Pictures of bore cutting, lots O pics
- Thread starter c5rulz
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dave k
Addicted to ArboristSite
Good one Lee ! that thread is, apart from the HBRC waffle, full of great info and humor.
c5rulz
Addicted to ArboristSite
Being certified to cut for the Forest Service does not mean one is ready to go out and make a living as a faller.
The certification system was put in place to prevent the guys who barely knew how to start a chainsaw from stopping by to buy a chainsaw on their way to the fire, and then getting put on the line as a faller--probably promptly being taken off the line after the falling boss saw them at work, and sent home. In the past, this was becoming a problem on the huge fires.
The Forest Service stresses SAFETY. Not speed, not production, not saving out the logs. Get the tree down, in a safe manner.
I've helped on some of the campground trees. Helped as a traffic control/people blocker. Before one of those comes down, the area is patrolled. We helpers are given a radio and told to stay at least twice the distance of the tree away. The fallers clear out escape routes, then start cutting. Before the final cut begins, the faller gets on the radio, informs everybody that he's about to let it go, and makes sure the area is clear of people. Then the tree goes down. Everybody stays in place until the go ahead comes through from the faller on the radio.
I haven't been on the fireline since the falling certification came into place. There has been one death of a fire crew member, who was too close to the area and was hit by the tree.
FS fallers don't get as much falling time as production fallers do. The budget is lean, there isn't a lot of time for training or practice. That's why we have contracts with production fallers.
Both have their place. And, like fallers, the folks who are in the fire business with the FS are godlike. They are commonly referred to as The Fire Gods by us lowly timber beasties.:biggrin:
We commoners grumble about having to go out in all weather, to get a timber target met, whilst our brethern in the fire shop must do "training" (which would drive me crazy) and sit back with feet on desk, and designing their T-Shirts for next season.:hmm3grin2orange: Meanwhile we are out slapping up tags and flagging, or harassing the production fallers and loggers.
The Fire Gods must retire early. Their knees go bad from the desk elevation. :mad2:
I will refrain from the discussion of the Stick Walk. I've done enough poking at the Fire Gods here. I do have friends who are/were Fire Gods.
You are correct in that the FS stresses safety rather than speed. The # of trees they cut on fire pales compared to a production cutter.
Today we burned over half the brush up and I cut up the first trunk. BTW, the tree grew to 83' in 20 years. Pretty nice not to have snow hindering work for this time of year.
One more thing since you guys dumped on my buddy Keith, he is 66 years old and still does this for his own personal amusement.:msp_tongue:
We were amused, too.
PA Plumber
Addicted to ArboristSite
There was a post a while ago (at least two or three years) where a person (don't know if he was a faller, but he was at least a feller) got a good smack in the face with a spitting wedge. I believe it tore through his helmet screen and caught him in the mouth. It seems I remember somehting about he felt lucky it wasn't worse.
The green Bailey's wedges will certainly launch. Temp in the high teens/low 20's, a touch of snow on the wedge and a little off in the swing timing; Man those things can be like bullets. I only found them because of the trail they left behind skipping through the snow.
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Well, it would have been short if we could have kept HBRN under his rock. There's some good information in that thread, especially the stuff from NW Axman. That guy is the real deal.
And he was is? one of the folks who does certification for the C Fallers out here.
Sport Faller
Gate Pimp
I can see myself getting clipped in the stones with one of those, with any luck it would make it to youtube and everybody here could laugh until they crappd their pants
Sure right about the twists and turns in that thread, lol.
Sometimes it helps to see bad stuff to know bad stuff. As long as someone learns to tell the difference and the apply the right stuff, it's all good in the end.
Lots of good stuff jammed away in there.
Yup, that seems to be the recipe. I haven't really studied on it but I seem to have more wedges spit out when it's really cold. And yes, it happens to us old guys with the gray hair and wrinkles, too.
One thing that I found that helps prevent wedge scars is being more aware of your body position when you're wedging. A lot of people get all bent over and off kilter and put their head in a direct line with the wedge. I was doing that without really being aware of it until somebody video'd me and I watched the position I was in. Scary. Dumb, too.
That, and continuing to beat the snot out of the wedge after you feel it stall out seem to be the most common mistakes.
Oh, one more...wedging too far with a long wedge and jamming your bar in the cut. Don't ask me how I know about that one. :msp_unsure:
paccity
Addicted to ArboristSite
wonder if nwaxman is ok ? havn't seen him posting for a while. atleast when hbrn was here my neck muscles stayed in shape from all the head shaking.:msp_wink:
Yup must be an East/West thing Ill have to ask the son in law why he didnt bore cut this hazard tree. Hes a west coast class "C" faller, Note the blue wedge inpocket.
And agreed its the Forestry and Logging forum for fun.
And agreed its the Forestry and Logging forum for fun.
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RandyMac
Stiff Member
Great photo Brian.
It is an illustration of what fallers see at fires in the West.
It is an illustration of what fallers see at fires in the West.
Rounder
Addicted to ArboristSite
Best advice I ever got......"Just put the ####ing tree on the ####ing ground and do it again"
Just keep 'em in the leed and swing the hell out of 'em. Piss on wedging what can be pulled around or green wedged.
Just keep 'em in the leed and swing the hell out of 'em. Piss on wedging what can be pulled around or green wedged.
Yup...production. I'll wedge if I have to but it's knowing when you have to and when you can just slam the tree and move on that gets the wood down the hill.
I'm sure he is. I have not seen his name on the Post Office door. His ads are in the weekly paper.
Tell him to come on back. Since HBRN got vaporized a lot of the meanness and bickering is gone from this forum. It's a much better place now and NWaxman's experience and advice could help a lot of people.
bitzer
******** Timber Expert
That was me! I posted that 2 winters ago I think. Tree was on a bank and stump was about head high. It was cold, like below zero. Caught me right in the mouth and I immediatly did a tooth count. I felt like I got punched, hard. Busted my lip up pretty good. I was not wearing a forestry helmet though. I could never bring myself to put one on. Damn goofy things in my opinion.
What a shocking turn of events in this thread by the way.
PA Plumber
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well look at that would ya!!?! Just look at it!
I guess I took a little liberty in juicing up the story a bit. Hope ya don't mind and thanks for straightening me out. I need that about once an hour, or 15 minutes, whichever comes first.
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Did I miss something Bitz?
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