What do they use swamp logs for? They are now perfectly preserved specimens prized for milling into tables, mantles, bed frames, flooring and bar surfaces. The special properties of the Edisto River turn old logs into sustained jewels.
What are Swamp Loggers and where do they work?
The term "swamp loggers" was popularized by a reality TV series of that name. Swamp Loggers featured the loggers of the Bobby Goodson Logging Company and aired on the Discovery Channel from 2009 to 2012. In actuality, logging crews travel to wherever trees need to be harvested. and work in many types of forest environments.
What is swamp cypress wood used for?
As might be expected from a tree that thrives in festering, moist conditions, the wood is very resistant to rot, leading to its use in boat-building, fencing, building construction and garden boxes. Its pleasing appearance also leads to the use of swamp cypress in cabinetry, flooring and furniture-making.
What is swamp ash wood used for?
Swamp Ash. Swamp ash, also known as green ash, is a common wood found throughout the eastern and central United States and in adjacent parts of Canada. It is a strong, hard wood with excellent bending qualities. The strength alone causes swamp ash to be used for tool handles and sometimes baseball bats.
How are underwater logs harvested?
There are two types of underwater logs to harvest: the escaped logs from previous operations and the dead trees still rooted to the bottom. Sinker logs are collected, whereas underwater trees still need to be cut down. Each scenario requires different harvest techniques and machinery.
What is swamp ash used for?
What is swamp oak?
What is carpenter lumber used for?
Where is swamp ash found?
Is a swamp a wasteland?
Is swamp cypress wood resistant to rot?
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About this website
What is a logger?
Loggers, also known as lumberjacks, are skilled workers who harvest the trees that provide the raw materials manufacturers need to make paper, lumber, furniture and a host of other products. Loggers are categorized according to the specific tasks each performs. Tree climbers use specialized tools and climbing gear to ascend tall trees and prepare them for cutting. Fallers use chainsaws and hand tools to cut down the trees.
Where do loggers harvest trees?
Logging crews may harvest trees in any terrain where they grow, including swamps. The term "swamp loggers" was popularized by a reality TV series of that name. Swamp Loggers featured the loggers of the Bobby Goodson Logging Company and aired on the Discovery Channel from 2009 to 2012. In actuality, logging crews travel to wherever trees need to be harvested. and work in many types of forest environments. This an occupation with good pay that appeals to people who enjoy the outdoors and a physically active work setting.
How many people worked as loggers in 2016?
As of 2016, approximately 55,300 people worked as logger_s in the United States. Logging companies employed 52 percent. Self-employed loggers accounted for another 25 percent. Sawmills and lumber preservation firms hired about 9 percent. About 3 percent worked in crop production and 2 percent _ had support jobs in agriculture and forestry.
What is the job of a lumberjack?
Once a tree is felled, lumberjacks attach cables so tractors can drag it to a work area. There, other workers grade trees based on factors like straightness and know size. Logging equipment operators use power tools, chains and other tools to cut trees to desired lengths, bundle them together and load them for transport. The logging crew is also responsible for inspecting equipment to insure safe operation and for performing routine maintenance.
How much does a logger make?
The average salary for loggers in March, 2018 was $39,690 according to Payscale.com. A salary survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual salary of $38,840 in 2017. This means half of the loggers made more than the median and half made less. The top earning 10 percent of loggers earned more than $59,870 while the 10 percent paid the least received under $24,540.
Is logging a dangerous job?
Logging is a physically strenuous occupation and can be hazardous. Loggers must carry heavy equipment, climb trees and work outdoors, _ often in bad weathe _r. At times they must travel long distances to isolated areas to harvest trees. In recent years, improvements in logging technology has made logging safer, but lumberjacks must still use tools like chainsaws and deal with wildlife. Usually, they wear hard hats, protective clothing, boots and safety harnesses.
When were swamp logs found?
In the spring of 2010, the logs were found and recovered by Bobby Goodson's All Terrain Logging company, during the filming of the Discovery Channel's popular show Swamp Loggers.
What type of wood is used for flooring?
Heart pine and cypress are not the only types of wood that is converted into top quality flooring and paneling.
Why are sinker logs important?
From the standpoint of steelhead, for example, the sinker log provides an important role in habitat contribution in a river system. Just like terrestrial forests, aquatic habitat can be enhanced with structural diversity. A log wedged into a river bottom provides shelter from the currents.
Why do people pull logs from watersheds?
This is a likely reason underwater logging companies may take their business to places beyond U.S. borders. There are levels of agencies a sub aquatic harvester will work with, from local city or county departments to state and federal agencies. These agencies are responsible for upholding environmental laws and guiding the harvester through the process.
How did the pioneers use flashboard dams?
As skid roads accelerated log transport, the pioneers also used a method called flashboard damming. This is where a river or creek was temporarily blocked to create a flooded area. Felled timber was dragged to the floodwaters where it would collect and float in mass. Once a sufficient number of timber was collected, the dam broke, and a rush of water and logs careened downstream where they could collect and move via railroad. This method proved to be quicker and cheaper for men and beasts alike.
What was the purpose of the skid road?
In the nineteenth century Pacific Northwest, pioneer loggers faced the challenge of turning massive trees into lumber. Once a tree was cut, a lot of work remained to turn it into a log and then transport it to a sawmill. Oxen were the beasts of burden tasked to move logs from point A to point B along cleared paths, which became impossibly muddy, bogging down animals and cargo. To solve this issue, cross logs were placed perpendicular to the direction of travel and thick black oil helped the trees slide along. These were called skid roads, and expedited the log transport system. If a lumberjack was fired from his job, he was sent walking down the skid road, which is where the term “skid row” originated, a name that prompts an image of unemployment and squalor to this day.
What are the two types of underwater logs?
There are two types of underwater logs to harvest: the escaped logs from previous operations and the dead trees still rooted to the bottom. Sinker logs are collected, whereas underwater trees still need to be cut down. Each scenario requires different harvest techniques and machinery.
Where are sinker logs sold?
Sinker logs can be sold directly to the consumer, or wholesale to commercial retail. Retail prices for the lumber vary widely depending on the quality grade of wood, wood cut, species used, and transport costs. Many of the sinker logs sold in the U.S. are sourced from the southern states, such as Louisiana or Florida.
What beasts moved logs from point A to point B?
Oxen were the beasts of burden tasked to move logs from point A to point B along cleared paths, which became impossibly muddy, bogging down animals and cargo. To solve this issue, cross logs were placed perpendicular to the direction of travel and thick black oil helped the trees slide along.
How long is a log?
The standard log was cut 14 1/2 feet long, Barr said, though some logs exceed 16 feet and can weigh hundreds of pounds. Emerson said the biggest specimen he’d recovered was a 30-foot cypress. Some trees, especially cypress, were well over a century old when felled.
How did Emerson fight the log?
Emerson fought the log for a long while, coming up for air several times. He finally got the cable around it and clamped a huge set of metal tongs on the wood.
What did Emerson say about the slabs?
The two men cut most recovered logs into long slabs that expose the grain. “Slabs are what people want,” Emerson said. “An old tree is great, but a giant slab out of that tree is even better.”
Is sinker wood dangerous?
Despite the commercial value of sinker wood, few people in South Carolina expend the cost and effort to recover it, said William B. Barr, who owns a marine and terrestrial archaeology company in Leesville. “It’s exceedingly dangerous work — not the easy money it might look like on TV,” Barr said.
How to salvage logs from a lake?
Attaching buoys is one of the main processes by which underwater logs are salvaged from the bottom of lakes and rivers. First, a scuba-diver must locate the sunken logs in the water, searching from about three feet from the bottom of the lake or river. After that, a buoy is placed around the log about three feet from its back. From there, a boat uses a gaff hook to catch the buoys and pulls the log close enough to the boat where the crew is able to tie the logs close to the side of the boat. This process repeats itself until the boat is filled to its capacity, after which the expedition is completed and crew must return to base before harvesting any additional logs.
Why are logging logs considered rediscovered wood?
Because the underwater logging process is essentially retrieving drowned logs and sunken trees that were already lost in previous logging expeditions, the logs are considered “rediscovered wood.” Because underwater logging is retrieving “rediscovered wood,” this has a positive impact on the forestry industry, as it reduces the need to log in land forests. In addition, when logging on land logging companies have to create new roads to get to higher quality wood. Road building is eliminated with underwater logging because the transportation paths across the rivers already exist.
How do ships affect the environment?
Ships are polluting both in the marine environment and in the atmosphere, and although it is difficult to estimate the magnitude of the problem, there is no uncertainty that increased usage of such ships will increase pollution. As the underwater logging industry becomes more popular and profitable, this increased usage will occur. The process of underwater logging itself will also have a negative impact on the environment, as the logs themselves add weight to the ships, forcing said ships to work harder and use more time and energy to transport their cargo. In terms of transportation, cargo ships transport the logs across the water. They use an immense amount of ballast water, which can have negative effects on the environment. When the ships reach the mills they empty the water, “Ballast water discharge typically contains a variety of biological materials, including plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria”. Dumping the ballast can change the aquatic ecosystems and even make the water undrinkable.
How does underwater logging affect the environment?
The process of underwater logging itself will also have a negative impact on the environment, as the logs themselves add weight to the ships, forcing said ships to work harder and use more time and energy to transport their cargo. In terms of transportation, cargo ships transport the logs across the water.
How has underwater logging changed?
Underwater logging itself, on the other hand, has developed to the point where new technology has allowed for the capability to cut down drowned trees that have been lost due to rising water levels. It is estimated that, “Buried in the water of reservoirs around the world are thought to be about 300 million submerged trees worth as much as $50 billion”, making underwater logging as a whole an industry with the potential for high profits.
What is the process of harvesting trees that are submerged under water?
Process of harvesting trees that are submerged under water. Underwater logging is the process of logging trees from underwater forests. When artificial reservoirs and dams are built, large areas of forest are often inundated; although the trees die, the wood is often preserved. The trees can then be felled using special underwater machinery ...
Why is road building eliminated with underwater logging?
Road building is eliminated with underwater logging because the transportation paths across the rivers already exist.
What equipment is used to salvage logs from the water?
Today, sonar equipment, mechanical log loaders and polypropylene rope help to salvage the logs from the water. As this virgin timber is reclaimed from the water, many woodworkers are now able to buy this wood with its tight annular rings (sometimes as many as 77 per inch) and grain structure directly from salvage companies.
Why did loggers make rafts out of pine?
Hardwoods sink much faster than softwoods, so loggers made rafts out of pine to transport them . But often these rafts would break up going over a waterfall or get caught in a lake storm and the logs would be lost. Even back in the 1800s, hardwood was very valuable.
How deep did wood sink in the 1800s?
Even back in the 1800s, hardwood was very valuable. Most of the wood that sank as deep as 20 feet was recovered by loggers with piking poles. They would stab into the water, screw the end of the pole into a log and pull it to the surface. “ (Logs) all weigh more than water,” says Chris Pilot, co-owner of TRI.
What happens when wood is submerged?
Nagyvary says that when wood is submerged, bacteria eat away at “hemicellulose” and starchy matter in the wood, creating wood ideal for instrument makers.
What wood did the divers find?
They had discovered logs of red oak, yellow birch, white pine and maple that were lost between the mid-1800s and the early 1900s while the wood was en route to lumber mills.
Do red oaks sink faster?
Hardwoods such as red oak have a more open cellular structure than softwoods, so they absorb more water and sink much faster. Log salvagers consider themselves lucky if they find any hardwood underwater, but a good place to start looking is near old mill sites.
Who is the president of Superior Water Logged Lumber?
Superior Water-Logged Lumber, a competing company founded in 1992, recovers the logs it locates, cuts, dries and sells the wood. Caz Neitzke, the president of company, declined to be interviewed for this story other than to say, “We are the clear-cut leaders in the industry.”
What is swamp ash used for?
The strength alone causes swamp ash to be used for tool handles and sometimes baseball bats. However, the wood also has special acoustic properties that combined with its flexibility makes ash a popular choice for musical instruments.
What is swamp oak?
Swamp Oak. Swamp oak's most famous qualities are its density and strength. In fact, the thick oak planking and superstructure of the USS Constitution, an early-19th-century American warship, proved so robust in combat that the vessel earned the nickname "Old Ironsides.".
What is carpenter lumber used for?
As such, a carpenter might use the lumber for applications where appearance is not so important, such as making crates, boxes and interior paneling in furniture. It is also a popular choice for processed wood products, and as such might be found in soft plywood.
Where is swamp ash found?
Swamp ash, also known as green ash, is a common wood found throughout the eastern and central United States and in adjacent parts of Canada. It is a strong, hard wood with excellent bending qualities. The strength alone causes swamp ash to be used for tool handles and sometimes baseball bats. However, the wood also has special acoustic properties ...
Is a swamp a wasteland?
While swamps are packed with life , many think of them as a wasteland from a practical point of view. Nothing could be further from the truth in terms of timber, as a variety of useful trees grow in the wet, fertile conditions of the swamps of the United States.
Is swamp cypress wood resistant to rot?
As might be expected from a tree that thrives in festering, moist conditions, the wood is very resistant to rot, leading to its use in boat-building, fencing, building construction and garden boxes. Its pleasing appearance also leads to the use of swamp cypress in cabinetry, flooring and furniture-making.
