Wedges

[clearance]

Wedges are not an option for falling, you need them. Unless the tree has an obviuos lean, stick a wedge in the backcut as soon as you can. As you cut, tap it in, depending on the size, you can maybe start another wedge. If you are falling a tree that leans two ways, put the wedge on the side with the least holding wood (the so called tapered wedge method here). When you don't want to cut anymore, because you have to leave some holding wood, stop! Start hitting the wedge, or wedges, with a decent single blade axe (mine is a 41/2lb. Arvika) untill the tree starts to fall, then quickly move away on one of the trails you made. If the wedge is buried and you cannot hit it anymore, you will have to stack, this is why you need three wedges to begin with, put in another or leave the first wedge in to hold, then put two together and pound them in. Watch out, sometimes stacked wedges spit out with force, don't have your head anywhere in thier potential path. If you have neglected to place a wedge in the begining, and the tree sits back you can cut with the axe above the backcut no more than a blade width wide a space will appear, then you can then place a wedge. You cannot achieve the impossible, but you can make trees do things with wedges that cannot be done without them, also a lot safer.

 

[SmokinDodge]

Ok, stupid question time, most of my felling is of trees with some lean, or at least wieghted to one side and can be safely felled that way. I do now, see how wedges could be very effective bucking on the ground, wish I had known that a few years ago!!! But really, how often would someone like me, firewood, ussually no obstcales around, use wedges, and how effective are they really for guiding a tree on the way down. All I have seen has been in the video forum so I really have no clue here. Thanks guys!!
Andy

Andy, I'm in the same exact boat. Just a firewood cutter with aspirations for someday........... But why not try to gain some experience in a non critical situation? I play with every drop now no matter what isn't around just for the practice. You can do a lot with a simple little wedge applied, just don't ask me how to do it properly, yet.
The other day I was walking the fence line of our cattle pasture with my Dad clearing deadwood and making repairs to the fence and we came on a long dead red oak about 20" dbh about three feet from the fence with a lean towards the fence. We both knew it needed to come down or else it would come down on it's own and take the fence with it. Dad said "we'll come back with a rope later on." I bet him a cold one I could get it to clear the fence when I dropped it. He said "Go ahead and try, we are fixing fence anyway." (lot of faith my father has) I reached up as high as I could safely run the 036, made a real narrow face, made my back cut and stepped away, what a rush. It hopped right over the fence clearing it by about a foot. Just that one instance makes all the practice and the time I spend on AS learning from the pros worth it. No, I didn't use a wedge that day but I did use my practice.

 

[boatermark]

I've always been told to use wedges to fell trees, and I have a couple of the orange plastic Husky ones myself. From what I know, it is the safest way to drop a tree. Choose the direction you want the tree to fall according to lean, wind, snow load, potential obstacles, etc, and make sure you have identified your escape routes. Cut the appropriate type of notch cut (humbolt, open-faced, traditional...) in the chosen direction you want the tree to fall. Cut the back cut and put in wedges into the kerf as soon as possible as described earlier in this thread. Stop cutting in time to leave the correct size strip of uncut tree to act as the hinge and then pound in the wedges to get the tree to start to fall.

OK, maybe a bad explanation. I know I've seen a great publication on this topic on Husqvarna's web site here:

http://www.usa.husqvarna.com/files/cs/banners/chainsaw_cons.pdf

Also, I just found a great link from Madsen's website to OSHA here:

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/logging/mainpage.html

These places might have a better explanation...with pictures which always make things clearer for me.

In a week I am attending a weekend course covering the Game of Logging levels 1 and 2. I think I'll learn even more about this topic at the course. As far as I know the Game of Logging teaches a traditional type notch cut for felling as opposed to the humbolt notch which also as far as I know is popular in the Northwest.

Hope this is useful.

 

[Four Paws]

I think this thread really contains some good information - what a great site!

It would be nice to have some 'sticky' threads at the top of the page, or even an FYI type woodcutting page for quick links to helpful information - a place where replies cannot be added, just 'read only' posts. Don't know if this post qualifies, but it seems that the proper use of wedges is something most want and most of all, NEED to know. Moderators, if you have time to do something like this, I am sure a lot of people would like to see it - might be helpful for all us non-logger folk! What does everyone think of this idea...good or bad?

 

[trax]

Why would you use one face cut over another, common, open or humbolt

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Why would you use one face cut over another, common, open or humbolt

Out here, we use the Humboldt so as to leave the merhchantable log flush on the end. Take the notch out of the stump instead of the log you're selling.

 

[John Ellison]

Most timber on the west coast is swell butted, and it is impractical to make a low stump. Even if you did,you would have to short butt the log(cut the swelled part off. So, its mostly humbolts.
If the timber comes out of the ground without a lot of swell you would lose scale with a humbolt because the stump would have to be a lot higher to keep your bar out of the dirt on the lower diagonal cut. So then its mostly conventional.
Sometimes a cutter will use an open face if there is a need to keep the stem attached to the stump all the way to the ground.
I know that open face notches are common in some areas but I think in most softwood logging situations, it is more useful if the stem breaks off from the stump before it hits the ground.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Most timber on the west coast is swell butted, and it is impractical to make a low stump.

Often you'll square the but to fit it on the truck, and not loose 8' of merchantable timber. It all depends on the dimensions and extent of the swell. Often there's a limit to how much stump can be left.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I think in most softwood logging situations, it is more useful if the stem breaks off from the stump before it hits the ground.

You mean like this?



:hmm3grin2orange:

That was actually a conventional cut. Just too much hinge.

 

[John Ellison]

Hey, isnt that called a "lizard saver" cut?:biggrinbounce2: