Advice on Techniques to Cut a Tree up (Tornado Damage)

[Saw Bones]

Thought I would see how experienced people would approach this. The March tornadoes did a lot of damage near me and I have been helping a friend cut up all of his damage. One of the last trees to do is one where the root ball came up and the tree is laying pretty much parallel to the ground about 2 to 3 feet off the ground until it reaches the upper large branches that are supporting it. With very little equipment, I was wondering what techniques people may use. I thought maybe to build a pyramid of logs under it just before it branches out to keep the trunk parallel to the ground, then work on the top ...... then work back toward the root ball moving the pyramid back (and using a hydraulic jack) as logs are cut. This is about a 35" diameter oak tree. Not sure if it will try to stand back up as it is being cut. If we get lucky there may be an excavator or bobcat nearby, but I am planning on worst case scenario of nothing being there other than large saws and a jack. Thanks

I did a similar tree that was downed by a hurricane. I started at the top, carefully removing the large limbs over head, dropping them and clearing them out of the way. (always be aware of spring tension on the limbs) then limbed it like I would if it had been cut down for timber. Then cut up the trunk into firewood sized rounds to be split later. (Keep aware that it could spring back up at any time during the process as weight is removed) Plan every cut, take your time and be careful. Always have an escape route.

 

[kkelly311]

I basically have been very careful and taking a lot of time ...... started at the top working backwards. There were about a dozen trees like this on the property and I have included two photos of the progress. One of the large oaks had flattened a boat trailer as you will see in the pic.View attachment 230409View attachment 230410

 

[shooterschafer]

Thought I would see how experienced people would approach this. The March tornadoes did a lot of damage near me and I have been helping a friend cut up all of his damage. One of the last trees to do is one where the root ball came up and the tree is laying pretty much parallel to the ground about 2 to 3 feet off the ground until it reaches the upper large branches that are supporting it. With very little equipment, I was wondering what techniques people may use. I thought maybe to build a pyramid of logs under it just before it branches out to keep the trunk parallel to the ground, then work on the top ...... then work back toward the root ball moving the pyramid back (and using a hydraulic jack) as logs are cut. This is about a 35" diameter oak tree. Not sure if it will try to stand back up as it is being cut. If we get lucky there may be an excavator or bobcat nearby, but I am planning on worst case scenario of nothing being there other than large saws and a jack. Thanks

First of all dont take my advice because Ive been called a hack on here K. Not to long ago I had a job that entailed a large cottonwood that the wind blew over right on top of a house, I had a crane contracted to lift large sections. While waiting on the crane I messed around with building braces under the base I used the wood cut out of the top, what worked best (for me) was cutting large wedges and pounding them underneath the base . When I started to cut sections when the crane showed up that base and root ball only moved about a 1/4 " The large wedges that I had cut worked extremely well. But I cant really say if that would work in your situation, be careful as everyone else has said.

 

[Currently]

I basically have been very careful and taking a lot of time ...... started at the top working backwards. There were about a dozen trees like this on the property and I have included two photos of the progress. One of the large oaks had flattened a boat trailer as you will see in the pic.View attachment 230409View attachment 230410

Were you working on Short Tail Springs road or up on Snow Hill?

Spent a bit of time there doing cleanup with a group of volunteers I worked with all summer last year in Apison. Seen some freaky things such as 3 inch limbs springing back a foot and a half towards my kneecap and rootballs coming up so fast that it threw the saw out of my hands.

It is an exercise in statics ... you got to read the forces, moments and tension in the wood and if you get it wrong, the saw gets pinched or worse.

What is funny is watching people with a 16 inch bar just burying it in the trunk without working on the end to relieve the tension. They will spend ten minutes trying to cut the trunk beating it mercilessly and they could of done twenty times the work in the limb area using the saw for what it was really designed to do.

Find a couple of people that know what they are doing and ask questions. Work with a bobcat if you get a chance. There are a couple of groups that have experience and don't mind teaching someone who wants to learn. Never cut alone and never have two people cuting on the same tree. If your saw gets pinched, don't yank it out, the handle will break ... (hanging my head on that one). Call for help and have someone cut you out.

Never climb on two or more trees that are down, the tensions are hard to read and the other tree may make the one you are working on move in unexpected directions. Keep several sharp chains, when you hit wire, nails, embedded rock or just see sparks flying, change the chain immediately. A dull chain is your worst enemy because if that wood starts splitting lengthwise, you need all the cutting speed you can get to relieve that tension and get out of there.

Never sever a spring pole with one cut ... make several small cuts to relieve tension. Same thing with large branches (more than 6 inches diameter) that go up in the air where you can't reach them, cut a wedge out at the crotch on top and leave a hinge at the bottom so that it has a controlled fall. Leave the hinge in place. Finish cutting it after you are done doing the small stuff at the end working your way to that cut. It can stop the tree from rolling on you.

It has been said before, wear PPE ... hardhat, safety glasses, ear protection, gloves, steel toe boots with good soles. Most importantly, wear chaps, not only do they protect you from the chain, they also protect your skin on your legs with all the springing and abrasions that happen when clambering over that twisted mess.

MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE:

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CUT THE LITTLE STUFF CLOSE TO THE GROUND SO NO ONE CAN TRIP ON IT OR WORSE, IMPALE THEMSELVES FALLING ON A ONE INCH TRUNK THAT IS CUT AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE A FOOT ABOVE THE GROUND!!!!!!!

Some a-hole(s) over there is too freaking lazy to bend over and I am just waiting for some poor volunteer trip while hauling brush impaling themself on the way to the ground. I really hope to catch this idiot(s) and personally give them a demonstration why they should do this.

One more thing ... leave about 5 - 6 feet of the trunk attached to the root ball, it gives leverage to the backhoe, bulldozer or bobcat to pry the rootball loose. Kind of hard to do with a one foot stump that has no leverage.

 

[kkelly311]

I was over off Snow Hill Road. I was hoping to get a crew up and help in Apison last spring and was not able to get up there. I had heard it was major tree disaster up there. Another big hazard around sites like this are the nails sticking out of the scattered lumber/roof decking. One other thing I noticed was how many people stop and want to talk/chat while you are trying to get stuff done. I thought about making a do not disturb sign at times and put it by the road (if you know what I mean).

 

[treemandan]

It sounds like I would put some limbs under the trunk close to the stump and cut it free from there first. if there is a chance it could stand back up then deal with that first.