known here as the 500ES)...



In my necks of the brush the shelf price is just about the same. The dealers have given a 100 quid discount without blinking an eye, hearsay.

Keep touching it. Maybe your fingers all over the saw will set the dealer on the edge.


----------



## wyk

treeslayer2003 said:


> some of that wood looks like poplar, do ya have that there or what is it? just curios.
> wood henge and a block behind the silly saw guy.



BTW, not sure if ya noticed, but this took place on a steeple chase grounds. The 'wood henge' is a jump if you look closely.


----------



## wyk

Down in Cork again for the weekend. I'll have more photos in a bit. I bought that popped piston procarbine2k1 had up for sale to use in my BB ported 372(assuming I ever get that chassis). We'll see how that goes. Until then, enjoy this awesome video a couple of Canadians made of their time in Ireland:

A Fortnight Plus Half - An Ireland Adventure. (irelandtrip.ca) on Vimeo


----------



## wyk

Well, sort of getting back in to forestry. Setting up a shop to mod saws here at the moment. Also, I spent the day in DJouce Wood in Wicklow, Ireland:







It's at about 1,000-1,200 feet or so. So some Doug Fir, Noble Fir, Spruce, Hemlocks, and cedars about. But what really caught my eye were these behemoths sprinkled amongst them:











Only hiked about 5 miles or so. The forest is a 'working forest', so logging does occur. Much or the Spruce I saw was 3'+ DBH. All in all a nice time with the woman and the hounds.


----------



## Samlock

Too bad they won't take chainsaws on board. Norwegian sells tickets from Helsinki to Ireland for 39€. I'd have a couple of saws for you to do at the new shop.

Good luck!


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> Too bad they won't take chainsaws on board. Norwegian sells tickets from Helsinki to Ireland for 39€. I'd have a couple of saws for you to do at the new shop.
> 
> Good luck!



Shop should be ready soon. If you pay shipping, I'll do one of yours for free to show to yer buds. PM me when yer ready.


----------



## wyk

Still toolin around. Was in Wicklow the other day enjoying some fine food:







The guy in England hasn't responded to me about the chainsaw. Either he's busy or he's tired of me asking bout it.
Just in case, anyone got a 365/372 shortblock they need to sell off? )


----------



## wyk

Times are rough here in Ireland. Here's an image from the most recent bomb threat today in Dublin:






And the unemployment is so bad, it's become part of the teaching curriculum:


----------



## wyk

So yea. Been lookin around at saws and found this:

partner 5200 for sale For Sale in Cork : &euro;330 - DoneDeal.ie

Despite the fact it is hugely overpriced, I see the current 5300 models claims to be a mag case. Is this is Poulan?


----------



## madhatte

Looks funky but handy.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Looks funky but handy.



I just have too many parts for a 372 chassis. So still trying to hunt one down. I got a bid on a jonsered 2165, er THE Jonsered 2165 on EBay UK. SO wish me luck. I have some work lined up, but I'll need some saws. Otherwise, still chillin, working part time at the dog rescue, and seeing the Irish woman. I have a few more images I need to put up still. I'll try and work on those tomorrow evening. I gotta work tomorrow day.

A bud said I could find work in the UK operating a feller buncher or harvester. The license isn't cheap, and I will be getting some instruction as well. So, looking in to it. I may then have to move to the UK, tho. As that sort of work is part time only in Ireland.

In other news, my Greyhound was attacked by an Alsatian, AKA German Shepherd, a week or so ago. I managed to grab the shepherd by the scruff and tail and throw it for distance, and it left the scene before it killed my hound(which I have absolutely no doubt it would have had I not intervened). Hound has a hole in it from one of the canines that tore into her chest. It's mebbe 2"X3" and 2-3" deep. Vet had a look and said it was too deep and wide for stitching. So I have been using saline solution with manuka honey to clean it, and feeding her loads of antibiotics. Fortunately it didn't severe any major vessels or muscles. She can walk easily. She is healing amazingly fast. But it looks absolutely brutal. I'd post an image, but, yeah - you really don't wanna see it.


----------



## northmanlogging

how is the job market in Ireland these days? Last time we where out saw some logging going down in Galway, but looked like everything was more holding steady then anything, this was back in 07 though.


----------



## Joe46

Really sorry to hear about your dog Wes. Hope she'll heal OK. Is she the one you had at my place?


----------



## madhatte

Geeze. Here's hopin' yer noodle heals in record time. She's a good dorg!


----------



## wyk

Thanks for the kind words, buds. Yes, Joe, the very same hound you saw. She's with me here in my mobile home dreaming of rabbit and farting like a corn fed heifer. The noodle (long story, but that's her nickname), is doing amazingly well. She is healing very quickly. Been treating the wound with manuka honey(which is terrible in tea, btw) and saline. It is starting to close up real good. We may be able to stitch it soon. It also looks like they may have to put down the Alsatian that attacked her as he's done it before, and according to the warden "Acts an arse of itself a fair bit". I hate to see it happen, but I gotta say I am not too fond of that dog at the moment.

In other news, I bought a JRed 2165 in decent condition for about 200 pounds. That's a lot in USD but not so much in Euro. Still, it hurts me, I don't make crap here. New, they are still 900 Euro.  So this will have to do. It is in Yorkshire, and a bud is grabbing it over the weekend for me. He may be able to drop it by early next week if all goes well. I will then put this ported cylinder and pop up piston on it and do some work. I hope it's in as good a condition as they said. GWO is what they call it here: Good Working Order.

Logging here is different from the States, Northman. They do not use it for construction, only interiors, some joists, stairs, interior framing, furniture, sheds, etc. The rest is masonry or stone. So it isn't too active here, especially since the economy here is even worse than there. It's mostly part time work. If I got the certs for forestry equipment(I currently have 3 for chainsaws), I would likely have to go to France or the UK for steady work. I also want to grab a couple more chainsaw certs while I am ait it.


----------



## wyk

As most of you know, I have a Greyhound for a pet. I have a soft spot for them. So, for most there's really no surprise I am working most days at a rescue that deals heavily with Greyhounds. What might be a surprise is this bit of information I put up on my facebook not too long ago:

According to the Irish Coursing Club, close to 24,000 Greyhound pups are registered per year. This now puts Ireland as the #1 producer of Greyhounds in the world; well ahead of the US after the decline of the industry through the 2000's(~11,000 were registered for racing in 2011, vs ~25,000 in 2003 - 26 tracks had closed since), and is six times the amount of greyhound puppies officially registered in the UK. There are 6 million people on this rock here, and Greyhounds(and lurchers - greyhound crossbreeds) are not seen as pets in Ireland for various reasons(their size and perceived viciousness being some of them). So we got our hands full here just putting a tiny dent in this mess.


----------



## wyk

You've seen some of my photos, many of them are from the places in the video I've included. Here's Rick Steve's short take on Wicklow, the county my Fiancee' lives:

[video=youtube;AMujxuSo9ac]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMujxuSo9ac[/video]

The headstone on the left is the one he is leaning against at 1:00 in the video, and in the insert up above:


----------



## paccity

reindeer. been cutting up at the old hippie commune up off of sawtell and doane cr road. maybe hook up next time your back in the neighborhood.


----------



## wyk

paccity said:


> reindeer. been cutting up at the old hippie commune up off of sawtell and doane cr road. maybe hook up next time your back in the neighborhood.



Been thru there a couple of times. I miss Willamina. I don't miss 2 weeks with lows in the teens. But the snow we had there last time was gorgeous. Good to see yer keeping busy. Did any of that storm last week touch any of you guys? Ireland has been very mild. The summer was gorgeous. Almost too much sun. But now the rain is back. Raining right now. But at least it never really gets to cold here. In any case, the woman gave me a bottle of Jameson to keep me warm. 

BTW, there's a decent mexican restaurant in Sheridan if you care to try. Great salsa! Just south of downtown near the HS. Ugh, just realized how much I miss mexican food!

We just sent a van full of Greyhounds out to a rescue in Italy. I never thought volunteering at an animal rescue would be so hard on my soul. We see a lot of bad cases. Ya nurse em back to health, and then ya gotta give em away. I surely do miss some of these critters.


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## madhatte

reindeer said:


> Did any of that storm last week touch any of you guys?



Last week's storm was nothing compared to this Monday's. We had a damn tornado touch down near Puyallup even! Record rainfall for the month of September, several record-breaking days, the works.


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## Joe46

Glad to hear your pup is healing Wes!


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## wyk

Joe46 said:


> Glad to hear your pup is healing Wes!



Not only that, but she's fully healed now. I was amazed at how rapidly the wound closed. Hounds are tough.

IN other news, I got a Jonsered 2165 in my hands right now. IN order to afford it, it had to be an older one with no B&C. This is pre EPA. So I gotta head to a Husqvarna dealer..uh... I think there's one in Carlow, the county my hound is named after. I have the ported 77cc jug for it, I just need to get the EPA intake boot this is designed to hook up to. I also have a pop up piston I got from Prokarbine21 on da cheap. So stay tuned.


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## wyk

So, back doing some wood work here and there. Just recently fell a bifurcated beech and decided to make a vid of the 2165 I ported and put back together. Then... metal.


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## nmurph

reindeer said:


> ...Then... metal.




That's a bummer!!!

Saw was cutting good...nice to hear from you.


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## wyk

Chain's banjaxed(as they would say here). Gonna take forever to get it back. I hate country trees. At least the saw is running well.


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## madhatte

"Banjaxed" is an awesome word. Bummer about the chain.


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## wyk

They got all sorts of interesting words in this part of the world.

BTW, something I gotta mention, that bar you see in the vid is a new Oregon Powermatch 22" 78DL bar. It has cut down and bucked dozens and dozens of trees, and it still looks nearly new! That is a huge change from their old bars that would show wear the moment they touched wood. It says it's made in Canada, so it must be the same stuff yer getting stateside. I am impressed with it so far. Now I think my next bar is gonna be a 28" one. This things pulls a 22" through beech like it's nothing.

HD of an earlier vid - 2nd or 3rd tank:


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## madhatte

DAAAAAANG that thing is hungry.


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## wyk

madhatte said:


> DAAAAAANG that thing is hungry.



Yup, that trunk is a bit burled, so it's half chips half noodles.

Also just realized I hit two nails in that last vid. I added some annotations to show where they were. The first one is at about 128 or so.


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## wyk

Been mad storms up and down Ireland the last few weeks. We're busy here turning trees into logs. I'd have some vids, but the wind keeps blowing the cam over.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/1227/494857-weather/


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## wyk

Not only has the wind been hammering us recently, but we also have had rain. Now with the high tides headed our way tonight, we're well and truly scrood. Check out the photos today:

http://www.thejournal.ie/pics-flooding-ireland-1247930-Jan2014/#slide-slideshow23


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## wyk

Storm after storm after storm. Headed out for clean up today:







Also, played around with the ported 2165 and an 18" bar in maple. Rakers are very low, and chips are big. The way the trunk is sitting, there's a bit of pinch on the first couple of cuts:


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## madhatte

"I blame you"


----------



## wyk

I been putting down trees and freeing snags here and there. I'd have video, but the wind and the rain have been insane in the membrane.


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## wyk

Storms, storms, storms. We're on our third week of them now, and no end in sight, just some calm spells between:

http://www.joe.ie/news/current-affa...of-todays-storm-pictures-from-across-ireland/

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/thousand-left-without-power-as-storm-chaos-continues-29892923.html






http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irelands-worst-storms-in-15-years-wreak-havoc-29888377.html


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## Joe46

Not sure if I should hit the thumbs up or thumbs down for that wave??


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## wyk

Throw us a life preserver.


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## northmanlogging

Probably some killer surfing in Lahinch? or even out on the dingle somewheres...


----------



## slowp

northmanlogging said:


> Probably some killer surfing in Lahinch? or even out on the dingle somewheres...


 
Yah, smacking into the sea wall or a cliff might make it all worthwhile.


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## northmanlogging

bah Lahinch is nice sandy beach protected by "THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY" on either side, if you get blown off the beach there are several fine pubs to land in, not to mention a rather nice surf shop tucked away in an alley...


(yeah whatever cliffs of moher or whatever)


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## wyk

The best 'wave photos' are in now:

http://www.thejournal.ie/wave-weather-photos-1251755-Jan2014/


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## 1270d

Wow. Some impressive waves there.


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## wyk

1270d said:


> Wow. Some impressive waves there.


http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/another-storm-to-batter-irelan/22682860
More on the way. We can't catch much of a break. I have to hurry and kill a bunch of poplars this week and weekend before they fall. They're leaning as it is. Have my trusty ported MS361 and 2177(ported HyWay big bore with pop-up) with me now.


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## wyk

We're still flooding. I fled to Waterford last night. The poplars I put down are likely down stream by now 

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...cost-of-storm-could-be-millions-29971756.html


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## slowp

I hope they gave that horse a big bucket of oats!


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## wyk

Animal Welfare in Ireland is nearly nonexistent. I'm not even joking. I put in 3-4 days a week in a local Greyhound rescue(one of the many stipulations to keep my volunteer visa). Lots of things here are nearly turn of the century backwards. Animal welfare is one. Nearly everything else is another. It's one of the reasons I love it here, and one of the reasons it pains me here. It reminds me a lot of when I was growing up. How much more simple things were. It also reminds me how much more difficult it is to get the less simple things done.

E.T.A. We're fugt: http://www.rte.ie/news/player/2014/0203/20518041-widespread-floods-affect-much-of-the-country/




slowp said:


> I hope they gave that horse a big bucket of oats!


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## 1270d

sounds like you all are getting pounded again this weekend. heard something on the bbc about 40 ft on-shore waves in southern ireland. hope all is well


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## wyk

The flooding has been brutal. Ireland is used to rain. So, we have drainage, and a huge amount of rivers and creeks and culverts. It just isn't used to storm after storm after storm. I was in Waterford last weekend, and the River Suir was at the banks on the Quays. I left a few hours before high tide. Waterford is an old Viking fort - so it's mostly built upon hillsides upon the banks. More inland, the flooding has been terrible. People are losing homes, and farmers are losing fields. So much water is moving about, it's taking much of the land with it. England's also suffering, as well. It's just the unrelenting storm after storm. 

Where I am, in country Tipperary, is nearly an hour from the coast at about 300 ft elevation. So we are getting the water flow off the mountains and rivers. We have several fields that are now lakes. I had to help clean up when the greyhound kennels flooded last week. It's been fairly cold as well, so the poor hounds must have been freezing standing in water for most of the night. All river locks are basically open in hopes the water will dissipate, but the storms just won't stop. I'm seeing military everywhere I go and hearing choppers all hours. It's a bit rough here right now.


----------



## wyk

Some new footage:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...n-here-come-the-atlantic-storms-29991645.html

Go to the video. It's like 6 mins long or so. Just flood after flood. We're considering changing our name from the Emerald Isle to the Azure Isle.


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## northmanlogging

Geebus, hope everything dries out out there soonish.


----------



## wyk

Well, been busy clearing stuff out from the storms here in Ireland. I'll have a vid up soon with the saws as this fell down on the corner of the Greyhound rescue I volunteer at.






We also lost power in much of the county for nearly 3 days. It's been storming and snowing and sleeting etc. So not the best of times. We had to run down to the well around the corner for water for over 100 animals we have on the property and ourselves. So, been very busy. Today I cut the root ball off that thing. Trying to decide what to do with the wood I am gonna be keeping. What can I make out of beech with relatively meager carving skills? The rest of it will be firewood.


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## northmanlogging

Isn't most of Ireland on underground power? If memory serves then that sounds like a bad deal all around.

I do like cutting stump balls off into a water/muddy hole... someone is usually watching and from the wrong side too


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> Isn't most of Ireland on underground power? If memory serves then that sounds like a bad deal all around.
> 
> I do like cutting stump balls off into a water/muddy hole... someone is usually watching and from the wrong side too



Yeah, they predominantly bury the wires. It's been ugly here. I stay in a trailer on the property itself next to the rescue. So having no electricity in 0* weather wasn't much fun. My gas has been out for months, too. So, no heat. The worst part was the water. Our pumps need electricity to work. They don't have a generator here because, well, Ireland doesn't HAVE storms. The well is 1/4 mile away and it was flooded. We managed to get there with a land rover and fill a bunch of 5 liter bottles. The phones were down, so we had zero communication with the outside world as well. We had to go in to town to call the ESB(electric board) and inform them we were fugt. I've been spending the last few days helping locals remove bad trees. Very few folks out in the country here have decent saws. I felt bad for a local farmer that was cutting on a massive chestnut with some sort of tiny Makita/Dolmar thing. He was headed to kill himself with that tree. So I went after the thing with my ported 77cc Jonsered. "Jaysus - that yoke is proper loud, so it is".

Usually my days off are Thursday or Friday to Sunday. I have to put a minimum of 3 days a week at the rescue to be in compliance with my visa. I do some forestry and a few other things under the table, like port and repair saws here and there. But the last few weeks with the storms, I have had no days off from anything It's been insane. Yesterday I took one of the local teenage volunteers away from the kennels since they had plenty of folks come in that were concerned for the Greyhounds and wanted to help, and I had him help me brash the area aroudn that Beech. We moved all the brash and wood from the road after I cleared the road from the tree. He narrowly escaped the splash from the root ball. Though the weather was complete crap, we had a good time. 

I did play with the Jonsered some last weekend and increased the intake timing and messed with the transfers some. She sound pretty nice now - this is on some of that that beech that went down during a lull in the storm night before:


----------



## northmanlogging

Sounds like a good time... Is the pub at least in walking distance? Not sure any little storm would upset the regular delivery of Guinness...

Its been a long standing tradition in my family to have a week or two of food and water on hand at all times (call it paranoia...) for situations just like this. We pretty much always lived in some semi remote corner of the world that was easily cut off from normal means of entertainment, so chasing/running from tornados in WY to shoveling sand here in WA or the winter ritual of cutting my way home during winter... 

things will improve, keep yer chin up and saws sharp, does sound like I should maybe pack up my saws and go on another "vacation"... now if only I could find some sucker to pay for the plane tickets...


----------



## wyk

So this happened:

_
*ONE of the tallest trees in Ireland has become the latest casualty of Storm Darwin.*_

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/darwin-fells-one-of-countrys-tallest-trees-30011712.html


----------



## 1270d

That root ball would make a mighty thump


----------



## Joe46

Goin to need a longer bar Wes.


----------



## wyk

Joe46 said:


> Goin to need a longer bar Wes.



That's what SHE said! Er.. I mean.. uh..


----------



## wyk

Things are still interesting here in Dublin -

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2014/04/08/meanwhile-in-rathfarnham/

Our guys(and gals) here use Steyr AUG's. It's interesting to see bank transfers here, coz they are accompanied by the military - the bank in the background there is Permanent TSB, my own bank I use here in Ireland. SO, I had to wait for them to finish the transfer. The IRA and armed gangs used to hit banks regularly:


----------



## Samlock

I spent the best part of this spring in Southern England. Apart from a portion of smog from France, the weather was terrific!


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> I spent the best part of this spring in Southern England. Apart from a portion of smog from France, the weather was terrific!



I enjoyed forestry and logging in southern England a lot. I may do it again. Hard work, tho. But gorgeous country.


----------



## Samlock

We were somewhere between Surrey/Greater London. I stayed away from logging, but was a janitor/cook/nanny/cleaner/driver/pub frequenter... My wife had business there. Quite urban, wonderful people.


----------



## wyk

Wow, almost forgot I had this thread. I was up last weekend falling spruce and cedar up in the mountains of the Deise(Day Shuh) AKA Waterford Demesne/County. YOu guys seen plenty of falling pics, and it was raining mostly, so I was busy cutting and swearing. What I DID manage was to take a few pics of the area, which I am sure ya haven't seen so much of:

Here's some photos of the area I was in:






















I love this country.


----------



## madhatte

That's some fine-lookin' country, alright.


----------



## wyk

Still doing random tree work on the side here in Ireland. A bud of mine called me today and said a local farmer still had a 'large cedar' down on his farm. I came over to have a look. Turns out it is a 200+ year old yellow cypress that decided to give up the ghost in the storms last winter. Here it is with my saw sitting on one of the lower limbs:






The trunk is about 5' DBH or so. It grew on a bit of a rise, so has been dry much of it's life. The rings are very tight, and it is about as hard as oak to cut. I am hoping to make some furniture out of it. The line you see on it was for their clothes


----------



## madhatte

Oh wow. That is worth a bit for sure. Looks like a PITA to buck, though.


----------



## wyk

Been looking for a 440/460 to get some work done here. I sold off my 2165 when it had a lot of value during the storms here. Now I am finding myself in need of a saw that can do a bit of milling and felling. Let me know if you guys know of any? Chainsaws are ridiculously expensive here in Ireland. 


In other news - the nice thing about Ireland is not only that it is, well, awesome - it is also awesomely close to the rest of Europe. Spending this week in Portugal, helping out a family member here. 2 hour flight, dontcha know:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=669924699773188&set=pcb.669927123106279&type=1&theater is my FB gallery of Lisbon so far(which is mostly my Greyhound and Whippet rescue page, really, as I have to have a FB presence to help with those).

Cheers


----------



## wyk

Couple more quick pics.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Oh wow. That is worth a bit for sure. Looks like a PITA to buck, though.



Mastermind is sending me something up to the task of bucking and milling it with.


----------



## wyk

According to the post, Randy's saw arrived today in Ireland. I'm picking it up tomorrow afternoon in town. Not a moment too soon. I have yet again turned another page and started a new chapter...hopefully. I've left my old job looking after Greyhounds and mostly doing side jobs in Waterford and Tipperary(well, ok, I'll still do some of the side jobs), but I am in talks with the owner of Castle Gurteen de la Poer in Kilsheelan, Waterford, Ireland. Well, it also spills over into Tipperary some. They need a grounds keeper to live on the property and tend to their forests(AKA Kilsheelan Woods - lots of blow downs from what I have seen today) and to prepare wood for the winter. Some good folks in Waterford referred me after the work I did there logging spruce. It is work through the winter, and maybe into next summer if it is a good fit. It was raining and misty all day, and I was busy talking to the owner, so no pics - but I did manage to find these on line. And let me tell you, they don't do the place justice:

http://ie.geoview.info/castle_gurteen_de_la_poer_in_kilsheelan,70684773p


----------



## Samlock

Oo, fancy... Sometimes it's a good thing that people talk. 

Wish you good luck with the job!


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> Oo, fancy... Sometimes it's a good thing that people talk.
> 
> Wish you good luck with the job!



Thanks. I know the couple that lived on the mountain side across from it as well. So two good refs. Only one problem - the job usually doesn't pay  It's room and board only. But they have never had anyone with any real forestry knowledge(and you can argue they still wont...), and real saw skills. So, they seem to be willing to work with me. We'll see.

The grounds have a very medieval feel to them, but they get some mobile phone coverage from the local village, so I won't be totally cut off. And the Castle itself is not a far walk from the nearest pub. So not bad at all.


----------



## northmanlogging

Well now all ya need is a few odd jobs for beer money and you've got er licked.

That saw I sent to Scotland ended up costing that dude like L300 in import tax, so be aware. and it was a clapped out runned over old saw.


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> Well now all ya need is a few odd jobs for beer money and you've got er licked.
> 
> That saw I sent to Scotland ended up costing that dude like L300 in import tax, so be aware. and it was a clapped out runned over old saw.



Room and board usually includes drink. More often than not, there is a small stipend for food, plus sundries.

UK customs, and UK law enforcement in general are far more strict than here. Ireland is a remarkably laid back place. Still, import tax is 25% of whatever _they_ decide is the value, so you do not want to get stung on a used saw. Randy was willing to partially disassemble the saw for me and send it as parts. It's actually in possession of an ex coworker at the moment(I left the old job yesterday morning), so duty wasn't required. I'll be meeting them over here in town for lunch. I had it delivered to the Greyhound rescue I worked at because someone is always there and if there are charges, they will leave the package and a bill instead of just **** off with it back to the base. I personally am confused at charging duty on old used saws - especially when they can be 10 years old or older. It makes no sense as these are not competing on any remotely significant scale with local business or commerce. I think Ireland shares that feeling. UK - not so much.


----------



## northmanlogging

There is a world of difference from Ireland to the UK, even the short stint I had in Northern Ireland seemed weird compared to the Republic. 

Its almost like the Irish government trusts the people... weird huh...


----------



## wyk

The saw has arrived - no customs due. Wooo!


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> There is a world of difference from Ireland to the UK, even the short stint I had in Northern Ireland seemed weird compared to the Republic.
> 
> Its almost like the Irish government trusts the people... weird huh...



Well, it's a combination of approaching policing very easy(because, well, the history of policing in Ireland isn't a very good one...), and the fact that even the police are fairly laid back. No one is gonna really shoot them, after all. Most police do not even have pepper spray or mace. Only the animal wardens carry it regularly.


----------



## northmanlogging

some folks back here should maybe take some notes...


----------



## wyk

I'll be taking notes when I eventually blow the top off of this thing, so I can port it's eventual replacement - Randy's saw has arrived. Well, I guess it's mine, now:


----------



## madhatte

Heh. USA bar from Centralia all the way over there in Ireland!


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Heh. USA bar from Centralia all the way over there in Ireland!



I was up the castle today speaking with the owner. He has brought me on board to help manage their woods. I will have some pics eventually. It's a working farm, castle, and woods rolled all into one big expanse of hillside. They have a lot of college students from the continent helping out on the farm. One was an American whom was pretty cool. I think I am gonna enjoy myself.


----------



## Joe46

Good news Wes!


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Heh. USA bar from Centralia all the way over there in Ireland!



Meant to tell ya - I called Madsens about a USA bar not long ago. They took my name and I was still in the record, but they had no bars  So next time ya swing by, you might let em know I eventually managed to get one of those bars into Ireland. 

How's tricks in worshingtun?


----------



## madhatte

Fire season is just wrapping up. It was a pretty decent year, altogether. 
RE: Madsen's -- I have heard that the guy who did th USA bars has retired, though I can't confirm that; there was a whole bunch of them on clearance awhile back and I think that's all she wrote.


----------



## wyk

Well, we had storms last night. So first day on the job:
































The council took their time coming around, but they were likely busy. One guy in a tractor showed up by the time I had her pruned so most smaller cars could go underneath. Even so, it's in the hills and early in the morning, so only maybe 2 cars went by. Then we went to work. The road works crew had a Husky 55 or so. It wasn't really able to clear the road any time soon. So, I went to work. So first day on the job with Randy's saw! I'll post a pic to his thread as well.


----------



## madhatte

Where's your helmet, you twit?


----------



## Samlock

At least he didn't walk the log and buck it while coming back...

I know I would feel naked cutting without a helmet. Logger pornophonics, is it?


----------



## madhatte

I'm perfectly comfortable walking the log... as appropriate, and with my helmet. I'll skip the chaps lecture.


----------



## Samlock

Nathan, that looks like a wet beech to me. A goat would have trouble walking it. Plus I'm not sure what Wes is wearing on his feet.


----------



## madhatte

Ah, true. Calks are a must for that kind of monkey business.


----------



## wyk

Nah, no need for a helmet. Only clearing the road. Those trousers have protection built in. No calk boots(and I don't intend to do any tree walking here, the forests are just not as twisted and rough as they are in the PNW, I can measure a tree fairly easily straddling it to a side) - just British combat boots, which are quite good in themselves.


----------



## wyk

Thunder today, so I spent some time chasing cattle and mending fences(right at the corner of the Castle)!


----------



## slowp

The castle looks like it needs a good cleaning of its gutters.


----------



## wyk

That's just the corner of the fencing around the courtyard. It certainly could use a cleaning. But the castle itself is lived in. Being a serf, I live in the house across the way from it. 

I have done so much hunting and fishing back in the States, I really don't crave for it. I mostly like to sit in the pub and enjoy a Guinness and take in the gorgeous countryside here when I can.


----------



## wyk

slowp said:


> The castle looks like it needs a good cleaning of its gutters.



It's looks better in silhouette. I caught this early today:


----------



## wyk

And I've a decent photo of the Masterminded 044 with Iggesund Forest 30" bar now:


----------



## wyk

Had to bring down a dead Beech by the castle wall today. The wall is 300 years old, the Beech was maybe 150 or so - about 4' on the hoof. I didn't want to destroy the wall, and didn't want to risk it doing so in the storms. There was a culvert and a fence to the left of it. We removed the gate and I put the tree through the opening.


----------



## Samlock

Reminds me of Jollylogger's through-the-open-gate-routines in Alaska.

The beech had dry rot in it, so I guess that was the right cure. Are you making decisions of trees to be removed on your own, Wes?


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> Reminds me of Jollylogger's through-the-open-gate-routines in Alaska.
> 
> The beech had dry rot in it, so I guess that was the right cure. Are you making decisions of trees to be removed on your own, Wes?



Yes, Sir. I am the forester of the estate. It's about 20K acres or so. That had very little rot in it, actually. It was dead on it's feet for the insect vectors is my guess. Likely a boring beatle that choked the tree? WHattaya think, Nate? The funny thing is I know people whom knew these estate owners. Back in late 2011 when the tree died, one of them mentioned an AMerican was coming from the States with a saw for work like that. Basically, I was summoned. SO this tree has had my name on it for years.


----------



## Samlock

20K acres - that's 8000 hectares! More than enough for a single jack show.

I can't help thinking, if there's any market for timber, the woodland should give them some steady cash flow.


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> 20K acres - that's 8000 hectares! More than enough for a single jack show.
> 
> I can't help thinking, if there's any market for timber, the woodland should give them some steady cash flow.



Hah. It's not ALL forest. Most of it is grazing and farm land. We have 26 cattle ourselves, and lease land to another 40 or so. Then there's the huge pigs, horses, some goats, chickens, etc etc. It's also a certified organic farm(which is why I can get a volunteer visa to work here). Still, we are contacting the local mills to see what the prospects are. The problem is the woodland has not been managed much at all. So, there is a lot of a random mix(scots pine, japanese larch, oak, cedar, beech, ash, sycamore, chestnut, etc). What's really cool is we have some import trees from about 100-200 years ago. and a few older. I am going to take a photo of them today if it's clear. I think you guys will be a bit surprised at what I found.


----------



## wyk

Here's a couple of surprises. We've got about a dozen or so of each still standing. 4-5 of the Sequoias are over 6'DBH, with one at about 9'.


----------



## Samlock

Sounds like you have an interesting puzzle to solve, Wes. A clear cut makes no sense, if there's 10+ species of trees on the landing and dozens of grains and lengths and 25 buyers to argue with. Whereas selective cutting leaves marks all over the place. I'm just guessing that being an issue there.

Great trees, BTW.


----------



## wyk

I will be doing most of the thinning, and snag removal. We have volunteers to work as ranch hands for 'work abroad' experience. Though I can not use them as slaves, I have already gotten used to having a 'chainsaw squire', which is rather nice. Most are college students from the continent - and we know how hard-working college students are... We have a tractor and a few other tools, so we will be thinning, sorting, piling, then calling the mill to collect. It is basically my job to decide how to go about it. We won't ever be able to clear cut as we want most of the forest to remain intact for it's appearance on the estate. We do have several areas of blow down and of forestry that we can remove substantial amounts of timber from, though. We've loads of spruce, japanese larch, beech, and cedar. I also think one of the Hemlocks may have to come down shortly here.


----------



## northmanlogging

I could use another vacation... course its up to you to figure out how the skidder gets there... And I eat a lot...


----------



## wyk

If you are wondering how we have Hemlock and Sequoia, and I suspect some of the redwoods down the bottom of the forest are coast redwoods, but haven't gotten close enough to discern them yet, and I have seen a few Douglas Firs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Douglas

_The second expedition starting in 1824 was his most successful. The Royal Horticultural Society[4] sent him back on a plant-hunting expedition in the Pacific Northwest that ranks among the great botanical explorations of a heroic generation. In the Spring of 1826, David Douglas was compelled to climb a peak (Mount Brown, of the mythical pair Hooker and Brown) near Athabasca Pass to take in the view. In so doing, he became the first mountaineer in North America. He introduced the Douglas-fir into cultivation in 1827. Other notable introductions include Sitka Spruce, Sugar Pine, Western White Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Monterey Pine, Grand Fir, Noble Fir and several other conifers that transformed the British landscape and timber industry, as well as numerous garden shrubs and herbs such as the Flowering currant, Salal, Lupin, Penstemon and California poppy. His success was well beyond expectations; in one of his letters to Hooker, he wrote "you will begin to think I manufacture pines at my pleasure". Altogether he introduced about 240 species of plants to Britain. _


----------



## wyk

Howdy folks - I've spent some time with the camera today, as the weather was agreeable and I had some spare time.

The house where the serfs live - Castle on the right:





You can run your rakers very low on sweet chestnut with one of Randy's saws - this is after freeing the fence of it:











The slaves have removed much of the wood from the Beech:






The Castle with the farm house in the background"






Spruce VS Sequoias:











ANd one of the coastal redwoods:


----------



## wyk

Here's a pano of the property near the river:






And the village nearby:


----------



## treeslayer2003

nice pics Wes..........what about that bar?


----------



## wyk

treeslayer2003 said:


> nice pics Wes..........what about that bar?



She's chugging along. Only got mebbe 20-30 trees on her now. Still has the writing on it. I'll have it off tomorrow as I can make due with the 25" bar. I'll see how the rails are then.


----------



## treeslayer2003

is it good and stiff? they make harvester bars i'd like to try but i hav't found a distributer..........


----------



## wyk

Far as I know, they are only available in Europe. I think Clark Forestry in northern UK carry the harvester bars, but not the chainsaw bars. The chainsaw bar I had to get from Grobe in Germany. Even shipped, it cost less than the Stihl bars do here in Ireland and the UK. It's at least as stiff, and the paint seems to be epoxy; slick as snot and hard wearing. My only concern is they do their tips differently. There is a much larger gap between the body and the sprocket, which makes it lighter, but I dunno how well ti will wear. I do a LOT of bore cutting in hardwoods to keep them from barber chairing when they have a large crown, as well as bucking them up due to their sizes, and that has already killed one of my Stihl 25" Rollomatic E bars sprocket.


----------



## treeslayer2003

really........i gut the heart on most big hardwood though i do not GOL them. i do get the ES when i get stihl bars. i'm running sugi an tsumara now.....no problems with them so far. i have seen ads for iggusund in the logging magazines, i expect they will be here soon.


----------



## 1270d

They are here, and have been for a while. At least harvester bars. Find a dealer for olsfors, they are the parent company of iggisund now. They should be able to set you up with what you need


----------



## wyk

treeslayer2003 said:


> really........i gut the heart on most big hardwood though i do not GOL them. i do get the ES when i get stihl bars. i'm running sugi an tsumara now.....no problems with them so far. i have seen ads for iggusund in the logging magazines, i expect they will be here soon.



Yeah, I have taken to grinding off the back corner of my teeth to help them cut more smoothly in hardwoods. Makes a big difference. I'll let ya guys know how she does. Today is a lot of small tree(12-24") clearing roads and snags etc. In one of the pics of the spruce VS sequoia you can see a spruce across the road up a ways. I have yet to remove it because the tractor was in use yesterday. It's a big healthy spruce. or was...


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> I have taken to grinding off the back corner of my teeth to help them cut more smoothly in hardwoods.



Picture, please. I'm always interested in trying out a new trick.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Picture, please. I'm always interested in trying out a new trick.



This is my first attempt. Since then I simply use a flat file at a 45* and run it a few stroke on the back. Takes a few minutes. Dunno if it would make a difference on the woods up your way, Nate. But bore cutting in hardwoods shows a lot less vibration with the cutters done such a way.


----------



## wyk

Also, another update. Been using Maxima 927 Castor Racing oil in an attempt to keep my eyes from bleeding. The other day, while cutting beech, it smelled of doughnuts. Mmmmm...

Anywho, the equivalent of 3 gallons through it, tuned for 14,200K ish, I removed the plug to do a comp test and check the piston. Saw killed the Proto compression tester(anyone got a spare they can spare?), but when I looked through the plug hole with a flashlight, all I saw was shiny goodness with a hint of shine on top. Really impressed with this stuff so far.


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> Dunno if it would make a difference on the woods up your way, Nate. But bore cutting in hardwoods shows a lot less vibration with the cutters done such a way.



It might just, at that. Remember that I cut a lot of oak on the base. Won't likely make much change anything otherwise, but it's worth a shot to see if it helps.


----------



## OlympicYJ

Is that Maxima easy to get in your area over say the Stihl mix or is there an advantage?

Great pics by the way! The fiance wants to go to Ireland someday hopefully I can make that happen sooner than later.


----------



## wyk

OlympicYJ said:


> Is that Maxima easy to get in your area over say the Stihl mix or is there an advantage?
> 
> Great pics by the way! The fiance wants to go to Ireland someday hopefully I can make that happen sooner than later.



I got a litre of it from a guy I knew up near Kilkenny. Problem is I have since moved to another county. I can get it from a German retailer on line, but then it is 33 Euro per litre. I can get Castrol Power 1 Racing 2t for 17 Euro a litre locally. I may have to go with that next batch. Stihl Ultra is hard to find here. In fact, I haven't found it yet.


----------



## wyk

Took the top off the beech today. It was far less seasoned than I had expected. It was plenty wet when we were trying to split it.


----------



## 1270d

I havent cut too much dead beech but the standing dead stuff I have taken was super soggy.


----------



## OlympicYJ

reindeer said:


> I got a litre of it from a guy I knew up near Kilkenny. Problem is I have since moved to another county. I can get it from a German retailer on line, but then it is 33 Euro per litre. I can get Castrol Power 1 Racing 2t for 17 Euro a litre locally. I may have to go with that next batch. Stihl Ultra is hard to find here. In fact, I haven't found it yet.



Gotcha!


----------



## wyk

OlympicYJ said:


> Gotcha!



I placed the update in my oil thread:

http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...-thread-i-have-castor-questions.262907/page-3


----------



## wyk

Hey guys, mebbe you can help me. I am seeing a lot of fines get through the Stihl HD2 filter on my 044(Randy threw it in with the saw, as they weren't stock far as I recall). I used two versions of socks around the filter, use oil at the base of the filter to trap them, etc. Nothing works. I have a feeling they may be gettin in from somewhere else? Any one else have this issue? I have a feeling the base isn't sealing right. I may need to fab a rubber base and super glue it in place.


----------



## madhatte

I've had no trouble with the HD2 on several saws. Is everything flush and nothing warped?


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> I've had no trouble with the HD2 on several saws. Is everything flush and nothing warped?



I'll try and get some photos when I can. It's gotta be getting in under the filter somehow...


----------



## northmanlogging

Sometimes while pulling the filter I'll get some boogers in there, but otherwise yeah never had a problem with any of the stihl filters. Other then getting clogged after a day or two of hard use.


----------



## wyk

I'll look into the carb plate and the filter boss tomorrow. 

Today, I was in Coumshingaun, Comeragh Mountains, Waterford. Here's some pics:


----------



## wyk

Here's the ivy I was talking about before:





















I'll take an 'after pic' of the Ash when the sun shines. It was rainy when I finished. Slow goin to make sure the Ash wasn't damaged too much. Much of it was removed by axe. You can see the line I scribed into it with the tiny MS181 we have for a guide line.


----------



## treeslayer2003

tree looks hollow Wes..........or its the ivy i'm seeing.....


----------



## wyk

treeslayer2003 said:


> tree looks hollow Wes..........or its the ivy i'm seeing.....



She's been hollow for years. Still has life in it, though, as you can see by the leaves. We are sort of joking that the ivy may be whats holding it together... She's maybe 7-8' DBH. Not bad for an Ash.


----------



## treeslayer2003

looks alot different than ash here. does the ivy hurt it? i have seen trees that look like they choked........


----------



## wyk

treeslayer2003 said:


> looks alot different than ash here. does the ivy hurt it? i have seen trees that look like they choked........



Definitely - it also competes with the tree for the nutrients and water in the soil, as well as growing roots into the bark itself if it can get enough moisture. I knew I was getting close to the bark when I hit roots under the ivy.


----------



## madhatte

You gonna hack & squirt the stobs once you have the stem free?


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> You gonna hack & squirt the stobs once you have the stem free?



It' very tight on the ash right now. I am gonna wait until the stems I've cut loose dry. Then I can pry them off a bit more to make sure there's not too many roots underneath. If I spray the ivy stumps, it will have to wait until a dry spell in the summer. Tree this old, I don't wanna chance poisoning it with run-off due to the constant rain we have this time of year. I did also plunge cut the hell out of the ivy growing up the bottom of the Ash. It should be hurting right about now.


----------



## Joe46

Looks like you could get some scale out of all that ivy!


----------



## wyk

This is just the beginning. 20-30 years of doing nothing about the ivy is taking it's toll.


----------



## wyk

This is the view you have if you're standing near that Ash, btw:






That is looking towards the northern/Kilsheelan entrance to the estate(note the bridge over the River Suir in the distance there). This area of the estate has pastures leased to local ranchers.


----------



## northmanlogging

Ivy hack hisss growl...


----------



## madhatte

I'm no fan of ivy, that's for sure.


----------



## wyk

Eh, it's not all ivy. Here's the farm this evening:






















The Sony NEX-6 does jis a tad better at capturing images than my smart phone...


----------



## wyk

Got a new tool - Stihl MS241 is now on the job. I traded some port work for it, and I gotta say - I like it:

Here it is after a day of firewood duty:






Great grunt for a 42cc saw, great fuel economy, and nice and light. Gonna eventually port it. But for now, she runs rather well.


----------



## Samlock

If you need to cut all those rails, hammer one like this up to fit your Iggesund bar.


----------



## slowp

Samlock said:


> If you need to cut all those rails, hammer one like this up to fit your Iggesund bar.



Can you raise it up so no bending is needed?


----------



## Samlock

slowp said:


> Can you raise it up so no bending is needed?



The longer the bar, the higher it'll hold.


----------



## wyk

I did the MM and reset the 241. It's certainly more peppy. She winds out a bit more, too. But I think porting is in the near future.

The original port:





The after: 



Also added two more louvred ports to the other side of the muffler. Not too loud, though. I didn't do anything to the interior of the muffler.

This chain has seen better days, but it's all I had for the vid. Her she is in surprisingly hard well-seasoned Larch(You can see the other ports if ya look closely):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOrynYinTIo


----------



## wyk

OK, the fines are slowly being taken care of. It appears they are coming in under the filter. So I am gonna oil the sock better and see about making a rubber gasket for it. I didn't put a pic up last time, so here was my worry:











Without the sock wrapping around the bottom, the fines are MUCH worse.  Terrifying, actually. So it must be warped or sumfin, or the rubber too hard, or the vibration more than it seems.

I do have some good news. At least, I think it's good news. I started the saw today after it was sitting for a week. Put new fuel in it and oil. She was a bear to start. Had to really give it to her to make her pop. Then, when she starts on high idle, she goes freaking insane. Like 8K rpm. So, I went and hit the throttle thinking it would kill it. Well, it then hit sumfin silly like 16K RPM nearly instantly. So, I shut her down. Last time I used her it was 60* out. Today it was 36* and perhaps even more humid after a cold front last weekend.

So - I start from scratch. I put the screws all the way in and retune. She is now liking the low at nearly 2 1/2 turns out. The high is 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 or so out now, maybe a touch more. She is idling a little high after she warmed up in the vid I am upping, so ignore that. The crazy part is she is four stroking at 12,200 RPM - otherwise I get a big burble when I let off the throttle, and then she's smacking 11,500 in the wood and acting like she wants more food. Dear lord. How am I gonna pay for all this fuel? It's $9 a gallon here.  I refuse to four stroke this thing at 11,500 RPM. I must be missing sumfin.


----------



## madhatte

Ditch the sock and use the felt pre-filter form an older HD. 

OOH I just noticed something -- your filter plate has the 4 holes for the rubber base that only went on early 044's. I see 2 options -- 1) get a newer filter plate 2) get the rubber base.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Ditch the sock and use the felt pre-filter form an older HD.
> 
> OOH I just noticed something -- your filter plate has the 4 holes for the rubber base that only went on early 044's. I see 2 options -- 1) get a newer filter plate 2) get the rubber base.



Got any part #'s or images for me to follow you?

OK, so here is the vid. When I am pegging it, she is hitting 12,200 RPM according to the TTO tach. She is holding 11-11.5K in the wood, and you can hear her occasionally four stroking. This is Beech - it's not oak, but it sure is a lot harder than Douglas Fir. The rakers are at .025-.030 with the teeth at a bit less acute angle so they wear longer in hardwoods. So, she can be a touch grabby. 30" bar:



I just watched a load of the raw footage. I think what I may have to do is retard the timing some. She is getting hotter the more I use her. And her idle creeps up. Also gonna pull her apart, coz she HAS to have an airleak somewhere between the carb and the cylinder to build that sorta power and require so much fuel.


----------



## Reddog

Looks like the 044 rubber gasket is 1124 129 0900


----------



## wyk

Reddog said:


> Looks like the 044 rubber gasket is 1124 129 0900



WIll it work with the HD2 filter? Wait... I actually dunno if it is HD2 or not. Can ya tell in the image?


----------



## wyk

reindeer said:


> WIll it work with the HD2 filter? Wait... I actually dunno if it is HD2 or not. Can ya tell in the image?



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gasket-fo...771?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51bfb6f60b

That looks like it would work with the ribs on the bottom of the filter I have. I would sort of be surprised if my local dealer can get one before the US could - HD filters for 044's are very rare here.

ETA - looked around and it appears to be an HD2. But the bottom of this thing looks like it would fit perfectly in that gasket. In any case, it is unacceptable how many fines it's been letting in. More than I have ever seen before. By a huge margin. I am tearing my saw down tomorrow to make sure there also isn't damage done for the fines...


----------



## Reddog

You need it with the new or old style HD filter. Otherwise the filter bottoms out on the stud before it is tight to the plastic on your year.


----------



## wyk

Reddog said:


> You need it with the new or old style HD filter. Otherwise the filter bottoms out on the stud before it is tight to the plastic on your year.



Purchased it on EBay- US. 9 Euro delivered. That's how much faith I have in the local Stihlership.

Cheers for that!


----------



## wyk

Be afraid:


----------



## northmanlogging

The HD2 and The older HD1 filters are more or less demensionally the same, the HD1 had that funny sock thing and a thin element, where the HD2 is more of a classic pleated type.

I would guess that the rubber base should fix the problem, if not get some closed cell foam and make a little "spacer" to fill the gap much like the sock is trying to do.


----------



## madhatte

I love it when a plan comes together!


----------



## wyk

OK, also turns out the tank vent is wonky.


----------



## Reddog

tank vent pn 0000 350 5800
O-ring 10x2.1
Then some had this rubber flapper inside the tank. 1110 353 1600


----------



## wyk

Been doin a few port jobs here and there to supplement the income and share the wealth with the Irish. Today, I did a muff job on an MS261C-M and it freaking scared me. This is after about 2 hours of work or so fiddling with the muffler to remove the internal baffle(which is a pain to reach and is almost hidden). I thought this thing was loud when I got it, now it's distorting the camera at the end of the vid:



That's a *6-7* second difference. It is exactly the 6th cut I did after I reset it having done the MM.


----------



## madhatte

I have been quite impressed by the 261. We might just "need" one at work soon.


----------



## northmanlogging

after the first or maybe the second time I squirshed my little 260 I decided to hack it with the ole dremel, even my limited porting skills made a world of difference. I'm currently looking for a back up to this one as its starting to show signs of fatigue from all the abuse I've given it over the years...


----------



## wyk

I can not suggest a 261 with an MM enough. They must be insane after Randy ports one.


----------



## wyk

Here's the reason this one is particularly strong:







Nearly 190 PSI. You can really hear it in the exhaust, it's very stoccato.


----------



## wyk

And this is what I had to do to get a socket that would fit the carb plate on the 261 since no one in a bazillion miles had socket drivers:


----------



## madhatte

What did you do -- chuck it up and sand it down?


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> What did you do -- chuck it up and sand it down?



We have ONE decent local tool shop (and hydraulic supply). Turns out they also have a lathe(no pun intended). Charged me 5 bucks.


----------



## madhatte

Ah, that's a lot less painful than what I had in mind. Good on ya.


----------



## wyk

SPeaking of painful - the reason the vent is leaking is the cover pushes against it when I lock her down without a gasket...

For want of a nail...

Oh, and this happened:



Psst... that's semi chisel chain, to boot


----------



## madhatte

Ain't shy about throwin' the chips, is it?


----------



## wyk

If you lean on her, she just loads up on the chips. The times for the mods are:

Stock : 23 Seconds in that wood(Horse Chestnut - about like Big Leaf Maple).
Mff Mod: 16 seconds (with the baffle nearly completely removed)
Conservatively ported: 13 seconds(but she has a load more torque and throttle response is instant).
She steadily grew louder and louder. This saw starts life loud, but she piles on the dB once you remove the baffle.


----------



## madhatte

Nice!


----------



## wyk

Reddog said:


> tank vent pn 0000 350 5800
> O-ring 10x2.1
> Then some had this rubber flapper inside the tank. 1110 353 1600



All I see in this thing is the sintered cone cap and the rubber vent thing similar to 1110 353 1600, but black, and under the cone. I'll replace it with a flapper in the tank and see how she does? Nothing in it that looks like this:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/131289736882

It looks liek this, minus that orange part. It has a black thing similar to it that pokes down into the tank and has a tiny hole in it to vent:


----------



## Reddog

you have the first/early style that uses the rubber flapper. 1110 353 1600


----------



## wyk

OK, dawg, I gots another question. Got a guy here who has a 362, the main spring where the handle meets the front of the chassis is weak. Is there a strong full wrap version ya got a part # for?


----------



## Reddog

Sorry, I only have ipl's for a few of the older Stihl saws I used. The 362 is too new for loose copies of ipl's it seems.
Some searching didn't lead me any where either.


----------



## OlympicYJ

reindeer said:


> All I see in this thing is the sintered cone cap and the rubber vent thing similar to 1110 353 1600, but black, and under the cone. I'll replace it with a flapper in the tank and see how she does? Nothing in it that looks like this:
> 
> http://www.ebay.ie/itm/131289736882
> 
> It looks liek this, minus that orange part. It has a black thing similar to it that pokes down into the tank and has a tiny hole in it to vent:



I can attest with experience that those are a b!$%@ to suck through the hole. If I remember right I ruined the first one and had to get second. Hours of screwing around to get it in.


----------



## wyk

Some of the work in front of me on the estate:


----------



## wyk

Too bad the phone takes crap pics. That oak is maybe 60" DBH. It died last year, so is the perfect firewood candidate.


----------



## madhatte

Holy nuggets! That'll be interesting to take apart.


----------



## wyk

It will be. I am gonna wait for after christmas since we have some fences to clear. We had a big beech fall over a fence way the **** up the side of the mountain today. I had to hike an 044 quite a ways to the top of one of the fields. I have a new phone coming for xmas, a Nokia, they have good cameras. So I hopefully won't be punishing you with blurry crap photos like this one:

A view down towards the valley from the field:


----------



## wyk

Had a frost today"







Pig... very very big pigs:






And the Greyhound will find the softest spot in the house:


----------



## wyk

I wanted to share this image last night, but it was just too dark when I got done with the work. This is the beech in the walled garden that lost one of it's huge limbs recently. It was starting to rot, so I decided to turn it into fire wood. It is a tad shy of 5' DBH. I set posts on the grass to keep it elevated and to protect the lawn - it crushed them nearly out of existence. Made one hell of a racket.


----------



## treeslayer2003

hard to see but looks like you blocked it? i do that on big beech.........not sure if i have cut one that big, prolly have cut 4'....


----------



## wyk

Yeah, when beeches get that big, the buttresses are a little crazy. Add in a full wrap, and ya have to block.


----------



## madhatte

Ain't a thing wrong with making best use of your bar.


----------



## Samlock

In France the clerk shows up with a measure stick and fines you for each beech stump over 10 centimeters high. Butt shavers.


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> In France the clerk shows up with a measure stick and fines you for each beech stump over 10 centimeters high. Butt shavers.



Heh. Even here in Ireland, they generally want the stumps as close to the ground in forestry as possible. Same with the UK. It doesn't matter quite so much when they have logging roads, though. But it is also about making as much profit as they can. Profits have plummeted since wood has been imported from the more 'affordable' European countries and parts outside. I have gone to firewood. The profits are more than twice as much, you spent less time harvesting your loads, and we have virtually no middle men we deal with any more.


----------



## wyk

Went out there today and took a pic. We've promised the tree to a builder here in exchange for some work. Hell, I don;t even have to cut it for him, he's promised to bring his own saws.






I've highlighted the posts under the tree(which actually seemed to have helped a bit to keep it elevated and save the lawn), and in the middle is a huge conch the size of my big fat head. There's another one near the foot of the tree on the other side of the trunk. I was afraid there'd be much more rot than there is. So I was very careful cutting her. But it looks like she's got a fair bit of firewood to give.


----------



## madhatte

I notice the yellow archangel (_Lamiastrum galeobdolon_) all over the ground there. That plant is a pest here as well. How widespread is it there?


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> I notice the yellow archangel (_Lamiastrum galeobdolon_) all over the ground there. That plant is a pest here as well. How widespread is it there?



It is widespread, but not much of a problem. The Rhodie and vines are quite a bit worse in my line of work. The greens we have here are all fields aside from a few lawns, and mostly used for livestock. When we have problems, we simply put sheep or horses in, and they clear it up enough so the rye can come back quickly.


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> When we have problems, we simply put sheep or horses in, and they clear it up enough so the rye can come back quickly.



Ah, sensible.


----------



## wyk

Taking a week off from the insanity. Mojito's to come.


----------



## wyk

Eventually landed in Madeira by way of Lisbon


----------



## madhatte

I was supposed to go to Lisbon once but the Navy decided otherwise. I'm still annoyed about that.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> I was supposed to go to Lisbon once but the Navy decided otherwise. I'm still annoyed about that.



Yer missing out. Madeira is even cooler. I'm here on family bidniss again.


----------



## madhatte

One a these days, I tell ya


----------



## wyk

AH yeahhh


----------



## wyk

A bit resorty in the area I am in. Gonna head out and drive about more today.


----------



## madhatte

I always like finding the non-tourist parts of towns like that. Better food, if nothing else.


----------



## wyk

Yep


----------



## wyk

Headed out tomorrow. The city looks lovely tonight, though.


----------



## wyk

OK, I found out what the correct vale to get for my 044 is:

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/private.php?do=showpm&pmid=463067

The bad news is no one in Europ has one


----------



## wyk

Got the tank vent valve thingy I needed from Beiber in Germany! Thanks, mang. 

Lots of bad winds tonight, so I am curious what tomorrow will bring. 

Yesterday brought firewood. Ported 241 on duty all week.





Even freed up some blow down Spruce from their root balls.


----------



## madhatte

Did you know that snedding has a wiki page?


----------



## wyk

It's as though it's some sort of encyclopaedia.


----------



## wyk

This is on the ported 241CM with one week of firewood duty and falling:


----------



## wyk

The weather has been lovely. So I've been wandering about the estate grabbing a bough here and there that have fallen in the past storms. Here's a Wych Elm I did earlier today the Beech I cleared not long ago.


----------



## madhatte

"Wych elm"?


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> "Wych elm"?



Yep. We don't have em state side. They like it wet and cold 24-7 365, which is about nowhere in the states, and about everywhere in Ireland.

It is quite possibly the worst wood to split, too. It goes very stringy on you like kevlar. So ya split it, then spend 30 minutes pulling it apart. Very good wood for building stuff with. And you would want to split it because it burns very well- long and hot. I prefer it to oak in our fireplace.

Because we've several lone Wych Elms, and no groves shared with other trees, many have avoided, or partially avoided, the bark beetle that spreads dutch elm disease. That Wych elm is likely 250-300 years old or more. It is maybe 7-8' DBH. And it is our second biggest. You see me there cutting on a 30" bough that fell from it last winter. I also believe many botanists have taken samples from it since it has survived. Also if you look at the pic, you can see how black the wood is on the end. That's phoma fungus. The moment a Wych ELm goes, that fungus starts to grow, and it makes it very difficult for beatles to eat or reproduce in it. Thus, we still have some very large Wych Elms in Ireland.


----------



## madhatte

Very interesting, especially the part about the fungus repelling the beetles. Pathogen ecology never fails to surprise.


----------



## wyk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_glabra

Some photos I took today:

The Wych Elm I was working under:






And it's bigger brother. If you look closely, you can see the 3-4' tall posts in the ground along the fence line near the tree:






And if any of us here can complain about working in dirty conditions, I can:






That is me fishing out an Ash(on the right) a beech(middle left) and a Spanish Chestnut all fallen in the pig stie...


----------



## madhatte

Pigs: gross, but bacon.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Pigs: gross, but bacon.



butt bacon


----------



## madhatte

any bacon in a storm


----------



## wyk

Making wedges again. Though it looks oakie, this stuff is WAY harder than the red and yellowish(English/French and sessile) oak we have here. I am thinking it's most likely locust. It's the hardest wood I have ever cut. And it is hell on the saw making these wedges. It's almost got a waxy texture. But the wedges last forever. I got 16 wedges from 8"-14" out of the last piece I trimmed. They jis need to be finished in the shop. Tomorrow, I got oak to fell that is rotting and leaning the wrong way. I see pain in my future


----------



## wyk

Oh, and I finished porting my lil 241. SHe's a strong saw now. Here she is in red European Larch and English Oak.


----------



## northmanlogging

I envy you more than a little right now...

Except the bit about the pig sty... retch...


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> I envy you more than a little right now...
> 
> Except the bit about the pig sty... retch...



Less stie today. Just danger trees. I swansoned the thing to try and keep her from crumbling on me. But turns out the stump was almost healthy. Typical of the trees today(though this one took a lot of wedging as I should have made a bigger face cut). I think that was about a 32" English Oak.


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> If you need to cut all those rails, hammer one like this up to fit your Iggesund bar.




I eventually made one!


----------



## Samlock

Good job, Wes. Now you should treat yourself with an extra pint for increasing the manor's productivity.


----------



## wyk

Been on the hunt for seasoned firewood on the hoof. Stuff like this laying about the estate everywhere. Dirty, but well seasoned.


----------



## wyk

Thank god I got a 281 on the way. This oak nearly killed the 044:


----------



## wyk

This poor Sycamore had ivy problems. So, I killed the ivy. It was 10" thick on the north side.






I also used the ported 241 to do some strategic spruce felling as well.


----------



## madhatte

Ivy sucks!


----------



## wyk

It's terrible stuff, and those photos don;t do it justice. At times it's nearly like peeling an entire tree off of another tree. That sycamore is an hour solid of work. And I have hundreds of these to do, and have done. But that was quite thick having two huge twisted vines on it that went into a root. I am getting good at removing it without damaging bark now.


----------



## Samlock

reindeer said:


> This poor Sycamore had ivy problems. So, I killed the ivy. It was 10" thick on the north side.
> 
> View attachment 414576
> View attachment 414577
> View attachment 414578
> 
> 
> I also used the ported 241 to do some strategic spruce felling as well.
> View attachment 414579



Pee on the fresh spruce stumps, Wes. Urea prevents it catching root rot, which easily spreads around the stand through u-ground connections.


----------



## wyk

Oh, Sammy. YOu needn't mention it - I piss on everything I touch... I like marking my stuff.


----------



## northmanlogging

That's a lot of beer... You'll have to start drinking Miller so it don't have to stop and change colors... Just remember "its imported"


----------



## wyk

Had to free a couple of trees from the wall after the winds this week. Much more work than it looks like. I'm exhausted.


----------



## Joe46

Your 281 show up?


----------



## wyk

If I had the 281, that cut would have been much closer to the bottom 

A bud is showing up tomorrow to buy some of the firewood I've made. He is bringing his stock 241. We'll see how it does vs my ported one. I may have a vid.


----------



## wyk

Still chugging along over here in Waterford. That line of poplars in the distance is the river Suir - on the other side of it is Tipperary.


----------



## Samlock

Tipperary doesn't look like being far away after all.


----------



## Whitespider

What's a WYK??
Just tryin' to learn.

*I'VE MOVED HERE*


----------



## wyk

Went to the immigration office the other day to register(and pay 300 euro to do so). Yes, that is a piece of paper taped to the door. A bit different from your local federal office stateside, I reckon.




Then we went and did some logging


----------



## wyk

Whitespider said:


> What's a WYK??
> Just tryin' to learn.
> 
> *I'VE MOVED HERE*



Where is *HERE*?


----------



## wyk

GOnna try for a bench out of this ash:




Out estate straddles the border:




And the ivy on that SYcamore is already dying. We've had a VERY dry spring and winter here:


----------



## northmanlogging

You aiming for citizenship? Or just renewing your visa?


----------



## Samlock

Damn, 300 for a registration! I hope the Republic will still respect you in the morning, Wes.

Back in the 90's, when Fineland wasn't yet an Union member, you had to show up at the Home Office of the UK after every 3 months. The stamp didn't cost anything, but you had to show them some cash - few hundred pounds, I don't remember it exactly anymore - in order to prove you are able to pay your rent and ****. They didn't want to know where you had the money from, so they saw the very same bills several times. The flash money circulated among the lads, who of course, seldom had that amount of cash in the pocket.


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> You aiming for citizenship? Or just renewing your visa?



Yes


----------



## wyk

Been chillin out in Esher (Surrey) England the last week doing tree work for a friend of the estate owner I work for. Good money - but real work. I am sore all over. MUCH easier being a forester than an arborist 

The good news is I got a new toy when I arrived, courtesy of France:


----------



## Joe46

Ah, finally showed!


----------



## wyk

This thing BADLY needs a larger handle... or decomp... or maybe I'll just take steroids

We brought some saws, and just basically did a lot of pruning and thinning.


----------



## wyk

Joe46 said:


> Ah, finally showed!



Back at home here in Ireland. Opened up the exhaust a lot on the 281xp, and she's much happier. Revs real quick. Put her on the comp gauge and she blew 19o+ psi. And this is with the gasket in! Squish is .042. DO I dare rremove it? Not until I replace that tiny handle. WIll try her in big wood tomorrow with a 30" bar and see how she does.


----------



## Joe46

It will say "30"? Is that all you got? LOL


----------



## wyk

Joe46 said:


> It will say "30"? Is that all you got? LOL



Right up until I drop her into some seasoned oak


----------



## treeslayer2003

Wes there is a sort of a trick to starting those..........get her up almost at tdc before ya pull like ya mean it. you can't just snatch them lol. it looks like it ain't done much, i liked those.


----------



## wyk

It's firewood time:



All I know is a well ported 288 must be terrifying. This thing has balls.


----------



## treeslayer2003

yea they do. its a shame they don't still make saws like that. another black bar......you like it?


----------



## wyk

treeslayer2003 said:


> yea they do. its a shame they don't still make saws like that. another black bar......you like it?



Same one - using an adapter, and modified it a bit to work.

I spose I should do a review on it while I am here:

Pros: Light, hard-wearing finish, affordable, says 'FOREST' on it, not sloppy like Oregon Reduced Weight bars are.

Cons: soft compared to Stihl bars. About like an Oregon Pro Match bar on a bad day

It balances very well on the 281, though.


----------



## treeslayer2003

meh.........i think i'll stick with sugi then. if i ever wear one out. the last stihl bar i got was over hard.....rails chunked out. i never had that on any bar.


----------



## madhatte

I have had good luck with Sugis but I'd give an Iggesund Forest a go any time. Can't find 'em here.


----------



## wyk

So, at first I was afraid there may be sumfin amiss like a tank vent or seals coz she wouldn't stay at idle. She kept losing idle as I used her. Then I noticed the idle screw itself adjusts as she runs. The spring is very weak. Hard to blame her, she dances like mad if you leave her on the floor idling.






The chain has seen better days, but you get the idea how she runs.


----------



## wyk

Chuggin right long. Also fitted the 25" stihl laminated bar to it. MUCH lighter package. I'll have a pic in a bit. She is a monster running it, tho. Only complaint so far is she is very thirsty.






Remember when I said the finish was rugged on the Iggy bar? Well, it's Black on black!


----------



## wyk

sorted out the stock tiny handle issue. Been away a while. Puter died and phone died. Only recently scraped up enough to get a little Motorola mobile phone.


----------



## wyk

OK, got the puter all soldered up and mostly working. Ah yeahh.

Well, I buried the 30" bar in some red oak the other day, and she did amazingly well. Very impressed with the torque and speed of this thing. It would easily pull a 36" bar in fir.
That handle is a HyWay 'elasto start'. It does work quite a bit better than the original tiny husqvarna handle. I am curious to see how long it lasts. It cost 20 euro less than the Stihl counterpart.

If anyone is looking for a new, reliable, nearly waterproof, rugged smart phone at a good price, I highly suggest the Motorola Moto G 4G. Dropped this thing twice so far, and once into the bath tub(watching youtube vids whilst soaking, no less), and she's been fine. 150 Euro! Woo!


----------



## wyk

Pulled her down today to do some maintenance...and I just kept pulling her down..more and more... until I did a mild port job. Also... I removed sumfin...


----------



## wyk

Almost forgot to add this - even though she is a French saw, her heart is from Ireland:


----------



## wyk

Well, here are the results of the mods so far:




Well over 200 psi... how much more? Well, it got to 205 or so before this happened:


----------



## wyk

So, yeah, the HyWay handle doesn't lasts like the original Stihl do...


----------



## treeslayer2003

lol, you gonna need electric start now


----------



## wyk

Well, I raised the exhaust more than I usually do - actually hoping to bleed off some compression. I also removed one of the piston rings. So, though she has more static compression, she is actually a bit easier to start, and she is very eager to rev. But I only had her test fired before I did that comp test. So dunno how she runs yet. I'll put a new handle on tomorrow. The piston was a pretty tight fit, but I have seen tighter, so I am curious to see how long it lasts with one ring. The bore is chrome plated - and thick. A lot of work to grind on it. So even if the piston starts to cause problems, I think I can clean it up and replace it.


----------



## wyk

I may have mentioned in the past how much more expensive saw stuff was here in Ireland. But a picture says a thousand words - at my 'local' shop:


----------



## northmanlogging

800 euro, isn't that like $1400 merica money? 

Thats easily 3-4 times sticker price here...


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> 800 euro, isn't that like $1400 merica money?
> 
> Thats easily 3-4 times sticker price here...



It's closer to $900. Which is ridiculous for a 460 rancher. The crazy thing is the 365's this guy sells are only 100 euro more.


----------



## madhatte

gross


----------



## northmanlogging

That right the euro has tanked... forgot about that


----------



## Samlock

Doubles up the Scandinavian shelf price. Do they have to smuggle that stuff to Ireland or what?


----------



## wyk

Samlock said:


> Doubles up the Scandinavian shelf price. Do they have to smuggle that stuff to Ireland or what?



YOu'd think by looking at the prices, yeah. The good news is old saws in good condition can sell well. So I fix up a few here on occasion and sell them off for some spare change to help make ends meet. I once managed to buy a 2165 for 250 euro, do a mild port job, add a new plug, add a hole to the muffler, removed a gasket and then sold it for 380 nearly the same day I put it up on the classifieds. Local farmer was very impressed with how it ran.


----------



## wyk

Still chilling out here in Ireland. Splitting and bringing in wood to season and prepare for winter. This is most of the wood from clearing out a small hillside by one of the estate houses. Poor little 241...


----------



## wyk

I trust the holidays have been treating you folks well? I know some of you have been having some terrible weather. We have, too. Storm after storm have hit us. We are at the foot of the Comeraghs mountain range, so the water has flooded every inch of our estate nearly. I have to put the tractor in 4X4 to simply get around in some places.


----------



## northmanlogging

yer making me ask why I left the first time again...


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> I have to put the tractor in 4X4 to simply get around in some places.



Tractor?!? Hardly knew 'er!


----------



## wyk

More craziness. The bridge this starts at is 10 mins away from me. Two friends were forced to evacuate  This video was done by a friend's son in law.



at about 1:00 you can see Slievenamon, the mountain in my video. To the right are the COmeraghs
2:04 is only a few minutes from us here
2:40 is our main bridge in to town.

Here's a vid I made on faceplaces


----------



## 1270d

Looks like a tank blocking the road in the beginning? Serious business this flooding.


----------



## wyk

1270d said:


> Looks like a tank blocking the road in the beginning? Serious business this flooding.



That, my friend, was a bridge. The first image is an engraved glass panel from the railing, which was quite apropos. This river, the Suir, floods often as it is between two mountains here(as well as two counties- Tipperary and Waterford). Yes, we put the "water" in Waterford, aka wasserfjord, an old Viking establishment.


----------



## 1270d

But is that a military tank blocking it? In the overhead shot around 35 seconds or so?


----------



## wyk

I couldn't tell ya. I do know that Ireland uses the military often in times like these, tho. We have no tanks, tho. Only people movers.


----------



## colin.p

Wow, other than the $%#@!!! flooding, beautiful country. One of these days, I'm gonna have to go over there and get in touch with my roots. Look up a few relatives maybe, that'l make their day, I'm sure.


----------



## wyk

Well, the storms have a LOT of trees down. I'll have photos shortly. Some of these trees are very old Oaks. It's really very sad. But I will be busy.Another sad thing is I have to wait until I replace the coil on my 281XP before I get busy, as it has no spark


----------



## wyk

281 has a new coil, a mild port job, and lots of solder all up in it now. She's running. I'll see how she does this next week. We have a silly amount of wood to bring in.

Here's some more pics I took this week, perusing the properties.


----------



## wyk

Wow, went out to do some test runs on some fallen trees this morning and the freaking bar adjuster sheared on me. I swear - my luck sometimes...


----------



## northmanlogging

sure its luck?

Hows that celtic draggin doing these days?


----------



## wyk

I wonder if it's the same part as a 61/266 etc. I know when I go in to the shop tomorrow they will say they have one for a 61.


----------



## madhatte

I had a bar tensioner detonate on one of our 044's on a fire last season. It didn't just strip, it took out the threads and busted the screw. I wasn't running the saw at the time so I don't know how much warning the operator had when he broke it.


----------



## wyk

Fortunately it happened after a cut where I might have dogged it in a bit too much to test the torque after slapping it back together. I pulled the saw out and noticed it was a bit sloppy. At first, I thought it might be due to not running the front spring on mine. Turned out the adjustment screw/bolt broke in half. I think it may have been due to me using an adapter and a stihl bar, and maybe had it kinked a bit when I slapped it together. Anywho, will get a new one tomorrow. 

I mildly ported this one, and it likes to rev now. I added more exhaust, with more arch, than I usually do in hopes to remove a bit of compression to make starting easier, and it seems to have worked some. I'm currently also running it without the front spring and mount and outer dog. It is noticeably lighter with less vibration. With the low mount air filter system, it is basically a 288 lite.


----------



## madhatte

Surprised you'd go without that forward spring. Seems a good feature.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Surprised you'd go without that forward spring. Seems a good feature.



The only advantage I see to it is structural. It actually makes the vibration worse and weighs WAY more than the springs on, say, a 390. The mount and the spring and bolt are a big chunk of metal. I mean, it is easy to notice the difference in weight when it's off.


----------



## madhatte

Huh. Would not have guessed that.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Huh. Would not have guessed that.



Yeah, like the other huskies, it comes with 6 AV mounts anyways. So adding a 7th, directly attaching the handle to the engine chassis, is really only going to add structure and vibration. Even so, the 288 Lite went without one. When I first got this thing, I was like, "Wat a fat ass!". But removing the outer dog and that mount made a big difference. Maybe 8 ounces. I'll weigh it some time. The outer dog is thick as hell, too. It is now comparable in weight to my old 385XP. All I need now is a full wrap, really.

Another thing that makes em feel fat is they have absolutely HUGE oil and fuel reservoirs. Fill her up, and ya feel it. I only usually go about half way unless I got to be far away from my fuel or am simply bucking.


----------



## wyk

wow, 13 freakin ounces. By itself the spring mount is eight ounces.


----------



## madhatte

Holy cow! That's almost obscene!


----------



## wyk

It's alive. The red oak at the start is hard as hell coming from a huge stump i am still working on whittling down.


----------



## madhatte

Nice. How about a look at that splitter?


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

well, here is an update on the 30" iggesund forest R2 bar. As you can see, without a hardened solid sprocket nose there is some chain slap peening occurring just back of where the sprocket lives. This photo was taken after i cleaned it up with a file. Now she hasn't had an easy life in her defence. Loads of huge hardwood timber and ported saws take their toll on any bar. Having said that, this type of peening isn't evident on any of my other bars. But at a cost of $65 USD for a 30" bar, I am finding it difficult to complain since it's lasted an entire year.


----------



## madhatte

That splitter looks like a helluva nice unit.

Also, ARRRRRGH, why would they not include a replaceable nose?


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> That splitter looks like a helluva nice unit.
> 
> Also, ARRRRRGH, why would they not include a replaceable nose?



30 tons. Back the tractor up to it and there's nothing it can't split. Dangerous, tho. I have blown up a few stumps with it. So you got to be mindful.


----------



## wyk

Anyone got a line on a full wrap for this 281? I need to do a lot of felling soon...


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> 30 tons. Back the tractor up to it and there's nothing it can't split. Dangerous, tho. I have blown up a few stumps with it. So you got to be mindful.



You always have to be mindful with hydraulics.


----------



## wyk

Got a new bar since I was recently gifted a few loops of 58 gauge chain. Just a little 84 linker. I noticed it was a bit heavier than my stihl laminated 84 so weighed it. It was only 50 euro, so decided to give it a try even though the previous one peened within a season.


----------



## wyk

Here a better pic of the bar. I was told there's a new hardening method, so wanted to see if there would be a difference in wear.


----------



## madhatte

What do you suppose is up with the hole inboard of the sprocket?


----------



## wyk

Uh, makes it easier to hang it on the shop wall?
This bar is four ounces heavier than a power match bar, BTW.
The arrows on it must be so you know which end to point away from you.


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> The arrows on it must be so you know which end to point away from you.



Handy. I always have trouble with that.


----------



## northmanlogging

madhatte said:


> What do you suppose is up with the hole inboard of the sprocket?



Speed holes, fer drag racing? or maybe fer cooling?

Mostly I imagine its real good at getting hung up on something.


----------



## madhatte

northmanlogging said:


> Mostly I imagine its real good at getting hung up on something.



My thought exactly.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> My thought exactly.


Nah. Ya need quite a bit larger hole to get caught up on anything. I have the same one on the 30" bar. It just plugs with saw dust. It's only maybe 1/3".


----------



## bitzer

On the powermatch bars when the little plugs pop out they bind up with chips in the cut. The hole is postioned in about the same spot as your bar there and is about the same size. the other is nearer the mount holes. I was told the holes are where they mount the bars for machining. The plugs pop out when the bar has been flexed too much. I've stolen plugs out of old bars to put in newer ones cuz it gets really annoying when they bind.


----------



## wyk

Ah. I've never notice a bind.


----------



## 1270d

We always put a slug in those holes when the plugs fall out. Press a bolt into the hole, then cut it off flush. Grind if necessary. Its pretty annoying when six little wood chips in that hole cause your bar to bind. They are used to hold the bars during manufacturing.


----------



## wyk

Interesting. I have two of them on my 30" R2 bar. Never had a bind issue far as I could tell.


----------



## wyk

Starting work on some of the storm trees this week. This oak is typical of the oaks that have come down. The post near one of the boughs is 3 feet high.


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## madhatte

You'll not be short on firewood.


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## northmanlogging

how close to killarney are ya? thems some real nice oaks in there...


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## wyk

Killarney is on the other side of Cork/Kerry from me. I'm at the foot of the Comeraghs, between it and the River Suir, across from Slieve Na Mon. I'm on a thousand year old estate, so it's big and the trees are huge.

http://www.pbase.com/wyk/gurteen_de_la_poer


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## northmanlogging

so a day trip then, mighty fine hikin in there


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## wyk

Working on reducing the oak blow downs.


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## madhatte

Dang, I really like the color of that heartwood.


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## wyk

EH, that's sessile oak maybe? Mebbe red oak. I forget which one that one is. I'll have a look at the leaves next time out. In any case, the heartwood should be pinkish. It's dark there due to rain and some of it is already partiallly seasoned or rotted since that was from the big limb that broke halfway off before the tree came down. It was too far up for me to safely remove without a climber. If you look up from my 281XP, which looks tiny in that pic, you can see where the limb fissure is at the trunk of the oak.


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## madhatte

I bet if you milled it and oiled the boards, they'd stay dark like that indefinitely.


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## wyk

You like it dark... ah yeahhhh


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## madhatte

Wood's cool, all the cooler when it's all rich and dark.


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## wyk

New b&c.


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## madhatte

Super light? Tell more.


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## wyk

Nothing light about it. Supposedly a lighter laminated bar, but it's heavier than it's stihl or husky counter part. Fit and finish are very tight. Overall I'm impressed, especially since it cost the same as the husky part. Well see how long she lasts. It's 68 DL, running 325 micro chisel, aka bp22. The husky bar it's replacing lasted three months. The stihl bar I have is still usable, but is only 62dl. This 68dl one saves my back, and the ported 241 pulls it easily even buried in oak.


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## madhatte

Sugi steel has been very good to me. I expect that you'll find the same.


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## wyk

Sugi bar is lasting great. I'll get another. Still tight and sturdy. More like a solid stihl bar than a laminate.

Also been practicing sharpening....loads of dirty wood to process:


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## madhatte

Not surprised. I haven't seen worse than superficial wear on either of mine, and no damage. They are tough as nails.


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## wyk

Working on bringing in one of the downed oaks.


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## wyk

This oak is up next


----------



## Haywire

Hey man, You ever hear anything from Dave K up in Wicklow? It's been years since he's been around.


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## madhatte

Yer pics are as excellent as always; I look at that oak and think "maybe tomorrow".


----------



## wyk

Haywire said:


> Hey man, You ever hear anything from Dave K up in Wicklow? It's been years since he's been around.



I've met Dave a couple of times up in WIcklow maybe 5 years back. But I havent seen or heard from him in years. I tried his number a few years back and it had gone disconnected. Next time I am visiting my partner up in WIcklow, I'll make an effort to go to the estate he worked there and check up on him and see if they know of his whereabouts.


----------



## Haywire

Thanks for the update, Wes. I had shipped him a couple bars/chains he wasn't able to get over there, real nice guy to deal with. Hope he's ok.


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## wyk

Struggled with the beast a bit today. We cleared most of the smaller pieces out. The trunk is a pain because our chain isn't long enough...


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## madhatte

Best get to rippin', then.


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## wyk

Yeah. I was thinking of doing the 45* rip thing, halfway between ripping and noodling - which works well with semi chisel chain. I am amazed my semi chisel has lasted this long. I destroyed a 24" chain in half the time. For a wykported 281xp, this thing winds up pretty good in the cut. Ripped the 24" chain in half, damaging it beyond repair in the process. Chains get silly hot when you are cutting big chunks of red oak. I should be taking more breaks.


----------



## madhatte

I ripped a fir on fire a few days ago to get it small enough for the Gradall to pick up. Boiled the oil right off the bar. Blued the rails just a bit but no too badly.


----------



## wyk

Will 404 run on a 3/8 sprocket(vs rim drive)? I am gonna move to 404 for my next oak as this 3/8 is having a rough time and the ported 281 can run it easily.


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## northmanlogging

nope it might turn the chain but it will be crunchy...

a guy could acquire some .404 sprockets and send them yer way if they are unobtainium in IRE.


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## wyk

I had a feeling. I have a sprocket, so would need a new entire clutch drum/rim set up since this is an external clutch. I'll poke around and see what's local. It's not that the 38 can't hack it. It's just my long bar is about dead after a year of use, and I am on my last 30" semi chain. So thought maybe I would try 404.


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## madhatte

.404 does seem to stay sharper, longer, but it takes plenty ass to haul it.


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## wyk

Well, I am gonna just get me a new chain. I ended up somehow lowering my rakers a bit much and she is pulling it well in oak. Good strong saw the 281. I've only mildly ported it. No ignition advance as I can barely start it as it is.

Today I cut down a spruce that had a chestnut branch grown in to it. That was interesting. I used a pole saw to remove the branch. Polesaws are freakin evil. Like a torture device.

In other news, a bud brought me a saw, an ms290. It starts on choke, but when ya put it on high idle it goes high revving and then dies. ANy idea what I should check? Im gonna poke around the interwebs and see what it says.


----------



## 1270d

Fuel supply issue. Carb screen or cracked line maybe


----------



## northmanlogging

8-10 chance its the fuel line, otherwise diaphram buggered, or impulse line shot.


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## madhatte

Definitely air where it shouldn't be. Fuel line or impulse line. Boot maybe. Possibly a seal.


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## wyk

Rebuilt the carb. LOADS of sawdust in it. Runs great now.


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## madhatte

Huh. Metering lever?


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## wyk

A baking powder


----------



## wyk

Haywire said:


> Hey man, You ever hear anything from Dave K up in Wicklow? It's been years since he's been around.



Just to respond to this - Dave K is still alive and at it. I haven't been able to get a hold of him, but he pops in to the arbtalk forum in the uk as outinthewood, and has his own channel on youtube now. Oddly, I have moved to Bray, which is across from Enniskerry, his back yard. I'm only back on the estate in Waterford part time now:


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## madhatte

Suspiciously west-coast looking saw he's got there.


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## wyk

madhatte said:


> Suspiciously west-coast looking saw he's got there.



Yeah. He has a collection of ported saws from the states.


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## northmanlogging

The funny thing about his and a few other european folks I'm aware of are running west coast style saws, long bars full-3/4 wrap bars, yet I keep having folks on my you tube vids tell me that its just not done in europe and the east coast, that its silly, overcompensation, rediculous etc etc etc, a real man could do that with a 42cc saw and a 7" bar blah blah blah

Meanwhile... more and more folks are using west coast set ups every year so?


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## wyk

It really depends on what sort of forestry and arb work one does. Dave and I mostly cut down mature trees. Dave does the ones the harvester can't easily process. I mainly work on an old estate with a bazillion acres on it, much of it untouched for generations. This sort of work is rather rare in our neck of the woods. So we both have to use larger, more powerful saws.

Now, in most places like the UK, they do not really use conifers to build with. It's for fencing, interior stairs, panels, and partitions, some furniture, pulp and that's about it. So they do not cut mature conifers as often as they do stateside in the PNW. And even then, most folks prefer hardwoods here. Since you don't have large conifers as a mainstay, you tend to go with smaller saws, and most folks are weened on these saws and techniques, especially arborists or folks working in cities that mostly do clean up and trimming. So when they run in to larger trees, they simply scale it up - a 14" 346XP is now a 20" MS440. Whereas with me and Dave, we have to scale down when we do the typical work most folks do on the islands. I use a 15" bar on a 38cc saw(Echo CS390ESX) and a 24 on an 044 and a 30 on a 288. These bars stay on these saws 99% of the time. The less bending this old man does, the better. I could certainly use a 36 on the 288 on occasion, but it's a pain to swing that thing around. There are several trunks I am working on that I could make do with a ported 395 with a 42+ bar on it.
All our saws are also modified. Which is somewhat rare for the Islands, and with ported saws being very rare.
This also transfers to how we cut. I was taught both the humbolt and the 'standard' cuts. But, I almost never use a humbolt on a hardwood unless I want it to fly off the stump and it's relatively straight, and I almost never use a standard cut on a softwood unless I want it to stick to the stump. I have never met anyone else on the islands using humbolts. It also makes it easy for me to tell if there's any poaching on the estate.
There is an accepted practice here on hardwoods, that mostly works, in that you make a small face cut with enough angle to let the trunk fall a good amount and break the hinge, and back cut a lot of the width in order to keep the tree from barber chairing. It's not as important on most softwoods, and definitely doesn't make any difference on smaller softwoods that are healthy. But the thing is, this is the first cut most folks on the islands learn, and it is the main one they use for about everything. It is slower, yeah. Oftentimes slower by about 3-4X as much time. But since it is mostly used on smaller trees, it's not as bad as using the technique in the PNW would be. In fact, most of what they teach here would be a complete waste in the PNW - it would take far too much time to put wood on the ground, and some of the techniques would bring wood in to the mill that would be unusable or need excessive trimming.
I also almost never bore cut unless it's a huge hardwood that could use a bit less hinge, or it if I need to be more creative for bucking big pieces of wood. Even then, I prefer to nip the hinge from the back if I can vs cutting into it from the front, which is standard practice here. That requires a longer bar.

Now folks on the continent that see larger conifers daily definitely use longer bars and more powerful saws in general. It's unlikely these are the guys giving out for PNW users with longer bars. Basically speaking, if a European gives out to someone for using a ported power head with a longer bar, it means they likely do not fall large conifers on a regular basis, and definitely not from a production stand point.

This is SGFoley in Germany using a 390 on a few decent sized Spruce. He generally uses a larger saw, and is mainly doing this video to show the capabilities of the little Shindaiwa, but this is a good demonstration of the European technique VS the PNW technique:



I did this to an oak I needed to leave the stump and roll off of a berm instead of kick back at me like it might have if I used a standard cut:







I cut mostly for firewood, so leaving a stump like this, which I'll cut off with the 044 or 288 later, isn't an issue. But if that was going to a mill, I would have tried to cut it closer to the ground.


----------



## northmanlogging

totally agree, different wood different methods, I just find it amusing that so many dismiss West Coast stuff as childish posing when it could save them a lot of work on many a tree. Its the keyboard commando types that only know one way and therefore everyone should perform that one way that amuses me

Also you've been in Ire long enough now that your typing like em... (which is also amusing in its own way)


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## madhatte

Funny thing about a good set of tools is that it defies opinions.


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## wyk

madhatte said:


> Funny thing about a good set of tools is that it defies opinions.



No doubt. I suspect some of the nonsense you hear on the YouTubes are just people intimidated and made insecure by the fact people who work in the PNW are just pure badasses. 

One of the things I am not fond of is how much some folks 'muscle' their saws when working on trees here. In order to be insurable, I had to take certification courses here in Europe. Every state is different, but Ireland's basically is the same as the UK. And because of this, I see a lot of similarities when it comes to using saws on both islands. One of them is muscling the saw. The other is using the back bar of the saw very often. Both of which I saw taught in the cert courses. Now, I know some folks stateside use it simply to keep the chips off of ya, and I do this, too. But I mean these guys take their 50cc saws with a 12 inch bar on it and just shove it the fug into a stump and grind away as the saw screams like it's being bent over in a prison shower. You see a bit of it in the SGFoley vid, and a lot of it is because they need to cut close to the ground. Does it work? Well, it gets the job done. But one of the things about learning on a large saw with a longer bar is allowing the saw to do most of the work for you, and keeping your chain sharp. I have serviced a lot of saws, and seen a lot of folks in the field, and sharpening is not a skill I would say many have mastered. 

When you hear someone on the youtubes complain about how you are using too much saw, just consider the fact he might be that guy forcing the back of a dull bar into a spruce at foot level, thinking to himself 'Ferrrggghhpphh!' the entire time before he came home that evening and decided to tell people half a world away how to get things done.

I don't often put up videos any more. It's just a pain to get notifications of people being stupid.



northmanlogging said:


> totally agree, different wood different methods, I just find it amusing that so many dismiss West Coast stuff as childish posing when it could save them a lot of work on many a tree. Its the keyboard commando types that only know one way and therefore everyone should perform that one way that amuses me
> 
> Also you've been in Ire long enough now that your typing like em... (which is also amusing in its own way)



Heh. Well, the locals will rub off on ya. And, perhaps most importantly, if you live among them, you need to communicate with them. 

I am often on the Arbtalk forum that's based in the UK because I learn a lot there, and I try to help folks out as much as I can while I am drinking my coffee. Which is often since I need to find me a full time job, really. They suffer from the same thing anyone else does who is isolated. They have their own methods that suit their own needs. But, their forestry is woeful compared to US forestry. Especially in Ireland, which has the second smallest percentage of landmass dedicated or forested in Europe(which is also why we have to be vigilant preventing poaching off the estate). 11% VS an average of 30-40% for most Euro countries(US is at about 34%), with Finland coming in at something like 65%. But 30% of something like Norway means about .2% of what we have stateside; 2 million acres VS 1 billion in the US. So, cutting off all that stump and flare, adding in the flare to the base of the trunk, which is not gonna help that wood grade worth a damn, cutting all those buttresses and leaving a flat stump - ain't no one in the US got time fo dat stuff unless they are doing hardwood harvesting. And even then, I doubt all that flare is helping unless it's being used for making hockey sticks. 

S0, again, it's just folks showing their ignorance. You know - like how teens like to talk all the time instead of listen. Something the internet does a great job with. Which is sort of odd, because EVERYTHING you need to know you could learn on the interwebs if you shut up and sit back and take it all in instead of opening your mouth and spouting nonsense to try and impress people you don't know or never will meet. It used to be you would simply tell your friends in casual conversation how stupid you were, and they would all go, 'Ahh...that's super...uh...interesting'. I know - I've often been on both sides of that conversation. But now you can share your stupidity with the world via YouTube and watch other stupid people 'like' your stupidity. And just like that 'participation trophy' they got for warming the bench, it bolsters their esteem. What a great time we live in.


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## northmanlogging

Yup

I still like to tell disparaging stories of myself, but some younger folks seem to think I'm trying to one up on em, when really it's more of I'm such an ass check this out kinda deal yuk yuk


I will continue to post my vids good bad and ugly, in tha vsin hope someone learns something from my mistakes at the very least


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> They suffer from the same thing anyone else does who is isolated. They have their own methods that suit their own needs.



Solid point 100%. If I only listened to fire nerds, who ultimately are my paperwork certifiers, I wouldn't know the first thing about cutting. It's talking to folks from other disciplines and other places that broaden my knowledge. I wouldn't know about the Swedish Stump Dance, or the dreaded "Tripple hinge", or any of the other weird tricks that work in specific circumstances, and instead would throw a Humboldt under everything every time and split the difference with offset hinges and Sizwells or whatever, because that's the common knowledge hereabouts. Sure, it works almost all of the time, but a bigger bag of tricks never hurt anybody. 



northmanlogging said:


> Yup
> 
> I still like to tell disparaging stories of myself, but some younger folks seem to think I'm trying to one up on em, when really it's more of I'm such an ass check this out kinda deal yuk yuk
> 
> I will continue to post my vids good bad and ugly, in tha vsin hope someone learns something from my mistakes at the very least



I straight up dig yer good/bad/ugly vids, because even if I don't always learn something (I almost always do), I still get that sense of "this could be me" which makes it fun to watch.


----------



## wyk

I have a leaning horsechestnut I need to remove. It's gonna destroy a wall, or either vault it trying, and end up on a road and mebbe kill someone. Across the road is a phone line I want to miss, so I need to swing it slightly to the left. I will have to stand ON the wall when I cut it, too. Horsechestnuts are kinda like red alder. Only much less fiber. I was considering using a sizwheel, but I don't think the fibers are strong enough for it to work. DaveK suggested a triple hinge. I might try that. Never done it before, tho. I haven't ever seen the stump dance done in front of me, I may try and find it on youtube. But when I have a leaner that can land where it leans, I just leave holding wood in the back instead of near the hinge - whether a T cut or bore it. We also have an enormous oak, mebbe 8 feet dbh or more that is leaning towards a field off of a low stone wall. I am hoping the entire thing goes at once, otherwise, that thing might kill me. But, as usual, I have a feeling a storm is gonna push it half way over and I'll need to clean it up so a tractor can work the field. Half of my cutting life is clearing fields for tractors or live stock. Mainly blow downs. I try not to cut anything down I don't have to since the estate is so beautiful. I consider myself a simple custodian. I also always have it in my mind that the last guy that had my position died under a tree ;(


Ah, here we go...


----------



## northmanlogging

Siswheel is my go to for turning trees, but if ya need more fiber, I'll bore into it like the triple hinge... works good on cotton weeds/popular.


Swedish stump dance=GOL, or bore cutting the back for no damn reason.


----------



## madhatte

reindeer said:


> I also always have it in my mind that the last guy that had my position died under a tree ;(



Nothing like a bit of perspective to keep you humble!


----------



## wyk

You guys will love this: 18" bar on a ported 576 in beech. Yes, beech can be hard, and maybe even a bit wet, but I run a 24" bar on a non ported 044 in trees twice this size easily, including bore cutting. AT 1:50 or so, you see him draw the cut around the rear hinge/post, and then after finishing the back cut he cuts the post an at angle(which makes it easier to match the cuts). The problem with matching it at an angle is when the kerf opens up, it gets smaller before it gets bigger, potentially grabbing your bar. I have seen this in person where the trees grabs some dudes saw and then throws it as the tree goes over. I never cut the post at an angle. I did it once during certification to appease them, and that's all I needed to know it's not a good method. But, more importantly I never use an 18" bar on a ported 75cc saw in that sized wood. I would have done a much gentler bore cut, introducing the bar perpendicular to the face cut as I am making the back cut and just sliding it behind the face cut's hinge in an arc instead of forcing it into the beech straight in, and then simply cut from front to back to prevent the barber chair. I would have had that tree on the ground in 1/4 the time or less. He has to cut the tree the way he does because of the short bar. A short bar limits your choices, and increases production time. 3 minutes for this one tree.



VS kinda like here - only I would have cut the 'T' front to back VS back to front. Go to 8:20 - I see AS still doesn't allow you to quote YT vids at a specific time.


----------



## bitzer

That chain in that beech didn't look too sharp. Anything under 30" I've got on the ground in under a minute unless it needs something special. What's that carpenter square looking thing on his belt?

That's pretty much how I cut hard leaners in the second video. Although I agree that I wouldn't chase the middle strip back to front. In hardwood that pulls way too much valuable wood out. I work that middle strip from the sides front to back usually ending up with a post at the back that either gets cut in one motion or the tree takes off with a little stump wood. I have not out right bore cut a tree in years. Just doesn't need to happen.


----------



## wyk

I can't speak for how sharp it is, but leaning anything can be hard, and beech doesn't start out soft. I cut a nootka/yellow cedar on a mountaintop in Ireland that had seen nothing but wind it's whole life, and it woulda made construction wood.


----------



## madhatte

bitzer said:


> What's that carpenter square looking thing on his belt?



Tree caliper. Evidently they haven't heard of Spencer tapes over there.


----------



## wyk

He may be doing some sort of other thing foresteryish with that thing. Spencer tapes are common here. Well, I say that, but most of the ones I've seen are Stihl or Husqvarna branded. Dunno if spencer make theirs. Lengths here for most hardwoods headed to the mill are 16, 13, or 8 foot lengths. Softwoods about the same except they will take up to 24 or so for power and phone poles. I had an offer on logging some of our property for poles, but they offered a price per tonne that made me laugh. So those trees will just grow and grow. I do need to cull the area, tho. I might not even drag the wood out, tho.


----------



## rwoods

I have reindeer to thank for my only ported saw, an MS361 - my single qualification for posting here. 

The recent posts and videos prompted me to post, though a mere amateur, to say that the short bar bore cutting seems to be premised upon perceived safety over production. I used the term "perceived" because it appears from watching many videos that the extra time spend at the stump by routinely bore cutting has no correlation to safety until you cut the trigger. Of course, that is not necessarily true. Personally, I think time spent at the stump is directly proportionate to risk of injury.* Let alone, diminished production. Of course, using a trigger may diminish the time spent next to a tree in motion. But to me the risk of throwing a saw upon release or an uncontrolled fall due to a too thin hinge are more bothersome than the potential for extra time near a moving stem. I don't know much and though there is a time and place for boring cutting, I don't believe it should be the usual falling method in my neck of the woods.

This past Saturday, I had to choose between a bore cut or something else to fall a decent size red oak that grew in a sweeping sun-seeking arch. I chose a method close to the BC method shown in the posted video.** You can see from my stump that even measured by amateur standards I am not the most precise cutter. The cut at the stump was three feet or so. The stress of the lean split the stump but left the stem and my head intact. Until you guys tell me otherwise, if I had to do it again, other than as noted below, the only thing I would change for sure would be the chain on my saw as I didn't have the cutting speed I wanted. I was using .404 semi-chisel. Not to worry, I wasn't using the MS361. 




Ron

* One of my favorite videos is of Gologit where he sizes up the tree and then walks over and just cuts it down. No stump dancing. No repeated cut and look.

** Due to my inexperience I varied from the BC approach and alternated thinning each side before taking out the middle. If I did it again, I would thin one side at a time as shown in the BC video.


----------



## madhatte

rwoods said:


> One of my favorite videos is of Gologit where he sizes up the tree and then walks over and just cuts it down. No stump dancing. No repeated cut and look.



Dude has put his time in. That kind of muscle memory doesn't come easy.


----------



## northmanlogging

So... I mean short bats and dancing is all well and good... 

But what gets me, is the hand flapping wave bit while aiming, I see this all sorts of times... dudes take a look, wave the hand, pause spit some snooze, goose throttle repeat?

Just get behind the ****ing thing and look fer ****s sake, it's not magic no nead to wave a wand at it


----------



## madhatte

Yeah exactly. One of my former crew members texted me just tonight thanking me for teaching about reading binds while bucking. He's in a DNR chainsaw class this week and apparently they to the jazz hands routine, too, which is weird.


----------



## wyk

The BC(FS) video appears to be made to avoid bore cutting as much as possible. But, I think it nearly killed that dude in the video. He shoulda went front to back instead. The T cut requires you cut very fast, keeping the hinge intact, if you go back to front. I think Jack has a vid of a leaning doug fir using a T cut method where he massages it towards the back of the trunk. It's a huge fir that, when ti goes, only loses a bit of back strap and no heart wood at all. An amazing production faller. 

BTW, I have several trees that are leaning due to storm damage. One was a 3-4' DBH Larch. I am not a production faller, and it wasn't in a dangerous area people walk or cattle go to. So I left it until it just decided to fall by itself.


----------



## bitzer

rwoods said:


> I have reindeer to thank for my only ported saw, an MS361 - my single qualification for posting here.
> 
> The recent posts and videos prompted me to post, though a mere amateur, to say that the short bar bore cutting seems to be premised upon perceived safety over production. I used the term "perceived" because it appears from watching many videos that the extra time spend at the stump by routinely bore cutting has no correlation to safety until you cut the trigger. Of course, that is not necessarily true. Personally, I think time spent at the stump is directly proportionate to risk of injury.* Let alone, diminished production. Of course, using a trigger may diminish the time spent next to a tree in motion. But to me the risk of throwing a saw upon release or an uncontrolled fall due to a too thin hinge are more bothersome than the potential for extra time near a moving stem. I don't know much and though there is a time and place for boring cutting, I don't believe it should be the usual falling method in my neck of the woods.
> 
> This past Saturday, I had to choose between a bore cut or something else to fall a decent size red oak that grew in a sweeping sun-seeking arch. I chose a method close to the BC method shown in the posted video.** You can see from my stump that even measured by amateur standards I am not the most precise cutter. The cut at the stump was three feet or so. The stress of the lean split the stump but left the stem and my head intact. Until you guys tell me otherwise, if I had to do it again, other than as noted below, the only thing I would change for sure would be the chain on my saw as I didn't have the cutting speed I wanted. I was using .404 semi-chisel. Not to worry, I wasn't using the MS361.
> 
> View attachment 717313
> 
> 
> Ron
> 
> * One of my favorite videos is of Gologit where he sizes up the tree and then walks over and just cuts it down. No stump dancing. No repeated cut and look.
> 
> ** Due to my inexperience I varied from the BC approach and alternated thinning each side before taking out the middle. If I did it again, I would thin one side at a time as shown in the BC video.


Ron you know a lot more then you know. Go deeper on the face next time and gut the heart from the face side. Put a snipe in opposite your face. That will all relieve pressure on a high pressure stem. Of course you need to be careful when playing too deep and pinching your saw. You need to really feel what it's doing . Looked like a nice oak.


----------



## bitzer

madhatte said:


> Tree caliper. Evidently they haven't heard of Spencer tapes over there.


That woods is pretty open. Not often I'd be able to have something that big hanging off me without it tangling up all the time.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Yeah exactly. One of my former crew members texted me just tonight thanking me for teaching about reading binds while bucking. He's in a DNR chainsaw class this week and apparently they to the jazz hands routine, too, which is weird.



The estate owner got a good talking to last summer. A huge oak fell over in the wind. I wasn't on the estate, so how do they go about it? They started cutting the big branches on the bottom - because easy to reach. By the time I arrived, the tree was perfectly balanced to fall on it's side or forwards and kill them while they were oblivious.


----------



## rwoods

bitzer said:


> Ron you know a lot more then you know. Go deeper on the face next time and gut the heart from the face side. Put a snipe in opposite your face. That will all relieve pressure on a high pressure stem. Of course you need to be careful when playing too deep and pinching your saw. You need to really feel what it's doing . Looked like a nice oak.



I am trying to learn something so don't take this as a challenge. I intentionally cut a shallow face believing that a deep face would increase the tendency to barber chair. What am I missing? Also what do you mean - "Put a snipe in opposite your face." Thanks.

"Looked like a nice oak." Guilty, I turned another log or two into firewood though I am not sure how well bowed wood grades. The top was dying and the fork exploded in the area of the yellow saw. The diameter there was down to about a foot and 15" or so on the other stem. I bucked it in my best guesstimate of 1500# lengths given the small loader they use. 

My stump is pretty ugly from any angle.

Ron


----------



## bitzer

Ron this ash was from today. It was probably around 30" on the stump. Leaned like a dam rainbow with a heavy top. See how I left a post of hinge on either side and gutted the heart from the face? Also i used a conventional face and you can see the snipe(like a mini humboldt) on the stump. The snipe is just a piece you take out opposite the face to relieve pressure(keeps stem moving if it does stall a little) or on a Humboldt you can use it on the face to get the butt down. On a hard leaning stem you want to remove as much compression wood as possible. Your oak stump split because of the enormous pressure put on it. If you had a face in around as deep as where it split and gutted it it likely wouldn't have split. If you can't get it that deep, make sure you get as much of the wood directly behind the face cut before you release the tension wood


----------



## rwoods

bitzer, I get the snipe now. Your wording "opposite of the face" had me confused. Being a firewood cutter, my face cuts are usually open enough that I don't have to worry about stalling (excepting of course stalling from sloppy over cuts, Unintended Dutchmans I believe is the term my W/C friends use). I use a snipe when I want to propel the stem from the stump.

Back to the depth of the face cut. I get the heart gutting but it would seem that the deeper the face the further back you move the transition point from compression to tension and you create more tension due to loss of leverage. At least that was my thinking. I usually cut deeper faces than the books recommend. I got called out on that recently and advised of the increased mechanical disadvantage of deep face cuts when you have to wedge a tree. Same principle would seem to apply with holding something down (tension wood) - the further back the pivot point the greater the tension and thus the greater the risk of a barber chair. Once again that was my thinking. I watched the BC video yesterday and thought it validated the approach of a shallow face. I am keenly interested in this as I don't want to lose my head to a chair. 

In addition to red oak, I cut a few white oak which seem to be the most chair prone species that I cut. I have cut fewer than 100 ash of substance in my life - around 60 to 70 in the last four weeks. I haven't got them figured out but so far they are almost as much fun as poplar. Most were around 15" to 24" but fairly tall. Below is the largest diameter one I have cut. It was a pretty brushy field tree.




Thanks,

Ron


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## bitzer

rwoods said:


> bitzer, I get the snipe now. Your wording "opposite of the face" had me confused. Being a firewood cutter, my face cuts are usually open enough that I don't have to worry about stalling (excepting of course stalling from sloppy over cuts, Unintended Dutchmans I believe is the term my W/C friends use). I use a snipe when I want to propel the stem from the stump.
> 
> Back to the depth of the face cut. I get the heart gutting but it would seem that the deeper the face the further back you move the transition point from compression to tension and you create more tension due to loss of leverage. At least that was my thinking. I usually cut deeper faces than the books recommend. I got called out on that recently and advised of the increased mechanical disadvantage of deep face cuts when you have to wedge a tree. Same principle would seem to apply with holding something down (tension wood) - the further back the pivot point the greater the tension and thus the greater the risk of a barber chair. Once again that was my thinking. I watched the BC video yesterday and thought it validated the approach of a shallow face. I am keenly interested in this as I don't want to lose my head to a chair.
> 
> In addition to red oak, I cut a few white oak which seem to be the most chair prone species that I cut. I have cut fewer than 100 ash of substance in my life - around 60 to 70 in the last four weeks. I haven't got them figured out but so far they are almost as much fun as poplar. Most were around 15" to 24" but fairly tall. Below is the largest diameter one I have cut. It was a pretty brushy field tree.
> 
> View attachment 717555
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ron


I would put hickory, then white oak, then ash as the most chair prone trees that I cut regularly. The tree chairs on the compression wood not the tension wood. The compression wood is being highly compressed which causes the split from the pressure. The tension wood is being pulled apart and is the opposite. I know they teach a shallow face on hard leaners but that is counter intuitive. If you don't get that compression wood cut up you might as well not even face it. The tension wood just holds it to the stump .


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## bitzer

Here is an example of a hard leaner I swung today. I used the back corner of the stump(tension wood) to pull it around. The dutchman side is highly compressed and the pull side is highly tensed there by pulling the stump out. I have had hard enough compression on the dutchman side that it will crack the butt or the stump. Not split as in a chair mind you but a pressure crack.


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## bitzer

And cleaned up pick for doubters who don't think cuts like this are valid in saving out timber. The one little plug I pulled was closer to the compression and likely why it pulled. I've pulled high dollar walnut like this to save the entire stem and they clean up just fine .


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## rwoods

I am struggling to get my head around this tension vs compression stuff. I thought it was the pull (tension) that cause the split, thus the pitch for boring where you remove all the inner tension wood and transfer all of the tension to the trigger. This will keep my pea brain occupied for awhile. Thanks.

Whether I understand chairing or not, I still don’t like boring where I must pre-determine the minimum hinge necessary to direct the stem. Maybe if I cut more from a single species and uniform stands I would be better at guessing the hinge and be more comfortable boring. Nonetheless, routine boring still seems like a time waster. As does flare removal when a longer bar would get it done.

Ron


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## Westboastfaller

I don't know what he is getting at other than cutting all the compression wood behind the hinge first. Much like they teach on a reg bore cut; when a strap is used.

Or is he talking chair potential differences without the strap?

A properly placed undercut would likely be in the compression wood. A deep undercut may possible end in a neutral zone of the tree. So is he calling 50%+ U/C is in the tension zone and saying it has less chair potential with the deeper undercut??? IDK realy what he is saying for sure at this point. 





bitzer said:


> The tree chairs on the compression wood not the tension wood. The compression wood is being highly compressed which causes the split from the pressure. The tension wood is being pulled apart and is the opposite. I know they teach a shallow face on hard leaners but that is counter intuitive. If you don't get that compression wood cut up you might as well not even face it. The tension wood just holds it to the stump .


 lets not talk back strapping just yet. 
When ever you get closer to your hinge the chair potential is at the greatest as you have removed the best 'holding properties of the structure. (As you were saying tension wood holds the tree up.) Same principal bucking a suspended heavy log as to where you want to finish the buck to protect the wood from its own weigh at times by releasing it from close to the top.


On a back cut (forward lean) the closer you get to the under cut the 'heavier the tree gets..And if its a heavy tree with lean then you have the potential there.
It just happens to be where a properly placed undercut would be. (in the compression wood) if its pretty deep undercut then perhaps it falls in a neutral zone. (Depends)

Other way you are going to greatly increase the pressure is a deep undercut
So now you have the worst of both Wolds. That makes it scarry when you have tall heavy unstable trees that
You have to fire straight down.That's with back strap.

*Edit


----------



## bitzer

The compression wood is the wood that is compressed. All the wood the tree is leaning on. The tension wood is holding the tree up. The wood in the back. Depending on how hard the tree leans determines how much of either type of wood you have. 

Let's say the front 60% of the tree is under compression. That front 60% is where all the chair potential is. This is where you need to remove as much wood as possible either by face, gutting hinge, removing wood behind hinge(boring, coos Bay etc). The 40% of wood behind it is all under tension and being pulled by the weight of the tree which keeps it skybound until released or until the wood breaks.

Is there a point where putting a really deep face in would cause tension wood to become compression wood? Sure. As the tree leans more ahead new fibers can become compressed but this usually takes time and I don't let things sit around very long. You ever put the first kerf in a tree and have to refuel or something and you come back and it's sat down tight? It takes time. 

Compression wood-forced together-fibers have no where to go under incredible pressure and split. 
Tension wood-pulled apart-the fibers get ripped apart and have everywhere to go.


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## bitzer

It's a lot easier to slam that first kerf in then it is to cut the wood behind it I've found. Once you get that first kerf in deep you're golden unless the back wood is compromised somehow. You can't dilly dally with it tho. It needs to be wot all the way in. 

All this advice is for hard leaning hardwood under 100ft tall. That's what I know and do. I don't mean a couple clicks off center either like that beech posted above . I mean stump pulling lean. 

Conifers in the 150-200ft plus range are likely in a different ballpark but I'd still lean towards a deeper face cut. Sometimes you can only get so deep


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## northmanlogging

If a tall evergreen is leaning real hard, chances are it's a windfall, and then ya got more pressing issues then barber chairing... add such as what's the stump going to do, what else is going to try and kill me etc. But a coos is still better then a strap all day every day


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## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> If a tall evergreen is leaning real hard, chances are it's a windfall, and then ya got more pressing issues then barber chairing... add such as what's the stump going to do, what else is going to try and kill me etc. But a coos is still better then a strap all day every day



Exactly, there's different amounts of lean and on what, and chasing a cut is different if you aren't under a chair but on a root ball etc.


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## rwoods

bitzer said:


> ... I don't mean a couple clicks off center either like that beech posted above . I mean stump pulling lean. ...



Gauging solely from the little bit of the stem you can see in the video, I would classify that beech simply as a typical tree not a leaner that requires special attention. You are describing the situation that I am wrestling. My pea brain is still processing this discussion. I appreciate you and the others taking the time to explain things.

Ron


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## bitzer

northmanlogging said:


> If a tall evergreen is leaning real hard, chances are it's a windfall, and then ya got more pressing issues then barber chairing... add such as what's the stump going to do, what else is going to try and kill me etc. But a coos is still better then a strap all day every day


Yep if I ever had the pleasure to cut out that way id start with what I know and go from there as I'm sure you would here. Probably find out in a hurry what's not working too. Yeah those half tipped trees or compromised stumps are a whole nother discussion. I just got done with 3 months of tornado blow down, hung up, twisted ********.


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## bitzer

rwoods said:


> Gauging solely from the little bit of the stem you can see in the video, I would classify that beech simply as a typical tree not a leaner that requires special attention. You are describing the situation that I am wrestling. My pea brain is still processing this discussion. I appreciate you and the others taking the time to explain things.
> 
> Ron


I love talking timber Ron. Wish you could see it in person. Makes it a lot easier.


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## Westboastfaller

Well, If there was any confusion, I sure did not help matters continuisly mixing up compression and tension (in my writing) Tired I was and still awake. The Zombie needs to wait before getting in to the discussion.


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## Westboastfaller

rwoods said:


> bitzer,
> 
> it would seem that the deeper the face the further back you move the transition point from compression to tension and you create more tension due to loss of leverage.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ron



A loss in 'base leverage', yes correct ^^ and a gain in leverage (The tree itself being the leverage object.

Hard to know where transition zones are before and after completion of an undercut as well in relation to size of undercut differences unless its has a parallel back strap. It makes sense there will be a 'neutral ' area before it goes into 'tension' So in a deep undercut then yes it would seem likely some of the neutral area would now transition and start to compress. as the base retreats . Much more compression and tension


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## rwoods

No falling today, but the steady rain and 45 degree temperatures kept my pea brain from overheating as I continue to process the depth of the face cut with hard forward leaners. Think I'll get out D. Douglas Dent for a little light reading.

I gained a new appreciation today for you guys. I bucked at the woodlot today in a slow steady rain. Found my rain gear of many years is not actually waterproof and I got soaked to the core. Also had my 125 bite me several times when starting it due to the slippery recoil grip and the decomp closing on me. I just thought who am I to complain as most of you regularly work in much harsher weather. My hat is off to you. My head is soaked anyway.

Ron


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## rwoods

Okay, my head was hurting before but staring at some of Mr. Dent’s Dutchman illustrations has it spinning. Nonetheless Mr. Dent says to use a deeper face with a heavy forward lean even though it increases the tension and thus the risk of a barber chair. Though he doesn’t say which is best - side boring vs “side notching” (appears to be the same as a Coos), he does say that face boring is the least desirable due to increased chances of pinching your bar and barber chairing. He says that the cause of barberchairs is the back fibers as severed start to “fall” while the forward fibers though under increasingly more pressure are not falling thus a split develops between the moving and the non-moving fibers. He doesn’t relate the split to compression. This is actually the process I thought was occurring but to cut a deeper face that actually increases the tension and the risk of barber chairing seems counterintuitive and it appears contrary to the BC materials. But I think it all brings us back to bitzer’s time analysis, the quicker you cut the less likely the chance of a barberchair and the less you have to cut the quicker you can cut. If you want to take your time then I guess you just need to go side boring and cut the tension wood front to back. Interesting side note. - Dent doesn’t describe the use of a trigger when side boring.

In all three methods, Dent recommends nipping the corners of the hinge.

Most all of my reasoning expressed here is based just on book knowledge. Your real world experience is welcome.

Ron


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## woodfarmer

I cut my face in an ash that was leaning several ways. Chose my intended direction of fall. Bored in from the front to set a wedge in the back to send the tree in the intended direction. I then cut the T from the low side (or what I thought was the low side) and proceeded to cut the high side. Damn tree went 90* to the right and sat down on my tsumura light bar. Got the power head off and the bar had a noticeable bow to it. Figured it was shot so tractor and winch to pull the now hung up tree off the stump. Thought at the least it might just break the tip. Pulled the tree off and wow the bar was not damaged other then a couple of the epoxy inserts or whatever they are made of were slightly damaged. So tsumura, light and tough and flexible.
Didn’t get any pics as I was working very quickly.


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## woodfarmer

I used a step up bore cut on the heavy leaner on the left but a humboldt and level back cut on the larger stem. I usually gut the heart.
It too was hung up so a little pulling back with the winch got it down


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## Westboastfaller

rwoods said:


> of the increased mechanical disadvantage of deep face cuts when you have to wedge a tree. Same principle would seem to apply with holding something down (tension wood) - the further back the pivot point the greater the tension and thus the greater the risk of a barber chair.
> 
> 
> 
> Ron


 True Its all pretty much the same if you were to cut a conventional back cut though. They will increase both in tension and compression with the deep undercut.
Basically they change rolls as the holding wood is now the tension wood on a deep undercut back leaner and the compression is heavy on the wedges. 

In terms of wedgng then now you 
have shortend your base from wedge point to pivot so you have lost ratio advantage as well.



In regards to "tension wood" and "barber chair" above^^

I guess that's what bitzer must have taken the wrong way as it would appear and went down a different path. If it was on a stable back strap then obviously no the increased tension would not contribute to a barber chair. 

If you have increased the tension by a deeper undercut then you would have increased the weight, then you have increased the compression. They all go hand in hand Ultimately its the offset leaning weight that splits the back cut. Its own weight overcomes it's integrity generally.

Other contributing factors are wind and other trees, Dutchman, shallow opening of undercut, defects, too much holding wood, snow load.
'Compression' can certainly blow apart a compremised trunk if cut wrong. Its all weight and force.

Bad judgments and bad workmanship go hand in hand along with good experience for some reason. 

How many you guys barber chaired?


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## woodfarmer

Now this one ticked me off, I bored it and bored the heart but it still split, may have had more to do with the crotch at the top of the tree. This pic is after taking 20' of butt log off.
I've had this discussion last year with several members and the general consensus is ash is more suseptible to splitting than some other species especially when frozen.


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## Westboastfaller

Just now got to read your post Ron. Heard a bit about D.Dent. I'll reread it again then post on it. 
I can see why bitzer does it for turning a tree. It's a bit of a double edge sword (no pun) but it should start to rotate in quicker at a depth


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## Westboastfaller

woodfarmer said:


> View attachment 718007
> Now this one ticked me off, I bored it and bored the heart but it still split, may have had more to do with the crotch at the top of the tree. This pic is after taking 20' of butt log off.
> I've had this discussion last year with several members and the general consensus is ash is more suseptible to splitting than some other species especially when frozen.


 You mean you got two 20' rippers off the butt. Yeah that sucks. Can you still sell it or you saw your own? They can sell quarter sawn or slabs of cedar.Price goes down from half to quarter to slabs.

IKD, Doesn't seem right that it should chair even if it had a full split.

Did it barber chair or split after?


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## woodfarmer

I cut a 20’ log and then this in the picture was another 12’. Didn’t barber chair. When I was bucking it she let go. 
I’ll still send it to the mill if they want it or I have a farmer up the road with a couple woodmizers I take what won’t grade well to cut some boards. 
Most of my experience was all beech and hard maple, but with the ash borer having gone through our area I’ve spent the last two winter cutting ash. That was the first one I had split on me but it had a lot of bf being over 30” on the stump so rather disappointing.


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## rwoods

Westboastfaller said:


> ... How many you guys barber chaired?



My experience is so limited that it shouldn't count for much as likely most here fall more in a good month than I have in forty years. That said I have experienced only two significant barber chairs in my life (i.e. good size trees and over the head splits). The first was forty years ago when I cut a 20" or so red oak on a steep bank with a 38cc saw wearing a 16" bar. Happened in a blink of an eye. Split 10' or so up. The stem stayed on the tree; if it hadn't I probably wouldn't be posting today. Scared me enough to purchase Dent's book which was in Bailey's catalog. At the time his book with all the illustrations made little sense to me so I stuck it on the shelf, but I gave up the "farmer's" back cut and bought a 70cc saw. I still thought you just cut until the tree fell. I didn't understand the purpose of a hinge. I didn't have any wedges and had never seen them used. One day I cut a small locust (8" or so) all the way through and it just closed the kerf behind the cut and stood there. I was able to man handle it over but thought there must be more to it - how do you plan an escape path when the tree could fall in any direction. Another time I cut a 15" or so tree completely in two, just to have it fall exactly backwards from where intended. As you can imagine, I was playing Russian roulette with a chainsaw. The only thing I got proficient at was fence posting hung trees because I hung a lot. After an accident with a bow saw that could have killed me save for my father teaching me how to stand, my wood cutting tapered off for many years which is probably another reason why I am still here. Anyway, fast forward thirty years and while cutting saw timber for a local farmer (the one and only time I have cut wood for lumber for someone) I chaired a white oak. Not quite as dramatic or quick as the first, but still over my head. Likely if I had simply cut faster it wouldn't have chaired, but the farmer was watching me and I was hesitant at the trigger. Bunch of nice boards were lost. If it had come off the stem and if I had stayed in place it could have squashed me. Of course I have had dozens of technical chairs - stems that split for a foot or so. That first one has stuck with me and I never want to experience one like it again - no warning and no time to react. I say no warning, but there were all kinds of warning flags if I had known anything about falling. Dad taught me about the dangers of a bow saw but not one thing about falling. Nor did he let me hang around when he fell trees.

Ron


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## Westboastfaller

rwoods said:


> Okay, my head was hurting before but staring at some of Mr. Dent’s Dutchman illustrations has it spinning. Nonetheless Mr. Dent says to use a deeper face with a heavy forward lean even though it increases the tension and thus the risk of a barber chair. Though he doesn’t say which is best - side boring vs “side notching” (appears to be the same as a Coos), he does say that face boring is the least desirable due to increased chances of pinching your bar and barber chairing. He says that the cause of barberchairs is the back fibers as severed start to “fall” while the forward fibers though under increasingly more pressure are not falling thus a split develops between the moving and the non-moving fibers. He doesn’t relate the split to compression. This is actually the process I thought was occurring but to cut a deeper face that actually increases the tension and the risk of barber chairing seems counterintuitive and it appears contrary to the BC materials. But I think it all brings us back to bitzer’s time analysis, the quicker you cut the less likely the chance of a barberchair and the less you have to cut the quicker you can cut. If you want to take your time then I guess you just need to go side boring and cut the tension wood front to back. Interesting side note. - Dent doesn’t describe the use of a trigger when side boring.
> 
> In all three methods, Dent recommends nipping the corners of the hinge.
> 
> Most all of my reasoning expressed here is based just on book knowledge. Your real world experience is welcome.
> 
> Ron


 Haven't read the BC stuff for 12-13 years. I know it through and through and all the loopholes except all the legislation crap. BC forest safety council (BCFSC)

Then you have Work safe BC.
The story behind the council is they were a bunch of west coast fallers/ maybe some went management. Work safe BC threw a bunch of money at them and said fix the deaths in industry if you say you can? About 50 per year was just excepted at one time. Not all that long ago either. 
Things got a lot better,, Improving though the '90's and up to when BCFSC started in ought 5. The deaths went from around 12 per year; and in their first year, I believe 38 where killed. No reason for it to triple that year as it should have gotten better.
In 2014 was the lowers fatality rate at 3. Friend on mine was one of the fallers on his last shift before Christmas of that year. 
2 yrs out of those( last) 14. No fallers died.

What I was going to say was some one posted a vid on undercut types, endorsed by both and in writing it said some techniques may be modified for filming purposes?
Lol I counted 15 things that were not by the book. I recall a few were close to the same thing but technically different. On the coast there is such a thing as "overcoming a falling difficulty" It's pretty modified from the book.
As long as you are asked about it then you have to have a story.
(I was just going to say I was filming and it was modified for filming purposes....of course nobody ever asked...j/k)
As long as they see the stump quality there. and a few other things and answer questions and demonstrate when it's good.
Our Supervisers are Certified Fallers and qualified Supervisers.
Someone Qualified from the BCFSC will spend two days to Certified them. 
So they are there to uphold the Council's program.

The book says UP TO 50% undercut on a 'stubby' By book definition that is a 3:1 ratio height to Dia. A danger tree (snag) is 3m or (10') and taller.
So a 3.3 ft x 10 ft would be by book. (3:1 ratio)
You can get a lot around the 6' x 10,12, 14ft range. Some are leaning up the hill pretty hard. Even strait up and down (without lean) it will not fall over even if you cut it off it would remain 'sky bound' 
I go 70 or 85% if it leaning up the hill. to send it down hill It was good fun when the back crumbled and you are still below on the down side doing your undercut. There is no really safe side. You can't tell what they will do at that point. 
My undercut is done with a very slight angle first and could be 5ft deep. My opening is only going to be 2-3 inches. 
and if I miss a bit then I just bore the wedge out. Then get up top and touch the back and hope it's still not coming up hill and then I back bar the evidence of holding wood. on the stump.

Its all you need to topple it over and its fast. 

I never made a habit or not assessing the back and having them crumbled down to many times obviously.


Anyway BC say.
"As much as it will take but not greater than 25%" for leaner undercut

Good barber chair stories btw.

I will have to write a post on my times. One freaky one also.


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## Westboastfaller

"D. Dents book."
(Srry I got side traked above) ^^


Did he actually say a deeper U/C increases B/Chairs and 'pressure' (I know it does as do you) or is that you saying it? Why I asked was...
There was no justification given on his part...was there? Personally have never been able to. Unless they are bigger cedar that's not split. My experience tells me not to look for trouble. You get to know what you can and can't do.

So "side borring" and "Side notching "

So a bore vs Coos bay you figure???

Well I would think a side notch as I know it and was taught to me in '92 on Cedar; that being what BCFSC actually say to do as their 'number 1' and that is 
put your under cut 45° off the lean when possible. ?? 
I wouldn't expect an old book to say 'trigger' perhaps not even back strap? 
Not very detailed in important stuff it would appear?

"Face bore " IDK could mean bore from the back of the tree?

Edit: ^^ He said it's B. Chair prone ? Just not sure what is meant.


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## wyk

Are you referring to the infoflips being dfferent as well?

http://www.bcforestsafe.org/training/faller_certification/resources.html


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## rwoods

Westboastfaller said:


> "D. Dents book."
> (Srry I got side traked above) ^^
> 
> 
> Did he actually say a deeper U/C increases B/Chairs and 'pressure' (I know it does as do you) or is that you saying it? Why I asked was...
> ...



Not in one sentence, but in a paragraph beginning on page 100 and ending on page 101.

Ron


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## rwoods

His comments about heart gutting are on page 105. So is his conclusion that the "(l)ess tensioned wood to cut through means less chances of a barber-chair occurring." He uses the terms "expedite the backcut" to describe the purpose of the three methods he addresses. Pretty much the same thing I think bitzer is saying - the quicker you can get through the backcut the better.

Ron


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## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> The funny thing about his and a few other european folks I'm aware of are running west coast style saws, long bars full-3/4 wrap bars, yet I keep having folks on my you tube vids tell me that its just not done in europe and the east coast, that its silly, overcompensation, rediculous etc etc etc, a real man could do that with a 42cc saw and a 7" bar blah blah blah
> 
> Meanwhile... more and more folks are using west coast set ups every year so?



As another aside - in Canada, you are required to have a full wrap handle and longer bar to reduce back issues, help with limbing, etc by their version of OSHA.


----------



## bitzer

I've had entire jobs like 500 White oaks and hickories all leaning hard with huge heavy tops roughly 50 semi loads of wood and all of them cut the way I'm describing without a single chair. I used to use a shallow face cut on the hard leaners, the problem is getting that wood behind the hinge cut. Because now with a shallow face removed you've got all that wood sitting down tight just behind. You've allowed time for the tree to lean ahead more. So many times had I pinched a bar in the past trying to bore trees that I'm describing. Some you just can't get them cut close enough to the hinge without then sitting down. And on some white oak and especially hickory anything more then 1/2" of hinge seems like too much. I will have to dig up some pictures of what I'm talking about. 

Think about where a tree usually chairs. Typically it's in the front 60% of the tree where all the compression wood is in a hard leaner. It doesn't chair in the back 40% in the tension wood unless there are other factors at play.


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## Westboastfaller

reindeer said:


> Are you referring to the infoflips being dfferent as well?
> 
> http://www.bcforestsafe.org/training/faller_certification/resources.html



No! Absolutely not. You could about pass your 50 question exam on the flip books.
If it says BC Fallers Training Standards,
as it all will then that's good. 
The video was about Certified felling cuts that Work safe put out. The front said " Some things May be modified" 
Perhaps it just appeared BCFSC endorsed it. 
I see it's under Work Safe BC which hands down OH&S regs. That's is actually the government run insurance company.
Under their regulations (OHS sec 26 which is in the back of the BC Fallers Training Standards Fallers log book.
It says work SafeBC are minimum standards.
We are encouraged to hold ourselfs to a higher standard. Or adhere to the highest standard. Hence: BC Fallers Training Standards. So there is a little grey area between them. 
Also the highest standard could be my Mother because she still dresses me.
So at work I wear ear muffs with ear plugs, glasses under my screen and chaps over my Fallers pants....lol

'Funny' part is you could actually make someone do that or go home. Haha

I have seen crews drive 2 days from Vancouver Island to the top of BC or Northern Albert to cut Seismic lines in Gas & oil or all the regular good ol' Irish boys from Newfoundland, drive for 5 days to start the season then fail equipment audit because the client wants 4100 FPM threshold in there Fallers pants. People show up with brand new 3900 FPM. So the crew looses a day and May have to drive an hour or 2 one way to a saw shop.

Its happend to me too. I run 3600 FPM on the coast without wrap around kevlar calve protection. That's Work safe BC Standards.


----------



## Westboastfaller

bitzer said:


> I used to use a shallow face cut on the hard leaners, the problem is getting that wood behind the hinge cut. Because now with a shallow face removed you've got all that wood sitting down tight just behind. You've allowed time for the tree to lean ahead more. So many times had I pinched a bar in the past trying to bore trees that I'm describing. Some you just can't get them cut close enough to the hinge without then sitting down. And on some white oak and especially hickory anything more then 1/2" of hinge seems like too much. I will have to dig up some pictures of what I'm talking about.


 Thank you, Ok at least I know where you are at now. This is good stuff. I am open minded 



When you say... "over 1/2" seems like too much" You must mean fiber pull? 
I have never cut either species. I am at 99.9% you don't mean b chair?


Maple and cottonwood are the biggest hardwoods i have cut. 
It's rare that I ever cut hardwood for salvage. When I did It was just part of a big picture so it is salvage only,as it was property development. No bean counters. They are just happy to have you as long as you can make stumps and make stumps I do.

If I start a job and hoe operators have pulled out smaller trees ahead of me and layed them out in my path then I deal with it....all of it, The shaken dirt and rocks all over. The random lay out, the blisters on 'me' fingers...dam it! . I go against the lean if that's what it takes I will set triggers using a back lean drop snap. If I need to do a 10 tree push, I will.


We are in two different worlds. 
"Nessessity is the Mother of invention" 
This is why we know different things. 

You were speaking of tree weight compressing with holding wood. (Sitting down)
I think it must have a lot to do with the water content and fibers of certain hardwoods. Some of the oak runs 55 to 65 lb range per sq ft going on memory . Cedar is at 27-30lb.
Water is about 70 lb. 


This one is your world, not mine.


----------



## bitzer

Westboastfaller said:


> Thank you, Ok at least I know where you are at now. This is good stuff. I am open minded
> 
> 
> 
> When you say... "over 1/2" seems like too much" You must mean fiber pull?
> I have never cut either species. I am at 99.9% you don't mean b chair?
> 
> 
> Maple and cottonwood are the biggest hardwoods i have cut.
> It's rare that I ever cut hardwood for salvage. When I did It was just part of a big picture so it is salvage only,as it was property development. No bean counters. They are just happy to have you as long as you can make stumps and make stumps I do.
> 
> If I start a job and hoe operators have pulled out smaller trees ahead of me and layed them out in my path then I deal with it....all of it, The shaken dirt and rocks all over. The random lay out, the blisters on 'me' fingers...dam it! . I go against the lean if that's what it takes I will set triggers using a back lean drop snap. If I need to do a 10 tree push, I will.
> 
> 
> We are in two different worlds.
> "Nessessity is the Mother of invention"
> This is why we know different things.
> 
> You were speaking of tree weight compressing with holding wood. (Sitting down)
> I think it must have a lot to do with the water content and fibers of certain hardwoods. Some of the oak runs 55 to 65 lb range per sq ft going on memory . Cedar is at 27-30lb.
> Water is about 70 lb.
> 
> 
> This one is your world, not mine.


By 1/2" of hinge seems too much I do mean barber chair. I've seen hickories barber chair with less then 1/2" of full hinge wood left . By full hinge i mean nothing taken out of it, a 1/2" strip of wood left from one corner of the face to the other. It's astounding to see. It really is. You say out loud, you've got to be ****ing kidding me there was almost no wood left to cut, but there it is blown wide open and now you have to deal with cutting it down because hickory will almost never break off when they chair.


----------



## bitzer

Here's what I mean by hard leaners. This is a shagbark hickory and will chair like lightning. I've cut entire jobs of this stuff more usually in white oak tho with huge heavy tops. It's a pain on the stump but the footage really adds up because they've grown a lot longer(vs taller) then you'd think.


----------



## rwoods

bitter, we are on the same page with a description of a hard leaner. Your hickory could have been my oak.

I don’t know what they do for production, but they certainly add to the entertainment value.

Ron


----------



## woodfarmer

I need pictures to follow some of this


----------



## northmanlogging

for hardwoods here, wee have Maple, Alder and Cotton weeds, the cotton weeds are no stronger then cedar or balsam fir but brittle and unpredictable at best, the maple is tough stuff, and the alder will sit down on the hold wood if you try any fancy strap cut with too little hold wood. Few miles south Gerry Oaks are native though rather small.

Also please note, the Doug Fir is just about on par with the maple for hardness, depending on age and or season, winter maples are tough as nails, but spring and fall they cut like butter Fir is easy when young, but hard as coffin nails when they get over about 60 yrs old


----------



## bitzer

woodfarmer said:


> I need pictures to follow some of this


What do you need pictures of? Ash is one of the top three chair prone trees that I deal with. That said if the crotch hits just right on many hardwoods you can split them all the way to butt . If your ash above didn't split ground up then it split back the other way. Also internal cracks can cause them to bust wide open. It looks like you had more then one crack in that tree before you got to it.


----------



## Westboastfaller

bitzer said:


> Think about where a tree usually chairs. Typically it's in the front 60% of the tree where all the compression wood is in a hard leaner. It doesn't chair in the back 40% in the tension wood unless there are other factors at play.



I guy would have to be doing 45% u/c to know that. As well not using known techniques to prevent them to even have an opportunity to see if there was a difference? Does sound a funny thing to say. Then you take into the fact the leaning force is intensified.
Its all very very strange. 
Considering different parts of the truck cross section have 'different jobs' on a leaner then it certainty opens the mind for possibilities.



It would have to be a big different in the bonding between the fibers then. Maybe some wood doesn't bond well just before it goes into tension because it's neither very compresed or tensed on a leaner? Or perhaps it is very compresed that the bond is weak.
Guy should be able to tell with an axe on green wood, one would think. If you marked one side before blocking them. Could be interesting experiment if done correctly. It would have to be extensive testing..

Actually there is better ways than an axe.

You could try to simulate it . You 
could put a bottom sec in a base and push it with something that you could
measer in a unit of work (ft lb)

Have to have a few trees the same size.
they would have to be leaner too. It would be interesting to get some numbers


----------



## Westboastfaller

bitzer said:


> By 1/2" of hinge seems too much I do mean barber chair. I've seen hickories barber chair with less then 1/2" of full hinge wood left . By full hinge i mean nothing taken out of it, a 1/2" strip of wood left from one corner of the face to the other. It's astounding to see. It really is. You say out loud, you've got to be ****ing kidding me there was almost no wood left to cut, but there it is blown wide open and now you have to deal with cutting it down because hickory will almost never break off when they chair.


 Wow!!! That is crazy right there ^^ that's unbelievable. 
Another weird thing to me. Alder is the easiest wood to b chair that I 
have cut but the hard middle breakes off as long as you ring your sapwood.
You can leave a 1/2" Vee off the corners on a 12-14" tree and snap off with 2 1/2 in the middle.
So it's not the hardend sections that causes it and if it was soft it would bend at an 1" + . Just a different animal all together you are dealing with. I never found that any Interior Aspen Cottonwood,Birch .
,Larch ...or any trees at all that I have cut could b chair in those regions. Frozen? other trees leaning on then?
Snow loads. Never had one happen up there. Lots of times I just dump them with out any special cut. Heavy leaner small stuff I just do a saw kerf undercut (2cut)


----------



## wyk

I wonder what WYK's been up to...


----------



## rwoods

Presumably cutting hard leaners. Ron


----------



## Westboastfaller

Hey, I think I just invented a new kinda vertical wood splinter that can be manually lifted in manageable lengthy or set in with a lift in longer lengthes.
~Patent Pending ~

*runs off to the firewood thread*


----------



## Westboastfaller

reindeer said:


> I wonder what WYK's been up to...



My guess is he is setting the grounds as he starts another thread elsewhere in great anticipation come 7.5 yrs later than another " liar parodox" will again come to be. 

So deliberate!

Now come on people! that's a good joke right there^^^ with an element of truth.


----------



## wyk

I think he's porting saws in Ireland. 
Let us, er, him or me...mostly me,know if ya need a saw ported in Ireland 

WYK


----------



## Westboastfaller

Dam this site! Its got more bugs than one of my better girlfriends (maybe I am the common denominater?). I write a post and 'edit in' and 'save change' and my previous post appears in it's t place...then I delete it. That's happened three times to me. I can't see avitars, can't see videos, some peoples pics only. ********


----------



## Westboastfaller

QUOTE="reindeer, post: 6824359, member: 87180"]I think he's porting saws in Ireland. 
Let us, er, him or me...mostly me,know if ya need a saw ported in Ireland.

WYK[/QUOTE]

Roger.. *wink *

Ok sounds good man. 46 yrs away and I am home now.
Just about took a job in Ireland about 8 months back. Beautiful whether in the south UK. Flowers have been out for 10 days now. If you hear anything good let me known sir. Steady "cash in hand"?

Thank you.


----------



## wendell

Wait, WYK turned into a reindeer?!?

I'm so confused. LOL


----------



## woodfarmer

bitzer said:


> What do you need pictures of? Ash is one of the top three chair prone trees that I deal with. That said if the crotch hits just right on many hardwoods you can split them all the way to butt . If your ash above didn't split ground up then it split back the other way. Also internal cracks can cause them to bust wide open. It looks like you had more then one crack in that tree before you got to it.


So this is the butt log, it didn't quite split on my hinge but yes you can see various cracks in the log ready to split


----------



## woodfarmer

Had these two big learners so they each got the step up bore treatment, no splits or barberchairing here. One of me because it's frickin cold and I thought I'd share with the southerners


----------



## bitzer

woodfarmer said:


> So this is the butt log, it didn't quite split on my hinge but yes you can see various cracks in the log ready to split View attachment 718948
> View attachment 718949


That's a lot of wood to leave for a hinge in ash. I'd gut that from the face and leave posts of wood at either corner.


----------



## bitzer

woodfarmer said:


> View attachment 718954
> View attachment 718955
> View attachment 718956
> View attachment 718957
> View attachment 718958
> View attachment 718959
> View attachment 718960
> View attachment 718961
> Had these two big learners so they each got the step up bore treatment, no splits or barberchairing here. One of me because it's frickin cold and I thought I'd share with the southerners


What's the thought behind the steps?


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> Wait, WYK turned into a reindeer?!?
> 
> I'm so confused. LOL



Yup for nearly 7 years now.


----------



## rwoods

bitzer beat me to it - how do the steps prevent a barber chair, wf?


----------



## woodfarmer

Something I saw Steve billow do on a couple videos. Supposed to prevent barberchairing on a leaner. It seems to work as I’ve done it a few times on learners. However, I does cost 6” of wood on the butt.
I was also swinging the tree, maybe I left too much hold wood, Idk. 
I am using a 24” bar and the bored steps I did from the low side as it doesn’t go all the way through,so that leaves 4-6” of holding wood.
I do Gut the face, when the trees on the ground and I look at the cut sometimes I think I could bore in a lot more in the face.
All in all it was a good day on a cool snowstorm day.


----------



## woodfarmer

Bitzer, I think when it started to go, I got away from the tree. On smaller trees I sometimes chase the hinge a lot further. 
If it was going to chair, I would think it would be closer to the hinge, no?


----------



## rwoods

This? 

Ron


----------



## northmanlogging

Ah the ole step cut...

Still scratching my head as to how this ever made sense to anyone.

It's rare that a tree chairs immediately, more like the lean a bit and the stall, that stall is all the catalyst needed to blow up, by the time tree is really going to chair it's already clear of them steps. Also that much energy being released will just skip tight out of some dinky little step.


----------



## wendell

reindeer said:


> Yup for nearly 7 years now.


I feel so disillusioned. [emoji21]


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> I feel so disillusioned. [emoji21]



Join the club


----------



## wyk

Westboastfaller said:


> QUOTE="reindeer, post: 6824359, member: 87180"]I think he's porting saws in Ireland.
> Let us, er, him or me...mostly me,know if ya need a saw ported in Ireland.
> 
> WYK
> 
> Roger.. *wink *
> 
> Ok sounds good man. 46 yrs away and I am home now.
> Just about took a job in Ireland about 8 months back. Beautiful whether in the south UK. Flowers have been out for 10 days now. If you hear anything good let me known sir. Steady "cash in hand"?
> 
> Thank you.



I would say theres far more work in forestry and loggin stateside really. Not much goin on here except some slim pickings. One of the reasons I only work part time in Waterford is the pay is terrible(though I did also get room and board on an awesome estate), my wife lives in a different county, and I have a part time job up here that pays better(not well, just better). I do see myself retiring on the estate tho.
https://pbase.com/wyk/gurteen_de_la_poer


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## wyk

I have a cute little Echo CS390ESX, a rebadged Shindaiwa CS390SX, really. One of the main points folks like Mitch Weba had with it's bigger brother, the 500 and 501 and 490's is the air flow. So I cut up the screen in the carb and poked holes in the lid so it can get air. Then added another hole in da muffleurrrz.


----------



## olyman

reindeer said:


> Join the club


que.. what eveer happened to the red headed gal friend in Ireland???? wife now????


----------



## wyk

olyman said:


> que.. what eveer happened to the red headed gal friend in Ireland???? wife now????



Yup. Now I'm trapped! Help!


----------



## wyk

BTW, I made a few non saw vids I thought you guys might like:


----------



## wyk

And then theres these pics I been taking:

https://pbase.com/wyk/wicklow_ireland

https://pbase.com/wyk/gurteen_de_la_poer

https://pbase.com/wyk/county_meath_ireland

https://pbase.com/wyk/dublin_christmas_2016

https://pbase.com/wyk/images_of_killaloe


----------



## Westboastfaller

reindeer said:


> I would say theres far more work in forestry and loggin stateside really. Not much goin on here except some slim pickings. One of the reasons I only work part time in Waterford is the pay is terrible(though I did also get room and board on an awesome estate), my wife lives in a different county, and I have a part time job up here that pays better(not well, just better). I do see myself retiring on the estate tho.
> https://pbase.com/wyk/gurteen_de_la_poer



Yeah, just putting my feelers out.
I checked around in a few countries. I originally wanted to establish outside the UK before we leave the EU to keep the door open for me. Money is just not there. Just going back into Domestic Plumbing & heating (for myself eventually) I did seasonal/part time from the same year I started cutting in '89. Haven't hardly done any in 20 yrs. 

Its pretty fast to get an NVQ level 2 over hear. May have to jump a few jobs to check all 'your' boxes off then get certified on site.

It opens the door to become a gas or heating engineer too.

Canada is 4 yrs plus I would have needed prerequisites like grade 12 algebra for one.

Until I get another trade behind me then I wouldn't be interested in tree work. Then It would have to be for myself (maybe partner) I hear there is a lot of 'Gypsies' going door to door trying to get all the tree work up north. They are making good money I hear. Probably no certifications. Half of it is probably working of laders? There is a yard up the road and I believe its white cedar (northern ceder) from around the great lakes and through Atlantic Canada. (That was not what you were calling Nootka Cedar was it? (Yellow ceder) Named from Nootka sound Vancouver Island (Nootka Island)? Never seen them before in my adult life. People seem to use them for privacy shrubs they are not that type that you can let grow tall and they thicken. You would have to start prunning the branches when they are young. They are probably not buying what the think they are buying? Then you get 'Cowboys' Like working at the house up the road and other places also..they pruned the branches as they were hardwoods?
Like they are going to fills in? WTF.

They have another one in the yard that doesn't have one live limb left on it? "COWBOYS"! Hard to get good service in this country.

I guy can get into the game pretty easy around here. The little mobile lifts are the way to go. Bucket trucks are limited and don't have that reach.
Mostly 'skips' (containers) are used instead of chippers. Unless you are a big company that have big contracts with Councils. You could do a lot of work without climbing at tree.


Did you here about that tree company up in Shetfield Some of the Councils have been handing out 25+ yrs contracts. I believe they said on the news that this contracts holds to 2053

So they deemed all the white Oak dangerous. ????? Its all 3 1/2 ft dia (1metre) Up and down each side of the road. Road after road. 

They plant in a little tree in place and have no maintenance.

That was criminal. A lot of protesters. The Council said they learned, but...

I can not believe they didn't have a 'breach of trust or a gross negligents clause in there. Second opinions? 

I'm a lisenced Danger tree assesser from West CA in all three mouduals (that is recognised)
and if they wanted to stop them then I would have helped and challenged them on their behalf. I think the Council lacked Education on the matter.

Oh yeah! On what grounds?
I don't see and evidence of root testing or obvious root mat lift.
I don't see any increment bore holes? maybe I'm missing something?
Where are you increments samples
where is the evidence of broken tops. What are you tending from?
Rookie stuff... But the insult to injury is they blocked it down and made no
lumber.

My be the worst thing I have ever heard of in regards to cutting trees.



* Think it's my bower that needs updating so will have to see you pics and vid at a later time.

thnx


----------



## wyk

Witness the power of this fully operational Sony thingy:


----------



## wyk

That sony vid is effed up. This is a better vid anyways:
Am currently back on the waterford estate, cutting shid up!

Stock 044 showing you why people love it!
OK, it has a timing advance and DP, but otherwise one stock.


----------



## madhatte

Go gettum!


----------



## wyk

Here's a few pics I've taken of the area:


----------



## madhatte

NICE

"Grangemockler", though? Sounds like a Harry Potter monster.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> NICE
> 
> "Grangemockler", though? Sounds like a Harry Potter monster.


Gráinseach Mhóicléir - Grand Monastic farmlands.


----------



## madhatte

Today I learned that Grangemockler, while disappointing as a monster, is stunning as a landscape.


----------



## wyk

Have you heard of Brenizer Method?

20 images blended together and then reduced in size to post here coz the original is 250mb in size:


----------



## wyk

35 here looking the other way. Lots of wind that day, so a wasted effort, really. ut it shows you how well LR can stitch it all together.


----------



## madhatte

Automontage microscopy does the same thing only tiny, allowing an incredible depth of field in macro imagery. I can't find any of my own imagery, since it's stored on some old hard drive or other, but here is an example:


----------



## Joe46

Been a couple of years since I've been on here. Just an old beat down firewood hack anymore, so don't feel like I have anything to contribute. Good to see you still on here Reindeer, and a couple of "neighbors" Northy, and Madhatte


----------



## wyk

Joe46 said:


> Been a couple of years since I've been on here. Just an old beat down firewood hack anymore, so don't feel like I have anything to contribute. Good to see you still on here Reindeer, and a couple of "neighbors" Northy, and Madhatte



Good to hear from you, Joe! Hope you are well. Was good to meet ya. I always look back at my time in the PNW fondly. What's news?

Wes AKA WYK


----------



## wyk

WYK now has a 288


----------



## Joe46

reindeer said:


> Good to hear from you, Joe! Hope you are well. Was good to meet ya. I always look back at my time in the PNW fondly. What's news?
> 
> Wes AKA WYK


Still putting one foot in front of the other. Still cutting firewood. Took some pines down for a friend in Montana last spring. Muscle memory sure isn't what it used to be, but I did manage to put them where they needed to go. Merry Christmas and a good New Year to you!


----------



## wyk

OK got my accnt name changed back to wyk. Still messing about here and there. Here's a DOlmar 420/makita 4300 I have recenty done:


----------



## wendell

Thank goodness. A little less chaos in my life.


----------



## wyk

Just a random pic of Ireland. This is Bray where my wife's family lives.







And the famous Tudor style Bray MCD:


----------



## wyk

ANd some pics from my Dolmar/Makita/Dolkita 420/421/4300 build:


----------



## sawfun

How's it going Wes? Great to see you working on saws and that picture of Bray, well that's something else.


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> How's it going Wes? Great to see you working on saws and that picture of Bray, well that's something else.


Sry, I thought I responded to this. Things have been so hectic lately with the Covids.
I'll shoot you a PM there.


----------



## sawfun

I'd like to to hearfrom you and am sorry to have dumped my medical conditions on you. Be glad you don't have a Trumpet man for you leader. Germany seems to be using wisdom or so it seems and I'm glad to hear of it. We all need to help each other, even more when thos passes. Smart folks will learn to pull and sacrifice together. Maybe bringing humanity to its knees will be a lesson in humility and cooperation? Wishful thinking. I'm glad you and yours are in the countryside, stay as safe as possible.


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> I'd like to to hearfrom you and am sorry to have dumped my medical conditions on you. Be glad you don't have a Trumpet man for you leader. Germany seems to be using wisdom or so it seems and I'm glad to hear of it. We all need to help each other, even more when thos passes. Smart folks will learn to pull and sacrifice together. Maybe bringing humanity to its knees will be a lesson in humility and cooperation? Wishful thinking. I'm glad you and yours are in the countryside, stay as safe as possible.



People are going to be tribal, and America has so many tribes. It's difficult to see through your own bias, and most importantly, it can be difficult to see when someone else is playing on the tribalism and your bias to manipulate you. And we are seeing that play out right before our eyes.
Europeans have done an amazing job so far seeing past the tribes, incorporating them into one single community to work together. It's too bad some people in the UK elite were able to play upon the fears, ignorance, and tribalism of their people to manipulate them out of the EU. But these things are going to happen.
Are people even meant to work together in such large groups? Evolution wise, it seems unlikely. We like the tribe we grew up with - the first one we knew. Understanding other tribes seems a big ask. To be able to see past our biases, be wise and calm enough so the powerful can not easily manipulate us, and to want to help and work and love each other seems too much to ask.
The joke in the end, of course, is we are all the same tribe.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> People are going to be tribal, and America has so many tribes. It's difficult to see through your own bias, and most importantly, it can be difficult to see when someone else is playing on the tribalism and your bias to manipulate you. And we are seeing that play out right before our eyes.
> Europeans have done an amazing job so far seeing past the tribes, incorporating them into one single community to work together. It's too bad some people in the UK elite were able to play upon the fears, ignorance, and tribalism of their people to manipulate them out of the EU. But these things are going to happen.
> Are people even meant to work together in such large groups? Evolution wise, it seems unlikely. We like the tribe we grew up with - the first one we knew. Understanding other tribes seems a big ask. To be able to see past our biases, be wise and calm enough so the powerful can not easily manipulate us, and to want to help and work and love each other seems too much to ask.
> The joke in the end, of course, is we are all the same tribe.


I guess melting pot was just a term spoken that meant nothing. Yes the human tribe is does not see itself as week and requiring cooperation to survive, much less succeed. There seem to be a sizable amount of folk that think fighting and war, economic and physical, makes us stronger. I see it as a great waste and think of the contributions some of the losers may have contributed if they hadn't been disposed of. 
A Gears of War novel of all things, recognizes this. A war between two major sides of humanity takes place, wiping out a sizable amount of young men, then monsters appear out of the ground and start killing all humans. The main character's thoughts were something like "If we hadn't killed off so many of our own young men on a useless war, we'd have them now, now that we need them". Our own monster seems to have found us easy enough. Choose your battles with wisdom?


----------



## northmanlogging

look at ya all waxing poetic...

keep her powder dry gents this I fear is only the beginning.

assuming we get through this in one piece, this tribalism shtick ya speak of needs to go, we are all hooped if we continue down the current path


----------



## sawfun

northmanlogging said:


> look at ya all waxing poetic...
> 
> keep her powder dry gents this I fear is only the beginning.
> 
> assuming we get through this in one piece, this tribalism shtick ya speak of needs to go, we are all hooped if we continue down the current path


I couldn't agree more.


----------



## madhatte

Don I hope all is well

as for the rest of you malcontents

let's hang in there, fingers crossed Farleyville 2020 still happens and if not I'll see you whenever, even a deeply introverted weirdo like me likes to see his friends once in awhile


----------



## sawfun

madhatte said:


> Don I hope all is well
> 
> as for the rest of you malcontents
> 
> let's hang in there, fingers crossed Farleyville 2020 still happens and if not I'll see you whenever, even a deeply introverted weirdo like me likes to see his friends once in awhile


All is well at this point Nate, been on vacation this week, kinda nervous about going back next week given our clientele. How about you sir? You mostly keep away from folks as I recall. If Farleyville happens, it's likely be in the fall after the dust has settled I'd bet, though that is your busy season. Let's hope not to busy. The rivers are very low right now and this is the time of year they should be the highest. Take care buddy, I look forward to seeing you again.


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> I guess melting pot was just a term spoken that meant nothing. Yes the human tribe is does not see itself as week and requiring cooperation to survive, much less succeed. There seem to be a sizable amount of folk that think fighting and war, economic and physical, makes us stronger. I see it as a great waste and think of the contributions some of the losers may have contributed if they hadn't been disposed of.
> A Gears of War novel of all things, recognizes this. A war between two major sides of humanity takes place, wiping out a sizable amount of young men, then monsters appear out of the ground and start killing all humans. The main character's thoughts were something like "If we hadn't killed off so many of our own young men on a useless war, we'd have them now, now that we need them". Our own monster seems to have found us easy enough. Choose your battles with wisdom?



You don't have to read fiction to make a point. There's evidence all around us. One of the best ways to illustrate tribalism is WWII. I mean, the Japanese and German rulers literally want to go and destroy and enslave as many of their neighbours that don't speak their language as possible because they think they are the better people and more deserving. And the main drive for them is human pettiness and hubris, even the Japanese were doing well trading for resources. I would argue those are not really the very best attributes of mankind. In the process, they ended up nearly destroying everything, and their people suffered deeply. Malcom Forbes, who was supposedly worth over 500million when he died, and was an infantryman with a bronze star and purple heart in WWII, said that the character of a man can be judged by how he treats those that can do nothing for him. Still, he wasn't much of a philanthropist himself, which goes to show how much words are worth  But, I digress - all we need to know about the Japanese and German leaders and many of their lieutenants of the time is how they treated their prisoners. And we we were not without sin. We disenfranchised and imprisoned over 120,000 our own citizens as well during WWII with almost no warning, many of which helped interpret Japanese war documents and questioned Japanese prisoners for the US military, and when the black soldiers who fought for their country returned in 1945, they were once again treated almost as though they were not citizens. Which goes to show, even in a land where resources were nearly uncountable, we can still find a way to do wrong to one another.
Which leads me to a nice segue. I was speaking with a friend of mine who is an academic. The topic was human expansion in to the universe. And he covered all the typical points of evolution, resources, survival of the species in the face of catastrophic destruction or the sun eventually dying, and spread of our culture, create a human catharsis, manifest destiny even snuck in there, etc etc. I said, 'What would you think about us as a race if we were having this conversation immediately after WWII?' His response was that it would be understandable why some would not want us to spread to the stars then. I then said - as far as the stars are concerned, it is still immediately after WWII.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> You don't have to read fiction to make a point. There's evidence all around us. One of the best ways to illustrate tribalism is WWII. I mean, the Japanese and German rulers literally want to go and destroy and enslave as many of their neighbours that don't speak their language as possible because they think they are the better people and more deserving. And the main drive for them is human pettiness and hubris, even the Japanese were doing well trading for resources. I would argue those are not really the very best attributes of mankind. In the process, they ended up nearly destroying everything, and their people suffered deeply. Malcom Forbes, who was supposedly worth over 500million when he died, and was an infantryman with a bronze star and purple heart in WWII, said that the character of a man can be judged by how he treats those that can do nothing for him. Still, he wasn't much of a philanthropist himself, which goes to show how much words are worth  But, I digress - all we need to know about the Japanese and German leaders and many of their lieutenants of the time is how they treated their prisoners. And we we were not without sin. We disenfranchised and imprisoned over 120,000 our own citizens as well during WWII with almost no warning, many of which helped interpret Japanese war documents and questioned Japanese prisoners for the US military, and when the black soldiers who fought for their country returned in 1945, they were once again treated almost as though they were not citizens. Which goes to show, even in a land where resources were nearly uncountable, we can still find a way to do wrong to one another.
> Which leads me to a nice segue. I was speaking with a friend of mine who is an academic. The topic was human expansion in to the universe. And he covered all the typical points of evolution, resources, survival of the species in the face of catastrophic destruction or the sun eventually dying, and spread of our culture, create a human catharsis, manifest destiny even snuck in there, etc etc. I said, 'What would you think about us as a race if we were having this conversation immediately after WWII?' His response was that it would be understandable why some would not want us to spread to the stars then. I then said - as far as the stars are concerned, it is still immediately after WWII.


Wes, I kinda think the human species is broken, or certainly appears so. If it cannot widely recognize and agree on it weaknesses and improve through cooperation it will not evolve. Maybe it is time for another dominate species, this one will have failed. Hell, maybe this world is just a Kobayashi Muru test? We as a species certainly now have greedy children in charge of a lot of governments and cooperation world wide. Seems to me a strange form of child worship. Instead of picking leadership with wisdom, we seek it with popularity or appearance of strength. The virtue of humility is now seen as weakness. Jesus, Budda, Ho Chi Minh, and Ghandi all died with no material possessions. Today, who would see this as successful? These men are touted as either gods or next to it, but their examples of sacrifice are not often followed. Are the world's billionaires the new gods? They are viewed as successful and what a large portion of the population wished they were.


----------



## sawfun

Driving a city bus means I see a lot of people at different points in life. Some folks I years ago, thought were clean cut and hard working I now see differently and am not as comfortable around any longer. Others, though not many, who are homeless, down and out I now look at differently than I once did. I see strength in the appearance of weakness and vice versa. Over the years, often I've found that giving, and demanding, respect, gains respect, even amongst most of the real hardened criminals. People are people and most have something positive to contribute. If a person shows that they recognize this, it can really help pull folks together that would otherwise be very uncomfortable around one another. I personally am very slow to adapt to the lesson of humility and sacrifice, life is trying to teach. Those of us that have survived close to, or over three decades of my job have learned that how we treat others is a much better shield than any physical barrier designed to protect us.


----------



## madhatte

sawfun said:


> All is well at this point Nate, been on vacation this week, kinda nervous about going back next week given our clientele. How about you sir?



They actually had us at work as if nothing was wrong until this last Thursday. Just a week ago in a televised townhall meeting they had the audacity to claim that we are somehow "an island of safety". I was on the verge of sacrificing leave to GTFO but finally cooler heads prevailed and they have us teleworking now. It's an exercise in futility, of course, but one must keep up appearances. I am dreading fire season: no crew, likely still quarantined, called up as "essential", few if any ancillary services available. It's gonna be grim, I think.


----------



## wyk

We're on lockdown now. Here's the official list:

People are being told to stay at home for the next two weeks, until Easter Sunday 12 April.
We’re to stay at home in all circumstances, except in the following situations:


To travel to and from work in circumstances where the work is in an essential health, social care and other essential service and the work cannot be done from home
To shop for essential food and household goods or collect a meal
To attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
For vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, but excluding social family visits
To take brief individual physical exercise within your locality, which may include children from the household (e.g for a run or walk with/without dog) within 2km of the home (i.e within half an hour from the home) adhering to strict 2 metre social distancing measures 
For farming purposes – i.e. food production and/or care of animals

All public or private gatherings of any number of people are prohibited.

‘Cocooning’ will be introduced for those over 70 and people who are extremely vulnerable to the disease.

Additionally a further range of non-essential shops and services are to be closed and everyone who can work from home must – excluding essential workers and workers in essential government, utility or other specified functions.

Adult community education and local community centres are to be closed.

Specific guidelines will be available from the Health and Safety Authority for essential workers who, for reasons of their work, cannot maintain social distancing.

All non-essential surgery, health procedures and other non-essential health services are postponed.

All visits to hospitals, residential healthcare centres or other residential settings are to cease – including prisons. There will be specific exceptions on compassionate grounds.

Pharmacists are to be permitted by regulation to dispense medicines outside the current period of validity of the existing prescription in line with the pharmacist’s professional judgement.

A call is to be made to manufacturers, where possible, to adapt their existing manufacturing capacity to produce PPE equipment, including masks, for the national market.

The full list of essential workers is expected to published early tomorrow. 

In the interim, businesses and services which consider themselves essential service have been advised to remain open, pending publication of the list.


----------



## sawfun

madhatte said:


> They actually had us at work as if nothing was wrong until this last Thursday. Just a week ago in a televised townhall meeting they had the audacity to claim that we are somehow "an island of safety". I was on the verge of sacrificing leave to GTFO but finally cooler heads prevailed and they have us teleworking now. It's an exercise in futility, of course, but one must keep up appearances. I am dreading fire season: no crew, likely still quarantined, called up as "essential", few if any ancillary services available. It's gonna be grim, I think.


Grim, yeah, I'm getting that. One of our drivers just had a guy cough all over the inside of the bus on purpose and wipe his hands all over. Our transit agency was totally unprepared for that and did not have a clue how to respond. They had the driver bring the bus back to the garage and called the fire dept for a hazmat team. The driver will be quarantined, tested, and if found to have the virus will likely lose their job due to time loss. Happy days are up ahead, yeah.


----------



## wyk

'Off the charts': Virus hot spots grow in middle America


DETROIT (AP) — The coronavirus continued its unrelenting spread across the United States with fatalities doubling in two days and authorities saying Saturday that an infant who tested positive had died...




apnews.com


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> 'Off the charts': Virus hot spots grow in middle America
> 
> 
> DETROIT (AP) — The coronavirus continued its unrelenting spread across the United States with fatalities doubling in two days and authorities saying Saturday that an infant who tested positive had died...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> apnews.com


Yuk, can't like that one bit.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> We're on lockdown now. Here's the official list:
> 
> People are being told to stay at home for the next two weeks, until Easter Sunday 12 April.
> We’re to stay at home in all circumstances, except in the following situations:
> 
> 
> To travel to and from work in circumstances where the work is in an essential health, social care and other essential service and the work cannot be done from home
> To shop for essential food and household goods or collect a meal
> To attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
> For vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, but excluding social family visits
> To take brief individual physical exercise within your locality, which may include children from the household (e.g for a run or walk with/without dog) within 2km of the home (i.e within half an hour from the home) adhering to strict 2 metre social distancing measures
> For farming purposes – i.e. food production and/or care of animals
> 
> All public or private gatherings of any number of people are prohibited.
> 
> ‘Cocooning’ will be introduced for those over 70 and people who are extremely vulnerable to the disease.
> 
> Additionally a further range of non-essential shops and services are to be closed and everyone who can work from home must – excluding essential workers and workers in essential government, utility or other specified functions.
> 
> Adult community education and local community centres are to be closed.
> 
> Specific guidelines will be available from the Health and Safety Authority for essential workers who, for reasons of their work, cannot maintain social distancing.
> 
> All non-essential surgery, health procedures and other non-essential health services are postponed.
> 
> All visits to hospitals, residential healthcare centres or other residential settings are to cease – including prisons. There will be specific exceptions on compassionate grounds.
> 
> Pharmacists are to be permitted by regulation to dispense medicines outside the current period of validity of the existing prescription in line with the pharmacist’s professional judgement.
> 
> A call is to be made to manufacturers, where possible, to adapt their existing manufacturing capacity to produce PPE equipment, including masks, for the national market.
> 
> The full list of essential workers is expected to published early tomorrow.
> 
> In the interim, businesses and services which consider themselves essential service have been advised to remain open, pending publication of the list.


Yup, we got that last monday. The streets are pretty empty with no rush hour whatsoever.


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## wyk

We snuck out recently to walk dog


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## wyk

This stuff might help you guys out right about now(and forever)



A bunch of science behind it. Good stuff. A big take away is they found that if you just drip Vitamin D3 on your nasal cells - they immediately start to produce cathelicidin - the stuff that attacks viruses and bacteria.


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## madhatte

Can I just get away with eating mushrooms and hanging out outdoors?


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## wendell

madhatte said:


> Can I just get away with eating mushrooms and hanging out outdoors?


For you, I'm sure that's the perfect solution. [emoji57]


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## madhatte

It'll work for now anyway!


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## wyk

madhatte said:


> Can I just get away with eating mushrooms and hanging out outdoors?



The perfect life. Except maybe add bratwurst.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> This stuff might help you guys out right about now(and forever)
> 
> 
> 
> A bunch of science behind it. Good stuff. A big take away is they found that if you just drip Vitamin D3 on your nasal cells - they immediately start to produce cathelicidin - the stuff that attacks viruses and bacteria.



I've been taking 2k - 4k I units of quality vitamin D a day for like 7 years. Fish oil is big with D3.


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## wyk

Wooo! We're wining!









Covid Trends


Visualizing the exponential growth of COVID-19 across the world.




aatishb.com


----------



## wyk

You'll like this as well: According to CDC/WHO there have been 105K corona virus tests executed in the US as of March 29th, with nearly 93K confirmed. So, like, on average if they do test someone for corona - they have it 90% of the time. What does this mean? It means there is a fugload of corona positives still milling about not tested


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## sawfun

Where I work they posted a workmans comp sheet for any of us bus operators that get the virus as WE are definitely gonna get exposed. At least one bus I know of is now sitting at a transit center quarantined as its operator got sick, another had a sick operator pass out and hit a car. And those are only two instances early in the day that I've heard of.


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## wyk

Ugh...


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## Ted Jenkins

So far I have not changed a thing in my life or am planning to. I am clueless to understand what a fuss is hapening here. My wood business is very very busy to say the least. Peoples furnaces quit some times. We went through H1N1 without a hitch now what is the problem with Covid. Thanks


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## madhatte

This is different. The reason it's called a "novel" virus is because it's new and nobody has any born defense against it. It spreads rapidly, and incubates slowly. You could be an asymptomatic carrier already. You are very well advised to take it seriously and follow the advice of the CDC, the President, and your local government. When this all shakes out, hundreds of thousands to millions will die. This thing is no joke. Disregard it at not only your peril, but that of everybody you know and love. I'm 100% serious.


----------



## catbuster

H1N1 didn’t cause healthy people to have ARDS or MODS. This does. People die from ARDS and MODS.

This is not something to take lightly. When we’re done, many, and I mean in the tens of thousands at least, will die from this. Disregarding it isn’t only putting yourself at risk, but also everyone in the general public.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> This is different. The reason it's called a "novel" virus is because it's new and nobody has any born defense against it. It spreads rapidly, and incubates slowly. You could be an asymptomatic carrier already. You are very well advised to take it seriously and follow the advice of the CDC, the President, and your local government. When this all shakes out, hundreds of thousands to millions will die. This thing is no joke. Disregard it at not only your peril, but that of everybody you know and love. I'm 100% serious.


Many folks over the age of 60 had some immunity to swine flu, with others protected by the herd immunity granted therein , and still 12000 people died in the US. No one had any immunity to this virus when it landed.


----------



## wyk

wyk said:


> Many folks over the age of 60 had some immunity to swine flu, with others protected by the herd immunity granted therein , and still 12000 people died in the US. No one had any immunity to this virus landed.


I forgot to note I had swine flu, and it nearly killed me. Gave me pulmonary fibrosis.


----------



## sawfun

I understand that this is virus is dead when you try to kill it but alive to spread making it very hard to combat. Early on there was a US company with a lab in California that claimed they found a way to kill it by running the virus DNA through some kind of algorithm. It looks like that was bunk.


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## madhatte

Thing about viruses in general is that they don't have DNA, only RNA. In more complex organisms, DNA codes for RNA codes for protein. The extra step in transcribing packaged DNA to code as RNA acts as an error check. Lacking that error check makes it very likely for a virus to mutate -- double a string, omit a string, invert a string, or stick a string in the wrong place and you have a mutation. Most mutations are either useless or lethal to the virus but a tiny fraction of them make it suited to do something new -- "novel" -- and the only way for us to combat this is to, through some population acquiring the sickness, develop antibodies. Vaccines come after that, by killing the virus with antibodies or other agents, to produce inactive virus that can stimulate the production of more antibodies in newly-protected would-be hosts. This is also why there's a new flu vaccine every year -- that virus is also continually mutating. If you've ever been inclined to disregard Evolution as a mere "theory", here is an example that shows it in action, all around you, all the time.


----------



## sawfun

madhatte said:


> Thing about viruses in general is that they don't have DNA, only RNA. In more complex organisms, DNA codes for RNA codes for protein. The extra step in transcribing packaged DNA to code as RNA acts as an error check. Lacking that error check makes it very likely for a virus to mutate -- double a string, omit a string, invert a string, or stick a string in the wrong place and you have a mutation. Most mutations are either useless or lethal to the virus but a tiny fraction of them make it suited to do something new -- "novel" -- and the only way for us to combat this is to, through some population acquiring the sickness, develop antibodies. Vaccines come after that, by killing the virus with antibodies or other agents, to produce inactive virus that can stimulate the production of more antibodies in newly-protected would-be hosts. This is also why there's a new flu vaccine every year -- that virus is also continually mutating. If you've ever been inclined to disregard Evolution as a mere "theory", here is an example that shows it in action, all around you, all the time.


Thanks Nate


----------



## wyk

Kurtzgesagt does a great job using graphics to explain concepts



BTW, another reason there's so much work being done to contain the Corona Virus is there are already sick and ill and injured people every day in our hospitals. Many of them have very bad flu, etc. When you have a pandemic that is not related to the flu - flu deaths will also rise as the strain on the health care system is overwhelming. You also get people dying or having chronic health issues for life or having their life threatened by injuries or illness that they usually could have survived or kicked.


----------



## madhatte

sawfun said:


> Thanks Nate


 Yer welcome!


----------



## Ted Jenkins

madhatte said:


> This is different. The reason it's called a "novel" virus is because it's new and nobody has any born defense against it. It spreads rapidly, and incubates slowly. You could be an asymptomatic carrier already. You are very well advised to take it seriously and follow the advice of the CDC, the President, and your local government. When this all shakes out, hundreds of thousands to millions will die. This thing is no joke. Disregard it at not only your peril, but that of everybody you know and love. I'm 100% serious.



Yes I have taken this matter very serious as I thought about it for at least four minutes. I try to get at least seven hours of sleep every night with good nights about nine hours of sleep. My dog goes for a walk at least three miles every day including days I am cutting or splitting wood. Making sure my life issues are in order when I pass. Several doctors offer prescriptions deffinately not. I raced motorcycles from the age of elleven till now and still here. Nearly died of pneumonia in my teens survived numerous other close calls. Now some one would suggest I sit at home and worry. No do not think so. If I had a wife that wanted me to sit at home and worry no do not think so. Thanks


----------



## Ted Jenkins

madhatte said:


> This is different. The reason it's called a "novel" virus is because it's new and nobody has any born defense against it. It spreads rapidly, and incubates slowly. You could be an asymptomatic carrier already. You are very well advised to take it seriously and follow the advice of the CDC, the President, and your local government. When this all shakes out, hundreds of thousands to millions will die. This thing is no joke. Disregard it at not only your peril, but that of everybody you know and love. I'm 100% serious.



Yes I have taken this matter very serious as I thought about it for at least four minutes. I try to get at least seven hours of sleep every night with good nights about nine hours of sleep. My dog goes for a walk at least three miles every day including days I am cutting or splitting wood. Making sure my life issues are in order when I pass. Several doctors offer prescriptions deffinately not. I raced motorcycles from the age of elleven till now and still here. Nearly died of pneumonia in my teens survived numerous other close calls. Now some one would suggest I sit at home and worry. No do not think so. If I had a wife that wanted me to sit at home and worry no do not think so. Thanks


----------



## wyk

CDC figures for today:


Total cases: 163,539
Total deaths: 2,860
Jurisdictions reporting cases: 55 (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)







__





CDC Data Visualizations Widget






www.cdc.gov





So nearly 3,000 deaths since the CDC started tracking them 3 weeks ago.


----------



## wyk

White House projects 100K to 240K US deaths from virus


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Americans to brace for a “hell of a bad two weeks” ahead as the White House projected there could be 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U...




apnews.com





Dear lord...


----------



## sawfun

Well I'm told we've had four bus drivers test positive. Cutting service 50% next week, but well see who shows up for work. At least 75 drivers have called in sick the last two days, most likely scared rather than sick and quarantining, I cannot blame them. A city 50 miles away cut its service completely off this week. I'm thinking my company is gonna wish it had too. Most of my riders (only two workers) are homeless that could care less about any virus. They are just scrounging for enough cans to buy a taco or burger day to day. Workmans comp phone numbers for those of us who get sick are posted, scary.


----------



## wyk

ugh

on a brighter note, i made some slide shows of ireland


----------



## madhatte

Ted Jenkins said:


> Now some one would suggest I sit at home and worry. No do not think so.



Ordinarily, I'd shrug and say "your loss". This is different. You are endangering everybody you come in contact with just by being among people, just as they are endangering you. It really is best to isolate and let this thing run its course. Hopefully there will be a vaccine in a year or two but until then please, please, listen to the measured experience of experts and not your gut or anybody else's.


----------



## wyk

And here' one for Nate:









Sailors from aircraft carrier hit by coronavirus outbreak to quarantine in Guam hotels | CNN Politics


Some of the sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt will be quarantined in hotel rooms in Guam as the number of coronavirus cases aboard the aircraft carrier approaches 100, a deteriorating situation that led the ship's commanding officer to issue a stark warning to top Navy leadership about the...




edition.cnn.com


----------



## madhatte

That's the ship I was on. Jan 2000-Nov 2004. Fall 2003 we had an outbreak of gastroenteritis that crippled the ship; more than 2/3 of the crew were sick and nobody could man a watchbill. We couldn't operate the ship. We had to limp in to port. This coronavirus hasn't taken out as many people, but everybody recovered from norovirus gastroenteritis. I can feel the panic from here since I remember how quickly it spread and how everybody around me was sick and there was nowhere to hide. Oh, and the "essential crew" I can assure you will be mostly Reactor dept, so if I was there, no chance I'd be quarantined or isolated unless I tested positive. My navy friends and I are watching this story closely because it hits very close to home.


----------



## Ted Jenkins

I wonder how this Covid compares to colds and flue through out the world and how many deaths occur every year which is not preventable, Then there is aids which is 100% preventable, alcohol and related deaths which is 100% preventable, opioids and the overdosing which is 100% preventable, smoking which is 100% preventable, obesity which is 100% preventable and there are many others. I do not hear about any of these issues in the news or do these things shut down the world or USA. Actually I do know the answer, but just wondering if any body else knows. Thanks


----------



## northmanlogging

Ted Jenkins said:


> I wonder how this Covid compares to colds and flue through out the world and how many deaths occur every year which is not preventable, Then there is aids which is 100% preventable, alcohol and related deaths which is 100% preventable, opioids and the overdosing which is 100% preventable, smoking which is 100% preventable, obesity which is 100% preventable and there are many others. I do not hear about any of these issues in the news or do these things shut down the world or USA. Actually I do know the answer, but just wondering if any body else knows. Thanks


ted, this sort of stupidity is getting people killed, so if you dont mind **** 

Down playing a serious illness is asinine and childish, you dont believe in science, facts, or truth fine that's on you the rest of us would like for those at the most risk to not die.

for the record 100000 deaths... is about how many US soldiers we lost in WWI, this virus has the potential to kill more then that, simply because of belligerently ignorant asses like yourself


----------



## madhatte

^ seconded

"Liberty" isn't worth much to the dead.


----------



## Ted Jenkins

Wow North you really do believe your own nonsense. Like I said people through out the world are dying, but as long as you do not see it in your neighbor hood much you are OK with it. OK how many people starved to death January, February, and March of 2020 which 100% preventable, but apparently no problem and what have you done about it? Thanks


----------



## madhatte

Let us take a moment to discuss perspective. All of the maladies, mortalities, modalities, and morbidities you mention above are indeed real, so kudos to you for recognizing the obvious. Not everybody is so gifted. A hearty "cheers" all around. However, you seem bound and determined to take it personally that anybody would disagree with, much less call you out on, your opinion that COVID-19 is a bogus thing and blown out of proportion. I say again: ignore it not only at your peril, but the peril of those around you. If you care at all for your family, friends, neighbors, and/or community, please play along with this particular biased liberal media conspiracy and it'll be over soon enough.


----------



## northmanlogging

Ted Jenkins said:


> Wow North you really do believe your own nonsense. Like I said people through out the world are dying, but as long as you do not see it in your neighbor hood much you are OK with it. OK how many people starved to death January, February, and March of 2020 which 100% preventable, but apparently no problem and what have you done about it? Thanks


You simply do not get it do you. 

For the record Ted, I don't think you are smart enough to make an informed decision on your own, and the only reason I'm choosing to engage with you is to counteract your ignorance with fact, so that maybe someone doesn't take your drivel as fact and ends up getting dead because of it. 

otherwise I would not waste my effort arguing with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.


----------



## northmanlogging

The simple facts here are, people are dying, at an ever increasing rate, especially in places like Italy, or various US states that have not taken the threat of covid-19 seriously, as some would say these deaths would have been preventable if certain political figures had taken them seriously way back in January, but they did not, and likened it to the common flu... which it is not.

Meanwhile in the places where folks are taking this seriously, the virus is not spreading as fast or has actually begun to decline, this isn't some liberal conspiracy, its how a quarantine works, seal off those infected from the healthy population and the virus will die off.

But if you remain a moron and choose to believe a dimwitted celebrity conman, your actions will lead to someone somewhere dying, possibly millions of someone dying. 

don't believe me, multiply 330000000 by 1.4%, the conservative fatality rate of covid-19, it being as high as 14% in some areas


----------



## madhatte

northmanlogging said:


> the only reason I'm choosing to engage with you is to counteract your ignorance with fact, so that maybe someone doesn't take your drivel as fact and ends up getting dead because of it.



I concur 100%. My workplace resisted allowing isolation until late last week and so I was unable to avoid contact with people until then. They have even had the audacity to claim, ignorant of all facts and without citing sources, that we are somehow an island of safety during televised townhall meetings, as recently as yesterday. The underlying fear of illness and death seems to take a back seat to the fear of disrupting business as usual, the market, the budget, etc. Let's get this one out in the open: this is a real pandemic, like pandemics of old, and it's going to be both expensive and disruptive. There is no way to polish that particular turd. Gird your loins, friends, it's gonna get worse before it gets better. We are still on the uphill side of an exponential curve. Do not place money on any relief before June at the earliest. Brace yourselves for a second, less dramatic, outbreak come fall. It will be no less than a year before a vaccine is available and even then it is not guaranteed.


----------



## wyk

Ted Jenkins said:


> I wonder how this Covid compares to colds and flue through out the world and how many deaths occur every year which is not preventable, Then there is aids which is 100% preventable, alcohol and related deaths which is 100% preventable, opioids and the overdosing which is 100% preventable, smoking which is 100% preventable, obesity which is 100% preventable and there are many others. I do not hear about any of these issues in the news or do these things shut down the world or USA. Actually I do know the answer, but just wondering if any body else knows. Thanks



Ted,

Thank you for presenting your ideas to us. We're all just friends here trying to share our thoughts with each other. This isn't a debate, and we're not trying to gaslight or change any one persons' minds. It's a bar table, and we're shooting the breeze. If we can keep it amiable, that would be nice. If you dislike the discourse, there are a great many other threads you could join in to share your wisdom. We're not here to argue.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> I concur 100%. My workplace resisted allowing isolation until late last week and so I was unable to avoid contact with people until then. They have even had the audacity to claim, ignorant of all facts and without citing sources, that we are somehow an island of safety during televised townhall meetings, as recently as yesterday. The underlying fear of illness and death seems to take a back seat to the fear of disrupting business as usual, the market, the budget, etc. Let's get this one out in the open: this is a real pandemic, like pandemics of old, and it's going to be both expensive and disruptive. There is no way to polish that particular turd. Gird your loins, friends, it's gonna get worse before it gets better. We are still on the uphill side of an exponential curve. Do not place money on any relief before June at the earliest. Brace yourselves for a second, less dramatic, outbreak come fall. It will be no less than a year before a vaccine is available and even then it is not guaranteed.



It reminds me when I responded to the first Corona thread here and was asked how I knew what I knew. I said much of what you just did, and got nothing but disdain. I think as engineers, you and I often forget that some folks aren't very good with vetting information, and statistics don't come naturally to most. When I saw the first few stats from China, complete with the suspected r0/infection rate, and with the knowledge it was a new mutation of corona, I was shocked. When other countries did not react at all, I knew it wasn't going to meet much resistance for at least a while, which is all a pandemic needed. We all feared a pandemic was eventually headed our way, but when you see it developing in front of your eyes you climb right on that stage of grief ladder. To their credit, many people in the pandemic field called it back when SARS hit, including the likes of Bill Gates. I saw a few of them interviewed that said the next pandemic was going to be a version of Corona or H1N1 with a slightly higher r0. A slightly higher risk of infection was all SARS and H1N1 et. al. needed to get everyone involved. I think they hugely under estimated the economic costs, though.

When H1N1, aka Swine flu(H1N1)pdm09 hit, it took over 6 months to create the vaccine, and a few more to make it available. They produce flu vaccines all day long, and are quite good at it, and it took 6 months to bring it to trial. So, basically, vaccines are not for pandemics, only for the survivors. This has to wash over the populace before any of us know how it will affect us. It's the way with pandemics.

I do fear the costs for India. Those poor folks will have it very rough.


----------



## wyk

Now enjoy this little break:



Nov 12, 2019, so prolly was the epicenter of the pandemic


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


> It reminds me when I responded to the first Corona thread here and was asked how I knew what I knew.



I also have a good friend who is a research virologist who was on the team that developed the Ebola vaccine. I simply asked him how worried I should be. I can say with confidence: know your experts. Cultivate and protect them. This goes for any problem, no matter how picayune, though it is especially critical now, when so many in both the government and the public seem to have developed an allergy to facts.


----------



## wyk

Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London just released a paper. Basically stating the suppression measures Europe are taking now are showing good effects.



https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-Europe-estimates-and-NPI-impact-30-03-2020.pdf


----------



## wyk

It's still very rough here tho -









US urges masks as dramatic steps to combat virus roll out


NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration urged Americans to cover their faces in public and limited exports of medical supplies Friday as New York’s governor took his own dramatic step to fight the coronavirus — vowing to seize unused ventilators from private hospitals and companies...




apnews.com


----------



## Ted Jenkins

northmanlogging said:


> The simple facts here are, people are dying, at an ever increasing rate, especially in places like Italy, or various US states that have not taken the threat of covid-19 seriously, as some would say these deaths would have been preventable if certain political figures had taken them seriously way back in January, but they did not, and likened it to the common flu... which it is not.
> 
> Meanwhile in the places where folks are taking this seriously, the virus is not spreading as fast or has actually begun to decline, this isn't some liberal conspiracy, its how a quarantine works, seal off those infected from the healthy population and the virus will die off.
> 
> But if you remain a moron and choose to believe a dimwitted celebrity conman, your actions will lead to someone somewhere dying, possibly millions of someone dying.
> 
> don't believe me, multiply 330000000 by 1.4%, the conservative fatality rate of covid-19, it being as high as 14% in some areas




North you great at missing facts with hysteria with out an intelligent debate. Instead you in your great wisdom want to spend time exchanging insults which I would love to do, but it is wasted time. I guess your answer is put your head back where it was and have a great day. Thanks


----------



## wyk

Times like these will bring out the worst and the best


----------



## madhatte

Ted Jenkins said:


> North you great at missing facts with hysteria with out an intelligent debate.



Surely you're kidding me. The alternative is willful ignorance and confirmation bias, a notoriously dangerous combination.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Times like these will bring out the worst and the best


You said it brother. If anyone thinks it's a hoax or political,ask someone in Italy or Spain, hell even New York. A fellow workmate from Greece explained their ultra tight measures and the relative success rate (lower death numbers) compared to other countries.


----------



## northmanlogging

Ted Jenkins said:


> North you great at missing facts with hysteria with out an intelligent debate. Instead you in your great wisdom want to spend time exchanging insults which I would love to do, but it is wasted time. I guess your answer is put your head back where it was and have a great day. Thanks


There is no debate to be had Ted, either you believe idiots vs Doctors and scientists, or you're just an ******* that doesn't give a **** about killing countless scores of people for your own selfishness. 

PEOPLE ARE DYING for something that should have been preventable, MORE WILL DIE because assholes like you don't believe in "science"

This is not hysteria, this is cold reality. 

for the record Ted, I'm not exchanging Insults, you are in fact a moron, you're dumb and an ass vomiting your ignorance because you think being over 60 years old is some kind of achievement.

It's specifically people like you Ted, that I do not respect anyone based on age alone, everyone gets the same amount to start with, biased not on age, color, religion, gender, or appearance. You Ted have eroded all respect I would normally give, not just in this thread, but many others you have been less then accurate if not outright lying.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Times like these will bring out the worst and the best


a yup...


----------



## northmanlogging

northmanlogging said:


> There is no debate to be had Ted, either you believe idiots vs Doctors and scientists, or you're just an ******* that doesn't give a **** about killing countless scores of people for your own selfishness.
> 
> PEOPLE ARE DYING for something that should have been preventable, MORE WILL DIE because assholes like you don't believe in "science"
> 
> This is not hysteria, this is cold reality.
> 
> for the record Ted, I'm not exchanging Insults, you are in fact a moron, you're dumb and an ass vomiting your ignorance because you think being over 60 years old is some kind of achievement.
> 
> It's specifically people like you Ted, that I do not respect anyone based on age alone, everyone gets the same amount to start with, biased not on age, color, religion, gender, or appearance. You Ted have eroded all respect I would normally give, not just in this thread, but many others you have been less then accurate if not outright lying.


except anyone wearing a suit to work, or a cowboy hat... Never trust either, both are tying to sell you something


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> except anyone wearing a suit to work, or a cowboy hat... Never trust either, both are tying to sell you something



Except mebbe Texas 

So, yeah, instead of just reprimanding the Captain, they also releived the guy. I know he violated the security of the ship, and it did let enemies know it was compromised. 
So, I dunno.


----------



## wendell

wyk said:


> Except mebbe Texas
> 
> So, yeah, instead of just reprimanding the Captain, they also releived the guy. I know he violated the security of the ship, and it did let enemies know it was compromised.
> So, I dunno.


Teddy Roosevelt's great grandson posted an article today saying Teddy did exactly the same thing after the Battle of San Juan Hill. The government wanted to leave the troops there but with the malaria and yellow fever, they wanted to get home. So Teddy wrote a letter to the newspapers. Soldiers were home in short order.


----------



## John Lyngdal

My wife has her PhD in Cellular Biology and was the lead ABSA certified Bio-Safety Officer at one of the largest primate research labs in the US.
The facility had scores of BSL3 and ABSL3 labs where virology research took place. And yes, we are most days spending time in self-imposed isolation and being very careful if we go out.
There is no such thing as a universal anti-viral treatment, rather they are a specialized response to an existing virus and that takes time.
Isolation and sterilization processes are needed to delay the speed of the outbreak and buy time for the research and pharmaceutical companies to develop a vaccine.
The ease of transmission, long surface lifetime, infectious state prior to symptoms are combining to make COVID-19 a difficult beast to contain.
Nothing pissed me off more than watching the invincible youth gathering in huge crowds for Spring Break revelry when it was contrary to common sense.

Because of the limited general public testing in the US, an accurate death rate really can't be calculated as only the numerator is known. That’s not to say it’s insignificant, but the numbers are approximations at best.
Rather that running in circles and waving our hands about impending doom and playing Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda, we should as best we can follow the CDC guidelines and recommendations.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Except mebbe Texas
> 
> So, yeah, instead of just reprimanding the Captain, they also releived the guy. I know he violated the security of the ship, and it did let enemies know it was compromised.
> So, I dunno.


cowboy hats only get a pass, if and a big if at that, there are horses, and or cows present, even then... the cowboys I grew up around wore ball caps and road ATV's... so?

I will overlook cowboy boots, but only because some folks think they are comfortable...


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> cowboy hats only get a pass, if and a big if at that, there are horses, and or cows present, even then... the cowboys I grew up around wore ball caps and road ATV's... so?
> 
> I will overlook cowboy boots, but only because some folks think they are comfortable...


Love my lucheses


----------



## wyk

Boris Johnson on a ventilator...


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Boris Johnson on a ventilator...


I can't like that one.


----------



## wyk

Our flu burden stateside so far this season(Nov-now)









Preliminary In-Season 2021-2022 Flu Burden Estimates


CDC's weekly cumulative in-season estimates of flu cases, medical visits, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States.




www.cdc.gov


----------



## wyk

Here's sort of good enws









Coronavirus lockdown leading to drop in pollution across Europe


New data, based on observations from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, are showing strong reductions in nitrogen dioxide concentrations over several major cities across Europe – including Paris, Madrid and Rome.



www.esa.int









__





Airborne Nitrogen Dioxide Plummets Over China


NO<sub>2</sub> amounts have dropped with the coronavirus quarantine, Chinese New Year, and a related economic slowdown.




earthobservatory.nasa.gov


----------



## madhatte

Absolutely flabbergasting how dysfunctional government responses have been to this all around. I get international posturing and all that but come on, what is the WHO for anyway?


----------



## wyk

Another sumfin interesting - only 2 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Hong Kong so far. They first declared an emergency in early January. It appears that the second largest epicenter for the SARS virus(which they traced to Guagdong province eventually) have shown strong resistance to COVID-19. We're seeing similar affects in Vietnam, another center for SARS, with one reported death due to COVID-19. The problem is, at this point, it is difficult to tell how strong the tie is between SARS and COVID and a potential effect of SARS anti bodies due to how effectively HK and Vietnam responded to the COVID-19 outbreak. They both shuttered borders and locked down instantly, distributed masks and PSA campaigns. That's what SARS does for you. In other words, they learned from SARS. It would appear most the rest of us didn't.


----------



## madhatte

Very interesting. Where did you find that? I've only been following the usual sources -- AP, Reuters, BBC, NPR, etc.


----------



## wyk

HK isn't reporting to WHO at the moment. They are listing 4 dead now tho. You have to go to their own web site. But other sources are also agreeing with them. I think vietnam is on the WHO's situation reports. Johns Hopkins is reporting 4 deaths in HK, 0 in Vietnam. Southern China also showing very few deaths as well. SARS struck most of Southern China and SE Asia.









COVID-19 Map - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center


Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)




coronavirus.jhu.edu













Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Situation Reports


The Weekly Epidemiological Update provides an overview of the global, regional and country-level COVID-19 cases and deaths, highlighting key data and trends; as well as other pertinent epidemiological information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.




www.who.int













COVID-19 Thematic Website, Together, We Fight the Virus, Home


COVID-19 Thematic Website- Together, We Fight the Virus - Home



www.coronavirus.gov.hk


----------



## wyk

Google just sent me this:

Your March visits



 
1
City
​ 
4
Places
​​1 new​


----------



## catbuster

With the recent cowboy talk in this thread...

I was confronted by a wannabe cowboy today who pulled up into my work zone on a gravel county road. This guy opens the truck door to a blast of new “country” music, walks up in his square toe cowboy boots, flat brim baseball cap, light fade jeans, and proceeds to rudely pose the question of what we were doing. I told him we were working, and we would be until our permit ran out at 3:00 PM. Apparently he didn’t like what I had to say and began to remind me that we had inconvenienced everyone on the road.

All things being equal, this guy was social distancing, but he was tall enough where even my Frank’s don’t help, and I guess he thought I was intimidated. I told him to look at his tires. He looked confused. Then I told him to look at my cat operator’s. He looked more confused.

I continued, something like “See those over there? Those have a nice sidewall, it can be aired down, and it has flex to grip off road. Not only that, but they fit on a stock rim. See those on your truck? Those are good for doing things you wannabe cowboys do. Ya know, things like jerking off other guys to Luke Bryan.”

Apparently the entire crew had stopped work and were watching. They busted out in laughing and wannabe walked back to his truck and walked away.


----------



## catbuster

As to the COVID related chatter, I dislike Boris Johnson’s policy platform, but I sure don’t wish ill of him. I have not read or listened to anything about how the SARS-COV1-hit regions are faring better in this situation. Admittedly, I don’t catch much news outside of Morning Edition shortly followed by BBC Newshour on WFPL lately. I wonder if it’s still in the “correlation does not equal causation” phase or if the regions were just more reactive to this?


----------



## northmanlogging

catbuster said:


> With the recent cowboy talk in this thread...
> 
> I was confronted by a wannabe cowboy today who pulled up into my work zone on a gravel county road. This guy opens the truck door to a blast of new “country” music, walks up in his square toe cowboy boots, flat brim baseball cap, light fade jeans, and proceeds to rudely pose the question of what we were doing. I told him we were working, and we would be until our permit ran out at 3:00 PM. Apparently he didn’t like what I had to say and began to remind me that we had inconvenienced everyone on the road.
> 
> All things being equal, this guy was social distancing, but he was tall enough where even my Frank’s don’t help, and I guess he thought I was intimidated. I told him to look at his tires. He looked confused. Then I told him to look at my cat operator’s. He looked more confused.
> 
> I continued, something like “See those over there? Those have a nice sidewall, it can be aired down, and it has flex to grip off road. Not only that, but they fit on a stock rim. See those on your truck? Those are good for doing things you wannabe cowboys do. Ya know, things like jerking off other guys to Luke Bryan.”
> 
> Apparently the entire crew had stopped work and were watching. They busted out in laughing and wannabe walked back to his truck and walked away.


see now, this is precisely the kind of jerkoff I'm talking about


----------



## madhatte

catbuster said:


> As to the COVID related chatter, I dislike Boris Johnson’s policy platform, but I sure don’t wish ill of him.



Same. However, my hope is that his misfortune will serve to alert other leadership personnel to how grave the danger really is. I will pause to enjoy whatever schadenfreude comes our way only once the crisis is over.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Same. However, my hope is that his misfortune will serve to alert other leadership personnel to how grave the danger really is. I will pause to enjoy whatever schadenfreude comes our way only once the crisis is over.



The blame game has already started. And the schadenfreude is thick. Europeans are stunned at America's behaviour as well since there was so much time and information ahead of this. And, like America, thay want to blame China. Some are saying they hid it. But China didn't hide it - they TRIED to hide it. Doctors warned the World Health Organization in late December, supplying all the information they knew at the time, including it was a new strain of SARS-like Corona. They had only comfirmed it the last few days of December, two weeks after the first case - so the WHO were alarmed as soon as they knew. Now, after that, China did try to crack down on a few scientists and doctors. Which, of course, was reprehensible. So much so, they actually exonerated at least one Doctor. Wuhan is a huge industrial and commerce center with 11 million people off of a huge river called the Yagntze(which prolly sounds familiar to many of you).

Now, yes, both Corona's did come from China. So if you want to blame a country or a people, have at it. But you have to understand the why and the how. The how is because of Chinese expansion in to areas that were wild until only just recently. Chinese relaxation of family sizes in recent years also contributed to this human expansion. But, by far, the largest contributor is us. Turn your laptop over, your coffee mug, your TV, most of the stuff inside your car, much of your house, every day you will touch something that came from China. We are the 'why'. Capitalistic materialism and efficiency made this inevitable. Poorer countries with resources were always going to be exploited by the richer. Nearly all viruses, if not all, that have affected us came from human expansion in to the world. 

We tried to blame Mexico for the swine flu. But there is plenty of genomic indication it began in China and was carried to North America and Central America. The swine influenza virus is common in pigs throughout the world. Same with most other flu's like bird flu, etc. Common in birds. Surprise. The nomenclature has always been an issue, tho. Officials try to call the viruses names that people will identify with. Afterall, 'there's a load of novel strain H1N1' going about means nothing to most people. So these pandemics get names like Spanish Flu(which likely started in the US due to our own expansion), Swine Flu(which is a combination of bird and pig origin), Hong Kong Flu, Asian Flu, etc etc. And add to this the fact that nearly every animal we come in close contact with has their own versions of flu. So, while most of these viruses do not affect us - we can still brew them inside our bodies until one mutates enough that it does affect us. Given that flu is RNA, it only has to mutate ever so slightly and pow - humans get a new virus.

There will be more. It's just when. We know the how and why.


----------



## Deleted member 110241

I wonder what Trump meant last night when he said that Sweden suffers badly? I think we are doing pretty well so far. I wish they would do more tests since we only test those who need medical care, and not all of them either, but other than that I think we are doing fine all things considered.


----------



## wendell

Markus said:


> I wonder what Trump meant last night when he said that Sweden suffers badly? I think we are doing pretty well so far. I wish they would do more tests since we only test those who need medical care, and not all of them either, but other than that I think we are doing fine all things considered.


I'm quite sure not even Trump knows what he meant. [emoji57]


----------



## wyk

Markus said:


> I wonder what Trump meant last night when he said that Sweden suffers badly? I think we are doing pretty well so far. I wish they would do more tests since we only test those who need medical care, and not all of them either, but other than that I think we are doing fine all things considered.


He may have been referring to Swedens relatively relaxed quarantine, or lack thereof. Regardless of what Trump has to say, according to the World Health Organization, Sweden has so far more deaths than all of it's neighbors - Denmark, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Estonia....combined. But we won't know the actual numbers for a while, really. I mean, Finland has barely done any testing at all. It may be pandemonium there for all we know. I never see them on the news, the grumpy bastards;. Prolly too busy racing around on dirt to catch diseases. Anyways...
All we can say is he was likely referring to how Sweden is handling this vs, say, it's neighbors.
In any case, I don't know how much weight there are in Trumps words when it comes to Sweden or this pandemic. He appears to be spending much of the time arguing with his own infectious disease expert, Dr. Fauci, as well as ignoring the reports from some state governors. He seems to be mostly trying to protect his own interest instead of looking after the well being and health of his countrymen. 
In Ireland they have a saying - "Slainte'(Slawn Chuh) - To Your Health. You've nothing if you've not got your health."
Having said all that, according to NY stats, 68% of the deaths are African Americans, with Milwaukee saying it is nearly 50%. Whether this is due to lack of access to health care/socio economic issues, physiological, or cultural issues, or the Vitamin D thing some are touting, I dunno. But it is a surprising and terrifying stat if true. Especially if it is physiological. That would not bode well for Africa at all for so many reasons.


----------



## wyk

NYTimes supposedly has a lot of info about this. I can't be arsed to sign up and be spammed by them. But, I found this:









Early Data Shows African Americans Have Contracted and Died of Coronavirus at an Alarming Rate


No, the coronavirus is not an “equalizer.” Black people are being infected and dying at higher rates. Here’s what Milwaukee is doing about it — and why governments need to start releasing data on the race of COVID-19 patients.




www.propublica.org


----------



## Deleted member 110241

wyk said:


> Having said all that, according to NY stats, 68% of the deaths are African Americans, with Milwaukee saying it is nearly 50%. Whether this is due to lack of access to health care/socio economic issues, physiological, or cultural issues, or the Vitamin D thing some are touting, I dunno. But it is a surprising and terrifying stat if true. Especially if it is physiological. That would not bode well for Africa at all for so many reasons.



It's the same here, areas with a lot of immigrants/refugees suffer most. Partly because it took too long to put out information about COVID-19 in other languages than swedish, partly because they haven't had as good health care prior in their lives (if at all). They get the same help/treatment as anyone else but they start off with worse odds of surviving. In hindsight that could maybe have been avoided with a harder quarantine, keep everyone at home while they gather information.
We have more relaxed quarantine but it's well in line of the way things work here, we all have a responsibility in doing what we can to not spread the virus, we are pretty free to do what we want but most of us stay home, keep our distance etc. No need to force us at this point. It took a while for the people in Stockholm to take it seriously but I think everyone is doing what they can at this point.
I just found it funny that Trump speaks about Sweden while he himself believes that this will be over in 2 weeks...


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


> NYTimes supposedly has a lot of info about this. I can't be arsed to sign up and be spammed by them. But, I found this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Early Data Shows African Americans Have Contracted and Died of Coronavirus at an Alarming Rate
> 
> 
> No, the coronavirus is not an “equalizer.” Black people are being infected and dying at higher rates. Here’s what Milwaukee is doing about it — and why governments need to start releasing data on the race of COVID-19 patients.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.propublica.org


ProPublica are great, I especially like their multimedia articles.


----------



## wyk

This motorway is not too far from us. We use it often. Er, used...









Delays on N11 at Kilmacanogue as Gardai launch Operation Fanacht


There are delays on the N11 southbound at Kilmacanogue as Gardai in Wicklow launch Operation Fanacht. Gardai are asking members of the public to stay at home and only travel if the journey is essential. Penalties for




wicklownews.net


----------



## wyk

Animal shelters are beginning to fill up the world over.


----------



## wyk

US is #1 again. 
But not for the right reasons.


----------



## madhatte

This administration is losing it, the states are on their own


----------



## northmanlogging

madhatte said:


> This administration is losing it, the states are on their own


Feels like we already knew that, its just unavoidable now


----------



## wyk

President Trump On Supplying Governors: 'We're Not A Shipping Clerk'


Speaker Pelosi criticized Trump for not moving faster.




www.forbes.com


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> President Trump On Supplying Governors: 'We're Not A Shipping Clerk'
> 
> 
> Speaker Pelosi criticized Trump for not moving faster.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.forbes.com


got room for a couple of loggers over there?


----------



## wyk

PSH, ain't nuttin goin on here. We have the lowest forestry density of all European countries.


----------



## northmanlogging

on the bright side if the union dissolves before July 15, I won't have to pay my federal taxes


----------



## wyk

Gonna celebrate independence day?


----------



## catbuster

I’ve been contemplating heading way south across the Pacific ocean to the place where they drive on the other side of the road and mine a lot of iron for the last three years or so... We’ll see how things are trending towards the fall since we won’t be able to get out of the US for a while with the world on lockdown and the US handling this situation like fools.

I am proud of my governor and the way he’s handling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, though. KY is leading in something good for once.

I’ve worked every July fourth since I was 16, and I don’t think this year will change unless infrastructure repairs don’t happen.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Gonna celebrate independence day?


haven't really felt like it in more then a few years...

ma got herself scrubbed off by a guardrail on July 3rd 2015, was the last time I took the truck through a parade... then with politics and Americans in general being at each others throats... I haven't been feeling the joy of it, and I really really like blowing **** up, and BBQs...


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> I’ve been contemplating heading way south across the Pacific ocean to the place where they drive on the other side of the road and mine a lot of iron for the last three years or so... We’ll see how things are trending towards the fall since we won’t be able to get out of the US for a while with the world on lockdown and the US handling this situation like fools.
> 
> I am proud of my governor and the way he’s handling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, though. KY is leading in something good for once.
> 
> I’ve worked every July fourth since I was 16, and I don’t think this year will change unless infrastructure repairs don’t happen.



I've always wondered about living in Japan. I watch a lot of vids from there.


----------



## catbuster

I think I could get along with Japan’s collectivist society. It’s just another language (and alphabet!) I’d have to learn, in addition to the two I have down and the other two I can kinda use enough to get around those Merkel & Macron-led EU states. Québécois & proper Français are almost two distinct languages. Of course, the same argument could almost be made between American, Aussi, Kiwi, and the three parts of the Isles speaking English. Linguistics is hard.

Oh well.


----------



## northmanlogging

in "good news"? 

Cascadia is trending, WA OR and CA governors have officially begun working together to restart the west coast economies after successfully (or so it appears) managing the covid-19 pandemic at least here on a state level... WA was the first to have a known case in the US (about 20 mi from home) and the first to start shutting things down, by all accounts its working.

Now if this trial run works out... maybe just maybe we can have our own dixie land theme songs? I vote for "4th of july" by soundgarden, or Tribe by Gruntruck


----------



## northmanlogging

Touch me I'm sick, Mudhoney?


----------



## wyk




----------



## madhatte

Bloody hell, defunding the WHO now? This tantrum has got to stop.


----------



## northmanlogging

Uh, where are we going?

And why are we in a handbasket?


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Bloody hell, defunding the WHO now? This tantrum has got to stop.



It's up to Americans to stop it. Folks there seem rather comfortable soaking in their racism and hatred for their fellow Americans. I mean, 'Make America Great Again'? That's a great racist and backwards campaign slogan without even having to actually say 'Make America racist and backwards again'. No wonder so many nearly dead white folks bought it. Well, loads of them are prolly dead by now 
At least the dems aren't stupid enough to put Hillary back up there. I mean, people in Europe hate her, let alone the US. WTF were they thinking? You want to keep people away from the voting booths? That's how you do it.

And another rant - Speaking of MAGA: I see a lot of folks on the right complaining about how the fed is getting too big and influential to handle this epidemic and how it is going to ruin the country and how their parents or grand parents would be appalled by it. What these folks are forgetting(and likely purposefully if they actually were educated) is big government is what made American great in the first place. Up until after WWII, America was mostly a place for poor people. The whole land of the free slogan and immigrant thing was mainly because Europe was in shambles after WWI and being profoundly poor in the US was a sight better than starving to death in Spanish Flu infested literal wasteland Europe at the time. The middle class only really existed in the biggest cities. You first had the New Deal by Roosevelt, which began to build the country ahead of WWII with the PWA - Public Works Department - creating new hospitals, schools, dams, bridges(ever wonder why so many of our bridges are 80+ years old and starting to fail - this is why), airports, etc etc all made possible by the WPA - Works Progress Administration, which helped to bring the labor to those sites, all helped by the Federal Works Agency. Then came loads of huge government intervention and support during WWII with so many government programs I can't list it all here. Employment was so high, children and women were needed. Then, when WWII was over, Truman pushed the Fair Deal through to help us recover from all that WWII stuff that was going on.
Before WWII, nearly everyone was poor and the middle class was still putting it's boots on. So, after WWII, with a suddenly bloated middle class, you had millions of Americans propped up by their fellow countrymen via taxes and seriously bloated federal government programs, with millions of servicemen with GI bonds and bills buying houses and cars running about on all this new infrastructure the federal government built, propping up the economy further. And what did that get us? Nearly three generations of staunch conservative republicans who believe in low taxes and small government. Amazing how these things work out, huh? Make America Great Again! Only, uh, we'll just forget about the absolutely insanely and unprecedented huge and bloated role the federal government played in all of it.
Peace out!


----------



## wendell

Heather Cox Richardson, a historian at Boston College has a new book out, How the South Won the Civil War I think you'd enjoy.

She also conducts two classes per week on FB.


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> Heather Cox Richardson, a historian at Boston College has a new book out, How the South Won the Civil War I think you'd enjoy.
> 
> She also conducts two classes per week on FB.



She talks a bit about Tweedism. Which is something most Americans have absolutely no clue about. I know I ranted on it earlier - Basically, it means the US is not a democracy, or even a republic, but closer to a Plutocracy. This is how we end up with a Hillary VS Trump presidential election. Something which, in a rational world, should never even be possible outside of Hollywood. 
But the plutarcs are smart enough to let your average American's greed, racism, selfishness, and ignorance make their decisions for them. Just look at how people jumped at Trump, and away from Obama. Obama, who was actually able to reign in some of the corruption in health care, hospitals, and health insurance companies(ask me about it, I used to work in Oncology), and who defended the borders more resolutely than Bush had done. They leapt from him because...well, ignorance and racism. And now they're paying the price for it. Fastest karma I think I have ever seen outside of this:



https://thumbs.gfycat.com/WarlikeHappyBlacklemur-mobile.mp4


----------



## wyk

So the drone people are still getting around. Here's Dublin recently. A city of nearly 2 million.
At about :43 ish if you look at the peaky mountains in the distance on the right side of the frame you can see me waving. That's about 24KM, or nearly 15 miles in the distance to the edge of County Wicklow. When people find out I live just south of Dublin and ask me if I can deliver something to Northern Ireland, namely Belfast, I have to explain that although it is only 90 miles away on a map, I still have to drive around 2 million people first, and I end up in another country when I arrive 2 1/2 hours later.


----------



## catbuster

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-states-where-residents-rate-coronavirus-response-favorably



Woo hoo! KY is finally rated first for something good in public health! By .3 points out of 5 too, that is not insignificant.

*I know I’m going ape about KY. But it’s been one hot minute since I could be happy with much where I live. We do wear shoes, too, by the way.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> So the drone people are still getting around. Here's Dublin recently. A city of nearly 2 million.
> At about :43 ish if you look at the peaky mountains in the distance on the right side of the frame you can see me waving. That's about 24KM, or nearly 15 miles in the distance to the edge of County Wicklow. When people find out I live just south of Dublin and ask me if I can deliver something to Northern Ireland, namely Belfast, I have to explain that although it is only 90 miles away on a map, I still have to drive around 2 million people first, and I end up in another country when I arrive 2 1/2 hours later.



there is a ring road around Dublin isn't there? not like a lot of help, but certainly better then trying to drive through Dublin... what a ****ing nightmare that is.

I remember the place teaming with traffic largely pedestrian, too many one way streets, that T with a one way street going the wrong way... that then T's with another one way street also going the wrong way... ah Ireland... Welcome to Dublin, where you can see where you want to go, but can't actually drive there, or park, or turn around and try again...

We made the mistake of trying to get from Slane to roughly Shannon in less then a day, its only like 250 miles... it'll be easy... never mind that there will be sheep, lorries, road schemes, and maniac drivers... not to mention the tour busses, nor the lack of a straight road in the entire ****ing country


----------



## wyk

Slane is actually one of my favorite villages. I know some people who live near it. The area is pretty cool, too. 
Yes, I have to drive the ring road around Dublin. If I had to go through Dublin, it would be closer to 4 hours, assuming it didn't look like you see it there in the video.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Slane is actually one of my favorite villages. I know some people who live near it. The area is pretty cool, too.
> Yes, I have to drive the ring road around Dublin. If I had to go through Dublin, it would be closer to 4 hours, assuming it didn't look like you see it there in the video.


New Grange/the knock are right up there, not to mention Slane castle if your into mega concerts... and its what 30km from the N Ireland border if that? Where at the time there were no guards, gates or even a check point, the speed limit signs changed from KPH to MPH. We went at night after a few pints lol, never did get my passport stamped by England


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> New Grange/the knock are right up there, not to mention Slane castle if your into mega concerts... and its what 30km from the N Ireland border if that? Where at the time there were no guards, gates or even a check point, the speed limit signs changed from KPH to MPH. We went at night after a few pints lol, never did get my passport stamped by England



You better not have gotten a stamp - the border was supposed to be seamless after the Good Friday Agreement.


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-states-where-residents-rate-coronavirus-response-favorably
> 
> 
> 
> Woo hoo! KY is finally rated first for something good in public health! By .3 points out of 5 too, that is not insignificant.
> 
> *I know I’m going ape about KY. But it’s been one hot minute since I could be happy with much where I live. We do wear shoes, too, by the way.



I installed a radiotherapy system in Ashland, KY. In fact, that's how I have photos of Ohio and WV. I recall I was doing installations for the tristate regional group. I took a trip around afterwards - sight seeing. I actually like industrial areas(and music), so found the whole area fascinating. Also - now we know why they needed so many cancer treatment facilities  Now, I also landed in Lexington, Kentucky. And, I gotta say, if I were to move back stateside, Lexington is a gorgeous place...


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> You better not have gotten a stamp - the border was supposed to be seamless after the Good Friday Agreement.



ya, I just figured there would at the very least be a sign like hey welcome to the part of England that embarrasses the Queen, dont be a **** we eat beans with breakfast, etc etc


----------



## wyk

More deaths attributed to Corona in the last month and a half stateside than the flu all last year.


----------



## madhatte

I can't believe how the trumpsters are still all in on "it's a hoax" "open up the economy". What will it take to scare them to their senses?


----------



## catbuster

madhatte said:


> I can't believe how the trumpsters are still all in on "it's a hoax" "open up the economy". What will it take to scare them to their senses?


They’ve been indoctrinated to the ideology. Social media and beating up on anything other than right-wing fringe sources and Fox News (“Faux”? John Oliver went over OAN and they’re even worse) have enabled the spread of disinformation and lies from the top down have been accepted as the norm.

This is not going to change, and that group may not ever be pulled back to reasonable reality.


----------



## wyk

Our HSE/health service released this PDF a few days back:



https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/covid-19-daily-operations-update-20-00-13-april-2020.pdf


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> I can't believe how the trumpsters are still all in on "it's a hoax" "open up the economy". What will it take to scare them to their senses?



I used to be one of those guys


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> I used to be one of those guys


there are a lot more used to be's now, even folks that flat refused to listen to anything criticizing the man, have turned against him.

still though there are an awful lot of zealots.

The alt right/GOP/Trump campaign have used half truths and nearly plausible arguments to bolster their side of the story for so long that it sounds like it could be the truth. couple that with calling every other source of information fake or illegitimate, makes an argument with them pointless. Its dangerous behavior, both for the believers, and for those peddling the lies

Eventually enough folks are going to figure out that they've been lied too, and the repercussions could be shocking. 

I like to think that we are above civil war, and justice will prevail, but I'm not a moron... These folks are dumb and easily led, and largely believe they are well armed against "libtards" so? it could get ugly before it gets better

I've thought this for a very long time BTW


----------



## wyk

Well, I got to say I was never a fan of the current pres. I just meant to say that when I was younger and making money, I was a bit of a ****.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Well, I got to say I was never a fan of the current pres. I just meant to say that when I was younger and making money, I was a bit of a ****.


 Ditto

its good to be skeptical though, my motto as a machinist was "QUESTION EVERYTHING" (cause not everything you hear or see is real) maybe not call everything a hoax out the gate, but if the story raises questions... then them questions need answers... if them answers raise more questions well... 

theres a bunch of stories going around that simply don't have answers, stories that originate on some hucksters podcast or the national inquirer, and if ya dig even a little bit... the water turns out to be quite shallow


----------



## catbuster

This libtard can be pretty well armed, too and has been shot at before. I’d rather not play but if they do, game on. 

My mom’s parents were staunch Republicans, and my dad’s family were a mix of ‘Pubs & Southern Democrats (ya know, social programs are okay as long as only white Jesus is our savior types get them). I want to say it was probably 2003 or so that I started to come around. It was probably because my dad, strangely enough the most “liberal” member of my immediate family, was halfway around the world for the second consecutive year for the second time in my life. Then we started studying Reagan and the Neocons and I pretty much gave up on the GOP, and Ernie Fletcher pulled back regulation of mining and made it even easier to do mountaintop removal.


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> This libtard can be pretty well armed, too and has been shot at before. I’d rather not play but if they do, game on.
> 
> My mom’s parents were staunch Republicans, and my dad’s family were a mix of ‘Pubs & Southern Democrats (ya know, social programs are okay as long as only white Jesus is our savior types get them). I want to say it was probably 2003 or so that I started to come around. It was probably because my dad, strangely enough the most “liberal” member of my immediate family, was halfway around the world for the second consecutive year for the second time in my life. Then we started studying Reagan and the Neocons and I pretty much gave up on the GOP, and Ernie Fletcher pulled back regulation of mining and made it even easier to do mountaintop removal.



Ahh the gipper. That guy was making $12,000/mo in 1942 when he was an actor. Too bad he was a snitch according to Wiki.
During the late 1940s, Reagan (under the code name T-10) and his then-wife, Jane Wyman, provided the FBI with the names of actors within the motion picture industry whom they believed to be communist sympathizers. What a ****. I voted for him, tho


----------



## northmanlogging

catbuster said:


> This libtard can be pretty well armed, too and has been shot at before. I’d rather not play but if they do, game on.
> 
> My mom’s parents were staunch Republicans, and my dad’s family were a mix of ‘Pubs & Southern Democrats (ya know, social programs are okay as long as only white Jesus is our savior types get them). I want to say it was probably 2003 or so that I started to come around. It was probably because my dad, strangely enough the most “liberal” member of my immediate family, was halfway around the world for the second consecutive year for the second time in my life. Then we started studying Reagan and the Neocons and I pretty much gave up on the GOP, and Ernie Fletcher pulled back regulation of mining and made it even easier to do mountaintop removal.


Lots of "libtards" with a whole lot of firepower for being unarmed snowflakes lol

Bush Sr, was my first inkling that the GOP was a sham, (no new taxes, but F you middle class etc) I was too young to fully realize the damage done during the Reagan years (though I do have a damned good memory) JR didn't help them any.

the GOP used the spotted owl lawsuits against the dems out here, even though the lawsuits were brought on by private interests and were largely non political, the GOP made them political. Its that tired old half truth BS, Clinton designated millions of acres as wilderness about the same time... so of course the Dems are protecting the spotted owl, nevermind that literally every president since Teddy R has done the same thing, nor that the lawsuits ended up being mostly about money, as many environmental suits still are (don't get me wrong, we probably should have stopped cutting old growth in the late 70's and the last 20 years or so of it was incredibly wasteful with modern methods and regrowth of second growth already becoming profitable[but also, tipping a big tree is still funner then ****])


----------



## wendell

Well, since we're all going to confessional... 

Grew up in a staunch Republican family and stayed true until halfway through Bush Jr's first term and realized the whole story I had believed was a sham. The Republicans had no intention of actually fixing anything but were only determined to tell a story to get the simple minded to buy in.

Watching friends who would be absolutely apoplectic if a Democrat was doing what Trump is, but supporting him 100% makes me afraid the American experiment is coming to a conclusion.

Love of country has been replaced by love of ideology. 

Sieg heil!


----------



## northmanlogging

im waiting for the other side to comment...

should be epic


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


> I used to be one of those guys



It's good to be able to learn! I probably would have chafed at these restrictions when I was a sprat, too. Of course, now that I have actually lived through an epidemic ON THE EXACT SAME SHIP LIVING THROUGH ONE NOW it all seems pretty obvious to me that epidemiology is all about the precautions and rightly so.


----------



## wyk

So, like, I'm totally bored and stuff. I got a Mi box S for the TV. I already do the chromecast and the videostream thang. I was wondering if there's 'free' shows and stuff anyone could suggest?


----------



## catbuster

teamcoco.com has a lot of Conan O’Brien’s skits/remotes/pieces since he took over The Late Show.

Lots of stuff on YouTube. I enjoy it when a video from our resident gyppo pops up in my subscription box.


----------



## catbuster

I’ve been listening to and really taking the time to dig deep into some music and try to do more than listen. I know, touchy-feely stuff, but I usually don’t have the time and right now my guys need to be paid so me being away and letting more people work, six feet apart, is probably better.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> So, like, I'm totally bored and stuff. I got a Mi box S for the TV. I already do the chromecast and the videostream thang. I was wondering if there's 'free' shows and stuff anyone could suggest?


may I suggest "tiger king" its horrible, like a train wreck, of a circus train... netfix here in the states


----------



## northmanlogging

catbuster said:


> teamcoco.com has a lot of Conan O’Brien’s skits/remotes/pieces since he took over The Late Show.
> 
> Lots of stuff on YouTube. I enjoy it when a video from our resident gyppo pops up in my subscription box.


crap I was gonna put the camera on the loader today... but totally forgot until now


----------



## catbuster

northmanlogging said:


> may I suggest "tiger king" its horrible, like a train wreck, of a circus train... netfix here in the states



If you’d like more brainless, and on Netflix, there’s Trailer Park Boys.

All things being equal, Netflix doesn’t host most of the TV I’ve enjoyed over the last 15-20 years or so. FX was cranking out awesome TV from ~2005-2015. Justified, Rescue Me, yada. Orphan Black, Broadchurch & Killing Eve have been on BBC, at least BBC America. Then there’s always Malcom Tucker, who I’m often compared to (not sure that’s a good thing) and The Thick of It.


----------



## Skeans

catbuster said:


> If you’d like more brainless, and on Netflix, there’s Trailer Park Boys.
> 
> All things being equal, Netflix doesn’t host most of the TV I’ve enjoyed over the last 15-20 years or so. FX was cranking out awesome TV from ~2005-2015. Justified, Rescue Me, yada. Orphan Black, Broadchurch & Killing Eve have been on BBC, at least BBC America. Then there’s always Malcom Tucker, who I’m often compared to (not sure that’s a good thing) and The Thick of It.



Justified is good, so is Longmire, or Top Gear/The Grand Tour if you’re a car guy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## wendell

I've really enjoyed Longmire, Turn, Breaking Bad and currently, The Americans.


----------



## wyk

Justified is a great series. Especially if yer a southerner.
I been watching Westworld, Witcher(the wife is a fan of Cavill - surprise) - it mostly just confuses me, Outsider, Ozark, we binged tiger king(what a train wreck - remember Trump asking reporters if he should pardon him? What a moron - I think they ALL should be in jail nearly), uh, the wife finds trailer park boys a bit entertaining - it's too much cringe for me. I mean, I can't even watch the us or uk office because it reminds me too much of my corporate time. Closest I can do to that sort of stuff is My Name is Earl. But thats because the bichis be hot mostly. Erm, I enjoy Better Call Saul, but the wife is not as attached to it as she was Breaking Bad. We're both enjoying the insanity that is Future Man season 3. It's just so random. Parts of season 2 were a real bore, but it's picking back up. We binged half the season the other night. Season 1 was def the best, tho. I was actually in LA when they were filming it. We had just gone to Canters(because you have to if yer visting LA), and they had a sign on it was gonna be closed for filming in the evenings. I just thought 'of course it is, this is LA'.


----------



## madhatte

I've been rediscovering my record collection. Turns out it's excellent. Thanks, past me!


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Justified is a great series. Especially if yer a southerner.
> I been watching Westworld, Witcher(the wife is a fan of Cavill - surprise) - it mostly just confuses me, Outsider, Ozark, we binged tiger king(what a train wreck - remember Trump asking reporters if he should pardon him? What a moron - I think they ALL should be in jail nearly), uh, the wife finds trailer park boys a bit entertaining - it's too much cringe for me. I mean, I can't even watch the us or uk office because it reminds me too much of my corporate time. Closest I can do to that sort of stuff is My Name is Earl. But thats because the bichis be hot mostly. Erm, I enjoy Better Call Saul, but the wife is not as attached to it as she was Breaking Bad. We're both enjoying the insanity that is Future Man season 3. It's just so random. Parts of season 2 were a real bore, but it's picking back up. We binged half the season the other night. Season 1 was def the best, tho. I was actually in LA when they were filming it. We had just gone to Canters(because you have to if yer visting LA), and they had a sign on it was gonna be closed for filming in the evenings. I just thought 'of course it is, this is LA'.



You could dig up some Father Ted, or just wait for it to come round on RTE4, 

I'm with ya on trailer park boys, too close to home...



madhatte said:


> I've been rediscovering my record collection. Turns out it's excellent. Thanks, past me!



Northman approves lol


----------



## northmanlogging

this would be my first view of Father Ted... after 24hr flight on no sleep and not enough nicotine... followed by an 11 hr marathon drive through some of the craziest roads I've ever been on, only to see this on the TV, as soon as we turned it on.


----------



## wyk

Father Ted is ubiquitous here, believe it or not...
But I do enjoy a few episodes. The racist one is good.


----------



## wyk

wyk said:


> Father Ted is ubiquitous here, believe it or not...
> But I do enjoy a few episodes. The racist one is good.




BTW, I couldn't watch yer youtube link because it isn't available in Ireland. How about them apples?


----------



## madhatte

Oh dang, I have all of Father Ted on DVD, guess I know what I'm doing tonight!


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> BTW, I couldn't watch yer youtube link because it isn't available in Ireland. How about them apples?


Lame lame lame...

anyway, toilet duck, with father Jacks hallucinations...


----------



## madhatte

I keep laughing hard enough that I scare the cats off. What a great show.


----------



## wyk

I hadn't heard from the bud of mine who worked in Dun Laoghaire for a few days, so was getting concerned. He then popped back on the messenger telling me he has no sleep due to other carers being out of work and the over all work load. So still a mess here.


----------



## madhatte

Army's got me "working" from home. It's a bit of a stretch to find meaningful forestry field stuff to do from the comfort of my home but man have I ever listened to some records snd petted the cats.


----------



## wyk

I'll just leave this here:


----------



## catbuster

Barr Threatens Legal Action Against Governors Over Lockdowns


The Justice Department will consider taking legal action against governors who continue to impose stringent rules for dealing with the coronavirus that infringe on constitutional rights even after the crisis subsides in their states, Attorney General William Barr said.




www.bloomberg.com





Come on, man. First the feds aren’t “shipping clerks” and won’t help the states with anything and now want to force them to walk a line that’s potentially (probably) not good for the public?

What the ****, eh?


----------



## wyk

Here's a response


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Here's a response



Damn, that almost sounds like me, yikes, but he is absolutely correct. Thanks Wes


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> Barr Threatens Legal Action Against Governors Over Lockdowns
> 
> 
> The Justice Department will consider taking legal action against governors who continue to impose stringent rules for dealing with the coronavirus that infringe on constitutional rights even after the crisis subsides in their states, Attorney General William Barr said.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.bloomberg.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Come on, man. First the feds aren’t “shipping clerks” and won’t help the states with anything and now want to force them to walk a line that’s potentially (probably) not good for the public?
> 
> What the ****, eh?



It's always amazing how well greed can enslave a person's morals.


----------



## madhatte

That Cressida is absolutely bonkers


----------



## wyk

Springtime chores. The lawn up in Wicklow is much smaller than the one on the estate I work on in Waterford. Here's our 1KW mower vs the 2.3KWH MS241CM


----------



## wyk

That your 125 there, Don?


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> That your 125 there, Don?


Not my 125, it almost looks Ike it could be a big gear drive though. The handle is not a 125, 797 maybe? That isn't my one of my bars.


----------



## madhatte

Pretty sure it's Sheldon's, I forget which model. Not sure he still has it. I know he let a few go in his recent move.


----------



## wyk

this is back from late march. still interesting:









8 strains of the coronavirus are circling the globe. Here's what clues they're giving scientists.


Scientists sequenced the genomes of eight coronavirus strains circling the globe providing hints about the effectiveness of efforts to halt the virus.



eu.usatoday.com


----------



## wyk

and then there's this 









Coronavirus shakes the conceit of ‘American exceptionalism’


WASHINGTON (AP) — What if the real “invisible enemy” is the enemy from within — America's very institutions...




apnews.com


----------



## madhatte

I saw that. It's a little more opinionated a piece than I usually expect from AP but it's well written.


----------



## wyk

The frustration is palpable.
Maybe the dems should call their campaign:
'MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'



madhatte said:


> I saw that. It's a little more opinionated a piece than I usually expect from AP but it's well written.


----------



## madhatte

gross


----------



## catbuster

Social distancing into the summer here stateside. Should be interesting. I guess I won’t be heading out westward this September.


----------



## Skeans

catbuster said:


> Social distancing into the summer here stateside. Should be interesting. I guess I won’t be heading out westward this September.



How’s that going to work for fire work?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## catbuster

Skeans said:


> How’s that going to work for fire work?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



USFS put a memo out about a month ago regarding this issue... They’re cancelling fire season.









In all seriousness, looks like no big fire camps anymore, lots of smaller ones and all of the things involved. Fewer crews will be travelling this year, seems like we’ll be doing with less. RT-130 and pack tests are waived if you had them last year. Other than that is seems like it’s a work in progress. We’re supposed to be following CDC guidelines but wildland is a pretty hard place to do so.

At home we’re limiting to 4 personnel/apparatus in the corners of the cab. I’m keeping my ears on but it seems like it’s a moving target. But I’m just an AD or a contractor for feds/state agencies, depending on where I am.


----------



## madhatte

We're stretched thin enough that we can get away with one person per engine. Mixed blessings.


----------



## wyk

UK statistics office released this the other day:


----------



## wyk

But things are looking up:









COVID-19 Data Explorer


Research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems




ourworldindata.org


----------



## Deleted member 110241

wyk said:


> But things are looking up:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> COVID-19 Data Explorer
> 
> 
> Research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ourworldindata.org


It's difficult to know how this is going since different countries seem to count Covid19 deaths differently. We also don't know yet what will happen when the restrictions are lifted. 
I noticed that Sweden and Ireland have the same amount of deaths/million, so it would seem to me that the virus either spreads anyway or was much faster than we thought initially and already was spread over our countries before actions were taken.


----------



## wyk

Markus said:


> It's difficult to know how this is going since different countries seem to count Covid19 deaths differently. We also don't know yet what will happen when the restrictions are lifted.
> I noticed that Sweden and Ireland have the same amount of deaths/million, so it would seem to me that the virus either spreads anyway or was much faster than we thought initially and already was spread over our countries before actions were taken.



It may be similar... for now. Ireland is waning, whilst Sweden is waxing. We also had unseasonably warm weather when it did hit(20's!), and a lot of people were out and about in social situations that wouldn't normally have been happening this time of year. The whole idea was to keep the numbers low enough so the health systems could handle the load while we try to get a grip on exactly what we are dealing with. For each country, that will be different. I doubt our health system is as good as yours. We were having public debates about how to fix it before this Covid thing even happened.

Now that we've managed our health systems and have a bit of a clue what this thing is, the idea is to keep people from dying, full stop. Which in most of the developed world is a goal that has to be balanced with the economy. After all, if the economy collapses, more people will die as well, regardless of the disease. But we certainly have to take a better approach than I often see American tout like 'people die every day, just let it wash over us!'. While the lethality will most certainly drop once we have more testing done(it's difficut to get tested here unless you are in the health care system AND showing symptoms), the fact it can be lethal and is incredibly esily transmitted means it will need to be taken seriously until enough people are inoculated one way or the other.

Known problems so far with Covid-19 we have to contend with:

r0/contagiousness as high as 16+ measle-like territory. The Flu is usually r1 or less. With as much as 2 weeks incubation, and with evidence up to 50-80% people are not even symptomatic(not even a fever), that gives a lot of people time to rub their noses and then touch or cough all over a lot of things in the world, this thing spreads like wildfire. I think when this has blown over, they will probably show it is even more contagious.

It is often severe or fatal in people with hypertension, diabetes, Sickle Cell anaemia, and minorities(with evidence low vit D can be a factor, but this stat still needs to be investigated), and fatal in men more so than women by nearly twice as much in some places. South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, the countries with the best handle on Covid so far, are in the 2% lethality range. This is still much higher than the flu.

They are finding high levels of antibodies in people previously infected. But it's anyone's guess how long they will stick around. Could be a couple of years, could be for life. But in other coronavirus cases like the common cold, it lasted only a 1-2 years(which is why the common cold is so common). The idea is to inoculate people, which is why scientists want to open up restrictions gently and require masks now that we've made more. Having said that, a fried of mine who is a health care worker just told me N95's are like unicorns. They are all just wearing surgical masks, and for the entire day before discarding them unless they are actually coughed on or bled on by a known patient.

Oxford, as well as two other companies in the US, have begun vaccine testing on humans. Which is sort of crazy. Usually it takes months before you test this stuff on animals.
People have volunteered to be guinea pigs. Those people are going to save thousands of lives. Bless 'em. Usually they use a placebo in these tests, but I have heard the labs are reluctant to do so with volunteers.

No one has found Gwyneth Paltrow yet. There has yet to be a patient zero. With something that spreads like this, that's easy to understand.

Bats. They are a problem. One thing I often saw back in Texas was the 'Rabies Warning' sign. It was posted in areas where they found them. The problem is bats are mammals and they freaking fly. You can not contain them. If they catch something, it's gonna spread to other mammals. Having said it, birds do a decent job of spreading stuff too. It's just that bats like to nibble on our fruit, and they have huge hives. So when one gets sick, loads of others do as well.


----------



## wyk

Btw, one of the clues to why this causes so much trouble with folks that have heart conditions, aside from the usual health issues, is in the name of the receptor on your cells that Sars-Cov-V2 attaches to. The ACE2 receptor regulates your blood pressure amongst a few other things. That A in ACE2 stands for Angiotensin.









Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org


----------



## catbuster

This situation is becoming even more interesting by the day. It’s been... 18 years since I had a college level biology class, and 8 years since I used any microbiology, but the microbiology of the way this virus works is fascinating. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather not be learning this for these reasons, but the science here is fascinating.


----------



## madhatte

^ with you 100%, fascinating but dang maybe a bit of a rest would be OK too


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> This situation is becoming even more interesting by the day. It’s been... 18 years since I had a college level biology class, and 8 years since I used any microbiology, but the microbiology of the way this virus works is fascinating. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather not be learning this for these reasons, but the science here is fascinating.



As an engineer, I only took one college level bio course. And I did it electively. I was always curious about everything(it took me 5 1/2 years to graduate I took so many electives, so many that I rolled some in to a minor). Nowadays, we gots da youtubez 
But, yeah, this is a terrible way to learn about how coronavirus works 
But are any of us really surprised? RNA mutates so readily, it was only a matter of time before one of them fit well enough to cause troubles.

Here's a bunch of preliminary sciency stuff bout da mutants:



https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.09.034942v1.full.pdf


----------



## wyk

So this happened:









President Trump, here's how to take charge of this crisis


Wesley Clark outlines the ways the President can succeed in fighting the virus: Mr. President, if you deal successfully with Covid-19, you will likely be reelected. If you prematurely push opening of the economy, and the US lurches into repetitive spikes of Covid-19, you will likely not be...




edition.cnn.com


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> So this happened:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> President Trump, here's how to take charge of this crisis
> 
> 
> Wesley Clark outlines the ways the President can succeed in fighting the virus: Mr. President, if you deal successfully with Covid-19, you will likely be reelected. If you prematurely push opening of the economy, and the US lurches into repetitive spikes of Covid-19, you will likely not be...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> edition.cnn.com


True'r words ain't never been spoken. It was very well put.


----------



## catbuster

CDC Guidance For Reopening Schools, Child Care And Summer Camps Is Leaked


The document has been in the works for some time, but reports say the White House tried to suppress it.




www.npr.org





Ugh. The CDC guidelines are reasonable. What is wrong with this administration? Handling this properly is a better way to be reelected than trying to force an economic recovery at the expense of citizen’s lives, which, of course, hurts economic recovery.



https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6883736/CDC-documents.pdf





https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CDC-Business-Plans.pdf


----------



## northmanlogging

catbuster said:


> CDC Guidance For Reopening Schools, Child Care And Summer Camps Is Leaked
> 
> 
> The document has been in the works for some time, but reports say the White House tried to suppress it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.npr.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ugh. The CDC guidelines are reasonable. What is wrong with this administration? Handling this properly is a better way to be reelected than trying to force an economic recovery at the expense of citizen’s lives, which, of course, hurts economic recovery.
> 
> 
> 
> https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6883736/CDC-documents.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CDC-Business-Plans.pdf


its not about the economy, or people, it's about control, regardless of who is hurt or how.

I fully expect the Trump to refuse to step down when he loses the election, likely claiming voter fraud, or crisis or?


----------



## CR888

northmanlogging said:


> its not about the economy, or people, it's about control, regardless of who is hurt or how.
> 
> I fully expect the Trump to refuse to step down when he loses the election, likely claiming voter fraud, or crisis or?


Do you think Biden will knock him off his perch do you?...


----------



## sawfun

northmanlogging said:


> its not about the economy, or people, it's about control, regardless of who is hurt or how.
> 
> I fully expect the Trump to refuse to step down when he loses the election, likely claiming voter fraud, or crisis or?


I'm inclined to believe that he won't go away easily no matter what happens, even if he served two complete terms.


----------



## North by Northwest

wyk said:


> ugh
> 
> on a brighter note, i made some slide shows of ireland



Awesome thanks for sharing !


----------



## catbuster

You’re right, I keep expecting this administration to be playing the political game. They’re not... They can’t even rationalize any reasonable response to anything, literally anything. A modicum of decency is beyond its grasp.


----------



## northmanlogging

CR888 said:


> Do you think Biden will knock him off his perch do you?...


literally any other candidate with a pulse could at this point.


----------



## wyk

It's all so exciting. You guys prolly don't see it, but the Euro news sources have a lot to say about Trump. Well, they actually say very little; his quotes say it all.
I dunno bout Biden, but Murica sure as hell ain't ready for Bernie.

So Andrew made a vid of the most recent saw I ported for him. It's a 4300 Makita, AKA Dolmar 421.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> It's all so exciting. You guys prolly don't see it, but the Euro news sources have a lot to say about Trump. Well, they actually say very little; his quotes say it all.
> I dunno bout Biden, but Murica sure as hell ain't ready for Bernie.
> 
> So Andrew made a vid of the most recent saw I ported for him. It's a 4300 Makita, AKA Dolmar 421.



boy that thing flat gets with it


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> CDC Guidance For Reopening Schools, Child Care And Summer Camps Is Leaked
> 
> 
> The document has been in the works for some time, but reports say the White House tried to suppress it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.npr.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ugh. The CDC guidelines are reasonable. What is wrong with this administration? Handling this properly is a better way to be reelected than trying to force an economic recovery at the expense of citizen’s lives, which, of course, hurts economic recovery.
> 
> 
> 
> https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6883736/CDC-documents.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CDC-Business-Plans.pdf



So this guy had sumfin to say bout it:









Obama says White House response to coronavirus has been 'absolute chaotic disaster'


Former President Barack Obama delivered a blistering critique of the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus crisis, describing it as "an absolute chaotic disaster" during a private call Friday night with people who worked for him in the White House and across his administration.




edition.cnn.com


----------



## wyk

Then there's stuff like this:









AP Exclusive: Docs show top WH officials buried CDC report


GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The decision to shelve <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6883734-CDC-Business-Plans...




apnews.com





Yeah, we know no one at the top gives a crap about the health of those nearer the bottom. But this is just depressing. I mean, we do have to open up sometime. Just do yer freakin jobs and figure out how to go about it without killing everyone. That's your damn job. You literally have ONE job to do right now. And yer all paid very well to figure it out. So figure it out instead of messing about like morons.


----------



## catbuster

wyk said:


> So this guy had sumfin to say bout it:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Obama says White House response to coronavirus has been 'absolute chaotic disaster'
> 
> 
> Former President Barack Obama delivered a blistering critique of the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus crisis, describing it as "an absolute chaotic disaster" during a private call Friday night with people who worked for him in the White House and across his administration.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> edition.cnn.com



I heard that this morning as was absolutely elated, even more than when G.W critiqued him. I’m sick of former presidents being namby-pamby about the ongoing failures of current administrations. Obama especially, the man deserves to speak out after some of the obstruction that hopefully will be overlooked in the future instead of being precedent.


----------



## wyk

Obama made local news, too:








In leaked web call, Obama calls Trump's coronavirus response 'an absolute chaotic disaster'


Obama urges former staffers to join him in rallying behind Joe Biden as he prepares to take on Trump.




www.thejournal.ie


----------



## wyk

Maybe Nathan remembers this...


----------



## wyk

So Matt, who is lke 15 mins from me literally up the road, had this to say:


----------



## wyk

I forgot to add some photos of Dalky where he's holed up at the moment:


----------



## catbuster

If he’s holed up in Europe, I guess he’s trying to do the Jason Bourne character in real life...


----------



## The Lorax

He got stuck here I think.
Not a bad spot to be stuck in I guess.


----------



## northmanlogging

The Lorax said:


> He got stuck here I think.
> Not a bad spot to be stuck in I guess.


could be worse... could be stuck in New York


----------



## wyk

So this is what it looks like here nowadays


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


> Maybe Nathan remembers this...




Soon's I saw that thumbnail I knew exactly where it was gonna be. Just rolled through there last week.


----------



## wyk

Stay proud, folks!


----------



## wyk

Out and about again. Back in Powerscourt, WIcklow:


----------



## atpchas

What kind of tree is the one in the lower left with the prominent flare? That tree is a poster child for DBH measurements.


----------



## madhatte

atpchas said:


> that tree is a poster child for DBH measurements.



That it is!


----------



## wyk

It's just a red cedar. 






Here's a Sequoia:





An assortment:





Another red:





On the old estates in Ireland and England, there are a lot of prominent prarie/lone trees with huge flares both hardwood and softwood.





Here's an old Lime tree:





This Ash we call Yggdrasil, it badly needs the vines controlled:






This beech had so much flare I had to cut in to it in order to fell it with a full wrap(I since went to a half wrap):


----------



## wyk

The light here in Ireland is often very soft due to the clouds and the angle of the sun virtually all year. These next few are good examples. They all look like I shot them in a lightbox, but it's done in evening light with very little post processing. This first one has only been cropped, no noise or sharpness added even though it is ISO 1000, exposed at -.7EV:







The rest are mildly warmed over:


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk




----------



## catbuster

That is gorgeous lighting, and the fox feeding from farmers is not something I would expect to see. Much nicer than the ugly sights I’m seeing here.


----------



## wyk

So it's gone a bit bonkers out, uh? I trust you guys are staying out of trouble?
Here's the Houston Police Chief yesterday:









Police chief to Trump: Please, keep your mouth shut if you can't be constructive - CNN Video


Houston police chief Art Acevedo responds to President Trump telling governors to "dominate" protesters.




edition.cnn.com


----------



## wyk

Just trotting about in County WIcklow, Ireland.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Just trotting about in County WIcklow, Ireland.


That looks like an absolutely excellent trek. You're a lucky man Wes.


----------



## wyk

How's things, Don?


----------



## wyk

Wow, noticed a lot of early images and some videos aren't posting right since this is the third or fourth upgrade of this site since I started this thread.

I'll just chuck up a 10 year old vid of my hacking it up in ENgland here then:



Yeah, I know I shoulda had my helmet on at the start.


----------



## AUSSIE1

How are you keeping Wes? Well it looks as though you made your move permanent as you said you wood.

Excellent photos mate.

Ive been slabbing some peppermint (euco. radiata) which i end up milling into boards for trimming around the windows and doors.

Keep well.

Al.


----------



## wyk

Nice! Good to see you're still goin, bud. Not much news here. Settled down and turning more in to a salesman than a woodsman nowadays.


----------



## wyk

So I am back on the estate. Making firewood as usual. But also helping them restore the farm house I am staying in. It's an utter mess inside. But outside, it's starting to come together.
This is actual white washing with lime. No wonder Huck Finn didn't wanna do it. It burns!









This is what the wood pile next to the farm house looks like after I haven't fed it for 5 months:





In the middle of that arch is an homage to the goat they used to let roam on the estate that someone left them to retire here.
Here name was rosie - she actually just fell dead right at the wood pile a couple of months back:






I recall one evening walking back to the house from the forestry when Rosie came out at me from the bushes to welcome me. Startled the crap outta me! 
It's was then I realized I am no match for a leopard or a jaguar in the jungle if a nearly dead goat can sneak up on me while she's chewing her weeds.


We still have loads of wood, mostly oak, seasoned sitting about ready to burn, so we'll be OK for the winter:


----------



## wyk

So, I have this old 241CM that is a complete pain to run. It's unreliable and does all sort of random stuff. I replaced the carb last year. I ain't chucking any mo money in to it. So today I took it and I cut half off the flywheel key and shoved it back together, and poured some of our 98 octane fuel in to it. It won't idle, but it fires up. I kept blipping it to keep her alive and then shoved her in to some 20 inch chunks of oak. And holy SCHMOKES! Now I know what to do if I am ever in another gtg saw off.
So after 3 super strong cuts, like heavily ported 346xp 50cc like pulls, she dies. Smoking, heat, burning smell, the whole deal.
I leave her alone for an hour while I set up my 044. I ground off the bucking spikes a bit coz they were too long. These are the things you do in Ireland when you're bored.
I went back to the 241, removed the flywheel, shoved a thin piece of bailing wire in to the keyway so the timing is back to standard. And she runs. Well, she runs like she used to - unreliably. But it doesn't seem to be worse for the suepr hot super advanced timing run. Just she's not as strong now.
SO yeah...timing advance.



wyk said:


> So I am back on the estate. Making firewood as usual. But also helping them restore the farm house I am staying in. It's an utter mess inside. But outside, it's starting to come together.
> This is actual white washing with lime. No wonder Huck Finn didn't wanna do it. It burns!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is what the wood pile next to the farm house looks like after I haven't fed it for 5 months:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In the middle of that arch is an homage to the goat they used to let roam on the estate that someone left them to retire here.
> Here name was rosie - she actually just fell dead right at the wood pile a couple of months back:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I recall one evening walking back to the house from the forestry when Rosie came out at me from the bushes to welcome me. Startled the crap outta me!
> It's was then I realized I am no match for a leopard or a jaguar in the jungle if a nearly dead goat can sneak up on me while she's chewing her weeds.
> 
> 
> We still have loads of wood, mostly oak, seasoned sitting about ready to burn, so we'll be OK for the winter:


----------



## wyk

Some folks have said giving a ported 241 more air helps it. So... I added air. Hadn't helped. This is basically a parts saw. 


wyk said:


> So, I have this old 241CM that is a complete pain to run. It's unreliable and does all sort of random stuff. I replaced the carb last year. I ain't chucking any mo money in to it. So today I took it and I cut half off the flywheel key and shoved it back together, and poured some of our 98 octane fuel in to it. It won't idle, but it fires up. I kept blipping it to keep her alive and then shoved her in to some 20 inch chunks of oak. And holy SCHMOKES! Now I know what to do if I am ever in another gtg saw off.
> So after 3 super strong cuts, like heavily ported 346xp 50cc like pulls, she dies. Smoking, heat, burning smell, the whole deal.
> I leave her alone for an hour while I set up my 044. I ground off the bucking spikes a bit coz they were too long. These are the things you do in Ireland when you're bored.
> I went back to the 241, removed the flywheel, shoved a thin piece of bailing wire in to the keyway so the timing is back to standard. And she runs. Well, she runs like she used to - unreliably. But it doesn't seem to be worse for the suepr hot super advanced timing run. Just she's not as strong now.
> SO yeah...timing advance.


----------



## wyk

Here's a pic of her






wyk said:


> Some folks have said giving a ported 241 more air helps it. So... I added air. Hadn't helped. This is basically a parts saw.


----------



## AUSSIE1

wyk said:


> Here's a pic of her


Geez Wes, what a hack!


----------



## sawfun

AUSSIE1 said:


> Geez Wes, what a hack!


Yeah, but ya gotta love the sticker. Way cool Wes, how much power do it add?


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


>



THIS IS A DRILL

THIS IS ONLY A DRILL


----------



## wyk

It made no difference, of course. I am gonna pull the carb apart and hopefully it just needs a clean.
A one year old carb. If this doesn't do it, it's a parts saw.
Thanks for the MTronic, Stihl. It's made our lives so much better.
Having said that, I did get at least a few years use out of it.
But just not quite as much as I have out of my 044 and 288...



madhatte said:


> THIS IS A DRILL
> 
> THIS IS ONLY A DRILL


----------



## wyk

AUSSIE1 said:


> Geez Wes, what a hack!


Subtle, no?


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> Yeah, but ya gotta love the sticker. Way cool Wes, how much power do it add?



The sticker added about loads. The holes, not so much...


----------



## AUSSIE1

wyk said:


> Subtle, no?



Good ol Aussie sh1t stirring Wes. Nothing wrong with that saw mate. As Sawfun said that sticker!


----------



## wyk

Oh that sticker makes the rounds. You have to order them in a 1 meter square amount. So I have hundreds of them.  They find themselves on anything I touch. 
Even con saws(which I should charge extra just for the clean up)..







A more conservatively drilled Echo:


----------



## wyk

Jesus Christ. My local dealer wants €60 for an MTronic solenoid.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Jesus Christ. My local dealer wants €60 for an MTronic solenoid.


Better stock up, oh wait, make sure its the current color of the month. At least carb kits are still available. I'm pretty sure gas powered stuff is gonna get banned around here.


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> Better stock up, oh wait, make sure its the current color of the month. At least carb kits are still available. I'm pretty sure gas powered stuff is gonna get banned around here.



I like the new small electric saws a lot:


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> I like the new small electric saws a lot:



I've got a Makita battery saw I like a lot too, but I don't like the new mandates that push gas machines completely out.


----------



## wyk

So, I pulled the old solenoid out. I 'cleaned it' as much as I dared. Put it back in, and no go. Then, I did a few resets. No go. This morning, I do a reset, and it starts to make that idle sound that I am used to hearing from MTronic. You know, the monotonous 'erhh erhhh erhh erhh erhh erhh'. Just banging on. Before, it was struggling a bit. So I let her go 90 seconds and shut her off. I start her up, and now she wants to rev a bit. It comes and goes, but it's actually responding. I stick it in wood and she cuts tentatively and then angrily, off and on for a minute or two. Then, suddenly, she starts to come back to life. Now I regret all those holes I drilled 
But, she is stronger than ever until her next episode. I'm gonna try and get that orange 15 micron filter folks say you should have with the solenoids(reminds me of problems with high pressure common rail diesels that you got to swap out the filters often for). And we'll see if it actually starts tomorrow.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> So, I pulled the old solenoid out. I 'cleaned it' as much as I dared. Put it back in, and no go. Then, I did a few resets. No go. This morning, I do a reset, and it starts to make that idle sound that I am used to hearing from MTronic. You know, the monotonous 'erhh erhhh erhh erhh erhh erhh'. Just banging on. Before, it was struggling a bit. So I let her go 90 seconds and shut her off. I start her up, and now she wants to rev a bit. It comes and goes, but it's actually responding. I stick it in wood and she cuts tentatively and then angrily, off and on for a minute or two. Then, suddenly, she starts to come back to life. Now I regret all those holes I drilled
> But, she is stronger than ever until her next episode. I'm gonna try and get that orange 15 micron filter folks say you should have with the solenoids(reminds me of problems with high pressure common rail diesels that you got to swap out the filters often for). And we'll see if it actually starts tomorrow.


I hope you get it straightened out Wes. Those were supposed to be the hot 40cc ticket. I'm thinking I like my 024 a bit more now. I had a girlfriend who had a 03 Dodge common rail diesel that had no filter issues. In fact she never changed to filter from new until I did when it had 115k miles on it.


----------



## wyk

The caterpillars were having the problems. We had one where if you did't swap the fuel filter every 12K miles(basically every oil change), the injectors would eventually die. That was a 3160 I think?
I went to the saw just now and started it up. It ran as well as it ever has.
I mean...I dunno. It's all witchcraft.


----------



## wyk

Also, if I recall, this and the 441 were the first saws with MTronic. I got this thing in a trade. There is no way I would have bought it. I didn't like the idea of MTronic when it came out. Not because I hate progress or change, I just hate complicated equipment. ANd this saw is a good example.

A great example of a modern piece of uncomplicated equipment is the Maruyama weed eater. It literally has nothing on it the thing doesn't need. NO complicated drive covers, no weird handle trying to hide the control wires, no mtronic, no 10 piece engine shroud. Easier to work on than a chainsaw. And my favourite piece of equipment we have. I believe Maruyama is under the Makita umbrella. SO it's chainsaws are rebadged DOlmars/Shindaiwas, and Echo's. I dunno if the trimmer is maruyama make or yet another brand rebadged.









B420


B420




maruyama-us.com










I mean, their last one was a Kawasaki. It died and needed work. The handle would always shift no matter how well you tightened it.I removed the handle and ground some flutes in to the shaft so it would grip it better when I tightened it down, and it still would come a bit lose. Just such a bad design. The stupid thing had a two piece blade cover. WTF. ANd look at that idiotic engine shroud.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Also, if I recall, this and the 441 were the first saws with MTronic. I got this thing in a trade. There is no way I would have bought it. I didn't like the idea of MTronic when it came out. Not because I hate progress or change, I just hate complicated equipment. ANd this saw is a good example.
> 
> A great example of a modern piece of uncomplicated equipment is the Maruyama weed eater. It literally has nothing on it the thing doesn't need. NO complicated drive covers, no weird handle trying to hide the control wires, no mtronic, no 10 piece engine shroud. Easier to work on than a chainsaw. And my favourite piece of equipment we have. I believe Maruyama is under the Makita umbrella. SO it's chainsaws are rebadged DOlmars/Shindaiwas, and Echo's. I dunno if the trimmer is maruyama make or yet another brand rebadged.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> B420
> 
> 
> B420
> 
> 
> 
> 
> maruyama-us.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I mean, their last one was a Kawasaki. It died and needed work. The handle would always shift no matter how well you tightened it.I removed the handle and ground some flutes in to the shaft so it would grip it better when I tightened it down, and it still would come a bit lose. Just such a bad design. The stupid thing had a two piece blade cover. WTF. ANd look at that idiotic engine shroud.


Either that extended shroud is part of a good AV system, or its a copycat of the Husky and Stihl brush cutters in appearance only. My old fs550 looked like that, but it was extremely smooth. Is the one in the bottom picture heavy and smooth or does it just have the same looks as a the commercial brush cutters?


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> Either that extended shroud is part of a good AV system, or its a copycat of the Husky and Stihl brush cutters in appearance only. My old fs550 looked like that, but it was extremely smooth. Is the one in the bottom picture heavy and smooth or does it just have the same looks as a the commercial brush cutters?



It no longer runs. 
So, yeah, it is very smooth now.


----------



## madhatte

sawfun said:


> its a copycat of the Husky and Stihl brush cutters in appearance only



Magic 8-ball says "my sources say yes"


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Magic 8-ball says "my sources say yes"



It's still lying, dead, in the shed. I can take a look at it. I do recall it being smooth...until the handles come off.
But I use a brush cutter so rarely, and when I do, for so little, that AV means nothing to me. But, then again, my finger tips hurt a lot. So maybe I should worry.
Another problem is the Kawi was HEAVY. Literally more than half again the weight of the Maruyama. That is something you notice immediately, and then it starts to wear on you in short order.
I did use something like an fs550 way back in the UK when I worked for that outfit. And it was not what I would call smooth. 
At the end of the day you felt like hell - especially since it would send all matter of crap flying at your face even with PPE on.
Another thing I should mention is we asked a rental outfit what brushcutter they use and why. They said the Maruyama was robust, and when it needed repair, cheap and easy. And it was powerful for it's size.
Ours is bone stock.


----------



## The Lorax

Maruyama make excellent trimmers and cutters. Very reasonably priced as well. 
It might be heresy but I would consider an electric one next time I’m looking to replace one of mine. I want to wait a while though to see how the market develops before going all in.


----------



## wyk

WOrked on this thing today. 70 inch or so oak wind blown. I am utterly exhausted. A ported 288xp is a hand full.


----------



## wyk

The other side. Water over flows here nearly every winter. I'm surprised these oaks have grow so large.
That chainsaw bar don't look that nice now, tho...
I reported to the estate owner that it had some rot in it. So I have to return to it tomorrow and make another cut or so to see if we can make planks out of it.


----------



## madhatte

The big ones always have a little rot in the butt, it's part of getting old.


----------



## wyk

EVERYTHING gets the sticker:


----------



## wyk

Everthang!


----------



## wyk

BTW, in case anyone in Europe is looking, I now have a mildly worked over 044 and 281/288 up for sale.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> BTW, in case anyone in Europe is looking, I now have a mildly worked over 044 and 281/288 up for sale.


Wes, are you no longer hoping to cut wood?


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> Wes, are you no longer hoping to cut wood?


I'm getting a bit old and rickety. But we got plenty of other saws on the estate.


----------



## wyk

Lil ported 372 doing work in County Mayo now:


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Lil ported 372 doing work in County Mayo now:


Light, well balanced, & smooth, me likes them plenty well.


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


>



My addled brain at first was thinking "that's not a Silvey or a Simington, wtf is it" and then


----------



## wyk

That is a very expensive mitre saw. And it gets a LOT of use fitting wood(mostly oak) to all manner of places in this house. Also did the flooring, shelving, etc.


----------



## wyk

We'll see how these do:









Farm Tools Ads For Sale in Ireland | DoneDeal


Discover 291 Ads in Farm Tools For Sale in Ireland on DoneDeal. Buy & Sell on Ireland's Largest Farm Tools Marketplace.




www.donedeal.ie


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> That is a very expensive mitre saw. And it gets a LOT of use fitting wood(mostly oak) to all manner of places in this house. Also did the flooring, shelving, etc.


Them fire tools are pretty skookum


----------



## catbuster

Beirut yesterday... Geez.


----------



## wyk

Could be worse. I was looking at my struggling ms241 and was wondering if I should buy a control module/ignition coil or get the upgraded white fuel solenoid. Read a few threads, and then decided on the solenoid.
Got the solenoid after some searching, and the bastard took 3 weeks to send it to me.
Still doesn't work quite right. So now I am in for it for €50, so may as well get the freakin control module and be balls deep in it and pray it may actually work... I really hate MTronic. Just hate it.

More on beruit:



That's what a 1.2 Kiloton equivalent 'conventional' weapon looks like.


----------



## sawfun

Wes, I'm glad your not here for the fires, man is it bad. I would imagine Nate is busier than a one legged cat in a sandbox right about now. I hope all is well with you and yours, so far so good here as long as you don't need to breath clean air.


----------



## wyk

Yeah, I saw that. My bro is up in the SF bay area, and he had some amazing photos. Sorry to hear it.
We've had a fairly easy summer here, and the tail end of it is rather hot, actually. But we'll pull through.
I'll have some more photos to share soon here as I have to go back to the estate and make a bench.
WIsh me luck. Havent made one in a while.


----------



## sawfun

Luck, hell, you'll do just fine Wes. Stuff like that comes back to a person as a reminder of what they have done and what they have in them.


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> Luck, hell, you'll do just fine Wes. Stuff like that comes back to a person as a reminder of what they have done and what they have in them.


Better yet - it's for a local school. So it's gonna be reminding everyone how much my bench skillz are lacking.


----------



## wyk

So this happened


----------



## Joe46

wyk said:


> Everthang!


Nice to see yer still on here and posting. Probably been at least a year or more since i checked in!


----------



## wyk

Still chugging long. Good to hear from ya! What's news?

So, this is as far as I got with the chainsaw. That's like 2 days of work there I will never get back since it's a donation. At one point I was cutting the bench seat flush with a 30 inch bar when the owner of the estate's sister snuck up and stood right next to me before i saw her out of the corner of my eye. Just a few minutes before this, the saw caught up on a piece of ash and flung back nearly behind me. I had to ask her to stop beign stupid. 
It's up to the new owner to finish it, but I think I made their job fairly easy:


----------



## wyk

jis gonna leave dis here


----------



## wyk

So this happened.







View of the top of the piston:






It's a Dolmar 420c. I was present when it occurred. It was in a long cut, started to lose power, then died. After the usual stuff of checking fuel etc. I slowly pulled it over and noticed it had much less compression than it should have. Removed the front plate off the exhaust and saw that little divot in the top corner of the piston there. I took it home and tore into it expecting to see carnage. But - there wasn't any. Just that little divot in the piston and big signs of detonation or impacts on the piston itself. At first I thought it may have been due to piston bits in the engine, but there wasn't any sign of impact on the combustion chamber. The jug was in great condition. No signs of damage, even at the lips on the exhaust port it looked good. Sides of the piston looked great. In fact, when I removed the front of the muffler and looked at it, all I saw was the piston face at first, and I thought - that looks good. Then I slowly turned her over and saw the missing chunk on the crown and thought 'That's not so good'. Spark plug was perfect with great color.
There is plenty of carbon build up, though. And, this thing had no real work done on the muffler. These saws are high in compression with tiny squish bands straight fro the factory.

So here's what I think happened:
After 5 years of happy firewood duty, a chunk of carbon maybe got stuck in the combustion chamber on top of the crown, breaking off a piece of the crown but not making a mark on the carbon build up already in the chamber. The piece(s) finds it's way out quickly enough not to do any real damage, but due to that very sharp divot, loads of detonation began to happen. Eventually between the divot and the piston damage, she doesn't have enough compression to run once the engine is fully warmed up or running hot. Either that, or carbon build up on the crown itself caused high compression and detonation, leading to the crown damage. Whatcha think?
I didn't see any signs of extended detonation(usually discolouration) under the piston crown, though.

I put a spare piston from another Dolmar 420 that died long ago, a new caber ring, ported the cylinder properly, removed the spark screen and added another outlet, added more holes in the top cover to allow better breathing(but not crazy or anything like I did on the 241). She is pretty strong now, and sounds fantastic.


----------



## northmanlogging

Looks a lot like a casting flaw, which would be wild since I thing those are diecast, rare but still a posibility?

then it got hot enough to let go, probably bunging up the ring in the process, allowing it to lose compression.


----------



## sawfun

Dynamic piston modification, assisted by organic material. It could be a casting flaw, though I'd have expected it to rear its ugly head long before now. Tight squish & carbon build up aint exactly a good mix for long life.


----------



## wyk

Here's some insight in to the Irish pub culture:


----------



## wyk

So I took these photos in Ireland:









Covid by WYK






pbase.com


----------



## wyk

So you've seen my photos of trees. But did you know they were in a show?



In the show, Vikings, Season 6 EP18(and some of ep 19), they film these areas:






^ The rather unique looking Douglas Fir on the right appears in the clip at :45 from the opposite angle.

This is the steps shown from the opposite side they filmed from at te start of the clip:







Trees in the clip:






And it FINALLY explains why this boat was in a river that really couldn't be navigated for all the stones and rocks in it(also explains all the burned floor where the fires were):






Happy new years!


----------



## wendell

Wow, you're famous! And to think I can say I knew you when...


----------



## sawfun

How are things going Wes? I saw that Ireland was on a serious lockdown.


----------



## wyk

Thanks for the post. Yeah, the hospitals are starting to fill up due to covid and flu etc. So the guvmint is a bit panicked. Also, they want to fill up all the old folks with vaccines before it's too late. We got 4.9mil in the Republic, and 1mil vaccines through Feb. So wish us luck there. None of my family members so far have been infected. Our neighbors caught covid at Christmas, and they are still wrecked from it off and on months later. So ya really don't want it.
A friend of mine is a health care worker and has had his shots. He had flu-like symptoms for 48 hours afterwards. So the shot is no picnic, either.
We run our hospitals like Toyota runs it's factory. Just enough to keep the place moving, and just in time. While it may be efficient and more affordable to run it this way, when you get a pandemic, it messes everything up 
Our current lockdown is you can't travel more than 5km from your home for exercise. Ya gotta at least try to work from home if ya can. No sit down eating. No groups, no sports unless professional, etc etc.
So we all feel a bit couped up. 

We prolly made the news because our covid spiked pretty badly over the holidays. We've such a small population that any small change can mean a lot in stats. Still, the mad thing is our stats are way better than almost every other state outside the EU.
Sweden has double our population, but 4X the death rate from covid. We're like 1/3500 or so, Sweden is 1/850 ish, and the USA is 1/750. So I wouldn't worry about us.  
Sweden practiced super light regulation at first(basically told everyone to be careful for a start), sort of like the US. So now we know how those things worked. I am curious to see all the data once it becomes available.

In the midst of the epidemic I started this site: https://sugiharabarsuk.co.uk/ - hasn't made any money, tho.
Sorta hard to get stock at the moment, too. And it's not like we're floating in cash right now either 

I always have my eye on things stateside. Man, what a ride it's been, 2020. Between the politics and the pandemic, dunno how ya pulled thru. Still see a lot of nonsense and stupidity about the place. But, hey, that the US for ya.
CDC just put out a terrible number. 22,000 died due to flu complications the year before. Nearly 400,000 died from Covid complications. 

So how is everyone else gotten on? What's yer pandemic experiences?


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> Wow, you're famous! And to think I can say I knew you when...



I just saw Mitch put up a new video. Is that your name on the wall there? Or are you guys like alternate personalities?


----------



## wendell

wyk said:


> I just saw Mitch put up a new video. Is that your name on the wall there? Or are you guys like alternate personalities?


You must have really good eyesight or a big monitor. Mitch is a good friend and that is my part of the workbench. LOL


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> You must have really good eyesight or a big monitor. Mitch is a good friend and that is my part of the workbench. LOL


Ah cool!
When you next see Mitch, tell him I said hey, and we love his vids and the great work he's done over the years. Keep the vids coming!


----------



## wendell

Will do.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Thanks for the post. Yeah, the hospitals are starting to fill up due to covid and flu etc. So the guvmint is a bit panicked. Also, they want to fill up all the old folks with vaccines before it's too late. We got 4.9mil in the Republic, and 1mil vaccines through Feb. So wish us luck there. None of my family members so far have been infected. Our neighbors caught covid at Christmas, and they are still wrecked from it off and on months later. So ya really don't want it.
> A friend of mine is a health care worker and has had his shots. He had flu-like symptoms for 48 hours afterwards. So the shot is no picnic, either.
> We run our hospitals like Toyota runs it's factory. Just enough to keep the place moving, and just in time. While it may be efficient and more affordable to run it this way, when you get a pandemic, it messes everything up
> Our current lockdown is you can't travel more than 5km from your home for exercise. Ya gotta at least try to work from home if ya can. No sit down eating. No groups, no sports unless professional, etc etc.
> So we all feel a bit couped up.
> 
> We prolly made the news because our covid spiked pretty badly over the holidays. We've such a small population that any small change can mean a lot in stats. Still, the mad thing is our stats are way better than almost every other state outside the EU.
> Sweden has double our population, but 4X the death rate from covid. We're like 1/3500 or so, Sweden is 1/850 ish, and the USA is 1/750. So I wouldn't worry about us.
> Sweden practiced super light regulation at first(basically told everyone to be careful for a start), sort of like the US. So now we know how those things worked. I am curious to see all the data once it becomes available.
> 
> In the midst of the epidemic I started this site: https://sugiharabarsuk.co.uk/ - hasn't made any money, tho.
> Sorta hard to get stock at the moment, too. And it's not like we're floating in cash right now either
> 
> I always have my eye on things stateside. Man, what a ride it's been, 2020. Between the politics and the pandemic, dunno how ya pulled thru. Still see a lot of nonsense and stupidity about the place. But, hey, that the US for ya.
> CDC just put out a terrible number. 22,000 died due to flu complications the year before. Nearly 400,000 died from Covid complications.
> 
> So how is everyone else gotten on? What's yer pandemic experiences?


WA state has kept us more or less locked down since Feb 2020, so far our numbers are better then most of the country, though it isn't looking real good, a lot of people full on hate the Governor for the lock downs etc. 

CA and especially LA are getting slammed hard currently, ICU's are full, Morgues too Haven't heard from other states, but it taint looking good at all. Folks continue to prance around sans masks and have big family gatherings, parties etc, then a month later grandma is dead and no one seems to give a ****.


----------



## wyk

This pandemic really shows how much we care about our elderly 
If it killed children, some people would build bunkers and hide in them. But old folks? **** em seems to be the attitude.
I even heard so much on a radio show once. The host said something along the lines of they've lived their lives, so why can't we?


----------



## northmanlogging

Couple buddies of mine work with retirement homes, my ma used to work in one in WY, hasn't been any good news in that field for a very long time. 

Suffice to say... pray yer dead before your kids force you to "live" in one. 

The Pandemic is merely bringing the truth to the surface


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> This pandemic really shows how much we care about our elderly
> If it killed children, some people would build bunkers and hide in them. But old folks? **** em seems to be the attitude.
> I even heard so much on a radio show once. The host said something along the lines of they've lived their lives, so why can't we?


Screw the first responders too, we got to get the teachers vaccinated before old folks, cops, & firemen. If your in an expensive home, you get vaccinated, otherwise you have to survive another month or three before your shot. The amount of stupid in this country is, well, downheartening and, as we experience, deadly. My job has me immersed with the non-mask crowd, even when the masks are provided free. We are not, as it seems, in this all together. As a frontline worker, the words "hero" are a lie, "expendable" is more in line with the truth.


----------



## wyk

Myanmar military coup condemned by the US - "Who do they think they are? America?"


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Myanmar military coup condemned by the US - "Who do they think they are? America?"


thats some Irony... though we do have a new regime here... 

Last I heard Myanmar has most of its issues from a Coup from several years ago, So maybe the Military there is stepping in to set things right finally? Though I don't know enough about it to say one way or the other.


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> Couple buddies of mine work with retirement homes, my ma used to work in one in WY, hasn't been any good news in that field for a very long time.
> 
> Suffice to say... pray yer dead before your kids force you to "live" in one.
> 
> The Pandemic is merely bringing the truth to the surface



Forgot to mention, cause it's sort of tragic and depressing, but the bud of mine that works in healthcare told me the other day he was so depressed he didn't care if he died tomorrow or all the death he had seen, and all the sleep he's lost. 
Bless the poor man.


----------



## wyk

Myanmar's military overturned a democratic election. Now they're warning protesters not to 'destroy democracy' | CNN


Myanmar's new military junta, which overturned the results of democratic elections when it seized power last Monday, has warned the public not to "destroy" democracy following four days of protests.




edition.cnn.com


----------



## madhatte

I've been following this in the news, looks messy


----------



## catbuster

Aung San Suu Kyi always sounded like she had to be in a fairly precarious position in Myanmar. It seemed like she was in the news, or at least BBC Newshour & overnight news on WFPL, an awful lot to be comfortably holding an office. I think it just finally came to an end at the beginning of this month.


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> You must have really good eyesight or a big monitor. Mitch is a good friend and that is my part of the workbench. LOL



Also... isn't this exactly what an alternate personaility would say?
Hrm....


----------



## wendell

wyk said:


> Also... isn't this exactly what an alternate personaility would say?
> Hrm....


LOL


----------



## wyk

We had to bury my wife's oldest hound today. Was very sad. We placed him next to my old greyhound I buried on the estate I work:







https://pbase.com/wyk/in_loving_memory_of_shadow

Only decent news was we finally took the Renault on to the motorway. Cruising mostly at 74mph, there and back, got us:


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> We had to bury my wife's oldest hound today. Was very sad. We placed him next to my old greyhound I buried on the estate I work:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://pbase.com/wyk/in_loving_memory_of_shadow
> 
> Only decent news was we finally took the Renault on to the motorway. Cruising mostly at 74mph, there and back, got us:


I'm sorry to hear of the hounds passing, I know it's tough, but another will come along. I had to put Inky down in January, however, at almost 15 years for a German Shepherd, I considered us both lucky.


----------



## wyk

Dunno bout you guys, but I am losing my mind with no job and nothing to do and little hope. Just, fuuu-


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Dunno bout you guys, but I am losing my mind with no job and nothing to do and little hope. Just, fuuu-


I gotta a job most wouldn't want and our govenor put us frontline workers to the back of the line for vaccinations. It seems that the murderers and rapists in prison as well as the homeless are worth more than us workers. Even the homeless get vaccinations before us. And the economic projections are not rosy at all. So all cheery on my end.

There is good news for anyone with a chainsaw and truck as we had a pretty big ice storm a few weeks back and cleanup is still ongoing. 

I hope it goes better for you Wes, at least you've got family that cares, so please take comfort in that.


----------



## wendell

The end is in sight, Spring is coming and Hope is in the air. [emoji3]


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> The end is in sight, Spring is coming and Hope is in the air. [emoji3]


Oh, I thought you meant a meteor might be coming.

Speaking of the end in sight, I'm back on a blood pressure cocktail now(blew a 170/118 the other day). The med tech asked me how I was still alive. I wonder the same thing sometimes myself. I gained 10 kilos during this pandemic. Less work and less metabolism does that to a man said the doc.
So gonna try and get out there more often I guess.
Sellin some bars in Ireland, so at least I got some spare scrilla to help the family out with. I won't have to reinvest it because there ain't no freakin inventory to buy anymore due to covid


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Oh, I thought you meant a meteor might be coming.
> 
> Speaking of the end in sight, I'm back on a blood pressure cocktail now(blew a 170/118 the other day). The med tech asked me how I was still alive. I wonder the same thing sometimes myself. I gained 10 kilos during this pandemic. Less work and less metabolism does that to a man said the doc.
> So gonna try and get out there more often I guess.
> Sellin some bars in Ireland, so at least I got some spare scrilla to help the family out with. I won't have to reinvest it because there ain't no freakin inventory to buy anymore due to covid


Someone did a study, on average, we've all gained about 2# a month during the pandempanic

Getting a new Stihl powerhead has been problematic lately too, I can finally afford a 500i, but none are available.


----------



## sawfun

Wes, that blood pressure ain't good, but I've seen much worse. I took care of a man on dialysis who's blood pressure was well north of 300, systolic and diastolic. In fact it boiled the Mercury. I would not have believed it if I hadn't personally taken the reading repeatedly over several days.


----------



## catbuster

180/110 is no bueno, but it doesn’t warrant that question. They oughta see what some of our guys blow coming out of a house fire. I lost weight during the last year. Stress does different things to different people.

No need to wish for a meteor yet.


----------



## wyk

I hope everyone's doing OK? I am starting to feel a bit better myself:
So also turned out I was becoming diabetic. Last month I tested 18 on the blood sugar meter. That's literally off the scale(but I did have a huge lunch right before). I have since fasted, started a decent diet, and am now testing between 7-10(126-180). So got that back under control. Did a pair in the 6's after some exercise, too. I do feel a hell of a lot better. Still, they have me on pills for that as well. The worst part is having to take your blood test sticking a needle in your fingers when you have white finger. Very annoying.
Got the BP to 150/95. Started playing tennis again since they opened up the clubs. But I only play with one guy I know to keep my exposure down, or else I just hit the wall. On pills for this a well. Stopped eating all dairy and beef aside from occasional milk. My diet is a bit crazy at the moment compared to teh crap I used to eat, but I oddly do not feel hungry most days.
Got my first Pfizer shot Thursday. Still a bit sore from it. Hope this means at least I won't run the risk of making the MIL sick if I go out and about. 
Sales still stagnant, but at least a few bars have gone out the door.


----------



## sawfun

I'm sorry you had to, and glad to hear you've got your health under control. Getting old and fat ain't no good, but it's easy to become reality. Glad to hear of your Pizer vaccine too. I get my second Moderna one next Saturday. 

Portland is a disaster, especially for businesses. I like the PNW climate but my rheumatoid issues don't. And the ultra liberal progressives have pretty much ruined the west coast for working people. I need to move, but dunno where. 

When I can, I have a large ash and oak to cut up on a farm in Mollala. I've had issues with my wisdom teeth and infection so have not been up to it. I do want to get some 82cc Mac action in.

Great to hear from you and maybe the Covid issue will be mostly in the rear view mirror later this year.


----------



## wyk

Was out walking in the woods yesterday. They are doing some pulp logging in some areas now here in WIcklow, Ireland:


----------



## madhatte

They selling it by the ton or the cubic meter, do you know? It's always interesting to me how timber products are sold elsewhere.


----------



## wyk

It's sold by the metric arse tonne here:


----------



## madhatte

So I'm guessing it's thinned to a basal area by a harvester, then decked off of a forwarder? I can't really see a more efficient way to move so much low-value wood.


----------



## wyk

All machinery. Bear in mind our forestry is partially state subsidized, tho.


----------



## madhatte

Volume is volume. It's just way easier to accumulate with larger trees.


----------



## wyk

In general in Europe, even in places like France, etc. the trees are smaller than we'll find in the PNW. But if any of you have visited Europe, you'll notice they do not build with as much wood as they do stateside. Most houses and buildings are mortar or steel. And they often use hardwoods in construction. Pine and larch usually find themselves in interiors, stairs, doors, cabinets, etc. Much of the forestry is for pulp, chippings, and furniture, too.
In Ireland, most logging is done with machinery. There are very few saw men outside of arborist/tree surgery work. Most sawmen in forestry work along side the harvester to get the trees in tight spots, or the large trees, and they would do the first few thinings(I've done a few myself). Because they mainly use machinery, they have to log the trees at a younger age.

These are the guys that did the work, and are about 20 mins from where I live in this video: 

Forestry career propaganda: 

Here is Dave Keith talking a bit about it in a Husky advert. He works mostly in Ireland, and helped me out when I went to the UK to do some work. He is 'outinthewoods' on a few forums, and is a regular on the arb talk UK forum.



Coillte(quill tshuh) is the state forestry department in Ireland. It is handled like a company, but is state owned. Coill means woods in Irish. I have dealt with them on occasion when doing my work in Waterford and Tipperary on the massive estates out there. They have a lot of state grant schemes to allow for different types of forestries. On the Waterford estate we are currently leasing 60 acres of land to Coillte(construction and pulp wood), and on the Tipperary one it is about 30 acres(for ash, which i have thinned once already). Most of the stuff I do is firewood, which requires much more land than forestry because we want the wood to mature and nearly die by itelf, and the estates I work also prefer to look more natural and beautiful. They only do a bit of forestry to pay their taxes, or avoid their taxes.:






Brief Overview of Forestry Grant Rates - Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority







www.teagasc.ie


----------



## wyk

So this 2 smoke thing produces like 226hp/litre if my math is right? Yeow.


----------



## sawfun

Yup, them lil 2 strokes can be amazing. I had a 60 hp CR500 that weighed 224lbs. Modify it and It would have been really insane. Mine had Boysen reeds & an FMF Knarly pipe. Imagine with nitrous or even better, nitro for drag racing.


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> The end is in sight, Spring is coming and Hope is in the air. [emoji3]



Just done porting a 365AT. Love how simple these older Husky's are to tear in to. Waiting to head back down to Waterford so I can test it in larger wood. The muffler on these here are very stuffed up. So I spent some time in there. Otherwise, just did what most folks I see hereabouts on the forums do. Added a few degrees to the xfers and intake, advanced the timing a touch, hogged out the exhaust a bit. Etc etc.

Wendell - I know Mitch has used and ported a few, so wondered have you tried any of the newer 565's or 572's? Did they get rid of the AT heat start issues? I wonder. Also - don't forget to put Hey, WYK! on the wall next time you are near your work station. Be cool to see it.


----------



## wyk

wyk said:


> I hope everyone's doing OK? I am starting to feel a bit better myself:
> So also turned out I was becoming diabetic. Last month I tested 18 on the blood sugar meter. That's literally off the scale(but I did have a huge lunch right before). I have since fasted, started a decent diet, and am now testing between 7-10(126-180). So got that back under control. Did a pair in the 6's after some exercise, too. I do feel a hell of a lot better. Still, they have me on pills for that as well. The worst part is having to take your blood test sticking a needle in your fingers when you have white finger. Very annoying.
> Got the BP to 150/95. Started playing tennis again since they opened up the clubs. But I only play with one guy I know to keep my exposure down, or else I just hit the wall. On pills for this a well. Stopped eating all dairy and beef aside from occasional milk. My diet is a bit crazy at the moment compared to teh crap I used to eat, but I oddly do not feel hungry most days.
> Got my first Pfizer shot Thursday. Still a bit sore from it. Hope this means at least I won't run the risk of making the MIL sick if I go out and about.
> Sales still stagnant, but at least a few bars have gone out the door.



Off the pills now. Blowing between 5 and 7 on the old blood glucose meter. And haven't felt this good in years.
Considering buying a new saw, but I still dunno bout AT and Mtronic. Was leaning towards a 565 and porting it or an MS400 or 462 mebbe...


----------



## wendell

wyk said:


> Just done porting a 365AT. Love how simple these older Husky's are to tear in to. Waiting to head back down to Waterford so I can test it in larger wood. The muffler on these here are very stuffed up. So I spent some time in there. Otherwise, just did what most folks I see hereabouts on the forums do. Added a few degrees to the xfers and intake, advanced the timing a touch, hogged out the exhaust a bit. Etc etc.
> 
> Wendell - I know Mitch has used and ported a few, so wondered have you tried any of the newer 565's or 572's? Did they get rid of the AT heat start issues? I wonder. Also - don't forget to put Hey, WYK! on the wall next time you are near your work station. Be cool to see it.


I haven't yet. Funny how when you go from burning 6-10 cord/year to less than one the saws don't get as much use. [emoji57]

I'll see what I can do.


----------



## sawfun

wendell said:


> I haven't yet. Funny how when you go from burning 6-10 cord/year to less than one the saws don't get as much use. [emoji57]
> 
> I'll see what I can do.


I was burning 5 cords and down to none here too.


----------



## wendell

sawfun said:


> I was burning 5 cords and down to none here too.


I put in a Hase stove from Germany in our new house and the thing is so efficient we only go through 3-4 splits a night.

Of course we're only trying to take the chill off instead of heating the whole house.


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


> Did they get rid of the AT heat start issues?


Yes! It was apparently the damn tank vent dumping into the intake. There's a retrofit plenum and filter kit that eliminates the problem and also fixes the air filter issues. They shoulda ironed that out before the originals hit the streets!


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> Yes! It was apparently the damn tank vent dumping into the intake. There's a retrofit plenum and filter kit that eliminates the problem and also fixes the air filter issues. They shoulda ironed that out before the originals hit the streets!



So, basically, for hot start problems you open the tank to vent it, and then pull for all you're worth with the throttle full open?


----------



## wyk

So, 565 or 562 or 400cm or mebbe 462...


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


> So, basically, for hot start problems you open the tank to vent it, and then pull for all you're worth with the throttle full open?


Never seemed to work before, not sure. When I get the time (just got in from a fire, pretty tired) I'll take pics. It's weird.


----------



## wyk

I am leaning towards getting a 562 mkii and porting it. A nice light all rounder, and much cheaper than the Stihls. Though the 565 is affordable(ish) here, I sort of need a saw that will work a 15inch bar as much as a 24 and not destroy a 50 year old man's back inthe process.


----------



## madhatte

I had Mastermind work my 562 over a few years ago and it's great. I've been running a 32" Sugi on it mostly and it never says no.


----------



## wyk

madhatte said:


> I had Mastermind work my 562 over a few years ago and it's great. I've been running a 32" Sugi on it mostly and it never says no.



Ahh, all his photos are banjaxxed(Lil Irish for ya, there):






Mastermind Meets the 562XP


I've had this saw sitting in the shop for a few days, finally got some time to dive in. It resembles a running shoe from this angle to me. :laugh: Damn well made saw. After going through it I have the utmost respect for the designers. I like the captive bar nuts too...




www.arboristsite.com


----------



## wyk

Porting a Husky 365XT:

The X-Torq mufflers here have a baffle in it that's straight forwards to remove.






This is what it looks like removed before you stick the spinny thing in there and smooth it out:






There's loads of room in the chassis to clear louvres, especially under the raised hood of an XT. If I can keep it simple and not have to fabricate or braze anything, I'm all for it. This mod makes it a three port:






I must add I do love working on most Husqvarnas since they are very simply put together. Can't say it for the 562 or 550 since I haven't seen one yet, tho.


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> H1N1 didn’t cause healthy people to have ARDS or MODS. This does. People die from ARDS and MODS.
> 
> This is not something to take lightly. When we’re done, many, and I mean in the tens of thousands at least, will die from this. Disregarding it isn’t only putting yourself at risk, but also everyone in the general public.



Remember when you said it was gonna be tens of thousands?


----------



## catbuster

wyk said:


> Remember when you said it was gonna be tens of thousands?



 Turns out I was quite optimistic. It’s really sad, especially the initial response and then it just became worse and worse. It’s not even over, either. A ****ing disease became partisan. It’s pathetic.


----------



## wyk

So this thing is out:


----------



## madhatte

Dang, don't know if I've ever seen a saw bounce off the limiter in the cut more often than that. Seems pretty strong.


----------



## wyk

Wel.. it is a short bar 
Still, it looks strong.


----------



## catbuster

It seems to pull a long bar just fine

Husqvarna 592 w/ 44” bar


----------



## wyk

Just, u know, portin' and stuff


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Just, u know, portin' and stuff



Nice little saw. I have a soft spot for those lil 36's. I actually spent dumb money and had Randy port the one I bought new in the 90's.


----------



## madhatte

A fine and pleasant crackle


----------



## wyk

Saw this thing actually manage to fit in a parking spot in the town earlier today...


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Saw this thing actually manage to fit in a parking spot in the town earlier today...


Those newer 1/2 ton trucks dwarf my ole 97 Dodge. We have a few guys with Toyota's like that at work. I can't even see my truck behind them. Kinda bad when a full size BT6 5spd truck with big Dana axles is made to look minscule. Well until you see what they have for an engine & axles. I guess looking tough is where it's at now? I guess I'm glad i'm a crusty, grouchy old fart now. We always thought of 1/2 tons as either sissy trucks, or parts runners.


----------



## northmanlogging

sawfun said:


> Those newer 1/2 ton trucks dwarf my ole 97 Dodge. We have a few guys with Toyota's like that at work. I can't even see my truck behind them. Kinda bad when a full size BT6 5spd truck with big Dana axles is made to look minscule. Well until you see what they have for an engine & axles. I guess looking tough is where it's at now? I guess I'm glad i'm a crusty, grouchy old fart now. We always thought of 1/2 tons as either sissy trucks, or parts runners.


Pick up trucks have become a status symbol, much like corvets or BMW's from bygone era's, its not about the ability of the truck, but the appearance of being one who owns a truck and potentially does outdoors type things, like hauling a few bundles of firewood for the chimenea, or a bag of pellets for the patio smoker... 

These same tools own dump trailers and haul everything in them rather then dirty up the precious status symbol.


----------



## catbuster

I Need a Truck-Warren Zevon

I hate pavement queens.


----------



## madhatte

Worse: this drives the price up for those of us who actually need trucks. Can't wail til this fad passes.


----------



## Kodiakmac

madhatte said:


> Can't wail til this fad passes.


Me too. Just as long as the fad's demise isn't caused by hypocritical green preachers like Gore and Suzuki.


----------



## wyk

Supposedly the worst part of the popularity of SUV's and Trucks is it runs down the roads much faster. The efficiency prolly isn't great, either.
Ah well, Muricaaaa!!!!


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Supposedly the worst part of the popularity of SUV's and Trucks is it runs down the roads much faster. The efficiency prolly isn't great, either.
> Ah well, Muricaaaa!!!!


I'd have to call BS on that theory, beings as the roads are built to hold up semi trucks aka lorry's a 6k # pick em up truck taint got nuthin on an 80k Semi as far as tearing up roads. 

As for "greenies" making the fad of pickups and SUV's go away, good. Its just a fad, the same people driving the price up on trucks will then follow the herd and drive the price farther up on electric cars. There will always be a need for trucks and offroad capable vehicles. Regardless if Yuppies think they make their junk look bigger or not. As for electric trucks, if they have an operating range and enough power and durability to compete with a Ford 3/4ton then thats good too, competition in an open and fair market is a good thing. (please note I didn't mention chevy or dodge in the same sentence as durability...)


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> I'd have to call BS on that theory, beings as the roads are built to hold up semi trucks aka lorry's a 6k # pick em up truck taint got nuthin on an 80k Semi as far as tearing up roads.
> 
> As for "greenies" making the fad of pickups and SUV's go away, good. Its just a fad, the same people driving the price up on trucks will then follow the herd and drive the price farther up on electric cars. There will always be a need for trucks and offroad capable vehicles. Regardless if Yuppies think they make their junk look bigger or not. As for electric trucks, if they have an operating range and enough power and durability to compete with a Ford 3/4ton then thats good too, competition in an open and fair market is a good thing. (please note I didn't mention chevy or dodge in the same sentence as durability...)



Ah hey now. I dunno about it being a BS theory. Regardless of how the roads are built, more wear is more wear. It's just simple physics. That part is difficult to argue against. You could argue the roads last just as long as they always have, but you can't argue they won't last longer with less wear. Having said it, many SUV's weigh nearly a ton more than your average Cadillac did in the 70's.
1970 Cadillac Deville - 4,650lbs
2021 XLT 4dr 4x4 Ford Explorer - 6,200 lbs

Wow, that stat is a bit alarming even to me. Man, I miss my Cadillac.

It's no secret less would be more as far as the environment is concerned. I try to do my bit, which is admittedly easy because I am cheap and poor.
However, I don't see it ever reaching equilibrium. I think it's far too late. We're on the ride now wherever it wants to take us. No amount of greening it up is gonna slow China, India, the US, et al from polluting wholesale.
India is especially stunning how many hydrocarbons they pump into the air. And they are still only just cresting into proper 1st world status.
At least I got to breath some clean air in my lifetime...Well, aside from all those days I spent in L.A. 
*cough*

The good news is Ireland wins the global warming race until it really gets out of hand and the Atlantic flow stops. So the ride from here til then isn't too bad, I guess... 
Warming or no, every year here seems more dry and warmer than the last. Which is OK with me, I lived most of my life in TX and CA. The wife isn't impressed, though.


----------



## catbuster

Civil engineer here, albeit mostly an dirt shoving manager right now, but repetitive stress is what damages pavement and base courses on roadways. Stress is F/A. Most 7500 pound half-tons don’t really have much more tire area on the road than a Ford Focus that weighs 40% of that. Und zo, yeah, they input more repetitive stress than smaller vehicles.

My personal opinion is that there’s not any reason for anytning between something like a Danger Ranger or Tacoma/Hilux and a 3/4 ton. No 1/2 tons, no big SUVs, yada. An SUV should be something that can go _off the road _without any problem. “Crossovers” have no purpose. Minivans? Ha.

Just go sedan-hatchback/station wagon-small 4x4s-3/4 ton on up. That eliminates most popular vehicles stateside. The aforementioned, of course, caused Ford to cease production of cars. Which is a shame, my Focus is a nice little vehicle to tool around town or go cross-country in by virtue of being a pretty nice place to be and being good on fuel. I just don’t get it. To quote Denis Leary-“I missed the boat. The boat left and I wasn’t on it.”

Climate issues… I grit my teeth and try not to kick some people in the teeth. These are the same people will tell you that facts don’t care about my feelings but will happily deny science that’s been accepted as fact for years because it’s inconvenient for them. We’re riding the train now, so I guess we’ll see how inconvenient it’ll become.


----------



## northmanlogging

Ok so a 3/4 ton truck puts more stress then a smart car. 

However, its all relative 6000# on 4 wheels compared to 80000# on 18 wheels, who's tearing up more stuff at a considerably faster rate?


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> Ok so a 3/4 ton truck puts more stress then a smart car.
> 
> However, its all relative 6000# on 4 wheels compared to 80000# on 18 wheels, who's tearing up more stuff at a considerably faster rate?



Why you gots to be hating on da Semi's yo?
=)



Kristoffer Kristofferson is still alive, btw.
If not for WIkipedia, I wouldn't have had a clue how to spell his name, either.


----------



## wyk

I upped a few videos from the dog rescue I used to work at. I found these recently on my HD.


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


>



you get that song stuck in my head so help me


----------



## catbuster

northmanlogging said:


> Ok so a 3/4 ton truck puts more stress then a smart car.
> 
> However, its all relative 6000# on 4 wheels compared to 80000# on 18 wheels, who's tearing up more stuff at a considerably faster rate?



If you will please allow me to respectfully retort-the amount of passenger vehicle traffic is much more than commercial truck traffic, so much so that highways are designed using the unit of passenger cars/lane-mile. There are adjustments to that unit to account for truck traffic, yes, but as a rule passenger traffic far exceeds commercial trucks. Thus, in some areas high volumes (AADT) of heavy passenger vehicles will cause more damage to the roadway than truck traffic.

Though yes, on a per vehicle basis commercial trucks are more damaging to highways than passenger vehicles. Quad axle dump trucks (yours truly) are the worst on a per-vehicle basis, followed by the guys who move 110,000 lb class excavators on a 4 axle truck and 4 axle lowboy (also yours truly.) Fire trucks are also really bad, a Seagrave Meanstick quint is probably the worst example (yup, I run one of those too). 60,000 on two axles is… Bad. Just because the axles, tires & brakes can do it does not mean it’s a good design to take over the road.

I Six Days on the Road performed by Sawyer Brown was the best song that anything to do with truck driving. Convoy never did anything for me, and Eastbound & Down was pretty meh, even worse when anyone other than Jerry Reed did it. Oh geez, Alabame did Roll On 18 Wheeler too. Hmm… Still, Convoy’s not close to the top.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Why you gots to be hating on da Semi's yo?
> =)
> 
> 
> 
> Kristoffer Kristofferson is still alive, btw.
> If not for WIkipedia, I wouldn't have had a clue how to spell his name, either.



Not hating on semi's, Hel I own 2-1/2 (the disservice truck is a smol one) and have owned 2 others. 

My real dad was a long haul trucker, Mom drove dump/water truck as well as copilot with dad before us kids came along and got in the way. Swore I'd never go into it... Then I had trouble getting trucks to show up, and when they did it was $1000's for a few loads of rock, or waiting 2-3 weeks to get my machines moved, just got tired of it, and got my own.


----------



## northmanlogging

catbuster said:


> If you will please allow me to respectfully retort-the amount of passenger vehicle traffic is much more than commercial truck traffic, so much so that highways are designed using the unit of passenger cars/lane-mile. There are adjustments to that unit to account for truck traffic, yes, but as a rule passenger traffic far exceeds commercial trucks. Thus, in some areas high volumes (AADT) of heavy passenger vehicles will cause more damage to the roadway than truck traffic.
> 
> Though yes, on a per vehicle basis commercial trucks are more damaging to highways than passenger vehicles. Quad axle dump trucks (yours truly) are the worst on a per-vehicle basis, followed by the guys who move 110,000 lb class excavators on a 4 axle truck and 4 axle lowboy (also yours truly.) Fire trucks are also really bad, a Seagrave Meanstick quint is probably the worst example (yup, I run one of those too). 60,000 on two axles is… Bad. Just because the axles, tires & brakes can do it does not mean it’s a good design to take over the road.
> 
> I Six Days on the Road performed by Sawyer Brown was the best song that anything to do with truck driving. Convoy never did anything for me, and Eastbound & Down was pretty meh, even worse when anyone other than Jerry Reed did it. Oh geez, Alabame did Roll On 18 Wheeler too. Hmm… Still, Convoy’s not close to the top.


Jerry Reed was a helluva geetar picker and song writer, and I kinda (really)despise country musak... Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins on one stage is a sight to see, mix Sir Les Paul in and your ears might catch on fire. (though if you can find it Mary Ford could keep up with Les note for note and sing better too) To Hel with the likes of VanHalen or dare I say Angus Young, them country pickers can play.


----------



## sawfun

I haven't seen yo u post in a while Wes, how's it going?


----------



## wyk

I dunno. I may have Omicron. I'll test myself tomorrow if I am still coughing up lung with no other symptoms. For now I am in hiding.
We got a new Greyhound we found wandering in Dungarvin, Waterford. She immediately went in to heat. So she's wearing a diaper at the moment.







SOmehow she has a Frenchman's mustache. Dunno how that works.

My joints are pretty fukt. My arthritis keeps me from doing much real work 
But the rX drugs are good...er...

Still living in Bray south of Dublin. Was gonna go visit Waterford again next week, but we'll see how I am feeling.
I got to cut down a big cherry tree soon here that's gone berzerk in our back garden. I don't even own a saw any more...
I'll be using a hand saw. Wish me luck.

What's news stateside? You guys making Murica great again?


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> I dunno. I may have Omicron. I'll test myself tomorrow if I am still coughing up lung with no other symptoms. For now I am in hiding.
> We got a new Greyhound we found wandering in Dungarvin, Waterford. She immediately went in to heat. So she's wearing a diaper at the moment.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SOmehow she has a Frenchman's mustache. Dunno how that works.
> 
> My joints are pretty fukt. My arthritis keeps me from doing much real work
> But the rX drugs are good...er...
> 
> Still living in Bray south of Dublin. Was gonna go visit Waterford again next week, but we'll see how I am feeling.
> I got to cut down a big cherry tree soon here that's gone berzerk in our back garden. I don't even own a saw any more...
> I'll be using a hand saw. Wish me luck.
> 
> What's news stateside? You guys making Murica great again?


that doggo stoned?

Merica... 

Trumps likely going to be in prison before next year. If not him, then most of his staff. 
Log prices are through the damned roof, highest D fir prices I've seen since the 1990's. 
Parts and supplies are getting harder to get, motor oil is getting scarce, haven't seen a new pro saw on the shelf in months, I can finally afford a 500i, but chances of seeing one before 2023 are slim at the mo. 
Oh and, our doggo has learned to beg for naps and cuddles...


----------



## catbuster

I can dream of Trump and his staff going to prison. I wouldn’t put my money on it, but I feel like the way the midterms go will be the deciding factor.

The MAGA crowd apparently has taken hold on Canada, a group of Albertans convoyed to Ottawa and Trudeau has been taken to a safe location.
I dream of a world where Hillary won in 2016. I really do.

My dog is still my dog. He’s good-glad to see you’re taking care of homeless ones. 


Glad to see you’re still kicking. I too have developed arthritis, albeit for me it’s between my vertebrae in my upper back. It’s pretty crunchy now.


----------



## madhatte

Army forestry still sells logs, slightly above pre-covid price. We sure aren't seeing any benefits from this hyperinflation. It's looking like I'm finally going to have to buy a house, something I never particularly cared to do, because rent has become too expensive. I've been in this place 17 years! 

Meanwhile, my cats continue to care about exactly nothing except naps, scritches, and mouse murder.


----------



## wyk

Tested positive twice today.
My symptoms were:
Loose lungs out of the blue 2 days ago. No fever. A few aches. Some coughing. Haven't felt like this since I used too much ammonia to clean one of my target rifles in an enclosed room back in 1999. At first I suspected it might be my wife's smoking or the cleaning supplies we used since I am sensitive to them.
Through the night it became steadily worse, and I had trouble sleeping. I waited until morning to see how I felt(and I got the email from Don/Sawfun about his post about this time).
Yesterday, coughing up stuff like I had the flu. No real fever, though. No real aches other than from coughing. Tired, but otherwise fine.
To be safe, I took my industrial strength anti inflammatory early yesterday(Arcoxia) even though my joints were OK, if a bit sore. Arcoxia is nearly as effective as steroids(and I suspect a lot of athletes take a version thereof). Also took 10,000IU of Vitamin D both days. Coughing up plenty of lung during the day yesterday, but otherwise able to do chores.
This morning I coughed up some lung like I was getting over the flu. But now I feel OK after noon. Again, It's like I got over a short flu stint. A bit light headed, but dunno if it is from me not eating yet as I have no appetite today. 
I've informed people I have been around the last two weeks of my positive tests.
I have had 2 shots and a booster - all pfizer.


----------



## PEK

wyk said:


> Kellogh is originally Scottish in origin, isn't it? Like the cereal?
> 
> Kill or Cill, btw, means 'church' in Irish. So LOTS of stuff with that in their name here. So, Kill Lough or CIll Lough or CIll Lach or etc - would mean "The Church on the lake". My Greyhound's name is "Ceatharlach"; after the county I got her from. It means 'four lakes'.
> 
> So, anywho - my full time job in Ireland is working at a sighthound/Greyhound and dog rescue. Today we got in a freaking stunningly beautiful female lurcher(greyhound/shepherd cross). It looks to be an Aussie Shepherd or maybe Collie/Greyhound mix:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also snowed the other day:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was in Wales and Oxford, dropping off a load of Greyhounds to the local rescues there to rehome in England. I'll see about getting a few images from England and Wales up. I am with: PAWS Animal Rescue - Home - feel free to donate if you are feelin' generous. Even a few bucks helps a lot. And now yer also helping feed me, too, since I mostly work for room and board.
> 
> We currently have over 80 dogs and hounds on site.


----------



## PEK

wyk said:


> Kellogh is originally Scottish in origin, isn't it? Like the cereal?
> 
> Kill or Cill, btw, means 'church' in Irish. So LOTS of stuff with that in their name here. So, Kill Lough or CIll Lough or CIll Lach or etc - would mean "The Church on the lake". My Greyhound's name is "Ceatharlach"; after the county I got her from. It means 'four lakes'.
> 
> So, anywho - my full time job in Ireland is working at a sighthound/Greyhound and dog rescue. Today we got in a freaking stunningly beautiful female lurcher(greyhound/shepherd cross). It looks to be an Aussie Shepherd or maybe Collie/Greyhound mix:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also snowed the other day:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was in Wales and Oxford, dropping off a load of Greyhounds to the local rescues there to rehome in England. I'll see about getting a few images from England and Wales up. I am with: PAWS Animal Rescue - Home - feel free to donate if you are feelin' generous. Even a few bucks helps a lot. And now yer also helping feed me, too, since I mostly work for room and board.
> 
> We currently have over 80 dogs and hounds on site.


Several years ago we got a greyhound he was originally from Tipperary, raced all over, his name was Mega Patch, we got him from Benefield Northands thru the Retired Greyhound Trust we called him Blouis he came with us here to Bulgaria and sadly died of old age, quite a character.

Lifestyle by choice, not by chance.


----------



## wyk

So yesterday in the evening it got worse. Full blown flu. Loads of coughing, some fever(but not real bad), aches and pain sorta thing.
Lungs burning. Loads of crap outta the lungs. I had to swallow lozenges like they were going out of style.
Though the arcoxia is doing it's thing, I can feel my lungs burning and the aches from all the coughing today.
Very light headed last night.
This morning I feel better. Coughing, but not producing much. Wheezing a bit. Stuffed up purdy good. Gonna hit myself with the steroid nasal spray and another round of arcoxia once I get some food into me. Man I would love a hot bath right about now, but we have no bath.


----------



## sawfun

Damn Wes, it sounds like the Delta variant. We all hope you get through it soon, bath or not. Pretty much everybody I hang around is vaccinated and boosted, however, my clientele is a different story. Often no mask, and Trumpy followers that think vaccines are for sissy's. We frontline workers were the last to get vaccinated, following the homeless and convicts in prison. I try to double mask when i can. 

As to "Merica" being great again, it is, what it is. Portland is pretty bad, and has me seeing the progressive movement, that i had somewhat supported, as pretty much anarchy.

I've been selling off saws and have a small Redwood to take down in my yard. I had better get to it before I have to call a climber. Between big rheumatoid issues, a serious spinal stenosis, and two doc's arguing as to whether I have MS. I'm pretty tired after my 10 hour work day. Fuxing saws now feel heavy. 

Today I go to Kaiser for a leg electrocution so they can measure my reaction. I sure hope it jolts my legs into working better with fewer tremors.

Good to hear you have a pup, mine died a year ago and I am without as I cannot walk one. I inherited two cats from a buddy i grew up with. He died of covid in 2020 and I helped what I could.

Your issues sound worse than mine, so get well, and get after that cherry tree. I do miss the times we hung out together.


----------



## wyk

Hope things go better for the both of us.

I dunno whch variant I have. I'm sure as hell not gonna go to any clinic or GP right now, and they wouldn't want me anyways.
So today I felt a lot better. Things are clearing up. Good energy, and can breathe well.
The wife and the MIL aren't infected, so hopefully the shots kept my viral load low and actually made the difference.
So over all not too bad. Like 3 days of flu and one day of coughing.


----------



## madhatte

I did the omicron ride a few weeks ago, it was pretty miserable but the worst part was the headache. Full vaccination also helped reduce severity. ALmost everybody in my office has or has had it now.


----------



## wyk

I did have a bit of a headache here and there. But I have to admit riding through covid with Arcoxia is very much cheating. 
There were times I knew I was in bad shape, knew I had trouble breathing and could feel my lungs on fire, but the Arcoxia suppressed the pain and most of the inflammation. 
Today I can breathe fairly well. I just feel like I am over a flu. 
Having said that, I had swine flu back in uh 2009? That was freaking brutal! I have like a week of my life under it I don't even remember. I had walking pneumonia for months before I went to a clinic and they gave me steroids and anti biotics. I asked them if they were sure it was swine flu and they said 'We can test for it, but everyone that has shown up to this clinic we tested has had it'. Since then, no flu or even cold I have caught in Europe has affected me as much as they used to.


----------



## madhatte

Very interesting. That one had real potential to get real bad. I"m glad it didn't take off like it could have, not that this one has been a picnic either.


----------



## wyk

*COUGH*


----------



## wendell

Dang, what a depressing thread this has turned into. LOL

I had Covid January 2020 and now Omicron January 2022. Omicron is a piece of cake compared to the original.

I've barely had a cough but every inch of me ached the first few days, even my eyeballs. That is mostly gone but now lethargic and foggy brained. Felt great last night and figured it was over but still had a + test this morning and the symptoms have come back.


----------



## wyk

I dunno how far out you have to be before the antigen tests come up negative? I was considering taking one today, but didn't wanna waste it if it is too early.

I'm off the arcoxia today, and coughing up a bit here and there. But otherwise doing OK. I imagine the aches will hit me by tomorrow. 

ETA - just tested positive. I'm totally gonna ask people to lick my eyeballs now.


----------



## Westboastfaller

You can clear isolation at 5 days now in England with a negative lateral flow test.
So I'd say 5 days out is a good place to start. No testing for international travellers with a double jab.I can see the gov letting it run pretty soon.
I popped for it on the 26th. 2 days of light symptoms. No high temp.


----------



## wyk

The Irish gov is basically letting it go through the population. Ya got yer jabs, ya learned how to wash yer hands, stop licking eyeballz - good luck.


----------



## madhatte

I suspect they're largely tired of people whining. Can't blame 'em.


----------



## wyk

So yeah, a little sore today. Slight headache. Didn't cough up much in the morning. The other day I felt like I had been schmokin all night. Today, not too bad at all.
All in all, like a mild flu, really. Which makes me wonder how bad I might have had it if it were an earlier version and I weren't triple vaxxed...
Still, I did cheat with the industrial strength meds. So that's about a week of bother for this 50 year old. None of which I was bed ridden, just a bit bothered.
The wife and MIL are still negative. Which is amazing as at the first signs of it I was in the living room coughing pretty good sitting next to the wife assuming it was her smoking as the cause. Kissed her on the lips earlier that evening, too.
Perhaps the vax kept the load down enough it didn't spread. Dunno. She's triple vaxxed as well with a combo of Pfizer and Moderna. As is the MIL.
My first test did come up just a light positive. Yesterdays was a strong result on the litmus.
A friend's daughter caught it not too long ago. She's 15. Single vax. Had some symptoms for 2 days. Low fever. Sniffling. Basically like a cold. Less than a days down time. The rest of the family tested neg.


----------



## wyk

Cough.
Still slowly crawling out of the covid pit. I feel terrible, tho.
Loads of aches from all the coughing. Loads of stuff coming out of my nose and lungs still.


----------



## catbuster

wyk said:


> Cough.
> Still slowly crawling out of the covid pit. I feel terrible, tho.
> Loads of aches from all the coughing. Loads of stuff coming out of my nose and lungs still.



I got sick with all approiate symptoms before COVID had a test back in late January 2020, I was still coughing stuff out of my lungs for ~45 days afterwards.

Did you ever lose your voice? I could manage about a sentence for two weeks even after I was feeling “good.”


----------



## wyk

I can talk mostly OK, though my voice has changed. I can barely breathe thru my nose most of the time. 
The lungs feel loose off and on. The nose is almost as though I have an infection. I'll see if it gets worse. 
If it does, the MIL has antibiotics. But as it is, I just feel like my immune system is still fighting.
I am now also getting some fever at night. Really odd how it comes and goes. Doesn't help with sleep at all.


----------



## wyk

So two weeks in now and I finally feel like I am recovering. Still not breathing clear, but over all feel much better.
When I got infected, I hadn't spent any time indoors besides my own home other than quick shopping, and we are all required to have masks here when indoors except for restaurants, which I never visited. We did get takeaway, but the delivery guy always had a mask and kept his distance.
I have been walking the dogs with the wife, and occasionally other people we've met on our walks were a bit too close for comfort, but I always tried to keep my distance.
So basically, I likely got a small dose when I was infected.
I have had 3 shots. All Pfizer. The wife and MIL have had two pfizer with one dose of moderna as the booster. Neither of them ever tested positive, even though at one point I was coughing and congested right next to her on the sofa the day before I tested positive.
I have tested positive 4 times - twice the first day I noticed 'real' symptoms, once ever week thereafter. I intend to test myself once a week until I test negative just to get an idea how long it sticks with you.
Though I never felt my life was in danger, it was never a good time. And on occasion I had real difficulty breathing. I used a lot of flonase and at least 4 doses of arcoxia, a strong NSAID nearly as strong as steroids. So, though I can't really say for certain without a control test, I do fear if I hadn't all the drugs or the shots, that it could have gone worse for me. Had I got a stronger viral load like a large dose before masks and distancing was required, maybe worse again.
*cough*
The nose is still producing, and my lungs still clear themselves in the morning. At night I can have a few coughing fits before I settle.
But as of today I feel like I am recovering. Energy is better, aches are much less, and breathing much easier.


----------



## wyk

I was looking back to a week or two before I tested positive, and recalled a time I was waiting in the post office for a teller. That was the only time I was indoors waiting for something. I imagine I was in there for nearly 10 minutes. There were at least 6 others in a fairly confined space. We all had masks.
That was the highest likelyhood of my getting it.

Anywho, I felt well enough today I tested myself. I am currently negative. So that's just a bit more than 2 weeks after first testing positive. 
Still not any fun at night, but much better. I went for a 1km walk and was a bit stiff and light headed, but otherwise came out OK.


----------



## wendell

I ended up getting Omicron the last week of January, almost exactly 2 years after I got Wuhan.

Crazy achy for 2 days then really tired for a week and then tired by the end of the day for another. Now back to almost 100%.

Lost smell for 24 hours after the achiness was gone and then had the weirdest taste and smell for the next two weeks but that's finally gone away.


----------



## wyk

My smell is still off and on. But I am able to get around. Bad thing is I got a stomach bug recently that was nearly as bad. Ugh.

We were by powerscourt today and met some of their clean up crew:







And one of their Irish crummys:


----------



## wyk

Ugh, this stomach bug will not let go. It's ruining me.

In other news, I got a lil efco 5200 to port(sort of like a Husqvarna 350 clone in it's design). Got all the sticky stuff in for it recently(dirko and Curil).
The girls here don;t seem too impressed, tho:


----------



## wyk

So my sense of smell is coming back. I certainly could smell my MIL's room this morning...ugh


----------



## wyk

So, not to make things political, but here it goes - what's up with all these republicans behind Putin?
I remember a time when Russia and communism and dictators were enemies. Where did the party go?


----------



## catbuster

wyk said:


> So, not to make things political, but here it goes - what's up with all these republicans behind Putin?
> I remember a time when Russia and communism and dictators were enemies. Where did the party go?



They’ve gone from a party of principle to a party of consolidated power. Putin looks like a strongman, and definitely not in the Brian Shaw way, so they’ll back him (and consequently Russia) because of it.

I don’t get it, man. I saw it first here in Kentucky with Bevin, then nationally with Trump. But the right-wing nationalism that sort of kicked off 5-10 years ago isn’t just confined to the US & Russia. Marine Le Pen still has strong support in France, the UK left the EU, Hungary has Viktor Orban. I don’t know, man.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> So, not to make things political, but here it goes - what's up with all these republicans behind Putin?
> I remember a time when Russia and communism and dictators were enemies. Where did the party go?


I'm as confused as anyone, I think its too much testosterone envy, folks see a dude say things they think they can't say and talk smack about the folks they already don't like, then poof instant hero, some sort of ******* messiah. 

Putin to be clear is a power mad maniac, always has been. Ukraine is the bread basket of Russia, if Russia is hurting (and they are) they always pick on Ukraine and take whatever they want... this time it appears Ukraine has had enough... 
Anyway, supporting Russia at this time is tantamount to treason in my book.


----------



## wyk




----------



## sawfun

I sure don't get the behavior of the strongman adoration club either. It would seem some folks have to pretend to be, or aspire to be, more than they really are. Most Macho men are scared boys inside, inspite of their jacked up 4 × 4's with AR stickers all over the windows. Same bs mentality with certain political leaders. I wish more US presidents had the same level of character as Zelenskyy. Now there is the measure of a leader!


----------



## northmanlogging

To get an idea of the pluck of the Ukrainian people, there is a netflix documentary, filmed entirely on cell phone cameras, of the Maidenhead protests and eventual massacre, Winter of Fire.

These same kids are adults now, and well armed

Russia done ****ed up.


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> They’ve gone from a party of principle to a party of consolidated power. Putin looks like a strongman, and definitely not in the Brian Shaw way, so they’ll back him (and consequently Russia) because of it.
> 
> I don’t get it, man. I saw it first here in Kentucky with Bevin, then nationally with Trump. But the right-wing nationalism that sort of kicked off 5-10 years ago isn’t just confined to the US & Russia. Marine Le Pen still has strong support in France, the UK left the EU, Hungary has Viktor Orban. I don’t know, man.



The UK is it's own den of snakes. But you have a point; a single right wing party hijacked their thinking with unbridled lies and convinced them that playing well with others was for sheep - not unlike the tactic we see with modern Republicans. They've confused freedom and liberty with racism, jingoism, fear, and nationalism. Many simply can not live with the fact the British Empire died in WWII. They often celebrate their old empire because raping, stealing, murdering, and oppressing is something to be proud of to some. I'm surprised I didn't see MAKE GREAT BRITAIN GREAT AGAIN! hats.

All I know is, this American living in Ireland can't get what he needs from the UK any more if the packet is larger than an envelope. It either gets too much duty, takes too long, or costs too much over all. My main trading partners now are Germany and France, with my last parcel coming from Belgium. Way to go, Britain. Build a lovely tunnel miles under the channel to France for billions of pounds, then plop down a border at the end of it. Sort of the definition of retarded. And don't get me started on the insanity likely to kick off in Northern Ireland now that the Brits there are upset there's no hard border between them and the Republic of Ireland... ugh. Just the supreme stupidity of it all is so stunning.

Hungary and Italy got a raw deal. I'm not saying they are reacting too rationally, but their deal was raw. The UK and the US go in to Iraq and Afghanistan and mess around with the middle east, as they do, creating masses of refugees for decades - and the EU has to manage hundreds of thousands of them headed their way. And how Biden scooted out of the region isn't gonna make things any better in this regard. It's a huge mess the EU has to deal with, and no one is gonna be happy about how anything goes by it whether Hungary or Germany, etc. And when you see masses of immigrants, you will also see right wingers massing to protest. I mean, many in the UK voted for Brexit because of the migrant crisis. 
So, they created a problem, blame it on someone else, then take their toys and leave the sand box. Brexit was brilliantly marketed.


----------



## copen

wyk said:


> The UK is it's own den of snakes. But you have a point; a single right wing party hijacked their thinking with unbridled lies and convinced them that playing well with others was for sheep - not unlike the tactic we see with modern Republicans. They've confused freedom and liberty with racism, jingoism, fear, and nationalism. Many simply can not live with the fact the British Empire died in WWII. They often celebrate their old empire because raping, stealing, murdering, and oppressing is something to be proud of to some. I'm surprised I didn't see MAKE GREAT BRITAIN GREAT AGAIN! hats.
> 
> All I know is, this American living in Ireland can't get what he needs from the UK any more if the packet is larger than an envelope. It either gets too much duty, takes too long, or costs too much over all. My main trading partners now are Germany and France, with my last parcel coming from Belgium. Way to go, Britain. Build a lovely tunnel miles under the channel to France for billions of pounds, then plop down a border at the end of it. Sort of the definition of retarded. And don't get me started on the insanity likely to kick off in Northern Ireland now that the Brits there are upset there's no hard border between them and the Republic of Ireland... ugh. Just the supreme stupidity of it all is so stunning.
> 
> Hungary and Italy got a raw deal. I'm not saying they are reacting too rationally, but their deal was raw. The UK and the US go in to Iraq and Afghanistan and mess around with the middle east, as they do, creating masses of refugees for decades - and the EU has to manage hundreds of thousands of them headed their way. And how Biden scooted out of the region isn't gonna make things any better in this regard. It's a huge mess the EU has to deal with, and no one is gonna be happy about how anything goes by it whether Hungary or Germany, etc. And when you see masses of immigrants, you will also see right wingers massing to protest. I mean, many in the UK voted for Brexit because of the migrant crisis.
> So, they created a problem, blame it on someone else, then take their toys and leave the sand box. Brexit was brilliantly marketed.


Many Americans care about the USA for any number of reasons. But when you have a dude with the mental capacity of a Gummi worm, who has somehow, someway been put in the Whitehouse, it has a tendency to cause some folks to go a little bonkers.
Modern Republicans, modern Democrats, modern Liberals........much has changed.


----------



## sawfun

I wonder how political leaders would have fared during WWll if they'd have spouted out adoration for Hitler or Tojo? I can more than guess, I guess we are more progressive today? Kinda funny that the "Tough Guys" stay well behind the lines full of self importance. Zelenskiy is definitely following Sun Tzu. Leaders need to feel as much pain, if not more, than the people they govern. Good luck with that here. They just pay someone else to do it for them, and consider themselves smart for gaining the position to do that.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> The UK is it's own den of snakes. But you have a point; a single right wing party hijacked their thinking with unbridled lies and convinced them that playing well with others was for sheep - not unlike the tactic we see with modern Republicans. They've confused freedom and liberty with racism, jingoism, fear, and nationalism. Many simply can not live with the fact the British Empire died in WWII. They often celebrate their old empire because raping, stealing, murdering, and oppressing is something to be proud of to some. I'm surprised I didn't see MAKE GREAT BRITAIN GREAT AGAIN! hats.
> 
> All I know is, this American living in Ireland can't get what he needs from the UK any more if the packet is larger than an envelope. It either gets too much duty, takes too long, or costs too much over all. My main trading partners now are Germany and France, with my last parcel coming from Belgium. Way to go, Britain. Build a lovely tunnel miles under the channel to France for billions of pounds, then plop down a border at the end of it. Sort of the definition of retarded. And don't get me started on the insanity likely to kick off in Northern Ireland now that the Brits there are upset there's no hard border between them and the Republic of Ireland... ugh. Just the supreme stupidity of it all is so stunning.
> 
> Hungary and Italy got a raw deal. I'm not saying they are reacting too rationally, but their deal was raw. The UK and the US go in to Iraq and Afghanistan and mess around with the middle east, as they do, creating masses of refugees for decades - and the EU has to manage hundreds of thousands of them headed their way. And how Biden scooted out of the region isn't gonna make things any better in this regard. It's a huge mess the EU has to deal with, and no one is gonna be happy about how anything goes by it whether Hungary or Germany, etc. And when you see masses of immigrants, you will also see right wingers massing to protest. I mean, many in the UK voted for Brexit because of the migrant crisis.
> So, they created a problem, blame it on someone else, then take their toys and leave the sand box. Brexit was brilliantly marketed.


As for N Ireland, do they remember how **** it was during the troubles? Do they realize that Sinn Fein is now a legitimate political party, recognized by parliament, and the Irish people? And that now that 9/10's of the population has gotten a little taste of equality... they ain't likely to give it back anytime soon, or that the IRA imported 100's of tons of munitions from Libya (as well as boston) yet they've only destroyed less then 25 tons of it?

Course we are talking about scared unionists who believe they have maternal right to rule and whatnot... Be a whole lot better if they just declared themselves a separatist country and rejoin the EU... I don't think that joining with the Republic is ever going to be an option, but staying with Britain is clearly a bad idea. 

Guess Ian Paisley being all dead and moldy didn't change much then?


----------



## catbuster

wyk said:


>




I commend them. Zelensky has gained a lot of respect on the world stage for his actions.

I get Hungary’s catching a lot of refugees. I understand how reactionary nationalism can be bred by xenophobia and ethnocentrism. I’m still incredulous as to how all of this is still, somehow, going on. We were all told 20 or 25 years ago we were going to enter the information era that would solve the world’s problems and we had learned our lessons from history. There had to be an inflection point somewhere. I remember being young and optimistic about the world back then. Maybe it was September 2001. Maybe it was 2003. Maybe it was earlier. I don’t know, but somewhere something went off the rails and now we find ourselves here. 

I find myself listening more and more to John Prine these days. I’m needing something to calm me down and make me think I’m sane. 

As an aside, Paradise brought up some memories today. Not directly related to the ongoing, pointless conflict in Ukraine but still takes me back to my anti-MTR days when I spent some time in Frankfort campaigning for Ernie Fletcher to do something about strip mining.

Anyway, back to our regular programming.


----------



## northmanlogging

catbuster said:


> I commend them. Zelensky has gained a lot of respect on the world stage for his actions.
> 
> I get Hungary’s catching a lot of refugees. I understand how reactionary nationalism can be bred by xenophobia and ethnocentrism. I’m still incredulous as to how all of this is still, somehow, going on. We were all told 20 or 25 years ago we were going to enter the information era that would solve the world’s problems and we had learned our lessons from history. There had to be an inflection point somewhere. I remember being young and optimistic about the world back then. Maybe it was September 2001. Maybe it was 2003. Maybe it was earlier. I don’t know, but somewhere something went off the rails and now we find ourselves here.
> 
> I find myself listening more and more to John Prine these days. I’m needing something to calm me down and make me think I’m sane.
> 
> As an aside, Paradise brought up some memories today. Not directly related to the ongoing, pointless conflict in Ukraine but still takes me back to my anti-MTR days when I spent some time in Frankfort campaigning for Ernie Fletcher to do something about strip mining.
> 
> Anyway, back to our regular programming.


its partly generational, "boomers" and older "gen X" lived under constant propaganda about Russian spies, and being warry of anyone new, then Reaganism reared its Alzheimer's liver spotted head and gave everyone someone to blame "drug lords" and "south American's" the older folks didn't have the information available to see the world through the lens of Youtube and chat rooms, and they refuse to do so now... so despite the ability for anyone anywhere to fact check just about any ******** story instantly, most do not...so they live in a world where blaming anyone but themselves for all their troubles in normal. 

Anyway, I'm old enough to remember when you just had to rely on the news to not lie to you, but young enough to be able to cross reference their ******** when necessary


----------



## catbuster

northmanlogging said:


> its partly generational, "boomers" and older "gen X" lived under constant propaganda about Russian spies, and being warry of anyone new, then Reaganism reared its Alzheimer's liver spotted head and gave everyone someone to blame "drug lords" and "south American's" the older folks didn't have the information available to see the world through the lens of Youtube and chat rooms, and they refuse to do so now... so despite the ability for anyone anywhere to fact check just about any ******** story instantly, most do not...so they live in a world where blaming anyone but themselves for all their troubles in normal.
> 
> Anyway, I'm old enough to remember when you just had to rely on the news to not lie to you, but young enough to be able to cross reference their ******** when necessary



I grew up with H.W being the first president I remember. I’m pretty sure we’re in a similar age bracket, or probably within 10 or so years of one another. I feel the same way about media when I was younger. FOX News wasn’t prevalent when I was younger, hell it wasn’t around when I was born. The Weather Channel was, well, weather 24/7, and yeah, CNN was around but there didn’t seem to be as much spin as what picked up in the mid-oughts. 

It’s interesting, dad spent a lot of time in South America in the 1980s and then fought in the Gulf War. He is not a believer in drug lords, and is not enthralled with what he described as “the senseless ruination of an entire country” and “the greedy waste of the land’s resources.” 

Again, I just want to know exactly where the inflection point occurred. I just know whatever optimism I once had was completely dashed around 2012, albeit I lost most of it around 2008 or 2009. It’s a sad state of affairs. Definitely not bringing a kid into this world now, even if I would be getting what most people might consider a “late” start.


----------



## northmanlogging

catbuster said:


> I grew up with H.W being the first president I remember. I’m pretty sure we’re in a similar age bracket, or probably within 10 or so years of one another. I feel the same way about media when I was younger. FOX News wasn’t prevalent when I was younger, hell it wasn’t around when I was born. The Weather Channel was, well, weather 24/7, and yeah, CNN was around but there didn’t seem to be as much spin as what picked up in the mid-oughts.
> 
> It’s interesting, dad spent a lot of time in South America in the 1980s and then fought in the Gulf War. He is not a believer in drug lords, and is not enthralled with what he described as “the senseless ruination of an entire country” and “the greedy waste of the land’s resources.”
> 
> Again, I just want to know exactly where the inflection point occurred. I just know whatever optimism I once had was completely dashed around 2012, albeit I lost most of it around 2008 or 2009. It’s a sad state of affairs. Definitely not bringing a kid into this world now, even if I would be getting what most people might consider a “late” start.


I'm older then I let on... I remember Carter, and the Iran Hostage Crisis... but I also have a pretty good memory. 

As for CNN and spin, meh they may highlight certain news stories, but far as I can tell, they at least aren't blatantly making **** up. 

I do remember when Fox was the "risque" channel for showing "the Simpson's" and "Married with Children" when they brought in "newz" it was clearly biased from day one. 

Raised enough kids that weren't mine, my brothers and sisters have done enough procreation I can take a hard pass on that one. Luckily all the nieces and nephews are old enough to vote and take care of themselves now

Anyway, as far as things going sidewards... either sometime after Clinton got elected, or shortly after 9-11, mostly after 9-11 things took a super weird Uber patriot spin, "you're with us or against us" attitude that's sort of been ongoing ever since, frankly it should of lost its steam when NO WMD's were found in Iraq, except one solitary unmarked sarin gas mortar shell... not a case or a warehouse, one unmarked shell..


----------



## wyk

I watch a lot of DW, well the English version of their channel(by law, they can not have government influenced content, aka propaganda. Which, of course bridges the first amendment in the US. Still, they can be very German at times...):



Yeah news has it's spin, especially the talking head shows. Speaking of propaganda, it is amazing Murdock has sunk to such lowly measures to amass even more wealth. But he could be in the same echo chamber a lot of extremist republicans are. He may actually believe the vitriol FN spews, or maybe he secretly hates America. I suspect a bit of both.


----------



## wyk

There's also Radio Free Europe, which is currently non profit, but it is funded by the US(and has been since just after WWII, where it was heavily CIA controlled). Though they do their own thing now, I do notice a slight American lean on occasion, and they do tend to go a bit biased towards American allies in times like these.


----------



## catbuster

Holy **** (<- Link)

What’s everybody think?


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> Holy **** (<- Link)
> 
> What’s everybody think?


Putin is the kind of man that doubles down unless he's given a good way out to save face.
Well, most men are this way, really. Expect 'total war' shortly. And don't expect the war to be short.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Putin is the kind of man that doubles down unless he's given a good way out to save face.
> Well, most men are this way, really. Expect 'total war' shortly. And don't expect the war to be short.



well, from what I've heard this morning, (unvarified) Putins calling in more troops, troops that are at least a week away, cause like 65% of the russian army wasn't enough for the first week... 

this is going to get ugly, but if it breaks russia, I mean fall of Rome breaks... do we get to divide up the pieces? or is it a domino effect sending us into another dark age of democracy? (wait wut? I promise I'm not stoned)


----------



## sawfun

The more troops that are away from Moscow, the fewer there are to control the populace.


----------



## wyk

So this happened today. Some mad man from the north asked me to port an EFCO 5200. This is a plastic saw not unlike a Husqvarna 350, though not quite as well made...

BLIP BLIP!






A bit of chatter from the dullish factory chain with high rakers...


----------



## sawfun

sawfun said:


> The more troops that are away from Moscow, the fewer there are to control the populace.


I've been thinking more on this and the little weasel would likely go into a bunker, then bomb his own people in Moscow. Russian leaders have a long habit of sacrificing their own.

Ukraine is reported to have a 40 million populace, so say, if 5 million leave, is he gonna kill the other 35 million? That ranks up there with Hitler & Stalin, or bests them. And he will do it in a much shorter time frame with modern weapons.

Putin is basically gonna hold a nuke gun to the west's head saying, give me the USSR back, or I push the button. In the end, this may make the Cuban missile crisis look like the good ole days. Lots of war gaming going on, think tank brains on overtime I suspect.


----------



## wyk

Worth a watch to see what Ukranians have already been through:


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> I've been thinking more on this and the little weasel would likely go into a bunker, then bomb his own people in Moscow. Russian leaders have a long habit of sacrificing their own.
> 
> Ukraine is reported to have a 40 million populace, so say, if 5 million leave, is he gonna kill the other 35 million? That ranks up there with Hitler & Stalin, or bests them. And he will do it in a much shorter time frame with modern weapons.
> 
> Putin is basically gonna hold a nuke gun to the west's head saying, give me the USSR back, or I push the button. In the end, this may make the Cuban missile crisis look like the good ole days. Lots of war gaming going on, think tank brains on overtime I suspect.



We have friends in Warsaw, Poland. They have already seen NATO troops go through on the way to bolstering the border forces along their border with Ukraine, and to set up aid. Supplies are starting to take a hit from the influx of migrants. There is a feeling of fear and trepidation all around.


----------



## sawfun

Poland certainly has some experience with invasion/occupation. Nazi's, then the USSR. Those folks know what's likely brewing. I'm wondering if Ukraine will end up as some kind of staging ground for a larger conflict, should it go that far.


----------



## wyk

So Paul Manafort used to work for Viktor Yanukovych, Putin's puppet in Ukraine previously before the orange revolution cast him out. The whole Republicans supporting Putin starts to make sense... Well, it doesn't make sense, you can just understand it now. All the harassment of the Ukraine by Trump also makes more sense now. We had traitors in the White House owned by Russian interests from day one.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> So Paul Manafort used to work for Viktor Yanukovych, Putin's puppet in Ukraine previously before the orange revolution cast him out. The whole Republicans supporting Putin starts to make sense... Well, it doesn't make sense, you can just understand it now. All the harassment of the Ukraine by Trump also makes more sense now. We had traitors in the White House owned by Russian interests from day one.


It sure seemed treacherous at the time. Being bought by corporate interests is one thing, bad enough, but by a seriously potential enemy government is quite another.


----------



## BrettS

Seems people have forgotten about the corruption of an H Biden and a Ukrainian power company, I read the clintons have also been sniffing around the Ukraine as well.


----------



## northmanlogging

BrettS said:


> Seems people have forgotten about the corruption of an H Biden and a Ukrainian power company, I read the clintons have also been sniffing around the Ukraine as well.


Dunedin huh? is that short hand for moscow? No ones forgetting, as you CHUDs won't let it go, Seams everytime there is a major **** up by a certain party, its always Hillary's or Bill's fault, despite some mysterious piece of missing evidence that would seal the deal for sure this time being completely missing and no one having ever seen its whereabouts since XX unknown aid was seen with it. 

These stories are so easy its almost like they write themselves 
Kinda like a really shitty spy vs spy episode, but without a believable plot. And huge gaps in the character development.


----------



## BrettS

northmanlogging said:


> Dunedin huh? is that short hand for moscow? No ones forgetting, as you CHUDs won't let it go, Seams everytime there is a major **** up by a certain party, its always Hillary's or Bill's fault, despite some mysterious piece of missing evidence that would seal the deal for sure this time being completely missing and no one having ever seen its whereabouts since XX unknown aid was seen with it.
> 
> These stories are so easy its almost like they write themselves
> Kinda like a really shitty spy vs spy episode, but without a believable plot. And huge gaps in the character development.


Geez son, why don't you lay it on thick eh? lol
Calling me all the names under the sun doesn't bother me, I don't care that you are triggered.


----------



## wyk

BrettS said:


> Seems people have forgotten about the corruption of an H Biden and a Ukrainian power company, I read the clintons have also been sniffing around the Ukraine as well.



Seems that people have forgotten that Trump met with Putin in private, off the record.
I also think most do not understand that Manafort was directly working for Putin.

That board in the Ukraine was definitely corrupt at the time. And it's not unlikely Biden's son benefitted. I've no doubt a lot of corruption was taking place. It's big business, after all.

But having a son that was a member of a company in the Ukraine is quite a bit different than having a president that literally cow tows to Moscow. One is corruption, the other treason. Well, it was also corruption and treasonous when Trump extorted and blackmailed the Ukrainian president by withholding the aid package approved by congress. He not only did this to try to extort information from the Ukraine, but also to please Putin.

Do we want corrupt politicians in power? No. Few people on either side actually were comfortable with the corruption of the Clintons. I mean, Hillary herself is just as responsible for Trump becoming president as Putin. We would prefer better. But we definitely do not want people beholden to Putin in power. Well, many of us don't anyways.


----------



## Cricket

catbuster said:


> I commend them. Zelensky has gained a lot of respect on the world stage for his actions.
> 
> I get Hungary’s catching a lot of refugees. I understand how reactionary nationalism can be bred by xenophobia and ethnocentrism. I’m still incredulous as to how all of this is still, somehow, going on. We were all told 20 or 25 years ago we were going to enter the information era that would solve the world’s problems and we had learned our lessons from history. There had to be an inflection point somewhere. I remember being young and optimistic about the world back then. Maybe it was September 2001. Maybe it was 2003. Maybe it was earlier. I don’t know, but somewhere something went off the rails and now we find ourselves here.
> 
> I find myself listening more and more to John Prine these days. I’m needing something to calm me down and make me think I’m sane.
> 
> As an aside, Paradise brought up some memories today. Not directly related to the ongoing, pointless conflict in Ukraine but still takes me back to my anti-MTR days when I spent some time in Frankfort campaigning for Ernie Fletcher to do something about strip mining.
> 
> Anyway, back to our regular programming.


"We were all told 20 or 25 years ago we were going to enter the information era that would solve the world’s problems and we had learned our lessons from history."

To be fair, a large percentage of the folks causing the grief are old enough that their opinions on such things were firmly formed long before that (I'm 66, and some folks I know from my high school graduating class are terrifying in their absolute dedication to not learning a thing they didn't know when they got out of high school.)


----------



## wyk

People don't want to think too much. I don't blame them. It's difficult. What's more is people don't like to be challenged. Well, most don't.

We've a two party system in the US. It literally forces people to choose a side, makes us more black and white, wrong or right. Families are torn apart by simple political ideals that often do not make much sense, or may not actually exist outside of a philosophical political argument. And most of us are aware that the answers and the questions are rarely black and white. I don't know how we reconcile with this. I mean, if you look at all the checks and balances in the system you begin to realize they also act like road blocks. While few of us will benefit from an unchallenged congress that can make laws whimsically, it also means very popular and dividing political ideologies will become intractable. Thus - we fight.

And we're so used to fighting, we not only fight with each other, but with our own family. I do not know any other country where this is acceptable behaviour. I mean, Europeans are stunned when I explain the custom of no politics at a thanksgiving dinner. And when I tell them many are OK with a president in bed with Putin so long as he doesn't make any laws restricting guns or abortion or increasing taxes or decreasing corruption. Shocking to them. They are so used to being more rational and mature. I do not blame them. Our system and our black and white nature prevents maturity. How can we grow if we stop learning after high school?

Of course, I give Europeans the nod here, but the right wing is starting to rear it's head again here as well. Well, not so much in Ireland, but the more eastern countries whose immigrant burdens have increased. Again, hard to blame them, easy to criticise them.


----------



## sawfun

America is still a young and still somewhat immature (adolescent) country compared with Europe. There are goods and bads to this, and people are people. That said, a culture that has been around longer is thought, or at least, hoped to have gained wisdom, if just though time.


----------



## BrettS

wyk said:


> Seems that people have forgotten that Trump met with Putin in private, off the record.


Seems people have forgotten Trump also met Kim jong un, does that make him as bad as Kim?. Will biden meet with him?, will need his hand held by his wife and he can't forget his depends.


----------



## northmanlogging

BrettS said:


> Seems people have forgotten Trump also met Kim jong un, does that make him as bad as Kim?. Will biden meet with him?, will need his hand held by his wife and he can't forget his depends.


No, we didn't forget, though it seems that Kim Jong upped his game against N Korea and is now nuclear capable, so ole trump deserves a big pat on the back for that one yup yup. 
Or did you have an epiphany and connect that with Hillary somehow and Russian Plutonium? A secret deal orchestrated by a secret organization, that meets daily in Venice, to chew the bones of archeologists... while sipping the tears of autistic children? All kept on a secret lap top entrusted to the coke addicted daughter of Ronald Reagan, Patti Davis(google that I dare ya)?


----------



## northmanlogging

Give me 3 hours and a credible editor I could have a cult following by the end of the week... we'll wear yellow hats that say "Make Chocolate Milk Again"

**** guys, I'm even sober at the moment, and its a Saturday night...


----------



## BrettS

northmanlogging said:


> No, we didn't forget, though it seems that Kim Jong upped his game against N Korea and is now nuclear capable, so ole trump deserves a big pat on the back for that one yup yup.


How is that anything to do with Trump?, is that like saying the Russians helped Trump win in 2016 but biden won in 2020 fair and square lol


----------



## wyk

BrettS said:


> Seems people have forgotten Trump also met Kim jong un, does that make him as bad as Kim?. Will biden meet with him?, will need his hand held by his wife and he can't forget his depends.



I suspect Kim Jong Un is a much better businessman. Not sure how much Biden's wife wants to take part in politics. We all know how it went when Hillary incessantly whispered into Will Clintons ear.


----------



## wyk

BrettS said:


> How is that anything to do with Trump?, is that like saying the Russians helped Trump win in 2016 but biden won in 2020 fair and square lol



Brett,

Thank you for making a point.
If we want to talk about the 2020 election, Republicans and Trump filed over 63 lawsuits regarding election fraud. They won none of them, with many simply being thrown out on grounds of no support evidence or documents even provided. The Supreme court loaded with Trump judges rejected the Republicans bid to challenge the election.

Why would the Republicans, their supporters, and Trump not provide evidence if they had it? They had many courts loaded with republicans that would have welcomed any evidence. None was provided to support their cases. Why do you feel that is?

If your goal is more to rile us, you might be able to do so. I'm not sure why people like to purposefully upset others on the internet, but I understand it's a thing and folks are frustrated, especially about the last election. However, you may want to know I am a registered republican from Texas. So simply shouting meme-worthy republican propaganda at me won't accomplish much. This isn't really meant to be a politics argument thread, this is a thread I started to share my ideas and experiences with my friends. I am sure you'd understand that stepping on me and my friends is a bit rude. If you have a point to make, you're welcome to make it and support it and discuss it.

Politically, though, I have moved on long since I've left Texas' echo chamber.


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> America is still a young and still somewhat immature (adolescent) country compared with Europe. There are goods and bads to this, and people are people. That said, a culture that has been around longer is thought, or at least, hoped to have gained wisdom, if just though time.



My point was more that the political system itself forces Americans to be at each other.

Most European countries have a power sharing system. The US has a checks and balances system. Instead of all parties working with each other to accomplish goals like in Europe, you have two parties incessantly fighting with each other. I wanted to say this trickles down into the psyche of Americans, but it really is more of a foundation. The Constitution in effect created a two party system. In order for two parties to survive, they must differentiate themselves from one another. They can not simply be party B with benefits. They have to be Party B is nearly the opposite of party A. This adversarial aspect progressed and metastasized in to the mess we see today. Americans either adapt one platform or the other, or they remain unrepresented. Yes, you could vote green, but we all know what that will accomplish, whether short run or long. And we see how folks react when they are told 'I don't care for politics'. They see it as a cop out or being lazy. But all you need to do is look at voter turnout - a large percentage or people who are subscribed to a party do not bother to vote. In some presidential elections, less than 40% of the population eligible to vote showed up at all.

In Europe, nearly all systems are parliamentary. Even the ones that are technically presidential are still power sharing systems or systems where the president can actually easily be replaced or displaced by the body politic. This shapes a populace differently. It rewards cooperation to a much greater extent. I won't go into detail here, but the effect a system of governance has on a population is literally foundational. It influences the mindset and goals of a populace.
If your political system rewards fighting- people are gonna fight. Just have a look at Brett's completely unsolicited posts. He is trying to start a fight and he doesn't understand how he's been manipulated into doing so.


----------



## BrettS

wyk said:


> Brett,
> 
> Thank you for making a point.
> If we want to talk about the 2020 election, Republicans and Trump filed over 63 lawsuits regarding election fraud. They won none of them, with many simply being thrown out on grounds of no support evidence or documents even provided. The Supreme court loaded with Trump judges rejected the Republicans bid to challenge the election.
> 
> Why would the Republicans, their supporters, and Trump not provide evidence if they had it? They had many courts loaded with republicans that would have welcomed any evidence. None was provided to support their cases. Why do you feel that is?
> 
> If your goal is more to rile us, you might be able to do so. I'm not sure why people like to purposefully upset others on the internet, but I understand it's a thing and folks are frustrated, especially about the last election. However, you may want to know I am a registered republican from Texas. So simply shouting meme-worthy republican propaganda at me won't accomplish much. This isn't really meant to be a politics argument thread, this is a thread I started to share my ideas and experiences with my friends. I am sure you'd understand that stepping on me and my friends is a bit rude. If you have a point to make, you're welcome to make it and support it and discuss it.
> 
> Politically, though, I have moved on long since I've left Texas' echo chamber.


"No, we didn't forget, though it seems that Kim Jong upped his game against N Korea and is now nuclear capable, so ole trump deserves a big pat on the back for that one yup yup".
I was answering to this quote, not to your tome.
For the record I care not whether you are republican, democrat, blue, black, red, green or purple.... I care not a jot.


----------



## Cricket

northmanlogging said:


> No, we didn't forget, though it seems that Kim Jong upped his game against N Korea and is now nuclear capable, so ole trump deserves a big pat on the back for that one yup yup.
> Or did you have an epiphany and connect that with Hillary somehow and Russian Plutonium? A secret deal orchestrated by a secret organization, that meets daily in Venice, to chew the bones of archeologists... while sipping the tears of autistic children? All kept on a secret lap top entrusted to the coke addicted daughter of Ronald Reagan, Patti Davis(google that I dare ya)?


A laptop stored in the basement of a pizza place with no basement.


----------



## alanbaker

catbuster said:


> I commend them. Zelensky has gained a lot of respect on the world stage for his actions.
> 
> I get Hungary’s catching a lot of refugees. I understand how reactionary nationalism can be bred by xenophobia and ethnocentrism. I’m still incredulous as to how all of this is still, somehow, going on. We were all told 20 or 25 years ago we were going to enter the information era that would solve the world’s problems and we had learned our lessons from history. There had to be an inflection point somewhere. I remember being young and optimistic about the world back then. Maybe it was September 2001. Maybe it was 2003. Maybe it was earlier. I don’t know, but somewhere something went off the rails and now we find ourselves here.
> 
> I find myself listening more and more to John Prine these days. I’m needing something to calm me down and make me think I’m sane.
> 
> As an aside, Paradise brought up some memories today. Not directly related to the ongoing, pointless conflict in Ukraine but still takes me back to my anti-MTR days when I spent some time in Frankfort campaigning for Ernie Fletcher to do something about strip mining.
> 
> Anyway, back to our regular programming.


I also have found some solace in John Prine, but at the same time "buckling in" for the all haul, not going to be a pretty ride. Just need one Russian general with one bullet . . .


----------



## northmanlogging

Cricket said:


> A laptop stored in the basement of a pizza place with no basement.


well, yeah... but that's a different story, and they call that plagiarism... So we'll say it is in the attic of a kosher hot dog factory... might as well bring the Hebrew people in on it too... makes the story more "believable"


----------



## sawfun

northmanlogging said:


> well, yeah... but that's a different story, and they call that plagiarism... So we'll say it is in the attic of a kosher hot dog factory... might as well bring the Hebrew people in on it too... makes the story more "believable"


Yes, but did you know that Hillary Clinton came from a pre-Musk colony on Mars? Maybe the National Enquirer can provide proof. Ya gotta admit, it'd make a great front cover to see while in the grocery line. I'm no Hillary or Trump fan, just an odorous, troll like, blue collar creature with no party to represent his 10+/hour a day azz.


----------



## northmanlogging

come on everybody know that pft...


We should be careful, next thing people will be wearying homemade yellow hats and demanding chocolate milk be all natural again... waiting in big crowds because we "promised" to make our identity known and lead them to the revolution at the 2028 super bole half time show...


----------



## sawfun

northmanlogging said:


> come on everybody know that pft...
> 
> 
> We should be careful, next thing people will be wearying homemade yellow hats and demanding chocolate milk be all natural again... waiting in big crowds because we "promised" to make our identity known and lead them to the revolution at the 2028 super bole half time show...


You misspelled bole, is supposed to have two E's.


----------



## wyk

So....

Tried to play some tennis today. Some of you know it was the only sport I was ever really good at. I used to play back in college. Well, I played for a year. I just didn't have the time and money or talent to stretch it out any more than that. 
Anyways - I just can not get enough air. And I do not have any of the strength I had before covid. I just feel so weak and exhausted. I can't really play singles at this point. It's like someone's drained a bunch of the oxygen out of the atmosphere. Yer OK until ya start to do any real work.


----------



## catbuster

Do you think there’s any chance you’ll be able to do enough aerobic exercise to get any of that back?


----------



## wyk

catbuster said:


> Do you think there’s any chance you’ll be able to do enough aerobic exercise to get any of that back?



We'll have to see. I coughed up a bit as well. I suppose it could be some scarring or damage that hopefully can heal. 
I was OK playing doubles the other day since you don't run so much. But yesterday, I just died on the court. 
It's just very frustrating. But I guess I can at least try. Loads of folks suffered far worse.


----------



## wyk

So I ported a very plasticky saw the other day. An EFCO MT5200. Stock, they gots cats in them and not a lot of compression. So this thing had no business sporting an 18 inch 325 bar. Ported..not too bad. Well, until it eats itself, at least.




The wood is a touch grabby, and I may be slacking on the chain tension side. But you get the idea. These are like 350 new stateside.


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

If you ever wondered about Deutsche Welle's credentials, they just got a glowing endorsement:


----------



## wendell

Bump


----------



## wyk

Psh, ain't nuttin goin on here. I think I can say I avoided 'long covid' mostly. Mostly. Chest hurts a bit when I wind myself, but it gets better all the time. Not as lethargic as I was. Joints even better. Now if I could just find a way to rid these allergies...

How are folks?

We have an MS290 on the estate that is very old and the carb has started to flood. I was gonna replace the carb because it is so old, but not even Tillotson have any in stock. Was considering porting it since I got to replace the impulse anyways, but geez is this a mess to pull apart...Who the hell designed this thing?

Here's a random pic of Arlo:


----------



## wyk

Also, this happened on the internet:


----------



## Sportfury70

wyk said:


> Also, this happened on the internet:



That was a really well explained and technical video!

I don’t think they have the gear reduction right though. That engine would be happier at a higher rpm, and could probably get another 20-30% if it was in its power band.


----------



## catbuster

I ended up with a couple more dogs, whippet crosses. They wear Snort the herding mutt out most of the time. The skinny one is very, very fast. He’s just not border collie smart like Snort is.

I miss what I used to do.

Considering becoming a federal employee. Also considering going back into business. I’ve even developed a plan and talked to my Cat guy about the ~$800K in equipment I’d need to get going anywhere close to where I was for just one project. I even sold my pipe saw, that was a mistake. Also considering going to work for a top 5 global contractor. It’s nice to have options, not nice to have people call me asking if I’m interested in working for them.

I am still _very_ upset at the finale of Killing Eve.


----------



## wyk

Interesting in a nutshell video of our recent Irish issues


----------



## wyk

In case Mitch and Senor Wendell are listening - Mitch did a great job on this video:


----------



## wyk

One of our hounds:


----------



## wyk

An interesting bit about Russia:


----------



## madhatte

I saw that yesterday, well produced video


----------



## wyk

So late last month, almost like a light switch, I started feeling much better. Started to train harder and harder in the tennis. Yeah, I'm old and arthritic, so that meant 3 times a week vs 2. But it did help to lose weight and that in turn meant my bones felt better as well.
So 2 weeks ago a bud of mine asked me to join him in the club doubles championships after he and I did really well in the social matches.
I said why not - I got plenty of anti inflammatories anyways.
Long story short, we went in to the club doubles finals last Saturday. One of the opponents was serving so hard it hurt my wrist to return it, but I just kept on keeping on. Eventually we managed a win. It's very rewarding to win a club match at my age, especially since I was the oldest guy out there.


----------



## wyk

Nearly 40,000 Ukrainian refugees now in Ireland:









Most Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland are lone parents with children — CSO


Almost three-quarters of children who enrolled in school are in primary education




www.irishtimes.com


----------



## wyk

Reached 82* today here in Ireland. No one here has AC and the houses are designed to retain heat. There are very few soffets in most houses.
So I had to spray some water on the roof and mist up the garden some. At least it was dry enough to do that. The wife was confused by what I was doing.
When I started, it was 80* inside the house. I got it down to 76. So it helped a bit. I may have lived in Texas, but I rarely had to live with 80* indoors.
It was 100* today in London! They say it will be 102 tomorrow. Virtually no one, included many businesses, have AC in the UK. Good luck to them.
Mainland Europe is literally on fire....


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> Reached 82* today here in Ireland. No one here has AC and the houses are designed to retain heat. There are very few soffets in most houses.
> So I had to spray some water on the roof and mist up the garden some. At least it was dry enough to do that. The wife was confused by what I was doing.
> When I started, it was 80* inside the house. I got it down to 76. So it helped a bit. I may have lived in Texas, but I rarely had to live with 80* indoors.
> It was 100* today in London! They say it will be 102 tomorrow. Virtually no one, included many businesses, have AC in the UK. Good luck to them.
> Mainland Europe is literally on fire....


Unfortunately, been there done that the last couple of years. I've read that the Rhine is low so shipping is affected. Italy seems pretty bad all around between the Po, lack of irrigation, political issues, and population loss. The south of France ain't look'n so appealing any more either. If the Alps lose more glacier, it could be curtains too. Oh well Putin will cure it with a nuke winter. 

On the upside for more personally, the steroids they gave me two weeks ago have me able to walk again and even running a bit. A miracle, to some extent, as I could barely walk a quarter of a mile and at a sloths pace with a ton of back pain. I could barely put socks or shoes on. Yesterday a went for 5 miles and ran one of it. I hope this temporary fix can tell the doc,'s something.


----------



## madhatte

Much closer to home, Nisqually Glacier on Mt Rainier has receded so far it's barely visible from its road crossing. When I was a kid, it came almost all the way to the road. That's about a mile and a half distance in 30 years. It's fair to guess that all glaciers hereabouts are similarly curtailed.


----------



## Captain Bruce

wyk said:


> Reached 82* today here in Ireland. No one here has AC and the houses are designed to retain heat. There are very few soffets in most houses.
> So I had to spray some water on the roof and mist up the garden some. At least it was dry enough to do that. The wife was confused by what I was doing.
> When I started, it was 80* inside the house. I got it down to 76. So it helped a bit. I may have lived in Texas, but I rarely had to live with 80* indoors.
> It was 100* today in London! They say it will be 102 tomorrow. Virtually no one, included many businesses, have AC in the UK. Good luck to them.
> Mainland Europe is literally on fire....


There goes the tourist season..............bring back BOND!


----------



## CDElliott

wyk said:


> Reached 82* today here in Ireland. No one here has AC and the houses are designed to retain heat. There are very few soffets in most houses.
> So I had to spray some water on the roof and mist up the garden some. At least it was dry enough to do that. The wife was confused by what I was doing.
> When I started, it was 80* inside the house. I got it down to 76. So it helped a bit. I may have lived in Texas, but I rarely had to live with 80* indoors.
> It was 100* today in London! They say it will be 102 tomorrow. Virtually no one, included many businesses, have AC in the UK. Good luck to them.
> Mainland Europe is literally on fire....


We are projected to hit 111 degrees tomorrow in central Oklahoma. ;<(


----------



## wyk

Looks like we dodged a bullet down here in Wicklow at 83*. In Dublin, it was 92* in the shade yesterday.
We are used to it being closer to 65* during the day and 55* at night this time of year. Ireland is usually 50-55* most of the year.
People in Ireland will complain about the heat once it starts to touch 70*. I know, it's crazy. But the weather is so mild, they just are used to it rarely being 70*.
Also bear in mind we have sun here this time of year from 5AM to 10PM at our latitude.
The good news is the powergrid has no issues in this weather. The bad news is it's because no one has AC. 
I am managing fine. It just feels nice and warm to me. But the locals are suffering, especially the elderly.



https://twitter.com/FireWicklow


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Looks like we dodged a bullet down here in Wicklow at 83*. In Dublin, it was 92* in the shade yesterday.
> We are used to it being closer to 65* during the day and 55* at night this time of year. Ireland is usually 50-55* most of the year.
> People in Ireland will complain about the heat once it starts to touch 70*. I know, it's crazy. But the weather is so mild, they just are used to it rarely being 70*.
> Also bear in mind we have sun here this time of year from 5AM to 10PM at our latitude.
> The good news is the powergrid has no issues in this weather. The bad news is it's because no one has AC.
> I am managing fine. It just feels nice and warm to me. But the locals are suffering, especially the elderly.
> 
> 
> 
> https://twitter.com/FireWicklow


From my experience most of the houses had 1' thick stone walls are better, so it seems like heat shouldn't be much of a problem, though the newer construction looked like american style 2x6 and stucco 
Texass seems to have a power grid issue no matter the weather... which I find ironic beings how texass oil is the big thang down there... oh yeah, corruption at the state gov level.


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> From my experience most of the houses had 1' thick stone walls are better, so it seems like heat shouldn't be much of a problem, though the newer construction looked like american style 2x6 and stucco
> Texass seems to have a power grid issue no matter the weather... which I find ironic beings how texass oil is the big thang down there... oh yeah, corruption at the state gov level.


A bud of mine used to work with ERCOT. He said there were a lot of things goin on that would lead to something like what happened last winter. But he also said one of the worst things was the partner utilities that were meant to be producing energy for the grid would often keep their output lower, sometimes drastically lower than what was regulated to do. This meant that the frequency would vary more often than it should do, and that if there was an emergency requiring more power, the grid would be slow to respond, or non responsive. I suspect that played a role last winter.  He also said he sent a letter about it to his manager and ERCOT anonymously because snitches get stitches 

As for Ireland - out in the country where there are some very thick stone cottages, it's not so bad. The farm house I stayed in on the Waterford estate had nearly 2' walls at their base. This wasn't for protection or insulation, it was because they wanted it to last and engineering is hard, but stone and serf labor was cheap. It was built back in the early 1800's. That house stayed cool(ish) in the heat. Across the River Suir from that estate is the O'Donnel estate of O'Donnel Potato Chip fame. I've spent loads of tiem over there helping them with trees as well since all these folks tend to know each other. Their main house was built in the 1700's and had even smaller windows in the non renovated parts - really feels medieval in there. But in the cities, and really everywhere, its the same brick and mortar we got stateside, with a preference to using cheap cinder block outside walls with covering. With no soffits and small windows compared to the states, and tarmac and buildings everywhere, it must have been brutal in London at 100-102* for nearly 3 days.

Another thing to consider is the UK and Ireland are island nations. It is damp here nearly all the time. When it gets hot like 80*, it is also rarely below 60-100% humidity. It just drains ya like the heat in the south can do.

We had a front come in early yesterday, so it's cooled off nearly to normal temps here today. I actually was under the duvet last night. The wife was so confused about me. She was suffering, and the dogs weren't impressed, but I still have some of the Texas fortitude left and almost enjoyed it. Hell, I was out BBQ ing in it.

One of the last jobs I did over at the O'Donnells(which, btw, was during our last heat wave. It was 82* and 100% humid that day, and the locals were impressed with my stamina. I passed out when I got home :


----------



## northmanlogging

I found the inner and east side of Ireland to be very much like the Puget Sound area, mild to the extreme, though we did manage to get snowed on while in Co Kerry, which I thought was Skookum... the locals were unimpressed lol (Gurl friend not yet wifey McWifepants less so) 
The west side you could tell which direction folks lived from town by which side their hair stood up on... does the wind EVER stop there?


----------



## wyk

Some of my favourite time in the PNW was working in the sound. I found Whidbey Island gorgeous. Also spent time in areas like Sequim and Ramapo I think it was. We planted thousands of Douglas Fir trees for Washington University. Or was it Washington State?

The last time I was in Sligo and Clifden, I got sand blasted at the beach. I was also in Galway for a short while. It's gorgeous, but I am not hardy enough to live that life out there. I am not a fan of wind. The east coast is where it's at. Though there are parts of Cork that are very nice in summer. Some of my best memories of Ireland are from Cork.

Here's a house a bud lived in that was owner constructed in Ballynahob, Cork:






My greyhound, the friend again in yet another house she rented that is a barn conversion in Cork county, and her horse and retreiver:







Yes, I did stand and stare a very long time before I suggested she cross her legs for a photo.


----------



## wyk

So an odd thing happened the other day. I was sharing my elementary experiences with a local, and he was like 'I am Irish, and there's no way we fight anywhere near as much as you did in school. So, you musta been pure trouble!'

And so, I thought...maybe I was trouble. But looking back, I didn't start most of the fights. Now, I didn't back down from a fight because, well, I was trouble. But in my defense, I didn't start most of them. Yes, many of them were over a girl or defending my brother or a friend, or maybe Star Wars vs Star Trek vs Buck Rogers. But when I really looked back, I recall many of the fights being with people I simply did not know, and many of which I could remember the fight(especially one that took place next to a school bus) but not the person I fought. Yeah, it was a long time ago, but you know what else was a long time ago? Desegregation busing. That's right, I got in fights with random kids at random schools that I was sent to due, at least in part, to the busing. No, not all fights were with strangers or because I was a stranger, but it sure as hell didn't help. When we arrived at our 'new' school, many of the local kids did NOT like us. 

We were shipped from my ersatz suburb out in the middle of nowhere, to the inner city, which alone was a bit of a shock to me, and not least because it was nearly an hour commute. Since this took place during the 70's mainly, I got to learn a LOT of disco songs along the way during my nearly two hour daily commute at times. And that commute did change because I went to a different school nearly every year. Whether this was the way they intended it to work or not, that's how I got treated. What did happen was the local kids did not like us busers. Not one bit. I got in to so many fights, it was absolutely ridiculous. And god forbid any of the new kids learned I was Native American - that made it so much worse. 

It also meant that any new friends I made in school - I could not play with or even see afterwards. These kids sort of became 'temporary friends' after you got used to moving to a new school year after year. This also meant that extra curricular activities were impossible - no joining any clubs or sports. My local school was oddly foreign during these times when I rode the bike down to it to get some tennis or baseball or meet old friends that lived on the other side from me. I suppose I could have maybe joined our local school activities, but I simply didn't know how at the time as my mother was also confused at what was going on. She actually complained about it in person, along with many, many others, to the school and assumingly their local politicians. It lasted for years still.

Looking back on it, it was all so odd compared to the experience a lot of other people got before and after. What a strange time in my life it was.

So yeah, segregating by desegregating, didn't work great for me. Supposedly it worked for a lot of inner city kids, though. So there's that...


----------



## sawfun

From what little I remember, desegregation didn't work that great for either side. I don't remember fights, just a lot of standoffishness. No friendships were made by anyone I saw or knew. Mistrust was big on the kids that were bussed. Forced racial integration is a tough road to hoe.


----------



## northmanlogging

Elementary for me was mostly in WY, so desegregation was both a memory, and a non starter, whole lotta whitey out there, and the natives where on reservations tucked into inhospitable areas way to far from any school worth mentioning. 

I do remember getting into loads of fights, usually with the rich kids from the east side of town, who were bussed over, the west side had the new bigger school... The rich kids all formed a "gang"(no seriously, you could only be a member through invitation from the leader) and would pick on us "poor" kids and anyone that they thought looked, dressed, or acted funny mostly the special Ed. kids, which to be honest they shoved my ass in there for a year and a half because my brothers are all idiots, so it clearly ran in the family... anyway point being the special ed kids were my friends, and I had anger issues... so I took it out directly on the spoiled rich pricks. 

But yeah most of the fights were over really dumb S, like being called some silly name or what ever. One of the more noticeable scars on my forehead is from a large chunk of ice being chucked at me... with a good deal of energy... because I ran over the nerdy kids homework with a bicycle... in my defense I was completely sideways on the ice and it was not intentional... but it is the first time I'd been knocked out lol. 

Things got weirder at home though... couple of the kids in the hood were only there during the summers, and were unbearable douche bags... so there would be fights all the damned time, mostly stoked by the older kids. Personally I lost a tooth when dudes much older brother held me down while he kneed me in the face repeatedly (talkin like I was 9 and the older kid was 14-15) later that summer I broke several of his ribs as a repayment though so? I guess were even

The move to WA kicked of with me, long hair pierced ear, midwestern drawl... Not giving a S about what any of these hicks thought of me... the girls thought I was cute... so of course their brothers had to rough me up to show dominance or whatever... anyway 10 fights in about 2 weeks, before they figured out it would take a lot more then 5 of em at a time to put me down... eventually it sort of settled into a shaky truce, them realizing that I was related to 1/2 the town, and me being totally up for breaking noses lol. 

**** got real in Highschool though, the hicks still liked to gang up on folks, 5-6 of em would rat pack you after school, so the outcast kids started bringing weapons, we were fine during school cause we could at least watch each others backs, but on the way home... you were on your own. 
Anyway, Last fight I got in in school was 10th grade? I had been walking a paper route, and through that collecting payments which I would keep in my locker, but kids thought it was funny to open it up... so I started punching MOFO's in the face... that fight was broken up by the special ed teacher... a very short very sweet lady, that was friends with my Mom (remember brothers are both idiots lol) anyway, she was wearing a brightly colored jacket, that looked very similar to one my friend who is tall was wearing... so as I had the other kid in a headlock and working over his face... the teacher grabs me from behind... I elbowed her in the face thinking it was the friend of mine and I'd elbowed him in the belly...


Well, I split her lip wide open.... Later that night... she was at the house sipping homemade brandy with Ma.... probably the most awkward dinner I've ever had

Anyway, that paper route, and a summer a job tying and marketing Fishing Flies... bought my first guitar, and with it most of my anger issues evaporated... at least I wasn't looking for excuses to punch a prick in the face anymore lol.


----------



## Fatherwheels

northmanlogging said:


> From my experience most of the houses had 1' thick stone walls are better, so it seems like heat shouldn't be much of a problem, though the newer construction looked like american style 2x6 and stucco
> Texass seems to have a power grid issue no matter the weather... which I find ironic beings how texass oil is the big thang down there... oh yeah, corruption at the state gov level.


Yes, old stone houses were great in that respect, they did not warm up
too quick or cool off too quick, mine had over 2 foot thick walls.
They also kept noise out much better than modern houses to.

I used to work in old buildings, never needed anything other than a t shirt
no matter what season it was, maybe I was tough back then.


----------



## wyk

OK, so surprise, there is a lot of anti soviet and Russian sentiment in Europe at the moment; leading to stuff like this:



But what caught my eye was they used excavators instead of explosives - cutting it down like a tree. Wow, that took some soviet era guts for sure.
I have mixed feelings. I mean, yeah, I can understand why they did it, and how it's happening all over Europe for decades now. But, despite what neoRepublicans like to think, the Nazis were bad hombres. So, hopefully something else goes up in it's place. I dunno.


----------



## wyk

Fatherwheels said:


> Yes, old stone houses were great in that respect, they did not warm up
> too quick or cool off too quick, mine had over 2 foot thick walls.
> They also kept noise out much better than modern houses to.
> 
> I used to work in old buildings, never needed anything other than a t shirt
> no matter what season it was, maybe I was tough back then.



That's something I forgot to mention - the eerie silence you have when inside one of those old stone buildings.

This is the farmhouse on the estate I work. On the right window you can get an idea of how thick the walls are.
The window sill is deeper than the counter is.


----------



## madhatte

!!!

whoah that's some sturdy construction


----------



## wyk

It's a pain to open and close those windows.

Here's another photo I have for some reason:






And the windows aren't even flush with the outside:






That's a thick ass wall.


----------



## catbuster

wyk said:


> OK, so surprise, there is a lot of anti soviet and Russian sentiment in Europe at the moment; leading to stuff like this:
> 
> 
> 
> But what caught my eye was they used excavators instead of explosives - cutting it down like a tree. Wow, that took some soviet era guts for sure.
> I have mixed feelings. I mean, yeah, I can understand why they did it, and how it's happening all over Europe for decades now. But, despite what neoRepublicans like to think, the Nazis were bad hombres. So, hopefully something else goes up in it's place. I dunno.




Excavators have been used to fall tall objects like that for years. We did a _lot _of demolition of brick, block and concrete silos like that when I had my first construction job and then when I went home and first started my business in civil contracting. It’s almost exactly the same as taking a tree down, you get the undercut in, the object goes over balance, then falls.

I understand the hatred of the USSR era, and how it formed Vladimir Putin’s mindset. And I say this as someone on the outside, looking in, insulated from the situation on the ground, but I feel like that anger could be directed to something much more productive. The USSR is a thing of the past, and while it still influences actions today it may be better to fight the battles of today than the demons of the past.

If I remember somewhat correctly, strategically Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, while members of NATO, are more or less designed to be nothing more than a speed bump for Russia while NATO ramps up to full speed and can mobilize to places like Poland and Finland to actually start to play ball. I would have to think they’d be the next places to go if Putin wanted to escalate this situation, albeit he’s not equipped or prepared to do so. Either way, I would think Latvia would have to understand as such and do like I mentioned above… Deal with the present instead of fighting demons of the past.


----------



## northmanlogging

This goes here... DMV with an electric vehicle?








DeLorean


DeLorean is a legacy mobility company focused on redefining human connections through creative technologies.




delorean.com


----------



## wyk

They'd sell like hot cakes if they looked like the original.
I took this photo when I was visiting relatives in Huntington Beach, CA:


----------



## wyk

So is it a testament to the American dream when someone who identifies as 'Mexican American' feels entitled enough to be racist against Indians(I dunno if they are Indian Americans)? If you like, you can find much of the encounter on video from WFAA in your feed after you watch this snippet:



Amazing how tribal we can be.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> So is it a testament to the American dream when someone who identifies as 'Mexican American' feels entitled enough to be racist against Indians(I dunno if they are Indian Americans)? If you like, you can find much of the encounter on video from WFAA in your feed after you watch this snippet:
> 
> 
> 
> Amazing how tribal we can be.



murica... aint ye proud...


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> murica... aint ye proud...



I have actually experienced the 'reverse' of this. I was in the Netherlands and a police officer was giving out to me for being an American.
Well, he was giving out to me for something different at the start, but it eventually progressed to racism. Or, I guess, jingoism/nationalist? in this case. In Europe, any form of discrimination is usually referred to as racism even if it is nationalism or jingoism etc. Because who wants to say 'nationalist based discrimination' every time, I guess.
In any case, humans are super good at being racist. Go figure. But this woman is super, super good with just a few drinks in her. I wonder how long that outburst had been simmering inside her. I also wonder how much of it is simply redirected racism she herself had experienced. It can be an ugly cycle, I bet.
I also wonder if, like me in the example above, those Indians were simply visiting. So, you go to America, have a conversation in a parking lot, and someone who identifies as Mexican and American attacks you for not being American enough. Well, now we know why it's a story. That's some crazy shizzle right there.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> I have actually experienced the 'reverse' of this. I was in the Netherlands and a police officer was giving out to me for being an American.
> Well, he was giving out to me for something different at the start, but it eventually progressed to racism. Or, I guess, jingoism/nationalist? in this case. In Europe, any form of discrimination is usually referred to as racism even if it is nationalism or jingoism etc. Because who wants to say 'nationalist based discrimination' every time, I guess.
> In any case, humans are super good at being racist. Go figure. But this woman is super, super good with just a few drinks in her. I wonder how long that outburst had been simmering inside her. I also wonder how much of it is simply redirected racism she herself had experienced. It can be an ugly cycle, I bet.
> I also wonder if, like me in the example above, those Indians were simply visiting. So, you go to America, have a conversation in a parking lot, and someone who identifies as Mexican and American attacks you for not being American enough. Well, now we know why it's a story. That's some crazy shizzle right there.


the step Drunk was 1/3? Cherokee, reallllly wanted to join the KKK until my mah pointe out that everyone in the family has native in them... The KKK politely left the house after that though, didn't stop em from burning down the brown families house in town, but at least I can say I had nothing to do with it.


----------



## wyk

People wonder how I broke my nose in tennis. It's easy, really. All us great champions run the risk. Only I was just a bit sexier doing it than this amateur, and I was on a slightly bouncy surface like synthetic grass:


----------



## northmanlogging

ah ight wes whats the mood like in Ireland?


----------



## wyk

I'll just leave this here:



https://twitter.com/hashtag/IrishTwitter



People here were hoarding fireworks in preparation for Samhain/Halloween. So we heard a fair few fireworks as well.


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

Ouch:


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

Guitar Hero is fo suckaz


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

55,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland now. Two of our local hotels here in Bray are full that I know of.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> 55,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland now. Two of our local hotels here in Bray are full that I know of.


Just another of Putins nasty war strategies, overwhelm the European countries.


----------



## northmanlogging

sawfun said:


> Just another of Putins nasty war strategies, overwhelm the European countries.


that any different then the Afgany/Iraqi/Somali/Vietnamese/S Korean/Syrian/South American, refugees we've created? War sucks, sane people try to get away from it if they can.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> 55,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland now. Two of our local hotels here in Bray are full that I know of.


the fact that after all the BS that Ireland has dealt with over the last 7-800 years, they still open their doors to those in need...


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> the fact that after all the BS that Ireland has dealt with over the last 7-800 years, they still open their doors to those in need...



I find that the Irish are amazingly generous and compassionate people.


----------



## wyk

Just saw this:









Irish man Rory Mason killed in fighting in Ukraine


Co Meath native was a serviceman of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kharkiv region




www.irishtimes.com


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

I had to stop selling bars I got from the UK after Brexit went into full effect. It just wasn't tenable. The profits disappeared.


----------



## wyk

So I got a 290 here I need a carb for. I am gonna do a very mild porting to it as well.
Will an HD16 work well in this application? I can get one off a german site.


----------



## wyk

So these bad boyz showed up today. 394 needs to be gone thru(and likely cleaned up and new pistoned - will a 395 piston have compatible ring ends?).The other is a 390 about to be ported.


----------



## sawfun

Interesting the 394 is full wrap, but low top. While they are heavier, I like my 395 way more than my 390. Fortunately I don't cary a saw far.


----------



## wyk

sawfun said:


> Interesting the 394 is full wrap, but low top. While they are heavier, I like my 395 way more than my 390. Fortunately I don't cary a saw far.



Yeah in my book a 390 needs to be at least lightly woods ported to be a decent saw since it is so freaking heavy. I mean, over built is nice for longevity, but they are pigs in the field. While they give up some displacement to the 066/660, they do have great anti vibe by comparison.

Remember when we did the 385 VS 066 video over in Yamhill at Jerry's place (which I can not find for the life of me)? That was like 12 years ago now. Ugh, I am so old. When you hefted my fully loaded 385 you were like 'It's a fat pig!'.

Speaking of an over built fat pig, this 394 bare weighs what that fully loaded 390 does. But geziz do the 394's turn and burn. But this one is acting like it is burnt up a bit inside. Maybe also needs a carb kit as well. We'll see. Hope I can find a replacement piston...

This guy also has a few other huskies and Stihls that need work, so you'll see more in the future if I don't blow these up.
You're right, full wraps are rare here. He uses this mainly for felling big trees or hard woods.

A quick search shows the 395 piston works:





__





394XP PISTON


I know this has been discussed before but what is the difference between the 394 and 395 piston. I'm building a 394 and have a new Meteor 395 piston here. Everything measures the same so what am I missing?




www.arboristsite.com





I'm gonna drop this cylinder so unlikely would a ring end find itself in the intake anyways.


----------



## wyk

So yeah... this was kinda close?


----------



## wyk

This also helps explains some of the 'strong man'/authoritarian support we see stateside as well.
So, shocker, Carl Schmidt features predominantly in parts.


----------



## wyk

As an American, this part of Irish politics has always confused me. In the US, you are either a citizen, or you are not. There is no half measure there. In Ireland, your rights can be discriminated against depending on where you live.









Poll: Should Irish people living abroad be able to vote in presidential elections?


Thousands of Brazilian people in Ireland cast their vote in the country’s presidential elections this weekend.




www.thejournal.ie


----------



## wyk

So I pulled on this 394xp thing and it gave me this:






There is a hint of scoring on the piston, but it looks OK. So I turned her over and I got the loudest pop of my life, and flames flew all about the place. So had a good idea what the problem might have been...

Whoever was in this thing before me dented the **** out of the nut. Did they not have a socket around?







There's yer problem:






not sure if the key is sheared all to hell, or if they gave it a slight timing advance previously.







So gonna go ahead and do a mild port on this thing so it doesn't kill any one, and slap her together without the gasket for hopefully 175-180psi, which would be perfect for a work 394. Coz, I gotta tell ya, pulling that thing for 165psi not only made me realize how old I am, but also kept resetting my compression gauge it hit so hard. I had to unscrew the gauge 1/2 turn to keep it from resetting since it is designed to attach directly to the cylinder without a hose.

Don't suppose anyone has a 394/395 muffler for sale? Rare as hens teeth here...


----------



## wyk

So, the good news is the package made it to Australia..er...


----------



## wyk




----------



## wyk

Roxanne our Greyhound Saluki mix having a go at boxing:


----------



## wyk

Needed a good vice to hold small things like mufflers etc. Shopped around for a few days and found a guy on the other side of Dublin that restored vices.
He said this one only needed primer and a new coat. It mostly sat in a builders garage doing not much of anything it's whole life.
They stopped making these in the 70's, and started in 1937. It definitely isn't an early model, though. One of the reasons it's in such condition is it appears no welder or mechanic got a hold of it. Prolly lived it's life around timber. The 'J' models are also made of hardened steel vs iron.

She is 4.5 inch jaws with a 5.5" opening.







Shhh. Don't tell the wife I had it on the kitchen table while marking in the embossed letters. 

ETA - gonna call her 'Red Sonia'


----------



## wyk

The older I get, the harder it is to build benches. I am exhausted. The worst part was hand sawing the timber in the parking lot to get it to fit in my tiny Irish car(which is actually French). I got to get me a battery circular saw.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> The older I get, the harder it is to build benches. I am exhausted. The worst part was hand sawing the timber in the parking lot to get it to fit in my tiny Irish car(which is actually French). I got to get me a battery circular saw.


the entire time I was over there, I only saw one full sized truck, an F150, fairly new one at that, but it had scratches and dents all down each side of it... mirrors were taped on too lol


----------



## wyk

If you look at the backing on that bench you'll notice some figuring on the wood. Except that's pressure treated Spruce. It's not figuring, it's water. You can see that leg on the right is also damp.
As an added bonus, because this is Ireland much of the timber was wet - and my cheap ass mitre saw blade does not like wet timber. So I am gonna have to hit it with the orbital tomorrow to knock off all the frayed wood. Assuming it's dried by then.


----------



## madhatte

new house, new shop... no power in shop

you're doing better than me, yo


----------



## wyk

So the 395 piston does indeed work with the 394. I removed the bottom ring since it is rather low on this piston, and sure why not. But I mainly did it to make installing the piston easier. On my first attempt, one of the rings actually popped into the intake as I was moving the cylinder down. I found with just the top ring and installing it with the cylinder turned about 30* off center until it cleared the intake and it was fine. 

She should be all cured by today. I ended up with .030 squish after the install. At the stock .049 she had 165psi compression. So hopefully close to 175 now and a better burn pattern. I did a mild port job on her, gutted the exhaust, and added 5* of timing advance. We have 95 octane fuel here as standard, and cool weather year round, so I advance the timing on almost everything I can.


----------



## wyk

This was a cool little drone footage of the next village over from us I thought I would share. It shows the area well. At the beginning and end of the video you can actually see our house way in the background closer to da sea. At the start our house is near where the 'Y' in Enniskerry falls, but you can't really make it out.



This village featured prominently in that terrible Disney movie 'Disenchanted'.


----------



## wyk

And here's a view from the opposite direction, the town of Bray, my home town now.


----------



## wyk

And here's a few areas where we walk our dogs:



And people wonder why I left Texas and the US for Ireland...


----------



## wyk

So from 165 on this 394xp to nearly 180 before break-in. Not any fun compression testing these things.
It's missing 3 fins, so we'll see how she gets on. It's never really too hot here, tho.


----------



## wyk

Just porting me some sawrs. 365xt, 394xp, 390xp.


----------



## wyk

So a farmer left me that 365xt you see up there. He claimed it was 'down on power'. So, I was thinking, air filter, piston/rings, carbon, plug, etc etc.
I open her up and found the flywheel chocked full of saw dust. After some mining, this literally fell out:






The only thing keeping her running was solidified saw dust. The flywheel showed a few marks, as you might guess.
How she was even running is amazing. So, yeah, she was prolly a bit 'down on power'.

Here she is with a timing advance and a couple holes in da mufflerz:


----------



## northmanlogging

wait, parts fell off a Husky? 
I don't believe it for a minute...


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> wait, parts fell off a Husky?
> I don't believe it for a minute...



Well, in fairness, it's been in the hands of an Irish farmer for 8 years without a day of maintenance far as I can tell. 
So that's rather impressive.


----------



## madhatte

looks like it picked up a little something there


----------



## wyk

It is just amazing to me how little care people take of their small engine equipment here in Ireland considering the costs.
But, I guess it is the cost of servicing that keeps them away from the dealers.
And in any case, this guy is an actual farmer working all day every day, so it's tough to judge him there. His hands were twice the size of mine and covered in callouses. You should hear his accent.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> It is just amazing to me how little care people take of their small engine equipment here in Ireland considering the costs.
> But, I guess it is the cost of servicing that keeps them away from the dealers.
> And in any case, this guy is an actual farmer working all day every day, so it's tough to judge him there. His hands were twice the size of mine and covered in callouses. You should hear his accent.


Tools are tools they should be able to put up with abuse to some extent. 
Some day I'll have to tell you the story about an off License on a Sunday and directions involving an Haitche at either 1 mi, or 3 depending on how long yer legs are...


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> Tools are tools they should be able to put up with abuse to some extent.
> Some day I'll have to tell you the story about an off License on a Sunday and directions involving an Haitche at either 1 mi, or 3 depending on how long yer legs are...



Hell, you may be able to tell me in person sometime. I may head back stateside. I can not find work here other than some repairs, and I got all sorts of drama goin on at home now. Just, wow. Anyone in the PNW hiring slow old men?


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Hell, you may be able to tell me in person sometime. I may head back stateside. I can not find work here other than some repairs, and I got all sorts of drama goin on at home now. Just, wow. Anyone in the PNW hiring slow old men?


everybody is hiring, problem is no one is paying. 
What sorts of work would you be interested in?


----------



## wyk

I'll definitely let you know if things do go even more sideways here. But last time I was in Willamina I was bucking on a landing. Old mans work 
Still good with a saw, and still like to be outside.
It's really frustrating because I just had an offer from a STIHL shop here for work in Dublin. I am gonna at least do some part time when we work out a schedule. But my living condition right now is about to go dynamic, and rentals in Dublin are either brutal or nonexistant. 
Geziz my life. It's all about timing. I was actually hoping to spring it on you guys I was working in a Stihl shop as a surprise.
But now, I hope I can just work there until I get booted and am homeless.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> I'll definitely let you know if things do go even more sideways here. But last time I was in Willamina I was bucking on a landing. Old mans work
> Still good with a saw, and still like to be outside.
> It's really frustrating because I just had an offer from a STIHL shop here for work in Dublin. I am gonna at least do some part time when we work out a schedule. But my living condition right now is about to go dynamic, and rentals in Dublin are either brutal or nonexistant.
> Geziz my life. It's all about timing. I was actually hoping to spring it on you guys I was working in a Stihl shop as a surprise.
> But now, I hope I can just work there until I get booted and am homeless.


Gurl trouble or land lawd trouble?


----------



## wyk

I wish it was land lord trouble. We'll see how things shake down after xmas here...
But the problem is there's also no work down in Waterford at this point, and not even a place for me to stay any more.
I might have to go stateside no matter what.
I kinda miss it, anyways. So I'm OK with however this goes down.


----------



## madhatte

Well, DNR is on a kind of a hiring spree, so you might have a look at their website.


----------



## wyk

I see they are hiring firefighters... I'm a bit old for that nonsense, tho. But I might pass the pack test after all the tennis I been doing.
Thanks for the heads up!

What else is news in the Washingtons?


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> I see they are hiring firefighters... I'm a bit old for that nonsense, tho. But I might pass the pack test after all the tennis I been doing.
> Thanks for the heads up!
> 
> What else is news in the Washingtons?


price gouging, rent is out of control, house prices are absurd, bout like the rest of the world, only with rain and big timber. 
EVERY mill here is hiring for EVERY position, some of the mills are having a hard time running a full shift on mondays or fridays... even though demand is through the roof still. 
CDL drivers are still in demand, and if you sign on with Brown/SWIFT/New Egland etc you have a home and a paying job for at least a year.


----------



## wyk

So, like, I never actually seen one of these 390 exhausts with the brace on the front that someone was stupid enough to drill holes behind...











And this is why you maybe don't wanna do it...it's freaking loud:


----------



## wyk

Oh yeah. I won#t be trying that again unless the guy asks for loud. I mean, it is way way loud somehow. Much louder than big duals.
Maybe it is because of the great compression this 390 has, or the timing advance, but that is brutal.

Also, hey @sawfun Jerry down in Yamhill just sent me this:






Neighbor was having work done. It's Jerry's brothers home, and he was INSIDE it at the time this happened! He is OK, tho. His bro, that is.
Must smell great, tho.






So now his bro has two homes.
Also, If anyone in the yamhill oregon area has like a strong used 60 or a standard 70cc saw for sale, Jerry could use one. I think he's looking to spend about 5 bills or so.
PM me and I'll send ya his number.


----------



## wyk

I like how extreme right-wingers are always banging on about crime being their main concern when often times they are the ones criming:









German police arrest 25 'terror group' members on suspicion of planning armed coup


Followers of the so-called Reich Citizens movement have called for the overthrow of the German government.




www.thejournal.ie





Citizens of the Reich - because Nazis did such a great job making Germany great again. A great rubble pile. And that was back when Murica was as right wing as it got. Try that stupidity today and drones will literally be circling 24-7.


----------



## wyk

So I got the job. Just got to see what my situation is here now. Some photos from today. There were a LOT more folks than are in these photos. I took them during lulls to show off some of the city.

Look at that a payphone in city centre Dublin:








Whatever how much I had to walk today, these poor horses were prolly on their feet for 10 hrs straight. This is in front of Steven's Green:







Christmas busking on Grafton Street:






O' Connell bridge over the Liffey:






I swear I got a 20 year old photo of this news agent in my pbase somewhere:







James Joyce himself overlooking the noodle bar I visited Blade Runner style:






I really wish he wouldn't litter, though.


----------



## wyk

And at least one pic of the back of the shop...






He just got a contract with the local council, so loads of construction and maintenance stuff.


----------



## sawfun

wyk said:


> I like how extreme right-wingers are always banging on about crime being their main concern when often times they are the ones criming:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> German police arrest 25 'terror group' members on suspicion of planning armed coup
> 
> 
> Followers of the so-called Reich Citizens movement have called for the overthrow of the German government.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Citizens of the Reich - because Nazis did such a great job making Germany great again. A great rubble pile. And that was back when Murica was as right wing as it got. Try that stupidity today and drones will literally be circling 24-7.


Living in Portland, crime is out of control and i would expect vigilante behavior at some point. There are unfortunatly, no moderates, and woke and ultra liberism do not work. Lack of any consequences will gain you out of control crime. Police resonse is little if any and late if at all. Even some anti gunners now want guns. Its pretty scary. In my job,im saturated in it,mental illness, drugs, human trafficing. All can be easily witnessed hourly.


----------



## madhatte

wyk said:


> I see they are hiring firefighters... I'm a bit old for that nonsense, tho. But I might pass the pack test after all the tennis I been doing.
> Thanks for the heads up!


If they're only listing fire positions today, look again regularly. There's a bunch of new funding so there's a bunch of new positions being created which may not have been posted yet. It's all very governmental.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> So I got the job. Just got to see what my situation is here now. Some photos from today. There were a LOT more folks than are in these photos. I took them during lulls to show off some of the city.
> 
> Look at that a payphone in city centre Dublin:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Whatever how much I had to walk today, these poor horses were prolly on their feet for 10 hrs straight. This is in front of Steven's Green:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Christmas busking on Grafton Street:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> O' Connell bridge over the Liffey:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I swear I got a 20 year old photo of this news agent in my pbase somewhere:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> James Joyce himself overlooking the noodle bar I visited Blade Runner style:


I'm assuming you already know to take the bus into Dublin? Cause... driving is a terrible idea lol. (ask me how I know)
Get me a shot of Oscar Wilde if you get a chance.


----------



## northmanlogging

sawfun said:


> Living in Portland, crime is out of control and i would expect vigilante behavior at some point. There are unfortunatly, no moderates, and woke and ultra liberism do not work. Lack of any consequences will gain you out of control crime. Police resonse is little if any and late if at all. Even some anti gunners now want guns. Its pretty scary. In my job,im saturated in it,mental illness, drugs, human trafficing. All can be easily witnessed hourly.


I mean, the cops in portland have always been an issue, now they are expected to actually do their job and produce evidence while not beating the S out of people, so they just don't show up instead... Seattle is about the same story, cops whining incessantly about not being allowed to do their jobs, what they really mean is they want to lock innocent folks up without evidence, and not suffer any consequences for it, but the one makes a better sound bite.


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> I'm assuming you already know to take the bus into Dublin? Cause... driving is a terrible idea lol. (ask me how I know)
> Get me a shot of Oscar Wilde if you get a chance.



Bus ain't no cadillac, tho. One of the drivers was purdy aggressive. He musta been in a hurry.
I got a lil bus pass and everythang, so I'm good.
I coulda got a pic of Oscar as he was nearly across from those horses. That's how much I suck at street photography.
I'm still up because those noodles are keeping me up!


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> I mean, the cops in portland have always been an issue, now they are expected to actually do their job and produce evidence while not beating the S out of people, so they just don't show up instead... Seattle is about the same story, cops whining incessantly about not being allowed to do their jobs, what they really mean is they want to lock innocent folks up without evidence, and not suffer any consequences for it, but the one makes a better sound bite.



The problem is sensible people who are well-adjusted aren't attracted to that job. There are a near infinite amount of better jobs out there. You have to be able to ignore the danger and risks for the power and prestige. That is the sort of person that tends to be a cop more often than not. The exact sort of person you do not want as a cop. Many of which are ex-military. So yeah, you could say it's the system, or society. In any case, it is a big ask to have a good cop.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> The problem is sensible people who are well-adjusted aren't attracted to that job. There are a near infinite amount of better jobs out there. You have to be able to ignore the danger and risks for the power and prestige. That is the sort of person that tends to be a cop more often than not. The exact sort of person you do not want as a cop. Many of which are ex-military. So yeah, you could say it's the system, or society. In any case, it is a big ask to have a good cop.


first, isn't it like 3am there? 
Second cops don't even have like a really dangerous job, not even top 10 (or 20) of most dangerous jobs, they just talk themselves up like it is the most dangerous thing ever, which yeah sure potentially getting into a gunfight is a thing, but pizza delivery guys get in more gunfights every year then cops so? (like a lot more) Its really just a bunch of **** heads on a power trip. Least they can do is like you know, process evidence correctly? Or like check the local pawn shops on a weekly basis for stolen goods? maybe go through the literally thousands of unprocessed Rape Kits
MURICA... 

Instead they spend their time looking for recreational drugs (or planting them when they don't find any) and harassing folks that are driving just a little too fast, then getting all agro and pulling firearms because the driver dared to question their authority... 
Sorry... this got wildly political... Blue Lies Matter after all


----------



## northmanlogging

Something that impressed me about my time In Ireland and England to a point, you hardly ever see any Police (Garda Publacta) sp? (translated at the Public guardians, or Public Guards..
Its partly because of a more caring society in general, but also neither country has incentivized the "drug war" so its just not as big an issue, not to mention the Prison pipe line we have here in the states


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> Something that impressed me about my time In Ireland and England to a point, you hardly ever see any Police (Garda Publacta) sp? (translated at the Public guardians, or Public Guards..
> Its partly because of a more caring society in general, but also neither country has incentivized the "drug war" so its just not as big an issue, not to mention the Prison pipe line we have here in the states



After seeing how the British Police and Military acted during the hundreds of years they have been here and especially the last 100, the Republic decided to go a different route with their police force. They made them citizens. Wiki explains it better than I can:

_*The service was originally named the Civic Guard in English,[9] but in 1923 it became An Garda Síochána in both English and Irish. This is usually translated as "the Guardians of the Peace".[10] Garda Síochána na hÉireann ("of Ireland", pronounced [ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ]*_*) appears on its logo but is seldom used elsewhere. At that time, there was a vogue for naming the new institutions of the Irish Free State after counterparts in the French Third Republic; the term "guardians of the peace" (gardiens de la paix, literally 'peacekeepers') had been used since 1870 in French-speaking countries to designate civilian police forces as distinguished from the armed gendarmery, notably municipal police in France, communal guards in Belgium[11] and cantonal police in Switzerland.*

_*An individual officer is called a garda (plural gardaí), or less formally, a "guard", and is typically addressed as such by members of the public when on duty.[14][15] A police station is called a garda station. Garda is also the name of the lowest rank within the force (e.g. "Garda John Murphy", analogous to the British term "constable" or the American "officer", "deputy", "trooper", etc.). A female officer was once officially referred to as a bangharda (pronounced [ˈbˠanˠˌɣaːɾˠd̪ˠə]; "female guard"; plural banghardaí). This term was abolished in 1990,[16] but is still used colloquially in place of the now gender-neutral garda.[15]*_

*Coloquially, as a slang or derogatory term, they are sometimes referred to as 'the shades'*

Most of the police are unarmed. The ones that are go through a very tough process. However, if there is real trouble, the Republic does not have the same posse comitatis act the US do. They can bring in the military, like they did with IRA trouble back in the day. And even to this day, the military help to handle bank and institutional transfers - complete with Steyr AUG machineguns, P7's, mp5's, etc, as in this photo I took in Clonmel, Tipperary during a Permanent TSB cash xfer(and I am sure they were thrilled I was taking photos):






You are right about the Garda presence. In places like Dublin and Cork and Waterford etc. you will see a few. And they may have check points for vehicle reg/insurance/alcohol/drugs etc. But there presence here is nothing like it is stateside. When I see a Garda vehicle I am usually surprised(no one calls them cruisers or squad cards here or black and whites or whatever). Crime in general is mostly petty here. If you want violent crime, you usually have to be in a bar at closing time to find it, or a member of a gang. And you most definitely will find it that way - some of the Irish still like to drink and fight.

We haven't legalized drugs here just yet, but cannabis measures are being put forth with large public support. Which is odd, as Ireland is a very conservative country as far as Europe is concerned. Even my wife, who does not go to church, is very spiritual. I'm personally a bit too educated to believe in ghosts or magic myself. But weed is usually only confiscated here anyways. It's nearly legal as it is, and the Gards often ignore it.

Hell, when I was in England in the 2010's, we had just finished working a particularly hard day on an estate and were in the car park in freaking Slough of all places, with our equipment van, smoking dope and drinking. I somehow managed to notice the cops(and the Brits do seem to call them nearly all the names we do, plus some). I told the guy that had the joint to scuttle it fast. The cops came to us and they must have definitely smelled the weed, and one took the can of Scrumpy Jack from my hands and said, 'It's not a crime to drink this at home, but it should be. Please don't drink this in public' and he handed it back to me, looked us all over and could see we were all dressed in our tree-worker gang attire, just covered in sawdust and oil and sweat and whatever, and decided we had a hard enough day as it is and he bid us farewell and told me he liked my accent.

Where was I? Oh, the drugs problems here aren't as bad as stateside far as I can tell. I mean, if you go to some of the worst council housing estates, it can be rough for sure. But what keeps crime from exploding, indeed in Europe as in Ireland, is the education system is decent all the way up through a very affordable college level, with good vocational training and apprenticeship programs available. I nearly enrolled in a furniture making program simply to get the connections and experience. It woulda been 12 months and about 1200 bucks with the cert and job placement included. And if you are poor, or from a poor family, that fee is waved. People need an opportunity for upward mobility. Otherwise, they may find other ways to pass the time...
A friend of mine enrolled in a caregiver school and is now applying for nurse. It cost him very little and they helped him find a good job.


----------



## northmanlogging

Damnit, I got the Publacta part wrong... it has been 2 decades... and I only seen like 2 maybe 3 Garda the entire time... 
One at a car accident (surprisingly rare... considering the speeds and road conditions...)
The other for sure was parked along side the road possibly napping...
Its almost like socialized health care and higher education fights crime.... but that would be nearly almost kinda if you squint and are more then a little illiterate and gullible to be like Communism


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> Damnit, I got the Publacta part wrong... it has been 2 decades... and I only seen like 2 maybe 3 Garda the entire time...
> One at a car accident (surprisingly rare... considering the speeds and road conditions...)
> The other for sure was parked along side the road possibly napping...
> Its almost like socialized health care and higher education fights crime.... but that would be nearly almost kinda if you squint and are more then a little illiterate and gullible to be like Communism


Car accidents better be rare here(and they are). You have to take 12 lessons(12!), test to get a permit to take those lessons in the first place, and then pass a very strict driver's test within a year of completing those lessons. They also do not let Americans transfer their licenses. I have to take 6 lessons and pass the test. Because I could just pay to insure myself on my US license, I haven't bothered...yet...but I will eventually have to. Here's an example of the test, note the video is 25 minutes long. What always gets me is the reversing around a corner requirement. I mean, you will eventually have to do it here because the streets are so crowded and there are a lot of cul de sacs. But on a test for young drivers, that's where many lose points. Still, this is a good example of how crowded the streets can be here in even a rural area. In Dublin, it's rough. Cork is much easier to drive.




Education is not just affordable, but it's also set up differently than we have stateside.
In most of Europe, you are out of 'high school' by 16. And colleges are more like our private colleges stateside, so the base requirements aren't quite as plentiful. You mainly only study your major without too much social studies, philosophy, or history requirements. So you can graduate in 3 years. That's right, by the time your average American is enrolled in college, a European can be nearly graduated and working. And, yes, your average college-educated American is actually better educated than your average European due to a four year system in most public colleges. I mean, I was an industrial design major, a science degree, and I have done required courses in philosophy, history, an extra English course that was completely not necessary but required(college level technical writing), and a required economics course. That's like half a year of adjacent material most European and private US schools do not require. I didn't really need the English as I had taken it in HS.

I suppose it could be worse. By the time your average Irish citizen is 16, they would have 8 years of Irish. I mean, it's a good idea to teach it since this is Ireland and all, but very few Irish are fluent in Irish. I am told it's because they lack interest, are lazy, or it isn't taught well. But it is just stunning to me that I took only 2 years of German in HS and College and I can easily interact and find my way around Germany. But your average Irish person can not easily converse in Irish after years of it. So something is going on with that. My last German course was 2 hrs twice a week of 100% German conversation, no English was ever allowed, and the less German you could talk the more often they tried to converse with you. And it was at dinner time and we were allowed to bring in food or had food there. So I was often told 'Du frisst'. So maybe it's lack of interaction, I dunno.

Our HS system is nearly set up as day care by comparison. Most European systems would have you vocationally trained by 16 and into 1-2 years of professional apprenticeship by the time your average American has graduated HS.

A Danish friend of mine graduated HS at 16 and went into a carpentry trade school for 2 years, which included apprenticeship. He is the guy that did those oak stairs in the Waterford Estate I showed you. In Denmark, you not only do not pay for the school, but you also get a stipend to pay for room and board if you have to move closer to the school, or are simply given room and board. Yes, taxes are higher there, but the education level and employment is also high. Taxes invest in your country's future.

Now, having said that, my HS did a decent job with their wood shop and auto shop. I was a halfway decent mechanic and welder by the time I was 18, and that work bench I made I didn't use any plans and just winged it.

However, I only worked a few years in my major as the internet exploded whilst I was in the bay area of California at the time since that's where my college was. Companies were so desperate to hire, they took on a 24 year old me who only knew Unix because I was working on CAD systems at the time, and paid me the modern equivalent of $60K starting salary plus benefits to baby sit internal email and storage systems. It was a crazy time. I recall free vending machines, in house coffee shops and cafe's that were free, and work-sponsored housing etc. Good times. My bro still works up there as he also went to a California college, too. He IPO'd with a huge online gaming company recently and makes well into the six figures now as well as loads of stock. So the American dream is still out there.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Car accidents better be rare here(and they are). You have to take 12 lessons(12!), test to get a permit to take those lessons in the first place, and then pass a very strict driver's test within a year of completing those lessons. They also do not let Americans transfer their licenses. I have to take 6 lessons and pass the test. Because I could just pay to insure myself on my US license, I haven't bothered...yet...but I will eventually have to. Here's an example of the test, note the video is 25 minutes long. What always gets me is the reversing around a corner requirement. I mean, you will eventually have to do it here because the streets are so crowded and there are a lot of cul de sacs. But on a test for young drivers, that's where many lose points. Still, this is a good example of how crowded the streets can be here in even a rural area. In Dublin, it's rough. Cork is much easier to drive.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Education is not just affordable, but it's also set up differently than we have stateside.
> In most of Europe, you are out of 'high school' by 16. And colleges are more like our private colleges stateside, so the base requirements aren't quite as plentiful. You mainly only study your major without too much social studies, philosophy, or history requirements. So you can graduate in 3 years. That's right, by the time your average American is enrolled in college, a European can be nearly graduated and working. And, yes, your average college-educated American is actually better educated than your average European due to a four year system in most public colleges. I mean, I was an industrial design major and I have done required courses in philosophy, history, an extra English course that was completely not necessary but required(college level technical writing), and a required economics course. That's like half a year of adjacent material most European and private US schools do not require. I didn't really need the English as I had taken it in HS.
> 
> I suppose it could be worse. By the time your average Irish citizen is 16, they would have 8 years of Irish. I mean, it's a good idea to teach it since this is Ireland and all, but very few Irish are fluent in Irish. I am told it's because they lack interest, are lazy, or it isn't taught well. But it is just stunning to me that I took only 2 years of German in HS and College and I can easily interact and find my way around Germany. But your average Irish person can not easily converse in Irish after years of it. So something is going on with that. My last German course was 2 hrs twice a week of 100% German conversation, no English was ever allowed, and the less German you could talk the more often they tried to converse with you. And it was at dinner time and we were allowed to bring in food or had food there. So I was often told 'Du frisst'. So maybe it's lack of interaction, I dunno.
> 
> Our HS system is nearly set up as day care by comparison. Most European systems would have you vocationally trained by 16 and into 1-2 years of professional apprenticeship by the time your average American has graduated HS.
> 
> A Danish friend of mine graduated HS at 16 and went into a carpentry trade school for 2 years, which included apprenticeship. He is the guy that did those oak stairs in the Waterford Estate I showed you. In Denmark, you not only do not pay for the school, but you also get a stipend to pay for room and board if you have to move closer to the school, or are simply given room and board. Yes, taxes are higher there, but the education level and employment is also high. Taxes invest in your country's future.
> 
> Now, having said that, my HS did a decent job with their wood shop and auto shop. I was a halfway decent mechanic and welder by the time I was 18, and that work bench I made I didn't use any plans and just winged it.
> 
> However, I only worked a few years in my major as the internet exploded whilst I was in the bay area of California at the time since that's where my college was. Companies were so desperate to hire, they took on a 24 year old me who only knew Unix because I was working on CAD systems at the time, and paid me the modern equivalent of $60K starting salary plus benefits to baby sit internal email and storage systems. It was a crazy time. I recall free vending machines, in house coffee shops and cafe's that were free, and work-sponsored housing etc. Good times. My bro still works up there as he also went to a California college, too. He IPO'd with a huge online gaming company recently and makes well into the six figures now as well as loads of stock. So the American dream is still out there.



we have "skills centers" here in liberal commy wa, at 15 i was in a machine shop, and werking part time after school, other wise i probably would have dropped out and found a job anyways, last 2 years of regular school were pretty much just a waste of my time, didnt learn anything new, other then some anger management, but that had more to do with playin guitar with my band that was all homeschooled kids anyway lol.


that and by then id started coming into my muscles, so the a holes were scared of me..

for a small town there sure is a lot if assholes


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> we have "skills centers" here in liberal commy wa, at 15 i was in a machine shop, and werking part time after school, other wise i probably would have dropped out and found a job anyways, last 2 years of regular school were pretty much just a waste of my time, didnt learn anything new, other then some anger management, but that had more to do with playin guitar with my band that was all homeschooled kids anyway lol.
> 
> 
> that and by then id started coming into my muscles, so the a holes were scared of me..
> 
> for a small town there sure is a lot if assholes



If I had to do it again, I woulda followed my instincts and gone forestry. I wanted to do it after I had spent a summer as a blue card back when.
My mother told me I needed to get a real degree and do engineering for money. So, I tried Industrial Design because I liked making ****.
But I was only on two design teams my whole life. After I took that job in puterz and ended up on a path of unix administration, I had difficulty breaking out.
Eventually I got into Philips who did oncology(cancer) treatment. The money was insane, but seeing people die on a daily basis, and then my mother dying of cancer, basically ruined me and I went back into forestry.

Turns out money wasn't the most important thing in life...


----------



## wyk

So the situation here totally fell apart today. I am hiding in the man cave(aka guest room) for now.
Gonna head back down to Waterford and rebuild a small camper there to live in for the 'short term'.
It'll gimme sumfin to do anyways...

Hope every one else is enjoying their Christmas?


----------



## wyk

Also scanning stuff stateside. I find things like these interesting:









Off-the-grid cabin on 5 acres in Quilcene - apts/housing for rent -...


I have an off-the-grid cabin for rent on 5 acres in Quilcene, about 5-minute drive away from lake Leland. It’s on a steep hill, 4WD or AWD is required during the winter months. The cabin runs off of...



olympic.craigslist.org













1999 27' Komfort 5th wheel RV - apts/housing for rent - apartment rent


1999 Komfort 27' 5th wheel RV. Set in a country setting 10 minutes from downtown Sequim. Water, power and septic hookups are included in the rent. Includes a large 8'×12' front porch that is covered...



olympic.craigslist.org





Was also considering buying a used trailer.


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## northmanlogging

FYI Quilcene is the definition of no and where. durts cheap there for a reason. Not a bad area but only thing going is logging, and most of that left town for Shelton or Forks, both over 80 mi away. 
I do know a guy that lives out that way, might be able to hook a guy up with a job.


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## wyk

Yeah, I know a guy out there mostly grows weed and shouts at people to get off his lawn. Is that a job there?
I'm terrible on weed, tho. I'd forget the shouting part.


----------



## wyk

In other news, this happened:







Wish I knew someone working in the aussie post could tell me how many parcels they get every year that were meant for Austria.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Yeah, I know a guy out there mostly grows weed and shouts at people to get off his lawn. Is that a job there?
> I'm terrible on weed, tho. I'd forget the shouting part.


nah, he works for the county roads, but he has an S load of contacts in the local logging community. $$ says alllllllllll of the mills are hiring. but they are a hike from quilcene


----------



## madhatte

definitely weed jobs around but I don't know anything at all about the industry so I can't help you there


----------



## wyk

At this point it's fairly certain I am headed for the Gurteen Estate in Waterford I worked before. The good news is plenty of timber. The bad news is I am not in my 40's any more. So we'll have to see how I get on. I contacted a Dolmar guy I know in the UK already about a 7900. He has good prices for me since I've ported a few of his saws. The 7900 seems like a good 70cc-sized sized saw that I can port to pull a long enough bar in the bigger trees.
My usual wholesale source for bars is out of all lightweight bars until March, though. All he has are Cannon lightweights. And they are over 200 euro my cost.
Do Dolmars run OK with an adapter?


----------



## wyk

northmanlogging said:


> nah, he works for the county roads, but he has an S load of contacts in the local logging community. $$ says alllllllllll of the mills are hiring. but they are a hike from quilcene


Working in a mill doesn't sound too bad. I mean, it sounds like a job an old guy can do. I got some savings, so a bad paying job would work at least for a while if I could find a place to be.


----------



## northmanlogging

wyk said:


> Working in a mill doesn't sound too bad. I mean, it sounds like a job an old guy can do. I got some savings, so a bad paying job would work at least for a while if I could find a place to be.


all of the mills in my area are hiring for all positions, Hampton D town even has multiple bill boards up... problem is that rent in insane and getting worse.


----------



## wyk

So the good news is the bro says he'll get me a new saw for Christmas for the new/old job. The bad news is good luck finding a saw in Ireland...
I am asking Andrew AKA AJsaxensaws who deals them in the UK for what he might have in a 7900.


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## madhatte

7900 is a classic, can't go wrong with that one


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## wyk

So, I am gonna be up in Bray for a while longer now. I had a heart attack on Monday. Oddly they said my cholesterol nmbers were fine, and that it was likely dislodged plaque, but they aren't sure.
I was walking to meet a friend over up in Dublin when it hit, Just excruciating tightness and burning in the chest. I was barely able to stand long enough to make it to the nearby church and was just able to send a msg to my wife I was suffering, She called the Ambulance and they arrived within moments as they were actually in the area. They saved my life, I was in full cardiac arrest when they arrived. I do recall some folks inside the church hurredly leaving when I arrived. Woulda been nice had they helped me instead.. Ah well.
So they took me to St James up in Dub and installed two stents. I am now recuperating at St Vincents in south DUblin, I'll add photos in a bit here when I can. I feel OK now. But I have to admit I was ignoring some of the warning signs the past few weeks. I dismissed it was bad allergic reactions


----------



## wyk

OK, so if I gotta go to the bathroom for whatver reason, I need to bring this device with me. It goes *beep* *boop* the entire time, which echoes all throughout the bathroom and doesn't put any pressure at all on you to poop or anything:






The heart meds work amazingly well:








Heart food not great. Still, I like brussel sprouts. It was, by far, the most flavourful thing on this plate. They claimed the Salmkn was poached, but it really was steamed to within an inch of it.






Mystery soup as well.
#Two stents thru two holez:







And they are preparing me for a bypass...


----------



## djg james

wyk said:


> .... And they are preparing me for a bypass...


Best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.


----------



## Abbeville TSI

I hope you have a swift recovery, wyk. That food looks the food I supposed to eat for diabetes and high triglycerides. 
It'll make you loose some weight.


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## wyk

I ended up getting 6 stents put in. I feel terrible, but I'm alive.


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## northmanlogging

holy ole fack man

for the record atlantic salmon is just like that lol, gawbage...


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## sawfun

Get better soon Wes. I haven't had any good news, and I'm tired of spillin bad news, so thats why I never got back to ya.


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## madhatte

You look absolutely thrilled with your device in the first pic. Here's hoping for a fast turnaround. I remember when my mom went through that and it was pretty scary and of course now I'm of an age where BP meds are a daily so hell man I guess let's all do what we gotta to hang in there.


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## Abbeville TSI

How are things going for you, Wes? 
Better I hope!


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## wyk

Thanks for asking. I am doing better. I also uploaded a couple of videos to share my wonderfully pleasant experience as a patient in St Vincent's hospital in Dublin. I highly suggest you have private insurance if you live in Ireland. The doctors I met were often very young since it was a university hospital, and their bed side manner were woeful.

This guy next to me was making these noises for two nights before they moved him to intensive care:



This poor guy talks in tongues nearly every moment he is awake due to having at least two strokes recently.
Since his blood pressure and heart rate are elevated, his alarm sounds 24/7 as well:



I did not catch much sleep, nor did I have much cause to lower my blood pressure either...


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## wyk

Sorry to be so morose. I do need to thank a few of the doctors at the hospital for the stents, and of course the ambulance men who ultimately saved my life. I truly can not complain. I just wanted to show how my hospital time was a bit rough. But hey, I was better off then those two examples, right?
I trust everyone had a lovely CHristmas time? I am looking forwards to being healthy enough to go back to saw work myself.
Happy new years, folks!


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## wyk

So I have a whole lot of time to sit around at home now. I found this interesting:


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## wyk

So this is interesting. This is an invoice from St James hospital, the largest and most advanced one we have in Dublin. It is also our best trauma and surgical hospital. Once the paramedics stabilized me, they brought me directly to St James. They did mention I was in cardiac arrest for quite some time, and were surprised to find me conscious when they arrived. Even though my heart was having difficulty finding blood, it just kept pumping and pumping. They never did have to use a defibrillator even though they plumbed me for one. Anyways, I went in to St James where they immediately shoved me full of blood meds and went to work installing two stents. Once I was stable there, I was sent to St Vincents University Hospital for observation. The same Doctor that installed my first set came to the Cardiology cath lab in St Vincents and installed a further 4 more later in the week. We'll see if I get a bill from St Vincents and the Ambulance(the wife is unsure if the Ambulance will charge or not).

Looking on line, emergency admittance and 2 stents can be anywhere from $20-50K stateside. I dunno how the insurance works there nowadays with Obamacare. But here, my fee was €80, payable at any post office:







Now the procedure itself could be an extra payment. And I stayed nearly a week at St Vincents, so we'll have to see.


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