Habits for Longevity in Arboriculture & Life

[Brando CalPankian]

I wish dust only came from dull saws! Hollow old growth firs are nothing but a tube of dust, but I wore an N95 mask today for this remaining portion once I was no longer climbing and working in a semi enclosed space.

View attachment 90916

That's awesome!

 

[islandarb]

Rare to see a sycamore in MN...but...fine particles, wood especially, is NOT good respiratory material.

I don't want to speak too loud about that group of unnamed 800# gorillas over there...but...my guess is that within a generation they will notice arborculture and address the atmosphere just like inside a production plant.

Even a doubled up buff worn bodega robbing style will filter some debris.

That is what I do. Breathe well, no restriction.

 

[27RMT0N]

Another of the dust tube, quartering to take apart here.

 

[southsoundtree]

Thick bark on old trees is very dusty, too.



Did you find conks on it? Red ring rot?

 

[Daniel]

While I was working I never had sleep issues. In retirement...sheesh...I can't remember a long night sleep. I've tried all the regimens too.

I've been taking high dose melatoin and it's been awesome. Learned about it from studying alternative cancer therapies. I think it was the Italians that showed 180 mg before bed and 3x60 mg during the day can double life expectancy in certain terminal cancers. It's good for the motochondria

COmbine that with Turmeric anc CBD oil before bed and it's lights out. I think the CBD is helping my wrist too. I haven;t been noticing it as much.

I had to buy my melaton in bulk and cap it by hand. Take the 00s and just fill the small end

purebulk.com

 

[Daniel]

Salt...haven't bought salt of used it for cooking for 30+ years and my BP is still high. Plenty of salt in salse...a source of veggies for me LOL

We need salt.. those studied finding salk causes hearth issues are BS... Nautral salts don't cut up the lining of the arteries like table does. Himalayan, Celtic, Real Salt.... I think I heard the body needs salt to make stomach acid, which may have lead to your other dgestive issues...

ps. I never believed their BS about fats being bad for you either.

 

[Daniel]

Had not heard of this company. Those look awesome. I will be ordering some ASAP.

Good dust masks!

I won;t touch the stump grinder without a wearing a respirator. Thinking abotu using them for the dead ash trees too. Working on just holding my breath for now.

 

[southsoundtree]

To give credit where credit is due, @Daniel, I read it from you, "If you're not wearing a filter, you are the filter.

Dead trees and thick bark are very dusty, as are, to a lesser degree, green trees. Stump cuts and walking/ working atop powdery, dry soil in the latter half of summer can contribute lots of particulates to the air. Milling and backpack blowing, too.



@Steve Connally recommended RZ masks, shown in pic.
I like mine, but less than the cheaper, vented masks that I got through Amazon...5 masks for about $20. I've the ear is way easier on and off while working than RZ masks with 2 elastic straps with buckles.
The small buckle beneath the helmet straps is OK, but not ideal.
Helmets need to be removed to put on and take off the RZ ('don' and 'doff', for the language lovers).

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Sawdust fines are the obvious target.

We are cutting into decayed wood that has a whole other set of scary critters. Then we chip that same stuff and make clouds of dust. YUCH

THe big chunks that doubled buffs filter out aren't even much of a health concern compared to fines and pathogens.

 

[Daniel]

To give credit where credit is due, @Daniel, I read it from you, "If you're not wearing a filter, you are the filter.

That came from Charlie Lane, good guy and painter of 40 years...

How about grinding stumps in the mid summer on a dry year... as soon as the wheel hits the ground up comes a brown cloud so thick you can't see the other side... One breath of that and I'd be wheezing for weeks

 

[southsoundtree]

An oscillating sprinkler near the stump can help.



I've considered spraying a garden hose with a nozzle into the chipper infeed when chipping dead trees.

California has some water- misting/spraying dust management systems on some State chippers.

 

[rico]

Well the obvious answer is to stop chipping brush or grinding stumps. Works for me.

 

[Matias]

Well the obvious answer is to stop chipping brush or grinding stumps. Works for me.

You must have an IQ of 160

 

[rico]

Naw, just a keen eye for the obvious.

 

[Matias]

Naw, just a keen eye for the obvious.

An increasingly rare skill these days unfortunately

 

[ghostice]

How about grinding stumps in the mid summer on a dry year... as soon as the wheel hits the ground up comes a brown cloud so thick you can't see the other side... One breath of that and I'd be wheezing for weeks

This maybe is gonna seem way out there but a reminder that airborne suspensions of fine sawdust can be explosive atmospheres - woodworking shops are known for fires/explosions even with dust collection systems/ cyclones. I've been involved (another job long time ago) in looking at industrial worksite fires and some of the kabooms were as big and hot a shockwave as a ball of propane going up. Walls and roof distended and doors and windows gone. Actually quite spectacular. Which leads me to wonder how "sparkproof" (and static generating) our stumpgrinders really are? Hmmm. Stay safe out there guys.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

wonder how "sparkproof"

In an open-air situation and all of the grounding available I doubt there's an explosion concern. Also, in all the years of brush chipping and stump grinding is there an example?

[Did my pun register? Hehehe]

Side story...I was using my shop vac to tidy up. I kept feeling sharp 'stings'. After a while I realized I was getting static shocks from the vac. Simple solution...I found a five inch chunk of light chain and screwed it to the swivel caster base. Solved the static charging.

 

[ghostice]

Tom - goin' out on a limb here maybe - spark from gasoline engine (grinder, chainsaw) with faulty spark arrester or muffler could do it. Really fine dust might ignite with a hot surface (or a summer of beetle killed pines and fine dust made me paranoid?). Just thought I'd point it out (we carry fire extinguishers/ water pump an tank when it's hot and humidity is low when working in tinder dry forest). Fuel-air-ignition source - the fire triangle. A good breeze is probably our saviour, a debris fence to concentrate the dust is not. My two cents anyway. Cheers.

 

[evo]

Thick bark on old trees is very dusty, too.



Did you find conks on it? Red ring rot?

Yeah thick old growth type bark on Doug fir is some irritating stuff, even the landscapers get picky on what type of bark dust is in their clients yards. The stuff will give you micro splinters, not unlike the fuzz on cactus. Not to the same extent, but still a nuisance. I’ve always wondered if this is part of the root of shaving bark when felling. Some of the old timers would chop the bark off vs risk dulling their saw. Maybe some kind of subconscious drive without considering cause and effect. To further elaborate a work practice that evolves in a region, that the original reason has become lost but still continues.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I was addressing static not fire/heat sparks.