Felling tree
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RandyMac
Stiff Member
With nerves of nylon.
I have had a few noisy events when the tree didn't follow the plan.
This Red Fir decided to leave early and split vertically in 3 or 4 places. It started to collapse before it left the stump. I left a chunk of undercut as I was trying to swing it a bit to the right to avoid a pumphouse and another big pissfir. It tried to take my 850 with it, had a hold of the bar tip, me and the saw were 40 feet away when it hit the ground.
With nerves of nylon.
I have had a few noisy events when the tree didn't follow the plan.
This Red Fir decided to leave early and split vertically in 3 or 4 places. It started to collapse before it left the stump. I left a chunk of undercut as I was trying to swing it a bit to the right to avoid a pumphouse and another big pissfir. It tried to take my 850 with it, had a hold of the bar tip, me and the saw were 40 feet away when it hit the ground.
Downieville?
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Just up the road at Sierraville, uphill from the Post Office.
treeslayer2003
Addicted to ArboristSite
right........live to cut another.........no log is worth my well being.......or even mah saw lol.
If you do a search of threads randy mac has participated in and actually read them you can learn a couple of things. What he taught me was to not be sloppy. Anybody can cut a crooked face that doesn't meet. Make the back cut to high or too low, and not level. The tree falls over and they don't get killed, and they think the know what they are doing.
I have learned many techniques on here. Most of the trees I throw have a rope in them. Even with that, I now have learned to be precise in my cuts. Not slow, precise. I practiced until I could get things to be level and lined up and have face cuts meet where they should.
I didn't like his posts early on. My ego got in the way. Now I am glad he is critical of sloppy work. I can see many of the things he points out in my work. So I stopped being in a hurry and tried to learn to be in control of where I was cutting.
One last technique, early in the back cut put a wedge in only about an inch or so. When the wedge moves the cut is opening or closing. You'll see that before you actually see the opening move.
I have learned many techniques on here. Most of the trees I throw have a rope in them. Even with that, I now have learned to be precise in my cuts. Not slow, precise. I practiced until I could get things to be level and lined up and have face cuts meet where they should.
I didn't like his posts early on. My ego got in the way. Now I am glad he is critical of sloppy work. I can see many of the things he points out in my work. So I stopped being in a hurry and tried to learn to be in control of where I was cutting.
One last technique, early in the back cut put a wedge in only about an inch or so. When the wedge moves the cut is opening or closing. You'll see that before you actually see the opening move.
Metals406
Granfodder Runningsaw
Learn something from your elders you say?
Preposterous!! ;0)
The aforementioned wedge "gauge" technique is used a lot on the coast in big wood. A 15" cows tongue is a good choice -- it's length exacerbates even little movement.
jrocket
ArboristSite Operative
excellent book to get you started, IMO if you haven't read that book you don't belong cutting any standing trees at all.
just remember, like another member said "trees don't read books" always expect the unexpected!
treeslayer2003
Addicted to ArboristSite
+1 these guys helped me refine my falling. ya got to have an open mind to learn.
KG441c
Keith
Im all ears.
Oh? I know quite a few guys, professional fallers, who haven't read Dent's book. Or any other book for that matter. They seem to do okay.
KG441c...here's some good information for you. This is better than a lot of that YouTube crap and trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong on your own.
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=36885
You're welcome for the advice. We'll work for gumbo.
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=36885
You're welcome for the advice. We'll work for gumbo.
Look up more than you think you need to. 90% of the danger is above you. I got flamed for saying that by some armchair guys years back. The saw will kill you. Watch it and not the tree. I'm a lot more worried about something hitting me in the head than the saw jumping out to get me.
Metals406
Granfodder Runningsaw
The real trick is watching it all, & that's not easy.
Head in a swivel.
Head in a swivel.
nbouley010
ArboristSite Operative
RandyMac
Stiff Member
I didn't get there overnight, it took a few years working with old guys. I also had the benefit of different forms of training, CDF, USFS and being an apprentice. It helped being born with talent and having nearly unlimited opportunities to practice. Under the guise of training and hazard tree removal, I participated in sportfalling, lots of fun there. Many Saturdays were spent cruising around with my brother, looking for the biggest, nastiest DF snags and monster hardwoods. We had access to a large amount of timberlands in Southern Humboldt.
I tend to ramble on, gets noisy in my head these days. Time for an Ativan.
KG441c
Keith
I have noticed alot of fallers using the saw with the pushing or pulling side of bar? Advantages and disadvantages of both and what determines which? I have 3/4 wraps on my 461 and 362 so either way work?
treeslayer2003
Addicted to ArboristSite
ramble on, it gives me somthing interesting to read.
treeslayer2003
Addicted to ArboristSite
back baring...........i do it limbing alot and somtimes on smaller stems. it is harder to match cuts doing this and harder to control the saw......its not ideal. if you don't need a real low stump, you don't need to on any tree.
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
There are exceptions to what you've said regarding back barring. It can be used effectively under certain circumstances and as with all things the more you do it the better you become at it. I use it a lot falling windbreak trees at 2-3 metre spacings.
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