Pine thinning

[c5rulz]

I am going to qualify this post by saying I am not a logger nor do I profess to know much. But some might like these pics I took today at a friends site that is being thinned. The spruce was formerly Christmas trees that are now overgrown and starving for light.

Log forwarder,

Small processer

Bigger processor

Before

After

 

[rwoods]

Nice pictures. I would have thought left-hand processor and right-hand processor. I am beginning to get a taste for these smaller forwarders pictured lately - I just need to find a roadable one that I can swap for a deuce. Ron

 

[lmbrman]

nice pics Ron, glad you got outta the house

-dave

 

[zogger]

Cool beans! I went over to a local chunk of woods they are logging this past week, but didn't take any pics just watched them use all the automated equipment, similar to your pics. Much larger trees though, pines. They knock out a road tractor trailer load pretty darn quick.

 

[c5rulz]

nice pics Ron, glad you got outta the house

-dave

Well there was a place on the way that had homemade pie so there was an incentive.

 

[c5rulz]

Cool beans! I went over to a local chunk of woods they are logging this past week, but didn't take any pics just watched them use all the automated equipment, similar to your pics. Much larger trees though, pines. They knock out a road tractor trailer load pretty darn quick.

Well the pics don't do justice compared to seeing the machines in action, particularly with a very good operator. In this instance, one was so so and the other excellent.

 

[slowp]

Forwarders make good guyline anchors in these parts...

 

[Gologit]

Well the pics don't do justice compared to seeing the machines in action, particularly with a very good operator. In this instance, one was so so and the other excellent.

The "so so operator"...what was he doing differently, or worse, or whatever, to earn the so so label?

 

[c5rulz]

The "so so operator"...what was he doing differently, or worse, or whatever, to earn the so so label?

Well the good operator was extremely smooth and has been doing this for over 20 years and owns all the equipment. Everything he did was without wasted motion. Very quick, now I understand the larger machine he is faster although the spruce was leaving very little working room for the bigger machine.

The so so operator was tentative in action and there were pauses between different actions of the machine. The logs were not near as uniform in length and he was missing a ton of dead trees that had to come out. (The operator was the owners son so we gave him a lot of crap about it, He was very young) This operator just started on the processor and hasn't a lot of seat time. My buddy said this kid was driving the forwarder since he was in his middle teens and was very proficient with that machine.

 

[slowp]

I sat down (just an expression, we were standing) with a brand new processor operator and we figured out why he was scarring up so many leave trees. From previous experience with chainsaw fallers, I mentioned he might want to work towards the openings instead of working the trees into the uncut portions. He thought about it and mentioned he had become used to only working stuff one way, come to think of it. He said he needed to work on the machine equivalent of ambidexterous, and began doing that and placing the bunches in the cut over part. He improved and there wasn't much scarring of leave trees, until one day, the boss came out and wanted to run the machine. After that happened, we had a good natured "meeting" in the woods, the boss promised to never run the processor again, and life returned to normal.

A clearcut would be the best place to stick a beginner.

 

[Gologit]

Well the good operator was extremely smooth and has been doing this for over 20 years and owns all the equipment. Everything he did was without wasted motion. Very quick, now I understand the larger machine he is faster although the spruce was leaving very little working room for the bigger machine.

The so so operator was tentative in action and there were pauses between different actions of the machine. The logs were not near as uniform in length and he was missing a ton of dead trees that had to come out. (The operator was the owners son so we gave him a lot of crap about it, He was very young) This operator just started on the processor and hasn't a lot of seat time. My buddy said this kid was driving the forwarder since he was in his middle teens and was very proficient with that machine.

Good eye. Watching an experienced man on a machine is a study in efficiency. The best I've seen never seemed to be hurrying but every move was productive. They get a lot done and they don't tear stuff up doing it.
Same with hand fallers. Or loader operators. Cat skinners, too.

We had a guy running a shovel for us on the landing. We used to toss him an orange and he'd catch it, peel it, and eat it while he was decking and loading...and never miss a beat.

 

[rwoods]

Good eye. Watching an experienced man on a machine is a study in efficiency. The best I've seen never seemed to be hurrying but every move was productive. They get a lot done and they don't tear stuff up doing it.
Same with hand fallers. Or loader operators. Cat skinners, too.

We had a guy running a shovel for us on the landing. We used to toss him an orange and he'd catch it, peel it, and eat it while he was decking and loading...and never miss a beat.

I've watched a lot of earth moving in my short life beginning as a little kid, but it wasn't until about 8 years ago did I start paying attention to efficiency. I was overseeing a little environmental cleanup job when one of the fellows in the zoot suits remarked, "I've never seen a backhoe operator as efficient as the one you hired." I asked what caused him to say that as I thought the guy was running slow with the hoe at less than full throttle. He replied, "What do you hear?" "Nothing", I responded. He said, "That's my point. His every move is so coordinated there is none of the usual clanging and banging." I checked up on the operator and learned that his productivity was indeed renowned in our parts. Lending proof that the operator is key, every new hoe this fellow purchased he retrofitted to the old 4 lever style as he couldn't get the hang of the two lever swivel sticks.

In my experience the same principles are at work with chainsaws and any hand tool. That is why I recommend your little falling video from time to time.

The fellow who framed my house was amazing to watch as he laid out the day's work for his crew. His every move appeared to be choreographed as if he were dancing. Neither I nor my contractor had ever seen any hammer swinger work with his fluidity or efficiency. Too bad his crew swung their hammers like the rest of us.

Ron

 

[1270d]

Its always fun to watch an efficient operator, no matter what they are running.

Our final remaining chainsaw guy is the definition of efficiency. He isn't a faller, only limbing and topping behind a buncher. He isn't trim or super fit. Matter of fact hes kinda big. The guy can put out more wood in a day than two other men. Every week day. For the past 15 years (for us anyway). It isn't uncommon for him to limb and top 250 tons of hardwood in a day.

 

[lmbrman]

The kid running that cat is not yet 18, he works after school and weekends. He will be durn good at it someday. Family operation that I have been adopted into part time.

 

[c5rulz]

Family operation that I have been adopted into part time.

Well that is one huge strike against them in the character department. However an honest one if they can only stand you part time.

 

[lmbrman]

Well that is one huge strike against them in the character department. However an honest one if they can only stand you part time.

it is a mutual arrangement

 

[Gologit]

In my experience the same principles are at work with chainsaws and any hand tool. That is why I recommend your little falling video from time to time.



Ron

Thanks Ron but there wasn't anything special about that. Just an normal cut, part of the day. I was taught by old timers who knew how to minimize monkey-motion and focus on getting the job done. Those old guys, and their mastery of their craft, amazes me to this day.

LOL...I'm lazy. I don't like to work any harder at something than I have to. Especially when I'm doing it day in and day out.

 

[lmbrman]

Thanks Ron but there wasn't anything special about that. Just an normal cut, part of the day. I was taught by old timers who knew how to minimize monkey-motion and focus on getting the job done. Those old guys, and their mastery of their craft, amazes me to this day.

LOL...I'm lazy. I don't like to work any harder at something than I have to. Especially when I'm doing it day in and day out.

I think you nailed it there Bob about mastery of the craft. I still remember watching one of my mentors as he taught me what I should try and do, as well as what not to do. I got real frustrated trying to run any machine or even a saw as good as him, but it also motivated me. Everything looked so easy for him. Having guys watch me learn was not exactly something I looked forward to back then. Arthur was his name, and I started out working with his kids, one of who was about my age, and one who was 13. I had trouble keeping up with the 13 year old- he grew up around the stuff and had a clue. I was just a determined idiot. Prolly still am.

I am certainly no master, but I can smile now when somebody asks to watch me. My kid is ten and likes to watch me run machines and then try them herself. So cool that she is proud to try.

be safe

-dave

 

[HuskStihl]

Thanks Ron but there wasn't anything special about that. Just an normal cut, part of the day. I was taught by old timers who knew how to minimize monkey-motion and focus on getting the job done.

I tend to maximize monkey-motion (nice alliteration BTW) while doing anything related to saws or falling. Not so much in the day job, fortunately