Tricks to felling small diameter trees?

[toddstreeservic]

funny story: In college for silviculture class we were all assigned a .10 acre plot in the woods. We went out, measured it and wrote up a mangement plan, then went out and cut what we proposed. Well we were out in the field and this guy hung a tree, the skidder was way on the other side of the parcel so the prof takes the students saw and drops another tree onto the first and that hangs, then he drops another onto it and hangs it. Finally he drops a third one onto it and they all fall down. Prof shuts off the saw, looks up, and says "man that sure opens things up!" " be sure and write that in your report." I think the guy had 1 tree left in his .10 acre plot.

 

[smokechase II]

Some thoughts

The quarter cut method, cutting half the back-cut - inserting wedge snug, then doing the rest of the back-cut - perhaps just slightly above or below to avoid wedge damage, is the best technique for the smallest trees that cannot be regular face and back-cut then pushed by hand. This could be 5" - 10" dbh. There is a sliding scale here regarding height weight lean quality of wood etc.

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The back-cut first works generally best on trees perhaps 7" - 16".

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You might want to consider a boring back-cut on the trees that are big enough. I would recommend this variation to the common methodology of leaving a strap - then wedging off set from the side - releasing the strap then wedging over.
Just tap that wedge in snug, finish the cuts needed - then insert the wedge that will be driving the tree over directly from the rear would be appropriate for a 180 fall. Wedging from the side or angled is inefficient and risks breaking the hinge. There is a lot going on here but just consider that.

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A nice boring trick that can allow the use of longer wedges is to bore straight through the tree in the desired direction of fall as your first cut. Then insert snug your 12" long wedge on even an 8 or 9 inch dbh tree.
The bar width will more than cover the space needed for the wedge so don't even think about widening this cut. You must have great hingewood on both sides to do this.
Now do face and back cuts are offset in a similar manner to the quarter cuts. Carefully. Tapping the wedge as it allows you to move it. Do Not Force! Maintaining good wood on the corners is extremely important here.
One can add a second bore directly below early on to accommodate a second wedge. I have not done this on a three wedge level enough to recommend it. I'm just too chicken to try and counter that much of a lean with that little of softwood holding wood. With some smaller hardwoods you may be able to do this at the three wedge stage.

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With many of these cuts you will have to position yourself on more than one side of the tree and they require a lot of stump focus. This increases the overall danger so be ready to say no to any technique on a tree by tree basis.

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I'm probably going to get some heat for this but on the smaller diameter snags that I drop the most I usually don't use any of the above techniques. I will cut a 60-100 ft tall dead Lodgepole with a low conventional face quickly and then do a top of the bar back cut and stop as the tree settles on the bar but before I've cut off holding wood. These are dead and light in weight and do not pinch damage the bar.
I will then shut off the saw and just hand push the tree over utilizing about a 7 foot lever (distance from cuts to hand) SLOWLY while looking up every time. Even though these are easy to push this is a good habit.

This is of course on a tree by tree basis.

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What happens when you've reached the maximum lift of your wedging technique on a tree and you can't back-cut any more?
Tickle the face. (Don't you just love logger terminology?)
Only if you have converted the lean.
Let's review: Face and back cuts are in, wedge(s) is up against holding wood and any more driving risks breaking the hinge or at least damaging the wedge(s) and also fatigue.
The tree is now clearly leaning to the desired lay but not going over just yet.

With the tip of the bottom of the bar, in a 2 second cut just take 1/4" of the face out from the face side. This is from the far side of the face back toward you and you don't stop, you don't use the flat of the bar and get stuck and you do so in a motion that finishes with your stepping away into your escape route. Be aware that there is a tendency for a hungry chain to want to cut the corner holding wood nearest you and limit that cutting of that important wood.

If you do this a couple three times you are now at a barber chair risk from Dutchman cut. So limits here too.
This last technique is like the boring cuts.
Gain some skill before attempting.

 

[handsplitter]

I'm already holding my ears 'cause I know I'm gonna get yelled at for this, but I do it all the time.
If you can get access to a skid loader with teeth, dig 'em in about 2 feet back from the base on the opposite side you want it to fall and lifty lifty. You might have to back up and push with the bucket about 4' high, but it'll fall right over. I guarantee you can do 20 per hour. No stumps to grind or flush cut.

 

[2dogs]

The quarter cut method, cutting half the back-cut - inserting wedge snug, then doing the rest of the back-cut - perhaps just slightly above or below to avoid wedge damage, is the best technique for the smallest trees that cannot be regular face and back-cut then pushed by hand. This could be 5" - 10" dbh. There is a sliding scale here regarding height weight lean quality of wood etc.

----------------------

The back-cut first works generally best on trees slightly larger than the above.

-------------------

You might want to consider a boring back-cut on the trees that are big enough. I would recommend this variation to the common methodology of leaving a strap - then wedging off set from the side - releasing the strap then wedging over.
Just tap that wedge in snug, finish the cuts needed - then insert the wedge that will be driving the tree over directly from the rear would be appropriate for a 180 fall. Wedging from the side or angled is inefficient and risks breaking the hinge. There is a lot going on here but just consider that.

--------------------

A nice boring trick that can allow the use of longer wedges is to bore straight through the tree in the desired direction of fall as your first cut. Then insert snug your 12" long wedge on even an 8 or 9 inch dbh tree.
The bar width will more than cover the space needed for the wedge so don't even think about widening this cut. You must have great hingewood on both sides to do this.
Now do face and back cuts are offset in a similar manner to the quarter cuts. Carefully. Tapping the wedge as it allows you to move it. Do Not Force! Maintaining good wood on the corners is extremely important here.
One can add a second bore directly below early on to accommodate a second wedge. I have not done this on a three wedge level enough to recommend it. I'm just too chicken to try and counter that much of a lean with that little of softwood holding wood. With some smaller hardwoods you may be able to do this at the three wedge stage.

--------------

With many of these cuts you will have to position yourself on more than one side of the tree and they require a lot of stump focus. This increases the overall danger so be ready to say no to any technique on a tree by tree basis.

--------------

I'm probably going to get some heat for this but on the smaller diameter snags that I drop the most I don't use any of the above techniques. I will cut a 60-100 ft tall dead Lodgepole with a low conventional face quickly and then do a top of the bar back cut and stop as the tree settles on the bar but before I've cut off holding wood. These are dead and light in weight and do not pinch damage the bar.
I will then just hand push the tree over utilizing about a 7 foot lever (distance from cuts to hand) SLOWLY while looking up every time. Even though these are easy to push this is a good habit.

This is of course on a tree by tree basis.

-------------------

What happens when you've reached the maximum lift of your wedging technique on a tree and you can't back-cut any more?
Tickle the face. (Don't you just love logger terminology?)
Only if you have converted the lean.
Let's review: Face and back cuts are in, wedge(s) is up against holding wood and any more driving risks breaking the hinge or at least damaging the wedge(s) and also fatigue.
The tree is now clearly leaning to the desired lay but not going over just yet.

With the tip of the bottom of the bar, in a 1-2 second cut just take 1/4" of the face out from the face side. This is from the far side of the face back toward you and you don't stop, you don't use the flat of the bar and get stuck and you do so in a motion that finishes with your stepping away into your escape route. Be aware that there is a tendency for a hungry chain to want to cut the corner holding wood nearest you and limit that cutting of that important wood.

If you do this a couple three times you are now at a barber chair risk from Dutchman cut. So limits here too.
This last technique is like the boring cuts.
Gain some skill before attempting.

+1 I do alot of hand pushing over small dead evergreens. It is amazing how little they weigh. I call nipping what SC calls tickling and also use that technique.

 

[smokechase II]

Unusual cut

Here is an unusual cut that I haven't seen anyone else do.

A combination of the bore for the wedge first and the quarter cut back-cut.

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I'll bore through directly in the intended direction of fall.
Then take out the 'quarter' on the heavy (compression) side of the back-cut.
At this point no face etc.
The two cuts match and the quarter section is complete to its back of the future hinge location.

Then I snug a wedge in the longer slot for the 10" or 12" wedge.
Occasionally I will place a second wedge in the quarter side.

Then the face taking care to not cut hinge and face it properly.

Then the remaining quarter slightly offset lower.

Wedge it over.

Advantages;
Long wedge slot does not need supplemental cuts like tickling the face,
Makes it where you don't have to carry a variety of wedges,
The compression side cutting is done more precisely when there is less risk by not being underneath the natural lean later,
With the offset cutting on separate level back-cuts there is an additional force needed to get those cuts to pop. Matching cuts exactly removes that potential snafu.


A slight variation to this is to do the above bore through and quarter but add a plunge through to set the rear of the hinge all the way across. This leaves a larger right angle strap or post on the non-compression side. It will be cut last, after the face.
This is more precise with regard to the face but make sure your post is decently large, with some safety margin, as you still have work to do on the face etc. I.e., don't try and get by with a smaller support post that would typically be your normal strap.


I need to take some photos to make these two variations more understandable.

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An odd thought, but only because it isn't stated often, is that you are generally better off wedging a tree over rather than cutting it over.
Less noise, no saw to move with you, get to where you know that one of the next two hits/taps will take the tree over etc and a slightly quicker escape.

 

[smokechase II]

I should point out

The BC test that is on-line only allows boring through the hinge on fairly large diameter trees.

My experience working with trees with rotten centers and face center bores has taught me that the holding wood on the sides is what matters.


But be aware of this opinion especially because of all the true expert cutters up there.

 

[2dogs]

An odd thought, but only because it isn't stated often, is that you are generally better off wedging a tree over rather than cutting it over.
Less noise, no saw to move with you, get to where you know that one of the next two hits/taps will take the tree over etc and a slightly quicker escape.[/QUOTE]

+1 however I often cut dead fragile snags. If there are weak looking limbs I prefer to cut the tree over rather than risk breaking off limbs or causing a bark avalanche. Most times though I like to wedge the tree over for the reasons you have stated. If I win the lottery I'm buying a Silvey tree jack. Maybe two!

 

[ropensaddle]

Sheesh more bore cutting not needed. Anyway small brush is best
handled by the cat method.

 

[Ekka]

funny story: In college for silviculture class we were all assigned a .10 acre plot in the woods. We went out, measured it and wrote up a mangement plan, then went out and cut what we proposed. Well we were out in the field and this guy hung a tree, the skidder was way on the other side of the parcel so the prof takes the students saw and drops another tree onto the first and that hangs, then he drops another onto it and hangs it. Finally he drops a third one onto it and they all fall down. Prof shuts off the saw, looks up, and says "man that sure opens things up!" " be sure and write that in your report." I think the guy had 1 tree left in his .10 acre plot.

LOL, and a lot less writing and work to do, I'm surprised the professor didn't get more requests.

Funny story.

 

[clearance]

Has no one checked out Ekka's Quarter cut video?
He did another vid where he dropped 3 trees at the same time as the branches were interlocked all with the quarter cut method

First he does a normal notch then starts the back cut just like normal but only cutting quarter of the tree! then bangs in a wedge
then he cuts the other quarter of the back cut but aims the saw slightly above the first cut so that there is an overlap bangs in another wedge and its job done.
It works well in the small stuff

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=23294&page=3

I watched it. He used a steel wedge with a pretty steep angle. 1-Steel wedges are not allowed anywhere near chainsaws (I hope everyone knows why) 2-Steep angle can cause the wedge to spit out.

I do things kind of that way, but use a plastic bucking wedge. I just put in the backcut first, set the wedge, put in the undercut, hammer the wedge and down she goes.

Faster, simpler, and safer, not quite as fancy, but oh well.

 

[Ekka]

You are dumb, it was aluminium.

Also small dia trees require steeper ramped wedges so they dont butt up into the hinge wood.

 

[smokechase II]

Question and alternative

Question for the good of the order:

With regard to metal wedges; does anyone know of Aluminum or magnesium wedges sending bits of metal off in the manner that steel wedges do? This is a big safety item.

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Ekka:

On many trees of say 8" or larger dbh you can do a bore straight through the tree in the direction of fall to accommodate longer wedges. Just make sure you have good holding wood on the corners.

A few advantages:
1) No wedge damage by jamming up against the back of the hinge wood,
2) Don't need to pack an assortment,
3) Gentler taper do a better job of lifting and less likely to pop out.

 

[ropensaddle]

Climb on d 7, raise blade two inches and step on the gas.

 

[clearance]

You are dumb, it was aluminium.

Also small dia trees require steeper ramped wedges so they dont butt up into the hinge wood.

Not dumb, it looked like steel, anyways Ekka, metal wedges are not allowed. Aluminium is a metal.

As far as wedges hitting the holding wood (so called hinge wood), have you ever thought about putting it in the backcut on an angle? And you could have made a shallower undercut. Also, you could have bored through the center of the holding wood (if you hadn't made those side cuts).

More than one way to skin a cat Ekka, guys here figured out a better way, maybe you should try it.

 

[scotclayshooter]

Not dumb, it looked like steel, anyways Ekka, metal wedges are not allowed. Aluminium is a metal.

As far as wedges hitting the holding wood (so called hinge wood), have you ever thought about putting it in the backcut on an angle? And you could have made a shallower undercut. Also, you could have bored through the center of the holding wood (if you hadn't made those side cuts).

More than one way to skin a cat Ekka, guys here figured out a better way, maybe you should try it.

Aluminium wedges are ok in the UK
The side cuts are because palms are fibrous if you didnt do the releif cuts it could pull the tree sideways instead of following the line of the hinge

 

[Ekka]

I'm sure between the resident guru's like Smoke and Mirrors and Clarence have it all sorted their way.

Clarence + Smoke & Mirrors, do search "tongue and groove"

Better ways, yeah right. :monkey:

 

[clearance]

I'm sure between the resident guru's like Smoke and Mirrors and Clarence have it all sorted their way.

Clarence + Smoke & Mirrors, do search "tongue and groove"

Better ways, yeah right. :monkey:

Tongue and groove, uhh whatever, thats reserved for lesbians, not loggers.

 

[smokechase II]

Already covered

Ekka:

"On many trees of say 8" or larger dbh you can do a bore straight through the tree in the direction of fall to accommodate longer wedges. Just make sure you have good holding wood on the corners.

A few advantages:
1) No wedge damage by jamming up against the back of the hinge wood,
2) Don't need to pack an assortment,
3) Gentler taper do a better job of lifting and less likely to pop out."

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The placing of the bore on a lower level was not specified as your statement indicated a more primitive level of understanding; "Also small dia trees require steeper ramped wedges so they dont butt up into the hinge wood."

Just to help Ekka along here with some basics, his above statement is not true. With an in-line bore longer wedges can be used as they do not but up against the hinge wood as the bore goes through the hinge.

Picture this, the bore goes all the way through the tree in the desired direction of fall and the long wedge follows it through. Can you picture it avoiding the hingewood because the cut goes through the hinge?

Another way of thinking of this is that that wedge will not butt up against the hinge because it can't. THE HINGE HAS BEEN CUT TO ALLOW FOR A LONGER WEDGE.

Hope this helps.

 

[ropensaddle]

Ok small diameter trees without the dozer why? Here goes take the large
wooden pruner poles and join two or three sections and encapsulate them
in pvc pipe for added strength then fab a firewood poker to fit the head
pole and secure it for safety. Now you have a secret weapon for trees
with limited liability that will produce for you, just jab poker into the wood at about ten foot up and you would be amazed at the effectiveness of my
product that I am thinking of patenting:monkey: It makes two people in
small stuff look like a crew but you would be surprised at the size tree it
will push and is better than the husky copy cancer curing ms 361 xp

 

[smokechase II]

Incline plane

Ropensaddle:

Make one that fits into a wedge pouch and they will beat a path to your door.

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Back to wedges are a great idea and there are a variety of techniques to taking advantage of them.