Scary noob experience yesterday, please help

[Plasmech]

Yesterday I took down a tree with a friend. It was leaning 10 degrees maybe more to where we didn't want it to go. I decided to move the center of mass of the tree toward the intended felling field by cutting off a 6" branch about 1/2 way up the tree that was on the leaning side (wrong side). There was a crotch at this point where a 10" branch and a 6" branch split off and formed the remainder of the tree, the 6" was to be cut. I put my ladder up against the tree exactly 180 degrees away from the 6" branch, so the trunk was between me and the cut I would make. I did this for protection and boy am I glad I did. By the way the tree was a Maple. I tied the ladder in up top and tied myself in, so I could lean back and make the cut from around the tree.

I under-cut the 6" branch and began my top cut. 1/2 way into the top cut the branch split but did not fall. I stopped at this point thinking it was going to snap. It did not. I then cut about 1/2" more and the branch snapped. Disturbing thing was, it split first, sort of exploded, right in front of my face. Again, the tree protected me. Then on the way down, it smashed into the tree right at my knees. No injuries because the tree was there. I didn't all of this happen, but my friend did. He said it was an intense 1/2 second when that thing was grenading 12 inches away from me.

This situation obviously sucked, it was not right. What did I do wrong?

I know that ladders are bad news for one, but I don't have any climbing gear.

I'm probably going to get a lot of replies about how I should read a book, what is the name of that book again? Thanks!

 

[toddstreeservic]

What did you do wrong? You didn't hire a professional. This kind of work is the kind where a "learning experience" could kill you!

Books are good but learning hands on with a professional teacher is better.

There are some good courses out there find one and spend the time and $ to attend. The life you save may be your own!

One thing that you did right was thinking through the what if the sawdust hits the fan am I protected.

How were you tied in to the tree? Wirecore lanyard? Harness?

Glad you dodged the bullet, spin the cylinder.

 

[Plasmech]

I was tied in with nylon webbing that I used in the past for rock climbing.

What's that one book that everyone reads, like the bible of tree climbing?

 

[treeslayer]

the sherrills tree catalog.


actually, buy these 2 books and read them repeatedly.

Mike, use a ladder to get in a tree, or tie a rope. never, ever cut from one regardless of tying it down and/or tying in.

learn to climb or leave it alone. please, you're trying to learn, give it time to sink in. you should be searching this site relentlessly, if you are going to be teaching yourself tree work. I've seen a lot of people hurt, and known people who have gotten killed.

THE LIFE YOU SAVE WILL BE YOUR OWN.:blob5:

 

[ropensaddle]

I was tied in with nylon webbing that I used in the past for rock climbing.

What's that one book that everyone reads, like the bible of tree climbing?

It is called work with a pro and learn books are for
helping accelerate learning this is not a do it yourself
business please don't be another statistic you seem
well on the way to become one!

 

[ozzy42]

Yeah plasmech,you answered your own question.

Ladders can be VERY bad news. I use them all the time ,but mostly to get in the crown ,then i use 2lanyards to get around branches untill i get to t.i.p.

Since it appears you are just starting out,have you looked for a climber for hire? Most ,if not all will have their own climbing saw ,and gear. And you only hire them to climb.Most will have a min. charge though.A good climber will make you money

Again ,try to stay away from cutting while on ladders all you can. Heck ,you'd be better off getting in tree and locking your legs around a branch, than standing on a ladder while using a saw.
Ido not condone this practice,just think it is better than sawing while on ladders

 

[toddstreeservic]

Lesson #3 -use the proper equipment. The gear we use is what it is for a reason. Don't make do with what you have laying around.

 

[treeslayer]

sell some tree work, I'll come up and climb for a week, and you'll learn a lot.

seriously. that's what I do, climb for others less fortunate.
PM me.

 

[Treetom]

Always tie in....

You did one thing right, thus avoiding the consequences of Popeye's Law of Physics: heavy objects, when falling, even short distances, damage/kill the falling object. It doesn't take a mechainical engineer to figure that one out. On a more serious note, you're in the right place for feedback on your mistake. Good luck. Welcome to the site.

 

[Brush Hog]

Also take some Arbormaster classes. I did and it made all the stuff I read(books/on-line) make sense.
Good luck and stay safe
Pete

 

[jomoco]

Why are you posting in the commercial treecare forum?

This has arbo 101 written all over it.

Hey man, beam me up scotty!

jomoco

 

[toddstreeservic]

lol more like homeowners help forum

 

[Plasmech]

sell some tree work, I'll come up and climb for a week, and you'll learn a lot.

seriously. that's what I do, climb for others less fortunate.
PM me.

That would be cool.

OK so if we break this down, let's temporarily ignore the fact that I was a complete idiot noob yesterday and could have gotten killed. Let's concentrate on one thing, the way that branch blew up on me. I undercut it and then did the primary cut. I actually can cut pretty accurately for a dumbass. Let's ASSUME nothing was wrong with the cut. How do we prevent the blow-out? Should I have cinched say for example a piece of kevlar webbing around the branch 6 inches above the cut to literally hold everything together and thus get a clean snap and a perfectly straight drop?

 

[toddstreeservic]

you should have treated it like a heavily head leaning hardwood. Because of gravity that is what it was. Luckily it is leaning the direction you want it to go. Like every discussion on here it will depend on your specific circumstances.

 

[Plasmech]

The tree itself was not leaning in the direction I wanted it to go. I had to ultimately hinge and wedge the tree opposite of its lean to take it down.

 

[Metals406]

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=81863&highlight=coos+bay

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=75768&highlight=heavy+limb

 

[sawinredneck]

Leaving all the other factors out, which ohers seem to want to cover. I think you made a couple of mistakes on the cut. I think you where trying to just make one cut, instead of making two safe cuts. I also don't think you undercut it enough. On a hardwood Maple you need to get in 1/3rd of the way.
What I mean by two cuts, is to make a notch, or a healthy undercut, AWAY from the trunk, then make the backcut. You can then come back to the trunk, make a small undercut and line up the backcut and have a nice clean cut on the stump. Not needed in this instance, but good for future work.

 

[Plasmech]

Leaving all the other factors out, which ohers seem to want to cover. I think you made a couple of mistakes on the cut. I think you where trying to just make one cut, instead of making two safe cuts. I also don't think you undercut it enough. On a hardwood Maple you need to get in 1/3rd of the way.
What I mean by two cuts, is to make a notch, or a healthy undercut, AWAY from the trunk, then make the backcut. You can then come back to the trunk, make a small undercut and line up the backcut and have a nice clean cut on the stump. Not needed in this instance, but good for future work.

Do you have a drawing of that? Thanks!

 

[sawinredneck]

No I don't, sorry, I'll do a search as it was just talked about not long ago.

Basicly make a notch four to six inches from the stump on the bottom of the branch, then come in from the top and make a backcut, just like felling a tree.

Once the weight is off it's easier to make a clean cut on the stump.

What you were doing all you had to do was the first part and leave the little nub on the tree.

 

[sawinredneck]

link