mini barber chair

[chuckwood]

I just cut a big, damaged hackberry tree that had an extreme lean to it. I've been practicing bore cutting on other leaners, but nothing as extreme as this one was, the top of the tree was actually horizontal. Half of it had split off on a crotch maybe 12 feet up. I left a thick hinge on it because I was concerned about the integrity of the wood in the hinge, that was probably a mistake, it really didn't need much of a hinge, just something there so the bar wouldn't get pinched during the bore cut. I left a very thick back strap because I was worried about how much tension was going to be there. I turned out that probably wasn't necessary either. What was essential is that I used a long pole saw for cutting the back strap, I wanted to get as far back from it as I could. The pics tell the story. The hinge never worked because a couple feet directly up from the hinge the wood was bad, and that's where it broke. It made an impressive bang when the backstrap broke. This thing would have hit me in the face had I been using an ordinary chain saw on the back cut. First pic shows the bore cut over halfway done.

 

[Whitespider]

Oh... well heck man... wtf is wrong with ya'... ya' did that all friggin wrong... geeezzz ‼
I WOULD HAVE PASSED ‼

*

 

[coog]

I see a lot of Hackberrys with just this kind of split. I've been leaving them, for now. I think I'll use a winch when their time comes. Smart move with the pole saw; more than once I wanted a 20' bar!

 

[hardpan]

You recognized the threat, made adjustments, and even removed yourself greatly from the most danger zone (never saw what was above you). It didn't work as planned and actually kind of ugly but you successfully took down a dangerous tree. I'm anxious to hear of other possible solutions. The pictures present a puzzle. Who can solve it?

 

[naturelover]

Subbed...

 

[HuskStihl]

Is that the same tree we were talking about a few months ago? Good job using the pole saw to cut the back strap. This tree was a disaster as you prolly couldn't have added any more to the "face" without pinching. You had all the right ideas, and it still chaired. In this instance, the concern over pinching a bar with a weak hinge was probably not as important as trying to prevent a chair. Good example of why old Gologit is always admonishing the use of the words "never" and "won't" in regards to tree falling

 

[Cheesecutter]

Glad you didn't get hurt. I remember your previous thread concerning this tree. Goes to show you can never be too careful.

 

[Erock]

Good thinking on your part with the pole saw.
Most all heavy leaners I vertical bore in below and perpendicular to where I want my felling cuts so I know what I have to work with inside. I do the standard face cut followed by a boring back cut. Bore in, establish my hinge which usually is 10% tree diam depending on snag or green or hollow or punky inside. then I work my way from inside out as quick as possible. Go too slow and you can run into problems with your backstrap being too big before it snaps. All this after making good escape routes of course.

 

[Pelorus]

The lean in the first pic doesn't look all that extreme (armchair perspective).
Probably would have tried to put a small face cut in it; if it pinched the bar I would have used Masdaam rope puller or capstan winch,por truck, or tractor, or team of abominable snowmen, etc to pull it back enough to free the saw. Without a notch you were asking for excitement, but I understand your rationale.

 

[chuckwood]

Is that the same tree we were talking about a few months ago? Good job using the pole saw to cut the back strap. This tree was a disaster as you prolly couldn't have added any more to the "face" without pinching. You had all the right ideas, and it still chaired. In this instance, the concern over pinching a bar with a weak hinge was probably not as important as trying to prevent a chair. Good example of why old Gologit is always admonishing the use of the words "never" and "won't" in regards to tree falling

Yeah, it's the same tree. It really had to come down, after it died it would have been dangerous to anyone walking/working under it. Also, I wasn't about to mess with it later after it was dead. I was pretty nervous doing the bore cut, but that went ok. It was in an area where a bucket truck couldn't make it, and I was wondering how a climber would have taken it apart with its extreme lean.

 

[zogger]

On the ground, no one hurt

Lil excitement with the oatmeal....

 

[chuckwood]

The lean in the first pic doesn't look all that extreme (armchair perspective).
Probably would have tried to put a small face cut in it; if it pinched the bar I would have used Masdaam rope puller or capstan winch,por truck, or tractor, or team of abominable snowmen, etc to pull it back enough to free the saw. Without a notch you were asking for excitement, but I understand your rationale.

If you saw the entire tree, you'd see the lean. Only the bottom 15 feet or so was vertical. It was bent at a 45 degree angle and crotched about 25 feet up and the crotches took off looking for sunlight and were almost horizontal.

 

[Pelorus]

If you saw the entire tree, you'd see the lean. Only the bottom 15 feet or so was vertical. It was bent at a 45 degree angle and crotched about 25 feet up and the crotches took off looking for sunlight and were almost horizontal.

Gotcha. The armchair quarterback view isn't panoramic!

 

[Steve NW WI]

I'll just mentioned one thing I noticed. The chain did it's job, the tree more or less held together above the bottom wrap. It's something I'll keep in mind if it's needed in the future - keep the chain down close to the cut.

 

[turnkey4099]

Just a suggestion. I used to use chains also on leaners but one can never get them tight. I now use those ratcheting tie down straps. They have some awesome breaking strength. Wrap, ratchet as tight as possible. Doesn't give a barber chair a chance to start.

Harry K

 

[Pelorus]

Did the hackberry fall into the clear, or another tree(s)?

 

[Ronaldo]

Looks like a success from where I am sitting. I will remember the ratchet strap, Harry!

Ron

 

[chuckwood]

Did the hackberry fall into the clear, or another tree(s)?

It's clear. I've got it partly bucked into rounds allready. Nearby is another leaning hackberry that needs to go down towards the camera. You can't see it in the pic, but if and when it comes down on its own, it will take out a fence.

 

[muddstopper]

When in doubt, take the safe way out. You did what you thought was necessary and you survived to tell about it. I say good Job.
Now that the tree is on the ground I think I see a mistake you did make. Looking at the tree, half sawed down, I can see a verticle growth seam in the trunk. That seam is about 2 or 3 inches farther back than where you stopped your falling notch. In the next picture, with tree on the ground, you can see where the barberchair actually started in that same seam. Hard to be a armchair quarterback since eyes on site are better than eyes on a computer screen, but I suspect that if you had cut your knotch at least back to the growth seam, before starting your back cut, this tree probably wouldnt have barber chaired. The way it looks to me is you didnt really have a falling notch in the actuall standing part of the tree, even tho you did saw out a pretty big chunck of wood.
Puzzle solved?

 

[Trx250r180]

the coos triangle cut may have prevented this chair ,cutting the sides before the back cut relieves pressure ,i have had good luck with the one on the right ,i think a wise man i know had a quote about straps and chains once and where they belong ,can i ask what the purpose of the tall face was ? looks like that made it chair worse ,not trying to put down your cut ,it just looks like it weakened the tree there to me