What to bring to first day on job

Rugged made
Wesspur
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RandyMac said:
Hah! You are older than me!

I had a job like Bob's, but got paid $50 a day plus lunch.
I remember my first logging job. I felled OG DF with my Grandad's D.D.Terrill, hooters, peckerpoles and broken trees. I think I cleared a hundred bucks a day.
Click to expand...

Hahaha. Does that make you feel young and full of vinegar?

Andy
 
Ok,
So I'll ask the question nobody has dared to ask; Have you ever worked as a faller? From the sounds of it you haven't, otherwise you'd know what to bring. No shame in it either way, but can you fall timber? If this is your first job, which it sounds like, then I wouldn't be too fussed either way of getting paid or not. It's a foot in the door which is a hard enough thing thesedays. Pay attention, learn the lingo, don't worry so much about keeping up and try to fall your timber in line with the other guys. If the guy has a bad rep in your area (you asked, right?) then don't hang out there too long or you'll pickup bad habits.

Carry your wedges, pay attention to whatever face cut, stump height, bucking length etc that the other guys are using and do the same yourself. It's a foot in the door! Plenty of guys are willing to work for free for that.

Shaun
 
Jacob J. said:
Geezuz Bob, even "Spudders" (bark peelers in the wartime camps here) during WWII made more than that...
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Hey Jake...I said I was young, not smart. :laugh:

And really, for 1960, those were pretty good wages for a kid. And, being a teen age kid, I was probably eating another couple of dollars a day in groceries.

When I look back at what I learned and what I got to do...I came out pretty good on the deal.
 
Last edited:
I believe you have forgotten a very important safety item----Toilet Paper.

Then, add Donettos.

I'm neither a faller nor a logger, but I will add the advice I heard a hooktender telling his pi--oops helper while leaving pi--oops, helper alone with a task.

"If you have any questions about something, don't do it till I'm back to answer."

Plus, I like Hammer's suggestion of working smoothly instead of fast. We'd hire guys to mark timber and they would wear themselves out trying to be fast, instead of working at a steady pace. I worked with an older guy who looked like he was barely moving and slow. He was actually covering a lot of ground, a lot more than me because he knew how to work efficiently and move tree to tree without wasting any movement.

Watch your back.
 
Slowp's advice about setting a steady and sustainable pace is good.

Watch the videos of some of the pro fallers. TreeSlingr, Tarzan, Greenwedge...I've left some out but these are good to start with.
They don't look fast but if you watch long enough you'll see that they're getting a lot of work done in a short period of time. They're smooth, there's very little wasted motion, and they're producing quality logs.

The best fallers make it look easy...a lot easier than it really is. It's kind of like shooting pool, you plan your moves out a little ahead of time and one task flows naturally into the next. You won't be as smooth as they are to begin with, don't worry about that. But you should improve a little every day.
 
Here's a few of them.

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RrGkn1O6AM8?list=UUnHGm95Y89Ok-UQf6f7TWvw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
hammerlogging said:
Well, kind of keep the overt enthusiasm to yourself, and put it into the job, doing a really good job. This means being safe, not endangering others, making good decisions and the like. Aim on performing smoothly, this is more important than "fast"; it is in fact fast, by default. Think to yourself "smooth" and "grace". that is a good timberfaller, the good days are the ones you have 50% mmore production with 50% less effort.

You'll only need one saw, one in the truck for backup, but its just there in case of some sort of breakdown. Have at least one extra loop for the primary saw in case you hit rock or something awful. And yes, hardhat.

I'm kind of emabarrassed to suggest this, but it sounds like you'll need a dress rehearsal so you don't stand out too much like a new guy- your coming in equipped like you've done this before, better know where you going to hang that tape from than bumbling with it at the tail gate while everyone is waiting on you.

Don't be afraid of asking for help and don't endanger yourself or others. I'd way rather work with someone responsible and trainable than someone with attitude, especially ignorance or ego issues.

Its a great line of work for the right person, good luck. Did I say be careful?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! Hahah yes I know where to hang my tape, I keep it on me all the time whilst working at the sawmill. I am very trainable and I like to move slow and steady. When I'm out in the woods workin our sap lines in a foot and a half of snow, I always try to move slow and steady otherwise I'd be unnecessarily wearin myself out. There are times though that ya gotta get to gettin whilst the gettins good.
 
mdavlee, Thanks man! Good flicks! Gotta love Lamb of God! :D Holy crap if I could fall listening to a headset...:blob2: Thanks again!
 
Gologit said:
Granted, 100 a day is low wages. But look at it as an opportunity to learn and get paid a little for it. Very little, actually, but you have to start somewhere.

100 a day gross is probably going to be 70 a day net. Are you working a faller's day or will you be working eight or ten...or more?

You've had some good advice here but I'd add one thing. You're not a faller, not yet anyway, and you need to remember that no matter what your boss wants you to do, your main concern should be keeping yourself safe. If you get into a situation that you're not comfortable with, go get your boss and have him walk you through it. If he's any kind of logger at all he already knows you're green and if he's a decent guy he'll help you learn. It benefits him if your skill levels increase.

If it turns out that your boss is a flake, if he runs junk equipment, if he doesn't pay, if he doesn't keep his word, or if he puts you into dangerous situations and demands that you either perform or get yourself gone...just pack up your stuff and go. There are other jobs and other learning opportunities.

One thing about it...you're going to find out that there's a big difference in getting to cut wood and having to cut wood.

Let us know how it works out for you.
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Yes it is low pay, lower than I'm getting paid at my current job, currently i'm bringing in about $160/8 hr day plus I get $30/hr for any overtime and free diesel fuel for my truck and free oil + other benefits. Looking at it money wise, it dont make any sense to leave my current job. But from my point of view, I spend more time working than doing anything else, even if I'm making more money, why do I want to be spending my life doing something that I don't really like. My boss is a nutcase bipolar type, he's been suspended and fired a few times from work for yelling at higher ups and pushing a guy on camera and this and that, he's very hotheaded and very rascist and dont care about no one and is a miserable man. nobody likes him at work and I gotta work side by side with him as his apprentice all day long it drives me crazy. I've had nights where I couldn't sleep because his voice was in my head screaming at me. I've stuck it out with him for almost 2 years now and it aint really changing. Granted I've learned alot about mechanical work and made good money whilst doing it, I hate working in the city and dealing with all sorts of valueless people all day long. People steal stuff all the time and cuss and swear at each other all day and don't get along it's almost like ax men sometimes. Since I was a little kid I used to dream about being a logger, and I think i'll be able to get the hang of it. I know all about a hard days work, working through any weather and busting arse for little pay most of the times.

Anyways, off my little rant there had to get it off my chest...
He said it was $100/8 hour day. I definitely always play it safe when falling trees. At the farm I work at if I'm in a sticky situation I always go get my boss or another experienced person to teach me what to do. I don't mess around when it comes to trees, they weigh alot more than I do and could toss me around like a little rag doll. I've been hit twice by a tree. One time was at this loggers course I took at school and I was limbing a tree and whilst I was limbing another tree came crashing down and just the branches hit me, if i was a foot or two forward it would have been the pearly gates. Luckily I was wearing one of them fancy chainsaw hard hat deals. The other time I had a good sized maple that was hung up on a black birch and I tried droppin a decent sized black birch onto it to get it down since I didn't have access to a machine at the time, well..usually I get good and outta the way by once the tree starts going, but I was on a good rocky grade and there was snow on the ground. I figured I'd fall if I tried to get outta the way so I decided to stay put. well, it didn't go as planned and the black birch teeter tottered on the maple and swung back and slammed into me sending me right on my way out. I had tried getting away from it as it come towards me but it moved faster. right after it slammed into me it hit another birch tree that was up the hill a foot or so and then went back on it's way to teeter tottering. If that birch that stopped it wasn't there I'd have been in a much bigger mess. and if I was up about a foot i would have been wedged into the birch proberly would have had internal bleeding and stuff and I was all on my own out in the bush. My adrenaline was going for a good 45 min after that.

He said that he's training a faller right now that's a young buck and he's working side by side with him right now. Said that he'd teach me anything I need to know and do what it takes to get me on my feet. He said that everyone runs everything, so everyone knows what's going on and what needs to be done. He said his crew is great and he buys breakfast and lunch and picks up the crew to drive to the site. I live a bit too far away for that though I'm about 40 miles away from his base station deal. He said that the all his equipment is new and in great condition and they take it easy on their equipment. He also said that the people who've been there awhile are making good money and getting good hours.

I think I might have already learned a couple three lessons in getting to cut wood and having to cut wood, but that's firewood related, not falling timber. At the farm we go through a metric **** ton of wood per year, and I'm the guy who cuts splits and stacks it all.

Anyways, sorry for the long post, just wanted to provide everyone with the most amount of information I could to help my decision.

Thanks for all the good info!
Doug
 
Gologit said:
Slowp's advice about setting a steady and sustainable pace is good.

Watch the videos of some of the pro fallers. TreeSlingr, Tarzan, Greenwedge...I've left some out but these are good to start with.
They don't look fast but if you watch long enough you'll see that they're getting a lot of work done in a short period of time. They're smooth, there's very little wasted motion, and they're producing quality logs.

The best fallers make it look easy...a lot easier than it really is. It's kind of like shooting pool, you plan your moves out a little ahead of time and one task flows naturally into the next. You won't be as smooth as they are to begin with, don't worry about that. But you should improve a little every day.
Click to expand...

Just watched a few videos and yes sir you're right they do make it look easy. I understand the importance of directional felling and planning it all out so that it makes skidding faster and more efficient. I'm all sorts of excited about seeing this guys operation and how it all works, and to be learning. I love to learn and I ask alot of quesitons so we'll see what this guy thinks of me and I'll report back on what I think of his operation.
 
northmanlogging said:
my axe handle is the distance from my eye to my thumb, with my arm straight out.
Its an old boy scout trick for seeing where the top is gonna hit, or how tall it is.

for example mine is... 26.5" to the head
Click to expand...

Great contribution! about 27-13/16" for me. Now do you cut your handle so that it's 26.5" from the end of the handle to the end of the bit? like if you set the axe on the ground with the handle facing up it's 26.5" to the end of the handle?
 
4x4American said:
Great contribution! about 27-13/16" for me. Now do you cut your handle so that it's 26.5" from the end of the handle to the end of the bit? like if you set the axe on the ground with the handle facing up it's 26.5" to the end of the handle?
Click to expand...

26.5 end to end, handle started as 28" I just set the head a bit deeper than is strictly kosher, and whack the excess off... I use a straight handle, the bent ones mess up the swing when trying to use the hammer side (known as the poll), also its just a 4# Craftsmen, an old one...

If I cup the head in my palm and point at the stump, then use the end of the handle and line it up with the top, where I'm standing will be where the top "should" land.

I imagine most of the pro fallers don't worry much about this but a good portion of my falling work is around houses, fences, roads, and a myriad of other pains in the neck... most of the time I come up a few feet short of where I said it would fall but that's ok, beats too far, one of the last tree jobs I did, my partner stabbed his saw wrench into the dirt and told some one that was where I would put it, I was unaware of this and still only missed by a few inches... pop cans make great targets for trees as well as guns...
 
About how much money could a good faller get paid? The job i'm at right now, if I stay there, I'll be making over $50/hr, $100/hr overtime, all sorts of benefits and insurance... just thinking about my career path in the long run. I don't need much money, just enough to provide for a family, have a nice truck, small house with some land, and some toys like fourwheeler and snowmobile, and be able to pay off bills without going into debt. That's all what I want. Oh and I also want to be there to see my kids grow up, I know of a few people at work who are making one hell of alot of money working doubles and steam/gas shutdowns and yea they make alot of money, but they dont see their kids grow up they're working too much.
 
and another important thing to bring is a good attitude. make it as fun as possible. .......................... the last part might wear off with time.;)
 

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