Working on technique...

[Dalmatian90]

In prep for the Frankensnowmaggedonnoreastero'cane...decided the last two trees that could do catastrophic damage to my house, it was time for them to come down. Anything else left might take off some siding or do some minor roof damage, but won't come slicing through!

One thing I'm working on this year is trying to get very accurate -- drop the trees exactly where I want them instead of just in a general direction I figure they won't get hung up on anything. Plus make technically very good notches and back cuts.

Both are on the northeast corner of the house:

First up is the tree on the right above.

Used the "stick method" to determine the height of the first tree -- I used a folding carpenter's ruler since it's easy to fit in my pocket. Held it straight up with the 32" mark at the top of my fist, which is about the distance between your hand and eye for most folks. Held my arm out straight and lined the top of my fist with where I would notch the tree, and figured out where the top of the ruler lined up with the top of the tree. Then since I'm 5' 10", I backed up 5' 6" but then did some wild ass guess work and moved in about 1-1/2' since the was slightly uphill.

That's where I put down a yellow rag as my target:

Hmmm...bulk landed a bit left of what I wanted:

But my height was spot on at least :

What I figured out is I used the sights on the saw to line up the trunk with the target. What I didn't adjust for is about 10' up the trunk started to lean, and the main lead leaned even more. (You can see that in the first pic)

And that's where the photos end since I had phone issues

The tree on the left I first wanted to drop in the same spot as above, but after spending 20 minutes walking around it, and realizing two things:

1) It leaned towards the house;
2) There was rot near the base and I'd have to cut at nipple-height to have good wood (sounded with the back of my ax). There was a wound about 1-1/2' off the ground with water puddled in it! It wasn't badly rotted, but it was definitely on the way out.

I decided I could do it, but it was at the very limits of what I was comfortable doing.

Rather then force it to fall 180º to the lean (with the risk if it went wrong it would cut through my kitchen), I dropped it 90º to the lean. Cut an open face, then I cut the back cut deep on the house side and set a short wedge, then finished off the back cut away from the house.

There was a minor amount of rot in the heart at the height I cut it, despite cutting as high as I possibly could on the trunk.

 

[derwoodii]

nice shooting lad be a shame to git it wrong and frankstormy pass by without leaving grief, but its got all worried so must act

Est tree height is a art and fun seems you got it right.

Heres another way is requires puttin yer head up near yer ass :msp_wink:

Stand with your back to the tree.
Bend over and look at the tree between your legs.
Move towards or away from the tree until you can just see the top of the tree. At this point your distance from the tree is approximately equal to the height of the tree. Pace the distance to the tree and convert the paced distance as metres. This is the approximate height of the tree. The Indian method is based on a 45-degree triangle. Length = height.

Usin the saw gun sights is more a trick i dont I use em just my eyes and experience so chances I git one wrong sooner or later

did the last one turn off the cut as expected or flop over unwanted direction?

 

[Dalmatian90]

did the last one turn off the cut as expected or flop over unwanted direction?

I came off fine. Ugly stump though.

I started off with a conventional notch (flat on the bottom) because I'm more experienced with them.

Started the back cut -- had it nice and level, but I made it a bit higher then I should have -- 4". I was already committed to it by the time I realized it. Not the end of the world though.

Then as my mind was going through things that have gone wrong on me in the past, I got worried it might hang up on the flat part of the face cut and roll funny -- that would be bad given how high I was cutting. So then I converted it to an open face cut.

But it all worked out, and the open face really guided the tree forward nicely and well away from me.

I've only done a few of the open faces where you come down at 60º then up at 30º but what I've seen of them, the trees definitely seem to come off the stump more smoothly.

 

[unclemoustache]

Stand with your back to the tree.
Bend over and look at the tree between your legs.
Move towards or away from the tree until you can just see the top of the tree. At this point your distance from the tree is approximately equal to the height of the tree. Pace the distance to the tree and convert the paced distance as metres. This is the approximate height of the tree. The Indian method is based on a 45-degree triangle. Length = height.

I've tried that, but for some reason I can never see the tree - any part of it. It's always obscured by something. (Not the loincloth.) :msp_unsure::msp_rolleyes:

 

[derwoodii]

I've tried that, but for some reason I can never see the tree - any part of it. It's always obscured by something. (Not the loincloth.) :msp_unsure::msp_rolleyes:

Ha could it be yer big tashy bollocks :msp_biggrin: in the way..

i did scout group tree education gig and had them all attempt it in the field. Tis a funny thing is watchin 30 kids pullin that pose, the parents lookin on wept with joy

Dalmatian90 I was already committed to it by the time I realized it.

an't that an awfully feelin yer got the cut in on its way and then yer find or know its not right....

Has the winds n storm come through yet we gettin news down here that your about to be spanked hard.

 

[Dalmatian90]

If the current forecast holds, my town won't get hit hard. The official forecast is for the peak on Monday night of 35mph sustained with gusts to 55mph. Typical nor'easter...and unless you have wet snow, ice, or saturated ground that isn't going to do much damage. Isolated power outages, maybe a few large but relatively short blackouts if a substation or main distribution line goes offline till the crews can clear the fault.

The immediate coast (as in beach front homes) in Connecticut will see a 5' storm surge. The current timing has the peak surge at low tide, if that holds true it won't even be that bad. If it's a 5' storm surge at high tide, you'll be seeing lots of insurance claims.

Now if the center of the storm comes ashore 75 miles north of where it's currently forecast...we'll see damage more like Hurricane Irene and the Halloween snow storm last year. Probably worse actually. Hurricanes normally move quickly S to N here, this one would grind away for half a day while moving E to W

In all scenarios, the Jersey Shore will be screwed more the Snooki. :msp_wink:

 

[derwoodii]

If the current forecast holds, my town won't get hit hard. The official forecast is for the peak on Monday night of 35mph sustained with gusts to 55mph. Typical nor'easter...and unless you have wet snow, ice, or saturated ground that isn't going to do much damage. Isolated power outages, maybe a few large but relatively short blackouts if a substation or main distribution line goes offline till the crews can clear the fault.

The immediate coast (as in beach front homes) in Connecticut will see a 5' storm surge. The current timing has the peak surge at low tide, if that holds true it won't even be that bad. If it's a 5' storm surge at high tide, you'll be seeing lots of insurance claims.

Now if the center of the storm comes ashore 75 miles north of where it's currently forecast...we'll see damage more like Hurricane Irene and the Halloween snow storm last year. Probably worse actually. Hurricanes normally move quickly S to N here, this one would grind away for half a day while moving E to W

In all scenarios, the Jersey Shore will be screwed more the Snooki. :msp_wink:

Ok hopin it all fades and passes without to much harm, then you can get to splitin n stackin all that nicely dropped fire wood for next winter .

 

[Ronaldo]

Sights on the saw?

I hear about sights or felling sights on saws and honestly dont have a clue where they are, what they look like or how to use them(if I did know where they are located). Who better to ask than some fellow AS MEMBERS? Can someone explain them a little and maybe even post a pic so I know what you are talkin about? I have been dropping trees and cutting firewood for a lot of years and never knew anything about these sights until I read about them here.
Thanks for any help,

Ron

 

[Gologit]

I hear about sights or felling sights on saws and honestly dont have a clue where they are, what they look like or how to use them(if I did know where they are located). Who better to ask than some fellow AS MEMBERS? Can someone explain them a little and maybe even post a pic so I know what you are talkin about? I have been dropping trees and cutting firewood for a lot of years and never knew anything about these sights until I read about them here.
Thanks for any help,

Ron

Try this for a start....there's a lot of kidding and jokes but there's some good information, too.


http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/208193.htm

 

[Dalmatian90]

I have been dropping trees and cutting firewood for a lot of years and never knew anything about these sights until I read about them here.

That's where I learned about 'em too.

 

[terryknight]

nice shooting lad be a shame to git it wrong and frankstormy pass by without leaving grief, but its got all worried so must act

Est tree height is a art and fun seems you got it right.

Heres another way is requires puttin yer head up near yer ass :msp_wink:

Stand with your back to the tree.
Bend over and look at the tree between your legs.
Move towards or away from the tree until you can just see the top of the tree. At this point your distance from the tree is approximately equal to the height of the tree. Pace the distance to the tree and convert the paced distance as metres. This is the approximate height of the tree. The Indian method is based on a 45-degree triangle. Length = height.

Usin the saw gun sights is more a trick i dont I use em just my eyes and experience so chances I git one wrong sooner or later

did the last one turn off the cut as expected or flop over unwanted direction?

nice never heard of that method

I've tried that, but for some reason I can never see the tree - any part of it. It's always obscured by something. (Not the loincloth.) :msp_unsure::msp_rolleyes:

you're lying

 

[Ronaldo]

Try this for a start....there's a lot of kidding and jokes but there's some good information, too.


http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/208193.htm

Thanks for the help and reply. I'll check it out-never too late or old to learn something.

Ron