How'd it go today?

[Patrick A]

Spent way too many hours trying to slide (that is the word used in the manual and tech how yo videos) the coil of the chipper hydraulic valve. The second coil looks as rusted in place as the first one. Going to the next level in the assembly will be pricey but less than a new chipper.

 

[SeanKroll]

What is the problem?

 

[Patrick A]

Coils were rusted on the solenoid tube. One is shorted so I had to remove it to replace it with a new one.

 

[SkwerI]

Glad you figured it out.

 

[SeanKroll]

That's over my head. I'm not hydraulic-savvy much at all.

Not a great mechanic, overall, either, but learning all the time.

 

[stig]

Wow....never considered having to do tree work in a former war zone before.

Try reading some of Andrey's post, then.
He finds plenty of scrapnel from the siege of Leningrad.

 

[lxskllr]

Got off a little early today. Didn't get into anything fun, but last job had a bunch of feral Japanese maples growing at the woods border. Colors were very vibrant. Pretty. Didn't get to cut my limb. Boss said he had enough locust. Just didn't want to spend the time I'm sure. Clearing guys were out there, so it'll all be gone.

 

[Jonny]

Medium size dead cherry with Frankie earlier. Could’ve shot a line up there with the big shot but I wanted to spike up there and rappel out just for fun.

Yesterday helped out a friend and removed my first sassafras tree. Hollow. Seems like garbage, similar to poplar in terms of strength, hardness, and flexibility. Kinda stinks too.

 

[lxskllr]

You think sassafras stinks? I kinda like the smell.

 

[Nutball]

It stinks until you give attention to what you are smelling, then you realize how good the smell is. Great to keep around for the smoker, or a smoky campfire for the smell & flavor.

 

[pantheraba]

The leaves smell like citrus...the roots are awesome. Have you smelled a sassafras root? Go back and get some if not...worth it. That is a big sassafras. I likes 'em.

 

[lxskllr]

Routine day. Laid out a bunch of piles on a bridge, and did a pier footer. It was cool enough to wear fingerless gloves. I like wearing thin gloves, and would wear them all the time if it wasn't so hot.

Client seems to have purchased a shitton of cheap fabric gloves with latex dip. I find them all over the place. I'm guessing they get given out to the employees, and since they didn't cost the employee anything, nobody takes care of them, or keeps track of where they're at. The expense is low I'm sure, but it isn't nothing, and it's wasteful leaving them around(assuming I don't see them and take them). If it were my company, I'd sell them to the employees at cost. That way they'd have some skin in the game, and take better care of them.

All of which is to say, I found a nice set of cheap gloves that were just a little dirty today :^D

 

[flushcut]

We did a fun easy job two small box elders leaning over a roof line and a tiny dead cherry. Just get it on the ground and walk away cash in hand.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Finished that big black oak out sooner than I thought I could. That day I spent in it over a year ago must have paid off. Felt good to get it done.

 

[Al Smith]

Aha my problem has been solved .It seems I had mounted the furnace just a tad off out of level .Because of this it would not drain the condensate in a timely manner which caused the differential pressure switch to trip out sensing a lower pressure .Leveled it up and used the cross drain as a secondary vent and that solved that mystery .I would have logically thought that might have been addressed in the installation instructions but it wasn't . It was just the law of physics played a trick on me .

 

[lxskllr]

I was on the locust job today. Made one last look for my sappie, but no luck. I did find a saw chain. Remember me saying I have $20 that says I'd be swapping chains before I got the big locust cut? Good call...



That was at the base of the locust. I particularly like this tooth ...



Fixed...



It'll effectively be a skip chain due to the thrashed teeth, with one missing, but it'll be a good chain for my trash find poulan.

 

[stig]

I found out today that having so many saws, that you can't keep count of them is not good.
We have a new appreentice starting monday.
So I called the dealer and ordered a new MS241 for Richard, then the apprentice could have his old one.

NEVER give apprentices new saws, they tend to wreck them at first.

Then, after I picked it up, our other apprentice says: " I have one at home".

His car is in the shop, so he didn't bring the saw to work.

So I had to call the dealer and tell him, the saw was coming home to roost.

Made me feel really stupid.

 

[lxskllr]

How does that work? Is it a company saw the employee takes home for maintenance?

 

[stig]

Everyone keeps their allotted saws: MS 241, MS 500i, MS 661 in their own cars/trucks and are responsible for keeping them clean and sharp.
I had asked that apprentice to turn his logging saws in, because he was off at forestry school, and we could use a couple of back ups when logging down south.
I had totally forgotten about the 241.
Top handles and MS 880 stays at my place and get handed out when needed.

We let everybody use company gear when they moonlight, and if they screw up, we'll let our insurance cover it ( For a price!)
But they have to ask, every time.
That way we can control that they are not suddenly running their own business with our gear. Happened to one of my old apprentices, he had to fire the guy.
Best way for apprentices to learn is moonlighting their own jobs.
Then they don't have a dinosaur around to ask for advice.

 

[Mellow]

I was on the locust job today. Made one last look for my sappie, but no luck. I did find a saw chain. Remember me saying I have $20 that says I'd be swapping chains before I got the big locust cut? Good call...

View attachment 116051

That was at the base of the locust. I particularly like this tooth ...

View attachment 116052

Fixed...

View attachment 116053

It'll effectively be a skip chain due to the thrashed teeth, with one missing, but it'll be a good chain for my trash find poulan.

From the looks of that chain, I'd say the bar is trashed as well. Toss that chain in the trash; it's used up.

 

[lxskllr]

It should be fine for the poulan. Probably still better than the trilink chain it's currently wearing. If it ends up not working out, I'm only out a tie strap for my trouble.

edit:
I wish I had gotten a pic of the trilink chain before I sharpened it. I've never seen such ugly grinding. It looked like the edge you find on flea market Pakistani knives, where they put an edge on it that looks like it was verbally described to them by someone who never sharpened a knife.

 

[pantheraba]

.
Best way for apprentices to learn is moonlighting their own jobs.
Then they don't have a dinosaur around to ask for advice.

Good thinking. There's a lot to be said for making mistakes on your own and then having time to figure out how you screwed up without somebody telling you how to straighten it out. Ask me how I know.

 

[pantheraba]

It also gives you time to hide the evidence.

 

[treesmith]

Took down a heavily-leaning red oak today. Wraptored up, stopping to cut off three lower limbs on the way up, then tied in and limbed and cut out the two primary tops. Came down and cut/stacked the brush, then loaded it, positioned several big pieces for a crash pad and flopped the spar and the three back limbs still on it. Start to finish, 4.5 hours, including two trips to dump. I had figured five hours. Coulda done it in four or a bit less if I was at 100%. I’m getting there. Slowly but surely.

Up to seven reps with the 20# dumbbell and held my weight while lifting my feet off the ground twice today. Making progress…

 

[Tree09]

Little by little man, it takes what it takes.