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Timber Harvest Methods & Equipment

Started by Ron Scott, March 24, 2002, 02:14:52 PM

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Tom

Shortwood Pulp truck used for years to support families on tops, tailings and Urban wood until the big companies saw fit to favor long wood loads.  This is an indangered industry in the south.

Corley5

Alot of people around here used to cut bolt wood/pallet wood.  There were two mills that sawed only short stuff.  There both closed now.  There were lots of rough looking old trucks on the roads.  That was also when the weighmasters were friendlier :)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Paul_H

Tom,That was interesting.What species was on the truck? What would be the value of that load? I hate to see the end of an era,where a guy can make a buck with what is on hand,and a little perseverance.Anymore on the subject would be welcome.

 Paul
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Tom

Paul,
That load is pine.  Eddy said he was getting $25 per ton and his load will be about five tons.  Most of the pine grown in plantations here is longleaf, Slash and Loblolly.  Pond Pine (pocosin or black pine) is common and used for pulp but not grown commercially.  These trucks generally carried wood that was left by the big loggers and filled a niche by picking up Urban woods (Oak, Pine or various trees that Arborist need to have disposed).

This gentlemn is a 74+ year old preacher who carries 4 to 6 loads a week to stay out of trouble.  The wood is usually free for the asking and is sold for $75 to $250, dependent upon species and market,.  per load.  It is purchased by the ton.  It takes him about 2 1/2 or 3 hours to create a load by himself.  

I get wood from the county.  Some I saw, some is not good for anything I want to do.  I give the wood to Eddy, the pulpwooder,  just to get it out of the yard.  He knows that when wood is scarce, he can pick up a load or fill out a load at my place.  He also follows a couple of Arborist around and removes their wood.

The biggest detriment to this work is the independence of the big pulpwood companies. they will buy shortwood only one or two days a week and will go sometimes for weeks refusing to buy any at all.  The shortwood haulers used to be welcomed and let into the log yard ahead of the big trucks so they could unload and return for more.  Now I understand they have to wait in line with all the rest of the haulers and it limits them to one or perhaps two loads a day at best.  

Fewer and fewer of these operators can be found today.  Most are selling to an intermediate log yard for a small portion of what they could get at the mill.  The intermediate yard owner holds the wood until the market opens and carries the wood to the mill on big trucks.

Many of the pulp mills are recycling paper.  They get their pulp from boxes etc and  seldom buy logs at all.  

The sawmills are/were owned by the pulp industry.  Lumber was considered a byproduct of making paper rather than the other way around.  Now the sawmills are being recognized for providing the pulp companies with a good portion of their bottom line.  Chip 'n Saws are making lumber and providing clean chips to the pulp mills. Short wood has little market here any more.

Ron Scott

Iron Mule Forwarder. Loading out shortwood. These small forwarders are becoming a thing of the past and hard to find. I still like to see their use as they are good for "light on the land" timber harvesting which most small private landowners want.

One small producer still has two of them. He runs one and his wife the other. They do some of the best work in quality hardwood jobs.


~Ron

Cedar Eater

Keep these pictures coming Ron and everyone. It's not only interesting, but educational for me to see these machines in action. It looks like I might be having a sawtimber harvest followed by a pulp harvest later this year, so I'm extra curious.
Cedar Eater

Ron Scott

Timberjack 230A Forwarder. Working short wood in a hardwood selection harvest.


~Ron

Paul_H

Ron, A question.What would have been used 40-50 years ago, to log in these same areas? I am not familiar with this type of logging,and it's quite interesting.Would small Cats(D3-D-4) have been used?
What was used to load? Gin pole maybe?
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Paul_H

This old Mac was still hauling in Oregon,1995.It was hauling out of a skyline thinning show  


Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Ron Scott

Yes the small to medium sized crawlers were the primary use machines during that period. They were in the process of replacing horses back then They were versatile over much of the varied terrain and an all purpose machine for road buiding, snow plowing, skidding, forwarding, etc. They were slow in production however, especially for high volumes of production needed to feed the pulpwood mills coming on line. They were also harder on the landscape (people were more respectful of the loggers work methods back then).

Some crawlers were equiped with loading booms, or front loaders. "Gin poles", spars, and "A" frames were also set up at primarly landings to load trucks as were some labor intensive hand methods of "hand roll and lift platforms".

The boon to loading was the development of the Prentice loader in the 1960's. This hydraulic loader was developed by Leo Heikkinen in Wisconsin, and helped revolutionize log loading.
 
Rubber tired and flexible frame skidding units were being developed, but it took  and adjustment to change period and awhile to perfect a rubber tire that would hold up to the woods abuse, not puncture, etc.

The Gafner Iron Mule as those previously pictured was first built in 1957. They went through several improved models and was one of the most successful pulpwood forwarders ever made. They're still a favorite of mine.

Those western trucks log trucks are monsters. Appreciate your photo. I'll get into a truck series from this part of the country later. I need to get some more photos as I've given many of my best ones away to the owners, drivers, landowners, fellers, operators,etc.



~Ron

Ron Scott

Timberjack 230C Forwarder. Working short wood in northern hardwood thinning.


~Ron

Paul_H

I am enjoying learning about the logging methods out there. I can see how it would shine on the valley floor here.We have a mix of Birch,Alder,Cottonwood,and wild Cherry.

Here are a few old pictures from the area. This one is another view of the Skyhook,used in Squamish B.C. in the 1950s.The box beneath is carrying the fallers. :oJoe Seymour was the rigger on the Skyhook.He is now 74,and driving our off highway log truck,with no plans to retire in the near future!



Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Paul_H

This one is of moving a steam donkey.All done with block purchase and bullwork.Also a lot of brainpower.Its just cresting the rise.




Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Paul_H

And there she is.Then it starts all over again,moving blocks,pulling line.....


     ...


Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Ron Scott

Timberjack 230 C Forwarder, older model. Working aspen sawlogs and pulpwood. Aspen removal in hardwood selection harvest.


~Ron

Ron Scott

Hydo-Axe Feller Buncher Saw Head Working red pine site clearing.



~Ron

Paul_H

Moving a 1010 Lawrence on a sleigh.The 1010 had a 6 cyl  flathead Chrysler gas engine.Built in the 1940s,it was a small two drum winch,with a strawline drum.Perfect for the little gypo loggers on the coast
 

Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Paul_H

Ron, this little A frame loading poles would be similar to the type you metioned before,wouldn't it?This picture was taken in 1938,Squamish B.C        

The pole isn't bent,it was a small picture and my scanner didn't like it.





Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Ron Scott

Some good logging history photos. Yes that would be an "A Frame" loader type from the old logging days; "where there was a will, there was a way". Some interesting methods used, even with "real horsepower".
~Ron

Ron Scott

John Deere DC70D Feller Buncher Tracked unit; previous photos show it at work. Now ready to leave the job for another area.


~Ron

Ron Scott

"Husky" Chainsaw on  Hard Maple sawlogs. A reliable method.


~Ron

Ron Scott

Two Loads of Sawlogs. Log haulers out of the woods and parked to tighten down their binders for the highway haul to the mill.


~Ron

Paul_H

Ron, nice shots of the Kenworths. Where are they going,sawmill,or sorting yard?Looks like nice wood to me.
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

TJACK

Ron,

What size of Husky are they using for felling and bucking?

TJACK

Ron Scott

Yes these were some of our better sawlogs. These logs are going directly to Quality Sawlog's Mill in Sunfield, Michigan. They were the direct buyer of this selectively marked northern hardwoods timber sale.

Most of the Husky saws used on the  hardwood sawlog harvests are the Heavy Duty Professional model 385 XP. Most cutters have two of them on the job, though one of the back up saws might be a lighter or older model, especially for use on the smaller size pulpwood. All the saws are usually the Pro series models.

~Ron

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