What
kinds of tools or equipment were used by loggers who had other types of logging
jobs?
You have learned about the
lumberjack’s tools and equipment. Now, let’s 
take a look at the
tools and equipment used by the other loggers!
Tree
topper’s equipment: The
tree topper's saw and axe hung down on long ropes so they
wouldn't get tangled as he climbed the tree. The saw and axe cut off the top
limbs of the tree to make it into a “spar” tree (a tall, straight pole with no
branches). The climber's belt and climber's spurs kept him from falling.
Steam donkey: The steam
donkey was a machine-age invention that took the place of ox-teams and horses.
By 1897, most ox-teams and horses were replaced by steam
donkeys. The steam donkey was used for
power skidding the logs. A steam
donkey was a very powerful steam machine that carried spools of cables. The
steam donkey was placed in the woods. The cables could be run off the spools
and through the woods for a distance of up to several miles. Very large trains
of logs could be hauled out of the woods with this machine.
High-lead logger’s
equipment:
High-lead
cables were often used on steep mountain slopes. A
very tall tree, minus its branches, was erected at the landing. This tall tree
was called a “spar pole”. (This is a
photo of a more modern high-lead pole, made out of steel instead of a tree
spar). Steel cables lead from the pole to the areas where the trees were going
to be cut down (the “felling areas”).
Logs
were attached to the cables, and a steam donkey reeled the cables in, through a
series of 
blocks
and pulleys. The cables
carried the logs high through the air, and swing them down the mountainside to
the landing area near the steam donkey.
Then the logs were loaded onto railroad cars and sent down to the lumber
mill.
Tongs
were introduced with high lead logging and they replaced end hooks. Tongs were
much safer and easier to handle than end hooks.
Cant hooks: were five-foot long wooden poles with iron hooks on the end. Loggers used them to roll logs on the ground
and load them onto sleds or carts.
Peaveys: were
longer poles with both a hook and spike on the end. Rivermen depended on
peaveys on the log drive downriver. Peaveys were the basic tool of the riverman
on the log drive. The pointed spike was needed to poke and move free-floating
logs. The hook was used to grab logs and pull them out of the water or push
them in.
Saw mill workers
used these tools:
De-Barker: One type of debarking equipment worked something like a
pencil sharpener. It followed the shape of the log and did not cut deeper than
the thickness of the bark. Another debarking method used water jets under
extreme pressure that blasted the bark from the log.
Carriage:
After debarking, the log was rolled
onto the carriage. The carriage was a
special wheeled platform that rolled on tracks. The carriage had a framework that
held the log so that it couldn’t shift. The head sawyer controlled the
carriage. He guided it to the head saw, which was a high-speed circular saw or
a band saw.
High-speed
circular saws:
Most of the smaller lumber mills used this kind of saw. It was a high-speed
saw that sliced the log from end to end. It provided a continuous cutting
action. This non-stop action improved the quality of lumber, and it increased
the number of board feet that could be cut in a day.
Band
saws: Most
of the larger mills used this kind of saw.
It was a type of enormous circular saw. The blade often extended from
floor to ceiling. Band saws ran on two pulleys. Band saws were used to cut
through giant Douglas fir and cedar logs. A single band blade was wound around
and turned by two wheels. Band saws cut with one long non-stop motion. Steam
donkeys supplied the power used to turn the saws. Band
saws finally replaced the circular saws.
The
first pass of the saw through the length of the log removed a slab that was
flat on one side and round on the other side. Several passes produced
rough-edged boards. Some of the boards
were enormous because the log was so thick. After each pass, the head sawyer
works the controls that move the log into position for the next cut.
Edger: next, the boards traveled to the edger. The edger removed any irregular shapes and
squared the edges.
Trimmer saws: the trimmer saws then cut each board to its proper length
and squared the ends of the boards.
Conveyor Belt: the boards moved
to a conveyor belt called the “green chain”. The conveyor belt took the boards
past some men who give each board a grade.
The conveyor belt was not a green color. It was called the “green chain” because some of the boards were
“green” (meaning that they were freshly cut and contained moisture). The boards
were sorted by grade and by the type of trees from which they came.
Next, the boards were dried out. Some were stacked in the yard for air-drying. Others were placed
in oven-type structures called dry kilns. The heat and humidity control in
these kilns dried the boards faster and more precisely.
Planers:
Planers were found in the larger mills.
Planers smoothed the rough boards.