Oregon Power Sharp

[HolmenTree]

By Interior do you mean Manitoba. When I hear interior I think of where I live BC interior. 20" bar I'm assuming you mean further east as ime it's to short for the bush around here.

I worked 7 years on the coast, and 5 years in the interior(bc) mainly highlead.

Yes I knew I was gonna get flack for that from a BC resident. I got a logger friend who is from the BC interior at Celista north of the Okonagan. That is way into the interior.
But no I logged in central Canada, which I call the interior. We had it good here in Manitoba, we were unionized with the I.W.A. our local was 1-324. We worked by piecework with all the benifits like travel time, good pension, payroll deduction for saws, $2 a day room/board, etc.

Willard.

 

[squisher]

IWA had nice camps but besides that I had not much use for the union. I cashed in my pension early, it wasn't much anyways. Paid the one time only initiation fee three times, never did get that money back. And in the end I got forced out of the coast because I wasn't 'local' after working there for seven years.

Celista is not far from here, I worked Scotch Creek a few times.

 

[Newfie]

That wasn't John, by any chance was it?

It were. he's good at making money, not running a saw.

 

[NeTree]

LMFAO!

 

[HolmenTree]

IWA had nice camps but besides that I had not much use for the union. I cashed in my pension early, it wasn't much anyways. Paid the one time only initiation fee three times, never did get that money back. And in the end I got forced out of the coast because I wasn't 'local' after working there for seven years.

Celista is not far from here, I worked Scotch Creek a few times.

I.W.A. was good for me. Like you said nice camps. Plus we got a decent scale, also appreciated the safety we had to get used to.
I even got a gold ring out of them.

Willard.

 

[squisher]

Ha! My initiation fees probably paid for part of that! Jk'ing how long to get the ring? IWA camp was still only $2.50/day when I was down on the coast, eat like a king, private room that was swept and bed made up everyday. It was a good set-up for a bachelor.

 

[HolmenTree]

Ha! My initiation fees probably paid for part of that! Jk'ing how long to get the ring? IWA camp was still only $2.50/day when I was down on the coast, eat like a king, private room that was swept and bed made up everyday. It was a good set-up for a bachelor.

With my final years spent at the sawmill the ring was worth 30 years. Yes the camps were comfy. The chainsaw shop we had was always clean and heated. Camps right beside a lake full of walleye and trout. Baseball diamond. Less then an hours drive to the nearest town.
My friend's name up at Celista is Karl Bischoff. I haven't talked to him for years. I don't even know if he's still into logging. I met him on the timbersport circuits. One hell of a good competitor.

Willard.

 

[squisher]

Ever compete in Lumby, BC?

 

[HolmenTree]

No ,
My favorite was Sayward north of Campbell River. Big big cedars up there.

 

[squisher]

Lumby was never a big show. Local talent mostly, it's were I grew up.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I sure woulda liked being a logger for a spell. I love throwing and bucking trees.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I've tried to teach a number of people how to sharpen a chain. Most get the hang of it more or less if they keep at it. There are lots more difficult things to sharpen well. My most challenging sharpening student is a retired neighbor who moved into a place that has a wood stove, so he bought a couple saws and joined some wood gathering association.

I've had to show him the basics a couple of times, and the last time he came over to have me advise on his saw not cutting well, he was trying to sharpen the rakers instead. I can just catch the sound when he is 'cutting' firewood at his place. I always think the same, "poor saw". Anyone who at least tries is not a hopeless case, has pretty much been my philosophy, but I dunno..... I might try teaching his wife instead.

 

[sotc]

I sure woulda liked being a logger for a spell. I love throwing and bucking trees.

I think everyone should do it for awhile, good times

 

[Al Smith]

I love throwing and bucking trees.

Yep me too ,I just don't get the occasion to much any more .It was always a gas to see if I could "drive the stake " Sometimes yes ,often times just close and then a few not even close .---run rabbit run ---

 

[stig]

I think everyone should do it for awhile, good times

I've done it since -76, still good times
I cannot think of anything I'd rather do for a living.

 

[squisher]

I'd hit the bush again in a heartbeat if I could make a good living at it.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I like the heavy work too, and measuring your accomplishment for the day is something easy to do. Seeing green things before my eyes when trying to get to sleep can be a bit tedious though.

 

[HolmenTree]

I had a hard time getting to sleep too with "green $ bills" in my eyes when I was assigned to a beautiful stand of timber.
From some information from an Oregon engineer I hear the Powersharp chain cuts the same speed as their 91 VXL [3/8" LoPro chain]

Willard.

 

[rskybiz]

I think it is beyond some to get it I worked with a guy four years and spent hours teaching and gave him a oregon pocket book. always got the saw back and it would cut comfy seats. I loved my logging days spruce stands, cut for a day or two then a quiet day pulling hitches with the team. The sound of those trace's clinking can still put a smile on my face and lull me to sleep. Good times with my mom her team!

 

[HolmenTree]

In my later logging days to save costs our forestry company shutdown our camps and moved us to an area of northern Manitoba where there never was logging. Vast stands of mature old growth white spruce, clay soil and no rock, didn't rock a chain for 6 yrs. Trees still 75 feet after topped at 3 1/2", some 36" dbh. We commuted out of a city of 15,000 pop.The company bus picked us up at our front steps plus we got paid travel time.
My partner bought a brand new Clark 667 grapple skidder and the speed we gained over the old cable skidder was amazing. All I had to do was cut, no more helping choke up chokers.
I ran a Stihl 064 [85cc] -20"b/c. In the frozen winter months I didn't have to limb, just top. My partner back bladed the limbs with the skidder. The best production we had in 40 hrs was 305 cords [750 cubic meters]. About $500 a day for me as a faller. Big money in the 1980s.

Willard.

 

[Cut4fun]

Sometimes yes ,often times just close and then a few not even close .---run rabbit run ---

I made a friend of mine (weighs about 350 to give you the pic), I was helping or was it trying to maim or kill, run and dive the other day when big dead ash went the wrong way I just stood a step beside to make a move if had to.
I have never seen this guy run, let alone run like that and dive in the woods before in my 10+ years knowing him. We both got a good laugh and bucked her up for the splitter.

Then you read this right here in Ohio a few days later. http://www.daytondailynews.com/news...dies-after-tree-trimming-accident-962741.html

 

[stig]

Sounds like good times, Willard.
I would have loved to be there.

 

[HolmenTree]

Sounds like good times, Willard.
I would have loved to be there.

Stig, as I said in my last post about our best 40 hr scale: 305 cord/ 750 cubic metre of tree length spruce topped at 3 1/2", that was the best we did with my partners Clark 666 cable skidder. I got the scale slips tucked away somewhere here [have moved 6 times since these good old days]. But the best we did with the grapple skidder on a 40 hr scale was 415 cords [ 1,016 cubic metres] Those were the days of "High Balling". Boy it sure felt good pacing out that pile at the end of the day.

Willard.

 

[woodworkingboy]

5 bills a day would help you endure cold fingers.

 

[HolmenTree]

5 bills a day would help you endure cold fingers.

Sure was. All my work clothes were wool ,one piece wool underwear, socks, wool liners in my 1 finger leather mitts, wool hardhat liner, wool safety pants [nylon on warmer days].
When it was 30 below and after a few hours working I'd pull my mitts off and my hands would have steam coming off of them. Good circulation, never have carpel tunnel problems.

Willard.