Dropping Standing Dead Stuff

[Cedar Row]

I cut a lot of standing-dead... always tricky. Most of it is elm, a few oak... and if it's leaning, it's normally not leaning in the direction I want it to fall. Because of too many mishaps and close calls I've gone to rigging every one on a dead-head pulley, even if I have to string over 100 foot of cable to do so. The cable doesn't need to be placed real high on the tree, 10-12 feet will usually suffice. I put goodly amount of tension on the cable (come-a-long, winch, vehicle, etc.) before I start cutting, and then add even more after the face cut; the idea is to get it moving early in the direction I want it to fall... and keep it moving in that direction. Sometimes, if I think it's needed, I'll add a recovery strap to the end of the cable for the "bungee cord" effect. I want a sharp chain to make a fast back cut... the faster the better. If it's a real tricky situation I'll get some help, hook the cable to my truck (if I can), so the "help" can keep the line "pulling" on the tree all the way to the ground... near always the tree will fall right on top of the dead-head.

Right or wrong, I'm not much for using PPE, but I do put on the hardhat when I'm working under a standing-dead... they have a tendency to drop widow-makers when they start moving.

I agree with rigging. I cut dead wood in a heavily wooded lot, and don't have a lot of room to drop a tree. Hangups are aggravating and can be dangerous. I have a 8000 lb winch on my pickup. I hook the pickup to a tree, and hook to the tree 10'-12' or more depending on the tree (I carry a ladder). Like you, I put pressure on the setup before cutting. Since I usually cut alone or with my wife I leave a hinge with the tree still standing, and pull it over with the winch, so it keeps moving as the winch pulls it and I'm not standing under falling branches. Sometimes I just do the fast back cut like you if the tree isn't too difficult. With someone else to run the winch, I just do the fast back cut. This method takes some time but it is quicker than trying to dislodge a tree hung up on another tree or two.

 

[haveawoody]

Cedar Row,

Dito for me on setup and cutting alone most of the time.
The crew just put a big X on what they want me to tackle and most times they have moved to the next job.

When you are working alone you get creative so leaving some meat on the hinge then winching it down is my standard on the dead.
Nice to be away from the scene when it comes down.

I always carry my cell though, so many things can happen cutting that i think it's a must have tool.
A simple trip on a log can leave you on the ground helpless, let alone the many nasty things that we all take time to avoid.

 

[H 2 H]

Here is the Alder I took today

This was about 40' tall

The center was hollow the first 8' of the tree

 

[ri chevy]

Wow. Is that cut the one you used to fall it? Or did you make a cut up higher?

 

[H 2 H]

Wow. Is that cut the one you used to fall it? Or did you make a cut up higher?

That's a buck-up piece

 

[ri chevy]

I figured that. Thanks.

 

[Denis Gionet]

Here is the Alder I took today

This was about 40' tall

The center was hollow the first 8' of the tree

Eeewww, that's pretty yucky. I guess there was only one direction it was gonna fall, without some serious convincing .... manage to get any direction to it, or it just went where it decided ?

 

[H 2 H]

You know wish way it went I wasn't going to do anything special with these but get them on the ground

I talked to my Uncle about this group of trees before I started a few weeks back and he said if you find one there would be a bunch of them; this land I'm cutting on is and old dairy farm and there is something with cow **** that makes this the norm around here

 

[Cedar Row]

Cedar Row,

Dito for me on setup and cutting alone most of the time.
The crew just put a big X on what they want me to tackle and most times they have moved to the next job.

When you are working alone you get creative so leaving some meat on the hinge then winching it down is my standard on the dead.
Nice to be away from the scene when it comes down.

I always carry my cell though, so many things can happen cutting that i think it's a must have tool.
A simple trip on a log can leave you on the ground helpless, let alone the many nasty things that we all take time to avoid.

Working alone does make you become creative. I am a carpenter-cabinetmaker and I work alone. It takes quite a bit of creativity to do the many things that are usually done with help from another worker.