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Stumps you're proud of, stumps you're not so proud of, post them up! We can learn a lot from them. Tell the story if you wish.

I'll start with one I'm proud of. This was a moderate/heavy leaner over power lines. I was really close to telling them to get someone with a bucket, but decided to fall it. Natural lay was directly into the power lines and the tips of the branches were over the 4 lines by about 5 or so feet. I set a line opposite the lean and tensioned up to take a bit of weight off of it. Because I had to fall it further than 90º to clear the lines I set a pull rope in it about 3/4 the way up. Set a block with a loopie on a sturdy tree and hooked the end to my truck. I had a window of about 30' to put the tree before it got into some trees we didn't want to bust up. Big area for a straight tree...looks really tiny with a big ol lean lol.

Made an open face cut to keep it on the stump as long as possible, made the back cut to a thick hinge, set a wedge, and nibbled while the driver kept steady pressure on it. She went down perfectly no drama.


sA2ytrE.jpg
Stumps you're proud of, stumps you're not so proud of, post them up! We can learn a lot from them. Tell the story if you wish.

I'll start with one I'm proud of. This was a moderate/heavy leaner over power lines. I was really close to telling them to get someone with a bucket, but decided to fall it. Natural lay was directly into the power lines and the tips of the branches were over the 4 lines by about 5 or so feet. I set a line opposite the lean and tensioned up to take a bit of weight off of it. Because I had to fall it further than 90º to clear the lines I set a pull rope in it about 3/4 the way up. Set a block with a loopie on a sturdy tree and hooked the end to my truck. I had a window of about 30' to put the tree before it got into some trees we didn't want to bust up. Big area for a straight tree...looks really tiny with a big ol lean lol.

Made an open face cut to keep it on the stump as long as possible, made the back cut to a thick hinge, set a wedge, and nibbled while the driver kept steady pressure on it. She went down perfectly no drama.


sA2ytrE.jpg
Big oak a couple years back, hung over house, wires, deck, fence. Rigged every bit down.
 

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Stumps you're proud of, stumps you're not so proud of, post them up! We can learn a lot from them. Tell the story if you wish.

I'll start with one I'm proud of. This was a moderate/heavy leaner over power lines. I was really close to telling them to get someone with a bucket, but decided to fall it. Natural lay was directly into the power lines and the tips of the branches were over the 4 lines by about 5 or so feet. I set a line opposite the lean and tensioned up to take a bit of weight off of it. Because I had to fall it further than 90º to clear the lines I set a pull rope in it about 3/4 the way up. Set a block with a loopie on a sturdy tree and hooked the end to my truck. I had a window of about 30' to put the tree before it got into some trees we didn't want to bust up. Big area for a straight tree...looks really tiny with a big ol lean lol.

Made an open face cut to keep it on the stump as long as possible, made the back cut to a thick hinge, set a wedge, and nibbled while the driver kept steady pressure on it. She went down perfectly no drama.


sA2ytrE.jpg
Catalpa we did this summer, son and daughter and of course the border collie in on the action, gorgeous wood after milling.
 

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Stumps you're proud of, stumps you're not so proud of, post them up! We can learn a lot from them. Tell the story if you wish.

I'll start with one I'm proud of. This was a moderate/heavy leaner over power lines. I was really close to telling them to get someone with a bucket, but decided to fall it. Natural lay was directly into the power lines and the tips of the branches were over the 4 lines by about 5 or so feet. I set a line opposite the lean and tensioned up to take a bit of weight off of it. Because I had to fall it further than 90º to clear the lines I set a pull rope in it about 3/4 the way up. Set a block with a loopie on a sturdy tree and hooked the end to my truck. I had a window of about 30' to put the tree before it got into some trees we didn't want to bust up. Big area for a straight tree...looks really tiny with a big ol lean lol.

Made an open face cut to keep it on the stump as long as possible, made the back cut to a thick hinge, set a wedge, and nibbled while the driver kept steady pressure on it. She went down perfectly no drama.


sA2ytrE.jpg
Another big catalpa, we did for a good friend. Woul not have done for anyone else. Touching primary power, I could feel a tingle while climbing and setting lines. He passed about 2 months later, B1A0DEEF-99B3-411E-A764-D14A98DA5D6D.jpegwhat a waste. Great guy. I’ll have to make something for him from the lumber.B1A0DEEF-99B3-411E-A764-D14A98DA5D6D.jpeg
 
Thanks SR. Much appreciated
Limb tied, limb bound, or a "logger suicide " tree is what we call the dead ones leaning on another.
A longtime ago I was in charge of dropping a premium white oak for milling on site in the mountains. The perfect tree had an 80" dead pine leaning against the top ofcourse. I had a friend of mine who was a professional arborist and timber faller with me . I told him I couldn't keep an eye on both trees so when I cut it and the pine moves tap me to move to escape.
This fellow was built like corded steel, he got nervous when the pine started going after I got the oak moving, when he grabbed my shoulder I went straight to the ground! He was so strong I think his fingers came together under my skin! Anyway he just took off with me and never broke pace.
 
I was always under the impression that a snag was a tree that was hung up in another tree? From what I'm reading it's just a tree that is rotten or compromised in spots? Is that correct? Thanks fellas
Cutters or Fallers (same thing) call a tree hung up in another a "Hanger".
Example "Will you give me some advice on this hanger I have in my strip"
Example "strong winds sheard a top (tree top) into another last night in my strip. Now I gotta hanger Im gonna deal with"

"Hung up" is typically when a standing tree or snag sits down on your saw bar while executing felling cuts. Thus trapping it in a bind usually the back cut, but it can sometimes happen during your gunning cut too. It normally dosent happen often at all during your under cut (Humboldt face).

Or if you bind up your bar while bucking or limbing

Example "Will you come cut me out? I'm hung up in a buck"

Just some terminology fir ya!👍😉 Hope this helps.


Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!
 
Hung up trees want to hurt you too.

Ron
Any tree! Live, dead, or hanging can possibly kill someone that disturbs it by cutting it down, or trying to cut it down!

90% of the time. The very most dangerous timber to cut has already been Fell by her herself Mother Nature. ☠️Wind Fall Patches!!!☠️ "Blow Down" Im not talking one or two or three. Im talking a grove of timber uprooted, crossed, twist loaded, spring loaded, and all tangled amongst one another tied in knots! Even the most experienced master level Cutters dare to cut Blow Down Patches. Fresh live Blow Down is typically more loaded than really old dead Blow Down. I emphasize "typically" and "really old"!

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!
 
Even though dead, 90% of the snags in this photo are STIHL pretty sound "FOR A SNAG!". Infact, some of them can STIHL be sawed into lumber, However, they are all dangerously compromised 👎 in one way or another if you know what you're looking at. Especially the ones that STIHL hold their tops!
IMG_20221209_144944536_HDR.jpg

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!
 
CLEAN off Your Stumps... Hobby farm stuff because inevitable they will "bite" you in the future if they are left long. :)

Ya I learned that the hard way. i was skidding out treetops from a log job yrs. ago. i was just married and cutting up tops and selling firewood. those skidders have more ground clearance than a 70hp tractor lol. I was pulling out last hitch of the night (borrowed a tractor and skidding winch from my dad) and I had to drive on a nice stump, well it was a bit wet, and tire slid off and the steps of the tractor got hung up on the stump, mind you this tractor was only 3wks old:eek:. so, I had to cut the stump without hitting the tire with chainsaw. so long story short I got out of the woods late and get down to the house and explain that I destroyed the steps for his tractor. He said I wondered why you were cutting after dark.

those tractor winches come in handy for skidding out logs.
 
Any tree! Live, dead, or hanging can possibly kill someone that disturbs it by cutting it down, or trying to cut it down!

90% of the time. The very most dangerous timber to cut has already been Fell by her herself Mother Nature. ☠️Wind Fall Patches!!!☠️ "Blow Down" Im not talking one or two or three. Im talking a grove of timber uprooted, crossed, twist loaded, spring loaded, and all tangled amongst one another tied in knots! Even the most experienced master level Cutters dare to cut Blow Down Patches. Fresh live Blow Down is typically more loaded than really old dead Blow Down. I emphasize "typically" and "really old"!

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!
Now try cutting it when covered with freezing rain!
 
While we are running the snag rabbit in a stump thread, let me add that a solo storm downed snag can be like finding gold.

I hadn't planned to cut today due to family duties, but thought I had enough time to go to the county firing range and skid out an old dead storm downed red oak - some firewood gold that I found a few Saturdays ago. My wife asked me to get her some small "logs" for some Christmas decoration while I was out so I took my 500i with me as it was the only saw with a sharp chain.

As planned, I pulled out a 35' long well seasoned butt section and then carried the remaining 14' section while pulling a fresher red oak top. I used my tractor as the trees were in a little draw that was flat enough for it.
IMG_7385.JPG

My wife's request required me to go up the hill. While fulfilling it, I noticed a dead ash so I put it on the ground, then another one appeared then another one, before I knew it I had cut a half dozen or so - several had 30' to 45' of good firewood stem. I will skid them with the crawler another day. Anyway, back to storm downed snags of gold - during all of the ash felling, I spotted a nice storm down red oak. It was 24" where I cut off the top leaving 55' to 60' of nice straight limb-less stem to my anticipated stump cut - a lot of firewood gold!

I left it on the stump as it is balanced on a rock ledge and shouldn't be sectioned due to the side slope. It is heavy enough to take any of my equipment with it so I will have to wait until the county gets the track tensioner repaired on the JD750 that they let me use. Hard to see in the picture, the rock ledge is about 6' tall where it just catches the top of the stem. The way the land lays with its ridges and draws, I can get within 75' with the JD750 and be on relatively flat ground.
IMG_7393.JPG

To return this thread to stump shots, below is the largest diameter stem that I have felled (it was 9 1/2 years ago so I don't remember the precise size but it was a little over 6' at the cut) - a storm damaged red oak snag.
IMG_2950.JPG
IMG_2955.JPGIMG_2958.JPG

Accidentally using my 036Pro as a chock.
IMG_2966.JPG

These last pictures are from 2012 - my most challenging storm snag and ugliest stump - also a red oak.
IMG_2748.JPGIMG_2750.JPGIMG_2752.JPGIMG_2753.JPG

To be continued.

Be safe,
Ron
 

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