HuskStihl
Chairin'em for the sound
You should try the screaming, or at least whimpering. Seems to make me run faster
A Felling Question
- Thread starter MustangMike
- Start date
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Trx250r180
Saw polisher
I like to throw my saw before i run and do the dance
Too many years ago.........so many! As a teenager I worked climbing trees for about 4 years or so. I was good! During that period, we had what was known as Dutch Elm disease killing our elms and this was before the so called bucket trucks arrived. Climbing those suckers using a 1/2" Manila rope determined who was a climber. But that was yesterday.
I learned to force trees to fall in the opposite direction from a lean if the lean was not great. My my method was to cut the notch as low as reasonably possible. Next on the other side start my cut as high as I could reach with the saw and cut down toward the notch at an angle... 30 degrees or so. As the cut progresses, put a wedge in the start of the downward cut; give it a few whacks. Keep sawing downward so that the cut is almost over the notch or even over the notch. The tree is held in place with the trunk supported in shear.
Now force the wedge or two or three wedges so the trunk of the tree is forced to move in the direction you want the tree to fall. Now sure, hammering a wedge into a horizontal cut will also tip the tree's falling direction but the tree can fall backwards on you and more importantly, a wedge into a horizontal cut actually LIFTS the trunk rather than tipping it.
One additional method that has a high success is to rope the thing and pull it with the front of a truck. If you cannot get the truck to where you want the thing to fall , use a block tied to the base of another tree to run the rope though to the truck. That is IMHO, the safest way.
I learned to force trees to fall in the opposite direction from a lean if the lean was not great. My my method was to cut the notch as low as reasonably possible. Next on the other side start my cut as high as I could reach with the saw and cut down toward the notch at an angle... 30 degrees or so. As the cut progresses, put a wedge in the start of the downward cut; give it a few whacks. Keep sawing downward so that the cut is almost over the notch or even over the notch. The tree is held in place with the trunk supported in shear.
Now force the wedge or two or three wedges so the trunk of the tree is forced to move in the direction you want the tree to fall. Now sure, hammering a wedge into a horizontal cut will also tip the tree's falling direction but the tree can fall backwards on you and more importantly, a wedge into a horizontal cut actually LIFTS the trunk rather than tipping it.
One additional method that has a high success is to rope the thing and pull it with the front of a truck. If you cannot get the truck to where you want the thing to fall , use a block tied to the base of another tree to run the rope though to the truck. That is IMHO, the safest way.
Yes sir, and I've seen too many videos featuring semi-rpo and pro fellers who have a small army standing around close in while they fell the tree.
Deets066
Firewood hack
How do you get it unpinched to throw it? Isn't the tree supposed to hinge on the saw bar?
Interesting, but I'm having trouble visualizing what you're doing. Is your back cut sloping downward toward the face cut? And starting your back cut as high as you can reach with the saw and sloping downward.? I don't think I've ever seen that done. Sloping back cuts aren't usually accepted practice, at least not where I've worked.
Can you do a video for us to demonstrate this technique?
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
LOL Bob, do we need a video
you guys ain't seen nothing. there's this firewood hack around here named Gilbert Louie. absolute scariest stumps you will ever see. i call them the paddle board stump. he's got his undercut dipping right down in a slope and angle and his back cut dipping right down in an opposite slope and angle. he just sinks his saw in with no consideration of holding wood or nothing. some pretty big tree's as well. i prefer not to be around when he's falling a tree and i am very surprised the guy is alive. he says his techniques are bullet proof and keep the tree on the stump longer. i don't see how that is and everytime i see him out there i ask where he was aiming. he is never willing to tell me LOL he's an idiot but one heck of a nice guy. i'll try remember to get a pic of one of these stumps next time i'm out there.
Deets066
Firewood hack
Did not drop it yet, will post when I do, should be soon. I just emailed the owner this morning, there was some unexpected stuff on the personal front.
Philip Wheelock
Finis Origine Pendet
I'd stick to the method you described in your original post; seems to me that the various Dutchman cuts are in the advanced category for experienced professionals only. Only suggestion I'd make is to use a rigging line perpendicular to the falling direction to make sure it goes exactly where you want it to go. Rigging lines aren't cheap, but they're the cheapest tools on the job.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
Gypo Logger
Timber Baron
Sloping undercuts and back cuts are a great way to swing a tree around but are best reserved for trees under 12".
The same rules apply where all cuts must meet. Generally not condoned on most operations. It's all about mechanics and gravity. The biggest enemy is the unintentional dutchman.
The same rules apply where all cuts must meet. Generally not condoned on most operations. It's all about mechanics and gravity. The biggest enemy is the unintentional dutchman.
Thanks everyone, will be sometime this w/e. As I previously stated, I will rope it, and I've got the good stuff from Baileys, not cheap, but 3X the strength of the HD stuff. Again, there is nothing it can damage, I just want it to land on the correct property.
Thanks everyone, will be sometime this w/e. As I previously stated, I will rope it, and I've got the good stuff from Baileys, not cheap, but 3X the strength of the HD stuff. Again, there is nothing it can damage, I just want it to land on the correct property.
gomoto69
ArboristSite Operative
Sloping back cuts won't do anything to swing a tree, if they did professionals would do it and they don't. Walk through any log block that has been hand felled, undercut 1/3 diameter of tree, whether standard or humbolt, i was taught humbolt because standard undercut wasted wood. Backcut maybe an inch above undercut, straight and level, 1 or 2" of holding wood,(or more the larger the tree gets) be sure all your undercuts line up clean, that's how it's done. tree can be swung maybe 45 degrees away from a lean if its not leaning too bad, but there's nothing you can do at the stump to make a tree fall against a lean, other than wedging a slight lean, without pulling or pushing it over mechanically.
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
You have not seen Gypo's videos i take it , If there is a way to cut a tree ,he has done it .
hseII
Addicted to ArboristSite
Try letting the tree throw the saw for you when it goes: then you will be the tree masta.
There is an educational video on here that shows you how to do just that. [emoji6][emoji6]
gomoto69
ArboristSite Operative
There's many ways to cut a tree, i just described how professional fallers in bc do it, and how i was taught when i did it, beavers are pretty good fallers, but not very accurate. I just think on a forum teaching people that may be new to it all, that industry standards a techniques should be looked at as the safest way to go about it
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
I was being sarcastic ,that is why i added the little whistle guy at the end ,the smiley guys on the forums inform readers that you are not serious in the reply .Sloped back cuts have no place in tree felling in my experience
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