Trying To Get Going

[Bushler]

I guess I'm confused. You aren't pulling against the guyline when you are skidding the turn?

 

[John Ellison]

It would not seem right to me either without two or more guy lines. These guys are asking some valid questions, be cautious.

 

[hammerlogging]

I think its supposed to work with no guylines, and they're expiramenting to help their hydraulics between turns. I believe they are intending to have the pressure on the hydraulics during the haul. But thats why I asked, cause if the tension is on that guyline, then, well, not as its designed.
Safety is always excellent advice especially from experienced yarder dudes, but I commend these fellows for applying technology that is lower impact than a bunch of skid trails, they're not likely getting any higher rate for it.

 

[slowp]

I am sorry to announce that it looks like Melvin will not be yarding here. Circumstances beyond my control. We will have to rely on Joe.

 

[treejunkie13]

some pics of JOE

 

[treejunkie13]

couple more

8 ton

 

[treejunkie13]

and more

 

[Bushler]

Good luck.

 

[treejunkie13]

Not 2 bad 4 2nd day of dragging, (ever!) literally flying blind and learning as we go. Made bout 13 turns yesterday, avg 3 sticks @ 23min. per. better than a skidder (which is unusable in this area). We will b playing around with different guyline options, going to try a lift log, almost limitless in options.

What can I say, couple dum azz loggers willing 2 go broke, 2 make a difference, at least we gots balls!

Stay tuned 4 some more pics, I might even show u a pic of the south face (were working over the north face) that was done with conventional dozer trails and skidder, makes me sick every time I see it.

 

[captainsteep]

Do the cylinders bleed down from all that down pressure?
Are you able to keep one end of the logs off the ground?
How big a turn can it take?
What kind of line speed?
I think I read that you are using 3/4 skyline. What size the skidding line?
Does it have free spool or is it power off slack?

I hope you have a good sized guy line. If it ever breaks the engineer will be eating dirt in a hurry.

Yes keeping logs off the ground no trouble. Can pull four at a time, but for now just running 2 or 3, Line speed low 250' min. high 800' min. Skidline is 5/8 swedge. No freespool both have power out. Guywire is 5/8 swedge and the cheap pin at the hook broke yesterday,(that scared the #### out of me) But did not tip just noisey.

 

[captainsteep]

One thing I was warned about when I broke in running shovel was not to get the boom and jib too high.

You're putting a lot of faith in babbit.

No babbit, Good hard pins and spherical bearings treejunkie and i replaced them all.

 

[captainsteep]

'Nother thing, whats the rating on those fairlead blocks on the heel rack? They look tiny.

They are Mckissick 8 ton

 

[captainsteep]

I guess I'm confused. You aren't pulling against the guyline when you are skidding the turn?

It did not seem to be, but if you dont lift it back up from bleeding down then yes you are pulling against it, like i found out yesterday,broke the pin, will be putting a nother one up using a 5/8 sand line cable for back up,till i get tech. there to ajust the hydralics.

 

[Bushler]

I hesitate to pee in your wheaties, but I see some serious potential for disaster.

Think about the compound leverage you are exerting on the jib with the jib and boom at full extension.

Without free spool how can you release tension in an emergency?

The Mckissic is a good block, but the diameter of the sheave looks too small. This will put a lot of stress on the line, eventually you may see jaggers and wear, prematurely.

Shovels are stiff legged. You have no jacks, and a single guyline in direct lead only. If a turn were to hang up, and endo out of lead the guyline would not help, the machine will flop. If the machine flops it breaks, and they don't fix easy.

The bleeding down of your hyd. cyls. may be caused by the extreme pressure exerted when yarding. Machine wasn't designed for that. You fix the cyls. and then they may fail again.

What happens if you blow a hyd. line to the boom or jib under extreme load?


And finally, just for curiosity, why not just grapple log it with the shovel? Doesn't look that steep, and the shovel will not damage the ground like a skidder or cat, (because you are swinging the logs rather than dragging them.)

I applaud your pluck, but be carefull, you really are pushing the envelope.

 

[captainsteep]

I hesitate to pee in your wheaties, but I see some serious potential for disaster.

Think about the compound leverage you are exerting on the jib with the jib and boom at full extension.

Without free spool how can you release tension in an emergency?

The Mckissic is a good block, but the diameter of the sheave looks too small. This will put a lot of stress on the line, eventually you may see jaggers and wear, prematurely.

Shovels are stiff legged. You have no jacks, and a single guyline in direct lead only. If a turn were to hang up, and endo out of lead the guyline would not help, the machine will flop. If the machine flops it breaks, and they don't fix easy.

The bleeding down of your hyd. cyls. may be caused by the extreme pressure exerted when yarding. Machine wasn't designed for that. You fix the cyls. and then they may fail again.

What happens if you blow a hyd. line to the boom or jib under extreme load?


And finally, just for curiosity, why not just grapple log it with the shovel? Doesn't look that steep, and the shovel will not damage the ground like a skidder or cat, (because you are swinging the logs rather than dragging them.)

I applaud your pluck, but be carefull, you really are pushing the envelope.

The bleeding down is caused from plugged filter and screen in tank pluged also milkey fluid, changing it all tomorrow(thats what the tech said)also the blocks maybe to small getting bigger ones. joe was made for this by jewell manufacturing they said he has to be all the way up.to rockey to shovel and wet, as far as the winches you just touch them and the cable is out faster then you can react.

 

[treejunkie13]

This is by far Joe's first attempt... he was custom built in 99' (just for yarding) and has succeeded the first years of his life in Forks WA. Now he is in a colder climate, dealing with our puny hardwood. Joe is more then capable, this is only the beginning. And if I may emphasize in the last week or 2 we have learned so many new things without barely any help especially from other loggers (huh)... new carriage, how to work the bugs (Talkie Tooters), rigging, electronic choker bells, etc. and 152 ways of how not to do it that way!!! This does not exist here or any where near by hear, so we can't just go see how so and so does it.
As for shovel logging it...not an option - NO Way! even if so, not With Joe He has to much weight, oh yeah cause he is set up to yard. The internet is littered with pics of other yoaders doing it up all the time, were not far off. This is by far nothing new.

 

[treejunkie13]

I agree that the block dia. is smaller then perfect, and we are aware of that, but it is what we got for now, their strong enuff, we'll have the cable f-ed up on our own (learning to deal with that much cable) before the blocks.

That's good, keep the thoughts flowing, good or bad, I'll still read it. If you make me mad I'll just take it out on some poor tree!

 

[slowp]

What do the neighbors, if there are any, think of the whistle noise?

 

[treejunkie13]

What do the neighbors, if there are any, think of the whistle noise?

no one for miles, well other loggers if they count... and the interest level out weighs the toot toot.

 

[slowp]

I've always thought it to be a cheery sound, except when standing next to the yarder without earplugs. Owie.