iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Working in cold weather – the human factor.

Started by Bibbyman, January 31, 2007, 10:15:32 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Phorester


Environmental cabs on heavy equipment sure make a difference. A couple years ago we had a 30 acre field fire on a cold windy day.  The reason it got that big was the 30 mph winds.  Of course that put the windchill down in the teens.  We had just got our new JD450H tractor with glass enclosed cab and my co-worker was putting in the fireline around the fire.  All our woods and field fires are fought by volunteer fire departments along with us.  There was him, and then about 20 firemen.

They were shivering, cold and wet, fingers cold, ears cold, could easily see your breath when you breathed.  My co-worker motors around the fire in his heated cab, in shirtsleeves and sweating because he was so busy operating the dozer he hadn't had time to reach for the switch above his head to cut off the heat.  He stops at one group of firemen, opens the door and lets out a blast of warm air and says, *DanG, isn't it hot today!

The rocks thrown by the firemen did no damage, but the cussing took off some of the
paint.


crtreedude

Well, when it gets cold down here I get a stiff upper lip and go and change from sandals to shoes. If it really gets bad - I will add socks.  ::)

So, how did I end up here anyway?

beenthere

Phorester
Gotta be workin to keep warm.........that was the subject of the thread here.   ;D ;D ;D

Suspect they were sweaty from working, and got chilled while resting, at which time one can get cold. But then, start a fire to keep warm  :)

I sweat when in the woods, even at -F temps. I work in silk underwear top under a wool shirt. That combination lets me sweat but not get chilled when stopping or slowing to rest. I try to work slow to not sweat, but so far that doesn't work so well. But standing and talking will send the cold right through to the bone (or lockin da keys in da truck out in da woods with da warm clothes inside  ;D )
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Phorester


"Gotta be workin to keep warm.........that was the subject of the thread here. "

Har-de-har...... ;D

Bibbyman

Quote from: Phorester on February 13, 2007, 08:13:29 PM

"Gotta be workin to keep warm.........that was the subject of the thread here. "

Har-de-har...... ;D

In my case....  I got to work so I can keep feeding my family.  If I didn't need the income,  I'd just hitch up the Silverstream after Thanksgiving and go south until spring! I think I could turn into a snowbird real easy.

I was about OK with this cold weather until yesterday when we were hit with 6" of snow and the girls didn't have school.  They've called off school again today and it's going to be bitter cold for the rest of the week at least.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

stonebroke

Bibbyman You got to keep a positive mental attitude. It could be worse. Where I am(40 miles west of albanyny) It started snowing at midnight, at noon we have 23 inches and the tv radar says it is snowing at a rate of 6 inches an hour. It only supposed to last another 18 hours. Fortunately there is no wind or we might be in trouble. It could be worse, Redfield NY just finished a ten day lake effect storm at 141 inches, They think that might be a new record maybe.  So just look out your window and remind yourself you are a lot saner than us northerners.

Stonebroke

Bibbyman

Quote from: stonebroke on February 14, 2007, 12:46:19 PM
Bibbyman You got to keep a positive mental attitude. It could be worse. Where I am(40 miles west of albanyny) It started snowing at midnight, at noon we have 23 inches and the tv radar says it is snowing at a rate of 6 inches an hour. It only supposed to last another 18 hours. Fortunately there is no wind or we might be in trouble. It could be worse, Redfield NY just finished a ten day lake effect storm at 141 inches, They think that might be a new record maybe.  So just look out your window and remind yourself you are a lot saner than us northerners.

Stonebroke

Thanks for the help...   I knew there was a reason I don't live in your area!  ;)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

stonebroke

course when it is 80 degrees for a high in july and august we complain about how hot it is and we can't get any work done.

Stonebroke

Tom

I always wondered why I don't need income.  It's because I live down here.  :D :D    Work!?!?

stonebroke

we have to work to pay the taxes to keep the roads plowed. At least thats what they tell us they are doing with the taxes.

Stonebroke

Faron

Bibb, I kinda have to laugh at myself when I think I am cold nowadays.  Back when I was raising hogs, the longest days were put in on the coldest days.  Most of our hogs were outside.  We used some 80 gal tanks with drinkers that we refilled with a hose. They were kept thawed with gas heaters under the drinkers.  You could figure when it got about as cold as it get, after you had filled the tanks, sooner or later one of then would run over and need adjustment.  That involved taking off your coat, coveralls, and shirt, down to bare skin, and plunge your arm down in the water.  Usually the screen was stuck, so you had to struggle to get that off.  Few turns on the stopper, and all was well.  Now it really got cold as you removed your arm and slung it around trying to get it dry, because you never figured you needed to keep a towel handy. 

But that is not as cold as it can get.  Water turns to ice at 32 degrees.  Diesel fuel doesn't.  Once we had to help a neighbor load cattle on a - 15 degree Monday morning.  Had a big snow on, and had to start his John Deere.  It wouldn't run, and had to change fuel filters ,getting jelled fuel on our hands, of course. Then it was time to prime the system.  Those JD engineers had located the primer pump behind the oil filter, so you could only get two cold fingers back there to pump, without gloves, of course.  >:(   And now a guy wonders why his fingers are stiff in winter. ;)
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

Bibbyman

Finally! A break in the weather!   Got up over 40° today! 8)

The girls had been out of school Tuesday through Friday.  We got hit again Friday with another bitter cold front.  Started snowing Friday evening and didn't stop until Saturday mid-day.  It only left about 2" of snow but the 30mph winds made it too miserable to try to do anything outside.  The secondary and country roads were not cleaned.  I think the road crews are out of salt, cinders, and fuel.  Mary came down with an awful cold.  (she's better now but still not 100%). 

Don't tell anyone but I got so bored Thursday that I washed the dishes a couple of times that day and did the cooking.   ::)

Saturday morning Mary came down with a fatal case of cabin fever.   She'd had enough of being cooped up in the house with two wild girls and had to get out.  I wasn't going to be there alone so I went to town with her.  Son Gabe was left alone to fend for himself.  Wal-Mart was packed despite the bad weather.  By the time we got home the sun had came out and the wind died down.  The girls went out an played for most of the afternoon.  That helped.

Son Gabe and I sawed railroad ties today.  I know its Sunday but we'd not been able to saw in many days and Sunday is about the only day I can get his help.  It felt good to get out and get something done.  I was getting pretty lethargic being in the house most of the last two months and was almost afraid I couldn't put in a day's work.  Well,  we didn't really.  We started about 9:00 am and knocked off about 3:00 pm.  Don't want to over do it.

Maybe I'll sleep better tonight. zzzz_smiley
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Bibbyman

Ah man!  It ain't even winter yet and I've already got cabin fever.  The short days, gloomy weather, and now a couple of days when it's not even nice to work outside is starting to take its toll.  To double the trouble,  Mary is keeping busy by cooking.  She's been wippin' things up in the kitchen all afternoon.

We sawed this morning as it was 60 degrees when we got up.  By 10:00 a major storm front was coming through that drove us inside.  The wind must have been blowing 50mph for awhile.  A bad thunderstorm came through.  The temperature dropped to 40 in a couple of hours.  It's now about 40 degrees with 20mph wind and light rain.

I guess I'll get another hand full of cookies and head back to the chair and TV.

Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

SwampDonkey

It was 6 °F this am. And I put the long Johns on, a heavy sweater and Jeff's Forum Contest Jacket he sent me a couple years ago to keep warm. Oh and a nice Scottish made wool scarf around my neck and a toque to keep the glare off the noggin. I loaded up in the SUV and headed to the woodlot. I parked about 1/2 mile from the woodlot and then headed off on a walk. I took a grand detour through the old farm dad sold and over a couple more farms above there. I followed the property line I painted up there 4 years ago, then hit onto a logging road and walk around to the left in a wide circle and hit on a 25 year old logging road to walk back to the old farm. Then I walked across that 150 acre field, hit the public road and on back to the car. In that walk I was curious about a 75 acre lot that is for sale. I found it and it was one of those roads that I walked. It encircled the lot almost and all I could see was raspberry bushes, pin cherry and sparse clumps of junk trees and immature evergreen patches mixed with cedar, red maple and aspen. The road was one that was dozed into the subsoil and not ditched or elevated. Pretty much a wasteland. Shame, I remember a nice piece of woods there 5 years ago. It became obvious another woodlot was liquidated for a quick buck. The land owner inherited it from his folks and has gone through about 3 unsuccessful relationships since. I doubt it will sell. If they had build a better road it might have helped sell it. These wastelands don't fetch much, maybe $50-200 an acre. It's isolated by a farm field in front and I wouldn't want to have to travel across someone's fields to get to my woods. If I owned it I would plant some spruce in those raspberry waste areas. As I walked further north I seen an even worst site. Someone was trying to clear a 50 acre field in wet soil. Seen ditches 15 feet deep, piles of debris and pushed up roots and stumps as high as a barn. What a mess.  ::) They may eventually get it into shape, but it's going to be costly. It was about a 3 hour walk and I figure I covered about 800 acres in all. The old farm including mine was 435 acres alone. ;)
"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)))

Ironwood

Sounds like you need an "indoor" or sheltered saw shed operation.

                Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

thecfarm

Or stop boo-hooing about 40° weather.Bring it on I'll take some of that weather.  ;D In the low 20's and snowing.Looks like digging rocks is done for this year.I have 3 brush piles to burn.Will get to them now.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Bibbyman

This morning the sun came up and it was in the low 20's but no wind.  I went out and got an early start and then we sawed some cedar and cleaned out from under the mill.  We got a good little bit done.   It's still not "warm" out but the sunshine and no wind really make a big difference.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

ibseeker

It's funny how you can get spoiled by the weather. It's in the 40's here in San Diego at night and DanG it feels cold!
I read about you guys living where it's really cold and I wonder how you do it. I live about 5 blocks from the beach and my comfort range is down to about 10 degrees each side of 72F....yup, I'm a weather sissy. I do enjoy going back to TN and experiencing the change, except in the summer. I prefer the cold better than the heat, there's only so much clothing you can take off and not go to jail! We spent some time at Thanksgiving a couple of years ago and it was in the 20/30's. My wife and I really enjoyed it but then again we weren't working in it very much. I ran into the heavy clothes problem that Bibbyman was describing so I'll try the layering method that was advised.

I hope this latest storm system isn't too hard on any of you folks. Best of luck and stay safe!
Chuck
worn out poulan, Stihl 250SC, old machete and a bag of clues with a hole in the bottom

SwampDonkey

About the worst job during the bitter cold is the tally man, I'd rather be the tree hugger and most often I'm both as I do most cruising solo. ;D These days it's pretty much dried up with no one harvesting or planning much.
"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)))

Beweller

A bitter cold January day.  I was walking along, slipped on an icy spot and fell into a barb wire fence.  My ear, very cold and numb, felt funny.  "Heh, John, ake a look at my ear!"  "Looks like you cut it.  I'll put on a bandaid when we get back to the truck."  That evening back at home, I ask my wife to take a look.  "ACK!"  Off to the emergency room, my ear lobe hanging on by a thread.  The nurse started cleaning things up--with a scrub brush!--got a look and asked "How did that happen?"  On a whim, I replied "Oh, my wife got carried away in a fit of passion and bit me."  The nurse stopped scrubbing, looked at me and said "AHHH!" and went back to scrubbing with greater vigor.
Beweller

Bibbyman

Quote from: Beweller on December 16, 2007, 08:01:43 PM
 ......  Off to the emergency room, my ear lobe hanging on by a thread.  The nurse started cleaning things up--with a scrub brush!--got a look and asked "How did that happen?"  On a whim, I replied "Oh, my wife got carried away in a fit of passion and bit me."  The nurse stopped scrubbing, looked at me and said "AHHH!" and went back to scrubbing with greater vigor.

That's the kind of thing I'd do..   :D

I've made up my mind I'm not going out to saw when it's below 20 wind-chill. And that's it's been about half the time since the first of the year. I'm about to go out of my mind with cabin fever. 

My problem now is I can't get regulated.  I'll be in by the stove in the living room and I'll get so hot I can't stand it.  I'll go back to the back bed room and putt around on the PC and soon I'll get so cold I can't stand it.  And it can't be over 80 by the stove or 60 back in the back bed room.  Then in the bitter cold nights I couldn't get warm.  It was like I was chilled to the bone.

I've just come in from sawing for a couple of hours.  It's about 20 and overcast. My toes are cold and my face is frozen.  But I'm sweating most everywhere else.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Dave Shepard

You gots to keep them toes warm Bibby! I find if I can keep my feet warm, that's the most important thing. I wear Rocky Snowstalker Extremes. Warm enough for any weather, but wont melt your feet when you come in for lunch. In our sawshed, we can close up the doors pretty well, and that knocks the wind down, makes a big difference. I don't like it when the slabs have to be chiseled off the log, that's about when sawing quality is going to take a nose dive.


Dave
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

SwampDonkey

It was -5 F this morning and by 11 am it got up to 25 F where it stayed all day. Warmed up fast. It was real sunny until noon. A storm is to our south, we have a few light flurries, not enough to shovel. Sun tommorrow they say into Tuesday and mild or about 32 F. Bring it on. ;D

I don't like it hot in the house, I haven't stoked the furnace since 3:00 pm and won't until 12:00 am. Even up stairs it feels like 75F in this room now. Walking this morning I almost got too hot, had to take my winter gloves off, can't stand sweatty hands.
"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)))

semologger

Dont worry bibby we dont have very much longer. I am tired of cabin fever also.

The only problem is spring is around the corner and here comes the rain. :(
I dont think i am ever going to get back in the woods. as soon as i think i can here comes more rain or sleet and ice. I hate to ever ride my 4 wheeler in the back field its so wet. I walk thru the yard and sink in about an inch.

Have you got plenty of logs on your yard all the mills around here are out or just about.

stonebroke

Bibbyman Have you ever tried pac boots? Northern innovation but they are real comfortable and very warm.

Stonebroke

Thank You Sponsors!