How do you become a forestry timber cutter.

[Roebus]

10 hours ago, Spruce Pirate said:

Whereabouts is your windblow course?

 

Many years ago when I was trying to get into forestry work I called all the FC offices.  None of them had any work, but some of them gave me the names of contractors working in their areas.  You could try calling them, along with any estates or management companies you can think of, they might be able to point you in the direction of someone who is good.  You could also try the FCA (Forestry Contracting Association) Directory, you can search geographically on that.

 

Remember there's quite a big difference between the ticket and the actual work, it's the old driving test analogy of actually learning after you've got the ticket.  Be prepared to travel, most cutting work is for contractors and they're seldom in one area for all that long, cutters working for big outfits might be on five sites in one week.  Keep stumps low, snedding tight, remember in timber cutting wood = money for the contractor, production and efficiency are important.  Know your log sizes and specifications.

 

Take any work you can get, it's all experience, all trigger time and if you can do the crappy mundane jobs they may eventually lead to where you want to be.  That's about all the useful advice I can think of, expect to be overworked, underpaid, never happy with the weather and always in debt with the local saw shop.

H&W training, Dumfries

that’s sort of the problem with work not always enough sawtime doing the right stuff, but you live and learn the tips and information passed on is greatly appreciated 

[handcutter]

Turn up prepared, spare bar chain files wedges extra fuel the list goes on. if you need some advice ask!!

usually the older they are the better the advice, even if its filled with sarcasm/ profanity.

measure twice cut once. no tree is the same. look after your body I know this sounds daft but handcutting is hard graft but satisfying.

slow is fast but fast is slow 

[Stubby]

Ibuprofin and Co-codamol .

[Brushcutter]

The biggest thing is to look after yourself nobody else is going to do that for you. The terrain can be harsh the weather is often crap. Hammering wedges is bad on the elbows and lifting stacking and dragging all takes its toll. Find a good physio and do some stretches each day before and after work. Know when to stop. Hopefully that will stop you ending up in the physically broken cutter pile.

 

The courses will teach you a lot and once you get into the more forestry orientated courses the people on it can become valuable contacts for getting work. Other than that phone around local companies. The forestry contractors association have a directory of members and their areas. Go and see them introduce yourself and see what happens.

 

One of the big things about being a hand cutter is that work in most areas is always away from it. Just because the company is 5 miles away doesn't mean their work is not 100 miles away. Local estates may have forestry teams but it is quite seasonal and the pay isn't great. When I worked on an estate the winter was forestry the spring tree surveys and summer grass cutting and then back to forestry.

 

One thing you could do is try to see if a cutter will have you for a day stacking for them. You can watch them work see the difference between felling one tree and working a forest of trees for felling. A copy of practical forestry for the agent and surveyor can be had quite cheaply second hand. This will give you a lot of the forest terminology explained and the theory of how woods are managed. Be able to ID your common trees. If your knocking over oaks and it's mean to be ash you won't work again! 

 

Keep stumps low stacks brash free and stems dressed clean and length and grades correct. 

 

You don't need all the gear at once. The basics yes but don't worry about ranges of saws at the start. Always have more fuel that you need. Spear bars and chains are a must. I have a little aluminium flight case that holds a file kit 2 spare chains a combi spanner a shot of emergency 2 stroke oil. 

 

 

[Roebus]

1 hour ago, Brushcutter said:

The biggest thing is to look after yourself nobody else is going to do that for you. The terrain can be harsh the weather is often crap. Hammering wedges is bad on the elbows and lifting stacking and dragging all takes its toll. Find a good physio and do some stretches each day before and after work. Know when to stop. Hopefully that will stop you ending up in the physically broken cutter pile.

 

The courses will teach you a lot and once you get into the more forestry orientated courses the people on it can become valuable contacts for getting work. Other than that phone around local companies. The forestry contractors association have a directory of members and their areas. Go and see them introduce yourself and see what happens.

 

One of the big things about being a hand cutter is that work in most areas is always away from it. Just because the company is 5 miles away doesn't mean their work is not 100 miles away. Local estates may have forestry teams but it is quite seasonal and the pay isn't great. When I worked on an estate the winter was forestry the spring tree surveys and summer grass cutting and then back to forestry.

 

One thing you could do is try to see if a cutter will have you for a day stacking for them. You can watch them work see the difference between felling one tree and working a forest of trees for felling. A copy of practical forestry for the agent and surveyor can be had quite cheaply second hand. This will give you a lot of the forest terminology explained and the theory of how woods are managed. Be able to ID your common trees. If your knocking over oaks and it's mean to be ash you won't work again! 

 

Keep stumps low stacks brash free and stems dressed clean and length and grades correct. 

 

You don't need all the gear at once. The basics yes but don't worry about ranges of saws at the start. Always have more fuel that you need. Spear bars and chains are a must. I have a little aluminium flight case that holds a file kit 2 spare chains a combi spanner a shot of emergency 2 stroke oil. 

 

 

Brilliant advice and help, thank you 

[slack ma girdle]

The ability to listen to what is being asked of you. Every person you will work for will have a different methodology,  and you need to be able to fit into that methodology.

At the moment all of the people who are cutting for me came with little or no forestry experience, but they all have enthusiasm to learn.  They are now at the point where i don't need to worry or check up on them as i know they are doing a good job.

I like people asking lots of questions,  and learning from there mistakes.  When something goes wrong i always ask why, and get them to talk it through.

I hate to say it, but we only learn from our mistakes.

[Donnie]

Wouldn't bother doing wind blow course until you've got on with big trees and know your way around a saw. Been handcutting 6 months in forestry in Scotland and don't have my windblow ticket yet but done a bit of cutting them off the stump etc but doesn't seem to be a big demand for the ticket at money company as we have harvesters etc. 

 

A lot of forestry/saw work is a thing called 'brashing' which really is boring but it's fairly easy. Not always felling trees. 
 

Made a million mistakes so far and will probably make a million more as always learning. Good job to be in though, worth doing. 
 

Bit common for me to be doing at least 40 miles to work then 40 back, sometimes 100 then 100 back in a day.

 

You will ruin a van, spend a lot of saws, tickets, ppe and diesel. If you are doing it solely for money then don't bother. You have to want to do it and have a big interest in doing it otherwise there really is not much point as things are so expensive. 
 

Just my thoughts after 6-7 months doing so. 
 

 

HW Training are good as well. Did my small trees with them. 

[Roebus]

Thanks slack ma girdle & JDon, some really relevant information from you both and much appreciated, not having the experience of forestry work, I have nothing to compare it to only what I have done working for a tree surgeon, I have bags of enthusiasm, to the point of becoming annoying, constantly looking at chainsaws, YouTube vids, tv programs, websites and books trying to gleam as much information as possible, asking questions on this website and getting informed reply’s, no one saying anything derogatory just very helpful comments and advice. 
I think JDon, your last comment really hit home about not doing it for the money, you have to have a passion, and as has been said already on this topic, it’s dirty, back breaking hard work, expensive to do , courses ppe saws, travel etc. but the plus side if there are any must be there or why would you do it.
if you enjoy the job you do you will never work a day in your life. 

[Donnie]

Some days are grand and feel like an absolute king and other days you just want to throw the saw in the van and head. But that's like any other job really haha. 
 

Defos worth putting the 600 quid for the windblow course towards a saw and getting some work. 
 

First saw I'd say get a 562XPG. They're a little soft but they can do everything, brash, fell steep ground and they will fell outside edge trees if you aren't afraid to ring it's neck. Great for snedding and it's light as. 
 

Good starter saw and 2 years warranty. 
 

Only posting here because I was the same until I got a start, and I was useless when I first started and aw the boys I work with probably will say I still am. 😂

[slack ma girdle]

46 minutes ago, JDon said:

Wouldn't bother doing wind blow course until you've got on with big trees and know your way around a saw. Been handcutting 6 months in forestry in Scotland and don't have my windblow ticket yet but done a bit of cutting them off the stump etc but doesn't seem to be a big demand for the ticket at money company as we have harvesters etc. 

 

A lot of forestry/saw work is a thing called 'brashing' which really is boring but it's fairly easy. Not always felling trees. 
 

Made a million mistakes so far and will probably make a million more as always learning. Good job to be in though, worth doing. 
 

Bit common for me to be doing at least 40 miles to work then 40 back, sometimes 100 then 100 back in a day.

 

You will ruin a van, spend a lot of saws, tickets, ppe and diesel. If you are doing it solely for money then don't bother. You have to want to do it and have a big interest in doing it otherwise there really is not much point as things are so expensive. 
 

Just my thoughts after 6-7 months doing so. 
 

 

HW Training are good as well. Did my small trees with them. 

I'm still making making mistakes after 20 years, and still learning.