Axmen season 2

Scott S · #1 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 09:19 AM

Anybody watching?

http://www.history.com/minisites/axmen

I am so embarrassed for our industry....

Scott S

Oregon Logger

Ron61 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 09:37 AM

Scott,

Why embarrassed? The economy is going to get worse before it gets better and every industry and business is going to have a rough time. If you are embarrassed, think how the crew I worked with felt when we found out the reason we were having such a hard time cutting trees was that we were in the Petrified Forrest.

Ron

RICK LAKE · #3 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 09:38 AM

Scott S I have done tree work on and off for 35 years. I am back at it. I am getting too old and heavy for the climbing part. I am not sure where they got these companies from for the silly program. I hope that you are working in these bad times. The housing industry has crashed and caused MAJOR problem for alot of trade people. I am surprised about some of the dangerous things with show on this program like guys running on uneven ground with a chainsaw running and a 30" bar spinning. First GOLDEN rule. SAFETY. Never run anywhere with a saw running. The second thing is why there is NO verbal talk between the hauler guy and the choker crew on the ground. Blowing a horn 2-5 times is not anygood when you can't see what is going on. I think you guys also do double work with how you knock trees down and not have a limb trimer behind the dropper. The choker guy is behind him to remove the base. It looks like a crap pile and everything is cris-cross. I have cleared large area for homes and Malls, the only different was we where not a mountain and no spike boots. Stay safe and watch your head. You know you do a good safe job, smart people know that 95% of logging companies are not run this way. Rick L. I used to live up where the eagles are, I am now down where the chickens live. It's OK I do know my limits.

Scott you still live in one of the most beautiful states in the US, even if the clear cut the trees. Tell Ron he needs a mason saw. LOL

wtm442 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 02:39 PM

I've watched that show many times. I do not know the difference between a chocker and a chicken .... but some of the crap that goes on scares the chicken out of me.

Still, a good show ... but wild horses could not drag me out to do some of the jobs around some of those idiots.

Scott S · #5 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RICK LAKE

The second thing is why there is NO verbal talk between the hauler guy and the choker crew on the ground. Blowing a horn 2-5 times is not anygood when you can't see what is going on.

We are not allowed by OSHA rules to use radio communication to move the lines so we have a system that uses a a # of long and short whistles that the crew on the ground send in to the yarder. We have about 20 different codes from stop all lines to where the hel! is the boss....

In most cases the engineer in the yarder can not see the rigging crew as they are in the canyon below and up to half a mile away. On the site we have been logging up until the recent curtailments the skyline is nearly 400 feet in the air.

Here is a picture of my yarder, it is 55' to the top and can reach around 3000 feet, it weighs nearly 65 tons.

Scott S

RICK LAKE · #6 (**permalink**) 03-04-2009, 04:46 AM

Scott S Scott OHSA is everywhere and just like any Federal enigma they know little about the job and doing it everyday and don't care about how much money the companies makes as long as there rules are followed. I know the Yarder operator can't see you 1000 yards away next mountain over. But at times on the show you guys are hitting the horn before you have feet on solid ground. Unless there is dead spots on the mountains, VERBAL is still IMO better.Yarder has a set of ear phones on to cut down on noise. You slip and fall in a Vee when the yarder is already pulling up the load, the odds are you could loss a leg or arm because your hands are not on the horn to stop this from happening. You are trying to catch yourself on the falling. We use just hand signls dropping trees in lots. We have 2 cutters, Everybody stay out until trees are on the ground. 1 guy runs behind them and removes limbs. Last guy cuts to length. We have had accidents from new guys running with chainsaws. The Hurry up system doesn't work. OSHA doesn't have COMMON SENSE. They just issue large fines any where they can to prove they need to be there. It doesn't take a NASA engineer to know that Talking is a better communication that horn blowing. Sorry bad example. They killed 7 people with not listening to a guy about rubber O-Rings. You stay safe for the family and friends. Listen to that little guy on your shoulder when something may be going wrong. He will know before you.

Scott side note, don't you guys have to remove or chip the tops of the trees for mulch?? You are not going to remove the stumps. That's alot of firewood left on the mountains. No wonder when they go up in flames there is nothing left to save. Rick

Bugman · #7 (**permalink**) 03-04-2009, 05:43 AM

Scott, Those shows are made for TV and I feel your pain! I'm involved in the Pest Control industry. The Verminators show they do is a pathetic piece of work as well. You should all the other industry professionals crying out for the guy in that show to be fined and have his license revoked. I think the saddest part is most of the American public is too dumb to realize that these shows in no way portray how the industries actually work.

Ron61 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-04-2009, 06:15 AM

Scott,

Bugman is right. I only worked a short time one Summer in logging, but even I can see that they have takes some of their so called creative liberties to try and make the show more exciting. And as Bugman said, the sad part is that people who know nothing about logging or falling timber will believe everything they see.
Same goes for the Ice Road Driver series. I have never been up there but I see them do things in the shows that I am pretty sure the drivers and people working there don't do. No one would go under a loaded trailer that was standing just on the dollies and hit hem with a hammer to break the ice loose so he could crank them up.
The one thing I do know about is the shows where they are trying to trace a call. That is pure crap about keeping them on the line. The second they dial or key the last digit, the computer has all the information and if they hang up before the other phone rings you still have it. Some cell phones are hard to trace and they buy the throw away ones so if they are traced you find them in a dumpster.

Ron