Crankin' It Up

We are going high class this Friday with some real Long-Hair music arranged by Fritz Kreisler, and played by Jascha Heifetz. Don't let my buzz cut fool you; I love this kind of music.

Stumped?

I have been told all of my adult life that you can steer a tree by making the hinge thicker on one end. I believed that early-on, but never had any luck making it work, and have never actually seen anyone successfully "turn" a tree once it is released to fall, but I still hear this method promoted.

If we set up a pointer at 90 degrees to the front of the hinge cut, we should see the treetop to the left of the pointer. OOPS! The treetop landed slightly to the right!

This pecan stump has an extraordinarily thick hinge on the right side, ostensibly to make the tree go in that direction. What is the result?

The treetop lies to the left. I have yet to see this method work the way its promoters say it does. You can watch loggers doing this on YouTube if you check out the tree falling videos. I have seen write-ups that tell they are using a "swing cut," but the tree goes in the direction it starts without turning. Putting a tree where you want it is simple, and doesn't require any magical skills. Go to the spot you want the tree to land on, look back at the tree, and if it is vertical in relation to you, aim straight on with the sighting line on your saw. Correct right or left in the opposite direction of side-lean, up to your side-lean limit. If the tree has more side-lean than the hinge can hold, pick another spot to drop your tree into. You can handle about half as much side-lean as you can back-lean. With back-lean, all of the hinge is holding against it, but with side-lean, only half of the hinge is holding against it.

In addition to being an ineffective method of aiming a tree, thick hinges destroy value in the most valuable part of the tree. Those long splinters should have remained in the log to become part of the lumber produced, but defective lumber will be cut now from an otherwise good log. One of the skills a logger needs is the knowledge of how thick he can make a hinge without causing fiber to pull as the tree falls. You can see on this stump that pecan begins pulling fiber when the hinge is a bit thicker than 1/2 inch.

Another common mistake you will see in timber operations is the tall stump. The wood in this stump is perfectly sound, and the logger should have cut this tree just a few inches off the ground. In this case, about forty board feet of the butt log was left behind, which would have been worth around $5.00 to the landowner at junk hardwood prices.

Bonus Shooting Time!

Sailor Curt has announced that you can still shoot and sumbmit the July e-Postal match through the end of this week! These contests are a great way to improve your shooting skill, and are a great way to rub elbows with famous bloggers like Mr. Completely. Click here to read the rules and download your target for July, or find the same link under Get Out And Shoot in the sidebar. You do not need any "special" equipment; a .22 pistol, ammo, and a safe place to shoot are all you need. Shoot your target, and send a scan to Sailor Curt before the end of the week. Everyone who shoots wins bragging rights, and improved shooting skills!

It Beats Pumping By Hand!

A collector from Georgetown, Indiana showed this neat Aermotor display last week at Boonville. There is a good closeup of the ignitor and exhaust arm working in conjunction with each other at the end. I never get tired of watching and listening to old machines like this one.

The Perfect Crime

This stump and treetop from twenty years ago is a warning for timber owners. The fellow who owned the timber back then never marked his boundaries, and seldom visited his property. He found out that his timber was gone when he decided to see if he had enough big trees to make a sale. Timber thieves usually don't go straight into a woods that they are stealing from; access is usually gained from a neighboring woods where they have purchased timber. A well marked boundary won't necessarily stop a thief if he sees timber on the other side, and no one is watching; and usually no one is. Even if the theft is discovered in time to connect the dots to the thief, he probably will not be prosecuted. Illinois for example, requires that intent to steal be proven. If the cutter swears that he didn't know where the boundary is, he will probably get away with making restitution, with no prosecution on his record. Landowners who grow timber need to keep in mind that some loggers steal regularly, seldom are caught, and when they are caught, they only have to pay for what they stole. You need to keep your boundaries marked well, check on your property regularly, and talk to your neighbors often to keep up with activities in your neighborhood.

The Show Never Ends Around Here

Surprise lilies seem to come up thicker every year. Astounding!

Not My Victrola: A Spelling Lesson

Listen to this song a few times and you will never be stuck when someones asks how to spell"Constantinople." I have kept this tune in my head for more than forty years, and someone might ask yet; you never know. This is a Paul Whiteman record, posted on YouTube by MickeyClark.

Here Comes Monday Again!

Back To The Old Grind!

R.I.P. Scooter

Scooter was set out as a kitten, just down the road from our house, more than fifteen years ago. He has been a constant companion around the farm, following us around to help with yard work, and guarding our front step. The last time we saw him was last Sunday evening. The weather has been good, and the cats are sleeping outside instead of going to the barn or garage, and Scooter was probably grabbed by a coyote. One of his predecessors, Snaggle, disappeared the same way. That is one reason we keep loaded rifles handy by the doors, and we have killed three coyotes in our yard in recent years. The top photo was taken in April, as Scooter helped inspect the poppies.

This picture is from a few years back. Scooter always greeted us when we drove in, and we are really missing him.

Weekend Steam

There are two Kecks, a Kitten, and a model Keck running at the Boonville, Indiana steam and gas engine show this weekend, plus a great assortment of tractors, gas engines, and a few old cars. Mrs. TBS and I watched the sawmill for a while on Friday, and the crew has it tuned up and running great. There are a bunch of garden tractors, and several gas powered home built go-buggies putting around the grounds. Old Style Barbecue is being cooked on the grounds so you don't have to go hungry. If Boonville is too far to drive, go to the show directory in the left sidebar and find a show in your neighborhood.