Scary Times

[GASoline71]

Gary, it's good to see that there are some folks who appreciate the older chainsaws. Most of the time they line up to bash them, comparing them with brand new saws. This is one of the few places where the older equipment is treated like that. Most 4X4 and pick-up groups brand bash pretty bad, but it is only the new vehicles getting bashed. When somebody comes up with something old, people go out of their way to help with finding parts or giving advice on repairs. Old trucks are venerated as pieces of history and often lovingly restored.
I'm geussing that, in part, it cames down to the history of the '50s and '60s chainsaws and the men who used them. They cleared out the bulk of the old growth timber. I'm thinking that there is more than abit of jealousy as there isn't much left and only a very few get to fall it. Who among us wouldn't give anything to fall an old growth tree, with a big chainsaw, of any make or age?

Ray

Yeah Ray... I love the big old monsters that were used in the glory days of PNW logging. I have some old Homelites that I wish could talk... they came out of the woods on the West slope of the Cascsade Mountains near Mount Rainier... the stories those saws would have. It's cool to also find out the history behind some of the saws from that era.

Old, heavy, loud, and slow is waaaayyyy cooler than the new stuff.

Gary

 

[olyman]

I haven't had any scary stuff (knock on wood) worth writin' about happen to me yet... key word is "yet".

However... I watched a faller damn near bleed to death on the landing after his saw hit a railroad spike in a big Doug. Friggin' hippy tree huggin' freaks were protestin' the day prior to it happenin'.

One of the bastids went on record that they did not feel remorse for the logger that was injured... because "the saws stopped murdering trees for a half a day."

No woories that a man almost lost his life due to your ignorance...:censored: :censored:

Man I really, really hate people that are hypocritical protesters...

Gary

why does this post give me the feeling--that that person could be glad you werent within 2 feet of them when they said that??? mfer's

 

[czar800]

I was cutting birch in deep snow last week to get my haul road put in. I got to a birch tree about 15in in diameter started to prep the tree and my spot for felling. I finnished my bore cut and released the strap. I dropped the saw and began to move away, as I was doing so I felt something woosh over my head. I dont know exactly what the hell happened but the but end of the tree was on one side of me and the stump was on the other. I still cannot figure out how with an unobstructed landing area the tree hopped over my head, but it definatley got my attention. It took me almost 20mins to get calmed down again enough to continue working.

I had almost the same thing happen to me Can't explain why. The tree was in a fence row and had on low branch's, I was falling it into a field.

 

[GASoline71]

why does this post give me the feeling--that that person could be glad you werent within 2 feet of them when they said that??? mfer's

You got that right... I almost lost a friend that day.

Gary

 

[burlman]

that dude on the bike was a lucky one. I must of met his mother a few years back. I had to take down 3- 20in. ash trees in a front yard on a busy rural road. If I were to fell them towards the road , they would of hit the yellow line. I figured I could go on an angle, and most of the tops would be in the ditch, and we wouldn't block traffic for to long. The first 2 trees went well. on the third tree, I sent my 2 helpers out to flag the traffic, in case the tree hit the road. I was well into my backcut and the ash was starting to go, when I heard my man yelling at some woman who dodged around him in her car, seeing the traffic stopped in the far lane, she swerved back in to her lane, she met the tree just as it hit the shoulder of the road, she never stopped or came back to pick up her antenna and passenger mirror.

 

[oldirty]

Cones, flags and signs don't seem to get peoples attention anymore. I've thought about stringing ropes around the work area like police tape to keep people away.

quite the opposite affect with danger zone signs. idiots tend to be drawn to work areas. ive had to get the attention of knuckleheads a few times with a few choice words and flying hardharts.....all while the wood is flying around.


idiots all of them.



my scariest moment stems from one of my laziest. almost cost me everything.


had a tree broken in half being removed. the break was at about 30ft with another 30 of the 2 stem top laying on and over the neighbors garden. the break is still attached to the stem and lucky for me the tree over the top of this takedown was a big dog with a perfect TIP over the work.

up i go.

i get to the break and bounce on it and stress it out. no movement, no nothing. so down the top i go stripping it and doing my thing. i get to the bottom of the top about 15ft from the ground and make a cut to free the wood. keep in mind that the top is at like a 25-30 degree angle to the stem.

as the top goes the wood swings and through my muffs i hear the crack. i look up and my arsehole tightens....the break let go and swings me directly under its fall. down drops 20ft of stick. a log if you will. anyway this piece thing hits the ground butt end first and falls directly into my rope. i have no where to go! this thing falls down my line and absolutely smokes me. i was a human tetherball flying and dazed from the impact. not sure how the hell i was able to get through that but it hurt. anyway after i get over the moment and come to my senses i come down my line and touch the ground. i took my hardhat off and fired it into the yard yelling and whooping it up over the fact i lived.

wow indeed. never again will i make that mistake i made. anyone figure out what i did wrong? out of laziness.

 

[beowulf343]

Bet you tie off the butt these days, huh?

 

[oldirty]

Bet you tie off the butt these days, huh?

you my friend do in fact know your sh1t. big time.


yup. i did not feel like going back up to the truck and getting my 20 ft of bull rope that i have for moments in a tree just like this.

 

[beowulf343]

Learned that one back on my row days. Storm work, box elder branch broken over the line, walked out, freed the tip, butt ripped down, actually flipped me back over the lines. Fun times.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I had my worst encounter when I was about 16. I was probably 15' up on the main stem of a good size hardwood tree cutting some limbs all the way back. I remember arguing with my dad and then making a hasty cut out of rage.:angry2: Problem was I cut from the top only on a big horizontal limb, the end of the limb touched the ground, loaded up with energy and sprang the butt right at me. That thing hit me right in the hip and threw me like a rag doll. I swung limp like a pendulum until I had enough sense to let myself down. I could not feel my hip, just about enough pain to make you black out, I though for sure I was busted up. Luckily I was alright.
Another time I was tying in and holding all my weight on my climbing line with one hand while I tied the friction hitch with the other. The rope slipped out of my hand and I fell about 15' and landed on the roof I was working over. Lucky for me I had pine limbs breaking my fall the whole way. I can still remember thinking, " I must be close to the ground" then bang, on the roof I was. Homeowner came running out of the house,:jawdrop: I told her I was just checking out her 30 year shingles.

 

[1953greg]

was helping my cousin clean up his place just last week after the f4 tornado ripped through macon county tn. he had a limb (bout 5" at the butt) hung up on the loader forks. as he was backing out i was lifting up on the butt end. "thought" i was clear of the end but when it finally came loose it hit/scraped the right side of my head. prolly if i were an inch further away it would have missed me but if i were an inch closer i prolly wouldnt be typing this. took 17 stiches to reattach my ear, and i had a hood on to boot.

 

[Festus Haggen]

When I was much younger, as my dad says "somewhere you're not supposed to be, doing something you're not supposed to be doing", cutting a tree with my best friend on a hillside. Didn't know anything practical about felling, just decided to do it. Fuzzy on the details, since I woke up quite a bit later in the hospital. Somehow when the tree (maybe 10'' diam.) went over, I slipped and fell under/into the path. The stem caught me on the left side of my forehead, then pushed my head to the ground where the back right corner of my head hit a big rock. Ended up with just a few stitches, a nice skull fracture, and a long stay in the hospital.

So when I decided I wanted to cut again, I went and learned the bare basics to start, and most importantly, when to NOT cut. No piece of wood is worth my life, period. I also wear my helmet when felling, and as soon as I get one with a shield, I'll wear it all the time when cutting.

 

[sILlogger]

When I was much younger, as my dad says "somewhere you're not supposed to be, doing something you're not supposed to be doing", cutting a tree with my best friend on a hillside. Didn't know anything practical about felling, just decided to do it. Fuzzy on the details, since I woke up quite a bit later in the hospital. Somehow when the tree (maybe 10'' diam.) went over, I slipped and fell under/into the path. The stem caught me on the left side of my forehead, then pushed my head to the ground where the back right corner of my head hit a big rock. Ended up with just a few stitches, a nice skull fracture, and a long stay in the hospital.

So when I decided I wanted to cut again, I went and learned the bare basics to start, and most importantly, when to NOT cut. No piece of wood is worth my life, period. I also wear my helmet when felling, and as soon as I get one with a shield, I'll wear it all the time when cutting.

WOW!!! you are one lucky sob!!!

 

[Spotted Owl]

Chain breaking after hitting a RR spike. Came back and hit me in the face inbetween my nose and the corner of my mouth.

That was a bad day at the office


Owl

 

[oldirty]

Chain breaking after hitting a RR spike. Came back and hit me in the face inbetween my nose and the corner of my mouth.

That was a bad day at the office


Owl

how is that nasty little scar anyway? you back on the copenhagen yet?