coastalfaller
ArboristSite Operative
I hear you. That was me yesterday!
Falling pics 11/25/09
- Thread starter Burvol
- Start date
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I hear you. That was me yesterday!
terry2tmd
ArboristSite Operative
Loved the pic's, reminded me of working with Dad before the mill went down. I currently work in the oil field as a ruffneck. This comment hit me square in the hart, you're right on. We do jobs they could never do and never know the pride of coming home so tired eating dinner is a chore. These pic's are of a dieing breed that should be proud as hell of the work they do, I am humbled to you gents! Thanks for sharing!
RandyMac
Stiff Member
another installment "I killed my saw"
I was falling big Doug Fir on very steep ground, a fair amount of the timber was "goosenecked", meanin' the stump was square with the ground, and the tree turned upward to grow straight up. Often the trunk was oblongated (is that a word?) or oval in shape. On the uphill side, as the tree "leaned" back, the wood is often compressed, gnarled up grain and such.
Anyway, it was late in the day when I came across such a fir. It was close to 60", sittin' on 100% slope, I wandered around it guessin' the lean with a bullet on a string. The uphill side was cut pretty close to the dirt, as the drop-off on the downhill side was maybe 6 feet. I whipped a Humboldt cut into it without too much stretchin', but when I started the back cut, I ran out of arm length. So I cut a couple toeholds in, and anchored my self with a Bowie knife, stuck my corks in the slots, grabbed up my saw and swung out. I jammed the spikes in, managed to properly start the backcut. It wasn't long before I was havin' little problems, the saw had more leverage than I did, I couldn't pound the wedges in very well while using the saw to cling to the trunk, the yellowjackets I had stirred up earlier were still after me. It was hot, I was sweatin' and filling my shirt with chips and the dammed tree was oozing sap copiously. I was havin' so much fun, I decided that I needed to switch the saw around, so I could reach the far side better. Out with the Bowie again, while I one armed the saw back into the cut, it seemed like a good idea at the time. "Cept the saw was takin' up some of the room I needed to stay put. I slid to one side, using one foot and the knife, continued sawin'. This is where things went to hell, quickly. The saw bucked some, like it was hittin' something real hard, it was, a couple centuries worth of leanin' backwards had compressed the wood something fierce and put abit of a twist in the grain. I tapped at the wedges some more, it was like swingin' an ax under water, I had no power what so ever. I went back to sawin', the tree started popping, it was only then that I considered an escape route....hmmm. Wasn't given much time to think about it, with loud snap, crackle, pops, the SOB started over and grabbed the tip of the bar. I gave a try at tossing the saw out of the way, didn't go so well. The last I saw of it (intact that is) was as I was jumpin' (fallin') off the tree. The poor 050 was embeded right behind the hinge, bar was bent, it was still idleing. I didn't get to see the whole thing, I was rollin' downhill at the time. I'm guessin' the tree tossed the saw off, then rolled and skidded on it. I stood and stared at it for a few moments, kicked some dirt over it, went back up the hill to get the Mac 250. Oh yeah, I learned a couple things alright, and still continued to do crazy things.
I was falling big Doug Fir on very steep ground, a fair amount of the timber was "goosenecked", meanin' the stump was square with the ground, and the tree turned upward to grow straight up. Often the trunk was oblongated (is that a word?) or oval in shape. On the uphill side, as the tree "leaned" back, the wood is often compressed, gnarled up grain and such.
Anyway, it was late in the day when I came across such a fir. It was close to 60", sittin' on 100% slope, I wandered around it guessin' the lean with a bullet on a string. The uphill side was cut pretty close to the dirt, as the drop-off on the downhill side was maybe 6 feet. I whipped a Humboldt cut into it without too much stretchin', but when I started the back cut, I ran out of arm length. So I cut a couple toeholds in, and anchored my self with a Bowie knife, stuck my corks in the slots, grabbed up my saw and swung out. I jammed the spikes in, managed to properly start the backcut. It wasn't long before I was havin' little problems, the saw had more leverage than I did, I couldn't pound the wedges in very well while using the saw to cling to the trunk, the yellowjackets I had stirred up earlier were still after me. It was hot, I was sweatin' and filling my shirt with chips and the dammed tree was oozing sap copiously. I was havin' so much fun, I decided that I needed to switch the saw around, so I could reach the far side better. Out with the Bowie again, while I one armed the saw back into the cut, it seemed like a good idea at the time. "Cept the saw was takin' up some of the room I needed to stay put. I slid to one side, using one foot and the knife, continued sawin'. This is where things went to hell, quickly. The saw bucked some, like it was hittin' something real hard, it was, a couple centuries worth of leanin' backwards had compressed the wood something fierce and put abit of a twist in the grain. I tapped at the wedges some more, it was like swingin' an ax under water, I had no power what so ever. I went back to sawin', the tree started popping, it was only then that I considered an escape route....hmmm. Wasn't given much time to think about it, with loud snap, crackle, pops, the SOB started over and grabbed the tip of the bar. I gave a try at tossing the saw out of the way, didn't go so well. The last I saw of it (intact that is) was as I was jumpin' (fallin') off the tree. The poor 050 was embeded right behind the hinge, bar was bent, it was still idleing. I didn't get to see the whole thing, I was rollin' downhill at the time. I'm guessin' the tree tossed the saw off, then rolled and skidded on it. I stood and stared at it for a few moments, kicked some dirt over it, went back up the hill to get the Mac 250. Oh yeah, I learned a couple things alright, and still continued to do crazy things.
That's a good'un Randy...nothing like those pistol-butt/gooseneck dry firs in Norcal...
joesawer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Dang Randy Mac, The first saw I killed was not nearly as exciting as all that.
I had just bought a brand new Stihl 064 to replace my finger cramping Mac 550.
I was climbing a decent pine for Alabama and had it all limbed and top and was pushing 9 foot logs of it.
I had my groundie send up the sweet new Stihl with a 32" bar so that I could reach all the way through the back cut.
The first little log I pushed off I over cut the back cut on the far side and when it tipped over it took the saw with it.
the log landed on one on the ground and kind of blew up but rocked like a teeter toter while doing so and hit the 064 like a base ball bat and knocked it back up nearly as high as I was. I will never forget the sight of it sailing back up towards me in slow motion with bar oil streaming out behind it.
Oh well that old Mac built character!
I had just bought a brand new Stihl 064 to replace my finger cramping Mac 550.
I was climbing a decent pine for Alabama and had it all limbed and top and was pushing 9 foot logs of it.
I had my groundie send up the sweet new Stihl with a 32" bar so that I could reach all the way through the back cut.
The first little log I pushed off I over cut the back cut on the far side and when it tipped over it took the saw with it.
the log landed on one on the ground and kind of blew up but rocked like a teeter toter while doing so and hit the 064 like a base ball bat and knocked it back up nearly as high as I was. I will never forget the sight of it sailing back up towards me in slow motion with bar oil streaming out behind it.
Oh well that old Mac built character!
forestryworks
Addicted to ArboristSite
Those are some good stories, fellas. Keep 'em coming.
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Come on Joe!! That was a creative way to destroy a chainsaw, one in a hundred might go that way. Lots of saws have been killed at the stump, that 050 wasn't the only one, I lost a big Homelite to a fractured Redwood snag.
There were also adventures in bucking. With most of the discussions on falling, we forget that you will do far more bucking then anything else. Bucking requires more skill than falling does, one tree can give you 5 different oppurtunies to play with stored energy. Improper release of tension on steep ground can be noisy.
There were also adventures in bucking. With most of the discussions on falling, we forget that you will do far more bucking then anything else. Bucking requires more skill than falling does, one tree can give you 5 different oppurtunies to play with stored energy. Improper release of tension on steep ground can be noisy.
joesawer
Addicted to ArboristSite
In the Southeast I think more saws are destroyed doing tree work since a vast majority of falling is mechanized. Also smaller trees and decent ground are the norm.
But the cut a circle around the tree and see what way it will fall technique has crushed a lot of saws also.
I used to partner up with a guy who was older and more experienced at residential tree work, at that time.
He had a smoking problem and I insisted he abstain when we worked together. He "borrowed" my new stihl climbing saw one day while I was working in the woods. He returned it and told me it would not start. Later his son told me he dropped it at least five times.
With a new starter pulley and dogs it would crank and run but the crank was out of line with the housing and it would destroy the starter system every time you did.
That whole experience was educational. I learned that I did not have any brain cells to spare!
But the cut a circle around the tree and see what way it will fall technique has crushed a lot of saws also.
I used to partner up with a guy who was older and more experienced at residential tree work, at that time.
He had a smoking problem and I insisted he abstain when we worked together. He "borrowed" my new stihl climbing saw one day while I was working in the woods. He returned it and told me it would not start. Later his son told me he dropped it at least five times.
With a new starter pulley and dogs it would crank and run but the crank was out of line with the housing and it would destroy the starter system every time you did.
That whole experience was educational. I learned that I did not have any brain cells to spare!
OK - tell me about bucking, please.
I'm cutting logs for my mill on some big construction sites. I get to cut some of the trees but I also get some that have been pushed over with a big rootball still attached. As far as difficulty goes they are the worst but even the ones I cut are scary sometimes since I'm in a hurry to get the butt log and let the trackhoe guys haul off the rest to the chipper. And I'm working them from the wrong end from what I'm used to doing. Its lots easier to be able to get the main stem on the ground before bucking it. I'm getting big spreading hardwoods and they mostly don't lay down flat.
joesawer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Look at it and figure compression and tension. It can be very tricky if pushed by equipment or it goes down hill after it hits the ground.
And don't ever put yourself in a crush point where if something comes at you you can't move out of the way or at least get knocked out of the way.
Why am I always drunk on sunday night? I never plan things this way, but it always happens. Maybe it will rain...
It always works out that way when you have to get up and go to work in the morning. I used to do that a lot when I worked at home. I would look at a clock and only have a few hours to sleep before I got up to go to work. I drank pretty much a whole 5th of goldslager. I was still drunk til lunch the next day.
Greystoke
Tarzan
Definitely a must!
Greystoke
Tarzan
Got a 12lbs. Spring Chinook (left side) @ 5:30, 12lbs. Steelhead @ 6:00. Both bucks! Spring bucks eat the best, bar none! Just had to go down and represent, LOL. 30 Guys today 3 fish caught. Got some good eggs Mang.
Monday after work. 14 lbs. Hen Springer.
Nice fish...look like good eatin!
Greystoke
Tarzan
AWWW, the good ol days! Bet you wish you could re-live that day again!
Greystoke
Tarzan
LOLOLOL! Good one Nate!
Greystoke
Tarzan
Nice job Pardner!
Greystoke
Tarzan
LOL! That reminds me of the time my Brother-in-law invited me on a fishin trip to Baja Mexico with him, while I was recovering from a broken leg. Anyhow, on the third and last day of the trip, all the guys wanted to go into Cabo for a night on the town...bad Idea! I had seen some nasty waters in Alaska, and had never been sea-sick, but the next day after Cabo, I was! At least that is what our little, pot-bellied Mexican ponga Captain thought. There was two of us fishing with four rods, so when we would get into a school of Tuna, we were just reeling in one, after the other, so there was not time to stop to puke, so I would just keep reelin and pukin! I was miserable, but we caught a lot of fish!
Greystoke
Tarzan
Then you have to back into a tree! I hate those bugs. We used to catch them and shove little sticks up their backside and set and watch them fly straight up outa sight, until finally they would tire out and come wafting back down...some of them were good for a few liftoffs before they would give up.
coastalfaller
ArboristSite Operative
Absolutely!!!! We'd do that too and then stick them to the roof of the crummy as a warning to their buddies! Sadistic, I know, but it made us feel better!!
