Falling pics 11/25/09

[Nuzzy]

Okay, I gotta ask, what's a "walk log"?

Glad I'm not the only curious one. opcorn:

 

[wowzers]

On our crew the guy pulling away with the loader (rotates every line) is also the guy getting out to unbell chokers, so it is way easier on the knees to get out on to a "walk log" then jump out from the ladder or even the tracks every turn.

 

[northmanlogging]

Damn you kids must have some really sharp caulks then, or one of the loader jockeys needs to go on a diet...

 

[slowp]

Ahhhhhh, I see and yet, the shovel can move back and forth a bit.

 

[Trx250r180]

I had to fill in on a different crew today, and they had this baby set up for a walk log. Didn't get to fall or skid this one, but I got some of his cousins!

that walk log had a lot of fiber pull

 

[Steve NW WI]

I've learned something. Now I can turn my brain off for the weekend.

 

[wowzers]

that walk log had a lot of fiber pull

I wouldn't say so. It's cedar bark.

 

[wowzers]

Damn you kids must have some really sharp caulks then, or one of the loader jockeys needs to go on a diet...

I wish, jumping in and out of that thing ruins caulks! That one is about perfect, so I imagine they had been packing it around for a couple lines.

 

[wowzers]

Ahhhhhh, I see and yet, the shovel can move back and forth a bit.

Yeah usually its smaller so you just throw it in front of the track and can still move around pretty good. Say a turn gets a little far away you just nudge it out of the way and travel towards the yarder.

 

[northmanlogging]

I'm on my third? set of nails this year... rocks, gravel, skidder steps, sometimes pavement... this time its the phillips brand? they seem pointier? Its what the local saw shop had in stock.

 

[Nuzzy]

Spent yesterday snag falling for a new bike trail we're trying to punch through over the next few months. Second growth never thinned (as far as I can tell) since a fire years and years back. Just a ton of blown out tops leaving poles everywhere; some fresh and good wood, while others were rotten punky messes. Best guess is I took somewhere between 60-80 down; most in the 6-20" range. Talk about never a dull moment with snags... I had some busting apart with just the horizontal of the face in, some blatantly ignoring the hinge and going sideways, some getting all kinds of hung up... Thankfully we were anticipating a **** storm and it didn't really affect anything other than keeping me on my toes! Even got some great opportunities (in the better wood and when space would allow) to swing some downhill leaning trees to more closely parallel the trail.


Still had some solid wood in this old blowdown, so we opted to carve it into a feature.

Traditionally, I would handle diagonally stuck trees with a wedge cut out and underbuck, but I came across discussion of a plunged vertical snap cut a little while back and happened upon a great spot to try it out. I'm a big fan now

Shameless selfie because why not...

This little guy made me work for it a bit...

I made two mistakes. It was a 40-50' tall snag with no top. I cut my off side to where I wanted, but didn't perfectly square up the hinge to the face when finishing the near side. Normally I believe I would have still been fine, but that leads into the second mistake which was I left a hinge thickness more suited for a fully crowned tree... Wedging blown out trees obviously just doesn't give the same weight redistribution and that bit me. Stacking wedges still didn't get me enough so I ended up nibbling the hinge from the face to get the thing to commit. Luckily that did the trick just fine.

Been awhile since I burned up a gallon a fuel without bucking anything.

 

[bitzer]

Nice work Nuzzy! That's usually how you do up a spar like that. Deep face beyond center. Then nip from the face when it doesn't want to tip. Its really easy to cut too much off of one side and then she'll take off on you left or right. Not the kind of head gear I'd expect in yer neck of the woods man! Any time you can dump a bunch of timber and don't have to clean up the mess is a good time!

 

[Nuzzy]

Not the kind of head gear I'd expect in yer neck of the woods man!

I know. Had that damn helmet for I don't know how long; used to be just for firewooding back in Michigan. One of these days I'll pry open my wallet and finally make a legit man out of myself.

 

[HuskStihl]

I know. Had that damn helmet for I don't know how long; used to be just for firewooding back in Michigan. One of these days I'll pry open my wallet and finally make a legit man out of myself.

All the cool guys are wearing 'em now, and the coolest have beards

 

[Nuzzy]

All the cool guys are wearing 'em now, and the coolest have beards

Cool doesn't even begin to describe the awesomeness of pulling your gear out of your Subaru Outback!

 

[Joe46]

The Rainbow Nation is doing a collective chest clutch!

 

[northmanlogging]

oh yeah, VOLVO baby

 

[Nuzzy]

The Rainbow Nation is doing a collective chest clutch!

I've been told more than once I don't help out the tree hugging Subaru owner stereotype. I do make one hell of a lesbian though!

oh yeah, VOLVO baby

I love a good wagon.

 

[northmanlogging]

problem with the lesbian thing is none of the other lesbians want to play on account of the beard... I feel your pain...

 

[Nuzzy]

problem with the lesbian thing is none of the other lesbians want to play on account of the beard... I feel your pain...

Few years back, I shaved my legs and pits, and wore a black cocktail dress for Halloween; fluffed the beard out to it's fullest... Bet I could confuse a few lesbians if rocked that setup again







BTW, growing all that hair back out is rigoddamndiculously itchy for the next two weeks, especially when sweating under welding protection in a metal fab shop.