Da Plane!

Thanks to the transport help of buddy, David 'Hardcore' Greene, I came into possession of an old Aldinger wood planer. Thanks also to buddy Steve Milne for telling me about this heavy duty planer in the first place.

You can tell from the photo below (courtesy of Mr. Greene) that it needs some fixin' to be in working order. Just a little rust. I find the expression on my face amusing in a sick sort of way.

"What the hell am I gonna do with this?"

The guy who sold it to me gave me the wrong dimension by just a couple of feet. So, the skid I built which it now sits on in the forest is too small to build a crate around. That's how I plan to store it. In a crate. Outside. Then uncrate it when I need to use it. That hick enough for ya?

I could always solve my problems by pulling it over and be crushed to death.

That's too easy.

Broad Axe

I popped into the Parry Sound antiques shop today and lo and behold, buddy had an old broad axe for sale, $20. Sold!

This Campbell's Tools, St. John, NB no. 4 just needs a good brushing.
And a handle adjustment.

I've been looking for one of these puppies cheap for a long time. I could buy one new for $150 - $300, but I'm too busy paying off the safety harness for that.

Broad axes are used to hand hew logs into squared beams - the old fashioned way. I can use it to lay down trail beams for woodlot bridges and a whole whack of other things. These axes were used extensively in the new and old world before mills replaced them for the most part in the 1800s. The side shown has a beveled edge for sharpening while the other side is flat for shaping the log. Think of it as a big and heavy wood chisel.

Here it is after power brushing off some rust.

Looks like a sculpture.

And now I have something to bring to those angry mobs!

Cargo Sleds

Visions of cargo sleds have danced through my head of late.

Like a good little logger, I want to use the snow to help me haul wood out of the forest for fuel and timber use. I could cut, spilt, and stack the fuelwood in the forest during autumn in piles beside the main trails. Then, in winter, I could sled the wood piles to the fuelwood sheds for storage.

From what I've seen, there's two main types of cargo sleds.

The 'tub' style cargo sled.


The 'ski' style cargo sled.

For hand pulling, I'm more inclined to go with the tub style sled. The ski style looks like less friction, but more difficult to fabricate.

There's some ribbed sheet metal laying around I'm gonna think through for sled material in a bit. If I could build some removable sides, I might even be able to haul milling logs out of the woods too.

I never know until I try.

Kit Guns & Samurai Swords

I started to think about my close encounter with the female bear and her cubs the other day. That was a dangerous situation I was lucky to get out of. And if the big bear decided I was enough of a threat to her cubs, it wouldn't be the first time a bear attacked a human to defend her young.

This bear and her unpredictable cubs are here now and I have to deal with this daily reality.

Mentioning to Ma Pocock that the time may have come to "get a gun" just in case, she replied that it was illegal to shoot bears out of season. And live trapping a mother bear is out because the cubs wouldn't likely survive.

"I'm not gonna worry about the legality of shooting a bear when it's coming right at me", said I.

Even one of mom's quilting buddies carries a sidearm into the bush with her - just in case. You don't want to be in the bush wishing, gosh, if only I had something to defend myself right now....

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) recommends people in bear country like me should carry a long axe with them in the bush. First of all, a long axe is a big and awkward item to carry everywhere. Second, you've got one chance at best of hitting an attacking bear (on the head, I guess) with a heavy axe. And you better kill it with that one blow, but more likely piss it off even more.

And rifles are awkward to carry and not as good as pistols at close range (charging bear) with sighting problems in dense bush foliage.

So, I figure, if I'd pack a gun it would be a holstered pistol. Remember kids, revolvers are more reliable than clip fed. I even picked up some RCMP pamphlets on courses and such. Of course, if I was in the USA, I'd probably be able to pick one up right away at the country store....

Anyhoo, I thumbed through a back copy of my trusty 'Backwoodsman' magazine and found a nifty article on kit guns.

The pipe included in this photo is a nice touch.
(photo and text: 'The Backwoodsman' March/April 2009)

Here's a short passage from The Backwoodsman on kit guns:

For pot shooting, running a trap-line, plinking, and even self-defense while hiking, the sadly discontinued S&W Kit Guns have achieved a cult-like status....

But then, I'm not too sure I can trust myself not to shoot human trespassers on sight. So, having a pistol at the ready, is maybe not the best thing.

I remember a report of a rogue bear attack on a boater on Vancouver Island last year. Good Samaritans were stabbing away at the bear mauling the guy to no avail. Then some old sea dog plunged a 12 inch blade into the bear and killed it.

So, I think I'm gonna settle on the short, single edge sword I've got as a forest 'attitude adjuster'. Guess those years of sword fighting instruction may have some practical use after all! A sword can stab and slash quickly. Mine is a good close quarters Japanese-style sword with a one or two hand pummel. After I pick up some army surplus webbing, I'll holster the scabbord on my back as it reaches from waist to head behind the spine so it won't be awkward, or catch branches, and be a swift draw against trouble.

And with some handy-dandy hockey tape wrapping on the handle, I'll have a more frictional grip in case it gets covered in slippery blood.

Now, back to our regular programming....

Low-Impact Trail Clearing

Yesterday afternoon I started to clear the deadwood, some rocks and saplings along a planned trail. This trail leads to the infected cherry trees that need to be fallen and burnt to destroy the black knot fungus.

The black flies are increasing now and almost need bug gear. But I just put on some bug spray and dived into Deerwood with my handy-dandy forest ranger utility belt.


My utility belt includes...

• water can
• multi-tool (Leatherman Wave)
• 240mm pruning saw

I can think of a few more items off the top of my head to include: bug spray, first aid kit, orienteering compass, forest map, 2 grocery bags (for feet in case of a soaker), toilet paper (in case there's no leaves available...). 'Soaker' means accidentally stepping in water and soaking your feet.

The water can weighs the belt down quite a bit. Eventually, I think I might get some webbing (belt with shoulder suspenders) like army troopers wear. With all this gear on a belt I can carry the forester's best tool, the Pulaski axe.

Bow Saw and Bark Spud

Had a good ole time today cutting down some maple saplings in an area beside the FMO. Not just for kicks, though. The area will be turned into a small forest meadow where deer can graze on clover. As it's the site of a decommissioned hydro line, the maples are just saplings with a diameter no greater than five inches.

Because Spring is mating season for the forest inhabitants, I'm reducing my use of the noisy chainsaw until fall so as not to disturb all the goings on. Instead I used a bow saw to cut down and cut up the saplings. The limbs were cut off with a hatchet.

Bow saw.

Next, I had a lot of fun peeling the bark off of the green wood (debarking) with my handy-dandy bark spud. It was the first time I'd used it and was amazed at how easy it was to use. It's just like peeling carrots. Really big carrots.

Bark spud.

Maple saplings before (top) and after (bottom) debarking.

Installed the saplings in the FMO attic as storage surface.

Haulin' Lumber

Today was for the buying of construction materials, and hauling them to the office building site.

I haven't quite finished the moving job. Hope to finish the move tomorrow and start setting 6x6 posts on the metal saddles.

Yea! Some photos of a thunderstorm moving day...

I tried to sort of skid the lumber in.
Didn't work too well.

Then I tried side-saddle ATV lumber jousting.
Nope.


Moving a 2" x 10" x 16' the old-fashioned way.


Then the first of many thunderstorms.
We waited it out under a hemlock tree.


A-ha! Why not try eight sheets of plywood
strapped to the wagon?!
That should be easy!

A tight fit.

Along the way I'd stop, feeling like I could carry them the rest of the distance. After walking a sheet of plywood to the office site, I figured I could try to ATV closer.

Just before the unstable corduroy trail section.

We made it all the way through - sorta.

After a very close call the Foreman (aka The Dream Machine)

actually makes it to the office site with 5 sheets of plywood.

The construction site grows.

Broken Pickaxe

Mom wanted me to pry a large rock which rose out of the asphalt some Hamilton crook installed a few years ago.

Anyway, I went at it yesterday with the pickaxe and managed to snap the hickory handle.

The scene of the crime.

So, with the help of a bench vise, a 7/8" spade drill bit, and a chisel I got the end out of the pick and will now buy a new handle.

Two holes drilled opens a big enough hole.

Hurrah! The broken handle end is out.

I think maybe the rock needs a long metal bar to pull it out. It will come in handy for other trail rock removal jobs coming up.

Now, how much do pickaxe handles cost?...

Adios, Death Machine

With the 260 back from the shop, the 08 is off, down south for cutting fuelwood.

I went into the Muskoka Rent All last week and saw an 08 up on their chainsaw museum shelf.

"Hey, you got my chainsaw up there!" I howled. Well, some 08 can still get the job done, right Death Machine?

Gotterdone.

I'm gonna miss that saw....

The Pine Logs Issue 3: Wet & Weary

8 am I cleared, split, and stacked the garden bed maple (cut on the 15th) in the Deerwood woodshed.

Then I sawed at the pine log issues until 1 pm to help stabilize the load.

Feeling lucky, punk?

On the 15th I went out and staked some orange flagging around the load to alert passersby of the hazard.

Before.

After.

I got the new Stihl MS 260 chainsaw back from the shop and worked it today. As I a gave a pull on the old cant hook to roll off a cut section, three logs shifted under my feet.

Then the load shifted on me.

For a moment there, I didn't know what was gonna happen next. There's no doubt this is dangerous work - and I know my chainsaw limitations. Maybe it's just plain unsafe. I think the rest of the logs will have to be winched down from the pile, then up from the downslope and onto the trail. If only I had a winch....

Whipped.

The Pickaxe

When it comes to removing rocks from trails, The Pickaxe, is a beauty.

The problem is, once you've got the rock out, you've got to fill the hole in.

If only I had something about the same size to fill it back in.

Like a rock.

The Pulaski

After cutting down trail saplings with the bush cutter, I had the opportunity to clear out the stumps on the Office Trail to eliminate trail trip and wheel puncture hazards.

The Pulaski is standard issue for the US Forestry Service. A multifunctional tool with an axe head on one end and a mattock on the other. They're used in trail maintenance (and creation), as well as in forest fire fighting.

From the Wiki...

The invention of the pulaski is widely credited to Ed Pulaski, a ranger with the United States Forest Service, in 1911, although a similar tool was first introduced in 1876 by the Collins Tool Company. Ed Pulaski was famous for taking action to save the lives of a crew of 45 firefighters during the disastrous August 1910 wildfires in Idaho. His invention (or reinvention) of the tool that bears his name may have been a direct result of the disaster, as he saw the need for better firefighting tools. The pulaski came into wide use by the Forest Service after 1913, and in 1920 the Forest Service began contracting for the tool to be commercially manufactured.

And here's a picture of my Barco brand Pulaski in it's element.

Haulin' Gear

Remember the generator and the rotary drill Karen and David lent me? Now it was time to get them to the office building site using the trail I'd just cleared.

So, I disassembled a wheelbarrow and used the barrow to strap the generator and drill into. The sheet metal barrow served as a protective sled for the tools which I towed with the help of two C-clamps and nylon rope.

At first I thought I could tow it all the way from mom's house, then switched to The Foreman ATV to pull it down the driveway and half the trail distance.

The Foreman

The real workhorse around here is the Honda Foreman ATV. It's 4x4 and quite the powerful utility vehicle.

I was amazed it was able to plow through 12 inch deep snow on uneven terrain. There were a bunch of 'tense moments' where I thought I might get stuck or even roll over, but this hardcore ATV got me out every time.

The Death Machine

With smaller trees cleared using the bushcutter, I enter the office trail the next day with the chainsaw, 2-stroke gas, chain oil, and ATV.

Here's a glamour photo of me and the old school Stihl 08 chainsaw.

Bill and The Death Machine

First built in 1963, the 08 has a 56 cc engine with a .404 pitch chain. I affectionately call it 'The Death Machine' because it's so primitive - and dangerous by today's standards. With solid steel construction it's damn heavy to lug through the bush. But that's not not why it's The Death Machine. It's plain dangerous to run because there's no chain brake for safety's sake and the idler control pretty much requires that the chain is running constantly even when I'm walking from one cut to another.

During this snow storm, there were more than a few times where I fell into waist-deep snow, or tripped over a hidden log with The Death Machine running in both hands.

Maybe it's time to get the other chainsaw tuned-up....

The Bush Cutter

The Stihl KM 130R, has a 2 stroke engine with optional attachment heads. This is my go-to tool for cutting trail trees up to say...three inches thick with the circular saw head.

Who do you call when you need the job done fast and dangerous? The KM 130R....

Stihl KM 130R

It's my night-time home defense back up - just spinning around in the dark with it seems to make the bad things 'go away'.