tree tried to kill me

[vancouverbc]

I put a notch in tree but it just flew in the air and landed where I was standing.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Well I'll be double ding danged!

 

[HuskStihl]

Wowzers. Glad you are OK (if you're not posting from a hospital bed). Which side did you notch?

 

[forestryworks]

Some people just need an ass whoopin' when messing with straight grained wood and crappy saws.

 

[GrassGuerilla]

opcorn:

 

[vancouverbc]

yep, the chain was quite dull and too lazy to make proper notch because tree had 30% lean. i knew to expect a peel but didnt expect gymnastics.

 

[forestryworks]

The chain was too lazy to make a proper "notch" or the operator was? And what's a "30% lean"? We speak in degrees here. GrassGuerilla might want some more popcorn now.

 

[HuskStihl]

That's why I asked what side you put the notch in. That tree was a chair just waiting to happen. Glad u'r ok

 

[Gologit]

yep, the chain was quite dull and too lazy to make proper notch because tree had 30% lean. i knew to expect a peel but didnt expect gymnastics.

You'll probably be getting a lot of advice very soon about barberchairs, proper cutting technique, chain sharpening and the dangers of being ignorant. Take the advice.
You're messing with things you don't understand. You need to school up.

 

[Marshy]

yep, the chain was quite dull and too lazy to make proper notch because tree had 30% lean. i knew to expect a peel but didnt expect gymnastics.

You have no business cutting wood like this with that attitude. Do your family and friends a favor and either become educated or put the saw away, funerals are no fun for anyone.

 

[vancouverbc]

the lesson is that a very cautious person with lots of experience can do this. the biggest blunder might have been not noticing that the hinge was not working. the tree was leaning at 30 degrees which gave me false sense of safety. this incident occurred because i cut to relax and my mind was on other things.

 

[NorthernBreeze]

I'm a total newb and not ready to attempt widow makers yet, if ever. From what I've seen most guys notch the side in the direction of lean(compression) , then bore and create hinge, leave a trigger then release the trigger and look out!
Looking like the side opposite or tension was notched. If I'm incorrect someone please correct me, I want to be educated.
Glad you weren't hurt!

 

[rwoods]

the lesson is that a very cautious person with lots of experience can do this. the biggest blunder might have been not noticing that the hinge was not working. the tree was leaning at 30 degrees which gave me false sense of safety. this incident occurred because i cut to relax and my mind was on other things.

Believe there is more to the story than relaxing and inattention. Either you are just messing around with your post or you have lots to learn. You had no hinge (the tree made it own and could have killed you). There is no security in a lean other than the directional security you get when the lean is in the direction you want the tree to fall. A lean creates the danger of a stem under strain. One result is what you experienced. Ron

 

[nbouley010]

Was that attached file at the bottom a picture of the notch you made?

 

[rwoods]

Thanks for pointing out the attached file; I didn't see it. Looks to be an incomplete face cut together with a lot of powder. OP must have borrowed one of my chains. Ron

 

[Saddle Mander]

Does that even count as a notch?

 

[Marshy]

Does that even count as a notch?

No, Ive seen better from an axe.

 

[Joe46]

I can't add anything to this. If you don't know how to cut Alder, don't. You might want to start going to church, because God kept you alive for a reason!

 

[Gologit]

the lesson is that a very cautious person with lots of experience can do this. the biggest blunder might have been not noticing that the hinge was not working. the tree was leaning at 30 degrees which gave me false sense of safety. this incident occurred because i cut to relax and my mind was on other things.

Please keep us informed of any other adventures.

 

[LegDeLimber]

Just from crawling through some of these threads, You guys have shown me the usefulness of thinking of a few things like bore cutting to finish a LOW risk barber chair situation.
Not familar with that species of tree, how the wood snaps or (dosen't?) bends or let alone cutting it under that sort of lean.
Looks like the notching stage is a fair chance for a an amateur of my grade, to get a an easy bar pinch.
Granted chain sharpness and cutting speed always are helpful for getting your saw out from under the as yet moving mass.
But the lack of knowing when and where to apply that rip snort is why I'm finally sticking my curious neck into one of these threads.
I figure it's a safe bet that most of you folks have fallen more trees on an average day, than i have in my life, to date.
Has been a little bit bit more of some messy, twisty storm downed or dozer pushed mess though, So even though a fellow sees the micro cracked bark and other signs of wood twist and bend loads, nothing like some saw time and a long ago tank repair from a 1" limb slap to drive the realities home.

Well after dose my wind, Anyone got the time to spend on telling a guy,
who'll probably never get to use whatever knowledge I might absorb,
what would have been the best way to get that Victor snap-trap down?

If it matters any, the notching is where I'm most curious.
You guys do often paint some pretty lucid descriptions in the Pro Faller sections.
With a few photos amongst various threads I can actually get a decent mental image of what's being discussed, more often than I had ever expected to.
But for the love of pete, when you put up link to some fine work
(especially the fire line stuff, geeze talk about a deadlines no reworks) can I please have a link to ones without music?
I want to hear what the saw is doing, how it's loaded Speed/time/lenght of cuts tells me much.
when the wood begins to creak and graom and snap.
might even hear a fiber pull squeak in there to help let me know when things are begining to happen.
Hope I haven't scarred you guys by lettin' ya'll know a city-idiot has caught a word or two
of the Faller Speak!
And Slowp's comments are often enlightening to a fellow if he's willing to listen.
Yeah I know She's got an Anti-fan club, But it still gives some broader perspective.
Take it for "know thine enemy" or just how get by some day to day operational procedures
and not get surprised and delayed as often.
Just sounds like as with many other work types to me though.
Even some the sacred marker paints banter has been enlightening.