Missed mark feedback wanted.

[RLfailuer]

Just felled my first two trees today, second was off mark by 20 or so degrees. Been doing some youtube stuff so I shot it for you to see. Just wondering what it was I did wrong, I'm sure quite a bit, but for a first, I'm fairly happy with the results......the grapes, not so much.

 

[jtc16]

On trees that small of diameter I would've just came from the back instead of plunge cutting. On the second tree I would recommend just a little more 90 degree of a face cut not so vertical. I wouldn't use the plunge cut unless the diameter of the trunk is much bigger. No point really. I think it's easier to line up your hinge on a regular back cut. On a 20" bar I usually come from the back rocking it back and forth until I'm at the hinge for 24" trees, any bigger I use a plunge cut usually. When you come from the back you can control the direction also by cutting into the hinge on the side where more weight is to let the hinge direct the fall not the weight of limbs. It looked like that second tree changed direction because it brushed the pine tree but also looks like you may have cut through your hinge on the pine tree side? But on a safety note... at 6:47- when your swinging that axe that guy is right behind you if that would've slipped out of your hand backwards it could've landed right in his chest from this angle.

 

[RajElectric]

+1 on rolling off the other tree. So far I can tell on my smartphone

 

[RLfailuer]

On trees that small of diameter I would've just came from the back instead of plunge cutting. On the second tree I would recommend just a little more 90 degree of a face cut not so vertical. I wouldn't use the plunge cut unless the diameter of the trunk is much bigger. No point really. I think it's easier to line up your hinge on a regular back cut. On a 20" bar I usually come from the back rocking it back and forth until I'm at the hinge for 24" trees, any bigger I use a plunge cut usually. When you come from the back you can control the direction also by cutting into the hinge on the side where more weight is to let the hinge direct the fall not the weight of limbs. It looked like that second tree changed direction because it brushed the pine tree but also looks like you may have cut through your hinge on the pine tree side? But on a safety note... at 6:47- when your swinging that axe that guy is right behind you if that would've slipped out of your hand backwards it could've landed right in his chest from this angle.

Ah ha!.....That makes sense, cutting the hinge on the heavier side I'm assuming will add strength to the lighter side and pull the tree a bit. The reason I've been plunge cutting is really just for practice, I've been hearing about how dangerous barber chairing can be on heavily leaning trees and just wanted some practice, not that I'll be doing any of those anytime soon, I know when to step back and let a pro take over. I %100 agree with you on the note of the other guy right behind me, I'd have liked for him to be not anywhere close at all, but it was his property so he was just kind of wandering around.

Thank you much for the insight

 

[Shagbark]

Good to practice on the easy ones. Nothing destroyed, no one hurt, no safety issues = good felling. Like was mentioned practice the draw hinge to influence the direction of the fall.

Be safe and think things through, with safety first.

 

[jtc16]

Yeah just practice trying to steer the tree with hinge if you get a chance at a tree that it doesn't matter where you drop it ya know. On that first plunge cut you did it looked like you went a little too nose first for my liking. I always start back a ways from the hinge so I can start in with the bottom of the bar and slowly curve it in. I'm sure you've had like little nose jumps from cutting firewood or something, but when they say "kickback" they mean kickback. I didn't realize until I had a kick back on my 61cc craftsman that it is a lot different from a little nose tap jumping back at you. It kicks. I don't know if you have a anti-kickback bar or not but just keep that in mind, you don't want to go nose first. I'm sure he wouldn't be too pissed if you asked him to move on the other side of you. But yeah anyway I think you did pretty good for your first 2 trees.

 

[Pelorus]

Kudos to you for wearing PPE.
Take time to get your face cut sighted properly, and as others have mentioned: no need for plunge / bore cutting these particular trees. Heavy leaner would be a different story, but these weren't.
Get that chain sharpened!

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i wasn't there, but would have considered binding both trees; so that each falls as 1 and doesn't split into 2 or more shifting plates complicating fold internally.
The first one was so dry, with cracks, could have come apart. 2nd, didn't look split thru after cracking open, but would have inspected more before cut.
Would always stop and inspect facecut like a carpenter on a very find sliding and folding mechanic/perfect matching, nothing less.
'measure' 3 times/3 dimensions; cut once
Another 50% of your answers may be on the butt side of fallen tree/that matches stump.
Was the extra man capable of pulling with rope?
.
If tree pulls to left, i plot my control/steering/trigger wood to right rear.
In hinge compressed wood side pushes up/across to other side; stretch hinge side, pulls back and across.
.
The trees laid down, where the mechanics brought them (of course);
the saw engineered/carved mechanical commands engineered the steering/could have overcome the Natural loading/fall.
.
The first tree: the face is 'dirty'/has an obstruction in the fold operating as a step dutchman, can be dangerous, and hear pushed to opposite side.
Also, the facecuts bypass/ are not carpenter machined to engineer proper hings, this gives face within a face, 2 closes, another type of dutchman
dutchmans can always be dangerous.
The upper face cut seems to be the bypass, so pushes across bend axis of fibre, to not as bad as if lower facecut bypasses and then mechanical instruction is not across flex axis, but up the stout roman column of the spar's strength, so would be less forgiving/ can seize up midway; even barberchair and kill.
www.mytreelessons.com/barberchair%201.swf
http://mytreelessons.com/rl/content/Hinging-Full.swf
extreme usage examples for discussion only, but should just not mess with dutchmans:
http://www.mytreelessons.com/Drawings Archive-Dutchmans.htm

Steering is depending on rear side of hinge, opposite lean side, to be young, flexible, stretchable fibre to pull, not snap.
The dry, dead wood is obviously anything but elastic, and so more care is needed.

.
2nd tree
We see younger, more flexible wood; the high stretched fiber on right/circled pulled to this side
Almost like opposing side rear fibre was cut thru
i would have maintained holding wood where saw tip swirls on left, and whittled that control away to folding

 

[RLfailuer]

i wasn't there, but would have considered binding both trees; so that each falls as 1 and doesn't split into 2 or more shifting plates complicating fold internally.
The first one was so dry, with cracks, could have come apart. 2nd, didn't look split thru after cracking open, but would have inspected more before cut.
Would always stop and inspect facecut like a carpenter on a very find sliding and folding mechanic/perfect matching, nothing less.
'measure' 3 times/3 dimensions; cut once
Another 50% of your answers may be on the butt side of fallen tree/that matches stump.
Was the extra man capable of pulling with rope?
.
If tree pulls to left, i plot my control/steering/trigger wood to right rear.
In hinge compressed wood side pushes up/across to other side; stretch hinge side, pulls back and across.
.
The trees laid down, where the mechanics brought them (of course);
the saw engineered/carved mechanical commands engineered the steering/could have overcome the Natural loading/fall.
.
The first tree: the face is 'dirty'/has an obstruction in the fold operating as a step dutchman, can be dangerous, and hear pushed to opposite side.
Also, the facecuts bypass/ are not carpenter machined to engineer proper hings, this gives face within a face, 2 closes, another type of dutchman
dutchmans can always be dangerous.
The upper face cut seems to be the bypass, so pushes across bend axis of fibre, to not as bad as if lower facecut bypasses and then mechanical instruction is not across flex axis, but up the stout roman column of the spar's strength, so would be less forgiving/ can seize up midway; even barberchair and kill.
www.mytreelessons.com/barberchair%201.swf
http://mytreelessons.com/rl/content/Hinging-Full.swf
extreme usage examples for discussion only, but should just not mess with dutchmans:
http://www.mytreelessons.com/Drawings Archive-Dutchmans.htm

Steering is depending on rear side of hinge, opposite lean side, to be young, flexible, stretchable fibre to pull, not snap.
The dry, dead wood is obviously anything but elastic, and so more care is needed.

.
2nd tree
We see younger, more flexible wood; the high stretched fiber on right/circled pulled to this side
Almost like opposing side rear fibre was cut thru
i would have maintained holding wood where saw tip swirls on left, and whittled that control away to folding

You're 100% correct, I hadn't even noticed the debris left in the first notch. I think at that point I was pretty pissed off and wasn't truly thinking properly, should have just stepped back for a bit and cooled off, having a hot head never helps anything. I had been looking forward to felling these tree's as I've never done it and while I was strapping on my chaps the homeowner grabs his saw and just starts butchering in that notch that was there already when the video starts, didn't want to speak to him while he was operating the saw, when he stepped back though I said either let me take over or I'll leave as there's only one reason I'm here, and that's for the experience. Lot's of good information, additionally in those links. I know when to shut the hell up and listen and working with tree's I've much to learn, thank you much for the feedback and know that your words will be headed.