facecut always needed???

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I have had a few barber chairs from hard leaning trees. Not being able to finish the cut fast enough can make it more likely to happen. Hard leaning trees are dangerous. Not facing one makes it even worse, unless to are cutting it like TLandrum said. I only do that on trees around 10-15" or smaller and wouldnt recommend it on anything 20" or bigger. Big trees need to be faced. Broken up or rotten trees need faced also. You don't want to be standing under a tree full of dead limbs trying to walk it off a stump.

If you're cutting a bad leaner, then a good way to speed up the back cut (to lessen the chance of a barber chair) is to either do a boring cut like I mentioned above or put 'skirt cuts' (can't remember what the actual term is right now,.....I'm no Pro) on either side of the tree. Make either the boring cut or skirt cuts level with the line that your'e going to follow with the back cut.
 
I enjoy felling because there are so many dynamics to consider. But I am far far far from being a pro. The reason I raised the point that pushing or pulling could cause a barber chair is I cut with weekenders and farmers - with regularity I have folks wanting to push or pull a properly leaning tree because they think this make it more safe. Of course it may help with your accuracy but it puts the cutter at greater risk. It is sometimes difficult to get the point across of why put an additional and unnecessary load on a tree when you have no way (or experience) to measure the amount of the load. Be safe out there, Ron
 
I don't know if its the right thing to do...but I bore cut everything at this point except the little trees. I have a lot of Ash and bore cutting helps keep the tree from pulling the heart out if I haven't made an open enough face cut....idiot insurance at times. I do it on the other types of tress as well to try and minimize the chances of having the tree split up and raise the hing to where it comes back on you....not enough material left to let that happen after a bore cut. I must confess spending a lot of time by myself out there so I pick my way around the tree and make a nice escape path as well.
 
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when it comes to felling trees experience is one of the best teachers youll ever have,whether its your experience or a friends
 
Dont let your friend get you killed...

The knotch is for a tree falling over and sliding over a stump keeping it from kicking back on you...Alot of people thinks you cut a knotch out is for a direction for a tree to fall,,,no,,it isnt,, with the lean of a tree,,,limbs,,alot of factors come into play....
Your gonna have to lean to bore cut with a bad leaner to keep it from barber chairing on ya...Do a search on here for bore cutting and it'll help explane......
 
I haven't seen it mentioned but on leaners I will chain them before I do any cutting. Only takes a few to start a BC and have the chain stop it to get the idea that the few minutes it takes tochain up is worth it.

Harry K
 
It sure would be nice if an experienced faller could post a video or two of some different techniques. Hint, hint, hint
 
It sure would be nice if an experienced faller could post a video or two of some different techniques. Hint, hint, hint


you want to run the camera? well do some tree felling for the kiddies lol:hmm3grin2orange:
 
Yep. On oaks like that, I'll do a boring cut in the face to cut the heartwood before making the back cut. That is on the oaks that aren't rotton in the center anyways. Most larger oaks around here seem to be rotton to some degree. Keep the boring cut level. You've also gotta know where your bar tip is at all times during that boring cut so you don't end up unintentionaly making the back cut from within the face!

I don't understand how cutting the heartwood prevents a barber chair.
 
the only thing I dont face cut are trees that are already leaning and are under 8 to 10 in diameter anyway. just start cutting.
If its not leaning, Ill face cut so I will fall in the direction I want.
 
I don't understand how cutting the heartwood prevents a barber chair.

Let me give this a try. The oaks in our part of the world are straight grain (particularly white oak) and split real easy. With a face cut in place, the tree will increase its lean as you cut the back fibers on your back cut. There comes a point where the strenght of the hinge may be stronger than the tree's resistance to splitting, and the increased lean load splits the tree stem. As you know typically you are cutting toward your hinge until it is weak enough for the tree to fall. In other words, as you make your back cut the hinge ordinarily is getting thinner and thinner. And the lean load is getting greater and greater. But if you don't cut fast enough to narrow the hinge, the ever increasing lean load will split the tree. If you cut the heart first then you should already have a proper size hinge before you appreciably increase the lean load thus the tree tree hinges instead of splitting. Hope this make sense. Ron
 
About everyone you talk to is against match cutting and all that good stuff. But like others have said, if you know what you are doing, a kirf, and a small "chip" can work wonders... Often times where the timber has a good good lead to it, I will make a kirf about 1/2 the tree, cut a little chip out and sink into the back. You have to have fast equipment, but it can save tons of time and again, if you know what your doin, you wont be pulling much wood at all, "popping" woods is more like it.

I know guys that almost NEVER use a cleaned out notch. .

Its really an old timer thing. I think they liked it cause of your hot **** you can completely eliminate pulled wood. Cutting trees that need to roll and twist to get to the ground also benefit from such cutting practices. .

As for barber chairs, they can happen any time. Ive had white oaks come apart with barely enough wood to keep it on the stump. Cutting the heart will definitely help prevent it, but sawing the compression side off a leaner works equally well.
 
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Sometimes I put the loader up against a tree and push it the direction I want it to go. An old operator told me I shouldn't notch trees I push, so I don't. I guess the thinking is that you want all the wood holding to keep it from potentially coming back over top of you, and it can't barber chair with the loader holding it.

You dont notch trees that you shove???


THAT IS REALLY DANGEROUS!!
 
You dont notch trees that you shove???


THAT IS REALLY DANGEROUS!!

I agree man. I fight with my know-it-all boss all the time when he wants to push leaners when I'm cutting. He even ask if I need the notch sometimes.

I say, yea, unless you want to cut it. :angry2: I'm the one gonna eat the chair, not you.

Definetly do not push leaners at all IMO. Why do you need to? Learn how to cut them while trying to minimize the barberchairs. It will still happen though, no matter what you do. I have to cut trees sometimes that are at 45° angles to the ground sometimes. It's almost a guaranteed barberchair with an old ash leaning that hard. Just half to cut till it starts and then run like the wind. :hmm3grin2orange:
 
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