Well, we do things slightly differently...

[Bellboy]

I might be being some uneducated makwere kwere when it comes to American and European forestry methods, but from what I have seen, it is all mechanized. Right? Big forwarders, harvetors, feller-bunchers and the like?

Well here in SA (and probably the rest of Africa too) we do things rather differently. Partially because we still have cheap labour (say nothing) and that mechanization is but a pipe dream, and the pipe has hardly left the factory. I am going to give you a recipe for the way we do things here. Please note that there are a few comically aimed comments, and that whatever follows should not be done unless you are properly insured and licenced.

Ingredients

1. 50 or so people (previously disadvantaged of course)
2. 10 chainsaws
3. 2 big ass tractors
4. 2 log trailers and 2 personel trailers
5. 2 tri-wheeler logloaders
6. Axes, pangas, machettes etc.
7. Several rigid log trucks with calfies (I'm not sure of the english term, but i am sure it is not mos trailer either)
8. 1 loglift truck
9. You will need a grader as well.

Method

Once you have secured a harvesting contract with a large plantation, you will need to gather all of your ingredients. Find 50 people, 12 or so who can operate a chainsaw, 10 dead dogs (operator assistants), 2 logloader operators, 2 tractor drivers, 4-5 truck drivers and the rest labourers. Next you will need to find your logloaders, tractors and chainsaws. get together the trailers for your tractors and hitch up the log trailers (preferably flatbeds) and load up your logloaders. Road them to site. Next, load your new employees into the personel trailers and transport them all to the site on the day that you start felling. Your chainsaw operators will start to fell, with their dead dogs to bring them petrol and aid them. your labourers will strip the felled trees of smallish limbs and bark. The logs need to be cut into 2-3 metre length before you bring in your logloaders and haul the trees out to a rough depot, where your loglift truck will park and load your log trucks. If the haul roads aren't good, put your grader through, and also build your temporary depot with it. load the trucks with logs, and transport them to a sawmill, unless you would prefer to use your own mobile sawmill to cut the logs into cords. (Square prisms of wood, for planking). From there, it is all up to the sawmill companies to sort it out. repeat your process until complete.

Have fun.:drinkup

 

[stretch]

I say as long as it gets done in time, in good quality, and under or at budget, that's good enough for me!

And yes, it pretty much is almost entirely mechanized, even if it's simply clearing out a half-acre detention pond filled with nothing but weeds! Just bring out the Bobcat with a giant weed-wacker!

 

[stumpjumper83]

Not all is mechanizied. Alot of the eastern hardwood harvest is done with simular methods that you describe, just less men.

Usually there is One operator driving a cable skidder. The skidder will have like 10 chokes on it for dragging as many logs if they are small, and less if they are large. Then there is a sawyer running a large chainsaw doign the felling and some limbing or bucking if the skidder operator has a long haul. If its a short haul, the skidder operator helps the feller by limbing and bucking. Fuel and oil for the saws are carried on the skidder in portable cans.

If the haul is too long for the skidder to keep up with the feller, a forewarded is brought in. They are log truck bodies mounted on a long frame skidder chassis.

If the roads are too rough or non existent for the skidder, a dozer is brought in before hand and used to straighten the roads out. Now mind you that a log skidder is a super sized, 4x4, diff lock version of a four wheeler, so they can live with some snack nasty roads.

Anyhow, the skidder skids the logs to a landing area accessable by over the road log trucks, that usually have their own loader, and they haul the logs to the mill. Rarly are the logs cut into cants (the square prisms) before they go to the mill, the logs will dry out and are more prone to cracking.

 

[ForestDan]

2 "big ass" tractors ... is that a subsidiary of Caterpillar?

 

[Bellboy]

NO! They are usually two old ass JDs or NHs! Most of the equipment used is relatively old stuff.

I did however see my first cable skidder the other day. They were using it just down the road from me to pull a broken down timber truck up the hill around a blind corner. So i took down my camera, ass that i am, carrying it for the whole world to see, and the next minute, I've got a big, rude cop telling me, "Why do you want to take video?" I replied, noting his irritated tone,"I want to take pics of the machine pulling the truck." Next thing he turns around, "No, it is not accepted, it is not accepted!!"
I asked,"Why, why is it not accepted?" not:Banghead
He said,"It is not accepted, not accepted!!"
Again I asked him why, and still got the same reply. So I went off to get back in my car, and we start to trek back up the road, and the traffic cop is gone. So we park right next to the skidder, and take some pics of the skidder and the roadworks up ahead!

 

[Dom]

Your story is exactly what I heard about logging in South Africa, mostly done by hand.

Logmax as started to sell harvesting heads in South Africa. Some of my old work buddies travelled to do training. I think the heads were installed on Tigercat carriers, but I could be mistaken.

 

[surfer-joe]

Cops is cops the world over!

 

[Bellboy]

Your story is exactly what I heard about logging in South Africa, mostly done by hand.

Logmax as started to sell harvesting heads in South Africa. Some of my old work buddies travelled to do training. I think the heads were installed on Tigercat carriers, but I could be mistaken.

Who did you hear about SA logging from, apart from your buddies?

Who is Logmax?

 

[Dom]

I used to work for Rocan Forestry, here in Canada.
We were a manufactuer and distributor of forestry equipment. Rocan went bankrupt last January, but in the summer of 2007 we had employees go directly to South Africa. We also had a fellow from New Zealand, who worked in South Africa travel to our shop for training, but I can't remember his name.

Logmax is a harvesting head supplier. They are manufactured in Sweden (Rocan used to make the bigger 12000 head).
Tigercat makes harvesters, skidders, and forwarders. They are located in Canada.

Here are a few links:
http://www.rocan.com/ The Rocan site is still operational, even though the company is out of business. :beatsme
http://www.logmax.com Logmax
http://www.logmax.com/news/south_africa_show Logmax South Africa Dealer
http://www.tigercat.com/ Tigercat

 

[Bellboy]

Very interesting. In what area of SA did they come and do training? If you can't remember, here are some provinces to help out: Kwa Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, possibly Limpopo. Those are the main forestry provinces in South Africa. As well, some more info, SAPPI and Mondi Paper are the biggest plantation owners, and are paper manufacturers. I live in a very large plantation area, known as Howick, so if that helps?

I think that i may want to edit the original recipe: Make it more like 90 or more labourers, that is for debarking and delimbing.

 

[Dom]

I just got the chance to talk to one of the fellows that went to South Africa.
He said the machines were more in central SA, near Chechlowi (spelling is off) Game Park, and Kruger National Park.

I think the dealer was near Kruger National Park. He did not remember the name of the province, and was a bit in a rush.

 

[Bellboy]

He said the machines were more in central SA, near Chechlowi (spelling is off) Game Park, and Kruger National Park.

I think the dealer was near Kruger National Park. He did not remember the name of the province, and was a bit in a rush.

I think the place you are looking for is Hluhluwe Game Park, and the province that Kruger is in is Mpumalanga and Gauteng. And if you are wondering how to pronounce these names, 'hl' sound, place the tip of your tongue behind your teeth on your pallate, and and let your air that you are blowing out play with the spit in your cheeks as the air rushes past the tongue and spit. The 'G' in Gauteng sounds like you are hacking up a hair ball. It is a very gutteral sound. If you can't get it, wait for the clicks!!

 

[Dom]

I think the place you are looking for is Hluhluwe Game Park, and the province that Kruger is in is Mpumalanga and Gauteng. And if you are wondering how to pronounce these names, 'hl' sound, place the tip of your tongue behind your teeth on your pallate, and and let your air that you are blowing out play with the spit in your cheeks as the air rushes past the tongue and spit. The 'G' in Gauteng sounds like you are hacking up a hair ball. It is a very gutteral sound. If you can't get it, wait for the clicks!!

Ok, Hluhluwe would make sense, with the proper pronounciation!
I looked around a bit, but can't seem to find videos of Logmax/Tigercat harvesting in South Africa. I had seen some videos while at Rocan, the trees were impressive. They were tall, straight and had a good size to them!

 

[Bellboy]

Ya, but not the place I would have gone to to do that and all the training. We are nuch busier here and got way better plantations, although some are really challenging!

And about the trees, we grow them in plantations here, so they are all uniform and and tall. They are mostly Blue gum and pine, and get very straight and tall, and usually reach a diametre of 20 to 35cm.

Check out our biggest hauling contractor, Timber 24. If you thought JM Browning had lots of trucks, ie, 27, they got 60 trucks, Volvo ADT forwarders, excavators, and lots of JD truck mounted swingers.

http://www.timber24.com/services.php

All right near to my high school. I will try to get some pics when i can, of thier trucks and operations.

 

[Dom]

We went where the customer was.

Yes, get us pics. They look impressive.

 

[Bellboy]

I am probably only going to be able to in the holidays, but I will definetly get some up!