Deep Freeze

Deep Freeze
By Tim Ard, Forest Applications Training, Inc.

Winter has been kind of elusive this year but I'm certain its on the way back...

I travelled up to Highland Park, IL a couple weeks ago. They've had some snow but I couldn't believe, when arriving in February, it was going to be over 50 degrees. That's my kind of winter! Chicago usually has to deal with a deep freeze and it's when they do most of their tree work. The off-season for parks is when tree maintenance and clean-up work happens in cold country.

Questions this time of year- How does cold weather effect tree and limb control? Saw chain?

It's important to understand the deep freeze because ice and snow storms will be back....

Let's start with the easy one, Saw Chain.

Super-cold can make lubricating saw chain and the guide bar a challenge. It can work, but it's sometimes a challenge. Rapid saw chain chassis wear and bar rail flaring or peening can occur because of the cold weather lube breakdown.
Frozen wood is wet wood. Water and saw chain are not ideal partners. This situation makes lubricating tough and rusty saw chain is never your friend.
Frozen wood is hard on saw chain. It dulls saw chain more rapidly. Ice coated wood rolls the edges and point if you apply pressure. You must let the chain do the work in deep freeze situations.

Now, what about the wood...
Cold weather doesn't really freeze the wood fiber. It does freeze the moisture content of the wood. The crystallizing and expanding moisture makes the wood fibers separate and in turn break easily when they are moved, or should we call it stressed during movement.
Many frozen fibers seem to react like rotting or dried brittle fibers. They move very little before breaking. You know fiber must be flexible to be a plan-able control factor.
So important to use a perfect notch opening to allow this somewhat inferior fiber situation to perform to your expectations. An Open-Face notch of 70 degrees or more will allow the fibers to perform without resistance.
Level back cuts will lessen possibilities of fibers collapsing as the kerf is made. A back cut level to the notch apex limits vertical movement. Fiber collapsing, as it breaks from back to front, cause these holding fibers or hinge to prematurely fail.

To maintain safety and control, hinge fiber is mandatory. Understanding how to deal with different fiber conditions can be challenging. However, in the deep freeze, the path of little resistance is the best technique.

Send any questions you may have to timard@ForestApps.com Visit our training website at www.ForestApps.com .



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Back to Basic's

Back to Basic's

By Tim Ard, Forest Applications Training, Inc.

Have you ever had an experience that after it you said, “Duh, how dumb”, to yourself?

I have always been one to instruct others about the importance of the basics. Planning and execution of the basics usually achieves better results, safely and more productively. As an educator in the field of chainsaw applications and safety I feel more and more everyday that this is most important.

Well, as usual when I get busy doing something I have done over and over or have successfully accomplished in the past, I tend to get a little complacent and skip the basics process. Have you ever done this? When I forget the plan, trying to rush the task, I find my results are usually not what I want them to be.

The past few weeks I have began a new education, something I have always wanted to do. I have thousands of miles and hours riding in commercial aircraft but I have never been in the pilots seat during flight. So, one of my life list items is to accomplish the task. I want to get a pilot’s license. I looked on the internet and found a flight school located just a mile from our new property in Rome, GA and contacted the company. The owner and head instructor, Earl Tillman, called me and invited me over for a test flight. After an hour with him, as I thought I would be, I am hooked.

During the first flight Capt. Tillman asked me what I do for a living and I explained. He started telling me about a project he had going on at his home. He was working a project to open the view from his recently constructed new deck. About an acre of Mimosa trees of 2” to 8” had grown in to block the view. They needed to come out… I agreed to help (to trade out some instruction time). I am glad I did as he has over 6000 hours in small airplane piloting and instruction but he was going to hurt himself with all the intertwined tops of these trees and vine cover. He is amazingly very good with a chainsaw bucking and limbing though! His South GA upbringing (raising) gave him a few hours good training.

During breaks, in what turned out to be a part time three day project, I gave him some instruction in felling. How to notch and back cut after taking information. Putting these weed trees right where you want them to finish the bucking and limbing. He caught on very quickly.

I have learned so very much from this pilot/flight instructor that began his piloting career in about the year I was born. He’s still going strong and again I mention he has taught me so much about flying. Then the other day, taught me something even more important about instructing and achieving anything you set out to do.

I’ve made just over 50 takeoffs and landings since beginning my flight training the week after Christmas 2011. At first I was so nervous, trying to absorb everything and keep it straight, but with a little help from Capt. Tillman, talking me through, the landings were getting better. Then windy days seemed to make it a little more challenging, but I was still able to get the little Cessna 150 to the hanger without any damage.

Around about 40 landings though, I found myself trying to drive the plane through the winds and get it to the runway. Wow, it turned out to be scary. The harder I tried, the worse I seem to get. I couldn't believe I was getting worse at landing that little plane rather than better. Capt. Tillman was there, ready to bail me out of trouble, staying calm and seemed unconcerned with my downward spiraling landing progress.

Then on about one of the rougher landings Capt. Tillman made a statement, as I was taxiing back to the hanger. He said, “You know, they always say that the trick to a good landing is a proper approach.” “Set up your speed and elevation, then line up, look down the nose at the runway and let the plane land.” Now he made the statement that made me understand how great an instructor he is. He said, “Not having it set up right is like trying to cut a tree without a face notch, just with a back cut, trying to get it to do what you want it to do.”

Now folk’s, that 55 years or so of flying just made him an awesome chainsaw instructor too. He just took me back to the basics of technique and instruction in just those couple easy, but profound, sentences.

No matter what you are trying to achieve you can’t overlook the basics of executing the complete plan! Now back to the training!

Good Sawing and Flying!

For chainsaw basics - visit our website at www.ForestApps.com or eMail info@FoprestApps.com for information on our training programs.

All About The Notch

All About The Notch
By Tim Ard, Forest Applications Training, Inc.

Not really, it's really all about the hinge but without the notch the hinge won't work. Does this sound complicated? It is complicated, but not really. Here's some Notch Knowledge...

-In falling, limbing and bucking techniques where movement with control is required, a notch is as important as the hinge. A notch establishes direction, movement of the stem or limb in the direction desired and allows the hinge to break from its back to front evenly and controlled.

-The back of the notch is the fulcrum point and balance point of the trunk and or limb's movement. It's relationship to the crown weight establishes forward and back lean.

-The notch placement, at a distance from the trunks back side, establishes the size of a lifting segment. Segments can assist in calculating wedge lift and pivot requirements.

-The notch establishes level in the cutting process. Your back cut or severing cuts should line up to the notch position.

-The depth of the notch into the tree face or limb diameter establishes control side to side. The depth of the notch gives the hinge its side lean support strength related to its length.

-The middle of the notch should be the middle of the trees diameter.

-The opening of the notch allows the smooth movement of the tree or limb to the target. Take for instance if the notch closes, before the hinge releases, the fiber must snap or pull. The stem or limb will shake and possibly break, shatter or Barber's Chair. This can be especially dangerous with fire damaged or dead tree tops during a fall.

-Make certain there is not a mis-match (Dutchman) in the corner of the notch. This will render the notch semi-inoperative. The by-pass will close with very little movement of the stem or limb.

-A notch of less than 70 degrees is lacking in operations. The opening should allow movement until the stem or limb reaches is desired placement.

Remember, anytime you start a chainsaw, first put on your personal protective equipment (PPE). Many injuries can be prevented or at least lessened by safety glasses, face shields, hard hats, ear protection (plugs or muffs), gloves, chainsaw chaps and heavy duty boots (chainsaw protective). http://www.Elvex.com .

The author is president and instructor of Forest Applications Training, Inc. a nationally recognized training company for chainsaw safety and productivity. Logging, Tree Care, State and Municipal Employees, Disaster Relief and home firewood and cleanup projects. For more information and any questions visit http://www.ForestApps.com .


(c) Copyright 2011 Forest Applications Training, Inc.




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Fuel Solutions

Fuel Solution

By Tim Ard, Forest Applications Training, Inc.

I was told many years ago that an equipment operator is only as good as the equipment he or she runs. This is true, not only in design, but also in their ability to deal with outside the design circumstance.

Fuels today offer a wide variety of instabilities for two stroke engines. They are formulated, by demand, to cater to the automotive side of engines. Small engines, like your chainsaw, blower and trimmer, are forced to try to burn it and survive.

We recently visited the plant and facilities of B3C Fuel Solutions in Conway, SC. The company has been developing and producing fuel additives for over two years now. They are growing rapidly as their products are impressing and filling distribution channels nationwide. They have the capacity to produce over 40,000 bottles a day of some very amazing fuel additives. I’ve been using, testing and becoming ever more convinced that their products are viable solutions to some present two-stroke fuel problems.

The additives are based on a formulation that is effective in both four cycle and two cycle engines and for both gasoline and diesel combustion. They add special formulations to focus the products to specific needs. Their Fuel Solution products are not a flammable but a combustable additive.

Mechanic in a Bottle for gas and diesel and their flagship Ethanol Shield are their top sellers. More info at www.b3cfuelsolutions.com

Explaining a few things I learned in the visit:

Storage and Fuel

All fuel types begin to degrade, attract moisture and oil mix separates over time. Most manufacturers of two stoke equipment recommend to store fuel in a properly labeled and sealed fuel can or supply tank. Only store for a max of 30 days unless stabilized and always buy 89 or higher octane gas.

Stabilization

Fuels today create or are oxygenated to maintain the light ends, or vapor, that improve its volatility. Ethanol does a good job of meeting this need but in this process however the more vaporizing ability of the fuel the more quickly a given volume can become unstable. Stabilizers are formulated to maintain the mix of petroleum gasoline, the ethanol and the oil additive to the blend.

The oil added for your two cycle will adhere to the petroleum gas but not as well to the ethanol added without some assistance. Some synthetic mix oils do blend better to the ethanol, but additives like B3C’s Ethanol Shield can be a big plus to this process. When the ethanol and gas go through a phase separation (which can happen from just temperature changes), it can leave a portion of your fuel going into your engine without lubrication.

Water and the burn

I heard years ago that all gasoline has some content of water that is contained in its volume. One aspect of water and fuel I didn't understand until recently is what happens when fuel burns in the engines combustion area that has a content of water. Mini explosions take place when the water meets the flame. It spreads the flame like fireworks, sparks and fire going in different directions.

I observed several additives that say they remove water. They did seem to accumulate it in the tests but when burned they popped, sparked, sputtered and almost seemed to explode the water uncontrollably. The B3C products made the water invisible and the mixture burned smoothly with none of the fireworks.

Detergent

Additives in fuel designed to clean internal parts can have great results in some engines. If they are not compatible with the oil in two cycle fuel however, the situation can be detrimental. Some detergents cause the oil to suspend or not attach itself to the fuel molecule. This attachment is important to your two cycle engine lubrication. Ethanol added to gasoline is a strong detergent. Additives are necessary and important to allow the ethanol to mix and stay blended.

Fuel Volatility

As fuel ages its effective and controlled burn decreases. As the vaporizing ability and octane deteriorates the fuel becomes unstable and is erratic in the engine’s combustion. Fresh volatile fuel offers a controlled, even burn, under the engines compression and fire sequence. As volatility declines the combustion is like mini explosions and causes a hammering on pistons, bearings and other internal parts. This effect is called detonation.

Burn clean, reducing smoke output

In an ideal condition your engine should burn all the combusted fuel and air. Complete combustion properly reduces emissions that you breath and ejected into the atmosphere. Clean combustion also means the interior of your engine is not coated and covered with shellac and or carbon.

I watched several burn illustrations of an assortment of fuels and additives on the market. Most all of them had soot and carbon streaming into the air when the solution was burned. This illustrates what is happening inside the combustion and the exhaust process of your engine. When the B3C products were burned the flame was consistent and long burning with no recognizable smoking.

All in all, I am convince there are products that can help us though the ethanol issues at www.b3cfuelsolutions.com

For more information contact info@forestapps.com or visit our website www.ForestApps.com

© Copyright 2011, Forest Applications Training, Inc.

Professional Call

Professional Call
By Tim Ard, Forest Applications Training, Inc.

The past week I have spent some time looking over comments and video following the recent snow storms on social media sites. You can learn a lot within today's electronic information. Because of the early snow, while leaves were still in place, they caused extensive tree damage across the country from Colorado to Maine. Crews from all over the area have logged many hours and miles traveling to assist with the reconstruction and clean up process.

Many of the comments reminded homeowners of the dangers of storm tree cleanup. To leave most of the tasks to a trained professional. I agree that a call to a professional is a wise choice in these storm situations. Homeowners and do it yourself fans need to be saw savvy enough to know when to put down the saw and pick up the phone.

I am a little disturbed however at what seemed to be "way too often" seen scenarios on the news and in photos. Professionals with a poor Professional Call for themselves. Now, don't get me wrong, the majority of the scenes having municipal workers and other professional's yielding chainsaws were properly equipped with PPE but it seemed to average only about half of the coverage. That means there are many,many professionals and even more homeowners who are unaware of the dangers, regulations, and even less the awareness and need for PPE.

It's a Professional's Call to protect themselves from some of the risks when operating a chainsaw. PPE is not going to keep an accident from taking place but it sure can help to reduce some of the injuries. It doesn't, just because you are paid, make you impervious to injury from tree and chainsaw incidents. Experience doesn't negate the pain. A professional should plan for, buy, and use every advantage they can to reduce those unplanned accident events. Professionals and occasional users alike all draw from the same pool of revenues, insurance and workers comp, to repair such incidents.

Whether a novice or professional the awareness of the operation dangers need to be sought out through written materials such as your operators manual, reputable video, or advanced training to handle the tasks. If one doesn't have properly maintained tools and Personal Protective Equipment they are not prepared for a storm cleanup operation. PPE includes a hardhat, face, eye and ear protectors, gloves, saw chaps and heavy boots. Make sure of these things before beginning work.

In Closing

If you are a homeowner with do it yourself ability, make sure you have invested in your safety planning, knowledge, sufficient training for skills and PPE. If you haven't done this for yourself- Make the Professional Call!

If you are a homeowner, contracting the services of a tree care or landscape crew, insist the crew is equipped with PPE and safely plans the project before you allow them to begin your work. If they are trained and experienced they will be properly equipped.

Make sure their Calling is as a Professional. It's a Professional Call!


The author is president and lead instructor for Forest Applications Training, Inc., PO Box 1048, Hiram, GA 30141. For more information on Chainsaw Safety and Applications Training send your questions and or comments to info@forestapps.com Visit our website at www.forestapps.com

(c) Copyright 2011 Forest Applications Training, Inc.



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Power of a Storm

Power of a Storm
By Tim Ard, Forest Applications Training, Inc.

We just made it to our next training location on the Cape of Massachusetts. Once again our travel to New England was on the heels of a record storm. First, hurricane Irene and this time one of the earliest record snow and wind storms on record, it's the end of October, not January.

Inches of rain, followed by ice, snow and high winds are damaging trees, taking out power lines. Inevitably the clean up process will be accompanied by reports of injury and death.

Every day it seems, somewhere in the nation, a storm, flood, ice, tornado, hurricane or wind has created situations that chainsaws are brought out of storage to handle. In today's neighborhoods though, another power source is often brought into play - generators.

In recent years generators have become more economical and many people are adding them to their homes for back up energy should the grid go down. For clean up operations however, it causes another safety incident area to be added to your planning process. Many generator owners do not properly install switch systems and sometimes even ventilation systems to safely use their generator for back up power.

A generator should not be ran inside a garage, room or basement where exhaust gases are not properly vented to outside air. Gas and diesel engines produce Carbon Monoxide that will kill you. Place generators outside! Allowing exhaust gases to float around inside your home or building will cause serious illness or death.

A generator used to power circuits in your home must be properly wired. A switch disconnect box must be installed to take your home off the public power grid or your generator will be flowing out and into the grid. You can't just simply plug a cord into you wall socket to run your refrigerator or lights.

A safety issue for cleanup operations

If you are not using a switch disconnect the power goes out into the grid's power lines and pole transformers that can take your little generator's voltage and amps and multiply it to killing power. You see, the power company has alerted workers and area volunteers that the power is off but, your generator isn't. It is energizing lines that someone may be working close to and unknowingly, not expecting, your power to attack them. So, properly wire your home connection or make sure to plug your power needs direct to the sockets on the generator. Save lives!



A Powerful Investment - V Watch
While at the ICUEE in Louisville, KY for www.Elvex.com I came across a tool that many chainsaw operators and teams need. It's called V-Watch by HD Electric Supply. This device is a small voltage detector that can be worn around your neck or attached to a pocket. When you come close to an energized power line it alerts you to the possible danger. This can be an important tool for today's disaster relief teams or for any city or town employees that are first response to storm damage.

Please remember, if you pick up a chainsaw - Put on your Personal Protective Equipment.

A great resource for chainsaw operators- First, your saw's operator's manual. Second, the Forest Applications eBook available from our links on www.ForestApps.com and Barnes and Noble Booksellers.

For more information on chainsaw safety and storm applications training contact us at Forest Applications Training, Inc. info@ForestApps.com www.ForestApps.com


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Location:Dennis, MA

APWA Congress

We flew out to Colorado on the 11th to conduct chainsaw workshops for Colorado LTAP in some of the most beautiful areas of the Rocky Mountains. The first near Telluride, CO. at about 10k feet. Colorado Springs was next, then the last workshop was in Longmont, CO. We had a blast with all the attendees... It is a breathtaking place to work in more than one way - beautiful scenery and thin air.

Sunday - Tuesday we are assisting Elvex Safety with a booth and presentation at the National American Public Works Association Congress here in downtown Denver, CO. APWA is expecting a good turnout for this year's congress and we hope to be able to meet many new contacts to carry on future training programs. Its always a pleasure working with the Elvex staff and talking to folks about their great PPE products.

I've been using and promoting Elvex PPE for right at two years now and I can still tell you I am very happy and the training customers who have converted to them are extremely pleased. The Tectra hardhats and attached hearing and face protection are awesome and the Prolar fabric in the leg protection and upper body garments are superior!

During the National Guard training, which was an instructor program, I assigned topics for the participants to instruct during class exercises. One group decided they would like to see how the chaps work and cut them with a saw. I had a pair of Elvex Arbor chaps with the Prolar padding that was donated to the educational cause. The soldier was determined to put them to the test and expected success in cutting through them. It was one of the most eye opening experiences of the training workshop. The Elvex chap stopped the saw effort in two layers of the pad. They were amazed and talked about the importance of getting other soldiers to make sure and wear their chaps when they pick up a saw... Have you committed to wearing them?   www.Elvex.com