GLOBOTREE
Addicted to ArboristSite
that is a very interesting and handy detail!
Anybody sharpen their wedges???
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that is a very interesting and handy detail!
Samlock
Addicted to ArboristSite
That was an 80's idea. I have not seen one in the woods myself. An old fellow told me, as he was working for forest company "Enso" at the time, the company tested the airbag. It was supposed to save some backbone of the loggers. But it did not work at all in real life.
Does anyone ever clean up the wedges with their saw? That's what I have done in the past. Dogwoodshhh and hickory work good for wedges So does ash, all of them usually split in the middle after you beat them good, but they work.
Speak of wedges makes me think about trees that I never could get to lift, ones that I fully expected to have no problems with but just wouldn't budge. I think wind was the culprit. . Has anyone had a tree that would not lift?
Speak of wedges makes me think about trees that I never could get to lift, ones that I fully expected to have no problems with but just wouldn't budge. I think wind was the culprit. . Has anyone had a tree that would not lift?
I had i tree with three 8" wedges all the way in the back, tree was leaning about 30 degrees. I was whooped and went over to take a breeak, all of a sudden it fell like nothing was holding it back. :msp_confused:
I've cleaned some of mine up on a table saw , grinder , belt sander , chainsaw (not intentionally ) and with my axe .
Little wedge eater .
Hard lean in the direction I didn't want it to go .
Stacked two after that and I won .
Little wedge eater .
Hard lean in the direction I didn't want it to go .
Stacked two after that and I won .
Plastic wedges get beaten up and cut all the time. Like others have said, if they are just banged up, I smooth off the bumps and re-shape them on the belt sander (not really 'sharpening' them) to get more life out of them. If they are cut or chewed up bad, I may trim off some of the bad part first with the bandsaw.
Metal splitting wedges need to be dressed periodically too. I use my bench grinder to touch up the points and remove any peened over or mushroomed parts at the top - otherwise pieces can go flying when struck, or you can rip up your hands just handling them. On a pair of heavily used ones I picked up at a garage sale last year, I had to cut off the mushroomed edges first with an angle grinder, before dressing them on the bench grinder.
Philbert
Metal splitting wedges need to be dressed periodically too. I use my bench grinder to touch up the points and remove any peened over or mushroomed parts at the top - otherwise pieces can go flying when struck, or you can rip up your hands just handling them. On a pair of heavily used ones I picked up at a garage sale last year, I had to cut off the mushroomed edges first with an angle grinder, before dressing them on the bench grinder.
Philbert
Sometimes on real soft wood, like cedar or Redwood, the wind will set the tree back on your wedges with enough force to push them down into the wood. This can happen fast if you're using small single taper wedges and you haven't doubled up yet. It's usually a sign that maybe you're trying to hit the lay with too much wind to really be able to do it.
LOL...it's also a sign that you might have radically misjudged the lean. Happens. If you get one that's stuck, and if time and situation permit it, walk quite a ways back from the tree and read the lean again. Sometimes a little distance will change your perspective. The worst I ever had was a Redwood that sat back on me. Last tree of the day, the wind had come up right smart, big hurry to go home, didn't take enough time to read it right...you know the routine. It ate every wedge I had. I had to hike a half mile up to the road, get the jacks, hike back, and finish the tree. My falling partner was really sympathetic, too. He said he'd wait right there by the tree 'til I got back...just to keep people out of the danger zone. :msp_rolleyes: We jacked the tree into lead but it redlined the gauge a couple of times. I had to pry some of the wedges out of the stump with a screw driver. Also had to buy my partner's supper for him for making him work overtime.
JRepairsK70e
been there ...done that
once you trim your wedges they work better because the taper gets thicker sooner so you get the lift sooner and still have room for bar clearance specially in those 12to 16 inch trunks , hate driving wedges in and pinning the bar in the cut .good idea to have some new and some trimmed imho jk
Ramblewood
ArboristSite Operative
View attachment 174054View attachment 174055
I cut this 32" cherry and buried 2x8" and a 10" wedge . NOTHING ! Used a couple of soft alum. wedges for more lift . NOTHING ! Sent my partner down with some logs and told him to bring up a splitting wedge (ouch). While waiting, I stuck the point of my peavey in the back cut, got a shoulder under it and, after a few nut-busting heaves, she tipped over ! I was so pleased with myself, I carved my initials in the stump with the saw . Then I discovered this discussion group, saw all the REALLY big stuff you guys tip over, and felt very humble . Baby steps !
I've also had wedges break a rotten stump so that the wedge went down and never moved the trunk. On a small Tamarak Pine that was hung up I had the wedge break the hinge and left the tree sitting on the wedge. Not fun.
hammerlogging
Addicted to ArboristSite
For sure, usually from going too fast, I;ve had the rot thing be a probelm too, but then sometimes its just uncalled for behavior, I had a chestnut oak last year that will always be remembered, probably 30" stump, a little back lean but no big deal, turned out to be the heaviest mother ####ing chestnut oak of all time, must have been growing back when John the Baptisit was still in business. Up on a ridgetop, heaviest tree, damn i pounded on that ####er. Got another faller over to help me even, we had 7 wedges and us 2 men working that one over.
Of course, when this situation arrises, I always peak around to see what would happen if I just dumped the ####er wherever, if it ain't worth wearing yourself out over.....
Of course, when this situation arrises, I always peak around to see what would happen if I just dumped the ####er wherever, if it ain't worth wearing yourself out over.....
:msp_biggrin: That's always a temptation...and every once in awhile it's good to give in to temptation.
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Temptation? Whats that?
hammerlogging
Addicted to ArboristSite
another word for spiders.
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Ok, got it.
i have had several trees that just wouldent quite tip on over and found an awesome solution on accident lol. i was using a metal handled splitting maul to beat wedges cause i accidentally rolled a log over my axe the day before :censored:. well anyway the maul is almost shaped like a single bit axe with a slow taper and about a 36" handle. but i just stuck the taper of the maul in my back cut and lifted on the handle while standing to the side of the tree. i lifted a 3 foot oak over without much work. it seems to work best to use steady pressure cause it takes a sec for the tree to start to tip but once it does she normally goes right over. i have used this on prolly 30 trees since then and only had 1 or 2 that i couldent get over with wedges and a maul. its a little heavier to carry around but sure works good. oh i also like to use this on trees with dead limbs cause its a steady slow movement vs fast bounces that sometimes break limbs loose.
What you discovered is the 'felling lever' or 'felling bar' that is used in Europe and promoted by Husqvarna.
Philbert
What you discovered is the 'felling lever' or 'felling bar' that is used in Europe and promoted by Husqvarna.
Philbert
I don't go to work without it .
Handier than a wedge in the right size timber but not so much when you have to tip large trees against a heavy lean .
paccity
Addicted to ArboristSite
if you didn't give in what would you get done.
