keith c raymond
ArboristSite Operative
Ive found plastic wedges are the best.Also use them for bucking big stuff on the ground I always Keep two around and ues the long ones cause the tend to get shorter around me for some reason.
Wedges Who Uses them and whats your technique
- Thread starter stevenb
- Start date
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Use as many wedges as you need. I cut a 64in DBH fir a fue months ago that took about 12 wedges! Plan the first one out though. say you are cutting a small 15 inch tree with a fairly strong lean. there might not be enough back cut to bump it in enough to do the job. In such a situation you might need to doble up which is a pain in the ass, or side wedge, Placing a wedge parallel with the hinge. This method will lift the back cut 2 or 3 inches opposed to 1 with a perpendicular wedge. Make sure you have a strong hinge though!
fishhuntcutwood
Full wraps and long bars!!!!!!!!!
I'll second that about making sure you've got a secure hinge, and to caution doing that in cedar, or other soft wood, as you can litterally pull your hinge apart with a wedge, and then you've got issues. Another thing to remember is that wedges come in different lengths for a reason. A shorter 5" wedge is a more aggressive wedge, in that it wedges the same inch or so that the 10" does, but in half the horizontal distance. Shorter wedges work obviously for smaller trees, but can also work well when you need to move a large tree, and don't have much room to do it in. Bigger ain't always better. A shorter wedge can often be driven all the way and not hit the hinge, where a larger wedge would, and you'd lose alot of it's effectiveness.
Jeff
Jeff
Long wedges (thin taper)are called falling wedges. Short wedges(thick taper) are called bucking wedges. Always use the falling wedges to fall with unless its a little tree (then its o.k. to use one bucking wedge), unless the tree has an obvious lean towards where you want it to go. When you pull trees with a rope. it is good to use wedges to help and as a backup if the rope breaks or you have other problems. Fallers have to wedge all but obvious leaners that are to be felled in the direction of the lean by compensation board rules here. I always take at least three wedges with me, you have to have three if you want to stack them, two are useless, because you need one to hold while you stack the other two. Do not stack bucking wedges, the angles are to much and they will be spit out, be carefull of any wedge spitting out form the backcut. On real small trees, saw the backcut first and pound in the wedge, then put in the undercut and be carefull to leave enough holding wood. If you don't wedge and your saw gets pinched you can use an axe to cut down above the backcut to open a crack to get a wedge started. Fallig trees without wedges is just asking for trouble, they are cheap to buy and will save your bacon one day.
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
stevenb said:
FAMOUS LAST WORDS. :blob5:
Nice thing about plastic wedges is they stay put in the cut, metal ones tend to bounce out especially in frozen wood. I like to make my backcut down to the hinge at a 45' angle if something is leaning a little the wrong way, I figure I gain some leverage on it when I put the wedges in.
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
a_lopa said:plastic wedges are for girls PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD.
http://***************/treehouse/files/picture_386__medium__129.jpg
I used to have some of those. They dissapeared over the years though, can't find em around here anymore. Sure do mill my aluminum wedges.
Andy
Marco said:
Actually, by sawing it this way, you make it harder to wedge the tree than if the backcut was level. Not to mention it can slip off the stump and fall back on you easier if the hinge breaks and the tree sits back.
spacemule
The Peanut Gallery
Ha ha. Yeah, I pulled a 3/8ths chain in two with an f-350 (no jerking and easing up on the chain, was pulling a 6-ton tractor up a small incline with rear wheels locked up, stretched the chain apart!!)--a truck will break just about any rope if pulled too hard.redprospector said:
Um, I start high and saw down to the hinge with my final cut. The wedge pushes the tree over rather then having to lift it over.
Newfie
Addicted to ArboristSite
I think he's referring to a slanting back cut. The kind used by amateurs and the poorly trained. One of these days he'll blow out his hinge wood and be eating the tree whole instead of cutting it up first. 
Scarey deal,blowin the hinge.I did it,only once,trying stupidly to wedge over a leaner using an open face cut.That was real dumb on my part.That was also the same year I experianced my one and only barberchair.I am glad that year is in the past and also that I lived through it.
or I could fall down a flite of steps
Newfie
Addicted to ArboristSite
Marco said:
Well there is an intelligent rationale. FWIW, "flite" should be "flight", not that you really care.
Mr_Brushcutter
ArboristSite Operative
If the tree is leaning against the fall direction i use a split level or a cushion cut. Prefur a felling bar than wedges. If i need to use a wedge bore out a sit ing the back cut and shove on in.
The method is wun that was not menchund, I due not use on every tree I drop, I use it on smaller trees, it works for me, and I would not try it next to a building.
MasterBlaster
TreeHouse Elder
Haha, Mikey got em going!
lync
ArboristSite Operative
Wedges are a great tool, but watch them in cold weather. Ihad a red head wedge shatter on me as a was driving it with a sledge, in sub freezing temps this winter past. Everything has its limitatins.
Corey
Corey
