Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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Yes and no. The tree can flex and bounce off the stump when loading up with spring into another tree or it may not all depending on size of both trees, angles at collision, and distance between fall tree and standing tree. A lot of variables involved. A higher back cut isn't 100% insurance against the tree 🎄 shooting back, but it often dose prevent it! It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.👍

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!View attachment 994239
I started to draw some pics and take pics of them to post. When you've been around felling a long time you learn some cool tricks. But, I wouldn't want to encourage people who have never done it to try it in their yard tomorrow. Most of our work was in the high end neighborhoods of Potomac, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, around DC. There were homes that had Azealia beds 100 years old. Azealia's 10-12 feet high, and just as wide, grown right up against the base of a big old Oak. You had several choices, bring in a big crane if you could get it close, dig the Azealia up till the log was gone, or just smash it and tell the home owner there was no other way. We would have our climber come down till he was just a little above the Azealia, make a wide conventional notch. Put a baseball bat sized limb across the notch, almost out to the bark. When the log came over and hit that limb it would jump out, over the flower bed and land flat on the ground. It would not nose dive and make a big divot. It would compress the ground, but we new how to fix that with out sod or seed.
 
Most definitely! If your going to take chances in urban areas? You better dang well know what you doing!!👍 I would never try and swing even a slight leaner over a building or any other urban structure. I have however lifted trees leaning heavy over houses with jacks assisted with wedges and even just wedges. I've had over a dozen wedges in four foot trees leaning towards houses before. With three or four different stacks across the back cut assisted with bigger singles and lifted the tree over just fine. Of course I would do a few bore tests first. Making sure the base was solid and sound! Then I'd beat my guts out 😓 and make sure to leave a big hinge holding until the tree commits! 👍

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!
 
After we took down an Oak, about 20"s and 80 feet tall, leaning slightly over the front of a house, right next to the side walk, this old, old, old gardener came up and pointed at the stump on the other side of the walk. He said he took the other Oak down, they were twins. But, he scared the homeowners so bad they wouldn't let him take the other one down. He said he started a foot off the ground, cut in till the bar just started to pinch. drove a wedge in and pulled the saw out, Every foot he cut in till it almost pinched and kept going till he shifted the weight from over the house, to over the front yard. The part that scared me was he said when it started to shift weight over the front, he had no way to get off the ladder and had to jump. I've heard of guys doing that under more controlled conditions, but I was never tempted to try it.
 
After we took down an Oak, about 20"s and 80 feet tall, leaning slightly over the front of a house, right next to the side walk, this old, old, old gardener came up and pointed at the stump on the other side of the walk. He said he took the other Oak down, they were twins. But, he scared the homeowners so bad they wouldn't let him take the other one down. He said he started a foot off the ground, cut in till the bar just started to pinch. drove a wedge in and pulled the saw out, Every foot he cut in till it almost pinched and kept going till he shifted the weight from over the house, to over the front yard. The part that scared me was he said when it started to shift weight over the front, he had no way to get off the ladder and had to jump. I've heard of guys doing that under more controlled conditions, but I was never tempted to try it.
No! Not I! Working off a ladder is just asking for it! Plain and simple!

Cut safe, stay sharp, be aware! And never do tree work off a dang ladder! 🤣
 
Decided to split this maple log to make a shave horse out of it. Also scrounged the rest for next years firewood. View attachment 994253View attachment 994254
See, that's what happens when the price of steel goes up and you recycle all of your old wedges. I had to go out and spend $1300 bucks on a 660 and a couple different bars and an other hundred or so on a mill, just to crack a White Pine in half to make a table for my cabin.
NsEkudh.jpg

WwbNjzA.jpg
 
See, that's what happens when the price of steel goes up and you recycle all of your old wedges. I had to go out and spend $1300 bucks on a 660 and a couple different bars and an other hundred or so on a mill, just to crack a White Pine in half to make a table for my cabin.
NsEkudh.jpg

WwbNjzA.jpg
Did you do something wrong?? Lol
 
Old shipping pallets are ready to burn and most businesses give them away. I started out knocking on doors and asking about dead or down trees. I removed the wood as quickly and safely as possibly, and always treated the land better than I would my own. I pile all the brush, fill any ruts, and even rake the sawdust piles. Word of mouth has spread to the point that people stop by or call me to see if I'll clean up a tree for them. So far this year I've been asked to clean up a cedar and pine, 10 acres of hard maple tops, 300 4-20i" trees to thin a woods, 175 walnut tops,, a silver maple, 11 standing dead red elm, and just today another 32 oak & walnut tops plus any tree damaged by the loggers. I will need to put a couple of these jobs on hold until next fall, but most landowners understand.
It sounds like you have a fulltime job of this. I'm old but envious, enjjoying my tree cutting all the time.
 

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