Osceola Chainsaw Course

[JaxHiker]

Just wondering if any other WBers will be at the FTA chainsaw training this weekend.

[Cabin Fever]

If Steve Shepard from Camp Lejeune is doing the training tell him Jake Mitchell from East Tennessee says hello. Steve and a retired USFS ranger did training for our club last weekend in Unicoi.

[The Solemates]

been workin a chainsaw about 15-20 hours a week for 6 weeks now clearing my own land for a house...fun work!

[smokymtnsteve]

been workin a chainsaw about 15-20 hours a week for 6 weeks now clearing my own land for a house...fun work!

esp @ -25 F

[mudhead]

Nothing is fun at -25.

[smokymtnsteve]

Nothing is fun at -25.

everything is MORE fun at -25

Happiness is forty below!

[mudhead]

I do believe the Northern Lights have cooked your brain.

I enjoy squeaky snow, but that is waaaay to much fresh air.

[The Solemates]

does the chainsaw even work very well at -25? much less -40? seems like the plastic peices would be so brittle they would fracture, and the engine would choke up

[smokymtnsteve]

does the chainsaw even work very well at -25? much less -40? seems like the plastic peices would be so brittle they would fracture, and the engine would choke up

ah this is where you have to know the way we do things in AK...you have to bring the chainsaw into your cabin for a couple hours and let it warm up then take it outside and crank it ( or crank it inside for that matter)

so the plastic pieces are always warm ....

one must be careful not to let the chain stop moving as the snow, frost ,ice from the wood will freeze the chain to the bar,,,then you have to go thru the warm up procedure again.

but chainsaws run fine at low temps if you warm them first..also warm your bar oil , then the engine heat will keep it flowing.

[smokymtnsteve]

ah this is where you have to know the way we do things in AK...you have to bring the chainsaw into your cabin for a couple hours and let it warm up then take it outside and crank it ( or crank it inside for that matter)

so the plastic pieces are always warm ....

one must be careful not to let the chain stop moving as the snow, frost ,ice from the wood will freeze the chain to the bar,,,then you have to go thru the warm up procedure again.

but chainsaws run fine at low temps if you warm them first..also warm your bar oil , then the engine heat will keep it flowing.

of course this info isn't relevant to Florida, they probably teaching safety or some such foolishness

[BumpJumper]

Hey Jax. The only person I know is Mingo. Not sure if she is a WB er or not. I have been wanting to take it but it always seems like something is in the way.
If you see Mingo, tell her I said hi.

[JaxHiker]

they probably teaching safety or some such foolishness

Geez, I hope not.

Hey Jax. The only person I know is Mingo. Not sure if she is a WB er or not. I have been wanting to take it but it always seems like something is in the way.
If you see Mingo, tell her I said hi.

Will do. I know what you mean about things in the way. There's way too much I want to do this and next weekend. There's a wilderness 1st aid course I'd love to do next weekend. And I'm missing a hike in N GA. I'm sure there's other stuff I'm forgetting.

[BumpJumper]

Yeah...like going with us on the overnighter at Flat Island

[JaxHiker]

Cabin Fever, forgot to mention that Paul Varnadoe is our planned instructor.

[take-a-knee]

ah this is where you have to know the way we do things in AK...you have to bring the chainsaw into your cabin for a couple hours and let it warm up then take it outside and crank it ( or crank it inside for that matter)

so the plastic pieces are always warm ....

one must be careful not to let the chain stop moving as the snow, frost ,ice from the wood will freeze the chain to the bar,,,then you have to go thru the warm up procedure again.

but chainsaws run fine at low temps if you warm them first..also warm your bar oil , then the engine heat will keep it flowing.

Stupid/Careless types don't last too long up there, not to mention lazy folks. A cold climate selects for hardiness and character.

[JaxHiker]

Had a blast this weekend!



The Aftermath

[BumpJumper]

So Jax...what did yall do with all those logs?

[JaxHiker]

Left 'em for the bugs and worms. We asked about it, though. Most of them were dead snags that needed to be removed but there were a few green ones. Since it's a national forest we learned that removing logs = red tape. Apparently you need a permit to remove the stuff and by the time the paperwork and environmental stuff is done the wood has rotted.

[mudhead]

The hardwoods thank you for the nutrient.

[The Solemates]

what was this done for?