The "Not So Pro" discussion thread...of course Pros are welcome!

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That was actually a good Humboldt for me. The last one I tried to dog in at the near corner, but came up way short. I shoulda used the 42" but was too lazy to sharpen the chain:msp_sad:
I'm in a kinda weird situation where I combine limited skill with fairly large trees. I can match cuts fine, even with a Humboldt on an 18" tree, I'm just usually dealing with 36"+ and a small landing option. I am totally in awe of you guys who make it look so easy:bowdown:

For that bar it was good, I'm not sure a bigger bar would have better.
Your doing fine
 
Next time I cant see the far side and I'm using the short bar, I'm gonna score the bark so I can actually see the line I should be on.

This is exactly how I do it. I gun the face, pull the face out with the dawgs, clean up any lingering dutchmans, and then score the bark from one corner to the other across what will be the backcut. If I screw it up while I'm only scoring bark, it's not going to affect where the tree falls. Once I am satisfied with the backcut-to-be, I commit: pin and go, down side first, slap a wedge in to keep the kerf open as soon as possible, and maybe another hung by the corner as a bobber (thanks for the tip, Cody!) I was teaching DNR guys a few weeks ago and they had never seen most of these techniques because they are strict by-the-Forest-Service-book types; I got exiled to teaching the foresters so that I wouldn't taint the firefighters' "one size fits all" method. It was a pretty good couple of days, really. The head trainer thought you could only do a Humboldt by back-barring. He about flipped when I turned the saw upside-down! He flipped even more when I finished the cut one-handed from the other side of the tree to demonstrate both the safety of this method and how much easier it is than wrestling both saw and facecut around to do the standard USFS 30/10/60 Saginaw cut.
 
Gee wizz-i leave for a coupla hrs. and you guys are where? Had to meet a homeowner about wind -blown trees and on the way home from that got to turn around and go to Whitefish to the hospital then to Kalispell to the optometrist. My 13 yr. old was @ Bible camp this week and got blasted in the eye w/ some H2O from a fire engine(still ain't heard the whole story yet). Friggin' deer and elk were bad tonight.
 
This is exactly how I do it. I gun the face, pull the face out with the dawgs, clean up any lingering dutchmans, and then score the bark from one corner to the other across what will be the backcut. If I screw it up while I'm only scoring bark, it's not going to affect where the tree falls. Once I am satisfied with the backcut-to-be, I commit: pin and go, down side first, slap a wedge in to keep the kerf open as soon as possible, and maybe another hung by the corner as a bobber (thanks for the tip, Cody!) I was teaching DNR guys a few weeks ago and they had never seen most of these techniques because they are strict by-the-Forest-Service-book types; I got exiled to teaching the foresters so that I wouldn't taint the firefighters' "one size fits all" method. It was a pretty good couple of days, really. The head trainer thought you could only do a Humboldt by back-barring. He about flipped when I turned the saw upside-down! He flipped even more when I finished the cut one-handed from the other side of the tree to demonstrate both the safety of this method and how much easier it is than wrestling both saw and facecut around to do the standard USFS 30/10/60 Saginaw cut.

One of the most useless things I have done this year is attempt to go through a sawyer cert. program for the Gov't. What a tail -clown of an instructor.i made it a coupla hrs., and had to walk out. Am-way seminars are more interesting. The fearless leader asked were i was going and i could not keep it in. Asked if i could come back and challenge the "c" faller course and he said "no'. i had to complete the course. I said the MLA certified me over 20 yrs. ago. Any way the Gov't is gonna help heat my house this year when i use their books on saws and fallin' to light my kindling. :potstir::hmm3grin2orange:
 
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One of the most useless things I have done this year is attempt to go through a sawyer cert. program for the Gov't. What a tail -clown of an instructor.i made it a coupla hrs., and had to walk out. Am-way seminars are more interesting. The fearless leader asked were i was going and i could not keep it in. Asked if i could come back and challenge the "c" faller course and he said "no'. i had to complete the course. I said the MLA certified me over 20 yrs. ago. Any way the Gov't is gonna help heat my house this year when i use their books on saws and fallin' to light my kindling. :potstir::hmm3grin2orange:

A little fahrenhiet 451 action, cool. :hell_boy::bomb:
 
I start at the corner and dawg in to make the Humboldt. When you get it cut completely the saw should be gunned to the first cut. It will come later for you making the cuts line up with a bar smaller than the tree.
 
One of the most useless things I have done this year is attempt to go through a sawyer cert. program for the Gov't. What a tail -clown of an instructor.i made it a coupla hrs., and had to walk out. Am-way seminars are more interesting. The fearless leader asked were i was going and i could not keep it in. Asked if i could come back and challenge the "c" faller course and he said "no'. i had to complete the course. I said the MLA certified me over 20 yrs. ago. Any way the Gov't is gonna help heat my house this year when i use their books on saws and fallin' to light my kindling. :potstir::hmm3grin2orange:

Would you prefer they went back to the way they "trained" me? Here's a saw, don't hurt yourself. I was lucky not to get hurt. Would you go out with a perfect stranger on the fire line just because he/she said they could fall trees? It isn't perfect, and it by no means is geared to making each person a production faller. What would you suggest?

There's a reason for everybody having to go through that. Because of the volume of students, and trying to keep the method the same for everybody, they can't tailor it for each individual. The program was put in place because "fallers" were being returned from the firelines after the falling boss saw they didn't know what they were doing. We had guys showing up as "fallers" with brand new chainsaws who maybe had cut a few sticks of firewood laid down in their driveways. It's extremely depressing to be out on the line and hear about a "faller" losing his hands in an accident, or getting killed, or paralyzed, and that was exactly what was happening--with govt. and casual hired "fallers". Hence the certification.

Next time, grit your teeth and go with it if you want it.
 
Here is the take home message. One wants to saw on fires cause there is good money in it. Feds, that would be the signature on the paycheck feds, say take this couse. No course, no pay.

Any questions?
 
Just something to watch...and maybe learn from. You guys were wondering about back-barring and matching cuts? This guy is pretty good.

[video=youtube;e2uVPp6mg74]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2uVPp6mg74[/video]
 
Would you prefer they went back to the way they "trained" me? Here's a saw, don't hurt yourself. I was lucky not to get hurt. Would you go out with a perfect stranger on the fire line just because he/she said they could fall trees? It isn't perfect, and it by no means is geared to making each person a production faller. What would you suggest?

There's a reason for everybody having to go through that. Because of the volume of students, and trying to keep the method the same for everybody, they can't tailor it for each individual. The program was put in place because "fallers" were being returned from the firelines after the falling boss saw they didn't know what they were doing. We had guys showing up as "fallers" with brand new chainsaws who maybe had cut a few sticks of firewood laid down in their driveways. It's extremely depressing to be out on the line and hear about a "faller" losing his hands in an accident, or getting killed, or paralyzed, and that was exactly what was happening--with govt. and casual hired "fallers". Hence the certification.

Next time, grit your teeth and go with it if you want it.

Slowp-OMG!!!- It was purely stated that it was the most worthless thing "I" had been involved in. the whole 'a','b','c' thing doesn't work in my world and won't. I am, like many on here, born to fall timber. I love it. God forbid I or anyone else get hurt because of my personal actions/decisions. There will probably come the day that my rear has to stay in equipment(if i cant' stay away from empty elevator shafts.lol) Maybe the real problem lies w/ who they give instructor passes to? Not everyone has the ability to learn OJT, and that is a chronic shame. I can barely stand to be around your avg. sawyer/firefighter type. NOTED-There are some good ones. And this is gonna be tough but i don't give a ratt's tail end if someone is a woman or a man-You(they) can either do the job or you(they) can't.... I am not about to go dumpin' MONSTER 'ol growth trees(10' -20') and some smaller ones under very certain conditions unless I am bein' skooled by someone like RandyMac or Gologit or whom ever. But i am still willin' to learn and for dang sure no my limits when it comes to fallin'. But this ain't about me it's about them classes I am gonna have to endure this winter cause the "saw mod" solicitations are up for bid this spring and not that the pathetic classes are needed in my case w/ my work history but, the Gov't likes it's mules to have all the feathers .LMFAO Cry me a river but I will be taking loggers on my "SAW MOD" contract 'cause I am an equal opportunity employer. And yup- I wouldn't be pursuing fires at all if sawmill's were not being tore down left and right. The money that's made on a fire is good but not compared to the money that was made "before we all lived as one" :greenchainsaw:
 
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howdy Metal406 and Husk--- Have to stay home today and watch over my little guy. His eye will be o.k.! just got to do the nurse part for a coupla days.:clap:
 
Just something to watch...and maybe learn from. You guys were wondering about back-barring and matching cuts? This guy is pretty good.

[video=youtube;e2uVPp6mg74]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2uVPp6mg74[/video]

I always enjoy watching this video. . . This guy reminds me of watching Ron fall timber. No effort -- just doing.

Then I step up all nervous cause he's eyeballin' me, and look like a monkey humpin' a football. :laugh:
 

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