First tree removal job

[littlejoetqt]

First, I'd like to say that I'm no arborist, just an amateur timber cutter.

A friend of mine contacted me a month or two ago about a tree removal at his new home. After looking at photographs of the tree(250 mile drive), I told him that I'd come down to look at it. I made no guarantee that I would cut it for him, as he said it was in fall range of his house.

So, I decided to go down and spend the weekend with him, as we have daughters the same age and they just love to raise cane together. I arrived, and the following morning we proceeded to drop several trees on his property.

He had 1 sycamore leaning over his driveway, and 2 maples that had been topped out once before but were growing back nearby telephone lines. I didn't bother getting pictures of those.

The tree in question was a white pine with a fading canopy, about 70 feet tall and split about 25 feet up. both shoots went straight up, and the limb weight looked remarkably even. No brainer...a rope and come-along would pull this tree just where it needed to go. Too bad I didn't have a saddle, rope or come-along. Like I said, I'm no professional.

So to make a long story short, there was a light breeze that luckily was going exactly in the direction the tree needed to fall. So I notched the tree, and had to wrap my back cut around the tree(20" bar in a 36" tree). I started on the heavy side, once I made it about halfway around the back, I put my first wedge in the heavy side(just enough to support it if it wanted to set back), about 2 o'clock if you were looking straight at the notch. I wrapped my cut the rest of the way around, and left about 3" of hinge on that side of the tree. I drove my other wedge in about 10-11 o'clock, and brought them both pretty tight. I finished my cut down to a normal hinge, and hammered the wedges home.

The tree decided to fall perfectly in my favor, and the homeowner was screaming and telling me the tree was falling . He had never seen large tree cut before, and said he was afraid of getting me hurt.

Anyhow, we limbed it out, bucked it up into manageable pieces, and he's going to let it dry and use it for campfire wood this summer. He bought my gas one way, fed me and bought beer(AFTER the tree was on the ground, of course). I just thought I would share this, I'm tickled to death I was able to help a very good friend.View attachment 176053View attachment 176054View attachment 176055View attachment 176056View attachment 176057

 

[derwoodii]

Nice one, tis a great feeling dropin a big tree it will last a while, kinda like ya first er you know,, but please take care and read a few posts here of how things canna go wrong. Perhaps if you can spend some time will a local tree mob or forestry blokes you'll learn much fast and will help keep the odds in your favor.

Heres a bloke who's worked 30 safe years on a job like yours. Many more storys to tell and a few who dont talk no more
http://www.arboristsite.com/forestry-logging-forum/157294.htm

 

[littlejoetqt]

Thanks!

thanks for the link, We all want to get home to our families at the end of the day. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who gets a woody from cutting wood . Figuratively, of course.

I'm still a greenhorn, but this is the judgment I've come to follow: If I'm not 100% sure I can put a tree on the ground without endangering anyone else, I leave it standing. My boss is cool with that, and I seldom get in that position. Perhaps it's stupidity, perhaps I've had really good teachers. I suppose the philosophy to have would be "...can put a tree on the ground without endangering anyone...", but ya know.

When I first started this, my boss told me 'It's not if you're gonna get hurt, it's when, and how F'ing bad. I've been blessed so far, the worst thing that's happened to me is a swelled knee cap and a bit of a limp for a couple days.

I did notice a major mistake I made, when I was looking at the pictures. I set my saw squarely in front of the notch when I was starting my wedges. I still had a huge amount of wood holding this tree at the time(I was starting the wedges for fear I misjudged the tree), but it's bad practice. I got by with it yesterday, perhaps someone else will see it and think about it in their own work.

 

[deevo]

I did notice a major mistake I made, when I was looking at the pictures. I set my saw squarely in front of the notch when I was starting my wedges. I still had a huge amount of wood holding this tree at the time(I was starting the wedges for fear I misjudged the tree), but it's bad practice. I got by with it yesterday, perhaps someone else will see it and think about it in their own work.

I noticed that as well, also, you should never have anyone within a tree length of the tree your cutting, if something happens and you go down, and he goes down....then what.....also remember your brain bucket, and don't walk away from the tree with your back to it. Little things to remember will keep you safe. Other then that good job, tree down safe, no one hurt and I'm sure your friends happy now! What size saw/bar were you running there?

 

[littlejoetqt]

Sorry about the slow reply. I'm young(25), and pretty inexperienced, but that's no excuse for my mistakes. The guy walking away was supposed to stay around for a lesson. The property he bought is 40 acres, and he said he'd like to learn how to cut a tree. I didn't really notice he walked away until I was driving my wedges, and he wasn't any longer interested in learning, at least not on that tree.

I do have a forester hardhat and chaps, the chaps were soaked so I opted not to bring them. The hardhat, I forgot. I about cancelled the whole project, but Jon had a set of muffs. I don't run my saw without ear protection. I lost 50% of my hearing in my right ear over a set of cutting edges on a D11 dozer. I can't fix that stupid mistake, but I need to learn to avoid other ones. That's a big part of the reason I joined this forum.

Regarding the saw, it's a MS660, and I typically run a 20" bar. Most of our jobs don't have a lot of large trees, and I've had pretty good luck cutting the larger ones with the shorter bar. We very seldom see anything over 48" on the stump...and with proper technique a 20" bar is manageable on that size trees. I have a 32" bar/chain, but I've never even had it on my saw.

Thanks for pointing out the mistakes, I get a little excited sometimes and don't stop to think quite enough. I'm a greenhorn, and 10 years from now I'll still look at myself as a greenhorn. Our best cutter told me "All the good ones are dead.", and that makes me want to be mediocre at best .

 

[Frax]

Good feeling isn't it! You might want to invest a couple of bucks on Jeff Jepson's newish book "To Fell A Tree". It's full of useful techniques.
Consider using an open face notch, and bore cuts both sides when the bar is too short to make a normal back cut.

 

[littlejoetqt]

I've never had a job I enjoy more. It's very seldom that I wake up in the morning and don't want to go to work.

An open face notch is a 45(ish) degree on both top and bottom, right? I suppose the reasoning is that the tree falls much further before the hinge breaks completely off, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

I bore cut most of my larger hardwoods, but I was instructed that it was useless to do it on soft trees. I knew wedges were going in this one, and I don't really know how to wedge a bored tree.

I'd like to have a good book on felling, but it's about 70 miles to the nearest bookstore. Next time I make it to Charleston, I'll be going home with one. I'll definitely check that one out, thanks!

 

[Frax]

I've never had a job I enjoy more. It's very seldom that I wake up in the morning and don't want to go to work.

Exactly!

An open face notch is a 45(ish) degree on both top and bottom, right? I suppose the reasoning is that the tree falls much further before the hinge breaks completely off, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

It can be. It's a face cut about 70 to 90 degrees and can be cut in different ways. I make mine so the bottom cut is done last and almost horizontal because that's how I learned and it's fairly easy to get straight. And you are right about the reason.

I bore cut most of my larger hardwoods, but I was instructed that it was useless to do it on soft trees. I knew wedges were going in this one, and I don't really know how to wedge a bored tree.

I've never heard not to do it on soft woods, but that may be true for species in your area. I would get advice on that from experienced people in your area that your respect. I learned on poplars and spruce which are both soft. Not sure about wedging a borecut tree, or why you would need to, at least the way I know how to do it. But I also have lots to learn.

I'd like to have a good book on felling, but it's about 70 miles to the nearest bookstore. Next time I make it to Charleston, I'll be going home with one. I'll definitely check that one out, thanks!

You might need to order that one. It's inexpensive though. You could order it from Amazon or from ISA. It would probably cost a little more from ISA if you are a non-mmember.

 

[newbym]

Timber Fallers and High Climbers

I'd like to have a good book on felling, but it's about 70 miles to the nearest bookstore. Next time I make it to Charleston, I'll be going home with one. I'll definitely check that one out, thanks!

The book's written by G. Beranek, it's a good one, lot's of great info. I had the advantage of getting a timber faller for a helicopter logging outfit for a stepdad, so he taught me quite a few tricks and let me read all his books.
Glad to see your worried about doing it right, keep asking questions and pay attention to your mistakes and you should have a good time with it. Good luck.

 

[treemandan]

I noticed that as well, also, you should never have anyone within a tree length of the tree your cutting, if something happens and you go down, and he goes down....then what.....also remember your brain bucket, and don't walk away from the tree with your back to it. Little things to remember will keep you safe. Other then that good job, tree down safe, no one hurt and I'm sure your friends happy now! What size saw/bar were you running there?

It sounds like you are saying to ALWAYS back away from the tree as it falls. That doesn't make sense to me. I am usually facing the direction I am RUNNING.
Its kind of dissapointing not being able to see the things fall.

But there are also plenty of times I have to set the backut then walk through the DZ ( I know its nuts) to get to the pull rope. Sometimes I have to repeat that process as I cut then tighten the pull rope a few times.

In any felling situation I am ready to turn and face the direction I want to run. In fact, even if I know everything will be fine I still keep in the habit of running away from the trunk and I make sure to run further than i know I have to and sometimes i just leave the saw.
Also, that movie ' Sometimes a Great Notion' when Newman BC'd the tree that killed everybody he ####ed up. You can see his mistakes. It may not be evident to a lot of people but he really screwed the pooch on that one.
I would think with today's education a BC would not be that big of deal if you were following the rules. I really think anyone standing behind the cutter is asking for it ( like if the cutter runs first he could be ontop on the guy behind him before that guy realizes he should be running too, its happened to me, I ran a few people over and I always was to much of a pansy to be very close to a guy running a saw) and there should be nobody ever in the anticipated and un-anticipated DZ.

 

[treemandan]

I am reminded of the time I was felling a tree and a "seasoned" guy was standing behind me starting a saw. Well, that sure pulled my trigger, he won't be calling me back for anything. Dam joker he is, he got what he deserved. Don't crowd me, I sure as Hell ain't gonna crowd you.

 

[tree MDS]

I would not want to be anywhere near The Dan when he is felling a tree.. especially if it's a Sumac! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[treemandan]

I would not want to be anywhere near The Dan when he is felling a tree.. especially if it's a Sumac! :hmm3grin2orange:

eeyup!

 

[Jordan3605]

nice job