Had to quit first logging job after fitting in perfectly. How should I proceed?

[matthew sparks]

Thanks treeslayer. Those are some nice looking logs. I learn a little more everyday.

 

[HuskStihl]

Matthew, just FYI I'm more or less the village idiot of the logging forums, so take this fwiw. You need to focus first on the stuff that can kill you rather than the business aspect. I may be totally wrong, but I don't get the sense you'd be able to use a Dutchman to turn a tree out of harms way, throw in a block face if needed, confidently stack wedges on a heavier leaner, know what to do with a school marm, know how to handle a heavy head leaner, know when to chase the back cut to reduce pulling and when to run like hell. I advise joining another crew as something of an apprenticeship. In the meanwhile, pick up Douglas dents book "professional timber falling", as it covers a lot. Northman figured it out entirely on his own, but he is larger than most of the trees he cuts, and is therefore in no real danger. I'm pulling for ya

 

[Red Elm]

Very likely the best advice you've been given since you joined the forum.

 

[bitzer]

Matt call some local mills and find out how much timber they are buying and how much they are paying for cutting and skidding. 100-120 bucks per mbf is pretty average. They buy the timber, you cut it and get a paycheck without having to look for, buy, and market your product. They will have a forester who sets up the sale, landing, trucking,etc. He will help you buck for the grade they want. Its a good way to get started. You need a skidder and a saw of course, but there is alot you don't have to personally invest in when you sub for a mill. They hold most of the liabilty, public relations, that sort of stuff. You don't get paid till logs hit the mill and there is alot to be done when you are cruising, buying, logging, selling, etc. Contracts, cutting notices, surveying, dnr restrictions, trucking, marketing, etc, etc. All kinds of fun stuff. Yeah you don't make as much as buying your own timber, but its a good place to get started and learn the buisness.

 

[treeslayer2003]

Bitz you get that? but they pay for hauling right?

 

[bitzer]

Bitz you get that? but they pay for hauling right?

Yeah I put the wood on the landing, they take it from there. Thats standard up here for subbing.

 

[treeslayer2003]

thats not bad then, i hate to have to handle trucking for that...........one mill was paying 150 here for a 30 mile haul...........i declined. tucking is expensive, if i could find a contract hauler that could work with me i'd stop messin with a truck.

hey how did ya make out with the engine?

 

[matthew sparks]

The last several posts have been very helpful. I have a lot to learn about cutting. I don't know how much work the sawmills around here sub out but people are logging property they swore they would never log. I will see if they will buy at the landing. Its amazing they even help with the bucking to get things right. I was told buying a truck was important because you lose so much money by not delivering. Thats very interesting to find out there may be a way around that.

 

[treeslayer2003]

boys, i bet no one in Matt's area knows any thing about directional falling.

 

[treeslayer2003]

depends Matt, very few haulers in this area..........i almost couldn't function without a truck, log trailer and low boy.

 

[Red Elm]

boys, i bet no one in Matt's area knows any thing about directional falling.

You are probably right. Almost none of the younger guys in this area do, they all bore cut or flush cut. The owner has hired a few younger guys to try, but none of them even care to learn directional falling. They look at you and say "well just have the skidder push it over if you want it dropped a certain way." Those guys arent kept around our outfit. Most outfits here bore them flush except the buttress roots (which they call spurs), then cut the roots and let'er go. Some crews cable them over if they have a cable skidder. Not this ole boy, I face every tree. That flush cutting is dangerous as it gets, no control over fall whatsoever.

 

[treeslayer2003]

crown cutting.............no way. my buyer likes what im doing and he says the big notch dosen't hurt a thing.............pull and cracks do. my bottom line went up directional falling so its worth the extra minute to me.

on the crown cut, even good hardwood generaly has a defect that close to the ground so what purpose does it serve..........

 

[treeslayer2003]

oh, i came up stump jumping..........it seems to be the norm in the south. i'm surprised they were using gol.

 

[treeslayer2003]

we need stump pics for Matt............where is all the western fallers? Bitzer had alot of pics, im not sure they are still here now.

 

[matthew sparks]

I guess I need to make sure I explain how they bore cut here. I am not saying this is the right way of doing it but this is how they do it. They cut the notch in the direction they "think" the tree will fall and then plunge in 3 inches behind the notch and bore into the middle of the notch and then span the saw back toward the backside of the tree until they are a few inches away from the back. Then they plunge in the same way on the other side. Some start in the back, some in the front on the second side cut. They called it half moon cutting. Just a redneck term I am sure. Then when all but the two small side hinges are cut they go cut down the back to release the tree. The only adjustments I saw them make was they would leave additional wood on one side of one leaning to one direction.

I asked them one day about a wedge. They said they didn't use them so i made a mallet and and wedge out of a limb in order to have a wedge in my back pocket. That seems to be the way everyone does it around here though.

 

[treeslayer2003]

i'm not sure what to call that.........................
that may be ok on a heavy head leaner but there are better ways of falling most trees.

 

[madhatte]

The SE obsession with grade makes me nervous. I'll take the safety of a good hinge every time. Why put the waste on the log, anyway? Humboldts offer good directional control with very little waste.

 

[matthew sparks]

Well i thought it was a crazy cut but its what guys taught me that I assumed knew what they were doing because they still had all their limbs. I just saw myself using the tip of my bar hundreds of times a day counting the tops and limbs and I thought there has to be a better way. Maybe there isn't.

 

[northmanlogging]

Northman figured it out entirely on his own, but he is larger than most of the trees he cuts, and is therefore in no real danger. I'm pulling for ya

And I cut some pretty big wood too, wait you saying I'm fat?!

(actually I'm not entirely self taught, I sorta grew up doing this stuff, it s the business end I'm pretty much self taught on, and the whole how do I lay out a landing and tackle a clear cut etc etc etc thats all been by the seat of my pants)

 

[slowp]

The GOL session that I went to would add placing a wedge in that cut. There is room to put it in from the side, if the tree is big enough. In fact two wedges can be placed and then the back strip cut off.
That helps keep the tree from sattin' back.