# Tree belt



## Bedford T (Aug 10, 2017)

i want to make a belt to ratchet around the trunk before i drop a tree, to keep ensure it does not split and kill me. I know i can wrap a chain but i would like to make an adjustable one that i can really tighten. I have some cable i can cut but am looking for ideas on how to complete it. does anyone do that type thing and use or have seen something similar that you might share a design or an idea?

thanks


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## Philbert (Aug 10, 2017)

Buy a wide, heavy-duty strap used for securing loads on big trucks.

It will come with it's own ratchet mechanism to tension it. 

Philbert


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## ATH (Aug 10, 2017)

Proper cutting technique is your first "line of defense". A chain or ratchet strap is just a little extra insurance on those trick trees. It will not make up for bad technique - and I might argue they make it more dangerous giving you a false sense of security. Having said that, I agree with Philbert that an extra heavy duty ratchet strap should fit the bill. The little 1" ones at the hardware store are useless, they'll just provide extra shrapnel when the tree barber chairs. You want the big 4" wide ones rated for several thousand pounds.


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## Bedford T (Aug 11, 2017)

Philbert said:


> Buy a wide, heavy-duty strap used for securing loads on big trucks.
> 
> It will come with it's own ratchet mechanism to tension it.
> 
> Philbert


I saw those and wondered about the web strength, they do have everything I seek. I saw the Japanese use them as a normal course of business and thought what a great safety tool. Theres had a buckle with a short chain and the belt was maybe 3/8" cable. They also use a 3 piece slat tool that folds into a triangle and the use it to fine tune their notch. It looks to be very effective. Google was no help on that gave me tons of ladders and such.

Between those two tools and using a good site plan chances would be high of no drama. The slat tool makes the fall very accurate. It can be verified visually by others so there are no notch mistakes. Not sure I need google to find them as 3 6ft slats with joints would nail it.

Thanks fellas


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## Philbert (Aug 11, 2017)

Bedford T said:


> . . .They also use a 3 piece slat tool that folds into a triangle and the use it to fine tune their notch. It looks to be very effective. . .


Can you sketch it?

I know that some fallers used to use 'gunning sticks', held in each corner of the notch, and joined at the other end, to sight where a tree would fall. Could not find a Google image of that either.

Philbert


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## Philbert (Aug 11, 2017)

OK - here are a couple of old photos of 'gunning sticks':





Basically, 2 sticks of the same length, hinged at the end would work.

Philbert


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## Bedford T (Aug 11, 2017)

Oh my that's it. I think theirs included a third side. But that is excatly what I was talking about.
Thanks so much. 

Wonder why they are seldom seen? I like any idea that gives me an edge with a tree.


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## Philbert (Aug 11, 2017)

Makes sense for big timber and long distances (tall trees). But if the direction is that critical, I think that guys would use a rope to direct most trees today.

Philbert


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## BC WetCoast (Aug 13, 2017)

Most saws today have sights moulded into the case. Put the bar along the notch and site along the line on the saw case. If you have to be so accurate as to avoid damage, it's time to climb it and piece it down.


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## no tree to big (Aug 13, 2017)

Philbert said:


> Makes sense for big timber and long distances (tall trees). But if the direction is that critical, I think that guys would use a rope to direct most trees today.
> 
> Philbert


Once the tree starts to tip it's still the notch and hinge that controls where she falls. the rope is only going to get it to tip in the right general direction.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


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## old guy (Aug 13, 2017)

no tree to big said:


> Once the tree starts to tip it's still the notch and hinge that controls where she falls. the rope is only going to get it to tip in the right general direction.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


When I have a tree that absoloutly has to fall where I want it I don't cut it till it starts too tip, I cut till I can start pulling it down.
After pulling it far enough that it can't fall anywhere else I finish it with the saw.


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## Philbert (Aug 13, 2017)

(I'll let old guy cut my 'critical trees').

Philbert


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## no tree to big (Aug 13, 2017)

old guy said:


> When I have a tree that absoloutly has to fall where I want it I don't cut it till it starts too tip, I cut till I can start pulling it down.
> After pulling it far enough that it can't fall anywhere else I finish it with the saw.


So you leave a fat hinge pull like hell hope it don't chair and the hinge don't break? Interesting. But your notch and hinge still control where it goes... 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


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## Bedford T (Aug 13, 2017)

The belt I mention eliminates the split gamble. It would give you plenty of time to gtho


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## old guy (Aug 13, 2017)

no tree to big said:


> So you leave a fat hinge pull like hell hope it don't chair and the hinge don't break? Interesting. But your notch and hinge still control where it goes...
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


Of coarse the notch & hinge control where it goes and I really don't care if it chairs, I'm on the comealong 100 ft away.
In 50 years of firewood cutting & taking down dead trees for people, (lots of elm disease) & 3 years cutting railroad tie logs I never had much problem with barberchairs except in 15- 20 below 0 weather.


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## Philbert (Aug 13, 2017)

I've seen them 'chair'. Nothing wrong with being careful.

Philbert


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## old guy (Aug 13, 2017)

Yeah, I've seen em too, at 20 below you can just get the back cut in 3'' on a leaner red oak and ''pow'' it blows up the middle and breaks off 10' up ruining the log and hanging up there, safest way to get them down is the tractor & chain.
There are many different cicumstances that call for different handleing, if you think a tree is gonna chair you sure as hell don't stand behind it.


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## Philbert (Aug 13, 2017)

Bore cut. 

Philbert


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## ATH (Aug 13, 2017)

Bedford T said:


> The belt I mention eliminates the split gamble. It would give you plenty of time to gtho


Proper cutting technique eliminates the split gamble as well...


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## old guy (Aug 14, 2017)

Philbert said:


> Bore cut.
> 
> Philbert


But you can't do that when you need a controled pull 30 degrees from the lean to keep it off your neighbors fence


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## ATH (Aug 14, 2017)

Why not???


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## old guy (Aug 14, 2017)

ATH said:


> Why not???


Yer either a lot dumber than I think you are, or a lot smarter than i am, I'll just leave it at that.


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## ATH (Aug 14, 2017)

How heavy is lean? I'm not trying to call myself smarter than anybody...but controlled directional felling against lean is best done by setting the hinge via bore cut before the back cut, pounding wedges then completing the cut and more wedge pounding.

Like you said the hinge controls direction of fall...

Just wondering why you contradicted that a few posts later? Not trying to argue...maybe I'm not picturing the same tree as you!


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## old guy (Aug 14, 2017)

As I said in my first post, tree must miss the fence on the right & the powerline on the left, usually dead elm not more than 12''- 15'' on the stump, I like to pull them 50-60 percent of the way down with a 6000 lb comealong then make the last cut when it can't go anywhere but down in the direction it was pulled.
But I think we are off the O P's original subject.


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## Philbert (Aug 14, 2017)

It's good to have multiple tools in your tool kit, and more than one 'trick' in you bag of tricks. 

The strap is just one of those tools / tricks. 

Walking away, and leaving it for someone else is the ultimate trick!

Philbert


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## TheJollyLogger (Aug 30, 2017)

Wow, just wow. How did you get to be an old guy?


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## old guy (Aug 30, 2017)

TheJollyLogger said:


> Wow, just wow. How did you get to be an old guy?


I don't follow you, I just safely pulled down two small trees without hitting anything.


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## TheJollyLogger (Aug 30, 2017)

If you have to pull them, you're doing it wrong.


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## old guy (Aug 31, 2017)

TheJollyLogger said:


> If you have to pull them, you're doing it wrong.


I sure wish you'd been here to show me.


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## TheJollyLogger (Aug 31, 2017)

The purpose of "pulling" a tree is to change the center of gravity. It is not a substitute for proper felling technique.


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## Jim Timber (Aug 31, 2017)

old guy said:


> But you can't do that when you need a controled pull 30 degrees from the lean to keep it off your neighbors fence



That's when you use wedges.

If the come-along works for you, great.


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## old guy (Aug 31, 2017)

TheJollyLogger said:


> The purpose of "pulling" a tree is to change the center of gravity. It is not a substitute for proper felling technique.


Well Finally, Somebody's using his head instead of his mouth, trees were leaning northeast, cant be dropped northeast, cant be dropped east either, must be dropped southeast and not too far southeast. Pull them suckers exactly where they have to go


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## DR. P. Proteus (Sep 1, 2017)

I dunno. 20 bucks buys you a 20k ratchet strap soes maybe not buy a bottle tonight soes tomorrow you can buy two?


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## TheJollyLogger (Sep 1, 2017)

My point, old guy, is that if you are pulling them 50% of the way down, and then finishing your cut, you are just asking for a chair, or failed hinge.


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## old guy (Sep 1, 2017)

At that point it doesn't matter, I wish the hinge would break, then I don't have to cut it. Iv'e taken down many many trees this way where there was no room for error and never had one chair yet, mostly elm tho & elm bends a long way before it breaks.


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