Hey TB, I wasn't for a second saying your advice is not wanted. I (and I'm sure everybody else feels the same) really appreciate how much of your time you "donate" to guys like me and TC. Believe me, I "listen" to every word you "say" regarding falling (not so much with ceiling repair:biggrin
, and only referenced you in the above post 'cause I felt I needed a second "clue." Please don't take it as me being put off by getting instruction from you. I'm usually embarassed to ask all the stupid questions I have for fear Bob creates a "Falling 101" forum just for me, but I don't want to get killed or maimed so I try to do all the things you guys say. I see it as you looking out for our safety, not being a prik.
Respectfully,
Jon
Don't worry about it Jon. There
aren't any stupid questions and don't
ever be embarrassed about not knowing something.
Guys like TB and I have been in the woods a long time but we have questions sometimes too. You never know everything and, if you're smart, you never quit learning. A guy in the woods is in school every day and if he doesn't learn something or add to his knowledge, even a little, he's not paying attention.
I'm not trying to speak for TB here but I'll bet you lunch he agrees with me.
A lot of what we've learned has been from mistakes, ours and other guys'. Some of the other guys' mistakes had tragic consequences. I've lost track of how many guys I've seen get hurt in the woods but I remember very clearly how many guys I've seen get killed. Two of them were my falling partners, both were good experienced men. One of them made a mistake, hurrying and trying to finish up, and it caught him, the other one had something happen that couldn't have been prevented...a top blew out of a snag. You can't avoid some of the dangers but a lot of staying safe is recognizing the dangers you
can avoid.
Proper cutting technique is the easiest thing to learn and the easiest thing to do.....when everything is going right. It's when they don't go right that skill and judgement come into play. A lot of timber falling, or bucking for that matter, is being constantly aware and constantly correcting small mistakes. Nobody does it perfect every time, not me, not anybody, but when you see that things are starting to go bad and you fix them...safely, correctly, and efficiently...you make life a lot easier for yourself. That comes with time and experience.
A good faller or bucker isn't necessarily afraid of what he's doing but he's
wary all the time. Wary as in paying attention to whats around him, where his saw is, and what the tree is doing. If you're
wary all the time you cut down on the risk level.
A close call usually means that you missed something that you should have seen or done something that you shouldn't have done. Not always, some times things just happen, but usually they have a cause. Close calls are a learning opportunity. Too many close calls mean that you're not learning. If you have enough of them and don't learn you might be one of those guys that get talked about at the saw shop or in the tavern...as in "yeah, he was pretty good but he sure got careless sometimes. Rough deal. Wonder if his widow is going to sell his saws?"
