wedges

[Mitchell]

2x4 wedging

If I am not mistaken a100 I believe you have stolen lees trees Idea and used a 2x4 in conjunction with your wedge to prop up the desk in your picture; could be intellectual property right issues in dispute here!

 

[A100HVA]

 

[rreidnauer]

Hmmmm, sliced and diced facial features, skinned to the bone fingers, makes me wonder a bit. Does everyone strip off their helmets, facesheilds, gloves and such when they hit the off switch on their saws?

Seems most of the unintentional self-performed surguries could be avoided by simply keeping the PPE on until the job is done.

 

[jrparbor04]

here's another use for felling wedge's

:monkey:

AND WHERE ARE THE CORRECT TOOLS?????


ALWAYS USE WEDGES,,,WHY HAVE A TOOL THAT HELPS TO INSURE THE JOB THAN NOT USE A TOOL AND LOSE THE JOB UNPROFESSIONAL

 

[CoreyTMorine]

I have seen this video, I just put in the backcut first, tap in a wedge, put in the undercut and drive the wedge, like I said, a hell of a lot easier.

Well it’s been a month or so now and I have been trying to find a tree to use that two stage back-cut in, no luck so far. Every time I run into a situation where I consider such a thing it only takes a moments thought to conclude that a back-cut first would be the better option.

So Clearence, I guess that you are correct in this matter, go figure. Thanks for taking the time to question things.

By the way, how is the hand?

A buddy of mine cut his foot pretty bad 5 or 6 months ago, he’s back to work but with a serious limp and no eagerness to do any cutting.

 

[clearance]

Its better, thanks.

 

[PA Plumber]

Stacked wedges

Hope you all don't mind too much if I drag this thread back up.

I had a pretty decent leaner today and was able to get it over by stacking two 10" wedges close to the hinge. It is by far the most extreme I have tried so far.

I don't feel comfortable trying this on a dead tree, but Eastern Hemlock seems to hold to the hingewood extremely well.

 

[smokechase II]

Dead wood is more brittle

I would suggest avoiding that as much as possible.

For the most part, wedges near the hinge should just be "insurance policies".
Placed snug, but not with so much pressure as to pop the hinge.

Sometimes you can bore just under the wedge, in the center of the back-cut, that didn't get the job done for you and drive another wedge just below the first.

This set up will not lift as much as two regularly stacked wedges. But it might work for you.

If you do that again, just make sure you have alternate escape routes ready and have made a plan on a spinning tree scenario.

I'm pretty sure from your wording you understand this already. Just felt like generating some verbiage.

 

[PA Plumber]

I would suggest avoiding that as much as possible.

For the most part, wedges near the hinge should just be "insurance policies".
Placed snug, but not with so much pressure as to pop the hinge.

Sometimes you can bore just under the wedge, in the center of the back-cut, that didn't get the job done for you and drive another wedge just below the first.

This set up will not lift as much as two regularly stacked wedges. But it might work for you.

If you do that again, just make sure you have alternate escape routes ready and have made a plan on a spinning tree scenario.

I'm pretty sure from your wording you understand this already. Just felt like generating some verbiage.

I reread my post and saw I left out that the Eastern Hemlock was a live tree. I had double stacked wedges buried in two places in the backcut (at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock). I stacked a set near the hinge to get it to "tip."

If you bore in the backcut to place another wedge, could this be done in addition to a pair of stacked wedges already in place above the borecut?

I normally only need one wedge partially driven near the hinge (if any) just for tipping purposes. This tree just happened to have a lot of lean the wrong direction. If the tree would have tipped the wrong way, I could easily have gotten the track loader in to pull it out. I have a couple of trees like this near a public road and a power line. I won't be felling those trees.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

:monkey: Maybe a 2 x 4 would have helped?

I will sometimes stick a wedge in just behind the hinge if there is lean or limb weight putting downpreasure on that side of the tree. By taking weight off of the hingewood it seems that the hinge works more like it should. I don't know though, am i just wasting my time by doing this?

There are also a couple of steel wedges in my bag, 8# splitting wedges i think, they seem to have more lift than plastic. The older ones seem to work better than the new one i bought, i think the paint makes it more prone to back out of the cut. I'm going to wire wheel all the paint off and let it rust up a little.

As for lifting close to the hinge, that sounds like alot of work, and kind of spooky. Would a "felling bar" have worked for that last little push? Has anyone out there ever used a felling bar? They look kind of handy, but in a kitchen gadget sort of way. Looks good on the counter, but never gets used.

 

[joesawer]

PA Plumber- Imo the two wedges close to the hinge can be ok if the tree is already stood up and almost ready to tip over. Just be very aware of how difficult they are to drive and remember that they are lifting in order to move the tree forward some times it is definitely better to push or pull a tree.
CoreyT- Steel wedges give a lot more lift than plastic wedges, but splitting wedge geometry is all wrong. The angle of lift is too fast and the load bearing surface is too small. I have two old single bit ax heads in my box that I have used for wedges on rare occasions. They give treamendous lift as they have a very fine taper and don't absorb very much of the driving force. They can also be driven into a closed kerf much easier. But they are also a pita to carry around in the woods so they almost always stay in the box. I've have used them twice in the past two years. One of them has rust pitting on the surface and really grips good.
When using steel wedged be very careful. Keep the head crowned and inspect for cracks. I have a small piece of steel in my cheek from a mushroomed splitting wedge that I was using at the ripe old age of 9.
If a back cut has opened enough to use a 2x4 for a shim to wedge and hasn't tipped over yet imo the hinge is way to thick or it is leaning beyond the capabilities of a wedge any way.

 

[lees trees]

when I'm felling a tree lets say a really big tree that needs convincing to go toward the drop zone and my customer and his neighbor who cut trees when he was younger but never climbed try to help with verbal encouragement. are you sure looks too big, rotten huh, want to pull it with my 4x4, do you know soandso. it wont hit me.. Well I better not screw up. Kinda lonely all by myself with all eyes on me. I have more than I need right there, stack of wedges and some 1x4s and 2x4s so I don't come up short... Tree goes right best they ever seen. what would they say if it didn't?

 

[John Ellison]

when I'm felling a tree lets say a really big tree that needs convincing to go toward the drop zone and my customer and his neighbor who cut trees when he was younger but never climbed try to help with verbal encouragement. are you sure looks too big, rotten huh, want to pull it with my 4x4, do you know soandso. it wont hit me.. Well I better not screw up. Kinda lonely all by myself with all eyes on me. I have more than I need right there, stack of wedges and some 1x4s and 2x4s so I don't come up short... Tree goes right best they ever seen. what would they say if it didn't?

They would say you should of had a 6x6, cause that is what they used when they fell timber.

 

[Gologit]

They would say you should of had a 6x6, cause that is what they used when they fell timber.

LOL...Yup, theres always comments after you screw up. Trouble is, some of them are accurate.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

CoreyT- Steel wedges give a lot more lift than plastic wedges, but splitting wedge geometry is all wrong. The angle of lift is too fast and the load bearing surface is too small. I have two old single bit ax heads in my box that I have used for wedges on rare occasions. They give treamendous lift as they have a very fine taper and don't absorb very much of the driving force.

Doesn't the eye get all deformed?

 

[lees trees]

LOL...Yup, theres always comments after you screw up. Trouble is, some of them are accurate.

yea better know for sure before you cut. we bet alot on what we do

 

[joesawer]

Doesn't the eye get all deformed?

No they are old high quality ax heads, the eye is far enough from the flat back to be protected. If the eye got messed up that easily it would also get deformed when mounted on a handle. I think that mushrooming is much more of a problem. Also I use them very rarely.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

Thanks Joe,

Your right about the splitting wedges having the wrong shape, the only reason i can lift more with them is that i can pound them so much harder. Been kind of looking for a better alternative, but I've been using these since i was a kid, driving wedges for my dad.

 

[gdn]

here's another use for felling wedge's

:monkey:

Where does one find this wedge? I'll also need an axe sized to swing at it :greenchainsaw: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[2dogs]

Sorry about necroposting but thus seems like a good thread. I'm glad the injured parties, all of you are, are OK now. Scary stuff.

My pouch normally carries 2-8" wedges and 2-10" wedges and I mostly use a 4lb rafting axe with a 28" helve. Back in the truck is a dozen or more spares, hardheads, 5", 7 1/2-8", more 10", and some 12" heavy lifters. I wish I had a Silvey jack but 2K is too much to slip by my wife.

I also have had a wedge or 2 pop out though I have not been hit by one. I can say there have been many instances where I could not hit the wedge square on or place it low to the ground. Or it got hit by the chain. I don't think wedges last long when I sawing.

What brand wedge do you guys use. I use mostly the blue wedge from Madsen's and I buy a box at a time in 10". I have used Double Taper and K & H but they are expensive. The Black Bear wedges are really nice to stack up but the head is small and easy to damage. I think I'll try more of the green Bailey's next. What say you.

Oh, and grinding the spikes off the Huskies? What am I missing. That just seams to me to be food for the lawyers if there is an accident. The dogs are part of the saw's safety equipment if nothing else. Why not use for bucking?