Cutting in the wind. When do you guys call it?

[bitzer]

Cutting yesterday afternoon with a pretty steady 10-15mph wind with occasional 20-25mph gusts towards the end of the day. I was able to play with most of them, but this one got away from me. I had it almost cut up and a gust took it from me. Pissed be off, wuda made a nice Ash log.

So when do you guys call it or when is it called for you?

View attachment 202698

 

[Oldtimer]

I stop when debris starts falling from the canopy.

BTW, not to be a ####, but that split because A: the notch was too shallow, B: you should have bored the heart out some, and C: it wanted a fast back-cut the way you had it notched.

I shoot for 1/3 of the diameter for depth of the notch, and always bore any tree with a log, even pine- but pine only a bit. I also side-cut about 1" on pine, and as much as I can get away with on hardwood. Too greedy with the side-cut = a pinched blade.

 

[Gologit]

I usually make my own decisions about the wind and there's no hard and fast rule. If the wind is steady and I can make the lead I'll cut in quite a bit of wind. Sometimes moving to another strip or the other side of a ridge or canyon might make a difference.

But if it's real gusty and the wind doesn't favor the lead or even quarter it I'll usually make an early day of it. It's spooky to be backing up a big one and have it start to rock on the wedges. When I get caught like that I'll usually double up the wedges when the tree rocks toward the face and watch it like a hawk. A fast cutting saw is good to have then but usually it's better to just bail out. If you're doubled up, and sawed up quite a ways, and it's rocking toward the face it's probably going to be alright.

Watch for wind changes, too. If there's a storm approaching, in our part of the country anyway, you can usually count on the wind changing at least once.

You lose one every once in awhile, everybody does. That includes me. Just learn what you can from it and go on.

 

[2dogs]

I am usually cutting individual trees not strips or blocks. If the wind is steady and out of a favorable direction then I can use it as long as I maintain control. If the wind is gusty but in one direction then it is pretty much the same as a steady wind but needs alot more attention to detail and like Bob said a fast cutting saw is a must. A moving front or swirling winds or down drafts mean I pull out till the winds calm.

How about lightning, snow, hail, hard rain? When do you pull the plug or better yet not even get out of bed?

 

[Humptulips]

Gusty is the worst. One of the scariest moments of my career was when a gust took the top out of a tree backwards when I was topping it. About a 30 incher at 80 feet. Kind of knew I shouldn't be trying to top it but the rigging crew was pushing me and the tree really needed topped to use it. The back was starting to open when the gust closed it up and right on over. Lucky white fir breaks off easy.

 

[Gologit]

How about lightning, snow, hail, hard rain? When do you pull the plug or better yet not even get out of bed?

Lightning? Nope. All the rest? Sometimes there isn't any choice, you just gut it up and keep working. When you're real young it's a big adventure and it gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment. When you're my age it's a major pain in the ass and it gives you bronchitis.
Gotta admit though, my favorite way of dealing with bad weather is with a cup of hot coffee, watching it on TV.

 

[madhatte]

I follow a "three branch" rule. When it's windy enough that big heavy branches are falling, I consider one to be chance, two to be a warning, and three time to go. As soon as the third biggun hits the ground, I'm outta there.

 

[Sport Faller]

Lightning? Nope. All the rest? Sometimes there isn't any choice, you just gut it up and keep working. When you're real young it's a big adventure and it gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment. When you're my age it's a major pain in the ass and it gives you bronchitis.
Gotta admit though, my favorite way of dealing with bad weather is with a cup of hot coffee, watching it on TV.

Cantore Stories on the weather channel is the stone cold nuts

 

[bitzer]

I stop when debris starts falling from the canopy.

BTW, not to be a ####, but that split because A: the notch was too shallow, B: you should have bored the heart out some, and C: it wanted a fast back-cut the way you had it notched.

I shoot for 1/3 of the diameter for depth of the notch, and always bore any tree with a log, even pine- but pine only a bit. I also side-cut about 1" on pine, and as much as I can get away with on hardwood. Too greedy with the side-cut = a pinched blade.

Well then I'll not be a ####, A: it was a third, its a humboldt with a snipe on top. B: Yep I could have bored the heart out, but the wind was really starting to rock and I didn't want to lose it altogether. C: there was very little wood left to cut, but a gust took it. Chain was ready to be changed after this tree and I was back-barring. Boring every tree is NOT a necessity. I wasn't asking for a diagnosis. Thanks for the lesson. Make sure you break your straps with a wedge too while you're at it. Keep yer blades sharp.

 

[bitzer]

Thanks for the replies from the rest of you boys! Yeah I kinda figured it was all gut. Tomorrow lookin at steady 20-25mph with 35mph gusts. Hopefully it won't be too bad early. Thanks again!

 

[RandyMac]

I used to drop the iffy ones early, before the breeze comes up. I had a few of those rockers and played finger roulette popping extra wedges in.
BitzerBob, PM me your mailing addy.

 

[floyd]

I don't even go into the woods when it is blowing.

I try not to give advice based on a picture.


I like it when I can laugh when one goes 180 from where I was putting it. The wind does that sometimes.

Sometimes it isn't the wind's fault.


Does this site have an ignore feature? One site I look at puts"You have chosen to ignore this poster". I do not use it often but it is a nice feature.

 

[RandyMac]

Yes Floyd there is that very feature. Click on the offender's name, when you get to their page, on the left you will see "put on ignore list"

floyd
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[floyd]

Thank you? Thank you very much

 

[Oldtimer]

Well then I'll not be a ####, A: it was a third, its a humboldt with a snipe on top. B: Yep I could have bored the heart out, but the wind was really starting to rock and I didn't want to lose it altogether. C: there was very little wood left to cut, but a gust took it. Chain was ready to be changed after this tree and I was back-barring. Boring every tree is NOT a necessity. I wasn't asking for a diagnosis. Thanks for the lesson. Make sure you break your straps with a wedge too while you're at it. Keep yer blades sharp.

lol...
Awful fancy tricks to end up with a split tree. Sorry I offered unwanted advice.. Obviously you know it all already.

 

[mingo]

The straight grain in ash make it one of the easiest woods to split. I think you have to go by your gut what one man thinks is to windy another it won't even phase at all. Anybody who has cut a fair amount of wood has had that happened to them. It's always easy to would of, could of, should of after the fact.

 

[Gologit]

lol...
Awful fancy tricks to end up with a split tree. Sorry I offered unwanted advice.. Obviously you know it all already.

What, you've never had a tree 'chair on you? You've never made a mistake? Never did something really dumb, got away with it, and learned something from it? Most of us have done all that. You must be special.

You remind me of the soldiers that, after the shooting stopped, would run onto the battlefield and bayonet the wounded.

 

[Samlock]

There is species I don't like cut in the wind: Alders, aspen, ash. Or any deep frozen softwood either.

Small timber is more painful to cut in the wind.

One way to estimate wind is to watch ravens. They look a bit shabby and clumsy, but they're actually very skillful fliers. They'll fly while the other birds choose stay on the ground. When a raven can still "row" up wind, it's OK to cut timber.

 

[floyd]

Yup, ignore works. I like it.

 

[s219]

I sort of think all bets are off when it's windy. Even the best planned cuts can go wrong. In this case, the BC wasn't caused by poor cutting, it was caused by wind that came along and loaded the tree before the cutting was completed. That could happen to any of us on any cut.