felling and limbing or limbing and felling ?

[The Count]

greetings,
how to approach a tree with lots of branches ? (the image is exaggerated)
but still....what are the steps? is it better to limb it standing or cut down ?
thanks

 

[derwoodii]

1st step do you have to remove it? As your picture said trees have great value.
If so, then with great care. Cross cuttin on the ground is one thing felling is a whole new ball game more blokes get hurt here than in many other industries.
Start with smaller trees work up your skills find the trees balance and then use a rope it to control. With many low limb, remove and clear lower below your waist height then fell trunk as seen best. Here you will learn and pinch jam your bar often. Have a wedge axe ready, do not use your strength to pull saw clear you will damage the bar and its frame.
Here a few vids of how wrong it can go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=169Z_pv5Xns&NR=1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YAf61zz5VU

 

[treemandan]

You'd have a heck of a time trying to get that tree to fall down.

 

[deevo]

You'd have a heck of a time trying to get that tree to fall down.

Unless he had a big cat dozer! That I would love to see!

 

[dingeryote]

There's a safety cartoon in the making with that tree. LOL!!

Lopping limbs first is the only way, unless a guy wants to get squished.

I'm with Dewoodi. If there isn't a really, really good reason, that beautifull old tree shouldn't be molested anyhow.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[woodchuck361]

limb then fell. I dont belive that is the pic. of the actual tree.
It would be far to dangerous to try to drop it with such long limbs still attached.
depending on the lenth of the limbs I would make under cuts to prevent splitting and and pinching your bar, then make the top cut on the limb and if you do it right and cut slowly (not all the way though the limb) you can let the limb lower itself to the ground and buck from the end back to the trunk.
It would be helpful to see the actual tree.

 

[The Count]

ok; to me such old and big trees are priceless; I would let them grow in my living room if there is where they are;
but every once in awhile you find peoples that have a such tree on their land and want to cut it down; Myself, for ex. I have my parents in law; they have a gorgeous ash in the far end of their garden and they want it down; I have tried to save it but they need firewood and they say it is blocking their view and shades the vegetables garden; in situations like this, if I won`t do it, someone else will; so I`ll do it. I feel bad for the tree though;

anyways, I find it way easier to fell the tree than limb it;
i`ve fallen so far around 25 trees, mostly dried out plum trees, from 15 cm to 40 cm diameter; that part is easy

limbing however, destroyed my bar. the limb was resting to the ground, and while I was cutting, it was opening as it was supposed to but suddenly it snapped and smashed the bar; it was putrid and couldn`t hold the weight (the limb was 15-17 cm). but I guess that`s an exception that I have, removing diseased trees.

that pic is from a book, "The splintered history of wood"
I`ve posted pics in off topic area, food for thought; might wanna have a look. there are many more interesting pics.
the book is under 5 Mb so if anyone wants it, is possible via email.

 

[woodchuck361]

yes in most cases it is better to fell the tree then limb it. but in the case of a tree that has limbs as long as the tree is high it is a completely different game. You must clear enough of the limbs from the trunk to allow the tree to fall. If left alone the tree would not really fall, it would come off the stump.. maybe and would be a very dangerous leaning mess that you would have to try to climb into and cut the limbs that are preventing the trunk from falling off the stump.
It would be better to clear those limbs while it is still holding itself up.

 

[himiler]

It's actually kind of nice to be able to buck out the limbs to the right size while attached and off the ground if that's an issue.
I did this recently on an old Oak that had a large limb crack and end up resting on the roof of a small outbuilding. It had grown that way long enough to end up supporting its full weight. At the base of the crotch it was almost a full meter in diameter. The customer wanted it cut to 50cm length logs for his fireplace.
Steve W.