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Tree 25
Art Martin: Will the Real Logger Please Stand Up
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Art Martin
ArboristSite Operative
When the "high lead" logging era began, which was hauling the logs above ground, the companies were confronted with many problems. One being the need for ways to get the heavy cable blocks high above ground level. With "high lead" logging, the donkey steam engines pulled the heavy cables and the noses of the logs were lifted high over the many obstacles, making it easier for the rear sections of the logs to follow. This method ended the ground lead style where the logs were dragged on the surface of the terrain.
The trees selected for "spar poles" were then rigged and they served especially well to transport logs over canyons and rough terrain. A tight line was strung between "spar poles." A traveling carriage was equipped with steel slings and choker cables that were attached to the logs to secure them.
The trees, chosen for the "spar poles," were often 6 to 8 feet in diameter at the butt and up to 250 feet in height. The limbs were removed, the tree was topped, and guyed in numerous places and rigged with hauling gear. This was all done by "high climbers." The high climber, as depicted in tree picture 28 page 9, used a pair of climbing spurs and a wide belt. Attached to this belt was a long Manila rope with a steel core. The steel core was for safety purposes to prevent the rope from being cut by an accidental stroke of an axe. The high climber used a special slip knot that kept him at the proper distance from the tree as he climbed and adjusted for the taper. With him, as he climbed, he had an axe, a crosscut saw, a flask of kerosene (to cut the pitch), and small wedges to prevent binding. He would also bring along his lunch as he would not come down until the tree was topped. The axe and saw dangled from a rope on his belt, well below the climber at a safe distance.
As he climbed, he would adjust the rope often and lop off the limbs he encountered on the way up. The first limbs usually started from around 100 feet from the ground. The height at which the tree was topped varied, but usually was 200 feet up where the diameter would be at least two feet. When reaching the proper height, the climber would begin to chop an undercut on the side in which direction he wanted the tree to fall. When the undercut was completed, he would begin the back cut on the opposite side. If the saw pinched, he would tap in the wedges with the flat side of his axe. When the top began to lean and the back cut started to open up, he would withdraw the saw and let it drop to the end of the cord on his belt. As the rope continued to tip toward the direction of the undercut, he dug his spurs in harder and prepared to brace himself for whatever happened in the next few seconds. As the heavy top, with the heavy remaining limbs kicked off the stump, there was a big reaction in the opposite direction. This created a violent motion. The top of the spar pole would begin to spin around in a circular motion that was often 70 feet in diameter. It acted as if a bucking bronco wanted to get the intruder off its back. The movement continued for probably 15 minutes or more, then slowly come to a halt.
If all went well, the preceding description was tame. It could get worse in many cases. The tree, where it was being cut, could split down and spread and would pull the climber against the tree breaking his back, or break the belt could break and the climber would fall to the ground, or he could be squeezed to death. If this was to happen, because of a gust of wind, before the back cut was completed, sensing the danger, the high climber needed to release his spurs and drop down, relying on his rope to save him on the way down. The top could also "barber chair" at times with devastating results. These were many of the incidents that happened in this dangereous job. Occasionally, the tree would not kick off at all and just slide back over the stump after the hinge wood was broken off. The result being that the top section would drop down close to the spar pole and the limbs would brush the climber off. I'll discuss the rigging phase later.
Art Martin
The trees selected for "spar poles" were then rigged and they served especially well to transport logs over canyons and rough terrain. A tight line was strung between "spar poles." A traveling carriage was equipped with steel slings and choker cables that were attached to the logs to secure them.
The trees, chosen for the "spar poles," were often 6 to 8 feet in diameter at the butt and up to 250 feet in height. The limbs were removed, the tree was topped, and guyed in numerous places and rigged with hauling gear. This was all done by "high climbers." The high climber, as depicted in tree picture 28 page 9, used a pair of climbing spurs and a wide belt. Attached to this belt was a long Manila rope with a steel core. The steel core was for safety purposes to prevent the rope from being cut by an accidental stroke of an axe. The high climber used a special slip knot that kept him at the proper distance from the tree as he climbed and adjusted for the taper. With him, as he climbed, he had an axe, a crosscut saw, a flask of kerosene (to cut the pitch), and small wedges to prevent binding. He would also bring along his lunch as he would not come down until the tree was topped. The axe and saw dangled from a rope on his belt, well below the climber at a safe distance.
As he climbed, he would adjust the rope often and lop off the limbs he encountered on the way up. The first limbs usually started from around 100 feet from the ground. The height at which the tree was topped varied, but usually was 200 feet up where the diameter would be at least two feet. When reaching the proper height, the climber would begin to chop an undercut on the side in which direction he wanted the tree to fall. When the undercut was completed, he would begin the back cut on the opposite side. If the saw pinched, he would tap in the wedges with the flat side of his axe. When the top began to lean and the back cut started to open up, he would withdraw the saw and let it drop to the end of the cord on his belt. As the rope continued to tip toward the direction of the undercut, he dug his spurs in harder and prepared to brace himself for whatever happened in the next few seconds. As the heavy top, with the heavy remaining limbs kicked off the stump, there was a big reaction in the opposite direction. This created a violent motion. The top of the spar pole would begin to spin around in a circular motion that was often 70 feet in diameter. It acted as if a bucking bronco wanted to get the intruder off its back. The movement continued for probably 15 minutes or more, then slowly come to a halt.
If all went well, the preceding description was tame. It could get worse in many cases. The tree, where it was being cut, could split down and spread and would pull the climber against the tree breaking his back, or break the belt could break and the climber would fall to the ground, or he could be squeezed to death. If this was to happen, because of a gust of wind, before the back cut was completed, sensing the danger, the high climber needed to release his spurs and drop down, relying on his rope to save him on the way down. The top could also "barber chair" at times with devastating results. These were many of the incidents that happened in this dangereous job. Occasionally, the tree would not kick off at all and just slide back over the stump after the hinge wood was broken off. The result being that the top section would drop down close to the spar pole and the limbs would brush the climber off. I'll discuss the rigging phase later.
Art Martin
don
ArboristSite Guru
Los Angeles Times today
TRIMMER CRUSHED TO DEATH ON PALM TREE.
55 year old tree trimmer was up 30 feet on a palm tree when part of the tree he cut came down and crushed him against the trunk of the tree.
TRIMMER CRUSHED TO DEATH ON PALM TREE.
55 year old tree trimmer was up 30 feet on a palm tree when part of the tree he cut came down and crushed him against the trunk of the tree.
Art Martin
ArboristSite Operative
Once the high climber completed his initial, dangerous task of topping the tree, he descended down the topped tree to prepare for the next phase: rigging.
When he reached the ground, he put his axe and saw aside and took a small 15-20 pound pulley, a steel cable strap and a small, long hoisting cable and started up the spar pole. When he reached the proper height, he attached the pulley to the pole and ran the small steel cable through the pulley and lowered the end to the ground. By the means of this small cable, the rigging crew on the ground started sending up the necessary equipment to begin to rig the pole. First the ends of the half dozen steel cables went up and were looped around the top of the pole. Then the other ends of these cables were attached to available stumps in locations where they would come from different directions. After these upper cables were secured, additional cables were raised to the mid-way of the pole. The ends these secondary guy lines were also looped around stumps coming from different directions. These mid-way were necessary to prevent the pole from buckling when enormous strains were subjected to the pole when the steam donkey began to raise the heavy load.
Once the mid-way cables were secured, the high-lead block was hoisted up and attached with a heavy strap at the top of the spar pole. This large pulley weighed as much as a ton, with an outside casing measuring around three feet in diameter. The axis was run on self-lubricating bearings. The reservoirs for the oil on each side of the pulley could hold up to 15 gallons of oil and could weigh about 150 pounds each. The main cable strap, that held the heavy pulley in place, was thicker than the guy line cables. An extra strap was attached to the pulley and to a guy line in case the main cable supporting the pulley broke. This allowed the one ton pulley to slide down the guy line instead of falling straight down and injuring the crew working near the base of the spar pole.
It took two to three days to rig the spar pole. Then the main hauling cable, which was 1-1/2” in diameter would run down to the donkey drum and through the high-lead pulley at the stop of the spar pole and from there to the logs. A smaller cable was run along the ground to a smaller pulley on a stump and then doubled back to the main line to haul back the main line to the starting point after it had brought the logs in.
There have been many stories about these brave high climbers who were fearless and perhaps somewhat foolish but the prestige that went with the job was apparently worth it. They had to have a good knowledge of falling trees, splicing cable, and rigging procedures as well as be real strong and with a lot of endurance. They were well paid and had to be available at all times to fix any problems that might arise. The companies couldn’t afford to have a large crew sitting idle for very long. There wasn’t much competition for the high climber’s job.
Art Martin
When he reached the ground, he put his axe and saw aside and took a small 15-20 pound pulley, a steel cable strap and a small, long hoisting cable and started up the spar pole. When he reached the proper height, he attached the pulley to the pole and ran the small steel cable through the pulley and lowered the end to the ground. By the means of this small cable, the rigging crew on the ground started sending up the necessary equipment to begin to rig the pole. First the ends of the half dozen steel cables went up and were looped around the top of the pole. Then the other ends of these cables were attached to available stumps in locations where they would come from different directions. After these upper cables were secured, additional cables were raised to the mid-way of the pole. The ends these secondary guy lines were also looped around stumps coming from different directions. These mid-way were necessary to prevent the pole from buckling when enormous strains were subjected to the pole when the steam donkey began to raise the heavy load.
Once the mid-way cables were secured, the high-lead block was hoisted up and attached with a heavy strap at the top of the spar pole. This large pulley weighed as much as a ton, with an outside casing measuring around three feet in diameter. The axis was run on self-lubricating bearings. The reservoirs for the oil on each side of the pulley could hold up to 15 gallons of oil and could weigh about 150 pounds each. The main cable strap, that held the heavy pulley in place, was thicker than the guy line cables. An extra strap was attached to the pulley and to a guy line in case the main cable supporting the pulley broke. This allowed the one ton pulley to slide down the guy line instead of falling straight down and injuring the crew working near the base of the spar pole.
It took two to three days to rig the spar pole. Then the main hauling cable, which was 1-1/2” in diameter would run down to the donkey drum and through the high-lead pulley at the stop of the spar pole and from there to the logs. A smaller cable was run along the ground to a smaller pulley on a stump and then doubled back to the main line to haul back the main line to the starting point after it had brought the logs in.
There have been many stories about these brave high climbers who were fearless and perhaps somewhat foolish but the prestige that went with the job was apparently worth it. They had to have a good knowledge of falling trees, splicing cable, and rigging procedures as well as be real strong and with a lot of endurance. They were well paid and had to be available at all times to fix any problems that might arise. The companies couldn’t afford to have a large crew sitting idle for very long. There wasn’t much competition for the high climber’s job.
Art Martin
treefarmer
ArboristSite Lurker
Excellent Post
Thanks for a great post. Nice collaborative effort. I appreciate the detailed history. Sure makes me feel soft, though.
Thanks for a great post. Nice collaborative effort. I appreciate the detailed history. Sure makes me feel soft, though.
dbabcock
Hi Tech Redneck
I just posted up some of Art's oil paintings over on the AS OT forum.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=5408
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=5408
Art Martin
ArboristSite Operative
There was yet another chapter in the continuing saga pertaining to the “old logging days” and this was the cross cut filing shack. Here the saw filers had their saw vises that were usually made out of two pieces of 2”X10” Douglas fir 7 feet long. The tops were curved to match the contour of the saw. They were also tapered along the faces to allow the filer to get the proper angle when filing by allowing him to get closer to the saw. There were usually five bolts that went through the vise about midway. These bolts would support the saw, by holding the saw to expose a large portion of the tooth to allow the filer to set it at a correct position. Since fallers and buckers weren’t experienced in the art of filing saws nor did they have the time, they would bring the company owned saws to the filing shack whenever the saw got dull. Of course, some filers were betters than others, so the men using the saws would try to have their favorite filer to do their saws.
The saws were first checked for any kinks that may have bent the saw by a dropped log or some other object. The saw was hung on a nail and a long straight edge was held against each side of the saw. The filer could easily see if there was daylight coming from under the straight edge. If he saw a kink, he would wet his finger with some saliva and scribe a reference mark where the kink was. He would then take the saw down and lay it on a heavy piece of flat metal and used a cross peen hammer to remove the kink. It took a lot of experience to master this step.
The filer would then put the saw in the vise, and he would “joint” the saw, making sure that all teeth were the same height along the curve of the saw. This was done with either a Gibbs or Atkins jointer that was 16” in length. The two ends had floating sled runners and the middle had a place for a 4” piece of file attached to it. As the jointer was slid across the arc of the saw teeth, the filer would take off only the tips of the highest teeth. The filer would do this several times until he saw that the file had touched each tooth. Now he had a perfect arc from which to start filing. If a person had lain one saw after another on a flat surface, end to end, the arc would have formed a circle of about 40 feet in diameter. So a 7-foot crosscut saw is actually a section of a large circle.
When the jointing was done, the filer would then work on the rakers. There were usually four cutting teeth and raker in the sequence on the saws used in the Redwood region. There was a large gullet on each side of the raker to allow the chip to be curled up inside it and brought out of the cut with the back and forth motion. These rakers were swagged to form a slight chisel to remove the chip that had been severed by the longer teeth. These rakers were set about .025” below the teeth with a gauge made for that purpose. It is something like a depth gauge for a chain saw chain. Once the rakers were lowered and swagged, the filer would file the teeth to a very sharp point. Once all the teeth were filed, then a set was put in them. This process was done by using an anvil held against the back of the tooth and hitting the front of the tooth about ¼” down from the point to bend the tooth over about .012”. There is a small, four-legged measuring devise called a “spider.” It has one leg .012” shorter than the other three. Some of the spiders were .012” and .015” and so more set could be put in, depending on what the person, who used it, preferred. On a flat surface it “rocked.” This spider was held at the top of the tooth with the other two legs supported by the neighboring teeth. When the shorter leg, was held against the top side of the sharpened point and when it no longer rocked, that tooth was done so the filer would skip a tooth and repeat the process on that tooth and so forth until the entire side was done. Then he would turn the saw around and do the other side the same way. Every other tooth is set one way and every other tooth is set the other way. Then the saw was then ready for the fallers and buckers to use for the next week or so. The filer spent about three to four hours to do a saw.
That is a day at the filing shack.
Art Martin
The saws were first checked for any kinks that may have bent the saw by a dropped log or some other object. The saw was hung on a nail and a long straight edge was held against each side of the saw. The filer could easily see if there was daylight coming from under the straight edge. If he saw a kink, he would wet his finger with some saliva and scribe a reference mark where the kink was. He would then take the saw down and lay it on a heavy piece of flat metal and used a cross peen hammer to remove the kink. It took a lot of experience to master this step.
The filer would then put the saw in the vise, and he would “joint” the saw, making sure that all teeth were the same height along the curve of the saw. This was done with either a Gibbs or Atkins jointer that was 16” in length. The two ends had floating sled runners and the middle had a place for a 4” piece of file attached to it. As the jointer was slid across the arc of the saw teeth, the filer would take off only the tips of the highest teeth. The filer would do this several times until he saw that the file had touched each tooth. Now he had a perfect arc from which to start filing. If a person had lain one saw after another on a flat surface, end to end, the arc would have formed a circle of about 40 feet in diameter. So a 7-foot crosscut saw is actually a section of a large circle.
When the jointing was done, the filer would then work on the rakers. There were usually four cutting teeth and raker in the sequence on the saws used in the Redwood region. There was a large gullet on each side of the raker to allow the chip to be curled up inside it and brought out of the cut with the back and forth motion. These rakers were swagged to form a slight chisel to remove the chip that had been severed by the longer teeth. These rakers were set about .025” below the teeth with a gauge made for that purpose. It is something like a depth gauge for a chain saw chain. Once the rakers were lowered and swagged, the filer would file the teeth to a very sharp point. Once all the teeth were filed, then a set was put in them. This process was done by using an anvil held against the back of the tooth and hitting the front of the tooth about ¼” down from the point to bend the tooth over about .012”. There is a small, four-legged measuring devise called a “spider.” It has one leg .012” shorter than the other three. Some of the spiders were .012” and .015” and so more set could be put in, depending on what the person, who used it, preferred. On a flat surface it “rocked.” This spider was held at the top of the tooth with the other two legs supported by the neighboring teeth. When the shorter leg, was held against the top side of the sharpened point and when it no longer rocked, that tooth was done so the filer would skip a tooth and repeat the process on that tooth and so forth until the entire side was done. Then he would turn the saw around and do the other side the same way. Every other tooth is set one way and every other tooth is set the other way. Then the saw was then ready for the fallers and buckers to use for the next week or so. The filer spent about three to four hours to do a saw.
That is a day at the filing shack.
Art Martin
Art Martin
ArboristSite Operative
I forgot to mention in my last post about the “crosscut shack” that there is a wonderful, detailed crosscut saw manual for sale by the:
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402
Stock No. 001-001-00434-1.
This publication was first issued in June 1977 as Missoula Equipment Development Center Report 7771 2508. Warren Miller, Forest Service ranger wrote this Crosscut Saw Manual, while on detail to Missoula, Montana.
The manual is very detailed with many pictures of crosscut saws, tools and detailed procedures used in the sharpening of crosscut saws. For example, it even has a picture of a double bladed axe being used as an undercutter for a crosscut saw. I mentioned this in a previous post and several readers expressed interest in it. It also has some history of the crosscut saw.
With this manual and some practice, anyone should be able to learn how to sharpen a crosscut saw.
I don’t remember how much it cost, but I think was $4 to $6 when I ordered it many years ago. I gave a copy of it to my friend Jim Taylor and he told me it was his crosscut saw “Bible” for many years. He went on to be one of the best, modern competition crosscut saw makers in the world.
Even if you don’t intend to sharpen crosscut saws, it would be a valuable item on the bookshelf of any crosscut saw aficionado.
Art Martin
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402
Stock No. 001-001-00434-1.
This publication was first issued in June 1977 as Missoula Equipment Development Center Report 7771 2508. Warren Miller, Forest Service ranger wrote this Crosscut Saw Manual, while on detail to Missoula, Montana.
The manual is very detailed with many pictures of crosscut saws, tools and detailed procedures used in the sharpening of crosscut saws. For example, it even has a picture of a double bladed axe being used as an undercutter for a crosscut saw. I mentioned this in a previous post and several readers expressed interest in it. It also has some history of the crosscut saw.
With this manual and some practice, anyone should be able to learn how to sharpen a crosscut saw.
I don’t remember how much it cost, but I think was $4 to $6 when I ordered it many years ago. I gave a copy of it to my friend Jim Taylor and he told me it was his crosscut saw “Bible” for many years. He went on to be one of the best, modern competition crosscut saw makers in the world.
Even if you don’t intend to sharpen crosscut saws, it would be a valuable item on the bookshelf of any crosscut saw aficionado.
Art Martin
don
ArboristSite Guru
Thank you art.
I have a cousin who can sharpen these things. His eyesight isn't what it used to be so I don't know if he stiff can do it. He has one of those "fancy" Stihl saws now so he cuts faster.
I have a cousin who can sharpen these things. His eyesight isn't what it used to be so I don't know if he stiff can do it. He has one of those "fancy" Stihl saws now so he cuts faster.
johncinco
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thought I would move this back up, and ask Art, did you have any experiences with floating logs down river? Not too many guys that are around to discuss it near me, but the whole are was looged that way. I have some pics from those days and local lore but wanted to hear if you had anything to say.
Art Martin
ArboristSite Operative
johncinco,
Thanks for the question. I was a faller and bucker. Therefore, I was never involved in the log floating type of logging. Actually, this type of logging had already changed to a mechanized system when I started in the woods. The bulldozers punched in roads to the more remote areas because the areas near the rivers had already been logged out. After the roads were bulldozed in, the other caterpillar tractors (called wheelcats) towed the logs to the landings. From there, they were loaded onto railroad cars and later huge trucks with 14’ bunks.
When the lumber companies abandoned river logging, they left the rivers in terrible shape. The rivers were full of sinker logs that never made it to mill because they were so large and heavy. These logs laid in the rivers for over 50 years until enterprising individuals saw them as a source of virgin timber for making paling fencing, fencing rails, grape stakes and other landscaping materials. Besides the sinker logs, there was other debris blocking the rivers that prevented salmon from reaching the spawning areas.
The obstructions were the result of previously built dams that were used to raise the river for logging purposes. The dams were not being completely removed when the practice of using rivers to transport logs to the mills ended. Most of the rivers were finally cleared when President Roosevelt started his National Recovery Act (N.R.A.) program. This program also enabled the establishment of the California Conservation Corps (C.C.C.). These programs created jobs during the later part of the depression era. Thousands of men were hired and put into work crews that cleaned up all the rivers and parks. In this day and age, timber cannot be felled within 200’ of rivers. This is to create a shade canopy so that the water stays cooler for the salmon runs, thus protecting the spawning grounds. It is working well and has provided an abundance of salmon.
Art Martin
Thanks for the question. I was a faller and bucker. Therefore, I was never involved in the log floating type of logging. Actually, this type of logging had already changed to a mechanized system when I started in the woods. The bulldozers punched in roads to the more remote areas because the areas near the rivers had already been logged out. After the roads were bulldozed in, the other caterpillar tractors (called wheelcats) towed the logs to the landings. From there, they were loaded onto railroad cars and later huge trucks with 14’ bunks.
When the lumber companies abandoned river logging, they left the rivers in terrible shape. The rivers were full of sinker logs that never made it to mill because they were so large and heavy. These logs laid in the rivers for over 50 years until enterprising individuals saw them as a source of virgin timber for making paling fencing, fencing rails, grape stakes and other landscaping materials. Besides the sinker logs, there was other debris blocking the rivers that prevented salmon from reaching the spawning areas.
The obstructions were the result of previously built dams that were used to raise the river for logging purposes. The dams were not being completely removed when the practice of using rivers to transport logs to the mills ended. Most of the rivers were finally cleared when President Roosevelt started his National Recovery Act (N.R.A.) program. This program also enabled the establishment of the California Conservation Corps (C.C.C.). These programs created jobs during the later part of the depression era. Thousands of men were hired and put into work crews that cleaned up all the rivers and parks. In this day and age, timber cannot be felled within 200’ of rivers. This is to create a shade canopy so that the water stays cooler for the salmon runs, thus protecting the spawning grounds. It is working well and has provided an abundance of salmon.
Art Martin
