Rethinking my training plans

[rwoods]

I have been saving a small dying hickory to begin teaching my s-i-l how to fall trees; slight lean in the right direction and no significant overhead limbs to worry you while backcutting. I have two fresher and bigger ones nearby and in mind for the next lessons. Long story short, training delayed since late 2011. While mowing today trying to beat an approaching storm, I watched as a gust of high winds swept through - they snapped that hickory off faster than you could blink your eye. Only a few minutes before I had been within range. Anyway, I haven't decided yet whether or not I'll let s-i-l cut the snag. As to the other two and while I wouldn't intentionally train him during any real wind, you just never know about a sudden gust. I may just fall the training trees myself and find new ones that are fully alive. Ron

Training tree:

Trees 2 & 3 to immediate left. (all vicitims of bark beetles):

Ron

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[lone wolf]

Live pine trees are for learning on not dead trees.

 

[ponyexpress976]

Live pine trees are for learning on not dead trees.

+1 for sure

 

[rwoods]

Thanks for pointing this out, but I had no intention of using a dead tree. That was the point I was trying to make- a dying tree can be a hazardous trap. Ron

 

[ponyexpress976]

The only tree that I have ever seen make just about every experienced faller get at least a little nervous is a dead one. Kudos for being willing to pass on what you know.

 

[rwoods]

I have more than a few standing deads under my belt - much larger ones - typically all I used to cut but as I have stated in other threads I don't fall dead trees with overhanging limbs any more. Life's too short. I'm too old. Hardhats aren't hard enough. And I'm too slow. I still cut a lot of dying trees and this little one is just a reminder not to delay. Ron

 

[zogger]

I have more than a few standing deads under my belt - much larger ones - typically all I used to cut but as I have stated in other threads I don't fall dead trees with overhanging limbs any more. Life's too short. I'm too old. Hardhats aren't hard enough. And I'm too slow. I still cut a lot of dying trees and this little one is just a reminder not to delay. Ron

I am convinced gravity gets faster the older you get...

 

[rwoods]

Since the first tree only began to show its distress late last summer and deteriorated so quickly, I decided I should take my own advice and not delay cutting the other two. During a break in the rain, I put all three down. Not without error though. I broke rule one - don't get in a hurry. In my hurry, I didn't open the face enough on the last tree. I started to correct it but reminding myself that I wanted to post a picture I didn't - thinking multiple cuts are going to make me look bad. So it closed before the tree top cleared the surrounding tops causing a hang that required me to go back in and thin the hinge a little more to complete the fall. I tell on myself for my benefit as much as for anyone else - it helps drill home to me that despite many years of cutting I have a lot more to learn and a little pride can sure mess things up. Seems they were good training trees after all, or should I say re-training trees, - for me. Ron

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I left the high stump so folks could see it and not turn into it as they cut the corner of the driveway. I'll flush cut them another day. I've a mess to clean up first.

 

[Gologit]

I started to correct it but reminding myself that I wanted to post a picture I didn't - thinking multiple cuts are going to make me look bad.

So? The only guys who haven't made bad cuts are the guys who haven't been sawing long enough. Either that or they can't tell the difference between good and bad...and don't care to learn.

Screw pride...just get it on the ground safely.

I've made cuts so bad they could have been used as training videos for what not to do. I've left stumps that were so ugly I usually told people, if they were brave enough to ask, that they were gnawed on by beavers.:msp_wink:

You have the right attitude about cutting and the base knowledge to know what you did wrong. You'll do fine.

And...if you do get an ugly one? Post some pictures. That way we'll have something to pick on you about.

 

[rwoods]

Gologit, I say to myself when are you going to grow up - you don't have to post a picture, just fix the cut - but I didn't. Think how dangerous I would be if I shot videos of myself with a chainsaw. Thirty plus years ago when I got hurt with a bowsaw, I was showing off. And the time the tree I cut fell in the exact opposite direction I had intended, I was showing off my ??? superior skills??? to another weekend cutter. I don't have any pictures except in my mind as I look back and recount all the stupid stuff I have done and survived only by the grace of God.

As you know I am not a logger but I have been around logging long enough to know of two close to home logging deaths - one on family property - and multiple injuries. A few years back I did some work for the wife of a man, neighbor to my in-laws, who later died after 20 years of so in a semi-coma after a blow to the head from a barber chair of the back yard tree he was cutting. All this makes me feel for the other non-pros running around with a chainsaw - maybe one of my posts can help save someone from injury.

Ron

ps If you stare real hard you can see that I did pull a little fiber on that last stump. :msp_w00t: That about all the kidding I can take. :msp_wink:

 

[Patrick62]

We all are guilty

Even when you know better, you get hurried, or get sloppy, or careless... I've made stumps that were pretty disgusting as well. Back cuts that angle to below! the face :eek2: are my favorite screw up.
Make sure the escape is clear, watch what is going on.

When all is said and done, read the stump and the stick. They will tell you what happened and why.

 

[rwoods]

Well, while we are confessing - among other faults, my backcuts tend to parallel the ground instead of being level - good thing I don't cut on really steep ground too often. Ron

 

[Morgan in AR]

You never know when they will let go. My dad was killed by a hanger and a sudden gust of wind.

 

[rwoods]

Sorry for the loss of your dad. Thanks for sharing it. Hung up trees, though challenging, can be extremely dangerous - better to have put it on the ground the first time no matter how ugly. However, even with proper attention and keeping things within our experience and skill set, hang-ups and other bad things can still happen.

Not paying attention and/or working outside our competency almost guarantees that bad things happen.

The last tree I cut was a little over 70 feet high. If it had broken as the first tree, it could have easily folded back instead of pushing through the hangup. I know I will begin cutting declining trees sooner rather than later after observing how quickly the first and last trees went from being sound trees in decline to potental diasters waiting to happen.

Ron

 

[Gologit]

..... I will begin cutting declining trees sooner rather than later after observing how quickly the first and last trees went from being sound trees in decline to potental diasters waiting to happen.

Ron

Good plan.