Had to quit first logging job after fitting in perfectly. How should I proceed?

[Westboastfaller]

I guess my biggest thing is when things go wrong someday. It always will. I don't believe anyone is good enough to put a tree on a dime every time. The other day I was cutting a tree and after boring it and doing the angled back cut so it would break off. I was in a creek and almost shoulder deep and scared. When I cut the 28" red oak went right where it should but then the tree proceeded to back up into the creek about 3 feet after it fell. I was 10 ft back by the time it did this but I saw how fast that huge log was coming at me even though it was on the ground. I assume a limb or vine got hit or caught as it fell to the ground but it scared me. BAD! Only thing I have had happen. What I worry about is one falling so fast or kicking back the whole tree at a speed I can't get out of the way of.

All of this has probably happened to all the experienced cutters here but it hasn't to me. I am more scared of what the tree will do when I don't do something right. Working with someone else won't really teach me that around here. They just all stay away from anyone falling trees and if they don't hear your saw after a while they yell to make sure your okay so I don't really know how to prepare myself for something like that.

Additionally, we have seven pages here of discussion. Some was just conversation and most of it has been very thought out, helpful advice. I appreciate this more than you all realize

10 ft (3m)away from the stump is where you need to be...or a cover tree, and watch your canopy. ..in other words look up at all time.
once you find a 'hole' watch what the canopy is doing.
90% of fallers killed are found WITHIN 10ft of the stump.
and I'm sure you will find that in the BC Fallers legislation that
M H just provided. Follow those safe work practices.

 

[matthew sparks]

I don't know if I go 6 ,10 or 30 ft. i hear a crack and run like hell haha. I do have my path clear before I even cut my notch. actually a few clear.

 

[matthew sparks]

Its late but I have a lot to read over tomorrow. Im ready to get back to work. We have record low temps this week and wont have the 95-100 degree heat we had this weekend.

 

[Locust Cutter]

i get long chips.............we may be losing somthing in translation here.........what i meant was to drop the file handle about 10..........i hand file with out any guide so may be not exact.

That's what I was getting at and yes the Granberg does have a horizontal axis adjustment. It just doesn't do square w/o modification.

 

[madhatte]

That's what I was getting at and yes the Granberg does have a horizontal axis adjustment. It just doesn't do square w/o modification.

It's easy enough to set up a File-N-Joint to file square. You do have to flip the saw and bar over to get the other side.

 

[Westboastfaller]

My observations to this point.
1) Bitzer remains the man, even tho he's still a kid
2) Bob (real bob) is correct as always, and my statements are not based out of 50 years on the saw
3) westboast (I really hate that name, sorry),treeslayer, and silver are helping where they can.
4) the OP is not ready for a solo show. I understand (and can occasionally execute) everything that has been said so far, and I'm not ready for a solo show. If TS or the Bitz would take me under a wing for 6 months, maybe.

Lol... I wont blame dyslexia for this one, people obviously didn't like my pun, poking fun of a stereotype, prehaps in poor taste on my part.
Well now you said it, its probably time to move past the user name
I do respect you and TS for Two that stand out to me for your individualism, as its clear you are your own men and aren't afraid to differ from the
the 'old' cronies.

 

[HuskStihl]

Well, I regret saying anything about u'r name. I have one of the stupidest usernames on here 'cause I panicked when they made me sign up to ask my one question 2 years ago. I get the self-deprecating humor.

I am also definitely not my own man, as I am only able to respond to this because she who must be obeyed is not currently in my presence

 

[Westboastfaller]

Well, I regret saying anything about u'r name. I have one of the stupidest usernames on here 'cause I panicked when they made me sign up to ask my one question 2 years ago. I get the self-deprecating humor.

I am also definitely not my own man, as I am only able to respond to this because she who must be obeyed is not currently in my presence

Lol, when the cats away the mice will play
.....In a respectful way
respecting your woman is respecting youself
...the user name?...lol me too, the best and worst things in life are most spontaneous my friend, I'm a very spontaneous person. "Self deprecating" self deprecating is cool in jest and exudes confidence IMO , deprecating one in a belittling sense is not !yes I don't mind been the butt of the joke either, as you obviously don't mind making light of yourself.
Peace, Jamie

 

[treeslayer2003]

Jamie....i had forgotton your name.....sorry.
my own man? yes, but i have much respect for the older fallers here..........Bob, Randy, Glen, Owl and even bitzer tho he is younger than i.
i would still be jumpin every thing if i hadn't listened.
its ok Jamie, you have a little different way of speaking but ive figured you out.......your ok lol.
is it hot over there? i can't stand it........10 minutes on the saw n im soaked.

 

[treeslayer2003]

It's easy enough to set up a File-N-Joint to file square. You do have to flip the saw and bar over to get the other side.

thats totaly different angles than what i been useing but im using the 6 sided file...........i would like to try a three side file, i don't think it would hit the tie strap.

 

[treeslayer2003]

 

[madhatte]

Those are the little 6-sided ones. If you look really close, you can see that the short side is in the corner with the long side under the top plate. It looks like you have the angle just about right, though. Also, don't fret hitting the tie strap. It's gonna happen, and it's OK.

 

[bitzer]

The last stump looks like what we call a west coast swanson
which is a humboldt with a sharp angle out of the front
(unless its a masive 'Dutchman'...lol)
it holds on a little longer as the piece of the stump it would close on is now gone. Its way safer for falling on an up hill degree, as the buts hits first taking the whip out of it preventing it from comming back at 'you' as well does it save on breakage.
A humboldt and a conventional are both 45° cuts 1: .5: ratio (depth to opening)where as the swanson and birdsmouth are a 1: to 1: ratio.

Actually that was a narrow conventional with a full face Dutchman (a little snipe in there too). I gutted about 80% of the hinge out. I needed the tree off the stump asap on that one. Kind of a funky camera angle on it. I like learning different terms for face cuts. Its funny how every region has their own dialect.

 

[bitzer]

My observations to this point.
1) Bitzer remains the man, even tho he's still a kid
2) Bob (real bob) is correct as always, and my statements are not based out of 50 years on the saw
3) westboast (I really hate that name, sorry),treeslayer, and silver are helping where they can.
4) the OP is not ready for a solo show. I understand (and can occasionally execute) everything that has been said so far, and I'm not ready for a solo show. If TS or the Bitz would take me under a wing for 6 months, maybe.

Hey who you callin a kid gramps? As of yesterday I've got a teenager as my oldest! So it sounds like there is a chance you want to let loose and go loggin huh?

 

[bitzer]

Mike- I bought the used on-road motor for $2k. It took me about 18 hours to get everything switched over. That's not including driving to napa and the local farm supply for various hoses, bolts, electrical, etc. I used my original fuel inj pump (1 year on rebuild) and turbo. Had some timing issues called a buddy and had her runnin. 2 miles down the road to next job (yep 2 miles to go chains and all) she dies and upon re-start is blowin oil out of the front main and breather like a *****. Get towed back to shed I was workin on it and made some calls. It seemed like the turbo was the only possibility for pressurizing the crankcase since it was the only part that was the same. Tried getting it apart myself (nope) so I took it to a shop and had it rebuilt ($500) . Threw new turbo on, same ****. REALLY?!! Took original engine apart. 3 busted rings on three different pistions. Took newer used engine out and apart, 3 busted rings on three different pistons. So aside from being super pissed and frustrated, my wife asking me if I know what the **** I'm doing and when am I going to be logging again ( no bills getting paid at this time) I decide to rebuild original motor with the guidance of a mechanic buddy who does it for a living. It needed to be bored and sleeved and the friend of my mechanic buddy was going to do it for $300. Well he only does it on the side when he has time, yada, yada, so I said **** it and I added on to an already growing loan and bought a re-con motor from Cummins. I traded the newer used one in for the core credit of $2k and I also got $500 out of the guy I bought the newer used one from. The re-con cost me $6500. 10 hours after I had the new motor I was logging. This entire process took about a month and yeah it was during break up and logging would have been slow anyway, but it sucked! Of course its been a really wet year (not record breaking yet, but I will bet its close). So sorry for the long drawn out de-rail but this thread was pretty well ****ed anyway. Hind sight I could have and should have done a lot of things differently, but I sure learned a lot. I tend to learn the hard way from ****ing things up and putting them back together a few times. I also plan to rebuild my original motor and sell it. Probably going to cost me about $1000 and I should be able to sell it for $4k or so.

 

[matthew sparks]

No luck on jobs so far. The ones I solicited on my own are not worth it. The logs are just too small and not enough of them. The sawmill currently has no jobs to sub out. He was very nice but he said he has so many logs coming in that he has kind of given log owners the cold shoulder because he hasn't had time to mess with them. Seems strange but business is done weird in KY sometimes.

 

[treeslayer2003]

dam Bob that sucks.........but i been there..........i think one of the detroits is gonna crap out, and not the one i thought would.
i wonder if yer turbo was going and thats what got the rings in both engines?

Matt, its hard getting started bro..........just put yer head down and keep at it, it will get better but not easyer.

 

[Locust Cutter]

I'm surprised if the turbo was that bad, that it didn't either hydro-lock worse (bending rods) or cause the newer engine to run away.

 

[treeslayer2003]

i was thinkin fins n debris goin in the chambers..........IDK

 

[hammerlogging]

it will get better but not easyer.

that's the truth right there!