How'd it go today?

[Cobleskill]

The corrugated stuff?

Corrugated, yes, but enameled and the same kind of pattern that the coffee hut has. Straight corrugated galvanized would be some cheaper. It starts rusting a lot faster.

 

[brendonv]

That's cool.

I'd like to use on on the chicken coop, rustic looking.

 

[stig]

I'm one seriously pissed-off dinosaur today.

For the last 20 years or so, I've had my eye on a wonderful local stand of mixed conifers. Nice fat trees, with thin branches.
Not a large stand, 2 good fallers could clearcut it in a long week, which is just what I've been dreaming about.
Fun work and real good earnings, too.

Then I got a call from the local State forester, they were clearcutting the stand WITH A FRIGGING MECHANICAL HARVESTER!!!!!!!

The irony was, some of the trees were too big for the machine to handle, so he asked if we would please fall those and buck a couple of log-lenghts off each, then leave the rest for the harvester.

I don't normally yell at state foresters, we have to coexist and I get a lot of work from them, but today I used some bad words.

At least they could have asked me to submit a price for cutting the stand, maybe I would have done it cheaper than the machine, just because it was a nice job.
Asking us to help the very Machine that is taking away our business is like pissing on us.

So, anyway, we have 90 large firs to fall and partially buck. Did about 75 today. Nice work, big trees, no room to fall them, really threading the needle here.
Normally that would be real sweet, but today had a sour taste to it.

Rant over.
Thanks for listening.


The State forester called me later and said he had two other stands, one is probably the oldest white fir stand in the country, slated for clearcutting, and he would be sure to give me a call.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

Bouncing out of work early today. Big snowstorm on the way and I've got a tattoo appointment at 3pm. Booyah!

 

[brendonv]

That sucks, Stig. I hate being all excited about a job, thinking you'd get it, drive by to find it done. Not exactly the same but the same feeling in the end.

It's snowing again today, been sitting here doing nada. Putz'd in the garage a bit, and sent off some bills.

 

[NeTree]

There's been a lot of jobs Mike and I have done... because no mechanical machine could have made it in there. It's become out niche.

I know what you mean, though.

 

[blue]

Managed to drop a nice large Hornbeam butt onto my foot today. Hit on the toe cap luckily but hard enough to dent it. My big toe is throbbing like a mofo at the moment and i reeckon I will probably lose the nail

 

[sawinredneck]

No love for anyone today! Sorry Stig, that sucks! Get some ice Blue and hope for the best!

 

[Bounce]

Asking us to help the very Machine that is taking away our business is like pissing on us.

And then expecting you to thank them for it. It would be interesting to see how much cheaper the machine can do it for, if any. But to not even get a competing bid - that's like handing the machine operator a blank check.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Lordy, I TD'ed a humongous pine tree - I'm glad I survived, after reading all ya'lls tales of woe!

 

[squisher]

I hate feller-bunchers. Just another way big business has screwed the little guy out of making a decent buck. It's even worse that now handfallers only get the sh-ttiest ground or the odd big pumpkin that the machines can't handle.

I did up some firewood today, so far.

 

[SkwerI]

Two small jobs today. First was cutting 5-6 limbs off a camphor tree, neighbor's tree encroaching on the customer's driveway and house. Can't blame him, the berries are nasty and they aren't a good choice for over a driveway. That only took about 20 minutes and I gave my buddy a break since it was a small job.

Second job was a pine tree removal, back corner of the house. Craned everything out over the house and set it in front of the truck. Then I pulled out, reset and loaded the logs into the dump trailer. Almost 2 hours on the job.

 

[Fiddler]

Hey all, been a while....school 7-3, 5 days/wk and still plowing my way through classes. don't seem to get much sleep but grades are passable. Taking Calc, botany and chem this semester and pretty much loaded down with the books. can't stay too long as I have a calc test Friday I need to be ready for. Been good reading you all again. I'll try and stop in more often when I get a few minutes free time. Stay safe.....

 

[Dave Shepard]

Made a hitch adapter for the LULL today. Now I can move stuff around the yard without having to schedule truck availability. At no time was anything weighed, calculated, engineered or contemplated during the making of this contraption.

 

[SoonerFan]

Craned everything out over the house and set it in front of the truck. Then I pulled out, reset and loaded the logs into the dump trailer. Almost 2 hours on the job.

If you had a hitch on the FRONT of the truck, could you load directly into the trailer? Push the trailer out to the street, disconnect, turn the truck around and hook back up the the trailer the correct way??

 

[lumberjack]

That stinks, Stig.

I'll never believe that, Dave! Where's the model and its FEA?!


Too wet to work today, so I rode the piddle out of bike, about 75 miles. Explored some RR tracks this evening, sure makes you focus going over the trusses. Got the bike ready for the break in service at the dealer. Helps validate the warranty or some such. Luckily they are lazy bastards and are only charging $100. If they went by the book it would take 3-4 hours and cost $3-400. After they sign the book I'll be maintaining the bike myself, unless something comes up.

 

[SkwerI]

If you had a hitch on the FRONT of the truck, could you load directly into the trailer? Push the trailer out to the street, disconnect, turn the truck around and hook back up the the trailer the correct way??

Actually that sounds like an amazing idea! I will check into that.
It probably wouldn't have worked today, though. They were chipping the brush and I only had about a 12' wide landing zone in front of the truck. However, it could be handy parking the trailer on the side of my house. It's 8.5' wide and I have 12' between the house and fence, and I try to keep a 3'+ wide opening for walking through. Visibility is almost nonexistent backing in. I put down a scrap of plywood where the right tires go and I look for that out of my passenger side mirror when parking it.

 

[SoonerFan]

Guys used to put a ball on the front so their wife could put the boat in the water without backing the trailer. That's the only reason I thought of it.

Of course you couldn't load it as heavy as when it's hooked up on the back.

 

[Cobleskill]

That is an old farm trick too. Put a hitch on the front end and it is much easier to back a wagon in. Backing a wagon is much harder to learn than a trailer.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I feel for ya Stig my friend. I too have done as Erik pointed out, found my niche. Accessibility. Just like that grant I am working right now. Cant take the machine into places that are either too rocky or protected

Still no burn days in sight and I will probably be chipping slash piles all summer
One pile we made today was 150' long X 20 foot wide X 10 foot high. This was the third day on that account so you can just imagine Amazing what a couple guys can do with chainsaws and even drag for themselves. Should not complain.. It's work when a lot of folks have none.
Back to property line clearance for the next two days on a mountain side.
Last minute job at the end of the day today. Ran into one of our clients I pruned a liquid amber for. She has tenants moving in her rental where it was at so she asked us to kill it. 10' off the house, small, wedged it over. 30 minute with clean up and bucking the wood. Drop and Walk rate... nice little bonus on the way home today
Poor thing. Case of tree planted in the wrong place. Too close to the house and over the septic lines. :roll: Felt weird killing sumthin you just pruned though

 

[Dave Shepard]

Carl, I was taught engineering in a barnyard. I keep a nice twig handy that's about a foot long, that way I kinda know how long something is.

I just popped the two channels in the bandsaw and trimmed the two torched ends off. Then I put them flange to flange and chopped the slots for the forks by eye, then flipped the one over to do the other side then put some plates over the slots to retain the forks. Eyeballed them for parallel and welded the coupler tube on. No measuring required.

 

[littlenick]

Carl thats a pretty sweet picture, looks like your having a blast on the new toy... i mean peice of equipment...haha

 

[sotc]

Carl calls that booty fab

I picked up some new tires finally, and a job for another tree guy I have mixed feelings about. See how it goes once anyway...

 

[SkwerI]

Dave, we've seen your work. you're not fooling anybody here.

 

[Burnham]

That stinks, Stig.

I'll never believe that, Dave! Where's the model and its FEA?!


Too wet to work today, so I rode the piddle out of bike, about 75 miles. Explored some RR tracks this evening, sure makes you focus going over the trusses. Got the bike ready for the break in service at the dealer. Helps validate the warranty or some such. Luckily they are lazy bastards and are only charging $100. If they went by the book it would take 3-4 hours and cost $3-400. After they sign the book I'll be maintaining the bike myself, unless something comes up.

Carl, do folks down your way actually call ATV's "bikes"? Here it's ATV, or quad, or 4-wheeler...the term "bike" is reserved for 2 wheeled machines. Just curious.