Preparing for a day of cutting

[GM_DaddyMac]

My cutting buddy scouted some ash and oak at a neighbors house not to far from his place and invited me to come spend the day cutting. The weather will be ideal -- mid 60's and for a couple of desk jockey's a day of cutting beats a day in front of the computer.

The saws are staged and ready, ropes and rigging for a couple hang ups good to go, lunch is packed, extra water in tow and long sleeves -- he spotted some poison ivy. Anything I may be missing?

 

[arborsoldier]

H.O.P.E Hazards, Obstacles, Plan, Equipment. Follow that, and you should be alright. Got plastic wedges and a sledge or axe? They can make or break your day!

 

[Cliniford]

PPE...:chainsawguy:

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

I should have noted -- PPE, wedges, sledge, maul, wedges, Fiskars SS are already loaded. The plan and common sense is a good idea.

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

H.O.P.E Hazards

Translation?

 

[TreePointer]

Sounds like a good day.

Off the top of my head: Extra chains and/or sharpening tools (files, guide, stump vise, etc.). Clean shirt or two for the ride home or to replace wet shirt when temperature cools.

 

[rokspydr]

H.O.P.E Hazards, Obstacles, Plan, Equipment.

 

[arborsoldier]

H.O.P.E Hazards, Obstacles, Plan, Equipment.

Thanks for clarifying. It is a term (acronym) that is growing widespread in the arboricultural industry.

 

[Nosmo]

Poison ivy

If either of you are allergic to poison ivy stay clear of it. Watch out for any signs of older and dead hairy vines which may still be clinging to the trunks of those trees. That oil can stay on your tools for months and infect someone later.

Poison Ivy's oil can be spread to other people by just burning a log in a stove or fireplace as it can drift in the air while in the smoke. Don't get that stuff on your boots or clothes and risk taking it home to your family either.

Nosmo

 

[slowp]

What does lunch consist of? Like, today I'll probably just throw in a tuna thing. That's not much to look forward to. Peanut M&Ms would liven it up, as would some good junk food. Then there's finger foods vs. foods that can't be eaten while driving. The tuna stuff falls into the latter category. Do you like peanut butter sandwiches? With or without jelly? Should the peanut butter sandwich also have butter on it? I say yes.

Will you need a warming fire? If so, you can throw in a hot dog or two. Also some soup or other canned delights. Be sure to poke a hole in the can or else be prepared to listen and pull it out at the first PLOP you hear.

Then be sure to have some hand wipes. Lunch can be a messy, sticky thing, especially if you don't hear that PLOP.

Lunch is the second best part of the day. The first would be quitting time.

 

[Nosmo]

Hey are you going on a picnic or gonna cut wood ??

 

[branchbuzzer]

Thanks for clarifying. It is a term (acronym) that is growing widespread in the arboricultural industry.

As in... "I H.O.P.E. that tree falls the right way"?

 

[D&B Mack]

As in... "I H.O.P.E. that tree falls the right way"?

Or, I H.O.P.E. he moves that truck...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[slowp]

Hey are you going on a picnic or gonna cut wood ??

Don't you know? Everyday is a Picanic in the woods when you work there. So, you best be ready to picanic.

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

No not a picnic (picanic) just some fuel for the fire. We are weekend warriors -- so a little sustenance break along the way makes for a better and safer experience. Sandwiches for both -- ham for me, I think he had baloney. My son gave me a Snicker's bar from his Halloween stash -- that was my dessert / junk food fix.

Good day all in all. Got some ash, maple and cherry. We passed on the oak -- it was a very large tree and to close to fences and the garage. Even if we could have dropped it, it would have meant hauling it up a 30' ravine. Way above our levels of experience and confidence.

Thanks for all the tips and guidance -- it came in handy today and will certainly be put to use for future cutting excursions. Time for some sleep -- I am beat. Hats off to those who make their living cutting and handling wood.

 

[banshee67]

No not a picnic (picanic) just some fuel for the fire. We are weekend warriors -- so a little sustenance break along the way makes for a better and safer experience. Sandwiches for both -- ham for me, I think he had baloney. My son gave me a Snicker's bar from his Halloween stash -- that was my dessert / junk food fix.

Good day all in all. Got some ash, maple and cherry. We passed on the oak -- it was a very large tree and to close to fences and the garage. Even if we could have dropped it, it would have meant hauling it up a 30' ravine. Way above our levels of experience and confidence.

Thanks for all the tips and guidance -- it came in handy today and will certainly be put to use for future cutting excursions. Time for some sleep -- I am beat. Hats off to those who make their living cutting and handling wood.

bologna (ba-loney) .. i know, its weird dont ask! lol
... may i also ad .. "ew".

funny u mention the snickers, i bring a snickers with me everyday out in the woods.. ive also been known to eat a couple "fun size" ones while at home at night , thats the only candy bar i loveumpkin2:

glad you enjoyed your day in the woods:chainsawguy:

 

[banshee67]

What does lunch consist of? Like, today I'll probably just throw in a tuna thing. That's not much to look forward to. Peanut M&Ms would liven it up, as would some good junk food. Then there's finger foods vs. foods that can't be eaten while driving. The tuna stuff falls into the latter category. Do you like peanut butter sandwiches? With or without jelly? Should the peanut butter sandwich also have butter on it? I say yes.

Will you need a warming fire? If so, you can throw in a hot dog or two. Also some soup or other canned delights. Be sure to poke a hole in the can or else be prepared to listen and pull it out at the first PLOP you hear.

Then be sure to have some hand wipes. Lunch can be a messy, sticky thing, especially if you don't hear that PLOP.

Lunch is the second best part of the day. The first would be quitting time.

i once called you "he" in the past by accident, if it had been this post i was referencing, i dont think there would have been the confusion, only a woman could put so much thought into lunch

now the part i put in bold.. thats not very ladylike..at all.
but while on the subject , the key is a good squatting stance and strong thighs to support the stance untill finished... another trick for woods etiquitte , is basically a cousin of the "courtesy flush" only evolved for outdoor use.. where you sidestep about 10 times after the "plop" , you should be able to fill in the blanks

 

[mtfallsmikey]

My woodcutting prep routine:

Night before: No insulin, want my blood sugar level the next morning to be a little high, so I don't go hypoglycemic. Pack PBJ, some candy bars.

Morning of: good breakfast w/lots of pork products, 2 Advil/Motrin, do some stretching excersices before heading to the woods...

 

[slowp]

i once called you "he" in the past by accident, if it had been this post i was referencing, i dont think there would have been the confusion, only a woman could put so much thought into lunch

now the part i put in bold.. thats not very ladylike..at all.
but while on the subject , the key is a good squatting stance and strong thighs to support the stance untill finished... another trick for woods etiquitte , is basically a cousin of the "courtesy flush" only evolved for outdoor use.. where you sidestep about 10 times after the "plop" , you should be able to fill in the blanks

Read it a bit more slowly. M A Y B E I s h o u l d t y p e s l o w e r .

I was talking about the PLOP you hear when heating a can of something in a fire without putting a hole in it or opening the can. I learned it while on an overnight lightning bust fire, back in the days of carrying C-rations along with everything else, and was called Smoke Chasing.

You put the can in the coals, and listened. After hearing the first PLOP, you take it out. You won't hear the second plop, because according to the lore of the fire guys, the can will blow up.

This was called the One Plop method of heating that wonderful spaghetti up.

 

[banshee67]

Read it a bit more slowly. M A Y B E I s h o u l d t y p e s l o w e r .

I was talking about the PLOP you hear when heating a can of something in a fire without putting a hole in it or opening the can. I learned it while on an overnight lightning bust fire, back in the days of carrying C-rations along with everything else, and was called Smoke Chasing.

You put the can in the coals, and listened. After hearing the first PLOP, you take it out. You won't hear the second plop, because according to the lore of the fire guys, the can will blow up.

This was called the One Plop method of heating that wonderful spaghetti up.

wow, i read that ALL wrong..i was thinking of another type of plop, please excuse me