# Video: Adjusted gun/tapered hinge experiment



## Ekka

Well, I got some pines today so I mucked around a little to see what the effect of leaving a tapered hinge was (pie cut) and adjusted gun etc.

Conclusion is that leaving a taper doesn't turn the tree but it does help combat the lean.

9.03mins and 42.7mb wmv

www.palmtreeservices.com.au/video/piecuts.wmv


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## ROLLACOSTA

Ekka you might like to try a pair of stihl hi-lift wedges,you'll like them. Good vid,i'll give that cut a try next opportunity I get


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## smokechase II

*Tapered hinge*

Ekka:

A tapered hinge doesn't have to pull a tree beyond its face direction for it to have worked.

On the first tree, it may have been what helped sponsor the tree to match the face. Don't know, but it certainly has helped me do that. 

Also, with the first tree, you pointed out that it was dead wood.
Not as strong. Tapered, (aka uneven) hinges do not work as well there, especially in softwood dead.

Less strength means you can do less, (I.e. moving a tree away from its lean).

Also on the first tree, you could place the wedge at an angle opposite the taper. This to move it toward where the taper is pointing.

I'll try and get some still photos where I'm going to be Friday in smaller diameter trees. This just as a discussion item. The trees will be dead Lodgepole and again, not much that dead wood offers.

Not usually an option on smaller diameters. But do need to mention that a deeper face, (not height), can provide a greater release. Easier to wedge and 'talk' a tree over in an angle away from the lean if the face is just a smidge deeper.
Of course, need the tree to be bigger to start to work with that thought.


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## Ekka

Yeah, I need higher lift wedges.

and yeah, they were dead except the last one, that one was OK and it went bang on the money of the adjusted gun technique.

I'll keep experimenting, both wedging and tapers etc and try to have the camera on it. It's when you get home and slow things down that you see what really happened.


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## smokechase II

*Tapered hinge drawing*

Ekka:
Here is a Kiwi site that is pretty decent:
http://www.osh.govt.nz/order/catalogue/pdf/treefell.pdf
(Mentioned by others recently, see illustration from page 25 below)

I said "A tapered hinge doesn't have to pull a tree beyond its face direction for it to have worked." I've seen this in several other instruction books that state that a tapered (uneven) hinge can be used to get a tree to commit to the face direction *or* pull it even further to match a right angle to the backside of the tapered hinge.

Though I'm not an arborist, I'll play one on TV. 
I would not have much confidence in a tapered hinge in a critical situation with dead wood. I'd be a convert over to a rope pull pretty dang quick.

There are a few stages of dead;
1) Recently deceased, but wood solid,
2) Dead a few months but the stump area is still moist and basically solid wood to work with (tree dries from the top down). While this isn't perfect wood to work with, it's still usually just fine. In some instances, this can actually be a win/win. Tree above is lighter, easier to wedge, but still have reasonably good wood to cut on.
3) Wood dried throughout stump area and definitely brittle.
4) Rot starting and worse than just brittle.
The last two are basically go with just the lean or minimal variation or take down with an alternative equipment method.


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## 046

nice work! thanks for sharing...


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## B-Edwards

This from( abormaster training) i have taken classes from them for ceu's for my ISA cert. (Leaving more wood on 1 side of the hinge does not help direct the fall of a tree). I agree and disagree, for the most part it doesnt help ,but i have done things with white oaks (IF) the roots are in the right place to help hold at the hinge that totaly say a taper does work. Theres so much to consider when trying this. I think experience is a great thing. Just make sure the experience your getting is safe and use what works for you. Oh and nice video Thanks for posting it


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## Kneejerk Bombas

The tapered hinge doesn't steer the tree, it helps prevent the hinge from failing when there is side load.
Adjusted gun, is another name for dropping a tree accurately, lol.
Unless the tree is perfectly straight, most felling should be done with a combination of tapered hinge and adjusted gun.


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## smokechase II

*Tapered hinge evidence*

B-Edwards:

What is the evidence presented?
Somewhere, here on arborsite.com I read that some German 'fiberologists' were stating that uneven hinges do not work.

Contrast that with the practical experience of many cutters from different locations and I'm gonna want some form of proof. 

That it works, on a practical level is also hard to prove, agreed. A professional faller can have two extremely similar trees and cut them exactly the same, except for a tapered hinge on one. Doing this over a period of time and a variety of tree species etc., one can build up the experience to say yea or nay.
That doesn't constitute scientific evidence though, does it?

Does anyone know of a paper put forth on this issue? Or a few slow motion videos of hinge wood behavior during the fall?

A good portion of the reason I feel strongly that tapered hinges do work, is learning from my mistakes. Picture a Western US Firefighter type, that drops mostly dead trees - that are dry/brittle and where hinge wood errors are forgiven by the weakness of that weak wood - going to a large healthy green trees and accidentally leaving a tapered hinge. _Bad habit - failure to maintain discipline - not professional. Cite me for the above. Understood._
In those trees I've pulled the tree to the heavy tapered side with some regularity. Yep, it didn't go the face direction; it even went away from the lean, type of thing. 
Add this to the times where I've tried to do this and, viola, similar results.

In my experience, which is somewhat wide ranging, 17 states and Alberta, first certified as a FS 'C' Cutter in 1978, working *with* numerous pro's from all over. (Not a logger myself). Married in to them though. I can't recall a single non-believer in the tapered hinge. It is a commonly taught basic of tree felling.

Again, if proof is lacking from either group, this discussion will persevere longer than we.


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## Kneejerk Bombas

If you are at the base of a tree doing the backcut, and carefully observe the top as it just starts to move, you can see the angle it is moving, and then slightly adjust that felling angle as it just starts to move, by cutting more fibers on one side or the other.
What you are doing in effect, is changing the shape of the hinge taper. 
This proves, to me, that the taper does influence the direction of fall, albeit a small amount, particularly in the early moments of the fall.
The taper does however greatly increase the strength and effectiveness of the hinge, when properly applied.

What you then do to fell a tree is to set up your notch, adjusting the gun as needed. Next do your backcut to set up the taper, as dictated by the lean.
When you get good at it, you can also observe the initial moments of the top and do minor adjustments to the direction of fall, if needed.

To recap: adjust your gun (aim), set up the taper, adjust the taper if needed.


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## smokechase II

*tapered hinge; professional view*

Tim Ard’s and Mike Bolin’s E-book, "The Complete Guide ….", on page 133 states:
"It should be noted that the wood fibers of the hinge break first from the back. As the tree falls, fibers along the back side of the hinge will fail and break first. After the tree reaches a certain point in its fall, only the fibers at the front of the hinge are left to finish steering the tree to the ground. Therefore, making the hinge thinner on one side will not accomplish any steering function."
(Tim, in this and other writings does not believe in the tapered hinge.) 

In Gerry Beranek’s book, "The Fundamentals of General Tree Work", page 298:
"A hinge that is uneven will tend to pull a tree to the side that has more wood. The tree will land somewhere between the gun of the undercut and the gun of the back cut. This is an applicable hinge for controlling trees with side lean or offset limb weight providing that the beefy side is on the tensioned part of the stump. ....."

Can anyone dig up quotes from Dents book, the BC Faller and Buckers book or the arbormaster verbage on this subject?

Thanks


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## clearance

*duh*

I am amazed at such a simple fact attracting so much talk, duh. I remember, again now, this thread that Murphy for trees had, called something like "tapered hinge comes through". I thought that he was talking about something new and cool, found out that all he was talking about was leaving more holding wood opposite to the side lean, OMFG, f--- me pink. Now we have it again, this was explained to me as a teenager, to see debate on it here is sad. Smokechase, I don't have a copy of the BC fallers and buckers manual (written by experienced faller/buckers who work for the compensation board), from memory it has drawings and explanations on how to fall wood using the so called tapered hinge. All you arborist, wanna be fallers that wonder, go out in the bush when no one is around and try it out, find a few leaners, fall them sideways, using the "tapered hinge" and using an even undercut, then come back and tell us what you found out.


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## a_lopa

youll be amazed again clearance by the people that dont know it.

let people learn


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## Ekka

Thanks Lopa.

It's great a video has brought up such a discussion.

I have for yonks been using tapered hinges.

I have always wondered about the effectiveness of the taper to pull a tree off it's gunned direction.

I know of the experience Mike speaks of but now I honestly think it could be an illusion. I think I'll be getting that camera out more often on this topic coz I dont believe the taper will pull the tree off it's gunned direction much ... if at all. However I think if you hang around cutting more and more as the tree is falling chasing it to the ground you certainly may ... and that may be a big NO NO but I'll do it on video to prove that it works (or perhaps not!)

Now, dont confuse that with a tree turning 20 degrees off it's gunned direction when the bark on one side breaks and not the other which hangs on .... so wing cuts should be done.

Interesting, and slowed up video is a good tool to use.


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## smokechase II

*Try this*

Ekka:
If possible; try filming a few green trees faced exactly with the lean.
From the rear as you're doing, slo mo editing for the good of the order.
One a control, even hinge. A couple with tapered hinges, perhaps varying in size.

Other variables my be the depth and height of the face (Kerf).

So just note those.

I'll see if I can do some of the same.

Thanks


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## Kneejerk Bombas

a_lopa said:


> youll be amazed again clearance by the people that dont know it.
> 
> let people learn



There are people of all skill levels that read here. Some whose head this will all go right over, some who might learn somethings, and some who think they know it all and still won't understand the subtleties of the art of felling.
Clearance might fit into the third category. He's known since he was a teenager that he should use tapered hinge on leaners, but misses the point on these tapered hinge vs. adjusted gun arguments. Even some of the most published "experts" disagree on the subject.


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## smokechase II

*tapered hinge argue thingy*

Mike:

The argument isn't just between a tapered hinge and adjusted gun. The people in that discussion agree that both work. It is just which one has the most merit.

There is also the debate on whether the tapered hinge works at all. 

Though I cannot respond as colorfully as Clearance, I agree with him that it does work very well and that those opposed are a few bricks short of a load.
Or perhaps just less experienced in the woods.


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## xtremetrees

Nice Video!
I have never used wedges!
I have always pull my trees over with a rope. Those pines are about the same sizw here bro. Cant believe they burnt um like that.
Alot of time if my bar is to short Ill cut half my back cut on the far side and leave the finishing cut side.
The last 1 or 2 inches will hold alot. Alot of the time tree wont go until you least cut down to 1 inch of holding wood.
I've found that when I've hung trees the notch will twist but hold.


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## B-Edwards

Not to drag this out, in general i dont depend on holding 1 side or the other when i have a bad side lean. But i have pulled trees when the liability wasnt so great that made me say hmmm, wow.The time that sticks in my mind was with a White Oak, the root happened to be beside the hinge and i cut very low,this tree came around so good i couldnt believe it . But try that with a White Pine and a small limb growing out of the hinge of the side you want to hold. I was told during an Abormaster training event that it (Doesnt work) that the more wood you leave on 1 side only makes the wood break faster. I'm not taking a stand on this, i think in general treat this as it wont work and you'll be safer .Doesnt mean you cant still hold on 1 side ,just means your not depending on it alone.


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## Ekka

B Edwards

Maybe there is considerable difference in the strength of the trunk timber and the root timber and one side is breaking before the other.

I think most of us would agree that root timber would be wetter and hold tension better, so the act of the hinge breaking is thru tension. With a differing strength on one side the trunk timber breaks before the root timber allowing the tree to come around.

Again where a branch come out of a trunk you may find timber that is more accustomed to tension rather than compression.

If in fact we can duplicate these on video it would be a good thing to know when looking to pull a tree around .... notch at branches or root flares etc .....

.... the seed has been sewn. 

So fallers, please line those cameras up in line with the notch and lets see what happens, I am somewhat limited here in suburbia.

What I did to line the camera up is stood in front of the notch at a fair distance and picked a landmark that was dead behind the tree then went around the back and lined up. 

Regardless of what your brain might be telling you that is the right spot! Yep, at times I thought nah ... it's more over this way but you are getting sucked in with land lays, other trees, leans etc.... also there was no wind.

The second tree that fell you could easily see how the notch was dead ahead and the lean was followed all the way to the ground with the tree slightly off to the left ... no gunned adjustment.


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## clearance

Mike Maas said:


> There are people of all skill levels that read here. Some whose head this will all go right over, some who might learn somethings, and some who think they know it all and still won't understand the subtleties of the art of felling.
> Clearance might fit into the third category. He's known since he was a teenager that he should use tapered hinge on leaners, but misses the point on these tapered hinge vs. adjusted gun arguments. Even some of the most published "experts" disagree on the subject.


I am not a faller, faller is a big word means a lot, many people think they are fallers, not. What I mean is why is the "tapered hinge" not in Arborist 101? I am amazed some don't agree with its worth, I guess thousands of fallers are wrong?


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## smokechase II

*Root pull*

B-Edwards:

I'm gonna suggest that root pull should be under a separate heading. Pretty powerful stuff, a root that lines up with a back-cut being completed in some manner.
_"The root happened to be beside the hinge and I cut very low."_ That is the most common instance.
Generally, potential to root pull is something to be removed, rather than utilized in the training I've received. Removal is by cutting the root as low as possible prior to any falling cuts above or near it.
Those that can utilize root pull predictably are better, more experienced fallers than I.

A similar story to yours is a 16" or so diameter burl on the side of a dead 90 foot tall/28" dia. Ponderosa Pine.
The cutter did an essentially perfect job of face direction, even back cut/ hinge etc. Except he placed the face into the bottom of the burl.
It appeared the burl, being a denser stronger wood - even though this was a dead tree, pulled the Pine over to its side by about 4-5-6 degrees. My suggestion to the cutter was move down the tree next time and avoid the burl altogether.

Ekka:
What we are taught locally and I believe you may find to be true. Is that the wood from the start of the butt swell, is denser and stronger, the lower you go. It is holding the tree up, providing both support vertically and resistance to being blown over.
When cutting this wood at the trees base, it is harder to saw through.
(Framers; before nail guns, used to be able to tell quickly when they had the end of a board that came from the butt of the tree.)
So the roots and very bottom of the butt remain wetter longer and maintain strength that way. You bet.
They also are just very strong, within the context of their species.


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## John Ellison

That is hard to believe a training course that says a tapered hinge is inefective. Unless they are talking about a tree that is being pulled with a line and has a line set to counter the lean. Heck, if you have enough lines set you would not even need a hinge. This isnt an arb. attack, just think we might be talking about two different things.
A faller working a clear cut will start at the bottom of his strip and work up. Most all of the trees [ usually ]will lean downhill. To keep from breaking timber and maintain a lead the timber has to be fell parallel to the slope. At least most of the time. This means you are always falling to one side or the other of the head lean. You will be using some kind of a tapered hinge [more holding wood on uphill side than on lower side] or else you will be pounding on wedges till the cows come home or you will lose a lot of trees.[ hinge is too thin on the uphill side, breaks early and the tree falls straight downhill and makes a big mess.
Someone mentioned that a tapered hinge will break earlier on the thicker or uphill side. I believe that is just because the uphill side is doing all the work, just because it starts to break earlier on the outside dosnt mean its not doing its job. The lower side is being compressed and is hardly doing any work at all.


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## trevmcrev

TreeCo said:


> I've used the tapered hinge for the past 16 years and in my experience it does not steer the tree.
> 
> Dan



Then I have to ask, WHY DO YOU USE IT? Or have you now ceased to use it?
Why did you do something for 16 years that was not working? 

Trev


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## clearance

xtremetrees said:


> Nice Video!
> I have never used wedges!


Never? Hmmm, why not?


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## trevmcrev

TreeCo said:


> I use it to give a little stronger hinge when a tree has a side lean to the direction I want it to fall.
> 
> Dan



Soooo, if your tapered hinge helps a tree to fall where YOU want rather than where IT naturally may go without employing this technique and relying on the face cut alone, then would it not be fair enough to say...................... 

It works. 

Trev


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## Ekka

OK, couple of things.

It was said earlier the fibres at the back of the hinge break first ... of course. As the thicker side of the tapered hinge has more fibre further back they will break sooner.

But at the same time the work those fibres were doing was resisting a sideways breakage. For example the tree not falling straight down the hill.

Anyway.

*I did another video*, only had stupid palms but it proved the point yet again. Actually it was handy having palms as they are symetrical and straight so little else plays with the felling direction.

Here you go, around 5mins and 23.5mb wmv

www.palmtreeservices.com.au/video/piecuts2.wmv

I did two, one with just a tapered hinge ... the other I kept cutting the hinge away on one side as it was falling to show that as mentioned earlier that is a way (although risky) to have a little control over the direction of fall.

By the way, I was also taught that a tapered hinge opposite the lean was an effective way of having a little extra support to prevent losing the tree off to the side.

What I am trying to do now is see if that tapered hinge changes the fall direction ... and you need straight symetrical trees to do that (pines etc)

All good stuff, getting slow motion video is good, I do prefer shots from the back but couldn't in this case coz was a house there.


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## Spockbob

I've been felling for about 35 tears, some virgin timber, dead trees and hollow. I use a tapered back cut all the time. It doesn't turn the tree, but helps to keep the load bearing side from failing. Try felling a hollow tree with a lean, I have left 6-10 inches on one side and 3-4 on the other, and not had one fail yet. Just remember to never cut one side off completely.


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## Kneejerk Bombas

Spockbob said:


> I've been felling for about 35 tears, some virgin timber, dead trees and hollow. I use a tapered back cut all the time. It doesn't turn the tree, but helps to keep the load bearing side from failing.


With a leaner, the tapper strengthens the hinge and makes the tree fall in the direction of the face cut, but with a perfectly straight tree, tapering the hinge will steer the tree somewhat. When cutting a tree without lean, and using a tapered hinge, the tree will fall somewhere between the angle of the face cut and the back cut.
This shows the taper steers the tree.


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## joesawer

IMO the tapers in the video were not enough to turn the trees out off the face. 
Any one who thinks that a tapered hinge will not swing a tree is sadly lacking in practical experience. 
A slightly tapered hinge to keep the tensile strength higher on the tension side of a leaner is just basic common sense. 
Swinging a tree is a whole different game and has a lot more tricks than just a tapered hinge. turning or swinging trees does not have very much practical application in residential arbor work, it is just to inconsistent.


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## rbtree

Bump for this very good thread. 

I was not impressed at all by the Arbormaster training guys who follow Tim Ard's methods. Open face, bore cuts on all trees regardless of favor, and saying a tapered hinge doesn't work.

bollocks!


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## Nailsbeats

Well, I will throw my 2 cents in here.

My dad taught me to hold one side on a leaning tree aka a tapered hinge. He does this in the woods and will steer a tree around obstacles as it falls by adjusting the taper. It isn't a major amount, but it does affect it and give you the desired result. In the thick stuff I use a low notch so the hinge breaks early and the tree is allowed to roll through the fall.

It works, just watch the top and make slight adjustments early on in the fall. Like he says, "sometimes you need to walk the top over to get around something and then bring it back."


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## BillC

I work in mostly residential areas and will use a tapered hinge leaving more wood on the strong non leaning side. This is not to steer the tree (for me at least) but to add a little insurance that the hinge does not break too early from the stress of the lean and cause it to veer away from the aim of the notch. Especially true when the bar is too short for the full back cut in one pass where you are cutting the weak side first and finishing on the uphill side. Great thread and it is nice to hear the info from the seasoned pros out there.


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## secureland

How do I view Ekka's Videos?

A special program?


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## ray benson

Just click on the link in his first post. It plays in Windows Media Player.


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## treemandan

I couldn't get to see Ekka's video and all this reading has just, well, not helped.
So, I guess a tapered hinge is when you just cut more of the hinge wood on one side? Oh, that's all?
Hell, if you drop em slow enough you can steer em pretty good. Sometimes I make it go one way then another BUT it will only steer when its still relatively standing up, once it starts to go it goes.
I swear to God I drove a tree around one to one side then tucked it back to the other. it really depends on the tree though.
One time the boss was notching the tree I had just stripped out and it started to go towards a shed( he was alittle off, it happens). The other two guys bailed but I sucked the slack out of the pull line and ran in the other direction with it. I was able to pull the falling spar ( pretty big) off its course of diaster enough to save the day... again. I wouln't of had to if he had steered it better.
Adjusted gun/ tapered hinge? Oops, I thought I had invented that.Sorry.


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## treemandan

rbtree said:


> Bump for this very good thread.
> 
> I was not impressed at all by the Arbormaster training guys who follow Tim Ard's methods. Open face, bore cuts on all trees regardless of favor, and saying a tapered hinge doesn't work.
> 
> bollocks!



That is what was confusing me. I thought everybody was hip to a tapered hinge. Works great! Bore cuts on the other hand...


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## treemandan

secureland said:


> How do I view Ekka's Videos?
> 
> A special program?



didn't work for me but all I know is point and click ( maybe a #### site or two). 
I have been reading this for months trying to figure out what everybody was talking about.
Its just leaving more hinge wood on a particular side... I think.


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## ray benson

I sent Ekka a PM to see why the his videos aren't working.
If I click on the link it doesn't work. Get this error
This program cannot read this webpage format 
HTTP 406 
What you can try: 
Go back to the previous page. 

More information 

This error (HTTP 406 Not Acceptable) means that this program was able to receive information from the website you visited, but the information was not in a format that it can display.
.................................................................................

But if I right click on the link and open it in another tab the video works.


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## Tr33Climb3r

Very cool and interesting to watch your techniques.....a lot different from my dad and mines


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## vaclimber

*enjoying your videos*

assisting the tapered hinge with some pull or push does manipulate direction of fall considerably depending on species and tissue health. I believe dead, brittle, and baked softwood (with no hinge) is a situation to not expect very much control during fall.


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## murphy4trees

I finally got around to taking Ekka's challenge and took the camcorder to a job to see of the falling direction could be altered with the backcut.. I know that may seem funny to a lot of experienced faller, kind of like dropping a leaf to see if it will fall to the ground... BUT Ekka even cited an article that argues that the lay will not be effected by the angle of the backcut... 

So here are the results and they were surprising... White ash, straight enough trees, flat grouond, insignificant wind, open face notch... the two trees, that were pulled with pull lines, fell in perfect line with the notch.. Pull line was pulled in the direction of the notch... The one tree that had a slight head lean and no pull line, fell perfectly in line with the backcut, which was some 12-15º off the notch.. 

SO that does prove without any question that a tree can be steered with the back cut, just not exactly sure why the difference. It might be that the direction of pull determines which side of the hinge (on white ash of nothing else) will steer the tree... My belief is that the better a species hinges, the more ability the faller has to steer with the backcut.. 

More later.. though Don't expect to see the video any time soon..


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