Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[farm boy00]

No tractors yet in the woods but I figured I would show off our loads.

The ranger is all from one dead elm tree and trailer is a mix of ash and cherry. Would have loaded the trailer more but was in a wet spot and truck is only 2wd and frame is not great. Had one more load earlier in the ranger and a ranger bed as a trailer but no pictures. Chainsaw got dull and didnt have the right file and the other chainsaw snapped a chain.

 

[Oldpath05]

I manage to get some extra firewood in this past weekend, had to work between the rain drops, one load for the house and 4 bundles of 4 year old sawmill slabs for the garage. I'll work up the slab next Saturday between raindrops and deer hunting, where did all this rainy weather come from lately.............

 

[Jstpssng]

Are those slabs all cedar? There's nothing better to make a hot fire quick on a cold morning. :thumbsup:

 

[Oldpath05]

That is interesting - never realized the strong distinction between White and Grey. If you blow up this picture and look at all the birch you see to me what I have is all White Birch but I am never sure.

View attachment 576307

gg

Ok now from where I'm sitting those two standing trees look like white birch to me. John Mc and Jstpssng describes the trees in better english then I could of what I go by, probably ex school teachers.

 

[Jstpssng]

No, but I've explained the difference to a lot of timber cruisers over the years... and also have split a lot of each for firewood.

 

[John_Mc]

Mr. Gould - educate me on a Swinging Dutchman please! I値l google it in the meantime!

If I understand it properly, It's a technique used to start a tree falling in one direction, then get it to redirect to another direction during the fall (usually in some direction other than the original lean). It can be useful if you need to get your tree around the crown of a nearby tree, but don't want it to land in that starting direction (and smash some other tree which is standing there).

I've never learned to do it myself. I'd like to learn, mostly because I'm curious. I've been told it's not something you want to learn just by experimenting on your own (there is a reason OSHA considers the Swinging Dutchman an unacceptable practice). It's best to have someone who really knows what they are doing show you. I'm not saying don't do it, or trying to tell someone who really knows what they are doing to give up the practice. It has its place and can be handy at times. I usually just figure out some other way to solve the problem.

If you look in the diagram of the link above, that single saw kerf is one of the keys: The tree starts to fall in one direction. When that kerf closes, it tends to bump the tree over in another direction. The hinge is generally tapered: narrower on the side where that extra saw kerf was cut. This encourages that side of the hinge to break, allowing the tree to move in the new direction. (Gordon, did I get that description right?)

A related cut is the "Soft Dutchman". I've only seen it done once. It required the faller to spend way too much time at the stump after the tree started moving for my taste. I prefer to get out of there once the tree is in motion. I don't think the same is the case for the Swinging Dutchman: I think you can set it up and get out when the tree start to move, but I'll defer to Gordon on this (and maybe someday I'll get up his way and get him to show me how it's done in person. I tend not to trust YouTube videos on this stuff: if you don't already know the technique, how do you know you are choosing a good video from which to learn?)

 

[SplitHoof]

Thank you John for taking the time to explain in detail about the cut. I did look it up and like you - I’m curious and would like to see it done in person. My time with a chainsaw has been limited to cleanup after a storm primarily so I enjoy these logging terms I see frequently see on tbn. I have never been in a situation or need to have a tree maneuver in such a way. It just needed to miss something and there has always been room for a rope tied to a truck for the needed persuasion.

Thank you again and good morning!

 

[John_Mc]

Thank you John for taking the time to explain in detail about the cut. I did look it up and like you - I’m curious and would like to see it done in person. My time with a chainsaw has been limited to cleanup after a storm primarily so I enjoy these logging terms I see frequently see on tbn. I have never been in a situation or need to have a tree maneuver in such a way. It just needed to miss something and there has always been room for a rope tied to a truck for the needed persuasion.

Thank you again and good morning!

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anyone offering it in your area, but if you get the chance, I highly recommend looking in to the Game of Logging classes. It focuses on felling trees safely and efficiently, including getting them to fall in directions other than what they "want" to go. The classes progress into dealing with more and more difficult situations (in my level 4 class, we spent the day intentionally hanging up trees, then getting them free using a wide variety of techniques.) We have a great group instructing these classes here in Vermont. There are others offering GOL training, but most seem to be concentrated in the Northeast.

Tim Ard of Forest Applications Training offers similar training.. I have no personal experience with him, just read a bit about what he does. He was formerly a partner in the Game of Logging organization. He seems to be mainly in the Southeast, but does travel.

 

[SplitHoof]

That sounds pretty interesting. I appreciate that! Something to look into!

 

[Gordon Gould]

Thank you John for taking the time to explain in detail about the cut. I did look it up and like you - I’m curious and would like to see it done in person. My time with a chainsaw has been limited to cleanup after a storm primarily so I enjoy these logging terms I see frequently see on tbn. I have never been in a situation or need to have a tree maneuver in such a way. It just needed to miss something and there has always been room for a rope tied to a truck for the needed persuasion.

Thank you again and good morning!

Thank you John - you did good. SplitHoof, Your rope method or a winch is the safest way to handle a tree that leans like that. I used the dutchman because from my experience and judgement on that particular tree I considered it a safe and easier way to fell it.

I will add to Johns description of how it works and differs from a fall that is directed by a full hinge across the stump. Imagine a tree like that one that rises at a slant and then the top droops a little so the tree is shaped like an upside down lazy J at a slant. If you fell that tree 90 degrees to it's lean by making a notch, boring the back cut while leaving a nice strong hinge to hold the side weight, and then pulled it over with a rope or wedged it over ( which might be tough with the fat hinge required to hold it safely ) you would find that the tree on the ground looks like a J laying on it's side. And, as it fell the curve of the J would carve in a wide swath as it went down.

With the Dutchman it is different. Basicly and simplified - the holding wood, not really a hinge, is left heavy on the back to hold the lean. On the lean side there is an open saw kerf where the hinge would normally be. As you make the back cut the holding wood weakens and the lean causes the the kerf to close. Once that kerf is closed tight the tree cannot tip into the lean anymore as long as the holding wood can hold it. Instead it starts to twist so the tree rotates. The butt almost slides down the open Humboldt face cut. You cut carefully watching the twist. As it twists around to where you want it you time the cut so the thees stops twisting and falls at the right spot. So now when you look at the tree on the ground instead of a J on it's side it is a tipped over J with the humped part up and the lower point into the ground. And instead of cutting a wide swath the with of the J as it fell it pretty much falls in line because it rotated around.

gg