Felling a Windblown Hung up tree
- Thread starter Tyler Vosters
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60° off the lean to the pond side.
Should spin and flop out of the trees..
This way you have mitigated the lean/crack opposed to falling with the lean.
Should spin and flop out of the trees..
This way you have mitigated the lean/crack opposed to falling with the lean.
yup, sideways into the pond
Face it offset of the lean, let it spin off the stump. Get the hell out of the way when it goes.
Perpendicular the crack. You may want to cable it above your cut just to be on the safe side if you’re nervous. Before anyone jumps in and tells you to bore cut it I’ll just say that I had two ash trees back to back the other day that both sat down on my bar when boring. One I was able to cut the saw out, the second one did not go so well. I think I’ll stick to cutting from the back from now on.
rabbit box
ArboristSite Member
Put a grade 43 farmers chain above your cut and tightening with chain binder or four inch ratchet strap before you start and carry out your plan. Are you limited in the direction of your fall?
Tyler Vosters
ArboristSite Lurker
Thanks for the replies! I am not limited at all in which direction it falls. There is another fork in the tree it's hung up in a ways down so I will remove that first but then it a pretty clear drop. I love the chain/ strap idea above my cut. I'll do that for sure.
I'm sorry, but can you explain "60° off the lean to the pond side"? Keep in mind I am a newbie here
what cuts should I make in the tree? Standard notch and back cut?
I'm sorry, but can you explain "60° off the lean to the pond side"? Keep in mind I am a newbie here
what cuts should I make in the tree? Standard notch and back cut?
WI_Hedgehog
You bought a WHAT???!!
After chaining above the planned cut area, what about putting a series of shallow kerf cuts in the front (compression side) over a 1-foot span to reduce compression, and repeating until the compression is off the front half the split.
Then take a 9-inches or so section out of the front, followed by using that gap to put a series of kerf cuts in the front (compression side) of the back half of the split over a 4-inch span at the bottom of the 9-inch opening to reduce some torque compression, reducing the risk of a barber chair. Then cut the back wood level with the bottom of the 9-inch section with the goal of it staying on the stump, reducing the situation to being a windfall with a split.
Cut a 15-degree downward slope in the stump on what was the tension side. Attach the existing chain to a truck (or tractor) and pull it off the stump with the goal of dropping the whole tree to the floor.
The 9-inch and 4-inch sections create a wedge to promote the slide of the stump, and the stump has a downward ramp cut into it, so once the tree starts sliding it will hopefully pull out of the other trees with enough speed and force when pulling (pull and don't slack the chain). Obviously, one would make and clean up the cuts with the goal of a smooth pull.
(and use a long bar to maximize distance between you and the tree)
Then take a 9-inches or so section out of the front, followed by using that gap to put a series of kerf cuts in the front (compression side) of the back half of the split over a 4-inch span at the bottom of the 9-inch opening to reduce some torque compression, reducing the risk of a barber chair. Then cut the back wood level with the bottom of the 9-inch section with the goal of it staying on the stump, reducing the situation to being a windfall with a split.
Cut a 15-degree downward slope in the stump on what was the tension side. Attach the existing chain to a truck (or tractor) and pull it off the stump with the goal of dropping the whole tree to the floor.
The 9-inch and 4-inch sections create a wedge to promote the slide of the stump, and the stump has a downward ramp cut into it, so once the tree starts sliding it will hopefully pull out of the other trees with enough speed and force when pulling (pull and don't slack the chain). Obviously, one would make and clean up the cuts with the goal of a smooth pull.
(and use a long bar to maximize distance between you and the tree)
Don't do any of this
Put the face in on the pond side, not quite 90 deg but better then 45 deg from the angle of its lean. that way your back cut is in the split side. Also there are more trees on the other side that it could be hung up in so towards the pond is the clearest route.Thanks for the replies! I am not limited at all in which direction it falls. There is another fork in the tree it's hung up in a ways down so I will remove that first but then it a pretty clear drop. I love the chain/ strap idea above my cut. I'll do that for sure.
I'm sorry, but can you explain "60° off the lean to the pond side"? Keep in mind I am a newbie here
As for chains, straps, binding etc. I'm personally not convinced of their usefulness, and in my opinion they just add more projectiles and stuff to dull a saw with, and more time on the stump.
a shallow face cut towards the pond side, and a big fast sharp saw and blast through the back cut, call it a day in 3 minutes. maybe if your real scareded, bore the back cut and leave a strap across both sides of the split, get a head start and let er rip. Leave some hold wood... (cause hold wood matters)
I can tell you what not to do. Got the saw pinched bore cutting. So as I cut it out I reached around to grab the Stihl and the damn tree was headed the wrong direction, hit another tree and came right back at me. Just clipped my leg and spun me around, a bruise is all, got lucky.
WF, I take it that the suspended tree (butt facing the viewer) was cut after the tree that bit your saw. Ron
It happened two times in a row....I quit bore cutting. I put the pictures in the wrong order.
Don’t mean to highjack the OP’s post. Just showing what can happen. Here’s a Beech and a couple more ash from this morning
Tyler Vosters
ArboristSite Lurker
I apologise as I don't know all the terms you guys are throwing around. Using the attached sketch are you saying to do a standard notch on the pond side and then back cut as if it were a standard tree? I do appreciate the input.
Attachments
well with your sketch it looks like it would be better to go away from the pond, but in a nutshell yes, direct the tree sideways from the lean.
face cut=aiming cut, open wedge thingy, back cut=cut that releases it to fall, hold wood/hinge wood=the little bit in the middle that directs the stem..
Tyler Vosters
ArboristSite Lurker
Thanks! Which of these would you recommend? Should it be perfectly perpendicular to the crack? Should I do a standard back cut coming straight in opposite the notch or come in at an angle as to make a hinge that would be more triangle shaped than rectangle shaped if that makes sense?
Attachments
the slightly angled one. and yeah a triangle shaped hinge wood will help, keep it fat on the tension side, the narrow bit towards the lean. Don't be under that thing while cutting BTW. Remember to run away preferably screaming like a little gurl too. (that part is important, the screaming lets anyone in the area know you just did something probably dangerous, and survived...)
I'm starting to think you should take some chainsaw lessons from a pro, if that saw was pinched bore cutting , it was from cutting the hinge away, you are getting close to being clobbered big time.
