Lumberjack Correspondence Course

[chris_girard]

Now, I have no disrespect for Soren and his methods. I just my trainees to know that there are other methods out there that may work better (in certain situations) and to keep an open mind...always ask why?


Here are the only methods in our area at the moment that "PRO" courses are training for new loggers:
https://www.woodlandtraining.com/GOL.php

 

[Graeme McMahon]

Graeme, I can tell you for a fact that here in the USA, this method started back in the late 80's-early 90's from Soren Erickson (from Sweden) when he first starting workshops for Stihl, than Husqvarna and then with GOL (Game Of Logging) hear on the East Coast where I work. I remember the instructors teaching us these methods way back in the mid 90's when I got certified for the NH Pro Logger Program.

From here it took off like friggen wild fire and spread all cross the US (and overseas), until everyone thought that this was the only and "Correct" method for every tree! Don't even get me started on "ArborMaster" and their teaching methods. Can't tell those guys anything. Only the GOL Method is correct.

Makes me want to puke!

Chris, you have set out an origin and an order of events that makes perfect sense to its evolution here. The concept you put that "...until everyone thought that this was the only and "Correct" method for every tree!" is so true.

In Victoria here, arborist trainers only have to hold the qualification in which they train. With only 2 - 5 days faller training and no requirement for experience the qualification is "hollow". I have listened to some trainees talk of large student/ trainer ratio's, minimal trees being felled, trees taking off sideways in 12" pine and still achieving qualifications. Some of these graduates do a 4 week "train and assess" course and quickly become trainers.

The logging training I send my employees to, those trainers must have 5 years minimum experience. Despite this other logging falling training has eroded this essential cornerstone.

I am heartened to hear that the impractical methods frustrate other competent fallers around the world. Many good fallers have been killed and maimed for us to now have sound practices. Being fancy and different seems to be an excuse to avoid good core skills.

 

[murphy4trees]

Trying to " saw some lean" into a broad crowned hardwood tree is a fools game..

When usingh pull ropes, I try to saw a little lean into eastern hardwoods fairly often... Just trying to throw everything to my advantage..

I learned a lot from GOL tapes. Its been important for me to master plunge cutting to preset the hinge , learning to visualize exactly what I want the hinge to look like and knowing why. It's a huge competitive advantage in my market, as I know of no one else that is plunge cutting around here, and have actually been criticized for it. I also use high pull lines on skid steer or truck on anything even remotely tricky, which was not covered on GOL... so not much need for wedges... I can't recall how GOL recommends to set wedges..

Never did understand the GOL fanatics though... It's a valuable technique, appropriate in certain situations, not the only technique...

 

[sotc]

Unfortunately here OH&S refer to "current industry practices". If enough arborists utilise incorrect methods it creates weight for its retention. Decades of separation between arboriculture training and logging has led to the notion by some arboriculture trainers that the skill of tree falling from logging has no relevance.

Hahahhahaha, consensus, no matter how ignorant rules the day!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Do not want!!!

 

[stig]

The problem with GOL as I see it, is that the method was developed for 40-50 year old Spruce, for which it works sorta ok.
Then it got turned into a religion and all of a sudden had to be used for every kind of tree, regardless of whether it fit the situation or not.

 

[Graeme McMahon]

Hahahhahaha, consensus, no matter how ignorant rules the day!

The problem with GOL as I see it, is that the method was developed for 40-50 year old Spruce, for which it works sorta ok.
Then it got turned into a religion and all of a sudden had to be used for every kind of tree, regardless of whether it fit the situation or not.

Stig this information is helpful. I can understand that such a method would be devised for a purpose or function. It may never have been intended to be applied to all ages of or species of trees. I cannot apply it to hard wood or softwood felling here.

Those advocating its application to every day tree felling may have taken it too far and demonstrate their lack of experience/understanding. This concept will help me, thanks.

 

[murphy4trees]

The problem with GOL as I see it, is that the method was developed for 40-50 year old Spruce, for which it works sorta ok.
Then it got turned into a religion and all of a sudden had to be used for every kind of tree, regardless of whether it fit the situation or not.

I think the main advantage they were promoting is the back release which allows for extra escape time, which is irrelevant in many suburban scenarios...

With a pull line and skid steer doing the pulling, there is no need to be anywhere near the stump when the tree starts to go, except in rare cases..

 

[SeanKroll]

Daniel,

Do you have any barber-chair prone species there?




I've barberchaired a tree pulling by hand, sorta thick hinge, backleaning. I didn't see it happen, but at least by the time I got back to the stump, there was a vertical fracture up the trunk many feet...petering out visually, from right behind the hinge. Possibly very lined up with the pith... Dunno. Didn't investigate that much, as there was other work to do to get out for the day.


Alders are killers hear..."I know which way it wants to going to fall," they say.

Same site...
I fell one with the lean, knowing at worst, it could run up 6' to an obviously huge grain interruption. Clean cut. Popped quickly. Shoulda bore-cut it or chained it, but didn't think it would be so reactive to a clean face-cut, fast back-cut. Open lay, no problem, except it landed on my ax handle, breaking it, which I should have cleared away from the base, as there was no need for it, but its force of habit to keep ax and wedges together with me at the stump. Thankfully Husqvarna warrantied the composite, unreplaceable, handle with a new one (~$75)






I've also chained a lot of alders.

A simple trick is to hook the chain tight, and pop in a couple wedges to tighten.

I've usually got at least 6 small, 6 medium, and 6 large wedges on the truck, so finding the right size for the shape of the tree is easy enough. No risk of busting a chain binder against a rock or other stump or something, and its lighter. Chain binders don't bend well around smaller diameter trees.

 

[murphy4trees]

White ash is more prone to BC than anything else around here.. Seems like when trees grow in the woods there is a lot of uninterrupted straight grain... Not so much in the suburbs..

 

[stig]

That is true.

 

[SeanKroll]

If by suburbs, you mean planted and maintained landscape only, sure. I was working with 'volunteer' bigleaf maples today, growing up in an area with established trees, so long and lanky. They were almost touching the neighbors house, and the homeowners house on the other sides. Far from a forest. Known to barberchair.

Gord even had a maple stem split, with his lanyard around it, just chunking down a stem. You can feel, hear and see trunks crack and pop when dismantling them. I tend to cut them just above a knot, cutting to avoid a barber chair in the log being dropped. Stig, this is the one we discussed previously.

 

[murphy4trees]

Nothing like that around here Sean,

I have tried to BBC trees with a high line and skid steer just to observe and learn, and often failed to get the desired back lift... Might very occasionally run into a hardwood with some defect that makes it prone to splitting, but can't think of any situations off hand...

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Gord even had a maple stem split, with his lanyard around it, just chunking down a stem. You can feel, hear and see trunks crack and pop when dismantling them.

I got that too in some tall and skiny ailanthus. One spar's tip split in three parts when it hit the ground. But I didn't have trouble with barberchairing at the stumps.

 

[Bermy]

I've had a small eucalypt do that on me, crack and pop as I was cutting it from the top down. Very disconcerting

 

[SeanKroll]

I try to cut those just at the top of a good knot in the stem.

I avoid the Circle of Death.

 

[rfwoody]

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster
If the OP doesn't complain, we don't much worry about derails here, brother.

Never worry about that.

Ok,

On the contrary.... Mr. McMahon is welcome to post anything he wants in any thread I start

and thanks to all for your contributions!

... if there was a "Close" button, I would close this thread as having played out..... however, as has been previously noted, no thread is ever wrung clean, so here it stays.....