Hoping to understand why I had such a difficult time felling an Oak (quercus virginiana), album incl

[eye.heart.trees]

This is the tree I'd made a thread hoping for advice on how to approach, think I was just nervous & wanting to ensure I was doing it right, at any rate I ended up getting it down as-hoped-for in terms of *where* it fell, but the time & effort to drop this thing just amazed me so hoping to be enlightened on what I should've done differently- OR, if this is what should've been expected (which I doubt!)

Album of the tree itself (just as a trunk w/o limbs, before felling) https://imgur.com/a/fQwGPqd

Album of my felling of it, please note that my pull-over rope's anchoring, which is *beneath* the hinge in some pictures, was only moved there for some measure of additional safety when re-approaching the trunk (for 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc rounds of plunge-cuts) https://imgur.com/gallery/KykZF6u

The thing blew my mind, I'd had virtually no wood left as-notch and, from 35' away pulling with 3:1 mech.advantage, I couldn't pull it in the way it was already leaning, if you take a look at the last pics you can see how darn tiny the remaining hinge was when it finally went down, I cannot understand why I couldn't pull it over (with 3:1 at 35' away, pulling from 20' up the trunk!), the last round of cuts was what did it I didn't bring the pull-rope-anchor below the notch during my last couple rounds of cutting and thank god I didn't otherwise it would've went over and popped my line I am sure (this didn't come down by pulling, it fell once I made my last round of cuts)

Thanks a ton for any advice on this, am happy it came down where I wanted however I'm really unsettled insofar as not understanding why it was so difficult, the only thing I can think in hindsight was "should've made your notch/face cut with a downward-angle" but my understanding on the angles was that they're to do with how it comes off, not how-easily it comes off! If I were to re-approach this tree, what should I do differently?

 

[eye.heart.trees]

Oh FWIW I should mention, probably a known here but still, quercus virginiana is the strongest wood I know of, it's the heaviest on the log-weights chart in the new SherrillTree at 76lbs per cu ft! Still though, that heaviness should've been helping me, this thing was a mild-leaner I'd have thought the weight would work *in my favor* here, making it fall easily - you can see in the pics that I'd actually wrapped the trunk a bit above the hinge-cuts to help prevent it splitting, with that lean I was expecting this thing to just want to fall, was in disbelief on hour-5, throwing my tiny body into my 3:1 pull-over setup, watching the thing rock a good 1' at the top but not snapping/falling!

 

[Jed1124]

Cut a deeper face.

 

[Jed1124]

30% is just a rule of thumb and is not applicable in all situations. You top cut does not have to be so steep either. Deeper and narrower and she would go over easy peasy.

 

[Mad Professor]

No need for a rope on that, wedges would have done fine.

Back cut should have been an inch or two higher, to keep trunk from kicking back as it fell. I think the term is "stump shot". Very important if tree might hit obstacles as falling.

Also looks like cuts on face/undercut are mismatched. It probably started to lean then closed on face cut mismatch. That's why you needed to cut almost all your hinge away. That needed to be cleaned out/matched before the felling cut

You need the hinge to control the fall. When you remove parts of it tree will do "funny" things

 

[Leeroy]

I'd practice some notches and back cuts on that high stump if it's still standing.
You may get a better understanding of hinge thickness and strength.
Look up open face notch as well. Some won't agree, but the tree stays committed to the desired direction much longer than other notches.

 

[Huskybill]

I make sure the saw chain is razor sharp, the saw is gassed and oiled up. Are your wedges and axe ready?

 

[Wow]

/QUOTE] At the bottom of your post.
You said, I sat on the stump and heard the light snow hitting the ground.
I thought I was the only one who's done something like that.
It wasn't snow but light freezing rain, ice drops. The day was done. It was almost dark. Very tired. Sat on that stump and could see the porch light of my house in the distance. I knew there would be enough moon light coming up to see enough to reach my cabin. Living alone no hurry to get home. I just enjoyed the deafening silence and awesome stillness. It was like I was suspended between earth and another world. Peace surrounded me as I fell into a trance. It was like I'd became a spirit out of my body just melting into the universe. The wet leaves, the muffled sound of ice flakes entranced me and the creeping shadows slowly swallowed the light. I sat there in the darkness comforted by that dim light in the distance. Then it dawned upon me. This must be what it is like to be a spirit. To be able to sit out all night and not worry about freezing to death. My mind flew. I realized Spirits have freedom flesh never thinks about. As a Spirit I'll be able to dive to the depths of the sea. Fly to distant stars. My thinking is being dead may free me from the needs of the physical. Now, I'm not afraid of being dead. Dying might hurt but after that great things may await. Maybe we go into a dream time. Sitting on a stump, watching darkness slowly erase the shadows and never having to go home. Good day

 

[Huskybill]

I’m logging firewood deep in the forest it’s very quiet so quiet you can hear a pin drop. It’s around Christmas time I’m in the spirit. I dropped my last tree for the day, the truck is loaded and another load is chained to the rear of the truck. Of course I broke a brake line on the rear axle. With only the front brakes and the rear e brake

I sat on the stump listening to the snow hit the ground, I’m in heaven.

 

[Huskybill]

Felling and using the back cut to steer the tree on the way down. Cut the back cut to the right side more the tree goes left, back cut to the left side more the tree goes right.

I back cut straight in first then angle my back cut to steer the tree where I want it to go.

Felling is an art once you learn how to knotch, back cut, pop in wedges, steer the tree on the way down you will see it’s easy to do. Don’t back cut through the hinge.
I was back cutting 15” oak trees and stopped at the hinge, the frozen tree didn’t move. I put the saw down and pushed it over. No time for wedges.

 

[Wow]

Felling and using the back cut to steer the tree on the way down. Cut the back cut to the right side more the tree goes left, back cut to the left side more the tree goes right.

I back cut straight in first then angle my back cut to steer the tree where I want it to go.

Felling is an art once you learn how to knotch, back cut, pop in wedges, steer the tree on the way down you will see it’s easy to do. Don’t back cut through the hinge.
I was back cutting 15” oak trees and stopped at the hinge, the frozen tree didn’t move. I put the saw down and pushed it over. No time for wedges.

Done that before. On small trees I've plunged. Cut the face, made a back cut but stopping before the hinge was to thin, stuck a wedge in the plung at the back then gently cut each side a little bit keeping the wedge tight and narrowing the hinge. Tricky. Also cut and wedged two places on same tree trunk. I guess there are many tricks out there. Have a great day.

 

[Huskybill]

Leave the back cut before you cut the hinge too thin. Then start your steering angle cut. I got so good at it I could stack up the tree trunks on top of each other. Easy to buck all of them up one shot and load them.

 

[sundance]

I’m logging firewood deep in the forest it’s very quiet so quiet you can hear a pin drop. It’s around Christmas time I’m in the spirit. I dropped my last tree for the day, the truck is loaded and another load is chained to the rear of the truck. Of course I broke a brake line on the rear axle. With only the front brakes and the rear e brake

I sat on the stump listening to the snow hit the ground, I’m in heaven.

My ears aren't all that good.....but seriously....listening to the snow hit the ground!! I've sat and watched it hit the ground but never heard anything.

 

[Wow]

My ears aren't all that good.....but seriously....listening to the snow hit the ground!! I've sat and watched it hit the ground but never heard anything.

Actually when I was young and the leaves were dry the sleet made a nice soft sound. Snow, only before the ground was covered. My Genetics, some, unknown, must have been really good. As a kid we hunted for food. It may sound gross but I loved Squirrel brain. Mom cooked the head and with a big spoon I'd crack the boiled skull and get the brain. Well by 10 or 11 I'd gotten pretty good with a 22 single shot. One day I saw a big Fox Squirrel and pointed him out to Dad. He was about to shoot when I said, Don't ruin the head. Dad said can you see the head? I said, hes blinking his eyes. Ole man said here you shoot. I shot through the eye out the ear. Brain still intact. From then on I was the designated shooter. At 16 my vision got bad because it was getting hard to see their eyes so they had my eyes checked. 20-20 in one eye (my weak eye) 20-15 other eye. Now my hearing and vision ain't all that good. Once I'd hear squirrels cutting acorns. One year it was dry and I heard a noise. Something moving in the leaves. Thinking it may be a snake I froze. It was close. Finally I realized I was hearing a Daddy long legs. They really aren't spiders. Only one body part. I noticed little red things attached to it's legs. Mites or babies? My 14 year old grandson can cut flower stems with a 22 rifle. City folks worry about Kids and Guns. All my kids were taught how to safely handle Fire Arms. X military X cop for a dad, fire arms training was mandatory. Guns used properly are like any other tool. My Dr. Daughter could shoot a pistol at 5 her sister at 6. My 22 year old grandson is a military sniper in National Guard and a cop at home. Me, I'm old but I do alright. Running a saw here on the farm with a pistol in a boot holster. But yep, silence in the woods not worrying about attacks from anything is awesome.