How would you cut this tree?

[VTWoodchuck]

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Gnarly old maple.
Good news is that dropping it where its leaning will be fine.
I've cut my share of wood but never a "culvert".
Normal face cut? Bore cut it back to a holding strap? Wrap a chain around it to keep it together? I have several of these on my property and want to cut em down before they rot too much to be good firewood.
Thank you for any advise/pointers.

Heres another good one.
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[darkbyrd]

View attachment 267719
View attachment 267720

Gnarly old maple.
Good news is that dropping it where its leaning will be fine.
I've cut my share of wood but never a "culvert".
Normal face cut? Bore cut it back to a holding strap? Wrap a chain around it to keep it together? I have several of these on my property and want to cut em down before they rot too much to be good firewood.
Thank you for any advise/pointers.

Heres another good one.
View attachment 267721

:msp_scared:

Uh... If it was me, I'd let the next ice storm do it!

 

[VTWoodchuck]

We don't get many ice storms, mostly lots of snow.
The wood is still pretty solid, just hollow.

 

[morewood]

I don't know all the terminology, but boring a tree that has a center of rot I don't think would be very effective. If it's leaning toward the open side cut it from the back side and go quickly. Just doesn't seem to be a lot of holding material there. Maybe the ice storm would be the best idea:msp_wink: Good luck, firewood is firewood no matter how it looks.

Shea

PS-I will say this, I don't trust the chain/strap method to hold it at that crucial moment.

 

[beerbelly]

Discretion is the better part of valor. I am no arborist. Personally I like the ice, wind, apocalypse (12/21/12...it's coming!!!) scenarios the best. And when I wake up on 12/22 and find we are all still here, I would call the tree company to have it dropped for me. Chip up the really small crud, and keep the rest. I am a wuss, but I am alive!

 

[gulity1]

#1 if you have to come to internet form and say "what do you think" which translated is "hold my beer and watch this" Maybe this aint for you. There aint no way I would try to do that job The pictures I looked at all have signifnate (sp) amount of rot in them making them very dangerous. I am not knocking your skillset I dont know you but it looks very shakey to going bad very quick. Also think about your kids when you do this cause if it goes wrong they are ones' that are going to find you. Food for thought. I am all for free heat love splitting wood all of that You got to be safe, your the only one that can do that for you.

#2 maybe start to notch them on a day thats it is going to be real windy then take moma and the kids out for something movie, dinner etc. let mother nature finish it up? I know not the best idea but you will know when your out of your comfort zone and the tree is kinda close maybe?

#3 One last point I would not let my son play under in or aorund them trees. The reason being that if the heart is rotten usally the rot countues up farther into the tree maybe near the crothches, spurs, you dont know it would be a terriable way to find out. I am just saying

Rant over, dont take of this the wrong way I am only speaking for what I see in those pictures. Think long and hard before you act cause once its on its way its all over up the crying

 

[redoakneck]

Dangerous trees my man, if you have a bunch of those you may want to get a bucket truck or hire an expert. I have cut a few like those and they can collapse on top of you if they are rotten enough. That hollow spot may be a good place for a stick of dynamite???? Be careful, stay safe. You want those kids to keep their Dad!!!!!

 

[CTYank]

I'd seriously consider girdling it, and letting it die and dry (some) on the stump. To speed up nature taking its course. Provided the kids will NEVER play around there while it's standing.

(Yeah, right, they'd be climbing it soon as you're out of sight.)

Heavy leaner, no heartwood -> widowmaker.

 

[VTWoodchuck]

Sheesh guys. I have a plan but was looking for any additional tips. I appreciate your concern for my health! Its not like they are going to just up and explode. I feel confident in dropping em, just seeking any 'been there done that' experience.
Maybe my sense of danger is broken.

 

[c5rulz]

I agree with the advice above. It is way beyond my skill set.

I have a very old rotten oak similiar to that on the farm I cut. I will have it taken by a buddy who is a class C faller for the NFS and works fires. There is another very large red oak that has tipped and is caught in another oak that should come down to and we will get these at the same time.

Discretion is the better part of valor.:msp_smile:

 

[spidermonkey17]

Is the tree dead or on the way out? Did it have leaves on it this spring? Just asking kinda hard looking at the pictures and would determine if I would climb it or tie in to another tree or decline the climb and go for the bucket truck. Just my .02$ but I would let my daughter in there to take a picture, seen a whole lot better and healthier trees fail you never know what a tree is going to do you can have all the information and knowledge of the tree specie and be confident in the scope of arbor culture and things go wrong you just want to take everything in to account and minamize those accidents to zero.

With that being said and it's already Been said if you come to a Internet bb and ask how to take a ugly dying tree down you need to call a local reputable experienced tree company/arborist not some jack leg in a pickup and last nights beer on his breath and pay the experienced company to drop it for you. The price is a whole less then your kids growing up without you IMHO.

 

[c5rulz]

Sheesh guys. I have a plan but was looking for any additional tips. I appreciate your concern for my health! Its not like they are going to just up and explode. I feel confident in dropping em, just seeking any 'been there done that' experience.
Maybe my sense of danger is broken.

OK, if you want a tip when you cut it. Make sure you are looking up when you start the felling cut.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

Sheesh guys. I have a plan but was looking for any additional tips. I appreciate your concern for my health! Its not like they are going to just up and explode. I feel confident in dropping em, just seeking any 'been there done that' experience.
Maybe my sense of danger is broken.

My approach would be to assess the decay -- get a Pulaski (or just a shovel) and scrape out all the punky wood; it isn't what is holding up the tree. Find the thickest area of sound wood and put your hinge there (maybe -- haven't seen the tree up close). The reaction wood, or "ram's horns" around the long trunk opening are actually stronger than the original wood was when sound, so don't let the small diameter of the curl fool you; it is likely much stronger than the remaining "normal" part of the trunk.

You might also want to strap the tree with a few strong ropes or tie-downs to reduce risk that it will split apart while you are felling it. You also are going to have to fell it with the lean (again, likely, but I haven't seen it). Finally, you should have a spotter that is watching the trunk as well as the crown, and can jerk on your belt (or a lanyard) to warn you to get away (on your pre-planned escape route).

Even doing all this, risk is only reduced, not eliminated. The safest thing would be to leave the tree for the bats and squirrels to live in until it falls. Big, old, hollow and live trees are actually extremely important habitat to have in your woods., because they are traditionally targeted for firewood or timber stand improvement. If you want the wildlife, you would be better off cutting sound tees that are growing too closely together or dead trees.

 

[Whitespider]

No matter what your plan is... I'd say there's about a 90%+ chance of a "barber-chair" event in the making (I had to learn that lesson twice before I smartened-up). Make sure your life insurance is paid up and your loved-ones are somewhere on the other side of the county. The true measure of maturity is knowing when to walk away.

How's that for advice?

 

[trophyhunter]

If you have a bunch of those on your property it might be worth the hassle of obtaining the licensing and building a storage magazine to comply with the requirements for explosives.

Small bore holes and charge in holding wood on both sides and they come right down, I wouldn't bury a bar in those for any amount of money.

 

[VTWoodchuck]

Thank you all for your input and advise.

A couple points I'd like to clear up-
-I did not " come to an internet forum asking how" to do this. I should have been more clear. I was looking for anyone who had dropped a tree in this condition and how it went for them. I almost cut the one in the first picture yesterday but ran outa daylight.
- the tree is pretty solid, not punky. yes you can see punkyness inside but I've beat on em with my axe and they're pretty solid
- the trees do have leaves in summer
-screw the bats and squirrles, they don't heat my house:msp_wink: serioulsy though, I live in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hundreds or thousands of woodland
-the tree with my daughters in I probably won't try, it was just an example. Most aren't that bad which is why I want to get em down before they get so far gone.
-I'm always looking up when cutting:msp_thumbup:

My thought is that I fully expect that dropping that tree will have issues. I plan for the worst case scenario. I've had trees barber chair but watched them from a distance as I saw it start. Has anyone had one barber chair in half a second?
I was going to use a 5000lb rachet strap around it in case things go south, that will at least slow the proccess not stop it.

I will think on my plan some more.

 

[EXCALIBER]

I wouldn't be too afraid to knock them down, if they were close to the house and the kids were going to be playing in that area. If not I do like the idea of leaving them for our furry friends to have a nice house as long as it lasts. There will not be hardly any firewood in a hollow tree. If you are going to drop the tree I would first tie a pull line to the tree and have someone ready to give it a yank. Then start with small relief cuts (small wedges) in the direction you want to fall it, then cut some from the back. Listen to the tree while your doing this. Little at a time and then get out of the way, and let person in truck give it a pull. Repeat as necessary. Right or wrong that is how I would do it

 

[Gologit]

Has anyone had one barber chair in half a second?

Yes. More than once.

A tree like yours can also slab out or 'chair at an angle. Barber chairs don't always go straight back and when they come at you on an angle they're usually moving so fast that you can't get out of the way.

 

[VTWoodchuck]

Yes. More than once.

A tree like yours can also slab out or 'chair at an angle. Barber chairs don't always go straight back and when they come at you on an angle they're usually moving so fast that you can't get out of the way.

That would suck! Thanks for the heads up. Maybe this tree and those like it are not worth it. I HATE backing down from a problem/challenge though. I really feel like I could get it down. Going out later to eyeball it some more and mull it over.

 

[darkbyrd]

[video=youtube;2YAf61zz5VU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YAf61zz5VU[/video]

Once it chairs, who knows how it will fall. That is a big tree. Can you get out from under it?