Falling pics 11/25/09

[Sport Faller]

HOLY #### DUDE!

How the heck did the 38 catch on fire???

Glad your uncle is okay, heat is a sneaky critter, and will put ya down. Sounds like we get a break this week from the heat! YAY!

The ground wire from the switch was super frazzled and apparently started arcing and caught my shoddy assed electrical tape job on fire, luckily it didn't burn the air filter or filter cover

that sounds good about the heat I'm ready for a break from 90 degree days

 

[madhatte]

The ground wire from the switch was super frazzled and apparently started arcing and caught my shoddy assed electrical tape job on fire

If it was actually arcing, you need a new coil module. There should never be a high enough voltage on the primary side of a coil to jump a gap in air -- those voltages should all be on the secondary side, where they can ignite things on purpose. However, if you just had a bunch of mung in the switch which was resistively heating, that could cause a fire as well. Best bet is to replace switch and coil together.

 

[Sport Faller]

If it was actually arcing, you need a new coil module. There should never be a high enough voltage on the primary side of a coil to jump a gap in air -- those voltages should all be on the secondary side, where they can ignite things on purpose. However, if you just had a bunch of mung in the switch which was resistively heating, that could cause a fire as well. Best bet is to replace switch and coil together.

the switch has always been a little loose and whatnot, but all I know is that the ground wire (which I just checked closer and is now no longer attached) caught my electrical tape job on fire

 

[madhatte]

Has it ever shocked you when you went to shut it off? If so, that points more to the coil than to the switch.

 

[Sport Faller]

Has it ever shocked you when you went to shut it off? If so, that points more to the coil than to the switch.

No it's always been pretty good, other than the loose-ish switch

Just dug a little deeper, the previous owner had e-taped it a little too and after removing that tape i found the switch wire had an exposed spot on it too

 

[madhatte]

Might be able to get away with just replacing the switch, then.

 

[056kid]

LOLOL...As slow as I type I'm surprised that happened. You're right about taking it to the house. Some days just get worse and worse. No harm in packing out and heading for town.

And...everybody already knows you talk to yourself so no harm done.

Oh do I

 

[RPM]

Not all trees are pretty.

Yup ..... but even the ugly ones need some luvin

 

[RandyMac]

Oh do I?

Fixed it for you.

 

[Samlock]

I took the camera to work today - just to keep this fantastic thread rolling on.

I managed to catch 3 separate cases, an ugly, a nice and a tricky one.

Please, do not hesitate to write your comment, if you got one. I'd like to learn to make better videos (learning how to fall timber wouldn't hurt either). I guess I could set the camera a bit closer. It doesn't look like much to watch how a midget is jumping around a stick in a bush.

[video=youtube;bm3LmlCXxVQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm3LmlCXxVQ[/video]

 

[Erock]

[video=youtube;MxMbE6-lkRI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxMbE6-lkRI[/video]

I work on a fuels crew out on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. (Some of the frequent visitors of this thread may remember me, I used to work for the Superior National Forest in Northern MN.) Along with IA'ing fires locally and available nationally our project work consists of preparing areas for Rx fires. This years projects mostly consisted of felling ALL conifers within a specified distance of the proposed line. I'm pissed at myself in this video because my cuts would have matched up had i kept cutting but I got impatient.

And the stump
View attachment 198534

Forgot to mention, saw is a MS460 wearing a 28" oregon B&C full skip chisel

 

[056kid]

Fixed it for you.

Aaa, thank ya. .
I'm not drinking enough to keep up with the threads.

 

[Samlock]

I work on a fuels crew out on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. (Some of the frequent visitors of this thread may remember me, I used to work for the Superior National Forest in Northern MN.) Along with IA'ing fires locally and available nationally our project work consists of preparing areas for Rx fires. This years projects mostly consisted of felling ALL conifers within a specified distance of the proposed line. I'm pissed at myself in this video because my cuts would have matched up had i kept cutting but I got impatient.

Forgot to mention, saw is a MS460 wearing a 28" oregon B&C full skip chisel

Thanks for posting, Erock! Matching is just fine, it worked anyway. Softwoods aren't too picky about it.

Few hints:

I see you're using the conventional face. It's usually taught that you should do the upper cut first, then the lower (horizontal) cut. Reason: Better aiming. You keep an eye on the black line on your 460 body while cutting the face, it points to the direction. Also it helps matching the cuts, you used an ax to remove the wedge out of the face. If you did the upper cut first, you could see the corners right before finishing the face.

Try sometimes to hold the saw the other way round while back cutting. The front handle is on the left, you see. Also that you can throttle with your thumb. A little ergonomics, saves your wrist. Always use your thumb while cutting horizontally.

And finally, keep looking up!

Regards, Sam - the "Conventional"

 

[upstateny]

I have to agree with samlock on the using your thumb when horizontal cutting. Especially out here on the east coast where all the contractors want short stumps that will leave the flair on the butt log.

 

[Joe46]

I think it might have gone better with a slopping backcut and a blue wedge:msp_rolleyes:Seriously, thanks for the vid. Do look up!

 

[lfnh]

I think it might have gone better with a slopping backcut and a blue wedge:msp_rolleyes:Seriously, thanks for the vid. Do look up!

blue wedges, barbie saws, pink peaveys, and unmentionables for sweatbands....what's next ?

Wow, this forum is quickly going to hell in a handbasket!

 

[Erock]

Thanks for posting, Erock! Matching is just fine, it worked anyway. Softwoods aren't too picky about it.

Few hints:

I see you're using the conventional face. It's usually taught that you should do the upper cut first, then the lower (horizontal) cut. Reason: Better aiming. You keep an eye on the black line on your 460 body while cutting the face, it points to the direction. Also it helps matching the cuts, you used an ax to remove the wedge out of the face. If you did the upper cut first, you could see the corners right before finishing the face.

Try sometimes to hold the saw the other way round while back cutting. The front handle is on the left, you see. Also that you can throttle with your thumb. A little ergonomics, saves your wrist. Always use your thumb while cutting horizontally.

And finally, keep looking up!

Regards, Sam - the "Conventional"

I've heard of that method but have never tried it though. I typically just watch my pie for both sides to fall then I know I matched both sides. After cutting for 3 years I finally can get em to match probably 80% of the time thanks to some tips from my crew foreman. I'm gonna head back out there next year so more practice will be coming. Thanks for the help, I'm always interested in hearing other fallers techniques so keep em coming.

We did have problems with a few lodgepole pine falling them against the lean. They weren't leaning terribly bad, I've tipped trees similar to these ones against the lean before. (branch weight was even all around, the trees are green around 20in DBH, 80-100 ft tall) I usually quarter cut them, stick a wedge in to keep em from sitting back, cut the other side then the tree would sit on the wedge as expected but then they would just swallow the wedge completely and the kerf would be closed so I can't get more wedges in to help lift. Any tips on that situation? I wanted to fall them against to get more slash in spots that were lacking to hold a little more fire.

 

[Gologit]

blue wedges, barbie saws, pink peaveys, and unmentionables for sweatbands....what's next ?

Wow, this forum is quickly going to hell in a handbasket!

Yup, that kind of thread drift drives the Stay On Topic Nazis absolutely insane. Scroom...it's more fun the way we do it. :msp_biggrin:

 

[Gologit]

I've heard of that method but have never tried it though. I typically just watch my pie for both sides to fall then I know I matched both sides. After cutting for 3 years I finally can get em to match probably 80% of the time thanks to some tips from my crew foreman. I'm gonna head back out there next year so more practice will be coming. Thanks for the help, I'm always interested in hearing other fallers techniques so keep em coming.

We did have problems with a few lodgepole pine falling them against the lean. They weren't leaning terribly bad, I've tipped trees similar to these ones against the lean before. (branch weight was even all around, the trees are green around 20in DBH, 80-100 ft tall) I usually quarter cut them, stick a wedge in to keep em from sitting back, cut the other side then the tree would sit on the wedge as expected but then they would just swallow the wedge completely and the kerf would be closed so I can't get more wedges in to help lift. Any tips on that situation? I wanted to fall them against to get more slash in spots that were lacking to hold a little more fire.

Would using a Humboldt with a snipe and a little piece of the pie busted up and set in the face help? You can walk one around quite a ways doing that.
I'm probably not explaining that very well. TreeSlingr has a video that demonstrates that better than I can tell it. I hope he doesn't mind my posting it but it's a great example of how to swing a tree. He doesn't use a snipe but you can experiment with that a little and see if you like the results.


Falling Trees on Fire 2008_0001.wmv - YouTube

 

[Sport Faller]

Would using a Humboldt with a snipe and a little piece of the pie busted up and set in the face help? You can walk one around quite a ways doing that.
I'm probably not explaining that very well. TreeSlingr has a video that demonstrates that better than I can tell it. I hope he doesn't mind my posting it but it's a great example of how to swing a tree. He doesn't use a snipe but you can experiment with that a little and see if you like the results.


Falling Trees on Fire 2008_0001.wmv - YouTube

Bob, that's basically like a Step Dutchman without having to cut the step in, right

also, the cats that do that have my utmost respect, that pretty much looked like he was fallin trees in Hell