Almost made it...

[Dalmatian90]

Got a late start today due to fur kid related issues (went on a shopping expedition to buy him a foot stool to make climbing into his favorite chair easier...the things we do for a geriatric dogs...)

The intention was to drop it about 6" further left...and I hadn't pondered the implications of not cutting down the stump first. Plus I caught a 4" tree in a bad position that I couldn't quite figure out (without being in a bad place) whether it was an oversized spring pole, or it was the root ball being pulled up was the major factor.

Notch was OK, I could've done better. Hindsight I would've aimed a bit further to the left, but it was aimed where I intended when cutting.

The back cut isn't my best work I was thinking too much about how to cut it to swing the tree and didn't cover the basics, so it was slightly angled and a bit lower then it should've been.

BUT...it pretty much did what it was supposed -- the tree had a slight forward and moderate side lean and I watched as the tree started to fall, then spun around to the left to come down (almost) where I needed it. First time I've made...deliberately...a directional(?) cut which spins the tree around.

A bit surprised the neighbor didn't come over to make sure I was OK because I let out a heck of a war whoop in celebration afterwards.

Normally I would've just started working on the top of the big tree and when I got to where it was up on the second stump I would've taken the peavy and yanked it off.

But I had the matter of that spring pole and not being quite sure what it was going to do or causing on the main tree.

My solution was to use a couple 2" ratchet straps. One wrapped twice around the stump:

The other went over it. I only had one sling, so I had to directly hook the other strap. Another sling is now on my shopping list

Once I got to the 4", it wasn't too bad after all. The small root ball sat back in it's hole a bit, that was all. But better safe then sorry.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Now, I still have the top to deal with:

Which was tangled up with grape vines...so I spent a lot of time in chaps and a pair of pruners in my pocket. Saw some top, clip some vines, throw on brush pile, repeat. What a pain.

This was when I finally ran out of gas. It was getting dark enough I decided to leave the rest to finish up this week.

The big birch's natural lean was towards that cedar tree, so I am very happy to have swung it around as much as I did

Brush pile keeps growing...

 

[Dalmatian90]

Two more pics...

This is what I started with yesterday day -- a woodline full of Autumn Olive I've been having to clear to work my way back.

I'm building a new trail starting here, initially to go after a grove of red maples, but it will eventually work it's way around the hill up to my main woodlot (which right now I go around the block to get to). I'm also pushing back the wood line with the intention of planting a small orchard in the next year or two.

This also worried me in hindsight...I knew the tree had a lean but I was worried about a barber chair until I saw what might've been the beginning of one:

I had a tree barber chair on me once about a decade ago and would rather never repeat that experience!

 

[morewood]

I go to sleep dreaming of such flat places to cut. Looks like a good place to cut. Good luck clearing it out for a small orchard.

Shea

 

[Marc]

Nice work Dal. A lot of trees I've cut have a natural split running up the middle of them, I don't think it necessarily means it was getting ready to barber chair on you. Knowing how yellow birch is to split and how the grain can be twisted, it wouldn't be one of the species at the front of my head to worry about chairing unless maybe it was dead and/or a heavy head leaner, but I guess you can never really know.

 

[CTYank]

Looks like you've got lots of work there for a brushcutter (trimmer with non-spring shaft, that can run toothed steel blade.) The work is lots easier if you can do it standing up, rather than bent over.

I still run an Echo trimmer/brushcutter from '80. Can cut through 3" sticks. It's cut many of them.

Chainsaw was never meant to cut brush/twigs. Snags them.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Nice Black Birch

Love that stuff. Most of the btus of shagbark but without the hassle of dullling up the chain in 5 cuts. Wonderful smell when you're working it as well. Seasons very quickly to boot. Sometime cut one in late Feb or early March and watch the sap pour out of the stump for two weeks. The whole ares will smell like a new opened bottle of Birch Beer.

One customer give me the hairy eyeball when I delivered Black Birch and saying he didn't want softwood. I assured him he would be pleased. Next year he called wanting to know if I had any more.

In terms of dropping the tree, the only way you'll learn different techniques is to try them. As long as the tree comes down without massive damage to the "3 Ps", (people pets and property) all is good.

Take Care