1/3 Diameter Notch Rule

[vapnut257]

I agree with SawTroll, I'm sold on wedges and stick with the basics. If your a novice you shouldn't be cutting trees on a windy or rainy day. Or if your a pro for that matter. Well placed wedges in the back cut will keep you from looking like a fool I don't care how straight the tree is. Anybody trying to yank a pinched bar out of a back cut is sweating bullets... I don't care how cool they seem to be.

 

[stihl 440]

Haha

I agree with SawTroll, I'm sold on wedges and stick with the basics. If your a novice you shouldn't be cutting trees on a windy or rainy day. Or if your a pro for that matter. Well placed wedges in the back cut will keep you from looking like a fool I don't care how straight the tree is. Anybody trying to yank a pinched bar out of a back cut is sweating bullets... I don't care how cool they seem to be.

HAHAHA...I've seen and laughed at too many guys doing this trying to impress me on their cutting skills......lol Like they had any.......lol:greenchainsaw:

 

[stihl 440]

same here.....

Ever watch the Europeans fell a tree? Real tall shallow face.. then they cut the sides down for some reason. I don't understand their technique at all.

Ian

Same here......I don't understand it at all. Trim the log once it's on the ground.........that's what I do.........:greenchainsaw:

 

[buzz sawyer]

I have always wondered why the manuals tell you to make the felling notch 1/3 the diameter of the tree and not more. When you make the notch the weight of tree above the notch is supported by the uncut lower portion. Therefore an overturning moment is created to cause the tree to fall towards the notch. When you begin cutting the opposite side and reach 1/3 that overturning moment no longer exists. From that point on the moment begins to turn the tree back towards the cutting side. It would seem to me that it would be better to make the notch 1/2 the diameter to avoid this from happening. The 1/3 notch seems to work. The only explanation that I would have is that when you make the notch, the overturning moment causes the flexible tree to shift its weight towards the notch. This is enough to cause the tree to fall towards the notch, even though the back cut is bigger.

The main purpose of the notch is not to influence the balance of the tree, it's to create the front side of the hinge with which to control the direction of the fall. There are many variations of how to make the notch depending on the type and size of the tree and the lay of the land. The idea is to control the fall through the hinge and wedges or ropes.

 

[pioneerguy600]

The main purpose of the notch is not to influence the balance of the tree, it's to create the front side of the hinge with which to control the direction of the fall. There are many variations of how to make the notch depending on the type and size of the tree and the lay of the land. The idea is to control the fall through the hinge and wedges or ropes.

+1 Thats what I was taught by my father and it has proved its merits through the years to me. Pioneerguy600

 

[clearance]

I'm sorry but only 1/4-1/5 of the way in the tree for a notch for me. I've even had really good luck with 1/6 of the way in....... :greenchainsaw:

You are asking for a tree to chair, a common reason in some fatality investigations here. Undercut too small.

 

[oldirty]

The main purpose of the notch is not to influence the balance of the tree, it's to create the front side of the hinge with which to control the direction of the fall. There are many variations of how to make the notch depending on the type and size of the tree and the lay of the land. The idea is to control the fall through the hinge and wedges or ropes.

yup and what rb said.

also you leave yourself a bit of hinge to help with the direction and control.

ya, once she's going she's going

but

if you got some holding wood you can work with it to get it where you want it to go which is the reason for me to believe that you dont want to deep of a facecut.

but not every tree is the same hence certain cuts in certain situations.

also wedgies help your game.

 

[RiverRat2]

No one directly answered the original question, which assumed a perfectly balanced tree. In such a case, a deep face would undermine the center of balance and allow the tree to fall on its own. This technique isn't a good idea for most trees, as it removes so much wood, making gunnning corrections next to impossible. As stated a few times, I do this when aloft, and cutting vertical sections with no target behind the felling direction. Let the wood weight bring her over by itself.

+1

 

[stihl 440]

lol

You are asking for a tree to chair, a common reason in some fatality investigations here. Undercut too small.

Look at where you're at and look at where i'm at....different wood= different cutting styles. Different locations= different cutting styles. I've only really had 2 trees barberchair on me........that's in maybe 10,000 trees...........that's pretty good IMO............ You can get in trouble with too big of and undercut as well......6 to 1, half a dozen to the other.........:greenchainsaw:

 

[Lakeside53]

here's my 1/3

 

[Gologit]

here's my 1/3

LOL...And then what?

 

[Lakeside53]

The rest of the story...

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=51277

 

[2dogs]

The rest of the story...

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=51277

That was a great thread. When I saw that first pic I though uh-oh redwood heart rot before I realised it was a cedar. I have very very little experience with cedar trees, is the rot common? Second growth redwood will look that that when the dominant tree has grow around other sprouts.

 

[clearance]

That was a great thread. When I saw that first pic I though uh-oh redwood heart rot before I realised it was a cedar. I have very very little experience with cedar trees, is the rot common? Second growth redwood will look that that when the dominant tree has grow around other sprouts.

Rot is the norm. Lake, you wasted wood, use a humboldt next time.

 

[2dogs]

Rot is the norm. Lake, you wasted wood, use a humboldt next time.

Thanks. I always value your posts.

 

[Lakeside53]

Rot is the norm. Lake, you wasted wood, use a humboldt next time.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[Dennis Cahoon]

.....and whats up with that jehovah witness back-cut?......Hahahahahaha!

 

[oldirty]

.....and whats up with that jehovah witness back-cut?......Hahahahahaha!

not too sure how you west coast fallers do but i dont think i would want to be so high on that backcut. especially when using the conventional face cut.

did your saw get yanked out your hand? lol

 

[Ekka]

He was trying to get closer to Jehovah :jawdrop:

 

[Lakeside53]

na.. I was much more concerned about the $300,000 borrowed backhoe 10 feet below the tree, coordinating with the guy pulling the tree with the truck (and the house to the right). I didn't know how hard the hoe was pushing or the truck was pulling, and how good the wood was (NOT!). Nothing "conventional" about this tree; 1/3 face would have just got me to the edge of the rotten center. Downed with "all face", no center, and not much of a back cut ("some" mechancial aids to help) and.. don't lump me in with west-coast fallers - I'm just an amatuer that provides laughs for Dennis