The Essential Tools of Log Handling

The lumberjack knows that he needs many different tools to handle logs properly. He knows that the best axe and saw are a part of his stock and trade. Chainsaws have made his job considerably easier. Flannel shirts and suspenders are completely optional. These are no longer part of essential lumberjack fashion. The hard hat is now an indispensable accessory. The logging tools of the fashionable lumberjack include log jacks, cant hooks, picaroons, lifting tongs and skidding tongs. Each of these tools serves a specific purpose. The purpose of lifting tongs is obvious. The tongs allow the lumberjack to lift pieces of lumber and move them into place. They are used to move the logs through the air. When a logger needs to move a log along the ground, skidding tongs serve this purpose. Skidding tongs allow a logger to grab a piece of timber and haul it along the ground. The prepared logger has several tongs of different sizes on hand. The company he works for may attach the longer sizes to cranes or other pieces of heavy machinery. Any logger knows that a chainsaw cannot do all of his work. When he needs to do a minor trimming job, he may want to consider using pickeroons. The pickaroon is similar to a scythe. A logger uses it to cut off branches and trim the log down to the size he needs. When he has all of the miscellaneous pieces removed, he uses his tongs to load the piece of wood into place. Some logging tools have not changed much since they were first developed. The cant hook is still a simple wooden pole with a metallic hook attached. The cant hook often has a tooth on the end. The tooth allows the user to get a better grip on the log he uses the cant hook on. The hook is used for lifting or turning small logs. Cant hooks are also known as cant dogs. The log jacks come last on this list, but they are certainly not the least important tool for someone who has a large log handling task. A felled piece of timber may need to be lifted up off the ground. The timber jack is inserted under a log to move the log to a higher elevation. The unit works like a car jack. A lever allows the user of this tool to raise or lower the height. The basic tools of log handling have not changed since the profession of lumberjack was introduced many centuries ago, but they still perform the same basic functions. Modern technology has helped changed their form. It has made them more sturdy or reliable. The one thing it has not done is changed the basic function. The tasks a logger performs have not really changed at all. For nearly 60 years, Westech Rigging Supply has been operating in Oregon. That's right, we dwell within the Pacific Northwest , home of massive timber and large logging jobs. Our veteran staff has over 100 years of combined experience with the products and services we provide . Additionally, we are the sole rigging shop with multiple locations in Oregon. Our two stores, at the north and south ends of the Willamette Valley, make our ability to service the I-5 corridor second-to-none. We are a proud one stop shop for rigging equipment, fall protection, tree climbing gear and general safety supplies and we carry over 3,000 items in these categories so you will surely find what you need. All of the essential log handling tools, such as log handling, skidding tongs, cant hook, lifting tongs, logging tools, log jacks and picaroons.