TERMS USED IN THE TIMBER INDUSTRY-AN UNAUTHORIZED APPENDIX TO LOGGERS LEXICON BY: Merv Johnson
air jam-
Air operated friction device
air speed-
Sometimes a synonym for air equipped two-speed yarders
belly-
The amount of sag, or catenary in a line, usually refers to a guyline.
bitch, or loading bitch-
Loading donkey. Not sure how
this expression originated, but the early internal combustion
breast line-
Guylines used to tether a float on each side of the beach when float
logging
bull choker-
A long choker used only when a long reach is needed
bunch it-
To quit a job
Clausen Butt Hook-
WIW catalog #23 p 64 shows two types
Convertible-
Smith & Watson listed a donkey that was convertible to sky-line
logging.
It was built with an extra drum intended to be used as a heel block drum
for tightening the sky-line. It
was also equipped with a sledge-hammer two-speed.
corner block-
The field block used to keep the haul-back or back-line out of the way
cut-off-
Refers to cutting off the top of piling
dee-
The device babbited on the end of high lead straps which replaced eyes
drop line-
A single line that is lowered from a carriage to pick up logs
dry
pond-
Because logs are seldom dumped in water any more, they are usually
stored and sorted on
the ground.
emergency whistle-
Bring a stretcher. The signal was six longs in 1944 in Oregon.
By 1958, the signal was
Empire-
This Canadian company built several types of steam donkeys.
The last one was
fire's
out-
Early in the days of change to internal combustion from steam, the donkey
engineer would sometimes kill the engine. Taking
advantage of the sudden silence, some wit would
announce, "Your fire is out!"
flop the lines-
When at the end of a skid road, it is sometimes advantageous to reverse
the position of the
flying parbuckle-
A method used when setting a choker to make a log go over an obstacle
when there is insufficient lift.
friction device-
A device used to engage a drum. Hand,steam,
or air operated.
full throat boiler-
A double extended firebox boiler. Willamette
and other manufacturers developed these about
1920 using the term in their sales literature.
Goat-
Originally used to atomize
steam when starting a boiler fire, the term was carried over into the
guinea drum-
An auxiliary drum used for guinea line. Can anyone determine the origin
of this expression?
guinea
line-
Cable smaller than straw-line used in addition to straw-line.
guyline carriage-
Two blocks built together used on the sail guy for loading. Same as a
traveling block.
half-side-
If crawler tractors were doing all the yarding on a side, that side was
referred to as half a side E.g: "we are running two and one half sides," i.e, two
high lead sides and one cat side.
hand falling-
All falling was originally done with a hand saw or axe. Now the term refers to
head rig-
The carriage and supporting equipment that begin the inital cutting of a
log in a sawmill.
hoedag or hodag-
A hand tool used to plant trees. Also,
refers to people who do the work.
Humboldt style donkey-
An internal gear arrangement popularized by Willamette Iron & Steel
Co.
jack line loading
- A system of suspending
tong lines from jacks and blocks on guylines for loading.
This is the original
jungle-up-
Single loggers sharing a hotel room when out of work
landing hooker-
A hooktender that spends most of his time on the landing, instead of
covering the entire area. Its a
derogatory term.
leg irons-
That part of climbing gear that fits the climber's legs.
line horse-
A truck or flat car with a large drum mounted on it to assist with
rig-up.
logging uphill-
The normal way of yarding logs, which tends to eliminate hang-ups
molly, or molly
Hogan- Used to anchor the pin in blocks, shackles, sled plates, etc. and
sometimes to fasten strawline sections together.
monkey shit-
A material with a consistency of clay used as to contain molten babbit
Nadeau butt hook-
can anyone find info on this?
on the wire-
one who is whistle punk
out of lead-
When the line doesn't spool correctly on the drum.
(“leed”)
pull riggin'-
The act of doing the job of a riggin' slinger
pup line-
Used to change the walking anchor on a skidder.
Approx 7/8 inch diam.
pusher cat-
When a crawler tractor is used to assist another, or truck,etc., by
pushing with its blade
riggin' fit-
When a someone on the rigging throws a temper tantrum
rigging chain-
Used for pulling objects, such as guy-lines.
It looks like a pass chain with only one chain.
rocker arm-
A part of valve gear which pivots linear motion from the valve stem to
the eccentric rod
rolled eye-
A "farmer's eye" which is a quick and temporary and not strong
enough to be legal
safety guy-
Guylines in a favorable position upon which the safety strap is attached
from a high-lead block. In the event the block falls, it will go toward a safe
area.
sawdust savage-
A mill worker
scaling-
Determining the volume, species, and grade of logs
shanty men-
Used to describe a group of a religious loggers in one area of Vancouver
Island
ship-
Anything sent to market
shot gun-gravity feed-
Returning the rigging to the brush by gravity
Skagit- Logging equipment mfg. by a
company in Sedro Woolley, Wa. Primarily
I.C.
skidder foreman-
Boss of a side on a skidder
skidder rigger-
Boss of a side on a skidder
skidders-
A yarding machine that uses a tight skyline, carriage, and slackpuller.
There were several
skidroad-
Any path a log takes when yarding by any machine
sleigh-
A Canadian term for a donkey sled.
slewing drum,or line
(also slue.)- A device that turns a
boom or similar object.
slick soled shoes-
(1) any shoe other than caulks (2)
street shoes
snap guys-
An additional set of guy lines placed between the top guys and buckle
guys
Spearing hook-
Can anyone find info on this?
steam jams-
Steam powered friction device
stiff line-
also known as "tight-line"-
stub switch-
An alternate method of constructing railroad switches
tag out-
The modern day expression for adding a choker to another choker, end to
end
tail block-
The haulback block used on the tail hold.
(Not a corner block)
taper pin shackle-
Used to anchor the skyline to a stump.
The tapered design makes it easy
to knock them out when finished with a road.
Toots-E-Whistle-
A brand name for an electrically actuated steam whistle on a donkey.
Tower-
The intergrated steel tower and yarder are so common today,
the term "donkey"
track loader-
An internal combustion combination loader-yarder popularized by Washington
Iron Works. Most were equipped with crawler tracks, but some had wheels.
two-speed-
Two-speeds were designed to power the main drum on steam donkeys.
up-end-
Changing ends on a line (cable) to reduce wear on one end
up-end
A procedure used when
delivering logs at the landing. The
“back end” of logs are dropped first. This is
sometimes done in steep ground to
provide extra slack, which makes it easier for the chaser to unhook them.
wheel skidder-
An early term for the modern day skidder.
Basically, a tractor with wheels.
Notes:
This list was developed as both an unauthorized appendix to LOGGERS
LEXICON and in very few cases a contradiction. For
further information, see:
"History
Of Chokers," a short compilation by Merv
(LOCHOKER) [copy by request]
Loggers
World, Mar 1998 pg 4, "Evolution of Tools & Rigging" by Finley Hays
From
Sailing To Logging, A Connection Of Terms," TIMBER TIMES # 24 pg 6.
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