Tips and advice for a felling worm...

[ms290]

Everyone has to start somewhere...........start with a helmet, and pants/chaps. Be careful.
Lots of info on this site.........Reading helps.

Got chaps somewhere. gonna go find the darn things. need to get some new ones though. ones i got are probly 10 or more years old. I dont have a forestry helmet but i got a hardhat to help.

 

[Burvol]

You sir are correct. Had my 20 in kickin back a little cuz i got lazy and tired. finally just made myself go sit down drink some water eat a bite.

You little lumber jack!

 

[ms290]

You little lumber jack!

I wish. im just a wanna be.

Some day i would like to go and log up in the PNW or Canada. sure would be a lot fun.

 

[Burvol]

I wish. im just a wanna be.

Some day i would like to go and log up in the PNW or Canada. sure would be a lot fun.

I was just teasing ya bro. It's alright with us. You know you are brave and honest for posting like this. Keep your mind open and honest with us and you'll keep learning. More time with that saw in your paws is what you need the most. After you get more jobs, go bigger on the saw and really start focusing on how sharp you can file your chians. Like dangerous to look at sharp. That will help you more than most anyother thing you could buy.

 

[ms290]

I already file. Im not great but i can hold my own. Was filing the other day and just happened to catch my chain as i moved away from my work bench and SLICE i was bleeding. Just dumb luck is what ill call it cuz im not real good at it. Ill take me some pics and show yall what i can do in another thread.

 

[056kid]

It can be a good idea to wear a glove when filing. My right hand full of tiny little scars from slipping with the file . .

but the best thing you can do is run the saw, there is no substitute for that.

 

[slowp]

I'm not a sir. Nor a faller. Merely an annoying Forester.

How was that for a lecture? I've been told I'm gonna be training a youngun this summer. So I need to practice being wise and cranky. I remember thinking the guys that were the age I am now as being old and cranky.
I'd rather be wise than old but cranky is fine.

This morning I was wandering around in the brush with the faller/hooktender/rigging crew guy. He had set his saw down on a stump. For some reason, I thought the saw was a limb and grabbed it--we were in the snow and things were slippery. I let go before any damage was done to my hand.

 

[Oldtimer]

A saw that is super sharp can also be a problem. You can back-cut too much too fast if you're a newbie..

My best advice: When the tree starts to go over, LOOK UP. Stay near the butt, don't run out a pre-selected escape route. That's asking to get clobbered. Stay 10-12' away as it tips, watch the butt, be ready to LEAP, and after it's 3/4 of the way down, LOOK UP. And be ready to LEAP.
The real danger is from limbs being flug back at you from 40' up.
If I see you run a saw without the left hand thumb hooked in a tight grip around the bar, I'll whack you on the knuckles with a hardwood stick.

 

[HitchC&L]

You look like your learning, and your definitely motivated to be part of the wood industry.

My advice is to invest in a good set of protective gear. Chaps, helmet with face screen, ear protection, gloves. Things happen way to fast out in the woods to be caught without safety gear.

Also, try to find someone whos been felling, or doing tree work professionally for a long time, and see if they can take you under their wing. Theres no better way to learn than to watch someone who really knows what they are doing.

Hang around the forums and read everything you can. Theres tons of great info on here from real pro's, all you have to do is read.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[056kid]

learn enough on your own, then try & get a job. Somthing like hooking chokers & carrying chit around.

If you wanna do it bad enough, you will find yourself doing it before long if you try hard. just dont lie about your skills, or you aint gona get far, I saw alot of guys work for less than a month, hell some less than a week cause they couldnt walk the walk. .

 

[redprospector]

when i first started cutting an old timer said if you survive the first two years you will probably make it.chainsaws are replaceable cutters are hard to come by

That "old timer" wouldn't have been Earl, would it?

Andy

 

[redprospector]

A saw that is super sharp can also be a problem. You can back-cut too much too fast if you're a newbie..

My best advice: When the tree starts to go over, LOOK UP. Stay near the butt, don't run out a pre-selected escape route. That's asking to get clobbered. Stay 10-12' away as it tips, watch the butt, be ready to LEAP, and after it's 3/4 of the way down, LOOK UP. And be ready to LEAP.
The real danger is from limbs being flug back at you from 40' up.
If I see you run a saw without the left hand thumb hooked in a tight grip around the bar, I'll whack you on the knuckles with a hardwood stick.

A good sharp chain isn't a problem. I bet more folks have been hurt trying to hack down trees with a less than "super sharp" chain, than with a sharp one.

Andy

 

[bitzer]

My advice to you is, never turn you back on a tree you are felling or while it is falling. Make sure you've got some clear paths and back peddle as the tree starts to tip. Always look up. Watch the stem as it starts to tip and then the crown and over again as your backing up. Don't turn tail and run. You can't see whats coming if you are not looking.

Also stay in the cut as it starts to tip if you want the tree to come off of the stump. Keep an eye on your sights as your doing that. Its really easy to pull on the saw one way or another and then you've cut too much hinge on one side where you didn't want to and the tree pulls off of your intended direction. You can learn how to swing a tree by cutting hinge and with various other cuts, but get a lot of them on the ground first. Take pride in your stumps. Look them over and see how the tree reacted and how it fell and where it landed according to your stump and the cuts you made.

Always look up. Analyze the hell out of your tree before you do anything. Leans, crown weight, widow makers, soft spots in the stem, whatever. Clear paths and your work area. Read A LOT in this forum, old and new.

 

[bullbuck]

That "old timer" wouldn't have been Earl, would it?

Andy

Earl who?haha,but of course that guy had alot of patience when i was a rook,noone else did.sure miss that guy

 

[Metals406]

All good advice so far. . . I'll add:

Don't push yourself past your experience level -- healthy fear/respect for how much a tree can kill you is a good thing. Trees usually don't hurt you just a little, or just kill you part ways.

Stay on flat ground for now, sloped ground adds many new elements to the game.

I was falling some Larch the other evening, and I had a close call. I was on steep ground, and the trees had a head lean up hill. It's hard to move fast on snow/ice on the steeps -- it makes it harder to get clear.

There was a belly in the hill, and I knew the butt was going to kick out. I had a hard time moving back on the slope (I should have had my caulks on), and I wasn't far enough back. The tree went over, the butt kicked back, took a second bounce -- and hit me square in the shins.

I went for a little ride down the hill, and so did the saw. Luckily it wasn't a larger tree. . . The only thing that was bruised was my shins and ego -- and some blood for good measure.

Point is, even when you see stuff coming, you can't see stuff coming. capisce?

Make a clear escape route, don't saw under the lean if you can help it, Look up look out!, wear some safety gear, and get some good tutelage if possible.

Good luck!

 

[056kid]

Ya, when your in timber larger than your bar, make all your cuts under the lean first before you cut any pull wood so you dont have to worry abour going back under the tree to get her to go.

 

[Tree Pig]

IMHO if your not doing production felling high stumping it is no big deal and may actually be safer. As discussed some ppe, correct stance and grip on the saw is important. Also in one pic of the notch the notch looked a little small to me. I would think that shallow would run the risk of the notch closing down too early and the stalk could then dance on the stump and do weird and dangerous stuff.

 

[ms290]

IMHO if your not doing production felling high stumping it is no big deal and may actually be safer. As discussed some ppe, correct stance and grip on the saw is important. Also in one pic of the notch the notch looked a little small to me. I would think that shallow would run the risk of the notch closing down too early and the stalk could then dance on the stump and do weird and dangerous stuff.

Yes that notch was a bit shallow. I cant remember why i dont that. The camera plays tricks too i think it was a good bit deeper than it looks. I do watch for widow makers and the like. Now the back peddling is gonna be a new one ill have to start on. PPE i do have but its limited at best. Ill start saving for some new stuff.

 

[Burvol]

Yes that notch was a bit shallow. I cant remember why i dont that. The camera plays tricks too i think it was a good bit deeper than it looks. I do watch for widow makers and the like. Now the back peddling is gonna be a new one ill have to start on. PPE i do have but its limited at best. Ill start saving for some new stuff.

Don't just back peddle off the stump of every tree. It's not what to do.

 

[bitzer]

Don't just back peddle off the stump of every tree. It's not what to do.

I agree with you there. Just trying to push how critical it is too keep an eye on the tree at all times. Back peddling can put you on your ass in a hurry if that is all a guy does. You gotta look where you are going too! You've got a lot tougher ground to stomp than I do too though.