twochains
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hey, what is HVAC? I ran across a thread the other day where the op was asking for someone knowledgeable in HVAC.
Felling question
- Thread starter twochains
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
Hey, what is HVAC? I ran across a thread the other day where the op was asking for someone knowledgeable in HVAC.
closetoreality
ArboristSite Operative
Heating ventilation air conditioning ...also HVAC/R for refrigeration
twochains
Addicted to ArboristSite
hell, I'm the boss, at least that's what my son sez, I wonder sometimes. Anyway. I do all the felling and limbing (90%) he drags cable and skids. Before that, it was just me. But he's worked with me full time for 8 years or so, and even helped when he was
to young to use a chainsaw. I like the size of our operation.
reminds me of a tale, true tale, I'd bought my oldest a toy chainsaw when he was 3 years old. He was carrying it around in the yard one day and an older neighbor lady passed by, she was appalled to think I already had him using a chainsaw.
The crew I work for is a father and his 2 sons. Boss runs the feller buncher, oldest son runs the skidder, least son runs the Tigercat...me, well I do the limbing and fall the real bad steep places the buncher can't get. The boss has tried for 10 years to pull me away from a different logging/sawmill operation. They treat me like family, really good people to work for!
twochains
Addicted to ArboristSite
That is a good occupation! People freak out with no A/c in the summer and no heat in the winter, that equals $$$$
dooby
ArboristSite Guru
Wedges
when i started cutting in 1989 it seemed i was going to starve. we got pd. $1.45 per log. The timber was tall Douglas fir, Yellow Pine,Larch and some spruce. My first day i managed to cut 27 logs. I broke 4 KnH wedges. There are a few people who remember that day,mostly me! Found in my wedge belt will usually be 1 10", 1 8" {both single tapers} and a 8" double for that extra lift if needed. East of the Cascades that is usually enough. Try setting two wedges to avoid set back,bar pinch issues. Only got about 6 months exp. felling hardwoods.went to far south for spring break-up! Remember missing Silvey tree jacks. I still get my saw hung-up,trees end up missing there mark,etc. so dont feel to bad. A fellow that can realize and admit his pride will fare alright. And wouldnt you know it, as soon as a person gets "HOTSAW" status some joker wants you to take a day pay cause the woman packing his nose bag also does the books and you cant make more than the boss. STAY SAFE N USE THEM WEDGES!!!!!!!
when i started cutting in 1989 it seemed i was going to starve. we got pd. $1.45 per log. The timber was tall Douglas fir, Yellow Pine,Larch and some spruce. My first day i managed to cut 27 logs. I broke 4 KnH wedges. There are a few people who remember that day,mostly me! Found in my wedge belt will usually be 1 10", 1 8" {both single tapers} and a 8" double for that extra lift if needed. East of the Cascades that is usually enough. Try setting two wedges to avoid set back,bar pinch issues. Only got about 6 months exp. felling hardwoods.went to far south for spring break-up! Remember missing Silvey tree jacks. I still get my saw hung-up,trees end up missing there mark,etc. so dont feel to bad. A fellow that can realize and admit his pride will fare alright. And wouldnt you know it, as soon as a person gets "HOTSAW" status some joker wants you to take a day pay cause the woman packing his nose bag also does the books and you cant make more than the boss. STAY SAFE N USE THEM WEDGES!!!!!!!
closetoreality
ArboristSite Operative
last winter we had an oak on a hillside, about 6 feet down the decline, and she was leaning out off the hillside. in fear of losing the tree into the river we choked it about 15 feet up to my skidder and i went out about 30 feet to side of the face cut (about 65-70 degrees to the left of the face cut out of direction of fall) we just wanted enough tension on that skid cable to keep her from going with her natural lean. he made the backcut and as soon as he gave me the yell i slammed that skidder into gear and gave her a little tug to get her moving then immediately dropped the winch and rooted the skidder the hell out of there haha. it landed in it's intended path but haha what an adrenaline rush.
some may say it was one of my DJ JEREMIAH moments!
here haha i drew it out incase i confused some. come on lets flame away i had to have balls to post this to you guys so im ready for it.
View attachment 271377
Last edited:
dooby
ArboristSite Guru
my,my,my,
Does any body use tree jacks in the mid-west or eastern area ? Silvey makes a dandy or two .They are out of supply right now.I have used them religiously on boundary lines and they are invaluable in SMZ's. If you have to do that skidder thing again,maybe try this;it has worked very well for me in the past. RE-wrap your winch line so its not belled to the drum.then as u apply tension to the line n pull away from the tree in ? you can hit free spool and stay in ROPS were u belong. None of this is sound advice and every situation is different !!! Be careful and S.T.O.P.{stop,think,observe,plan}. In my inner fiber i know re-installing that skid line is not even as long as it would take for someone to get help at the landing.-JUST SAYING ! :msp_wink:
Does any body use tree jacks in the mid-west or eastern area ? Silvey makes a dandy or two .They are out of supply right now.I have used them religiously on boundary lines and they are invaluable in SMZ's. If you have to do that skidder thing again,maybe try this;it has worked very well for me in the past. RE-wrap your winch line so its not belled to the drum.then as u apply tension to the line n pull away from the tree in ? you can hit free spool and stay in ROPS were u belong. None of this is sound advice and every situation is different !!! Be careful and S.T.O.P.{stop,think,observe,plan}. In my inner fiber i know re-installing that skid line is not even as long as it would take for someone to get help at the landing.-JUST SAYING ! :msp_wink:
the only problem with unbelling the winch line is on some machines its a pain in the d**k, so when you got that super long pull you accidentally pull all the line off the drum, not fun... Not to mention winchs don't pull so well unless its anchored to the drum, it will tend to just spin, unless you can magically get those first three wraps on there very tight. Plus it makes it hard to get that green horn choker puller to drag all the line out and be two feet short while you're telling him there is lots of cable on that spool and he just needs pull a little harder... guess you could just set the brake but wheres the fun in that...
Far falling over steep terrain with a skidder brand wedge, it would be a whole lot safer to set a snatch block and redirect the fall with it, that way if all Hel does break lose than the skidder gets pulled into the stump/tree that the snatch block is hanging from, no big deal
Far falling over steep terrain with a skidder brand wedge, it would be a whole lot safer to set a snatch block and redirect the fall with it, that way if all Hel does break lose than the skidder gets pulled into the stump/tree that the snatch block is hanging from, no big deal
closetoreality
ArboristSite Operative
I never let the line get down to the drum, and when I re-reel the cable in I choke it to a tree and back up slowly as I reel in the cable so there pre tension on it..
As far as using the skidder like I did to guide that oak it's not something I ever do, it was a one time deal and it had my adrenaline going for sure.But we wanted that oak and I wasn't taking any chances of it laying back into the river or taking out the faller who only had enough room on the ridge line to move down the ridge more a little way in case it barber chaired...but if that tree had infact sat back on the back cut and snapped he would of been in hairy situation being so close....I wasn't letting that happen.
Last edited:
Nizina
ArboristSite Lurker
So, what is a "beat stick" and how is it used?
Virginialogging
ArboristSite Lurker
the beat stick is a small hickory preferably that is real close to the tree your wedging.
You cut the hickory off and use a piece about the size of a baseball bat to drive the wedge.
But generally the piece that is available is about the size of a small telephone pole and works
the hell out me when I swing it. This is usually done when I leave my 8lb sledge hammer back
at the truck or have temporarily misplaced it while felling.
Virginialogging
ArboristSite Lurker
falling with the skidder, we do it several times a year and run the cable out all the way.
Our cable is secure on the wench on the first wrap, old Hercules wench and the mainline
passes through the drum and is bent back on itself with a wedge in between the bends.
It takes a torch to change main lines.
BUT, once we had a poplar on the mainline on real steep ground we kept winching it up
and it would hang. Jordan would let off and the dang thing would slide down as far as it
could against the line. Wouldn't just stay on the mountain side so we could re-hook.
About the 4th time it slide so hard it yanked the cable back through
the spool. Talk about aggravating!
We've also used a snatch block. AND, I've done so with a team of horses. Takes real good horses
of which I've had the best. (That's my brag for the day.)
Our cable is secure on the wench on the first wrap, old Hercules wench and the mainline
passes through the drum and is bent back on itself with a wedge in between the bends.
It takes a torch to change main lines.
BUT, once we had a poplar on the mainline on real steep ground we kept winching it up
and it would hang. Jordan would let off and the dang thing would slide down as far as it
could against the line. Wouldn't just stay on the mountain side so we could re-hook.
About the 4th time it slide so hard it yanked the cable back through
the spool. Talk about aggravating!
We've also used a snatch block. AND, I've done so with a team of horses. Takes real good horses
of which I've had the best. (That's my brag for the day.)
#### that, destruction via mass and momentum. Cutting sprung poles is more fun any way!!
twochains
Addicted to ArboristSite
You bet it does!!! I logged with a Belgian for 3 years. I was logging only ERC and didn't need a team. I loved my horse!!! I really enjoyed the time we spent logging together, it was just me and Rock...what a horse! Hey, I know that Virginia is big but do you know and people with the last name Buchannon (I don't know how it is spelled actually) I have no close family, I heard they all live in Virginia, I have been tying to find the name of the county...I am supposed to be related to tons of folks up in that area. My last name is Cook, if my Grandmother is still living (would be 104)...she lives in Virginia. I wish I could contact some family :msp_sad:
Nizina
ArboristSite Lurker
Thanks for the definition. Turns out I'm beat stick proficient and didn't even know it. However we don't have hickory here so we end up using Mickey Mantle bat size alder instead. I use wedges about 30% of the time -- and they sure do help when you need them.
Virginialogging
ArboristSite Lurker
Well, small world, I live about an 1 1/2 hours from Buchanan, VA. It's in Botetourt (pronounced Bot uh tot) county.
Botetourt County, Virginia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cooks are around there or were instrumental in the formation of Botetourt County from Augusta County. There is a Cook Mountain Trail in the county I believe. Your ancestors and mine probably hung out together. My folks were Christians (surname) of Augusta County and the county seat of Botetourt was land given by Israel Christian. My McNabb married Florence Christian in Kentucky is how I tie back to the Christians in Virginia. McNabb's also passed through Augusta County but were probably run off pretty quickly.
twochains
Addicted to ArboristSite
Holy crap!!!! I was born in Louisville, Ky. !!!
