steering trees while felling

[Joe46]

I wasn't watching....I was doing. And not doing too well either.

One of the TV stations came out to get some footage of us doing some selective work on a re-gen area. You know, the typical feel good fluff stuff they do. I was falling a good sized white fir that just flat defied everything I tried to make it do. I was wedged up pretty good, doubled up, and I beat on that damn tree, and beat on it and beat on it and beat on it some more. I think it fell over because it was beginning to feel sorry for me.
When it finally went I looked at where the TV crew had been, way up the hill and safe...and they were gone. Packed up and gone. I guess all the @#$$#@@!!!%%$#%&**&&!!!! that I was calling that tree must not have been exactly the kind of footage they had in mind.

Got a good chuckle outa that one. Every once in a while you can just cuss em over:bang:

 

[Wolfcsm]

Bailey's - Professional Timber Falling by Douglas Dent

Great book. But a $14 book that costs over $11 to ship is an issue. Direct from the author is less than $20 to Texas.

Hal


Sorry, can't type.

 

[2dogs]

Great book. But a $14 book that costs over $11 to ship is an issue. Direct from the author is less than $29 to Texas.

Hal

Direct from Hell is only $29.00? Great deal there. But still, isn't $25.00 less than $29.00? Just buy some more stuff from Bailey's and dilute the shipping.

 

[slowp]

$11.00 vs smashed saw, smashed body, smashed house etc.

You be the decider.

 

[slowp]

Got a good chuckle outa that one. Every once in a while you can just cuss em over:bang:

Don't forget the rock throwing too!

 

[Gologit]

Don't forget the rock throwing too!

The rock throwing is just for Gummint employees. The civilians have to cuss...they're not carded for rock throwing.

 

[slowp]

The rock throwing is just for Gummint employees. The civilians have to cuss...they're not carded for rock throwing.

Good point. Gummint employees have to careful about who they cuss around. Cuss around the wrong people and off to "special" training they go and they may also get a special letter in "their file" although I'm not sure who ever looks at a "file". :msp_ohmy:

Rocks don't offend people, although I'm sure there is an exception.

 

[redprospector]

It's cool when it works. Sometimes it doesn't work. Funny how nobody ever posts videos of a professional faller when things go sideways on him.

The one I'd like to see is the "wedge beating video"...you know, where things went a little wrong and the faller gets to spend the next 15 minutes or half an hour wailing the heck out of his wedges...in between catching his breath and cussing. Or maybe the "calling for your partner to cut you out of a hangup" video. The "forgetting where you put your tramp bag and nosebag until you drop a tree right on top of them" video would also be a welcome change.

Hahaha. Video??? I wouldn't even let them take still pictures of the aftermath.
It was a brand new Husky 288, 3 day's old if memory serves correctly. It was one of those times when it doesn't. 36" Doug Fir started in a way I didn't want it to and pinched my bar. I backed off, holding the starter cord at arms length, hoping to pull it free when the second came. That didn't happen. I abandond my place when the tree spun off the stump (with a death grip on my bar). It sat down right on top of the power head, and for good measure made a 180* turn before falling down the hill exactly where it wanted to go in the first place. On the bright side, the saw shop was able to salvage 2 AV mounts, and the little rubber "mud flap" at the back of the clutch cover.

Let's see, it was a 5' Sugar Pine that I used all 4 of my wedges on, ran down to the truck and got 2 more, the guy in the next strip came and loaned me a couple, then the saw boss came over and said; "Son, just cut the damn thing loose". I told him "Nope, I faced the SOB to go there, and by grab that's where it's gonna go". Half hour, and much verbal abuse later it did.
There is nothing that will attract unwanted attention like constant, non-stop wedge pounding.

I'm not going to get into the flat samiches I've had to eat. Or the busted gas jugs I had to hike back to the truck to replace.

Well, they're not video's but maybe your mind's eye can picture it happening. Best I can do for now.

Andy

 

[Gologit]

There is nothing that will attract unwanted attention like constant, non-stop wedge pounding.



Andy

Yup, unwanted attention and a few unnecessary comments. Like, after the third time you stop to catch your breath, sombody always yells "You hung up?" The correct answer is "Hell no, I'm over here cracking walnuts."

 

[madhatte]

There is nothing that will attract unwanted attention like constant, non-stop wedge pounding.

Ain't that the truth. 'Specially on a fire, when the dozer is on the way... "Just wait for the dozer!" No way, it's hanging on four wedges, that's stupid. Smoke all rolling out of the back-cut, am I gonna be able to salvage the wedges? Finally goes over with a wind change, just to spite me...

 

[hammerlogging]

Yup, unwanted attention and a few unnecessary comments. Like, after the third time you stop to catch your breath, sombody always yells "You hung up?" The correct answer is "Hell no, I'm over here cracking walnuts."

I thought it was "you building a house over there?"

 

[Gologit]

I thought it was "you building a house over there?"

That's one of them too. Of course, if a guy is really in trouble you just go over and help and don't say much. Until later, anyway. Sometimes later is a couple of days.

 

[Johny Utah]

Great book. But a $14 book that costs over $11 to ship is an issue. Direct from the author is less than $20 to Texas.

Hal


Sorry, can't type.

I hear ya, for me to get it up here in Canada it is about $30 just in shipping.:bang:

 

[redprospector]

That's one of them too. Of course, if a guy is really in trouble you just go over and help and don't say much. Until later, anyway. Sometimes later is a couple of days.

Couple of days? Heck, I'll save em for years.
One of the guy's I used to work with is a cop now. He was going on about his "fallin days" a while back. At an oppertune moment I chimed in with; "Yeah I remember that time you was beating wedges for 20 minutes before I came over and helped you get her down". I think I'd been saving that one since 1991.

Andy

 

[056kid]

Open up the face and try not to give a tree any room to sit back. In my young opinion, a lot can be accomplished with a straight face and opening up the pull side some. block faces, dutchmans, backcut elevation, and number of other things are all good but don't worry about them, that straight face will likely work.
Also, the string never lies..

 

[2dogs]

Open up the face and try not to give a tree any room to sit back. In my young opinion, a lot can be accomplished with a straight face and opening up the pull side some. block faces, dutchmans, backcut elevation, and number of other things are all good but don't worry about them, that straight face will likely work.
Also, the string never lies..

I agree here. Simple is almost always better.
For me... a gunning cut, a Humboldt, a backcut snugged up with a wedge is almost I will ever need. Almost. Then there are those dang Cedars that are nearly wrapped around a White Fir and the dead fir needs to be pulled because doubled up wedges won't free the limb lock. And if I get lazy and don't pull the fir then I break the hinge and have a cut off fir hanging vertically. Now walk back to the truck and get the throw bag and a bull rope. I don't cuss or swear much in real life but I sure do to myself at those times.

 

[Humptulips]

Everybody talking about the embarrasment of beating on wedges for an hour.
How about being ready to pound a wedge in and realizing you leaned the axe against the far side of the tree you have been sawing on and your axe now has a 12" long handle.
Yep, I did that.

 

[FSburt]

Half hour thats not bad I have watch our C faller candidates beat for over a hour on a tree which they put a shallow 1/4 undercut and just beat themselves into the ground. Its so hard to teach these kids to use a deeper undercut that 1/3 is just so beat into them they think the world with end if they go any deeper. I learned early on in my career by talking and watchin cutters who where throwin down 5 and 6 footers without breakin a sweat and usually with just wedge put in case a wind came up or such.

Hahaha. Video??? I wouldn't even let them take still pictures of the aftermath.
It was a brand new Husky 288, 3 day's old if memory serves correctly. It was one of those times when it doesn't. 36" Doug Fir started in a way I didn't want it to and pinched my bar. I backed off, holding the starter cord at arms length, hoping to pull it free when the second came. That didn't happen. I abandond my place when the tree spun off the stump (with a death grip on my bar). It sat down right on top of the power head, and for good measure made a 180* turn before falling down the hill exactly where it wanted to go in the first place. On the bright side, the saw shop was able to salvage 2 AV mounts, and the little rubber "mud flap" at the back of the clutch cover.

Let's see, it was a 5' Sugar Pine that I used all 4 of my wedges on, ran down to the truck and got 2 more, the guy in the next strip came and loaned me a couple, then the saw boss came over and said; "Son, just cut the damn thing loose". I told him "Nope, I faced the SOB to go there, and by grab that's where it's gonna go". Half hour, and much verbal abuse later it did.There is nothing that will attract unwanted attention like constant, non-stop wedge pounding.

I'm not going to get into the flat samiches I've had to eat. Or the busted gas jugs I had to hike back to the truck to replace.

Well, they're not video's but maybe your mind's eye can picture it happening. Best I can do for now.

Andy

 

[Nailsbeats]

Thinking about the question at hand, I've come up with 3 ways that I use. Tapered hinge, dutchman, cutting the hinge off of one side. All of these techniques are more effective early during the fall when the tree is more vertical (when it can still sit down on your saw) before the tree is fully directionally commited and beyond the point of no return.

Tapered hinge: I watch the top and hold one side while the tree walks, then I square it up to the face and finish the back cut.

Dutchman: Angle a second face cut so the tree essentially turns or tilts when the face closes and the tree realigns itself with the second face.

Cutting the hinge: I'll walk the tree to the face then zip the hinge on one side to let head weight or side lean take over the fall.

I would think these things would constitute stearing a tree and are used quite a bit during select cutting.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Bailey's - Professional Timber Falling by Douglas Dent

ditto! get the book, read it twice and then start practicing!!