fearofpavement
Trying them all
Well, after a day of slashing and burning brush, this evening I went to knock out a job for a neighbor (1.5 miles away). The task was to fell 10 trees. Seven were small at 5 to 10 inches and 3 were large. On one of the larger small trees, the tree went backwards. I got the bar out quickly but it closed the kerf and looked like it may take out the corner of a storage shed at worst and a fence at best. I was sweating bullets while I went to the truck, got a throw line and a small diameter rope and got it rigged. Wife drove the truck over and I hooked the rope up and she pulled it over in the intended direction of fall. it didn't take much pressure to bring it over. I was thankful that it patiently sat there at the brink of destruction while I resolved the crisis. Ok, done with the 026 and fetched the 044 with a 28" bar for the larger trees. First one was a sweet gum and it went over with no trouble with the encouragement of a couple wedges. Next was a large pine. this Loblolly wasn't too scary because the branches were weighting it somewhat in the direction of fall. I was just about done with the face cut when I rocked the chain. Well, a very large spike would be more accurate. All I knew is that I hit something (felt it) and the chain wasn't throwing chips anymore. This was on the initial cut on the face. I was deep enough so I got the 026 back out to finish the angled part of the face. Made it through that ok and while I was trying to bust out the wedge it wasn't quite free so I stupidly tried cutting in the area holding it and promptly wrecked that chain too. Now I wasn't sure what to do because I don't like putting two faces in the same tree but didn't want to make the back cut without the wedge being gone. I took my mallet and beat the snot out of the wedge until I broke a third off of it. Then I went to the other side and got a third off of it. Then I knocked out the middle section except for a little piece about size of a golf ball (where the spike was)
Meanwhile, I had gone back to the truck to file what was left of the 044 chain. This was a brand new chain (of course) and there were several teeth completely gone, a couple partly broken and some just dulled. Got the thing sharpened as best I could (of course I didn't have another saw along or an extra chain)
So, I make the back cut using lots of wedging and it goes over with a crash. Then I see the spike. This was completely buried in the wood. One of those large timber spikes that has a shank nearly 1/2" in diameter. I had just missed it with my angled face cut and the horizontal cut just barely got it. If I would've cut a couple inches higher or lower, then it would've all been good. Anyway, moved to the last tree. This was a huge Loblolly pine and it was on the other side of the fence. wedged it over and it caused all kinds of carnage to other trees on the way down. I was watching for debris as stuff was flying all over the place as chunks were being catapulted by trees springing back vertical. It made a satisfying thud and I packed up and went home relatively happy. Sad about the chains (one was used up anyway) and happy that I didn't have to fix any fences or storage sheds. I'll assess the chain to see if I can cut it into something smaller but I suspect it's a stumping chain now. Never lost that many teeth off one before. Oh well...
Meanwhile, I had gone back to the truck to file what was left of the 044 chain. This was a brand new chain (of course) and there were several teeth completely gone, a couple partly broken and some just dulled. Got the thing sharpened as best I could (of course I didn't have another saw along or an extra chain)
So, I make the back cut using lots of wedging and it goes over with a crash. Then I see the spike. This was completely buried in the wood. One of those large timber spikes that has a shank nearly 1/2" in diameter. I had just missed it with my angled face cut and the horizontal cut just barely got it. If I would've cut a couple inches higher or lower, then it would've all been good. Anyway, moved to the last tree. This was a huge Loblolly pine and it was on the other side of the fence. wedged it over and it caused all kinds of carnage to other trees on the way down. I was watching for debris as stuff was flying all over the place as chunks were being catapulted by trees springing back vertical. It made a satisfying thud and I packed up and went home relatively happy. Sad about the chains (one was used up anyway) and happy that I didn't have to fix any fences or storage sheds. I'll assess the chain to see if I can cut it into something smaller but I suspect it's a stumping chain now. Never lost that many teeth off one before. Oh well...
