Split-top Ponderosa Pine, 55" DBH

[MerchBanger]

Well you weren't called a fiber puller.
I left waist height monuments everywhere I went.

Waist high that's how I cut em. Hard to look up when your'e on your'e knees on the ground. Easier on the back too. I think your'e stump was textbook under perfect my friend! I find it funny for today's high safety standard's, though timber production, and wood size is not the same. Just funny the timber industry would not want the safer practice. Forestry too, it amazes me how many guy's don't know what a Humboldt face is, I tell em to go do some reading it may save your'e life in the hill's. Waist high you can alway's look up, and around, and get out of harm's way a hell of alot faster. Your'e back will say thank's at the end of the day too.

Nice job! Enjoy post like this.

Thanks guys. I think this is the first thread I started. I enjoy conversation that might help enlighten someone to more safe practices. Most of the trees I cut are on fires, so I cut at the most comfortable height. If you've got to get out from under the tree and you're kneeling down, then you have one more movement to make in order to get to a safe place.

 

[Brian VT]

Yah. Safe and comfortable are good if the stem isn't going to the mill.
I also leave a lot of tall stumps because there's barbed wire in the tree just below my cuts.

 

[Gologit]

If you're not cutting for scale there's nothing wrong with high-stumping. If I'm just cutting firewood or cutting junk for ROW I'll work standing up every chance I get.

I spend enough time all hunched over, down on one knee, or braced on a side hill when I'm working. No need to do it when I don't have to.

 

[RandyMac]

The high stump comment by little Ray was directed to me too, that's my boy!

 

[paccity]

never dropped a big pond , tipped a but load of lodgepole they wouldn't let us touch the pond's . where was that one taken? i did my central or. cutting down in the little walker mt.

never mind on the where question. helps if i read the post proporly. most every thing i cut i cut high. to cut it down after for stumping. nice to see some stuff from orygun. :msp_thumbup:

 

[MerchBanger]

The high stump comment by little Ray was directed to me too, that's my boy!

That is truly an ****** nice picture man. Cutting a fat tree like that next to a structure is good stuff.

 

[RandyMac]

Thanks, that was fun. There were other structures, powerlines and such near the layout, did a block cut to get the trunk to stay put when it hit. Fell it with a five cube McCulloch.

 

[MerchBanger]

Thanks, that was fun. There were other structures, powerlines and such near the layout, did a block cut to get the trunk to stay put when it hit. Fell it with a five cube McCulloch.

What is the purpose of that style of face-cut? As opposed, I should say, to a more conventional one where the gunning and sloping cuts meet at an acute angle.

I've seen a lot of pictures taken of that style of undercut (all on big trees) but have never been able find out.

It's clearly a professional cut. Please enlighten me.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Merchbanger, the blockout will keep it on the stump longer, steer it better, and reduce breakage. An old growth practice, safer on steep ground too. P.S if I remeber right the fundamental's of general tree work went in to that face in good detail. Great book.

 

[RandyMac]

It is all about controlling how the tree falls MB, not just direction of fall. Properly used, you can control what the trunk does while tipping and it's reaction to the ground.

Combined with a snipe on the gunning cut, either centered or offset, you can time exactly when the tree leaves the stump and what it does when contact is made. Choices are nearly endless, from just sliding off, getting pushed away, rolling one way or the other to clear an obstruction with the butt or a combination of things.

With this Sugarpine, I wanted it to fall without any twisting, to be pushed forward when parallel to the ground and with no lateral movement when it hit. The top cut was angled down on the far side, to make contact with the snipe first to straighten the trunk, before being pushed away.

 

[Gologit]

What is the purpose of that style of face-cut? As opposed, I should say, to a more conventional one where the gunning and sloping cuts meet at an acute angle.

I've seen a lot of pictures taken of that style of undercut (all on big trees) but have never been able find out.

It's clearly a professional cut. Please enlighten me.

The block face was used a lot on old growth redwood. It was important to save out as much tree as you could and the block face was another tool to help do that. Keeping the tree to a lead that would allow the skidders to start it out without busting it up was important, too.

Like Randy said, you can control the way the tree leaves the stump and you can roll it a little at the same time.
Using a snipe is key. If you cut the snipe just right it's amazing what you can make a big tree do. It's not fool proof but it usually has pretty good results.

I still use it on big cedar or pine if I'm working on rough ground (lots of big rocks or stumps) or if I need to lay a bunch of smaller trees into a lead.

 

[RandyMac]

Falling Old Growth Redwood; Humboldt County CA 2002 - YouTube

Also helps us skinny guys to pull out the chunks.

 

[MerchBanger]

It is all about controlling how the tree falls MB, not just direction of fall. Properly used, you can control what the trunk does while tipping and it's reaction to the ground.

Combined with a snipe on the gunning cut, either centered or offset, you can time exactly when the tree leaves the stump and what it does when contact is made. Choices are nearly endless, from just sliding off, getting pushed away, rolling one way or the other to clear an obstruction with the butt or a combination of things.

With this Sugarpine, I wanted it to fall without any twisting, to be pushed forward when parallel to the ground and with no lateral movement when it hit. The top cut was angled down on the far side, to make contact with the snipe first to straighten the trunk, before being pushed away.

Thanks a lot for the info man. Once again- nice cut on a nice tree. Not many guys out there that can make cuts like that.

 

[RiverRat2]

It is all about controlling how the tree falls MB, not just direction of fall. Properly used, you can control what the trunk does while tipping and it's reaction to the ground.

Combined with a snipe on the gunning cut, either centered or offset, you can time exactly when the tree leaves the stump and what it does when contact is made. Choices are nearly endless, from just sliding off, getting pushed away, rolling one way or the other to clear an obstruction with the butt or a combination of things.

With this Sugarpine, I wanted it to fall without any twisting, to be pushed forward when parallel to the ground and with no lateral movement when it hit. The top cut was angled down on the far side, to make contact with the snipe first to straighten the trunk, before being pushed away.

Somebody rep this dude for me please,,,, I'm all out of bullets for him,,,:bang::bang: the system says I got to go spread it around,,:bang: I hear if I go find some newbies to rep,,, I can hit the Mac Meister some more!!!! He is a veritable Plethora of Old School falling Knowledge/technique!!!

 

[RiverRat2]

Good thread,,,, learned a bit today.... Thanks MB and Randy Mac!!!

Thanks a lot for the info man. Once again- nice cut on a nice tree. Not many guys out there that can make cuts like that.

MB,,, I know you're a newb to the site,,, when you are quoting someone and you are preparing your reply,,, Delete out their links to their photo's not that we dont like photo's,,,

It's just not proper ettiquite to repost someone elses photo's besides we've already seen them,,,

Do what you want,,, I'm just sayin,,,,,,, see what my quote of Randy's looks like above this one??? pretty clean ehhhh???

Merry Christmas,,, Nice Photo of the big yeller pine stump,, was the top burning???

 

[Gologit]

Somebody rep this dude for me please,,,, I'm all out of bullets for him,,,:bang::bang: the system says I got to go spread it around,,:bang: I hear if I go find some newbies to rep,,, I can hit the Mac Meister some more!!!! He is a veritable Plethora of Old School falling Knowledge/technique!!!

Got him for 'ya. Yup...he knows his stuff. Cranky old fart, though. Bald, too. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[RandyMac]

Got him for 'ya. Yup...he knows his stuff. Cranky old fart, though. Bald, too. :hmm3grin2orange:

back at ya Boss

 

[MerchBanger]

MB,,, I know you're a newb to the site,,, when you are quoting someone and you are preparing your reply,,, Delete out their links to their photo's not that we dont like photo's,,,

It's just not proper ettiquite to repost someone elses photo's besides we've already seen them,,,

Do what you want,,, I'm just sayin,,,,,,, see what my quote of Randy's looks like above this one??? pretty clean ehhhh???

Merry Christmas,,, Nice Photo of the big yeller pine stump,, was the top burning???

My mistake man. Thanks for the help and the complements.

 

[RandyMac]

My mistake man. Thanks for the help and the complements.

You are forgiven my son, go forth and sin some more.

 

[Gologit]

back at ya Boss

:hmm3grin2orange: