Today's Job...

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Interesting re the bar Matt.
Can you get the twist out someway ? maybe a big shifter used judiciously with something in the rails to prevent squashing, eg feeler gauges ?

I've surprised a few people at times at various things I've been able to straighten and true
 
Interesting re the bar Matt.
Can you get the twist out someway ? maybe a big shifter used judiciously with something in the rails to prevent squashing, eg feeler gauges ?

I've surprised a few people at times at various things I've been able to straighten and true

I don't think I'm too far off the mark at the moment Rick. One side perfect, other side the bar rails have an ever so slight "wave" in it (and I mean small). The old Mark I Eye Ball is pretty accurate as a rule and can sometimes pick up things that may not be as big of a problem as they look.
 
Yep, used to straighten race car suspension pushrods by eye (chucked in a lathe) and when you ran a dial indicator over them after they'd only be a few thou out.

I remember reading once that the gunsmiths at the Small Arms Factory at Lithgow used to straighten barrels by eye after forging.
 
Great thread MCW. I appreciate the photos. My brother and I just took job felling trees out of an recreational park in MN. The trees just need to be dropped due to city airport to the North. The park is part of an old gravel pit so the terrain is not flat at all. It can be hard to stand at times to make a cut and you want to slide down hill. There is not much risk of damage other then guardrails on the trails or just dropping one in the wrong spot to block a trail.

It has been great training for me on felling trees and I will try and get some photos next trip out. I have been reluctant due to if some of the AS members laugh as hard as my brother did I will never live it down. I have learned a lot since we started and am willing to work until I can't move anymore. My brother is good about ending the day when you get so tired it gets unsafe. We have some really big cotton woods on this property so I am hoping to get some great photos. I am making $50.00 per hour and using Makita 6401 with the 7900 update and 24 inch bar. Awesome saw and have not needed more saw yet. We will in the future.

Not trying to steal any of your thunder for your hard work I just wanted to say thanks for the photos and at least now I know I am not the only crazy one out there.
 
I just wanted to say thanks for the photos and at least now I know I am not the only crazy one out there.

Yeah I've been told I'm crazy more than once!
I suppose the reason I decided to start a thread and post photos was because this tree situation is a bit different to most. I can also say when I'm older and crippled that this is one of the jobs I took on, and have photo evidence.
I'm only 35 but the way I'm going the older and crippled part will be in just a few years ;)
Good luck with your job which sounds interesting and you certainly do learn a lot the more trees you drop. Good to hear you like the 7900 too :)


Also for those that were interested earlier the species of tree is Casuarina cunninghamiana despite the lack of sucker growth. The oldest trees were planted in 1991 and the younger, smaller ones were planted as late as 1995.
 
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Recorded a video on my phone on Saturday afternoon but without me realising my phone fell over after only a few trees. I kept cutting and after finally working out Windows Movie Maker I managed to edit the end off. Chain was getting a bit sad in this vid but was still cutting OK.
Strong left to right wind in this video hence no wedges in this section - however I did jam the bar about 12 trees on after getting a bit too smart with a tree leaning too far the wrong way ;)


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Recorded a video on my phone on Saturday afternoon but without me realising my phone fell over after only a few trees. I kept cutting and after finally working out Windows Movie Maker I managed to edit the end off. Chain was getting a bit sad in this vid but was still cutting OK.
Strong left to right wind in this video hence no wedges in this section - however I did jam the bar about 12 trees on after getting a bit too smart with a tree leaning too far the wrong way ;)


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That's a decent video considering it was recorded with a phone.

Good job on felling those trees. You'll get some good numbers down if you keep up that pace.

:cheers:
 
That's a decent video considering it was recorded with a phone.
:cheers:

Yeah all the photos and tis vid were taken on a Nokia N96. Good phone and really good camera (5MP) and video.
The trees in the vid were some of the smaller ones and impossible to keep an average speed near that.
 
Back again. My new "Snellerized" 7900 with HD filter arrived Wednesday and today was its first day on the job. Only cut for 165 minutes and felled 114 trees with it. Mainly smaller ones 12-26" and had to wedge 80% of them.
I only have one thing to say about the new saw - AWESOME. I know that comparing it to my '06 model stock 7900 isn't necessarily comparing Apples with Apples but the difference is massive.
Today I was running a 32" GB Pro Top and Carlton A3-LM Full Chisel Skip and despite the smaller Casuarinas in today's area the speed that it cut was impressive. No chance for video but am back on this property tomorrow and will get more photos and hopefully some videos.
As you can see in the photos below it was throwing chips out a fair way. Due to the clean wood the A3-LM held up very well and as I only had one loop made up to test I touched it up with a file a couple of times but it didn't really need it.
05092009417.jpg

05092009416.jpg

The new HD filter setup for the 6400-7900 Dolmar/Makitas is also one very impressive setup. After today's short effort you could hardly tell the filter had been used. With the older setup it'd be due for a clean or swap.
Anyone who uses the filter as an excuse now to bag the 7900 needs a swift kick fair in the jewels. I will be getting a HD setup ASAP for my other saw, they are that good.
Another bummer today is that in amongst the mass of trees that were pretty well dropped on top of one another is my $70 block splitter. The manager came along and was talking for a while and I forgot to grab it and continued to fell trees right on top of it using my little sledgehammer for wedges:(
 
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Just thought I'd update whats been going on.

Have been a bit busy the last few weekends and haven't managed to cut much else on these properties.
On the Sunday just gone managed to drop 422 trees in 8 1/2 hours, averaging 50 an hour. Wind helped in some spots but also was a pain in the a**e. It was switching from a N/W to a Southerly at the drop of a hat. I actually had to recut the scarf on a few and drop them 180° to where I originally intended. I got the bar stuck at least 6 times, having to unbolt the bar 3 of these and just fell the next tree on it to get the bar/chain out the cut using my other 7900/5100-S. Once the backcut shuts on larger trees there is basically no hope of getting a plastic wedge in - this was due to both the wind changing and me getting a bit too smart :)
The new 7900 with HD filter kit modded by Brad is still running a treat. On Sunday I only ran a 20" bar on it with semi chisel and an 8 pin sprocket. Trees ranged from around 12" up to 32" with average maybe around 18" I would guess. The speed this thing cuts is still amazing me. The HD filter is also a piece of work but as yet I haven't managed to run it on dead Redgum. I'm hoping to this weekend weather permitting.

So far I have done 41 hours on this property and dropped 1596 trees averaging 39 trees and hour.

I originally thought maybe 15,000 trees were here in total. I think I'm out by maybe 100%! I am guessing closer to 30,000 trees as I have hardly made a dent. The managers are now discussing getting one of those grappler type things in (you logger guys will know the correct name!) as I am dropping them way faster than their guys can clean them up.

This photo was from the other weekend...

06092009418.jpg


The winegrapes have now started growing for the season so I have to keep headlands clear for tractors and sprayers to get down the rows to spray the vines.

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I'll post more info as I go.

Matt.
 
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Matt a forwarder can pick up the logs and make a stack and a shovel (excavator with a grapple) will only move them around, not transport them.

Yeah all they want to do mate is drag them out the way. Taking too much time with a tractor and chains, not to mention the size of some of the trees is bogging the tractors as its all ex sand dune broadacre cropping country.
I don't think they'd thought too far ahead about the whole job and the amount of work involved. I've got the easy part :)
 
A fence post/rail cutter around the corner has just bought a 75HP JD skid steer loader just to move logs around. It has a pretty handy lift capacity too.

Sunday must've been the day for work, I booked out 6 hours here, last job ended up in a local pub and i didn't even have a drink, hell, I'm even off the coffee ATM :dizzy:
 
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last job ended up in a local pub and i didn't even have a drink, hell, I'm even off the coffee ATM :dizzy:

Mate I'd get to hospital and be checked out. That don't sound normal :)

And another video from a few weeks back with my stock 7900. Good strong wind here and no wedging necessary :)



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Videos are nice, thanks for sharing them.

You have any trouble with the sandy soil being blown by the wind and getting into the bark, and then dulling chains quickly?




Mr. HE:cool:
 
The Pic with all the stumps and down trees looking up the hill........looks like the road to "chainsaw heaven"!! Sweet pics. Nice job. Way to haul A$$.
 
Videos are nice, thanks for sharing them.
You have any trouble with the sandy soil being blown by the wind and getting into the bark, and then dulling chains quickly?
Mr. HE:cool:

No worries about sharing the videos ;) When I'm old and crippled I'll whip them out just to hear a chainsaw again!
Funnily enough I did think that I would have a problem with sand in the bark but so far it hasn't been an issue. I have been getting really good wear out of chains and can't see this changing for the rest of the job.
 
A few more pictures from yesterday (Sunday). Managed to drop 479 yesterday in 9 1/2 hours. My biggest day yet as far as total trees go and I averaged 50 an hour.
Have had an extremely sore and slightly swollen left forearm since the middle of last week. Saw a Physiotherapist mate of mine tonight after work as yesterday's effort has really stirred it up and unfortunately it is chainsaw related dammit. He has called it DeQuervain's Syndrome ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeQuervain's_syndrome ) and has taped up my left forearm and has told me I now need to wear a brace to give it relief or give it a rest for a few weeks. I've chosen the brace option. All I know is it hurts like hell and I need to ice it when I get home from sawing. If that fails I'll get a Cortisone injection.

Photo below shows weaker/dead trees adjacent to a winegrape patch. These vines are probably getting around 40% of the water per year that the citrus is but salinity also an issue on this property in the lower areas (like here). This has also affected the vigour of the Casuarinas and has actually killed quite a few in low areas - they do not seem to be a very salt tolerant variety. You can see how the tree health and size of the windbreak increases next to the citrus.

Before...
27092009460.jpg

After...
27092009461.jpg


Had one run of trees that had a Creeper/Vine running through the canopy. There have been a few guys that have work related injuries (on light duties) going along ahead of me cleaning up the bottom parts of the trees so I have easy access. They are helping a lot as there is nothing worse than fighting through the bottom part of a tree with spring loaded branches and a running chainsaw. I did one run of about 50 trees that they hadn't cleaned up and I finished the day looking like I'd had a fight with a Mountain Lion.
As you can see below these vines had a fair bit of strength as they held this one tree partly upright. It only fell when I cut the next tree. Can't say I've seen this before in my area as we don't have enough rainfall as a rule - these have been benefiting from fertiliser and irrigation too.

27092009462.jpg

27092009463.jpg


A reasonably large Casuarina that I dropped with the "Snellerized" 7900, HD filter kit and 24" GB Pro Top (Labelled Total II). Have retired the 25" Roller Nose after I bent the tip earlier on (pic in this thread). I though I'd straightened it enough (which I had) but it has weakened it that much it now bends just by looking at it.
There was a really strong Southerly blowing which helped immensely (I didn't have to wedge one tree). This tree started going before I expected and as you can see there is a big lump of uncut wood left. The trunk split as it fell and the right part swung on this wood about 10 foot further to the right than expected. If it wasn't bifurcated and hadn't split this tree would have gone exactly where intended. I had heaps of space to work with on this row but things like this are something I have to keep in mind as there will be some very tight felling work later on some runs. I probably should have whacked the 32" bar on but this tree was way larger than the others in this row so just took it on with a 24" instead...

27092009457.jpg


Was running both the 24" bar and 3/8" semi chisel with 8 pin or the 32" and non skip semi chisel all day on the 7900 only. This thing is continuing to impress me and with a 24" bar and 8 pin sprocket I don't think I've ever had a saw cut this fast. As mentioned I'll be getting another one off Brad soon.

And.....

A big error on my part. This is what happens when you just expect trees to fall over with the wind but they don't so you keep cutting and not concentrating. Basically I cut straight through the hingewood and had this tree fall exactly 90° to where it was meant to go. As you can see there was only one tiny part of hingewood left on the side I was cutting from. Worst thing was is that I was on that side of the tree using the back of the bar (faster on smaller trees in this situation as you can do all the felling cuts from one side). As the tree fell it caught the bar, held the saw then the butt landed on my new 7900 (or so I thought). Luckily a few lower branches had kept the butt only inches off my saw and it and the bar was unscathed. I had visions of getting a new 7900 from Brad sooner than intended. I'd have to ask for a discount from Brad as after all this was HIS fault. He made this thing cut too fast ;)
The top of this tree landed on an adjacent Citrus tree and apart from knocking a few branches off didn't do too much damage. Out of 2075 trees so far this is the 3rd time I have done this and it has only happened with smaller trees while not concentrating. I tend not to lose concentration on the bigger ones!
27092009458.jpg

Study this cut then look away - it's disgusting! Add it to your "I WILL NOT DO CUTS LIKE THIS" list.
27092009459.jpg

Anyway, as mentioned total trees dropped so far in 50 1/2 hours is 2075 which works out to an average of 41 trees an hour.
I just hope my forearm gets better this week otherwise I'll get into a doctor on Friday for a Cortisone injection.
Matt.
 
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Also uploaded some videos.

Have had irrigation valves in the tree line so decided to bounce one trunk off another to keep the trunk above the valves. Due to the strong wind I couldn't fell the tree to the left. Worked this time :)


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Just a plain old tree and chainsaw vid...


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And video of the big ugly mongrel of a tree I had a photo of in the post above. This tree was around 42" x 28" at it's widest points. You can see my "Crippled Hippo" attempt at getting around to the camera side of the tree to cut more of the backcut but alas, an Olympic sprinter I am not. I had more chance of falling on my saw than ever getting there in time :)


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