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

[slowp]

Do they not have workmens' comp in Kentucky? Out here, the insurance rate goes up from an already high premium, if you have accidents. That's a major incentive to be safe. When accidents happen, the safety inspectors visit more, and fines happen. Big fines. That's more incentive.

Chainsaws...fallers around here use 460s with 32 inch bars and may have a 660 in the pickup. It is all second or third growth timber getting cut. My neighbor says that a 440 is good until you get into a predicament and then you need the extra power that a bigger saw will give.

Long bars are used because of limbing techiniques and topography. Limbing is done by walking along on the tree and cutting. Long bars allow you to cut without having to move around to the other side and on steep ground, that will save time and energy.

That's all I know, I'm not a faller.

 

[matthew sparks]

Well I was self contracted and had to provide my own equipment so I am not sure if he had to carry workmens comp on me. I never asked. I know I had to have it with my lawn care business when I had several employees.

 

[treeslayer2003]

Nate, does all the oak over there have that much sap wood? looks funny to me as ours only will have a couple inches. oh and nice stumps.

Matt, to me 28" is good on a 461, i run a 32 on my 660 but its been modifyed...........our wood is kinda hard at the stump tho.
yes full skip square but round chisel is good too if filed right..........i don't take the rakers any lower than .020 or it will get grabby in oak....i do like more hook than factory tho.

 

[matthew sparks]

by the end of the week I will have so many different cutting methods and chain variations to choose from.. haha. thanks again for the info. i sure need it

 

[Gologit]

by the end of the week I will have so many different cutting methods and chain variations to choose from.. haha. thanks again for the info. i sure need it

Cutting techniques are just tools to get your job done. It's not as complicated as a lot of people like to make it seem but it does require focus and attention. Total focus and total attention. Every tree, every time.

Use the methods that work the best for you. When you get enough experience you'll have a better understanding of that. Just don't fall into the trap of thinking "if I do this, the tree will do that" and expecting it to work every time without variation. Books, like Dent's or Beranek's can give you some good basic ideas on technique and safety and you should read and study them.
But remember, the trees don't read the books and very often they'll defy gravity, physics, logic, and try their very best to kill you.

Stay light on your feet. Look up. Look around. You don't know much yet but you're obviously learning. Keep at it.

I'm out of here.

 

[Westboastfaller]

Do they not have workmens' comp in Kentucky? Out here, the insurance rate goes up from an already high premium, if you have accidents. That's a major incentive to be safe. When accidents happen, the safety inspectors visit more, and fines happen. Big fines. That's more incentive.

Chainsaws...fallers around here use 460s with 32 inch bars and may have a 660 in the pickup. It is all second or third growth timber getting cut. My neighbor says that a 440 is good until you get into a predicament and then you need the extra power that a bigger saw will give.

Long bars are used because of limbing techiniques and topography. Limbing is done by walking along on the tree and cutting. Long bars allow you to cut without having to move around to the other side and on steep ground, that will save time and energy.

That's all I know, I'm not a faller.

Thats more than I know

 

[northmanlogging]

On the triangle and T coos, the idea is to nip the sides and then storm through the back cut, Tree won't (or at least shouldn't) fall until you sever the leg of the T or flatten the triangle...

The object is to give you less wood to run through so less chance of a stall, and less wood for it to hang up on and cause a chair...

 

[madhatte]

Nate, does all the oak over there have that much sap wood? looks funny to me as ours only will have a couple inches. oh and nice stumps.

Ha, who knows? Those aren't native here. They were all landscape trees that got the snot kicked out of them by an ice storm, which is why we were cutting them.

And, thank you. I definitely take my time to make sure things go well.

 

[Westboastfaller]

Either of these two methods work well with leaners. I usually use the triangle but that's mostly because it's easier for me to match my cuts. Either way will work.

In regards to your post Mathew,
The triangle cut is one I referred to as a V cut or diamond .
Anyways its for smaller diameter/ heavy leaner and NO it won't fall with that much holding wood (if I understood you right??) Its a four step cut, the diagram only showing the three
1)undercut
2) lowside back cut
3) highside B. cut
4) 'straight' B/C in the direction of fall (hinge wood)
Its to speed up the B/C and reduce the barber chair potential.
In large diameter
The beaver tail (Tcut) is the one you would use on larger diameter heavy leaners, 3-4ft) the other danger in heavier trees is on a regular cut if the tree starts to lift slowly, all that extra extended weight is now at even a sharper angle puting emence pressure on the root system so it has to be done fast at the end. I would use a modified version on a bigger tree than that
on slope, cutting the "T" out from inside the undercut (if tree is stable enough as it may not allow me to reach from my B/C ) When starting your lowside back cut leaving you finishing with a back strap on the high ground side of the back cut. A root wad could be 50-60 ft+ on some species and/or depending on where its growing (rock) who wants to be down by the hinge?just because your on the high side, doesn't mean your not down a hill at your hinge with most of the tree above you.

Confused yet?..me too

 

[bitzer]

Here are some humboldts with cleanly broken hinges. Some hearts gutted some not. With a Humboldt face the butt hits the ground first and lays out nice, which will help save out yer timber. Snipe accordingly. A snipe will give the butt a little extra jump or movement on the stump and keep fiber pull to a minimum.

Mike- I have some old pics on an SD card with a block face on a 54" red oak. I will try to dig em up. That was my biggest tree to date. Still 44" at first 16'. Not crazy tall though. Only 2 1/2 logs.

Green ash-heart gutted


White oak


Hard maple- full throttle back cut



Here is the T style coos bay on a really hard leaning hard maple. Heart is gutted also which I advise in hardwood. Most of that pull stickin out is from the stump, but it did pull from the butt a little. Acceptable to me if you had seen the tree. I never bore any back cuts ever. I'll bet its been two years now since I had last.


Humboldts are not usually the fastest way to through a face in hardwood. Most of the stump wood can be pretty gnarly and you end up cutting a lot of flair. Unless I'm high stumpin or have a reason, like steep ground or something I throw a conventional in. Snipes and heart guts when needed.

This maple would be a nightmare of back barring and horsing on the saw to get a humboldt in er.

 

[matthew sparks]

When I see a really big tree or a leaner what will i choose?

 

[bitzer]

Matthew-there are a lot of reasons for faces, snipes, swing cuts, etc. It takes some time on the stump to figure them out. Getting your lay out set up for the day goes a long way to good production. I've walked up to the first tree I think I'm going to cut for the morning and I'm like well can't cut that one until I cut that one and so on. Before I know it I've got an entire days worth of timber cut before I get back to the first tree.

 

[SliverPicker]

Mathew, where has your new job search taken you so far?

 

[treeslayer2003]

i guess the best thing i can say to ya on leaners is gut them..........i think bitz n i agree that on leaning hard wood, it is the best strategy.
i even did that when i jumped.
i like a block now as well on some things, but it is still a bore cut although vertical instead of horizontal.

 

[matthew sparks]

I'm planning on trying to sub some jobs and lease or buy a skidder. I want to work at my own pace and be safe and productive. Its the weekend so that wont be happening.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Matt,
Do yourself a favor and buy a Granburg brand filing guide. It's not as fast as traditional hand-filing, but you can get you chains set to whatever angles you want and the train yourself (muscle memory) to match those angles in the field. they're around $30.00.

Use one of these to adjust your various angles to what suits you. Trust me, it will be the best small investment you will ever make. In Osage Orange (Hedge) I run 35º on the top strap and 5° down horizontally (affecting the working corner). The chains seem to last long and pull chips very well in hard wood. I might change the top-strap to 30° and 10° in softwood, but I'm pretty happy right now. Give a try and you won't regret it.

 

[treeslayer2003]

i didn't think those would adjust for down angle...........i to like 35* but 10 down.
i been useing square this year.........gotta wear glasses to file it lol.

 

[Westboastfaller]

Here are some humboldts with cleanly broken hinges. Some hearts gutted some not. With a Humboldt face the butt hits the ground first and lays out nice, which will help save out yer timber. Snipe accordingly. A snipe will give the butt a little extra jump or movement on the stump and keep fiber pull to a minimum.

Mike- I have some old pics on an SD card with a block face on a 54" red oak. I will try to dig em up. That was my biggest tree to date. Still 44" at first 16'. Not crazy tall though. Only 2 1/2 logs.

Green ash-heart gutted
View attachment 359079

White oak
View attachment 359080

Hard maple- full throttle back cut

View attachment 359081

Here is the T style coos bay on a really hard leaning hard maple. Heart is gutted also which I advise in hardwood. Most of that pull stickin out is from the stump, but it did pull from the butt a little. Acceptable to me if you had seen the tree. I never bore any back cuts ever. I'll bet its been two years now since I had last.
View attachment 359083

Humboldts are not usually the fastest way to through a face in hardwood. Most of the stump wood can be pretty gnarly and you end up cutting a lot of flair. Unless I'm high stumpin or have a reason, like steep ground or something I throw a conventional in. Snipes and heart guts when needed.

This maple would be a nightmare of back barring and horsing on the saw to get a humboldt in er.

View attachment 359086

The last stump looks like what we call a west coast swanson
which is a humboldt with a sharp angle out of the front
(unless its a masive 'Dutchman'...lol)
it holds on a little longer as the piece of the stump it would close on is now gone. Its way safer for falling on an up hill degree, as the buts hits first taking the whip out of it preventing it from comming back at 'you' as well does it save on breakage.
A humboldt and a conventional are both 45° cuts 1: .5: ratio (depth to opening)where as the swanson and birdsmouth are a 1: to 1: ratio.

 

[Westboastfaller]

i didn't think those would adjust for down angle...........i to like 35* but 10 down.
i been useing square this year.........gotta wear glasses to file it lol.

That's what you call a sh_t hook... lol, text book would be 10° up on round chisel and flate for square, I very from that though but 10 up on round is pretty smooth with the dogs and
Produces long shavinges, would be good for hard wood hunboldt using the dogs (not so grabby)

 

[treeslayer2003]

i get long chips.............we may be losing somthing in translation here.........what i meant was to drop the file handle about 10..........i hand file with out any guide so may be not exact.