Forestry work

[Arbitree]

Ah.....so your being paid £100-£120 a day to......fell the trees,.....sned them up,.....cross cut to spec but are ONLY being paid for the strainers/posts that are produced on the day ?! After of course being cut/stacked and pointed by yourself?! Holy moly mate !! Gaffers asking a bit much there. I’m not sure how big these sweet chestnut sticks are and to be fair, that may make a difference but with only a couple of other bods on site, I’d follow The Avantgatdener’s advice. Do a week and work out the price per stick. Then just simply approach the gaffer for a decent day rate, unless by some sheer stroke of madness you could make more from your current scenario on piece? Be safe. [emoji106]

[Jack.P]

7 minutes ago, Arbitree said:

Ah.....so your being paid £100-£120 a day to......fell the trees,.....sned them up,.....cross cut to spec but are ONLY being paid for the strainers/posts that are produced on the day ?! After of course being cut/stacked and pointed by yourself?! Holy moly mate !! Gaffers asking a bit much there. I’m not sure how big these sweet chestnut sticks are and to be fair, that may make a difference but with only a couple of other bods on site, I’d follow The Avantgatdener’s advice. Do a week and work out the price per stick. Then just simply approach the gaffer for a decent day rate, unless by some sheer stroke of madness you could make more from your current scenario on piece? Be safe.

Hi yes that is about right .currently on day rate which will turn into piece rate wage if I decide to stay on with them .its probably similar on other piece rate work but the rates for cutting the wood products produced do seem very low there which is why I’ve gone off it a bit 

I’m not that desperate for work .i won’t be bothering if it’s not worth my while .

£100 quid for 7 hrs more than fair

 

 

 

[Stere]

What are the other two workers on?

 

 

[Jack.P]

27 minutes ago, Stere said:

What are the other two workers on?

 

 

One of them owns the company.the other who is bit faster at cutting than me is on a day rate at 8hrs for 100 quid which only equates to £12.50 p.h then minus fuel and expenses

it sounded as though he is better off on day rate 

my offer will be £15 p.h

 

[luftwaffe]

Hi jack. is it £1.50 for a six foot strainer and putting a point on it yourself. How much for a five foot six stake.

[Jack.P]

2 hours ago, luftwaffe said:

Hi jack. is it £1.50 for a six foot strainer and putting a point on it yourself. How much for a five foot six stake.

Not sure about 5ft/5ft6 but will be less.i know that 6ft small chip 20p a piece and a smaller diameter straight 6ft pole 80p .i thought the strainers is where the money would be but appears none of it is pays well 

 

[luftwaffe]

Two things that drag on your earnings in coppicing is cutting the low value chip out of the bent stems and lowering the clumps of stems after felling, have to go like hell to make £150 pd, which in the long term is not sustainable, also for its size the timber is very heavy to handle. Plus short working days at the moment.

[Acerforestry]

On 25/11/2019 at 11:11, The avantgardener said:

Why don’t you do a week cutting and count up the product you cut/make and then work out what the day rate versus piece rate is?

I have been cutting for 26 years, just about done everything except cutting for skyline.

Cutting sweet chestnut when you are making several products is the most labour intensive discipline that I have done.

Money can be earned, but your body won’t like you.

I agree. I cut mainly sweet chestnut poles (sned off branches, leave stem in entirety down to about 2 inch top diameter) for  fence manufacturing - although there is less cuts than for product, dragging and sliding entire trees around isn't great for your back, hips or knees. Hand cutting generally is hard, if you can make 180 a day in East Anglia that's a higher rate than in most of the country

[Jack.P]

Yes it’s hard work moving heavy strainers and timbers onto the piles all by hand .

anyway a lot more upto speed now with cutting spec and production rate

only been at it this week and starting to feel it now.it is bit full on all day

 

[trigger_andy]

2 hours ago, Jack.P said:

Yes it’s hard work moving heavy strainers and timbers onto the piles all by hand .

anyway a lot more upto speed now with cutting spec and production rate

only been at it this week and starting to feel it now.it is bit full on all day

 

Got any pictures of what you're discussing? Its an interesting thread but I cant visualize what the  work involves.