Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[U&A]

I seen my buddy at work for awhile today when he came in to drop paperwork off. Looks nasty as all heck. He was working a pile of 10 to 16" ash, swung left to nip a branch stub off then swung back to cut the round. By the time he noticed a dried up 1" grape vine on the log the tip caught it and yanked the saw straight up. Saw got him right in the center of his left eye, from the peak of his hat down to his jawline. Ripped his glasses off and only stopped when it hit bone. 40 stitches. He says he can see out the eye but it's all blurry, Dr is hoping it will clear up once swelling goes down. Good news was it was a sharp chain so cut was reasonably clean and not jagged. Still going to be a bad scar as there was little meat left to work with they said. He was cutting at his Fathers place and his wife was able to get him to the hospital quickly. She was sure his eye was gone but there was just so much blood and a big open wound.

Man oh man.

What an eye opener (no pun intended).

My old buddy when I used to live in Ohio, his dad had the same thing happened to him the saw came right up and hit him square in the nose.

Messed up for good.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[U&A]

So i think this homlite xl will turn into a remote control boat. Im thinking fan. Boat....[emoji848][emoji848]

Got it for $20 about a year ago. Piston and cylinder look in perfect shape.

Anyone know the horsepower rating on this little saw.. Maybe 1hp or something...?

Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[Iowawoodguy]

Was doing some tree work with a guy today and saw. This branch looks like it grew out of one stem into the other conjoining them. Thought it was pretty neat.

Did an 8 hour day with a high of 90°. We did 6 or 7 dump trailer loads of branches.

 

[chipper1]

Dang. I expected it to mess it up but.....WOW.

Saving that round for you. I thought you said you wanted it[emoji848].....well anyway, you know were it is. Ill help ya load it up[emoji16]


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

When you have 100k on the deck of a 50k setup with only 5 axles on the trailer down it can do a lot of damage .
I plan on coming to get it tomorrow, but if I don't make it feel free to cut it up without me.
Got a bit cut tonight from my parents, filled a good part of the trailer and then I loaded two cherry logs since I was loosing light.
Pictures tomorrow .

 

[MustangMike]

I would try to find out if some PT could help that hip problem. Sometimes what you think is a hip problem is really in your back.

I have to do my back exercises religiously or my right hip bothers me. The most important exercise I do is a leg lift, then knees to the chest. Also do some knee bends, etc.

If I don't do them, I pay!

 

[svk]

So i think this homlite xl will turn into a remote control boat. Im thinking fan. Boat....[emoji848][emoji848]

Got it for $20 about a year ago. Piston and cylinder look in perfect shape.

Anyone know the horsepower rating on this little saw.. Maybe 1hp or something...?

Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

Probably horse and a half. Usually the duckbills in fuel and oil system go bad. Otherwise pretty reliable.

 

[Levi of the North]

Snagged a near-mint condition MS 660 with a Granberg mill off of Kijiji. Owner apparently only used it 11 hours, then parked it in his basement for 8 years.

 

[chipper1]

Snagged a near-mint condition MS 660 with a Granberg mill off of Kijiji. Owner apparently only used it 11 hours, then parked it in his basement for 8 years.

View attachment 841105

Congrats.
Looks like a nice low hr saw, one of the first things that shows wear on them is the falling mark on the recoil.

 

[turnkey4099]

I would try to find out if some PT could help that hip problem. Sometimes what you think is a hip problem is really in your back.

I have to do my back exercises religiously or my right hip bothers me. The most important exercise I do is a leg lift, then knees to the chest. Also do some knee bends, etc.

If I don't do them, I pay!

That is what my doctor thinks,...pinched nerve but he has done nothing about it. My really major problem is that I am unsteady on my feet, stumbling, etc. Falling down even. I was hoping to keep cutting into my 90s but I probably won't make that.

I have 3 sites for willow cutting that I will be checking on and see how it goes. For sure I'll never again be able to put in 4-5 hours wooding a day.

 

[farmer steve]

That is what my doctor thinks,...pinched nerve but he has done nothing about it. My really major problem is that I am unsteady on my feet, stumbling, etc. Falling down even. I was hoping to keep cutting into my 90s but I probably won't make that.

I have 3 sites for willow cutting that I will be checking on and see how it goes. For sure I'll never again be able to put in 4-5 hours wooding a day.

If nothing else you can keep working at your other occupation .

 

[JustJeff]

I seen my buddy at work for awhile today when he came in to drop paperwork off. Looks nasty as all heck. He was working a pile of 10 to 16" ash, swung left to nip a branch stub off then swung back to cut the round. By the time he noticed a dried up 1" grape vine on the log the tip caught it and yanked the saw straight up. Saw got him right in the center of his left eye, from the peak of his hat down to his jawline. Ripped his glasses off and only stopped when it hit bone. 40 stitches. He says he can see out the eye but it's all blurry, Dr is hoping it will clear up once swelling goes down. Good news was it was a sharp chain so cut was reasonably clean and not jagged. Still going to be a bad scar as there was little meat left to work with they said. He was cutting at his Fathers place and his wife was able to get him to the hospital quickly. She was sure his eye was gone but there was just so much blood and a big open wound.

Its a heck of a reminder of just how dangerous things can turn in an instant. Something we should all keep in mind when we are playing with our toys. Hope your friend makes the best possible recovery.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[JustJeff]

Found out one of my childhood friends passed yesterday and found out later that it was self inflicted. I had not seen him in years but we kept in occasional contact on Facebook. He was married to a beautiful gal, fished and spent a lot of time at his cabin and generally seemed to be doing well. Guess you never know.

I've seen some of that. Its just sad that they can't seem to reach out to the good people around them. I'll never understand it

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[MustangMike]

Doctors often don't give advice outside of their field. Search for a good Physical Therapist, or ask your doctor for a referral.

It may buy you a few more valuable years.

When I get into "discussions" about Covid 19 with folks, I often look at them and say "How many years do you think I have left to shelter in place?". For folks under 70, the death rate is lower than it is for most flues. The highest death rates (by far) were in the North East States where the Governor's forced Nursing Homes to accept Covid positive patients.

It is time to resume your life, the government can not stop this thing, and they sure as heck can't give you your life back! The cure has become far worse than the disease.

 

[LondonNeil]

Its a heck of a reminder of just how dangerous things can turn in an instant. Something we should all keep in mind when we are playing with our toys. Hope your friend makes the best possible recovery.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

Agreed. Mindfulness and constant respect for the saw, the tree and so on are the biggest safety action. I used to find it frightening to run a saw, even just my little ms180, but with use and experience comfort comes.... And that's when danger comes too. That's one reason for always donning full ppe, trousers, boots, gloves and fellers helmet with face guard. It's as much a routine to remind me of the dangers and get into mindset, as it is for the protection it offers physically.

It's also one reason why I quite like slightly longer than essential bars... Although.... What do you guys think? Longer bar safer or more dangerous? I'm slightly in the longer=slower kick back therefore safer camp, but then I just work in the garden bucking logs. In the sometimes confined forest or tree environment I could see shorter= easier to avoid accidental tip contact and therefore safer.

 

[MustangMike]

I think the shorter bar is safer, less leverage for kickback. Keeping your chain very sharp is also very helpful, but if your tip hits metal (like a hidden fence) that won't help you.

I always keep a firm grip on the saw, and if it comes back it has to go over (arms extended), not rotate toward you. Hand and wrist strength must match the saw your are using.

There were no chaps when I learned, so I don't use them, but I ALWAYS remember where my body parts are, there is no replacing them. I always have eye and ear protection, gloves, boots and long paints, and will not fell w/o a helmet.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

thought I would just post up a pix of a swell lil bundle of oak camp wood I came by the other day...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

but... sort of pales to meeting Harley -

King of Scrounges

[bit long...]

our city is one street after another... full of 'junk out on the curb'. trash and discarded stuff abounds. a mecca for anyone with a bit of a scrounging nature to 'em! ~

yesterday I met 'Harley'. said his name was..., but everyone just called him Harley! little doubt about it, a real true died-in-the-wool King of Scrounges... scrounges come in all sorts of sizes, shapes and colors... lol... but only a few are in the class of King of Scrounges! Harley is right up there at the top!! ~

little doubt about it...

I seen this guy on a bike. pulling a trailer... full of what appeared to be trash. nope, scrounged treasures he told me! lol, my kinda guy!!! pulling it with a Hog, no less. '04 Evo. blue. running and driving kinda a Hog... but barely. he even said, hope it will start! what a sight! what a character!! ... what a mess!!!!

(dare I say an accident looking for a place to happen! )

while it was, all in all, an interesting situation... when I stopped to talk to him... I found an upbeat friendly kind of sort. he seemed to have 'his world' together... in every sense, a free spirit... and home? he said... everywhere... he sleeps out under the stars!! I didn't inquire any further.

the interesting thing that caught my attention, besides the uniqueness of it all... was that he was going slow. very slow. and the trailer looked like a bike with square wheels. up n down, up n down... hippety hop! omg!! well, u see... Harley had a flat tire. to say the least!... a totally tore up tire on trailer, barely enough to keep the wheel's steel off the pavement. what a sight! and no $! only a drive to get some metal to sell... so he could get to the tire shop for a tire change. he had 2 14" tires with lots tread on the trash trailer... just had to get some $ and to the tire shop... omg! and hot out. only had 1/2 bottle of juice. and warm at that. he was thirsty... in fact, very thirsty. to me, his prospects did not look too good...

nope, not good at all!

well, I kinda took a shine to ol Harley... a likeable chap, soul if u will. and so I told him I had some change at home... and plenty of cold water, too. I would donate the $$ to his cause, so he could get his tire mounted up. he looked at me!: "really!?" uh-huh..."u don't have to do that!" I know, I said... but u seem to be in a bit of a situation... and if you would be willing to accept my help... [lol] I would be happy to help. besides, u look thirsty. he agreed on both parts! lol. I took off, and he dove back into the pile of junk... left n right... tossing this and that out of his way. scrounging. obviously, an expert!

so I got Harley some cool water. sure liked that! and he smiled big when I handed him some green to get his tire changed out. while I was quite intrigued with this guy's moxie... I felt a bit for him. dilemma. as we talked, and I inquired about his scooter... seems it had seen better days. but was still running... albeit barely. to me, failure/a final breakdown... only a few hours away! to me he seemed close to a total meltdown! totally bald tires, front n back! rear side wall split out 360 and rubbing on frame. low, but still holding air! a few whiskey dents a man could get drunk on just by looking at! lol. lots of stuff about to fall of... no mufflers, and... no handle bar twist throttle. oh, it was there... but not connected. pulled the cable by hand to rev up the motor...omg! no tags! no plates! insurance? I did not ask! seemed maybe to be a traffic ticket sooner than later! got the bike at 19,000 miles, it now had just over 42,000. and still running. "well, it needs a few things...", Harley said... Harley is 38! when he got ready to leave, his Hog started right up! and off he went. slow... like a bike with square wheels. up n down, up n down... hippety hop! hippety hop! destination: the tire shop. quite the sight, to say the least...

as they say, one picture is worth a thousand words... I enjoyed meeting him and our short time together... and he said the same! a brief foto essay follows:



[note from OP: 'ya can't make this kinda stuff up! omg, a Hollywood movie be forthcoming?.... "How I Beat Covid-19! Without A Mask!"]

'scrounge to scrounge'.... to tell you the truth... meeting Harley made for me a kinda of day!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

the camp wood scrounge and some from other day... made a great camp fire yesterday. triple digits temps inbound our area... but never too hot out for a nice camp fire!! nope... any day, every day!... like D-ick Proenneke was often quoted while living up at Twin Lakes, AK...' suits me just fine!'

 

[Philbert]

What do you guys think? Longer bar safer or more dangerous? I . . . In the sometimes confined forest or tree environment I could see shorter= easier to avoid accidental tip contact and therefore safer.

The second part of your quote answers your question. The bar (saw, chain, etc.) should match the task. Extra length is handy sometimes, but can stick out too far other times. No reason you can't have a few different bar/ chain set ups for a particular saw and get the best of both.

Philbert