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Timber Harvest Methods & Equipment

Started by Ron Scott, March 24, 2002, 02:14:52 PM

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slowzuki

Big baldy sounds familier, the falls that I grabbed the directions from is located in the REPAP nature park the rollers are about 10 k or less from there.  Was 4 years ago that I was there, and before I owned a GPS.

SwampDonkey

Yeah, Heath Steel is kind of at the divide between the North West Br of the Mirimachi/Sevogle and the Nepisiquit. Since you mentioned RePAP, that would lean more toward the Mirimachi/Sevogle R drainage. But seems to me it was Repap that had the logging camp up along the Nepisiquit River where I stayed during forestry fall camp. The bridge crossing the river was named after Heath Steel. Anyway a fella could toss a wooden coin in the air up there and if the wind was blowing right, it would float down the Mirimachi or down the Nepisiquit. :D :D :D

I never walked the nature trail up there, but the woodlands manager (might even been higher up then that) at the time put that park together during the 1995 blow down up there to appease the protestors who where making a fuss about the logging companies cleaning up the mess. I remember old Sunny, who ran the half way inn on the 108, he had to take a bunch of them do gooders out for a ride to show them some old growth. Opened up a few eyes as I recall. I recall a website they put up and who ever took the photos of the area, didn't know where they were. I know the area like my own woodlot and when I seen a photo of Lake Serpentine mislabled I emailed the guy responsible. Surprisingly, I did get a reply, but he played dumb at the time and didn't even recall what he had on his site. Anyway, the site has disappeared into oblivian since, and the fuss has all subsided. I've been in that country, pretty much since they opened it up with forestry roads and have been to every lake and stream 3 m wide or more. Alot of times we walked for at least an hour to get to them, sometimes took 3 hours to walk out though. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

slowzuki

Heath Steel, yes that name was on a sign very near the gravel road we turned onto on our way there.

Ron Scott

Northern Hardwood Thinning. Selective harvest thinning to 70-90 sq. ft. basal area with gap openings. Wittke timber harvest; 4/06.


~Ron

Ron Scott

"Tailgate" Safety Session. The Michigan Association of Timbermen (MATSIF) Safety Officer travels around to active timber harvests, inspects their safety performances and provides required "tailgate" safety sessions.

Here the "experienced" tree fallers are paying attention as the Safety Officer provides the required safety training session on chain saw use and tree falling. A "Timber Jill" is on the right. Wittke timber harvest; 1/06.


~Ron

SwampDonkey

They are suppose to come around our thinning crews, but in all the years I've been in this business I've never seen a soul. We leave DNR and the Marketing Board maps and photos. Up here we are required to have work permits from DNR to be in the woods as well as fire suppression equipment.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SteveB

Swampdonkey,

When I was in New Brunswick a government occupational safety (WSB?) guy used to come around periodically to check on us.  I never actually saw the guy, but several of the mechanical operations I looked after were visited by him.  He would sometimes call me up and ask where the gear was working, and I know he would also go out and check on the brushsaw thinners periodically.  This was all on crown land though, not sure about private.  From what I could tell from talking to him on the phone and from what people said after they were inspected he was a prety good guy.  I remeber having to get a work permit from DNR and giving them a list of fire suppression stuff on site whenever we strated a new block on freehold land.  It was kind of an archaic system, filling out a paper form, while the system for notifying the DNR of Crown acrivities was all computerized (due to the electronic scaling, more intensive monitoring, etc. on crown).  On crown land in New Brunswick, Alberta and Ontario fire equipement inspections are done by both government and supervisors from the private company that holds the forest licence.  One interesting thing i came across in Southern new brunswick was the prevelance of water pump theft.  Since there is a water tank and pump kept on site wherever there's a forwarder working, people would steal the pump off the tank and supposedly use them to watter pot plantations.  Ah yes...  weird thefts on forestry operations, there's enough for another thread.  Sad that people target harvest contractors,with the theives incorrectly thinking that the stuff is the property of the big bad forestry company or that the contractor can afford to be a theft victim because he (really the bank until the machine's scrap) owns a $400 000 machine.

Muffler Modifications:
I notice people on this forum talking about modifing chainsaw mufflers.  With the work I have done in both Alberta and New Brunswick, anyone who modiffied the muffler and specifically the spark arrestor on a brush saw or chainsaw would definitly have to imediately stop working with that equipment due to fire risk and writen warning given.  Repeat "offenders" would definitly be fired or loose their contract, and I imagine if a fire strated near silvictural or chiansaw operatins, investigators would be checking for muffler modficatins on any equipment, and I wouldn't want to be the one that had the muffler drilled.  I would just guess that in the age of litigation, the same probably holds true in the US.  If the forest burns, right or wrong someone's going to be looking for a forest worker to pin the blame to (and possibly send the bill for the fire fighting).

Ron Scott

Another jobber on another of my timber harvests was visited by the Michigan Association of Timbermen's  (MAT) insurance inspector this morning. The falling crew was individually checked for safe tree falling operations and a good chain saw use safety session was provided.

The safety inspector said that he had checked another of my jobbers yesterday and all went well there also. All have been passing and are receiving their certificates with increased safety aweareness to tree falling.

Most cutters have years of experience falling trees, but I'm glad that MAT is taking the "game of logging" methods right out on the jobs to reach many of the loggers who probably wouldn't get the specific safety training.

After 45 years "in the woods", I'm finding that tree falling is a real science and skill to be learned correctly. I appreciate the effort being made by the MAT in this regard and feel better about the skills of our loggers.  smiley_hardhat


~Ron

Ron Scott

Chainsaw Safety Training. The MATSIF safety officer looks over 3 aspen sawlog trees for "testing" the tree fallers on for their chain saw certification. Wittke timber harvest; 1/06.


~Ron

SteveB

Ron,

Is there mandatory chainsaw training for workers in your parts, or are these checkups, etc. voluntary? 

In canada there are several types of chainsaw certification required for anyone getting paid to use a chainsaw.  The most basic mandatory course is two days, and then you need to take a refresher 1 day course every few years.  The requirements are slightly different between different provinces. 

In Ontario you need the basic chiansaw course to work with one, and then if you are logging you need to do  a more specific cut and skid course, that requires that an experinced certified supervisor sign off on an on-the-job component once you've put in some time.  New Brunswick also has a similar two tiered system for general chiansaw use and logging.  I can't remember the details, but this is generally how it works.  In New Brunswick you're not allowed to use a chiansaw alone eaither, so technically there's no need to have a chiansaw in your pickup as you drive to work unless you've got a passenger.


Supervisors from the forest products companies are required to make sure all employes of any logging contractor working for them are properly trained and certified.  I was always worried that the 50 yr old loggers would be opposed to a 28 year old kid supervisor telling them they need their mandatory refresher course in the spring before they can start work again, but most are prety good about it saying that a safety refresher is good and they learn alot even after many years of experince.  I guess you can kill yourself or co-worker as easily logging as you can driving, so that's why there's training and licencing for both.  In Ontario they are also bringing in mechaized logging safe work practices certification along the lines of the chainsaw courses, with a work experince component.  As most logging in most areas is now strictly mechanized, very few loggers have the safety course, so they are actually not allowed to pull out a chiansaw to cut a tree from across a road, etc.  It sounds crazy as all the older guys on mechanized jobs worked for years doing cut and skid work, and even did horse logging before the skidders, but without the course they can't use a saw in any type of work setting.  In this day and age, if a freak accident happened to an uncertified chainsaw user and the supervisor couldn't prove that he did everything to prevent it he could be fined, jailed, etc.  About this time a year ago I had to have a buncher on a float remove a tree from across a road because no-one has chainsaws or is certified. 

Crazy how lawyers have so much influence in the most unlikely places.

sawguy21

I wonder if I need the course to legally start and demo a saw for a customer. We don't have a test log or a place to put one. I'm being serious, the employer liability issue is huge and the regulations here are mind boggling ::)
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Ron Scott

If the logging companies are insured through the Michigan Timbermen's self insurance program, their cutters then need to be certified in proper chain saw use and tree falling and safe other logging practices.

They are having their own inspector, trainer actually going out on the jobs to make it easier for the loggers to obtain their certifications since most don't have or take the time to attend specific formal classroom sessions. They are reaching more of the woodsworkers this way.

It's fun to hear the dialogs between the "oldtimers" who have been falling trees for years and the relatively young trainer who  provides the certifications. All do appreciate the safety updates, new information, methods etc. however.  A great benefit to the "new workers".
~Ron

Ron Scott

Chainsaw Safety. The MATSIF Safety Officer demonstrates proper and acceptable cutting for safe falling of the aspen tree to the "working"loggers. Each must then demonstrate the proper technique to receive their certification in chainsaw safety. Wittke timber harvest 1/06.


~Ron

Ron Scott

Falling Large American Beech Tree. The cutter prepares to fall a large American Beech Tree for bucking into sawlogs and pulpwood. Wittke timber harvest 4/06.


~Ron

SwampDonkey

That is a brute. It's amazing that beech stays so smooth even when old growth. Unless it's diseased of course.  :)

I remember having a call for beech saw timber from some outfit in NS. I said you'd have to high grade all our good disease resistant beech in New Brunswick to find enough decent saw material for your mill.  ::)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

OLD_ JD

at what we get for beech sawlog :(....here they all go in firewood ;)
canadien forest ranger

SwampDonkey

I think we get up to $350/th for the good stuff, and not all the bucking and handling involved as with firewood. I gotta wonder how many people never figure in the bucking and extra time to process firewood. I know I've heard my uncle say several times, that his time isn't work much or the government would be taxing it. :D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

OLD_ JD

we avrage aroud $275 mbf here if you  take 70$ for transport and split by 2 for the land owner = 102.5$ each......now if i do 5 to 6 face corde at $75 each less the $10 for stump fee and i do local transport...$325 to $390 all in cash money ;D..
canadien forest ranger

Ron Scott

"Timber". The cutter makes his final cut and the large American Beech tree starts its fall. Note the stump rot and seam that the cutter had to deal with in making a safe fall.

The butt portion of this tree will be bucked off and useable sawlogs, pulpwood, and firewood will be harvested from the remainder of the tree. Wittke timber harvest; 4/06.


~Ron

Ron Scott

Artic Cat ATV, "Little Timberjack"; Parked next to the timberjack cable skidder. The  on the job foreman uses the Artic Cat ATV to scout out the harvest area and run between cutting units as needed to check on cutters, haul chainsaws,fuel, lunches etc.


~Ron

SwampDonkey

Quote from: OLD_ JD on April 29, 2006, 09:34:16 PM
we avrage aroud $275 mbf here if you  take 70$ for transport and split by 2 for the land owner = 102.5$ each......now if i do 5 to 6 face corde at $75 each less the $10 for stump fee and i do local transport...$325 to $390 all in cash money ;D..

I only pay $190/cord this year. Stumped, bucked, split, delivered to my yard. Of course I have mostly rock maple and yellow birch, and I pay by cheque. If it were a sawlog beech, it would be more profitable to sell as logs depending on quantity unless your labour and machine hours mean nothing. No purchase tax here anyway on primary forest products, only income tax if selling. ;)  ::)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Gary_C

Quote from: Ron Scott on April 27, 2006, 10:31:58 AM
If the logging companies are insured through the Michigan Timbermen's self insurance program, their cutters then need to be certified in proper chain saw use and tree falling and safe other logging practices.


Ron

Can you explain this self insurance program?
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Ron Scott

Gary, See their web site for full information.

http://www.matsif.com/
~Ron

Ron Scott

The Old Iron Mule. An older forwarder that continues to perform well, especially in selection harvests. Austin timber harvest; 4/06.


~Ron

Ron Scott

More names noted on the woodhauler trucks. 

"Timber Wolf"
"Attitude"
"Smoking Joe"
"One Olf"
"Low Rider"
"Woody"
"Just Dew It"
"Lucky"
~Ron

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