Dangerous barber chair felling ash infected with emerald ash borer

[GrizG]

I've felled many 100s, and perhaps over 1,000, dead ash over the past 7 years and haven't had a barber chair yet. I also felled a lot of snags that had broken off mid stem or where the top had broken off, and cut and bucked many fallen or leaning ash.

For the vast majority of the standing trees and snags I used the GOL technique, a short summery of which is: 70° open face notch the length of which is about 80% of the diameter, bore cut to establish the hinge, wedge, cut the trigger, pound wedges as needed. The trees I cut ranged from a few inches DBH up to about 30" DBH. They ranged from just barely alive to well decayed. Smaller trees generally didn't involve the bore cut. Some were back cut first, wedged and then notched. Limb locked trees were felled together. Some hazardous trees were knocked over with other trees. In some cases trees were left standing to be handled by nature when the dangers of cutting outweighed the risks of the tree falling on it's own.

Assessing the condition and lean of each and every tree is important. The site hazards and targets need to be assessed. Escape routes need to be planned. Having different cutting techniques available in your skill set is important too.

 

[Smitty Smithsonite]

I'm in MA, too, and have several HUGE ash trees, all half dead or completely dead. They were this way 19 years ago when I moved in. I've been picking up the tops of them ever since, after every single wind event. We're west of Worcester, but still in the 508. Right in front of my house is a cluster of ash. Some are damned near 3' across. Never saw ones this big around here. The power co. marked them, so they'll be coming down at some point. Hopefully they don't land on my house, lol! Will be interesting to watch. I never dared touch them, since every sapling I've cut over there has landed on the phone wires. Had to drag it off with my plow truck!

They'll probably take them down from the top, just due to the huge liability.

 

[MikeRock]

GOL, as I stated, is a very narrow set of rules, and therefore limiting, which is simply wrong and deserves derision, is it a good course for the average homeowner, sure, it does provide some much needed situational awareness, but it teaches one and only one way to cut a tree, and this is patently false.
It also tends to get folks set in their ways so they refuse to look at things any other way, which isn't necessarily a fault of GOL its just human nature.
As I tried to make clear via humor before, trees don't care, every tree is different, they fight back and they fight dirty, using the same set of rules with every tree will eventually lead to failure. To respond to natures forces you have to be able to adapt and have a "tool box" of other tricks and processes.

as for attacking Sweden, I am not, GOL is the product of one rather self righteous Swede who has made a great deal of money promoting the fact that he is a "Swedish Logger" and therefore should be taken seriously, hence the term SSD (Personally I have my doubts about his logging credentials, especially since Sweden is largely mechanically harvested, and has been for a rather long time)

Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with homeowners and weekend warriors taking a few classes to better prepare themselves and be more safe in the woods, or at anything. The problem arises when the classes are taught in a way that creates hard and fast rules, when in reality, there are no hard and fast rules. There are simply rules of thumb, i.e. all depending on perspective and current limiting factors. A couple days here and there of playing with a chainsaw under supervision, does not make anyone a professional timber beast, but it certainly gives a great deal of folks the idea, and unfortunately the confidence to act like they are a big bad logger, which is a very very dangerous attitude to have in the woods.

Thank you....... I got criticized by a GOL'er. Nasty stumps, just big buttresses. She 'knew' this and that. She almost killed herself too..... too damned close.

 

[GrizG]

For clarity, I used a bore cut on this (and virtually every other) tree.

From looking at your stump, I have to agree with some of the other folks that the face cut isn't deep enough. This not for the sake of a deep face cut but from the perspective that the length of the face cut should be about 80% of the diameter of the tree when viewed from the face cut. Taking my best estimate from the 3rd photo in the series, it looks like the length of the hinge is closer to 60% of the diameter than to 80%. With the short hinge you have to "lift" more of the tree to get it to fall and I'm pretty sure that is where the barber chair was triggered. I suggest continuing to use the open face cut, increase your hinge length to about 80% and continue using the bore cut to establish the hinge.

I don't know what saw you are using but for most of the better saws if you hold the handle bar in the curve the saw will naturally hang such that you will get about a 70° angle. Not the best camera angle perhaps but this image shows it in practice. Play with hand placement a bit and you'll find the sweet spot.... Make the top cut first and then the bottom cut (which should be horizontal/level) and meet the top cut without over cuts. Clean up the notch as needed to not have overcuts.

 

[MikeRock]

D. Douglas Dent, The Art of Timber Falling, though its book form and getting harder to source as Mr. Dent has unfortunately vacated this plane.

or easier to get Work Safe BC's course on timber falling, it should be available on the YouTube.

Timber Cutting Practices, Steve Conway, 1974.......has kept good men alive.

 

[northmanlogging]

Your comments all revolve around the first course in the Game of Logging program. It is true that GOL 1 focuses on the open face, bore cut, trigger technique. However, the complete program goes much deeper. For example, following is an excerpt from http://www.gameoflogging.com/training.php

Level 1 focuses on introducing the participant to open face felling and the development of techniques to safely use it. Topics covered include personal protective equipment, chainsaw safety features, chainsaw reactive forces, bore cutting, pre-planning the fell, and understanding hinge wood strength.
Level 2 focuses on maximizing chainsaw performance through basic maintenance, carburetor setting, and filing techniques. Limbing and bucking techniques are introduced, spring pole cutting is covered and more felling is practiced.
Level 3 focuses on techniques for handling difficult trees. Topics covered include limbing, height measurement, segment calculations, wedging techniques and hinge placement. The felling is done against the tree's natural lean and participants also limb and buck using techniques demonstrated in level II.
Level 4 focuses on ways to maximize a harvest plan for safety and productivity. Felling is practiced at working speed using all the techniques from previous levels. This level is geared to the user group.

Storm Damage Training​

Game of Logging provides specialized training that addressed the unique hazards inherent in storm damaged settings. This training is meant to provide saw users the information and techniques demanded by this dangerous environment and the forces and pressures of wind felled trees.

Demonstration & Hands-On Techniques: Participants will be exposed to and have the opportunity to perform many of the following techniques during the day:

• Limb-Loc
• Top-Loc
• Tongue & Groove
• Axle Cut
• Axle Loc
• Notch Bucking & Directional Notch Bucking (Controlled Release Cut)
• Roll Away Cut
• Buck with Wedge
• Flagging Hazards
• Tab Cut
• Oversized Log Buck
• Dirty Log Bucking
• Using ropes and mechanical advantage techniques

Demonstration Only by GOL Trainer: Participants will be exposed to these techniques, but will not necessarily perform them during training day:

• Scissor-Cut - Show using wedge and if applicable rope and come-along option.
• The release of extreme springpole tension.
• "Pole in a Hole"

Five Point Plan for Storm Damaged Trees:

1. OVERHEAD HAZARDS!!
2. Hazards on the ground
3. Assess lean weight and pressure
4. Cutting technique or cut plan
5. Escape route

Ok

now tell me, how many folks proceed past level 1
As I have said multiple times, its not necessarily a bad course, its just teaches one way to solve problems, the inherent issue is that it breeds the idea that THIS IS THE ONLY WAY, which can and will get somebody killed.

 

[catbuster]

As far as I understand as soon as soon as The tree starts to die it will rapidly begin to dry rot, causing the tree to harden and become brittle. This process moves quickly and begins before it looks like the tree is dead. Eab might make it worse than a normal die off but it’s just the nature of the wood in the tree.

EAB wood is much more brittle than standing dead. It’s almost like the tree doesn’t get a chance to rot, it just dries out and turns to dust. I did a lot of them from 2013-2015 on a long-term site restoration project. Having big excavators and a high lift helped a lot, but they still were brittle, and for me with let’s call them… Generous sized faces, barberchair wasn’t a problem, but breaking off the hinge early was.

Is there another equivalent type of course that you (or others) prefer?

I second Professional Timber Falling by Douglas Dent. It’s by far the best book on the subject. It covers a more broad array of subjects and does a better job of the principles behind falling trees than it does giving hard methods on how to tackle problems. There is no one size fits all solution to falling trees. Trying to fit them into one method will cause problems, including up to death of yourself or others.

Worksafe BC has a wonderful video series. I also recommend Northmanlogging’s two videos on falling trees. The first part, especially, should be thought provoking.

Roy Hauser teaches a class called The Art of Felling Timber. He’s also written a book by the same name. Roy has a lot of experience in a god awful lot of conditions from slashing green brush to giant fire damaged trees and standing dead. It’s worth noting that both the book and class are to be used with the expectation that you can tip a tree over safely already. It’s more so the refinement of what you do already or alternative methods for falling trees, or overcoming hazards.

 

[GrizG]

Ok
now tell me, how many folks proceed past level 1
As I have said multiple times, its not necessarily a bad course, its just teaches one way to solve problems, the inherent issue is that it breeds the idea that THIS IS THE ONLY WAY, which can and will get somebody killed.

I cannot speak of all trainers but the one I had made it very clear that GOL1 was the first course in the program and it was primarily focused on safety and a technique to develop familiarity with how to assess hazards and lean, dynamics of how the saw will react at various points on the bar, how to hold the saw, how to gun, how to bore cut, how to wedge, etc. That is, the basics. He encouraged folks to fell some trees for practice and take additional courses. I trained with him and hosted a GOL1 where I observed him and the students. In both roles I heard him talk about GOL1 as a starting point... nobody should have walked away thinking it was the only way. I'm not sure where you got the impression that it does.

I recently received the latest course list for New York Logger Training and they have, amongst others, GOL1, GOL2, GOL3 and GOL Storm tree courses coming up in the next couple months. From my perspective, neither the trainer, the GOL program, nor the Logger Certification program imply that there is only one way to fell a tree...

 

[northmanlogging]

I cannot speak of all trainers but the one I had made it very clear that GOL1 was the first course in the program and it was primarily focused on safety and a technique to develop familiarity with how to assess hazards and lean, dynamics of how the saw will react at various points on the bar, how to hold the saw, how to gun, how to bore cut, how to wedge, etc. That is, the basics. He encouraged folks to fell some trees for practice and take additional courses. I trained with him and hosted a GOL1 where I observed him and the students. In both roles I heard him talk about GOL1 as a starting point... nobody should have walked away thinking it was the only way. I'm not sure where you got the impression that it does.

I recently received the latest course list for New York Logger Training and they have, amongst others, GOL1, GOL2, GOL3 and GOL Storm tree courses coming up in the next couple months. From my perspective, neither the trainer, the GOL program, nor the Logger Certification program imply that there is only one way to fell a tree...

Ya ever work with some college educated *******, that has never had any real life experience? Yet they have that education and that piece of paper that says "i'm the expert here"

No?

Thats what 90% of people that have taken a GOL course act like, they already know everything, because they paid some doode to tell them what they need to know.

Its not just GOL its every facet of bought education, its not the course itself, ITS THE ******* IDIOTS WHO PAY FOR THE COURSE that are the problem. the course does not give someone common sense, or the ability to think for themselves, Which I will reiterate, is my main concern with GOL or any sort of semi professional "hobby" training, not necessarily the curriculum, but how that curriculum is used in the world. (though in GOL's case they have a very narrow time frame, which leads to a very narrow set of skills taught, timber falling isn't something you just pick up in a few weekends with 12 other people in between snack breaks and bragging about how much you spent on your chaps)

If you can't understand this simple fact of human nature... you might be the problem.

 

[JimR]

JimR - It's not a blight, it's Emerald Ash Borer, look for D shaped exit holes and bark falling off in large chips.

​

I already had the trees looked at by a professional arborist. I don't have EAB in my trees as of yet. We also peeled the bark off a few looking for evidence of EAB and there is none. There are no D holes in the bark.

 

[kdjacob2000]

So it seems from the responses so far that ash has a propensity to barber chair. That's helpful.

Let me pose a question to the community:

Consider an straight-up 20" DBH ash. Is there a recommended felling technique anyone can offer that minimizes the chances of barber chairing on its way down?

(I'm deliberately excluding leaners, rot, etc. to see if there's any consensus on chair-minimizing felling technique.)

Thanks!

 

[woodfarmer]

First thing is to search the thread “safe falling of rotten ash” in the arborist section I believe, most of this has been covered.
I have felled hundreds of dead Ash over the last 5 years and only one has barber chaired on me and I was expecting it to anyway from the circumstance.
Heed Northman’s advice, he tells it like it is. I’ve been in the Bush for 40 years, never taken courses just learned from past down advice from the generations before me.
My first cut is at 45* and then a 90* bottom cut at least 1/3 of the diameter into the tree. Then a felling cut about an inch or two higher than the face cut, on the throttle and don’t stop until the tree is headed over. I also have been using the bore cut more in the last two years as these trees are now all dead standing and getting more dangerous every year.

 

[catbuster]

So it seems from the responses so far that ash has a propensity to barber chair. That's helpful.

Let me pose a question to the community:

Consider an straight-up 20" DBH ash. Is there a recommended felling technique anyone can offer that minimizes the chances of barber chairing on its way down?

(I'm deliberately excluding leaners, rot, etc. to see if there's any consensus on chair-minimizing felling technique.)

Thanks!

1. Open up a big face. Like ~50% DBH. I’m thinking a Humboldt with a big scarf (well over 45 degrees from horizontal) to allow more travel before the hinge breaks.

2. Coos Bay back cut, the faster the better.

 

[hkstwn7]

Rope or heavy straps are definitely your friend, hopefully attached to a backhoe
And, no climbing on these killer trees
I had one 48 inches at base, it exploded when it hit the ground

 

[woodfarmer]

You can see here, I bored this one and the 24” bar didn’t go all the way through. I usually nip the corners too to prevent pulling. You’ll also see I cut in a bar width or more on the far side as I was pulling the tree to the right and it fell were it was aimed.

 

[Oletrapper]

One of the many barberchairs.
View attachment 975884
One of the self splits over 10' up.
Many trees fall in weird ways as they split off in directions other than lean!
View attachment 975885

Those be ugly right there now. lol Can get ya killed it can. jmho OT

 

[Oletrapper]

You can see here, I bored this one and the 24” bar didn’t go all the way through. I usually nip the corners too to prevent pulling. You’ll also see I cut in a bar width or more on the far side as I was pulling the tree to the right and it fell were it was aimed.View attachment 976139

Way to close to the ground for me. My back couldn't take that. Especially if it didn't go as thought or planned. I definitely wouldn't be able to move fast enough. Just saying. OT

 

[Jed1124]

I already had the trees looked at by a professional arborist. I don't have EAB in my trees as of yet. We also peeled the bark off a few looking for evidence of EAB and there is none. There are no D holes in the bark.

Where are you located in Mass?

 

[osteoart]

Welcome aboard and happy to see that you made it away from that tree unscathed.

Ditto. Your first photo looks to me like typical EAB killed ash and typical of how they fall. Rotted way up the stump. Now were you really under that tree when it fell?

 

[GrizG]

Ya ever work with some college educated *******, that has never had any real life experience? Yet they have that education and that piece of paper that says "i'm the expert here"

No?

Thats what 90% of people that have taken a GOL course act like, they already know everything, because they paid some doode to tell them what they need to know.

Its not just GOL its every facet of bought education, its not the course itself, ITS THE ******* IDIOTS WHO PAY FOR THE COURSE that are the problem. the course does not give someone common sense, or the ability to think for themselves, Which I will reiterate, is my main concern with GOL or any sort of semi professional "hobby" training, not necessarily the curriculum, but how that curriculum is used in the world. (though in GOL's case they have a very narrow time frame, which leads to a very narrow set of skills taught, timber falling isn't something you just pick up in a few weekends with 12 other people in between snack breaks and bragging about how much you spent on your chaps)

If you can't understand this simple fact of human nature... you might be the problem.

I'm well aware of the education effect... I've worked and associated with people with education and training ranging high school drop outs to those with multiple doctorates. I've also taught at colleges and mentored young people in the workplace. It is safe to say that those who took GOL 1 are much less likely to be maimed or killed, or injure someone else, than those who have had no formal training. This as they are aware of hazards, saw dynamics, lean, gunning, escape routes, etc. as well as how to fell a tree using at least one proven technique. On the other hand, not all those who learned through "real world" experience had good experience. In many cases when someone claims to have 30 years experience with a chainsaw the reality is that it's 2 hours of experience 6,000 times...

I knew many of the people in the GOL 1 class I hosted and some had been running saws for 20-40 years. One kid from a land trust had about an hour of saw tutelage from me. That kid was like a sponge and was the only one with a perfect stump, and he had no bad habits! He used my gear and was the only one with a sharp saw when the class started... Since then he has acquired a saw, PPE, etc. and has done cutting for the land trust. When he was unsure about how to handle a tree he'd call me and I'd go help him develop a cutting plan. I trust that kid.

Regarding the real world guys. I work with another land trust to keep 22 miles of a rail trail through a wooded environment clear of hazards and fallen trees. Last year I responded to a call about trees down. When I arrived and assessed the situation I found that a large walnut, it's stump on ground about 15 feet higher than the trail, had uprooted and taken down 6 other trees with it. I called the Coordinator of Land Stewardship requesting assistance with keeping trail users away and removing cut debris. She called in a volunteer the Executive Director had called upon previously. Both the coordinator and volunteer responded to the site.

The trees had heavily loaded trunks and branches along with spring poles and there were broken off trees. All of it coming from ground above the trail. I started removing the brush while waiting for them to arrive so I could form a plan on how to cut the loaded trunks. When the other guy showed up with a saw I requested that he not cut while I was cutting. This as it was too dangerous to have two guys cutting on the same loaded mess as things were moving around. I finished removing the brush and most of the heavy branches leaving only the heavily loaded trunks. At that point I took a water break and prepared to switch over to my MS461 from the MS261. The other guy, with his 30+ years of experience, jumped in with his mid-sized Husky.

The coordinator's spouse is a certified arborist who works for one of the bigger and more professional tree services in the area. He often goes out and assesses and bids jobs and he climbs and runs a saw too. As such, the coordinator is very familiar with tree work as she's been around it for 20+ years. The volunteer scared the crap out of us... he clearly had no understanding of compression and tension and dealing with loaded trees. The first 20 or so cuts he made resulted in the trunks splitting due to the stresses on the trunk. He came to the site on a compact tractor and after cutting used it's plow to push debris off the trail. After watching him cut I immediately removed all my gear from the area when he got on the tractor as I didn't trust him... sure as hell he ran over his own saw. The coordinator advised the Executive Director that they should not allow that guy to do any chainsaw work as he was dangerous... 30+ years of experience be damned!

Taking in the big picture GOL 1 training is valuable for all who take it and it pleases the insurance companies. In my opinion focusing on just the felling technique used to convey the information is too narrow a focus.