![[SKYSQUARE Road-011-] Forestry training course, Day 2](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fc32ca_356b0cec265c45b09bf2c43bbebf1da0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_551,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/fc32ca_356b0cec265c45b09bf2c43bbebf1da0~mv2.jpg)
Hello
This is Nakajima and Takeda from AZSTOKE Co., Ltd.
In this installment of SKYSQUARE Road-011, we will be summarizing what we learned on the second day of the forestry training and sharing it with you in the form of a report.
Click here for a list of past SKYSQUARE Road articles
■ Table of Contents
Day 2 Forestry experience [practice]: felling broadleaf trees
Felling procedure 12: Cutting with a chainsaw (undercutting)
Felling procedure 14: Chase cutting with a chainsaw (thrust cutting)
Felling procedure 15: Cutting with a chainsaw (rear cutting)
Felling procedure 16: Start winding up the chill hole little by little.
■ Day 2 Forestry experience [classroom learning]: Material production/transportation and lumber collection
The second day also began with classroom learning.
Mr. Shimizu from TreeLumber Co., Ltd. continued to be in charge as on the first day.
The lectures will cover the history and current technology of how felled trees are transported.
In Japan, because most trees are cut down on slopes, the trees are cut from the highest elevation and then lined up facing downwards, allowing them to slide down to a position where they can be transported, or the trees are transported by letting them float down the river.
However, these methods have fallen into disuse due to the many problems they have caused, including damage to trees and injuries to people.
Currently, the most common method of retrieving them is by pulling them with a wire, and this time we were able to actually experience using a rope winch .
When dealing with many trees at once, it seems they have to be transported by lifting them up in a special helicopter, but just renting a helicopter for one day costs nearly 1 million yen!!!
It seems that careful planning, skilled techniques, and speed are required to transport as much wood as possible.
For individual workers like us, it seems common to use a rope winch or something similar to transport the trees to the designated location, and this method seems to be commonly used by people who actually work in forestry.
The lecture content introduced these transportation methods and gave me a detailed understanding of why they have adopted the current style.
Since practical application was more important than lectures, we finished the lecture early and had the opportunity to visit the firewood production area before lunchtime.
The firewood storage area was made of single-pipe firewood.
Apparently people often chop firewood here when it's raining and they can't go into the mountains, and I thought it was great that it was made large enough to provide good protection from the rain.
I want to imitate this, so I'll take a picture and make a note of it.
It seems that they use a hydraulic firewood splitter to split the firewood, and TreeLumber also runs a business where they donate a truckload of firewood to local residents. Because the amount of firewood is so large, they can't finish the job without using a machine.
After looking into hydraulic firewood splitters, it seems they cost almost 200,000 yen.
There are also a lot of trees in SKYSQUARE, so I would like to use them as firewood, but for the time being I will deal with it by using an axe as a substitute as a future challenge.However, I will also consider getting a manual firewood splitter, as I think I will probably need it in the future.
■ Day 2 Forestry experience [practice]: felling broadleaf trees
On the second day, we will practice felling hardwood trees.
We will head to a different location than on the first day.
We drove up the mountain, taking a road reserved for local contractors.
We have already moved to a fairly high position and will continue to climb from here.
Land that is suitable for felling is identified using GPS, and then felling is carried out.
Obviously, this doesn't mean you can cut down trees as you please.
From here we start climbing while carrying logging equipment.
Originally, we were planning to take our luggage upstairs by car, but then the car broke down and we couldn't get up there...
Even if I wanted to report that my car had broken down, I couldn't get cell phone reception once I'd driven up to the top.
I used my radio to contact a nearby hunter and ask for help.
It occurred to me here that a walkie-talkie is essential in a place like this.
Also, perhaps because they were local businesses, everyone seemed to know each other and the atmosphere was very friendly.
The hunter just happened to come down the mountain, so I was able to hear his story, which was great too.
It seems they managed to kill a deer, and I was able to hear what the process was like.
In the end, since it seemed like the problem couldn't be solved immediately, we decided to set out on the climb with only the bare minimum of equipment.
■ Climbing the planned logging site
We are climbing a mountain to get to the planned location.
The surrounding area is cliffs, so I was impressed by the professionals who had to create forest roads like this as they went along.
This will help you build up your stamina.
We are currently developing roads on the land, so this is also a learning experience for us.
The areas where the trees stand are mostly cliffs like this, which makes it easy to see that machines cannot enter these areas.
I firsthand experienced the reason why it is difficult in Japan to bring in huge machinery and carry out large-scale logging, as is done overseas.
And then we arrive at our destination.
Getting ready to start felling work.
■ The work process is almost the same as on the first day.
Please check the link below for tree felling procedures 1 to 11.
■ Important points
The biggest difference from last time is the way it is cut.
The biggest difference between softwoods and hardwoods is hardness.
Hardwoods are quite hard and there is a big difference in how they are cut, even with a chainsaw.
The hard point is the bark of the tree.
If you use a normal follow-up cut, the bark will still be attached and will be much stronger than that of softwood, so there is a high chance that the tree will fall in a different direction than expected.
Felling procedure 12: Cutting with a chainsaw (undercutting)
Once the connections are complete, cut them off with a chainsaw.
Since hardwoods are hard, cutting them using the slit cut method seems to be the most common method.
First, insert the receiving hole for the opening, aiming for 45 degrees.
This is the same as the chase cut.
There is a point to note here.
If you try to cut it at a 45 degree angle from the start, it may cut more than you expected, which could result in problems with the direction and how it falls.
Therefore, when cutting, first cut at a 20 degree angle, checking to make sure the angle and direction are correct, and then adjust so that you finally create a cutting opening at a 45 degree angle.
Felling Step 13: Cutting the bark with a chainsaw
There is no explanation for the usual Oizurugiri, but it seems that the bark on both sides of the tree is cut in advance. The bark of broadleaf trees, which was explained in the lecture, is harder than that of coniferous trees, and the phenomenon of the bark splitting occurs when the bark rises above the cut when the tree is felled, which reduces the value of the tree.
To prevent this as much as possible, it is necessary to cut the skin on both sides beforehand to prevent it from tearing.
This is born from the wisdom of the field, and there is no such flow in the cutting process.
I felt that I could understand it after trying it.
Felling procedure 14: Chase cutting with a chainsaw (thrust cutting)
Once the undercut is complete, the next step is the thrust cut.
Use the tip of the chainsaw to cut it into the center of the tree.
The vines at the receiving hole need to be left in place, so be careful to insert it levelly.
By inserting the vine, two vines can be inserted, one in front and one in back.
This is more stable than a single cut, such as a follow-up cut.
Felling procedure 15: Cutting with a chainsaw (rear cutting)
And finally cut off the back piece from the top.
The important point here is that it is at an angle.
You can see that it goes into the receiving hole more safely than if you were to make a normal follow-up cut straight in.
This will help prevent it from tipping over in the opposite direction.
Felling procedure 16: Start winding up the chill hole little by little.
Start winding.
We will also pull this one little by little, watching the situation.
Move the chill hole with sufficient safety.
You can take it down just by using the chase cut, but the key to taking it down safely is to use the chill hole to gradually pull it to the desired location.
It's dangerous, so we'll take it down while ensuring safety.
Felling procedure 17: Fallen trees
Somehow the tree was cut down successfully.
This will be done based on appropriate judgment depending on the situation.
■ Carrying out work
If the trees remain fallen, they will be difficult to load and transport by vehicle.
To make it easier to stack, you will need to gather them all in one place.
We will demonstrate the use of a rope winch, which is used for mechanical work within the range of a person's reach.
Unloading procedure 1: Setting up the pulley
Place a pulley on the tree where you want to collect wood.
This moves the tree in the direction of the pulley.
Therefore, you should decide the position of the pulley by imagining placing it at the desired collection point.
Removal procedure 2: Install the rope winch
Next, attach a rope winch to the end of the pulley.
The trees are selected and placed with care to ensure that the angle is not too wide from the pulley.
Carry-out procedure 3: Install the rope
Place the rope on the tree you want to transport.
Since it will be pulled, it is installed by attaching it to the end of a tree.
Here too, we will connect the parts using a belt sling and then attaching it to a hook.
Transportation step 4: Start the engine and pull the tree
Start the rope winch engine and pull the rope.
Wrap the rope around the installation position about four times.
The more times you turn it, the stronger the force becomes, and the right number of times to turn it is when a person can pull it without too much force.
Therefore, the number of times the rope is wrapped varies depending on the situation.
By repeating this process, it is possible to gather trees in a specified location.
The next step is to transport the trees into vehicles and then take them out.
Even moving one tree is difficult using human strength alone, so machines like this one are necessary.
However, the rope winch alone will cost about 300,000 yen, so I will consider this as well.
It was a rare and valuable experience.
We will utilize these experiences to contribute to the development of SKYSQUARE.
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