Forestry: Jobs

What Jobs are Involved?

Tree Management And Harvesting

Lumberjack

Lumberjack is a Core Job, their job is to cut down trees. They start their day in the lodge after their morning meal and go along to the processing room. To sharpen their axe for the next tree to be felled. If they have not got a tree to cut down immediately, they await their requirement. While this happens they will help with other tasks at the lodge. Once called out to a tree they will check for local wildlife and ensure that there are no wild birds nesting in either the tree that is to be cut or any of the trees nearby. They will cut the tree in a way that ensures it falls safely.

Tree Surgeon

The Tree surgeon’s job is to ensure that trees aren’t dangerous, such as putting their roots into peoples walls and potentially knocking the home down or growing branches that might hit people's windows. If a tree is rotten, then the tree is removed and its wood disposed of thoughtfully. The Tree Surgeon is a Core Job position. They generally do not have trees to go to but go when there are issues to deal with or alleviate. After their breakfast, if they don't have any issues to deal with, then they will help around the lodge.

Snedder

A Snedder is a person who cuts the branches of fallen trees. This is an Extra Employment placement. After their morning meal. Will sharpen their hand axe for the day's labour. If they are required after this they will go where they are needed if not then they will help around the lodge until this becomes the case.

Log Cutter

The log cutter is an Extra Employment placement. As the name suggests they cut logs to length. They often work in pairs as they use a two-man saw. They cut the log down to 2-metre lengths (6 feet 6.74 inches). They cut the log down to make it easier to carry the product that will be made from the log and the process will be made easier by the portable sawmill operator. After their breakfast, they will sharpen their tools and if they have a tree to process, they will go there. If they do not then, they will help around the lodge.

Pine Drop Gatherer

In the Autumn months, pine trees are renowned for dropping their pine cones. It is the pine drop gatherer, that collects these pine cones in a Kitararu (gatherers basket). They collect the pine cones, to collect the seeds that are protected in the cone so that they can be planted in the future. In seasons that is not autumn, they will collect pine needles instead. When they collect pine needles they ensure to not take too many as to uncover the forest floor as pine needles are poisonous to other plants. The purpose of this is so only pine trees, are able to grow. The Pinecones and needles are then processed. The pine needles are sieved to remove any dirt that may have been collected. The remaining pine needles are then beaten with a wooden mallet to break up the dried fibrous system of the pine needles. The beaten pine needles are then bagged up to be exported to make paper. Pine cones once they have lost their seeds, they then have their scales removed and are packed into the charcoal kiln, and other wood that is to be turned into charcoal. All of the pine cones are processed. It is the pine needles from trees that are destined to be either turned into baskets, oil or paper. This position is an Extra Employment Placement and has no levels. After their breakfast, they will collect their basket and go out to gather. They have no place to report to but will go to places that people are, so they can be seen. They are however armed with a knife so just in case they are attacked by Wolves they can defend themselves.

Needle Harvester

A needle Harvester is a job in which they pick pine needles off twigs. They will sort the pine needles by length. The basket weaver will use the longer twigs while, the shorter will have their oil removed and be beaten and exported to make paper. This position is an Extra Employment placement. They will start their day after breakfast by sitting in the processing room in the lodge and carry on with what they were doing the previous day, this may be to pick pine needles off twigs and other woody parts of the tree or to process the pine needles by extracting pine wax from the needles or drying longer needles for basket weaving. With Pine needles, they are sorted. If they are at least 10.16 cm (4”). They are dried and are used for making baskets. The most common two are both 10 cm (3.94”) in diameter. One is 5 cm (1.97”) tall and the other matches the diameter. The shorter kind of pine needles are put through a roller to remove the oil, before being dried for longer than the ones used for baskets. These needles are divided into two piles. One for the piles of needles will be used by the Beekeeping Industry. The other half are beaten with a carver’s mallet ^[16] and then exported. The oil that is collected is bottled and sold to the Warehouse or exported. The Bottles are 3.5cm (1.38 inches) in diameter and 11.5cm high (4.53 inches) . These bottles can hold 50 ml and are packed together as a set into Crates.

Land Maintenance

Stump Remover

The Stump Remover is an Extra Employment placement, in which they remove the extra log from the tree stump that can be used to make trug baskets, as well as removing the stump and the roots from a tree that can be tripped over. Their removal is then further processed by the chipper. After their breakfast, if they don't have a stump to process, then they will help around the lodge. This is normally to help around the kitchen such as chopping ingredients. They use a trolley for their job as a stump and the log will be heavy to move long distances. They will have a knife so that if they are in the wilderness, removing a tree stump or roots. They can defend themselves.

Restockist

A Restockist is a planter of trees and is an Extra Employment position, their job is to replant trees. Where trees have been cut to allow the industry to continue cutting down trees. Pine trees take 9 years from planning to be at the right size to cut down. It is from the pine cone drop gatherer gets their seeds to plant new seedlings. First, the seed is put into damp sand for a few weeks the ones that germinated are planted into pots once they reach about 15.24cm (6 inches) tall. The sapling is planted outside and with a tree guard. They start their workday by either if they have no sapling to plant, working with the pine drop gatherer by dealing with seeds. But if they do have saplings to plant they will plant these, saplings and ensure that they have been watered and have a tree guard to ensure that the tree grows without any wild animals eating the sapling.

Log and Wood Processing

Log Planer

The log planner is an Extra Employment position, that turns the log into two things one of them being feet for a trug basket as well as the staves to allow the basket weavers to make their baskets. They start their day by working on the log they were processing the previous day, or starting on a new log. They make the feet of the basket first and then make the staves of the basket 2.54 cm (1 inch) by 0.5cm (0.197 inches). Once finishing making the parts of the baskets they are handed to basket weavers.

Basket Weaver

by SmithsTrug

The Basket Weaver is an Extra Employment position that makes baskets. They don't just make the type in the picture on the left ^[15] but also make baskets from pine needles, although without a lid ^[10]. The baskets ^{[image left]} are mostly used by forestry workers as a way to sort pine needles or to carry one thing to another place. In the wider scope of cities they are used to carry items in the markets and in stores of Zone 4. Other baskets that are popular ^[10] are those made from pine needles the most common types are two of the same diameter but differing heights one being 5cm (1.97 inches) high and the other being 10cm (3.937 inches). The smaller is typically used in sorting New Sovereigns as well as for the use of tidying and sorting game pieces for playing board games. The pine needle baskets are sold to the Warehouse to be sold to other businesses. The Larger of the two, are used as caddies for cutlery. They also make gatherers baskets that are used by the pine needle gatherer. After their breakfast, the basket weaver will either continue to make the basket they were on or start a new one. They will be in one of the busiest rooms of the lodge to work the baskets and will work alongside the Needle Harvesters, Tool Storage Technician as well as anyone in the mornings sharpening their axes.

Chipper

The Chipper is an Extra Employment placement, in which they get the processed stump and roots from the stump remover. The log is not given to the chipper but is given to the log planer. The roots and stump are first cleaned with a steel brush to remove any caked-on dirt. They then chop up the roots with an axe. With the stump, they use steel wedges and a wooden mallet to break the stump down into further pieces. The aim is to turn the roots into chips about 5.08 cm (2 inches) long and the stump into kindling strips. The kindling goes straight to the charcoal burners. The chips from roots are first looked at by the tool storage technician to remove a few of the chips. The chips can be used to test the sharpness of axes. After this, the remaining chips are then given to the charcoal burners. If charcoal is not in demand, then the lodge will have its charcoal stock topped up and the remaining wood will be exported to make paper. After their morning meal, they will go and process the wood from yesterday as the tree stumps and roots can be hard to cut and process. If for some reason they have no stumps to process then they will help out the charcoal burners with the grading process or help out in the lodge. Occasionally the chipper will be visited by the sawmill operator with offcuts of wood they have. These offcuts will be turned into chips and bagged up but rather going to the charcoal burners will be exported to make paper.

Charcoal Burner

The Charcoal Burner is a Core Job, in which their job is to process wood into charcoal and its by-product wood tar ^[7][8][9]. Both products are either stored at the Warehouse or exported. The job is a Core Job as the care and skill the job requires. The wood is loaded into a kiln and set to cook what occurs is white steam coming out of the chimneys of the kiln when the kiln steam turns blue they are no longer burning off the water but now using the fuel they are trying to make ^[7][9].

Sawmill

Portable Sawmill Operator

The Portable Sawmill operator is a Core Job position. They operate the portable sawmills. They are classified as a Core Job as they need to be trained to a high standard and be skilled. The portable sawmill is used to saw logs into boards, planks, posts and beams. After their breakfast from which they often sit near the door. They will tend to their machines by adding lubricate ^[11] and topping up the machine of biodiesel. If there are no trees to process then they will then take one of the shire horses into Birdencaster, loaded with sacks of charcoal to be sold at the Warehouse. If however, they do have a tree to process then they will hitch the horse to the portable sawmill to work more closely to the tree as to reduce the transportation of the logs.

Sawmill Operator

The Sawmill Operator is a Core Job position. As a part of their job, they finish boards, planks, posts and beams at the sawmill building rather than the portable sawmill. The Wood products are finished by having their bark removed for the cases of boards and planks and are cut to length. With posts and beams, they are cut to length for the beams. They are then coated with copper azole to preserve the pine from the elements ^[6]. These are then transported to the Warehouse for sale. Any waste produced by the refinement of the wood being cut is broken down further and exported to make paper. Since sawmill workers are not part of the Lodge staff they are not eligible for accommodations and meals at the Lodge. They have their own accommodation within Birdencaster. Upon arriving at the sawmill they will do the following actions depending on if they have wood to process, how much finished wood there is in storage and if they have off-cuts to process. In the table below shows in what instances the Sawmill Operator will do.

Wood to Process	Storage	Off-cuts	Result
No	0%	0%	They will report to the lodge saying they have no wood to process.
No	0%	<40%	[T1]
No	0%	40%	[T1]
No	0%	>0%	[T1]
No	<40%	0%	[T2]
No	<40%	<40%	[T3]
No	<40%	40%	[T2]
No	<40%	>0%	[T2]
No	40%	0%	[T2]
No	40%	<40%	[T3]
No	40%	40%	[T3]
No	40%	>0%	[T3]
No	>40%	0%	[T2]
No	>40%	<40%	[T3]
No	>40%	40%	[T2]
No	>40%	>0%	[T3]
Yes	0%	0%	[T4]
Yes	0%	<40%	[T4]
Yes	0%	40%	[T4]
Yes	0%	>0%	[T5]
Yes	<40%	0%	[T6]
Yes	<40%	<40%	[T7]
Yes	<40%	40%	[T5]
Yes	<40%	>0%	[T7]
Yes	40%	0%	[T6]
Yes	40%	<40%	[T7]
Yes	40%	40%	[T7]
Yes	40%	>0%	[T7]
Yes	>40%	0%	[T6]
Yes	>40%	<40%	[T7]
Yes	>40%	40%	[T6]
Yes	>40%	>0%	[T7]

The Sawmill Operator will ... [T1] Load up a Shire Horse with offcuts of wood and take it to the lodge to be turned into chips by the chipper. The chips of wood will be exported to make paper.
[T2] Load up a Shire Horse with finished wood from the storerooms and sell it to the Warehouse.
[T3] Load up a Shire Horses with offcuts of wood and finished wood. Then take it to the Lodge to be turned into chips by the chipper. The chips of wood will be exported to make paper. While on their journey to the Lodge they will sell the finished wood to the Warehouse.
[T4] Start processing wood to finish.
[T5] Start processing wood to finish and then near the end of the day, or when the offcuts get to 100% will go over to the Lodge to see the chipper to chip the offcuts that will be exported to make paper.
[T6] Start processing wood to finish and then near the end of the day, or when the storage gets to 100% will go over to the Warehouse to sell the finished wood.
[T7] Start processing wood to finish and then near the end of the day, or when the storage and off-cuts get to 100% Lodge to see the chipper to chip the offcuts that will be exported to make paper. On their journey to the lodge, they will visit the Warehouse to sell the finished wood.
With Storing the finished wood they will stack the wood to allow airflow and natural heat over the finished product as the finished wood is cut green instead of being seasoned first. This process will season the wood ^[13].

Maintenance And General Operations

Carriers

The job of carrier is an Extra Employment position. This is a job where they carry things that can be, equipment for the portable sawmill operator or carrying sawn items from a log to the sawmill building. They work in teams of multiple sizes which can change its size and the members in it, with each tree or within processing the same tree. Carriers can carry products across long stretches of land and therefore are armed if they get attacked by wild animals in the wilderness. After their morning meal, if they have carrying duties, they will perform them in the unlikely occurrence that they have no carrying that needs to be performed they will help around the Lodge. These duties are typically making and changing the beds in the bunkhouse of the same gender they are.

Tool Storage Technician

The tool storage technician is an Core Job position. In their job, they will work in the Processing Room and store tools correctly when they are not used. They are in charge of the whetstone storage and ensuring that the number of the whetstone points outward so the person can find the right grit of the whetstone they are looking for. They have the technical knowledge and can help those in the industry with sharpening their tools if the person doing the sharpening the tool is new. They start their day after their morning meal they will go to the processing room to help others sharpen their axes etc as well as organise the equipment. After this point they will help around the Lodge often in the kitchen or in the common room tidying up, ready for the evening.

Sawmill Engineer

The position of Sawmill is a Core Job position. They are there to maintain the sawmill and keep the blade of the saw sharp. Once they are in the sawmill they will make repairs to the sawmill that won’t disrupt the processing of wood. If the sawmill operator is away from their station as they have taken off-cuts to the lodge or have taken the seasoned product to the Warehouse to be sold. The Engineer will take this chance to repair more of the sawmill if it is required since the sawmill operator is out the Engineer can’t disrupt the processing of the wood if the operator is away.

Biodiesel Producer

The Biodiesel Producer is an Extra Employment placement. Unlike other Extra Employment placements is not available for under 18’s (16 or 17 Year Olds), this is because of the use of White spirit involved. In the job, they will be required to purchase the chemical which has an age restriction. The job involves taking 1 litre of used cooking oil from a plastic PLA barrel and then filtering the food particles out of the oil then adding 3ml of white spirit to the filtered oil once this is done added into another barrel and left for a week. If the second barrel is not full and can hold another litre the process will be repeated up until there is excess. It is done this way for accuracy reasons. The used cooking oil is donated by restaurants from within the city. There is not enough biodiesel produced to make it worthwhile to be used by everyone so the citizens of the city have permitted the biodiesel to be used as part of the forestry industry. Firstly because the forestry industry is the biggest after the Animal Husbandry Industry. Lastly, it is used by the forestry industry as it is majoritively outside there are health concerns over the white spirit used in the fuel may cause respiratory issues. This is mainly why they don't use diesel generators inside of buildings. After their breakfast, they will continue working on producing more biodiesel or if there is biodiesel ready topping up jerry cans so that the portable sawmills can be refuelled on-site, rather than being taken back to the lodge to be refilled. If they can’t do either of those then they will help around the lodge: Buildings, as they work with chemicals they will not be helping in the kitchen due to hygiene reasons. The feeling is, even if they have washed their hands' the residue from the chemicals will still be on their hands contaminating the food that is being prepared.

Stable Hand

The Stable Hand is a Extra Employment placement. Their job is to look after the Shire Horses, while the horses are not working, pulling a portable sawmill. The Stable Hand’s day starts with them tending to the horses after they do this they will help round the lodge or help keep the Common Room tidy.

Leadership

Forestry Foreman

The Forestry Foreman is a Core Job, their job is to run the forestry industry. This includes where to cut trees, and where to plant them again, as well as ensuring they don't run out of trees as the trees take 9 years to grow to a stage that can be harvested for wood. While part of the forestry industry and not working at the sawmills, one would expect that they would have accommodation at the Lodge, this is not the case as they have their own within Birdencaster. Their day starts looking at maps of the segments of the forestry industry and deciding which parts need cutting or maintaining and which areas need to be replanted.

Article Contents

Further Resources

References

[6] Wikipedia article section on Pine being used in construction
[7] Youtube video - Time Team - Season 9 Episode 5
[8] Wikipedia Article on Charcoal burners
[9] A Youtube video on how to make charcoal
[10] How to weave pine needle baskets
[11] The Affordable, Easy-to-Use & Reliable Sawmill You've Been Looking for - The Frontier OS27
[13] On how to dry wood
[15] A youtube video on how trug baskets are made.
[16] The 5 Types of Mallets for Woodworking

Picture References

Picture of Basket - Commons Wikimedia
The picture was taken by SmithsTrug
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

Acknowledgements

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