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Dot grid scaling Method ?

Started by Stephen Alford, February 14, 2007, 08:34:58 AM

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Stephen Alford

As smaller contractors a lot of wood is trail cut,  to scale this on the ground in the woods a dot grid scaling method is used. Curious if this system is used in other places   ???  Stephen
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Ron Scott

Not sure what it is?? How is it done? We do dot grids for acres, but haven't for wood volumes.
~Ron

Stephen Alford

Hey Ron: The wood in my case is yarded with the 3pt hitch grapple or grabit as we call it. The wood is cut in  8ft. lengths and piled throughout the cut prior to yarding.  As a rule of thumb about knee high. The largest stick usually determines were the pile is. A specific size piece of plexyglass with a fixed hole pattern is held in front of the pile using a predetermined technique. The holes with wood behind them are counted. Using a different clicker for each product the  wood is scaled. Each 50 clicks gives you  one cord of that product. Everybody has a scale board. Sometimes cuter and scaler do it together. With cash flow for everyone an issue it enables a cutter to be paid prior to yarding. As somtimes there are time delays between cutting and yarding. It also gives a cutter a sence of how well they are doing. It is also nice to know how much is being cut as per prescription. Stephen
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thecfarm

This is new to me.Will be interested to see who else has heard of it.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

It's not done here. All we use is a tape on large 'tree length' piles to find average height and a length and width. When you measure the ends of the piles you just compensate length for height. What I mean is the total length of the pile might be 100 feet, but it's not square on the end like staked firewood piles, so you eyeball how much wood from the ends would be used to make it square. You compensate for depth as well because the top of the pile is not square, and you take some measurements for the depth in the middle of the pile to compensate for the deeper but end for the shallower top ends. Or measure the length of the tree length to a point that when bucked and piled top to but, will square the pile. With experience it's not so 'hokus pokus' as you think. This is how a lot of logger bosses pay the men and the difference is made up when it's weighed at the mill. There is no one that is going to scale every piece when there is a see of tree length wood piled as far as you can see. Some of the modern equipment will calculate volumes now, so it is mainly used on conventional operations.




Tree length fir


Tree length aspen. Some of that aspen is veneer grade by the way and was slashed later.

So, you wanna scale each piece? go for it. ;D These piles are small from a improvement cutting. Now think of that pile 25-30 times bigger in a salvage operation on an 80 acre lot. Ever larger on a crown block. ;)
"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)))

Stephen Alford

There is a 12 page guide we use with the board. If the person being scaled is unhappy and the person who hires you to scale the wood is unhappy and the landowner is un happy then usually the scale is not bad. The positive side of on the land scaling is you spend time with the cutters and the landowner and the whole job goes better. Everybody has to be involved the more they care the better.
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Stephen Alford

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Greenedive

When I was a kid (10-14 years old) we had to stack 54" wood for Hammermill Paper company on the weekends and all summer. My Dad would cut and my Grandfather would skid (JD 350 Dozer) and a third guy would cut up at the landing and my brother and I would stack the 54" lengths in rows 4' high...seemed like for miles. We always hated to see a big beech pole come in, cuz I swear some of those pieces weighed more than we did. We used wood hooks and our knees as leverage and the heaviest pieces it took both of us to heist up when the pile was getting high. Once a week the Hammermill forester would come in and 'scale up'. You never saw a happier person than when they changed to all tree length wood.  ;D

The land I have been working on for the last two years has us (3 single man crews) scale our own logs at the end of the day (Doyle) and our pulpwood (hauled in and chipped for paper) we are paid for by the ton when it gets hauled. A good truck driver is worth his weight in gold...but so hard to find. We turn in our scale every two weeks...oh, and we also get a $15/thous veneer bonus.

leweee

Quote from: Stephen Alford on February 14, 2007, 09:00:19 PM
If the person being scaled is unhappy and the person who hires you to scale the wood is unhappy and the landowner is un happy then usually the scale is not bad.
Stephen....that line sounds like Air Canada's moto "We're not happy until your no happy" :D
just another beaver with a chainsaw &  it's never so bad that it couldn't get worse.

Stephen Alford

Ah sd tree length by the ton oh what sweet sweet words and fond memories indeed, ya lewee ,like air canada not many perks in the woods these days ::)
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Ron Scott

Steve,

Thanks for the info.on your scaling method. I learned something.
~Ron

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