Barber chair

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Worked out well for you. One reason for releasing the bore cut with a trigger is to help with saw snatch. Cutting straight out of the back could get the saw ripped out of your hands.
No matter how you slice it.
Upside outside inside low side balls 4ft deep side, it's a"trigger" friend.
:)




That makes sence. If a big hunk broke below my cut It could grab the bar and go with the tree. That's what I'm looking for, words of wisdom.
That's not realy how it happens.
That has as much chance of happening as Barber chairing behind the cut. People have a bit of a misconception because they have heard it and they came up with what you came up with. Maybe when someone said "cut below" it's really slang; for saying don't cut above. We talk weird in these parts (or we cut weird?) It means when you are finishing your back strap on large diameter, a Faller will keep his preferd last cut to be that of the lower channel. Keep in mind as 'you' cut forward we are cutting with our dogs and 3ft of bar, balls in with wood still not cut towards the center. It's not uncommon to bypass the cuts 3" or 4" due to different angles leaving some inside wood or slabs dropping in the centre with the likes of Cedar. Ok now what do you think happens when you bypass in the higher channel? Lol ...I'm laughing at myself.
I cut a lot of short Cedar snags, some pretty big. Sometimes I get sloppy and tired at the end and I get caught in the last slab or you lose track of things because there is so many loose slabs and different hight cuts due to the difficulty of slope
It's hard to control through soft areas inside so,..bypass cutting and ..well having to part with my saw, is something I know a little about. It's all good to release from a bit below *on small diameter too. Above on small diameter you can get caught in the trunk if one is not mindful.

. If it was multiple choice (Best Answer ) in regards to cutting outwards from your bore cut, my main concern would be that you are at a disadvantage when cutting outwards opossed to being further back on smallish Dia/Heavy lean.

*Edit bottom
 
OK a few problems here. Although it's always a good idea to take a leaner off the lean by offsetting the undercut (when you have room in that direction ) because the heavely tentioned "back" naturally gets cut last without 'fancy' safe cut sequences. 45° - 60° is suggested. taking it off the lean 90° WILL cause stall and may snap off the holding wood or rip a section out of the back and down into the roots. I wouldn't go more than 60° in this case. One time I did that, then the roots ripe up, It threw so much sand in my eye I ran away with my eyes shut and hit a tree. I broke about 90% of my... pride and didn't return for 3 yrs.. ok most of the story was true.
That's the problem if you cut realy low to the roots. You will have the strongest sap wood fibers but its easier to tear the back out on a very low cut than a higher cut obviously. About the coos bay cut? Exellent work on those west coast hardwoods btw. I have been meaning to quote them. (I'll get to them) Young utility worker got killed here a few years back trying to 'one cut a 6" alder. Its on Youtube (work safe BC alert) they are definitely no joke. Yes nice triangle cuts on the leaners.

The problem with nipping off the bottom of your holding wood, even as little as an inch when it heavely compressed, is it puts way more tension on the top (tention side) when the weight is unbalanced. Like a down hill lean on a side hill lay.
Too thick of hinge at the top doesn't do anything but freak me out from all the poping and cracking and splitting. That tree can not go over until those back fibers break
Its another catch 22. You need them to support the weight but you can't have then for the tree to advance. I would try to throw a small block with a thin line on it over a branch then pull your rope up and tie a running bowline for a little security.
Cut it up with a "Johnny hold me tight"
It allows the front fibers movement and it will hold on.

Ok I guess that means I'm doing my first diagram.

after you see my art skills...your all will be wondering why I run a saw.

Obviously the tree Brian mentions is not one to experiment on, but I'd like to try the "steering a tree", in the woods,( read no obstacles, or barns to mash), by step cutting under the face, as @NORTHMAN Logging, you, & others discussed in another thread.

I see that as being something to add to the toolbox, provided judicious care is taken, once the experience is gained.

In no way would I do something like that in this setting, without knowing it would work based on previous experience.

You & John have provided enough diagrams & discussion to encourage safe practices to get it on the ground, & not the barn.

Thank You.


2 Rings & A Flattop, LLC Test Dummy
 
I'll draw another diagram how I would approach after I finish cutting this load of firewood. Lol
Can you take a pic of the tree, particularly the butt?
Was pretty dark before work,hard to get an image ,looks like a cottonwood maybe by the bark ,small tree ,maybe 20-24 inches thick down low KIMG0285.JPG KIMG0283.JPG
Here is only image i can find in relation to the barn ,but the tree is just to the left of the photo edge on the left ,not a very good view though arbor 705_LI.jpg
 
Was pretty dark before work,hard to get an image ,looks like a cottonwood maybe by the bark ,small tree ,maybe 20-24 inches thick down low View attachment 551554 View attachment 551559
Here is only image i can find in relation to the barn ,but the tree is just to the left of the photo edge on the left ,not a very good view though View attachment 551562

I missed the whole 30something degrees of lean the first time.

My question is, how much give before the hinge fails?


2 Rings & A Flattop, LLC Test Dummy
 
I missed the whole 30something degrees of lean the first time.

My question is, how much give before the hinge fails?


2 Rings & A Flattop, LLC Test Dummy
I have not cut much cottonwood because it is good for nothing ,don't even burn good .I have fell alder about 45 degrees to the lean and they followed the hinge direction with a couple wedges ,I have fell cedar 180 degrees to the lean with wedges and a tug with a choker also ,I have the ht101 polesaw too ,i can get about 16 foot up with it ,i may be able to fell the high parts sideways first,then drop the trunk ,i wont mess with it till summertime if i do remove it though .Lot of ways to skin the cat they say .
 
image.jpeg
Woody, Gypo was commenting on the pic of the cherry that I posted. He's cutting a maple in his.
Gypo, I have a real good gig going with the owner of the proper so don't want to screw that up. Told him I would only take the Poplar, ash and anything that was on the ground or leaning into his fields. I already fell bad enough about getting stuck in the plowed field, have to fix it up with my tiller and cultivator in the spring. He owns a few 1000 acres within 10 miles of me and lots of bush.
Sounds like you have a good setup with the farmer. Has the 1000 acres been cut in the last 10 years?
Those fence row trees can be as dangerous as barber chair. The limbs tend to be much larger than trees within the forest and they don't break when the tree hits the ground, causing the tree to roll, sweep and bounce violently sideways, so it's always good to get back from the stump.
 
Obviously the tree Brian mentions is not one to experiment on, but I'd like to try the "steering a tree", in the woods,( read no obstacles, or barns to mash), by step cutting under the face, as @NORTHMAN Logging, you, & others discussed in another thread.
Bitzer did an excellent write up on this maybe a year and a half back, maybe June or so of 15'. Don't recall the name of the thread though.
 
When you retire go with that artistic talent, won't take much to get ya good.
Right idea seen it tried too low a tie on tree and rope on REAR bumper that lifts rear tires. Two wheel drive back away from tree if there is not a place to tie a pully so the fall isn't in line with puller, just in case the tree is taller than you figured. still left out more that can go bad
 
I have not cut much cottonwood because it is good for nothing ,don't even burn good .I have fell alder about 45 degrees to the lean and they followed the hinge direction with a couple wedges ,I have fell cedar 180 degrees to the lean with wedges and a tug with a choker also ,I have the ht101 polesaw too ,i can get about 16 foot up with it ,i may be able to fell the high parts sideways first,then drop the trunk ,i wont mess with it till summertime if i do remove it though .Lot of ways to skin the cat they say .
it almost looks like Birch how the light hits the bark in the pic.

Ok here is one for you.. if you are going to wait then kill it today. Girdle the cambium layer, hardwood won't dry quick like softwoods and you won't see any difference in the trunk in that time but you will loose a fair bit of top weight most importantly.
Black Cottonwood grows west of the rockies and about 2/3 the way up BC they cross bread with the Balsam poplar( balsamifera) were they overlap. 80% of Black Cottonwood (trichocarpa) in in WA & BC.
My experience is
The Black Cottonwood of the coast have much different properties than that of the Black Cottonwood of the BC interior, they even take on a different appearance at a younger age due to the extended growing season of the coast than that of the 49 parellel north inland. They will Barberchair easy in that 14 -20 inch range but get very strong over 2 ft. as the anual grow rings are tighter as the tree ages. I had a close call last when I fell for property developments last spring in the mainland Valley . I hadn't fell a lot of coast hardwoods and the cotton and birch Barber chair easy but they don't in the north. Funny! I started that day by falling a 4ft fir then a 4.5 cotton and then a 5.5 cotton & I was punching the clock. Easy peasy but the properties of the 18" cotton in that area was where I lacked experience.
Add up, speed cutting when tired and stopping back cut to early.
You can fall for 25 yrs and have inexperience that you could dial in in a day or die in a second not reconizing it.
 
Gypo, likely hasn't been logged for close to 25 years. A German investment company owned most of the land and they logged it severely just before the deal closed to sell the property. The last 3 owners were never interested in the bush, in fact one cash cropper just had an excavator go around the bush and smash everything he could back into the bush. It's a real rocky farm and over the years everyone who picked rocks on it just backed as far into the bush as they could and dumped the rocks in the trees. There is about 30' of rocks all around the bush now. When we owned it we cut it regular, I live on land severed off the original farm. The house I live in and my barn was built with lumber from that bush. I'm just glad I can get all the wood I want this close to home.
 
it almost looks like Birch how the light hits the bark in the pic.

Ok here is one for you.. if you are going to wait then kill it today. Girdle the cambium layer, hardwood won't dry quick like softwoods and you won't see any difference in the trunk in that time but you will loose a fair bit of top weight most importantly.
Black Cottonwood grows west of the rockies and about 2/3 the way up BC they cross bread with the Balsam poplar( balsamifera) were they overlap. 80% of Black Cottonwood (trichocarpa) in in WA & BC.
My experience is
The Black Cottonwood of the coast have much different properties than that of the Black Cottonwood of the BC interior, they even take on a different appearance at a younger age due to the extended growing season of the coast than that of the 49 parellel north inland. They will Barberchair easy in that 14 -20 inch range but get very strong over 2 ft. as the anual grow rings are tighter as the tree ages. I had a close call last when I fell for property developments last spring in the mainland Valley . I hadn't fell a lot of coast hardwoods and the cotton and birch Barber chair easy but they don't in the north. Funny! I started that day by falling a 4ft fir then a 4.5 cotton and then a 5.5 cotton & I was punching the clock. Easy peasy but the properties of the 18" cotton in that area was where I lacked experience.
Add up, speed cutting when tired and stopping back cut to early.
You can fall for 25 yrs and have inexperience that you could dial in in a day or die in a second not reconizing it.

Birch was my thought also, bark is too smooth for cottonwood. To the OP, if a twig will burn like it has oil in it probably birch. Cottonwood will have very bulbous buds on it during the winter.
 
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