Show us your stumps!

[Kodiak Kid]

Often you will see a rotten top shake from the shock wave going up the trunk that the wedge lift produces. The more the top wiggles and shakes. The more likely it is to buckle off and come down crashing through the limbs!

 

[Sierra_rider]

Often you will see a rotten top shake from the shock wave going up the trunk that the wedge lift produces. The more the top wiggles and shakes. The more likely it is to buckle off and come down crashing through the limbs!

Not just the tops, but the limbs peel out of these dead firs easily. Definitely the sorts of trees you bail from the stump as it starts to go.

They trick some people, as the stumps are still solid and will still pull some fibers. Meanwhile, they often have loose limbs and fractured tops.

 

[Fireman Bill]

I’m still cutting dead ash trees at my brother in laws. I have a second person watch the dead limbs and jerk a rope tied to my waist when a limb falls. I do my Best to get out of the way. A hard hat is a must. I hate these darn trees.

 

[Brufab]

Suggested reading:

Professional Timber Falling, Doug Dent
To Fell A Tree, Jeff Jepson
Fundamentals of Tree Work, Jerry Beranek

just say’in…

I have the jeff jepson book, I keep it with me anytime I go and cut. Lots of easy to understand and valuable knowledge

 

[Sierra_rider]

I have the jeff jepson book, I keep it with me anytime I go and cut. Lots of easy to understand and valuable knowledge

I have all of them, but I'm particularly a fan of Beranek's book. 1/2 the book is climbing stuff, but some good info...especially the nuances of different hinge thicknesses and face depths.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Not just the tops, but the limbs peel out of these dead firs easily. Definitely the sorts of trees you bail from the stump as it starts to go.

They trick some people, as the stumps are still solid and will still pull some fibers. Meanwhile, they often have loose limbs and fractured tops.

Most definitely! Any thing higher up that's dead, rotten or hanging can be death from above! I fell a four foot snag today 80' tall that was well into the deep stages of decomp! It was nerve racking to say the least. The whole upper half started to sway just from sitting forward ever so slightly during my top Humboldt cut. After I got the face completely out and started my back cut. It really started to dance. I was afraid it was going to close hard on the kerf of my back cut and buckle anywhere from the stump on up, so I quickly set two wedges with a firm push using only my hand. That steadied it just enough to let my continue my cut and get it to commit. Earned a few more gray hairs over that snag I'll tell ya! I'll get pictures of the stump tomorrow and post them.

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I’m still cutting dead ash trees at my brother in laws. I have a second person watch the dead limbs and jerk a rope tied to my waist when a limb falls. I do my Best to get out of the way. A hard hat is a must. I hate these darn trees.

Im sure you know this, but keep your head up as much as possible bud. "A hard hat is a must." Your darn right it is. IMOP. Anyone who falls or tries to fall a tree/snag with out a hard hat or safety helmet doesn't know the first thing about felling! Gotta be safe!

 

[Bill G]

Well you sure don't hear someone react to a generous pension like that very often. Sounds like an honest and genuine man.

He is truly a great man and you do not find many that has not asked for more rent over the years, The sad thing is once this great man passes I will lose the land I have rented the majority of my life. His kids will ""cash out" on the development craze or my cousin will buy it to hunt and fish on.

 

[Campbellcontractlogging]

Black wally

 

[singinwoodwackr]

That

Black wally

That's not a stump

 

[Campbellcontractlogging]

That

That's not a stump

U can see the stump gotta get every board foot you can outta one like that super low

 

[singinwoodwackr]

U can see the stump gotta get every board foot you can outta one like that super low

HVBW, lol

 

[Bill G]

U can see the stump gotta get every board foot you can outta one like that super low

Some will even use a shovel to dig down and get every inch possible

 

[Campbellcontractlogging]

Some will even use a shovel to dig down and get every inch possible

The walnut buyers in the past would want you to push the tree over and take the roots and all to make gun stocks

 

[Bill G]

The walnut buyers in the past would want you to push the tree over and take the roots and all to make gun stocks

Well if a guy was going to do that they better use a big excavator and dig it out. A dozer would destroy the prime wood. I do not know where you are but here a lot of the good walnut is growing in areas that are not accessible by excavators. In a few cases you cannot even get a cable skidder close enough. About 25 years ago I stopped by to visit with a couple guys at the end of the day. They were a two man operation and two good ole boys. It was the end of the day so they were a few beers in when the cutter said "oh by the way I went ahead and cut that Oak over in east gulley". The skidder driver said "you stupid son of a beech I told you I can't get that thing out of there" The cutter looks at him and in his slow drawl says "well ya gotta do er now don't cha" The other says"yep"

 

[weimedog]

 

[Campbellcontractlogging]

Well if a guy was going to do that they better use a big excavator and dig it out. A dozer would destroy the prime wood. I do not know where you are but here a lot of the good walnut is growing in areas that are not accessible by excavators. In a few cases you cannot even get a cable skidder close enough. About 25 years ago I stopped by to visit with a couple guys at the end of the day. They were a two man operation and two good ole boys. It was the end of the day so they were a few beers in when the cutter said "oh by the way I went ahead and cut that Oak over in east gulley". The skidder driver said "you stupid son of a beech I told you I can't get that thing out of there" The cutter looks at him and in his slow drawl says "well ya gotta do er now don't cha" The other says"yep"

648 grapple skidder you can dig at them roots and push them over but your right the good ones are in crazy spots

 

[rwoods]

Yesterday, I was asked to fall some hazard trees at our county shooting range in an area where they are building a sporting clay course. I left a large red oak that I deemed too hazardous to wedge.

Three larger ones from yesterday.

Red oak - will make some good firewood for the wood ministry.


Ash - this one will also make good firewood, but notice how it tore out before I got the trigger set even though it was sound enough to fall across a ravine and take out a small tree without busting. Never trust a dead ash no matter how sound it appears.


Another ash, I didn't have a place that provided a 45 degree rear exit so I notched the face for a little jump and I ditched the saw and ran upon committed movement. It busted all to pieces so no firewood, it will stay in the woods.


Today, I ran a line and cut the red oak that I left yesterday. I put a little tension on the line and lightly tapped in two wedges. When the wedges loosen a bit, I tapped them snug and then pulled the tree down with my truck. This one had about 25 feet of good firewood material in the lower stem. The rest looked to be too far gone; I don't really know for sure as it was closing time and I had to scat.


Same red oak - I took this picture as I was walking to the truck to get a magnet. The DSP valve vibrated out of my saw during the face cut. Found I had put my magnet in the wrong tool box which, of course, I had left at home. I finished cutting with an open port. Hard to beat those old MACs. I will have to come back another day to look for the valve.


Here are a couple pictures I took yesterday at the range of some stumps made by another back in the spring. Notice the first one where the tree fell 90 degrees from the intended fall. One of the guys involved was almost hit sometime during their venture. I was called in several days later to fall some larger partially cut trees that one of them left; all had a single sloping cut as these pictured.


Be safe,
Ron

 

[chipper1]

Yesterday, I was asked to fall some hazard trees at our county shooting range in an area where they are building a sporting clay course. I left a large red oak that I deemed too hazardous to wedge.

Three larger ones from yesterday.

Red oak - will make some good firewood for the wood ministry.
View attachment 1024764

Ash - this one will also make good firewood, but notice how it tore out before I got the trigger set even though it was sound enough to fall across a ravine and take out a small tree without busting. Never trust a dead ash no matter how sound it appears.
View attachment 1024765View attachment 1024766View attachment 1024767

Another ash, I didn't have a place that provided a 45 degree rear exit so I notched the face for a little jump and I ditched the saw and ran upon committed movement. It busted all to pieces so no firewood, it will stay in the woods.
View attachment 1024768

Today, I ran a line and cut the red oak that I left yesterday. I put a little tension on the line and lightly tapped in two wedges. When the wedges loosen a bit, I tapped them snug and then pulled the tree down with my truck. This one had about 25 feet of good firewood material in the lower stem. The rest looked to be too far gone; I don't really know for sure as it was closing time and I had to scat.
View attachment 1024769

Same red oak - I took this picture as I was walking to the truck to get a magnet. The DSP valve vibrated out of my saw during the face cut. Found I had put my magnet in the wrong tool box which, of course, I had left at home. I finished cutting with an open port. Hard to beat those old MACs. I will have to come back another day to look for the valve.
View attachment 1024770

Here are a couple pictures I took yesterday at the range of some stumps made by another back in the spring. Notice the first one where the tree fell 90 degrees from the intended fall. One of the guys involved was almost hit sometime during their venture. I was called in several days later to fall some larger partially cut trees that one of them left; all had a single sloping cut as these pictured.
View attachment 1024771View attachment 1024772View attachment 1024773

Be safe,
Ron

Looks like they needed a bit more angle on those last ones .

 

[chipper1]

Dropped this huge set today after much deliberation...
Grandma is pleased it's down, need to remove the blue spruce to the right next, and climb for a few limbs in the large cottonwood near the barn.