New wedge thread

[John Ellison]

Thought we should move it over here like we were told.
When someone talks about the logging and timber falling they have done but then says that they dont usually ever use wedges its going to raise some eyebrows. Maybe I misunderstood something somewhere. If I did forgive me.

 

[John Ellison]

I think that I am talking to myself over here.
Opinions are like, uh hats, everybodys got one. But my opinion is it is a mistake to fall a tree with any method, pull line, heavy eq, jack or... whatever without having at least two wedges on you or right at the tree. Not saying always using them but always there and not in the truck or somewhere else. Nobody is saying that they are the way to do it all of the time. How can anybody push chaps and hardhat and etc. that we all wear right? and then not have wedges there when they are falling trees.
Not having wedges there when a tree is being pulled is like not wearing your tin hat because you look up a lot.

 

[clearance]

You the man John. Three wedges, not one or two, what if you have to stack?

 

[Gologit]

Yup. I don't have anything against using a bull-line to pull a bad leaner or a hazard tree but going to the woods without wedges would just be shooting yourself in the foot. Besides...what are we going to use to keep all the old reciepts and papers stuffed on the dashboard of the crummy held down with if we don't have an extra wedge or two

 

[John Ellison]

:biggrinbounce2: Yea, they will take out a hooter too. Spruce grouse

 

[redprospector]

I carry 4 wedges in my pouch all the time. When using smaller equipment to skid the trees need to go where you want them, not where they want to.
I was using wedges a long time before I ever wore a pair of chaps.

Andy

 

[talcott]

inexperienced with wedges and felling

how do

i am a power lineman by trade and have done some tree cut n around power lines as well. i now cut trees about every day and the rural electric that i work for has now gone from trimming to complete removal if the tree(s) are within 15 feet of either side of the line.

i have been doing this work since 1967 but have not had to fall many trees until now. i bought myself a bunch of wedges and have found that sometimes it seems that one wedge thickness is not enough. i have also found that when trying to stack wedges that they sometimes tend to slip. all the wedges that i have seen on line are the same thickness. i took some small stove bolts and have bolted wedges together stacked on each other. i have not had a chance to try it out yet.

i know that there are a lot of variables when falling and wedgeing trees. lean, wind, whats around the tree, ect. the wedges help from haveing the tree sit back on you. i sometimes have to do some topping before i fall a tree and sometimes have to use a bull rope to pull it.

i hope some of you guys who have the experience with wedgeing will do some posting here because i am here to learn. gonna be 60 in july and only got about 6 more years to work. i have used up quite a few chances already so safety comes first with me.

bestest ree guards

talcott

 

[John Ellison]

I usually only carry two around here. No equipment at all ( mules) . But the trees are so small and short that I hardly ever have to walk the two hundred feet or so to the truck to get more.

 

[John Ellison]

Hello Talcot Welcome. Do a search here on wedging and you will come up with a lot of good stuff. If you need to stack them sawdust, dirt or textured wedges might help. Your bolted togeather wedges probably wont work very well because you need to drive them one at a time.

 

[PA Plumber]

Not a professional here, but I like 4 in my pouch. Let's me run one in on the "bad" side and, if required, can stack on the "good" side. If I need to, I can stack the fourth wedge on the first. I still keep a couple more in the truck for just in case.

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Damn well I guess Im the wedge nut here , I fall all the oversize timber our Timbco does'nt cut and I carry 6 wedges with me at all times..two 8" Hard Heads , two 10" and two 12" and just this past week I was falling some very large white pine I would say 120"' plus and around 40"DBH atleast ..well the 24" bar did'nt even come close to half way through the tree when making first bore cut..Stump was roughly 3' across after tree was down..

I had used all but one wedge to get it down , and back to cut more of the big girls tomorrow in the rain ..yippie..

I would have to say most pro timber fallers have atleast one wedge with them at all times , you just never know when you may need one .

Later Rob

 

[sawinredneck]

Wedges are over rated, you don't need no wedges. Just cut an pray!!!:bang:

 

[Timberhauler]

I wouldn't know about any of this sh-t.....I'm not a professional,or a faller....Nor do I have any idea what I'm doing:deadhorse: ..I have no information to contribute at all.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

When I 8 yrs. old or so the local bully came up and pulled up on my tighty whities and................whoops wrong thread!!!

 

[sawinredneck]

When I 8 yrs. old or so the local bully came up and pulled up on my tighty whities and................whoops wrong thread!!!

................In my pants Rich, thats the best I can do on that one!!!! (WOW, and thanks BTW!!!!)

 

[PA Plumber]

I didn't think you had to wedge a "front" lean.

 

[sawinredneck]

I didn't think you had to wedge a "front" lean.

I don't know that I HAD to wedge it, I think it just HAPPENED!!opcorn:

 

[PA Plumber]

:jawdrop::blush: :blush:

 

[smokechase II]

So John ....

So much for trying to be serious about wedging.

Let's try this.

Say you have a wedge that you just can't get started. Narrow 50 gauge kerf, hard wood and back lean.

Widen part of the kerf by cutting from the inside out. Just enough to establish a wedge.

Just put a little angled pressure on your bar to ever so slightly widen your kerf. Get that wedge going. Then establish your second wedge in a portion of the initial back-cut.

In a related topic. I just got my taxes done. Wedges, bull line, jacks, using a driving tree and a front end loader were all that it took.

 

[John Ellison]

SMII was that bull line or line of bull?
Good tip about widening the kerf by angleing the bar. Sometimes I keep the kerf open when bucking a log with top bind by a back and forth motion, to keep from having to use a wedge.