Falling pics 11/25/09

[Samlock]

hi guys . not loggin currently .. Ran an old air track since January up in the arctic drilling blast holes in a gravel mine out of Nuiqsut . an Ingersol Rand 2000 towing a big compressor . Ingersol 1600 .running 4 + 4 1/2" bits

Glen, you missed (or avoided) the fun part of the arctic year. I don't know how is it with Inuits, but my relatives living just about the same level up north will lose it each summer. I think the craziness is about to hit them any day now. Must have something to do with sleep deprivation.

 

[madhatte]

Cool trick! I already carry a strap in the truck for yanking the rig out of the soup, glad to see that it has another use. It's always the small stuff that hangs.

Here most guys carry a strap in case of a hang up. Not my pic, but shows it clear.

 

[tramp bushler]

Glen, you missed (or avoided) the fun part of the arctic year. I don't know how is it with Inuits, but my relatives living just about the same level up north will lose it each summer. I think the craziness is about to hit them any day now. Must have something to do with sleep deprivation.

.. . I think they are Whaling right now. . Its definatly different . . Thanks for all the welcome backs . Ive tried to get on here several times and my uname and password wouldnt go thru . glad to see everyone .

 

[HuskStihl]

.. . I think they are Whaling right now. . Its definatly different . . Thanks for all the welcome backs . Ive tried to get on here several times and my uname and password wouldnt go thru . glad to see everyone .

Sorry about that Glen, I spent a lot of time this winter logged in under your username. Mostly making friends with guys in the arborist forum. Just FYI, you and Treemandan are now besties

 

[Samlock]

Sorry about that Glen, I spent a lot of time this winter logged in under your username. Mostly making friends with guys in the arborist site. Just FYI, you and Treemandan are now besties

You're a sweet guy, Jon. Did you know that?

 

[Trx250r180]

 

[tramp bushler]

oh , ok . did he get unband ?

 

[treeslayer2003]

he was here under a different name for a while.........
check out the things that piss ya off thread

 

[tramp bushler]

did he get run off ?

 

[treeslayer2003]

dunno but i ain't seen him lately

 

[bitzer]

Good to hear from ya Glen! So did you get to blow anything up?

 

[KiwiBro]

Got almost 90 degrees on one of the few bigger, tall pines on a job recently, using a siswheel and soft dutchman. Farmer thinks I'm a pro. If only he knew how often I worry about how little I know. Last tree of the day yesterday was a tall but skinny pine that I was certain where it was heading but it sat back just as I got the tip of a wedge in and slamed down hard just after I got my bar out. Put three wedges in that bloody thing and pounded for way too long, hoping it wouldn't break the hinge and get ugly. I still can;'t figure out why it wouldn't cooperate. It was a regular tree, no real lean, slight breeze going the right way, but that bugger took some persuading. Decided to call it quits that day before my luck totally ran out.

 

[Samlock]

Got almost 90 degrees on one of the few bigger, tall pines on a job recently, using a siswheel and soft dutchman. Farmer thinks I'm a pro. If only he knew how often I worry about how little I know. Last tree of the day yesterday was a tall but skinny pine that I was certain where it was heading but it sat back just as I got the tip of a wedge in and slamed down hard just after I got my bar out. Put three wedges in that bloody thing and pounded for way too long, hoping it wouldn't break the hinge and get ugly. I still can;'t figure out why it wouldn't cooperate. It was a regular tree, no real lean, slight breeze going the right way, but that bugger took some persuading. Decided to call it quits that day before my luck totally ran out.

Those tall pine whips with a tuft on the top have always been a mystery to me too. They'll sit on your bar no matter what. I reckon it's about the weight distribution. The larger share of the tree's weight on the top, the more unbalanced it gets. Stick a pencil into a eraser and see, which way it will stand - weight up or down. Imbalance makes it harder to cut your way under the critical point. You don't want to make your notch too deep either, unless you want it go backwards. Pine is also amazingly flexible. When you pound it, the top will whip back, feels like the tree is holding a cloud or something.

So, I really have no trick how to handle skinny poles. Just show some respect. Taking a step back and plumbing it with your falling ax is not a bad idea either.

 

[treeslayer2003]

sams right on with the shallow face, it gives more room to work the wedges.............i hate pecker poles.

 

[northmanlogging]

I like to make my back cut first on the little ones, get a wedge started and then make the face cut. Just have to be careful and remember to gun with the back cut, and make damn sure your hold wood is correct.

The other option it to bore a slot just above the back cut wide enough for a wedge to push through, make yer cuts like normal and when you get to the wedge pounding bit you can nearly drive the wedge all the way through if needed... Granted this only works if you have enough diameter to still have some solid wood on both sides, and it tends to steal a wedge, that sometimes needs to be cut free...

 

[KiwiBro]

I like to make my back cut first on the little ones, get a wedge started and then make the face cut. Just have to be careful and remember to gun with the back cut, and make damn sure your hold wood is correct.

The other option it to bore a slot just above the back cut wide enough for a wedge to push through, make yer cuts like normal and when you get to the wedge pounding bit you can nearly drive the wedge all the way through if needed... Granted this only works if you have enough diameter to still have some solid wood on both sides, and it tends to steal a wedge, that sometimes needs to be cut free...

Cheers. Will give it a shot when the opportunity next presents itself, like, tomorrow.
Also thanks to the unmentionable poster who advised another way via private message ;-). Will give that a shot too.

 

[Samlock]

Watch out for this when you do it, Kiwi. That is not a pine, but a tall and skinny alder. Spat out my wedge while driving it in, I think because of the wobbling movement those things do. Fortunately it was about to tip over, so I was able to hold it a moment and slip the wedge back in.

 

[Metals406]

Put some dirt or chips on the wedge to help prevent spitback.

 

[OlympicYJ]

Had that happen plenty of times when I was thinning Doug-fir that size and sometimes a little larger. I also double wedged a bunch.

 

[RandyMac]

I fell some very tall, skinny OG DF for piling, I learned that steep and deep is not for trees that will fold on the way down.