Falling pics 11/25/09

[slowp]

Came across this footage made by BC Forest Safety Council. Many details and practices vary around the world, but I think the Canadians approach the subject in a sound way. And it's entertaining too. I'd recommend every DIY logger to watch this.

So, to the chainsaw forum, the firewood forum, or with some kind of an evil gubmint conspiracy theory, the dreaded, off topic forum?

Where shall it go?

I must go out into the liquid sunshine and gnaw away at the hemlock. Yes, the sun is out but rain is falling. I shall see if the saw starts.

 

[floyd]

Look at the bright side...sun is shining.

 

[Gologit]

So, to the chainsaw forum, the firewood forum, or with some kind of an evil gubmint conspiracy theory, the dreaded, off topic forum?

Where shall it go?

Let's keep it here for now.

 

[rwoods]

Let's keep it here for now.

Not that it means anything, but I agree for the reasons stated in the first pargraph below.

Came across this footage made by BC Forest Safety Council. Many details and practices vary around the world, but I think the Canadians approach the subject in a sound way. And it's entertaining too. I'd recommend every DIY logger to watch this.

There appears to be 17 videos. I have watched several and I will likely watch the rest. I assume these videos were rightfully designed for typical BC environments and trees. Although I am not a logger, I would among other things caution the DIY or wanttobe watching these videos that some species of trees pose greater risks and require different approaches. Specifically, the risk of a barber chair with the straight grained and large canopy oaks common in the East is enough IMO to make it fool hardy to spend as much time crossing back and forth behind the stem of a partially cut hardwood as some of the fallers shown do with the softwood featured. I would further caution the hardwood DIY cutter that before trying to mimic all of the cuts shown to bear in mind that some of the trees shown have much thicker bark than most of our hardwoods otherwise you may be cutting holding wood that should be preserved.

Not trying to be overly critical (as I'm not qualified), mainly just curious as to current standard practices - maybe it is just part of safety standards evolving over the course of making these videos, or maybe it is just being human, but I couldn't help but note several instances in the demonstration videos where the featured cutter violated a previously stated safety rule. I see the safety component but is it now standard practice to engage the chain brake every time you "step back" from cutting? How about two handed use of axe only?

The one thing that really got me scratching my head was the segment on proper stance so you could look up but the cutter in the segment never looked up until he was deep into the backcut on a tree of some significant size. I have always felt that one of my many faults is that I don't look up enough once I start the backcut then I see this segment and the cutter only looks up right before finishing his backcut and then again as the tree begins its fall. Isn't SOP to lookup before starting your cut and periodically throughout the cut? Or am I just :msp_confused: ?
Ron

 

[Samlock]

I'm just assuming the boys on the video being pro enough, they're keeping their eye and mind ahead, knowing already while kneeling down by a tree, how is it standing.

Ron, I agree there's punch of questionable details. For example that monkeying with the chain brake. I just don't believe the boys will keep clicking like that when the instructor is away. And yes, their falling technique is designed for steep ground softwood. Imitating their cuts or equipment is not what I meant. I was thinking about the overall attitude towards the safety issues. It's not nagging about few individual details (as it tends to be in my country), nor it is Jedi Force mysticism. It's dismantling the whole deal into smaller pieces and estimating the pieces one at the time. Sober and cool headed. Going through a checklist, if you like. Pieces may be different, locally, but the rational method I think is universal.

Making a complete how-to-safety video is impossible. Yet I do believe it's possible to encourage rational thinking. That's why I thought this could be a good one for a DIY to watch. I may be wrong too. If people notice just the headware, face cuts and saw brands, yeah, that may be dangerous stuff. Beats me.

 

[northmanlogging]

I like the idea of breaking it down into individual pieces, and a check list is a great way to start. But it can be pretty hard to convey in video format everything that a faller is looking for and planning on. To really get what pro falling is about, the video would need to be about 1/2 hour or more longer, starting with basic saw maintenance, ppe, strip layout, judging a tree, swamping out the stump, facing it, backing it, limbing, bucking... I'm sure there is more, and each tree would be a little different...

 

[StihlKiwi]

I like the idea of breaking it down into individual pieces, and a check list is a great way to start. But it can be pretty hard to convey in video format everything that a faller is looking for and planning on. To really get what pro falling is about, the video would need to be about 1/2 hour or more longer, starting with basic saw maintenance, ppe, strip layout, judging a tree, swamping out the stump, facing it, backing it, limbing, bucking... I'm sure there is more, and each tree would be a little different...

There's 17 videos in the series that cover all of that and it seems that they are just companion material for the actual standards, not just a standalone guide.

The introduction has some good stuff in it

BC Faller Training Standard - Introduction (1 of 17) - YouTube

 

[rwoods]

I'm just assuming the boys on the video being pro enough, they're keeping their eye and mind ahead, knowing already while kneeling down by a tree, how is it standing.

Ron, I agree there's punch of questionable details. For example that monkeying with the chain brake. I just don't believe the boys will keep clicking like that when the instructor is away. And yes, their falling technique is designed for steep ground softwood. Imitating their cuts or equipment is not what I meant. I was thinking about the overall attitude towards the safety issues. It's not nagging about few individual details (as it tends to be in my country), nor it is Jedi Force mysticism. It's dismantling the whole deal into smaller pieces and estimating the pieces one at the time. Sober and cool headed. Going through a checklist, if you like. Pieces may be different, locally, but the rational method I think is universal.

Making a complete how-to-safety video is impossible. Yet I do believe it's possible to encourage rational thinking. That's why I thought this could be a good one for a DIY to watch. I may be wrong too. If people notice just the headware, face cuts and saw brands, yeah, that may be dangerous stuff. Beats me.

I think we are pretty much on the same page and we certainly have the same goal in mind. I don't have a problem with any of the videos I have watched so far - I think there is a lot of good stuff in them and since I have a lot to learn I watch them and pester folks - and I intend to watch all of them. I wasn't trying to nit-pick the inconsistencies but I was trying to find out current real world professional practices.

For a little background on my perspective, as some already know I am a trespassor over here in the Forestry and Logging Forum where I take refuge from the insanity that regularily erupts in the chainsaw forum and to a lesser extent in the firewood forum. I don't make my living in the woods and I am not by any stretch of the imagination a professional cutter, but I do spent almost every Saturday from mid-September until Spring cutting firewood with volunteers. I don't think there are any logger wanttobes among the volunteers but nevertheless I have yet to meet a volunteer with a chainsaw in hand who doesn't think he can cut firewood safely. A recipe for injury. As to falling, it seems that the few who have tasted falling a tree are primarily concerned with whether or not the tree is close enough to hit anything valuable and the bar length of their saw relative to the size of the tree. A deadly recipe. I can identify with each as I have thought the same things. Thankfully I have so far survived my ignorance. And while it may sound arrogant, my resistance to the idea of posting the video in other forums is my belief that there is a small audience in these other forums that believe they can simply buy some cool gear, mimic what they thought they saw in a video and they're now a professional whom the trees will fear. Is that risk outweighed by the benefit to those who will watch and learn? Maybe, but I would hope that those folks would seek out this Forum.

Sorry for the distraction, falling pictures are more fun.

Ron

 

[tramp bushler]

I have not looked at the vids yet. But as to looking up. About the easiest way that I know to get killt. Is to start sawing away on a tree and not look up real regularly. In fact if you don't see Everything above you.
You are just asking for a trip to a trauma center or the cemetery.

Look up and keep your eye on your tip.

 

[rwoods]

I have not looked at the vids yet. But as to looking up. About the easiest way that I know to get killt. Is to start sawing away on a tree and not look up real regularly. In fact if you don't see Everything above you.
You are just asking for a trip to a trauma center or the cemetery.

Look up and keep your eye on your tip.

I don't fault the man with the saw as he was probably so self consciencious knowing his every move was being filmed that it took him out of his routine. How it got passed the editors and producer of the segment, we'll likely never know. Anyway, thanks for the confirmation that I need to continue reminding myself to look up regularly during the entire falling process. Ron

 

[tramp bushler]

A Faller Needs to see everything that's above him and not just in the tree he's stickin a saw into. There's a world of hurt hanging above a guys head sometimes. Thats one reason why it's best for a guy to get on bucking and 2nd falling with a good Faller. Time spent looking over what your strip or patch of timber is some of the best you can spend. Most important too.

Even in the little junk I'm cutting right now. .

 

[Gologit]

Took out some hazard trees along the County road.

There were half a dozen with this:View attachment 276422


[video=youtube;JvyVz0cU4A8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JvyVz0cU4A8[/video]


]

 

[forestryworks]

Took out some hazard trees along the County road.

There were half a dozen with this

Looked like a nice day for doing that kind of work!

 

[rwoods]

Definitely old school: straight forward falling without all that diddling around that seems common place on Youtube falling videos. Ron

 

[Gologit]

Definitely old school: straight forward falling without all that diddling around that seems common place on Youtube falling videos. Ron

Hey, when you get old you tend to look for the most direct method.

 

[Gologit]

Looked like a nice day for doing that kind of work!

It was. The only bad part was listening to three different kind of 'ologists argue with each other about what the defect in the trees was. I didn't mind the arguing so much as the fact that I couldn't even understand what they were saying.

You or Madhatte would have been able to interpret the scientific lingo...I sure couldn't.

 

[northmanlogging]

Maybe some day you could record it and ask someone to translate? nice work by the way

 

[Gologit]

Cutting defect chunks for the 'ologists




[video=youtube;NQic51lRQY4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NQic51lRQY4[/video]

 

[rwoods]

Hey, when you get old you tend to look for the most direct method.

It also shows that you know what you are doing. I didn't need to see a video though as I never doubted that you knew your stuff. Ron

 

[Gologit]

It also shows that you know what you are doing. I didn't need to see a video though as I never doubted that you knew your stuff. Ron

Thanks Ron...but there are days when I doubt if I know my stuff. You can put down 100 trees just like you'd planned and that 101st might humble you for weeks afterward.

Or so I hear.