Hey all, looking for cutting training -safety courses in the NE.. I'm in NE PA..
Any recommendations would be appreciated..
Check out the "Game of Logging (http://gameoflogging.com/)". They have franchises in a few places in the northeast.
One of the better training organizations, Northeast Woodland Training (http://www.woodlandtraining.com/) is based here in Vermont. They offer classes throughout the year scattered around the state. I live a couple of miles from the site where they are offering levels 1 through 3 on Thursdays in April (being a week apart probably doesn't help you much if you are traveling from away). They are doing some on March weekends in Cabot, VT which would let you knock out two in one trip.
I've also heard good things about Bill Lindloff's ProCuts based in Endicott, NY - near Binghampton. (contact info in the Game of Logging's "Training Organizations" tab). He also teaches the Game of Logging classes. I do not know his schedule, however.
I have been through all four of their GOL levels, plus the Storm Damage Clean-up course. all taught by Northeast Woodland training. I got a lot out of the classes. We had guys in my class who had been cutting professionally for decades who said it had changed the way they work in the woods. We also had people who had never touched a chainsaw before who were dropping trees and hitting a target stake driven in the ground 30+ feet away. I really appreciated the systematic approach of their instruction and the fact that they too the time to explain why they were doing things, not just saying "do this".
Thanks! Great information. Endicott is just up the road from me..
your local mill should be able to tell you but i sent you a PM
Quote from: John Mc on February 03, 2018, 12:52:56 PM
Check out the "Game of Logging (http://gameoflogging.com/)". They have franchises in a few places in the northeast.
One of the better training organizations, Northeast Woodland Training (http://www.woodlandtraining.com/) is based here in Vermont. They offer classes throughout the year scattered around the state. I live a couple of miles from the site where they are offering levels 1 through 3 on Thursdays in April (being a week apart probably doesn't help you much if you are traveling from away). They are doing some on March weekends in Cabot, VT which would let you knock out two in one trip.
I've also heard good things about Bill Lindloff's ProCuts based in Endicott, NY - near Binghampton. (contact info in the Game of Logging's "Training Organizations" tab). He also teaches the Game of Logging classes. I do not know his schedule, however.
I have been through all four of their GOL levels, plus the Storm Damage Clean-up course. all taught by Northeast Woodland training. I got a lot out of the classes. We had guys in my class who had been cutting professionally for decades who said it had changed the way they work in the woods. We also had people who had never touched a chainsaw before who were dropping trees and hitting a target stake driven in the ground 30+ feet away. I really appreciated the systematic approach of their instruction and the fact that they too the time to explain why they were doing things, not just saying "do this".
I'm registered for all four classes. 40 minutes from home! I do have some experience in the woods but I gained an interest in taking classes recently. Looking forward to it!!
Great! I think you'll get a lot out of them. I know I did.
While you are there, ask Bill if he is considering offering the "ATV and Gentle Logging Training" described on the GOL website. The GOL folks here in VT (Northeast Woodland Training) do not offer that. If he offered it toward the eastern side of NYS, I could probably round up a few more Vermonters who are interested.
This is with a different instructor. It is through the Northern Tier Hardwoods association. I have some interest in the storm damage class also..
Is Northern Tier Hardwoods actually doing the instruction, or are they sponsoring a class taught by Bill or one of the other instruction franchises? (The latter is how it often works here in VT).
Correct. Through NTHA but instructed by an individual.
I'm guessing it's taught by Kevin Snyder, if it's in PA. I've not met him, but heard good things about him
Yup that's him..
The Game of Logging programs are run by private groups in VT and other states , insurance companies like MEMIC in Maine, and some forestry college courses here in New England and N.Y.
I've also done the 4 levels in GOL. Well worth the time for both safety and efficiency. First learning the plunge/bore techniques was an eyeopener. The CLP program is another one worth the time even for us non pros cutting firewood off our woodlots each year. The pro loggers even learned something !
Quote from: Pulphook on August 10, 2018, 08:51:25 AM
The Game of Logging programs are run by private groups in VT and other states , insurance companies like MEMIC in Maine, and some forestry college courses here in New England and N.Y.
I've also done the 4 levels in GOL. Well worth the time for both safety and efficiency. First learning the plunge/bore techniques was an eyeopener. The CLP program is another one worth the time even for us non pros cutting firewood off our woodlots each year. The pro loggers even learned something !
Pulphook - have you taken the GOL Storm Damage Cleanup class? (personally, I thought levels 1-4 were better organized, but I still got a lot out of the Storm Damage one.)
I had not heard of CLP (http://clploggers.com/), so I googled it. Looks like an interesting organization. Does it operate just in Maine?
John:
Didn't know about that "Storm Damage" GOL workshop...will check it out. Firefighters take classes on this but they normally use carbide chains.
Friends in Maine have done the CLP training, so I took it. MEMIC training is for logger's bonding on jobs...insurance for the land owners.
Some lots won't allow logging without a liability bond. Must be something like that in VT or NY; will check.
The storm damage training was added several years ago. I'm not sure if all of the franchises offer it. I took it the first time it was offered by Northeast Woodland Training here in VT (in fact, I convinced them to offer it in place of a GOL 3 they were offering in my area, but which was not getting good sign up. We'd just had some big storm damage in our area a few months earlier, so that class got some interest.)
Pulphook,I see you joined a few days ago. Welcome to the FF. You will like it here.
Thx CF for the welcome.
Wonder if the "storm damage" GOL is much different from what we do with blowdowns and trails clearing ?
Dangerous part of downed timber is getting to the trunk through branches and debris.....hate it. It's when the small tree/top handled saw comes in handy.
Quote from: Pulphook on August 11, 2018, 06:24:24 AMWonder if the "storm damage" GOL is much different from what we do with blowdowns and trails clearing ?
In the one I took, they spend sometime talking about assessing lean-weight and pressure, since these can be unusual and extreme in storm damaged stands. Here's a list of the demonstrations and hands-on techniques we went through. As most of these happened, the instructor also reviewed lean-weigh and pressures, reviewing what we thought we'd see before cutting, and what we actually saw as we were making these cuts. Some of this was review, but some things were new to me. The discussion around all of these was great:
- Shaved Notch
- Tab Cut
- Limb-Loc
- Top-Loc
- Tongue & Groove
- Axle-Cut
- Axle-Loc
- Notch Bucking & Directional Notch Bucking (Controlled Release Cut)
- Roll-Away Cut
- Buck with Wedge
- Dirty Log Buck
- Scissor Cut
- Releasing "extreme" Spring-Pole Tension
- "Pole-in-a-Hole"
- Flagging Hazards
- Using Ropes & Mechanical Advantage Techniques
I took GOL after cutting trees in the woods for about 30 years. It was a real eye opener, wow, I learned a lot, even though I only took GOL 1 and GOL 2.
I highly recommend everyone who will cut a tree or even those who only saw trees or logs that are one the ground already take the course. Money and time well spent.