Forestry: Harvesting

Harvesting

During this section, we will go through the process of tree cutting and turning that tree into lumber and other tree-related products.

Felling ^[2]

When a pine tree has been marked for felling two Lumberjacks go out to the tree and look at three things. Where the tree should fall; if there is anything in the way of where it is falling, like wild habitat and if the tree would fall, are they going to knock down a birds nest.
At this point, they use their axes to make a wedge in the direction where the tree will fall. In the tree about 45cm (1’ 5 in) above the ground. They take it in turns to axe the tree. For the next wedge is cut from behind the last wedge was cut and slightly above the bottom of the first axe cut. The second wedge is smaller in size so that when the tree falls it will use gravity and will fall in the direction it was planned to fall in.
Once the tree has fallen, one of the lumberjacks will go off to get two Sneeders, two log cutters, three Carriers and a portable sawmill operator. The Portable Sawmill operator will take longer to set up as a Shire Horse has to be hitched up to the portable sawmill and loaded up with other tools that the operator or the carriers can’t carry. Once they are ready the lumberjack leads them to the worksite. Once this is done the lumberjacks leave to either the Lodge or to the next tree.

Snedding ^[3]

Snedding, limbing in North America. Is the process of removing the branches and twigs from the trunk of a tree. While the snedders perform this process the Portable Sawmill Operator sets up the sawmill at a safe distance and set up a tarpaulin so that the work can be done on a surface in which the waste can be collected.
Once the sawmill has been moved into position, the sawmill has its wheel brakes on and the other legs lowered so it can’t move. The horse is unhitched and tethered to another tree that is at an even safer distance as to not scare the horse when the sawmill is in operation. The sawmill is then levelled with planks of wood that failed the quality control stage. The levelling of the sawmill is checked with a spirit level.
While this is happening the snedders are removing branches and twigs. Once the tree has been delimbed from the sides and above the trunk. What remains is left so that the log cutters can do their job as the bottom branches would allow for greater accessibility. At the tip of the tree, where there is not much timber, it is cut and further processed.
For branches, however, they can be broken down further, the main branch is further cut to lengths, the smaller parts that are then carried off with the twigs to be processed at the lodge.
This includes the tip of the tree. That has been broken down to twigs with needles and a solitary thick part that was once the trunk. For the Carriers, the carrying becomes circular; they go back and forth and only stop when there is nothing else to carry.
With the branches that have been cut to length are sawn into planks while not as straight as the main trunk these planks can be used in further processes. Such as in the basket making process.

Cutting Through The Log

The log cutters who work in pairs will use a log sawhorse and a two-man saw to saw the trunk to length. Once a log has been freed from the main trunk it is then snedded further to remove the branches that were once the underside of the tree.
It is then those logs that are cut into timber by the portable sawmill operator. These planks are then carried to the Sawmill to be finalised as there is still bark on the timber. As the timber is cut from the logs horizontally and the saw blade can’t be rotated. The sawmill building can also cut the boards, planks and posts to length.
When there are no longer any branches to cut or process the snedders return to the lodge. Once they are there, they ask for a stump remover.
The stump remover takes a gardening trolley and loads it with a saw and mattock and carries the other tool. At the worksite, they use a saw to remove a log from the very base of the tree. Then use a mattock to dig around the stump to allow them to see the roots of the tree. When this is done they get a saw and saw through the roots to allow them to free the tree stump. After this is done the trolley is loaded with the tree stump and log. It is at this point that the stump remover checks the roots. If any look like they would be tripped over, they are removed.
While this is happening, the portable sawmill worker may have finished their job of cutting the log into planks and posts etc. If this is the case they will do the reverse of setting up and leave. With the carriers two will stay with the stump remover, not to give company but to help with moving of the trolley or more roots that cant be loaded onto the trolley.

Further Processes ^[4]

As they return to the lodge the roots and stump are given to the chipper while the log is given to the log planer. The wastes from the portable sawmill are collected and exported to make paper, any offcuts are used for future use by the industry such as the levelling boards for the portable sawmill. The horses are returned to their stables and fed and watered if required.
In the processing area of the lodge, needle harvesters are working on the twigs of trees that have been cut down by taking off the needles. While they are doing this they are sorting the needles into two baskets.
One is for needles that are more than 10.16 cm (4 in) in length and another for those that fail the length test, as they are too short. The longer needles are dried but to the point that they can still be pliable and have lost their distinctive green colour and can be used by the basket weaver. The basket weaver makes two sizes of cylindrical containers one that is 10 cm (3.94 in) in diameter and 10 cm high while the other is 10 cm in diameter but is 5 cm (1.97in) tall.
The short pine needles are put through a roller to not just flatten them but to extract the wax as it is not useful in the coming processes. The wax is bottled and sold to the Warehouse. The wax stripped pine needles are then beaten by a wooden carving mallet to break up the parallel fibre system of the pine needles. They are then dried further and longer than the much longer pine needles and are bagged up to be exported to make paper^[5].
Outside the lodge, some processes that are dirty or unhygienic go on. The chipper will use a steel brush to get the dirt off the roots and stumps. Then turns the tree roots into wood chips. For the stump, however, he uses his axe to break the stump into wedges and further down into kindling sized strips.
Depending on the demand for charcoal for the forges of the metalsmiths of Birdencaster. They will turn the wood chips and kindling to charcoal if there is a demand. If there is no demand for charcoal as supplies are plentiful only enough charcoal is made to satisfy the requirements for the lodge. Some of the wooden chips may be saved to check the sharpness of axes before the rest is burned. If no charcoal is burned and there is still chips or kindling left over, they will bag this up and export it for the papermaking process.
The log that was gathered by the stump remover is given to the log planer who makes the feet for the trug basket as well as strips once which measure 2.54cm (1 inch) wide and 0.5 cm (0.197 in) thick. The components are given to the basket weavers to make into the baskets. Any baskets that aren't needed by the forestry industry are sold to the Warehouse.

Article Contents

Further Resources

Forum post on portable mill fuel efficiency
A Wikipedia Category Article on Forestry Tools
A Youtube video on making diesel from old chip oil.

References

[2] Cutting down a small tree with an axe - Axecraft Basics Part 1
[3] How to Sned (Limb) a tree with an axe - Axecraft Basics Part 2
[4] How to cut through a tree with an axe - Axecraft Basics Part 3

Acknowledgements

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