Many years ago, while removing a dead walnut for an uncle, I managed to lay it on a full tank of diesel fuel, which opened up like a tin can on one end and sent 300 gallons of bright red liquid straight up about 15' and then back down. Very scenic. The tree had so much metal in it that after the 3rd attempt at putting even a small notch in it, I said to heck with it, hooked it to the truck, back cut it and went like heck. Would have made it too if the back porch had been 10' further away. Worked 2 days baling hay and did not charge for the removal, so I think I got off cheap, just caught another 10 years of razzing from the uncle.
Had the chance of a lifetime to do considerable damage and blew it. Was topping off 2 large silver maples at a farmstead that was being bulldozed. Dropped every big chunk I could on the little house (old Sears catalog house) and did not even ruffle a shingle. Couldn't even destroy the front porch, with its skinny little posts, when the limbs slid off the roof. Next I hooked on to the 6 center supports of a pole type barn with my winch cable, sawed them mostly off and took off. (These were the raw materials for a playground addition in a local park.) The center of the roof sagged a little, but still did not fall. Some days nothing goes right!!!!
Bob