# The Springpole Release



## slowp (Jan 1, 2014)

Here is a typical vine maple springpole. Cut it wrong and you can get hurt. I returned today and took care of it with hand saws. Before leaving home I improvised another duck tape and sleeping pad sheath. This is my most dangerous saw. I seem to cut myself with it or impale myself. It is a sharp beast.




OK, with a handsaw, you make cuts like this underneath the curve. Your saw will get pinched when it is enough then you move over and make a series of them. With a chainsaw, you just cut a bit into it and repeat. You might still feel the saw start to pinch. 



Then, carefully cut down from the top. I was being extra cautious, so put additional little cuts in along the top of the curve. See the split? Then, I cut it off.


All the tension was gone, and it dropped harmlessly to the ground.


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## Metals406 (Jan 1, 2014)

Wait? Maple? That's a hardwood, and you're from the west coast. You must not know what you're talking about.


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## slowp (Jan 1, 2014)

Metals406 said:


> Wait? Maple? That's a hardwood, and you're from the west coast. You must not know what you're talking about.


OMG!  I shouldn't have messed with it, and I've got a Bigleaf Maple picked for the next gym visit! What to do??


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## 1270d (Jan 1, 2014)

What's the deciduous snobbery thing? Is there a thread somewhere I need to go read or what? I cut more hardwood than most but try not to be any kind of snob?


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## Cedarkerf (Jan 1, 2014)

The joy of Vine Maple, thrown chains and your teeth rattling in your head.


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## slowp (Jan 1, 2014)

It'll launch a chunk of firewood up pretty high into the air. Don't ask me how I know this.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 1, 2014)

deciduous snobbery, the act or feeling of broad leaf trees being superior their needle leafed cousins, see phallus envy.

The act or feeling of hard wood cutters feeling that soft wood cutters are hacks, see undergarment bunching/knotting


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## northmanlogging (Jan 1, 2014)

If'n I remember correctly their was some butt surfer saying awhile back that cutting of vine maples and spring poles in general with a hand saw was incredibly dangerous and anyone trying would surely die or forever be maimed if they had the audacity to even try.

notably he was mistaken... about many things...


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## slowp (Jan 1, 2014)

northmanlogging said:


> If'n I remember correctly their was some butt surfer saying awhile back that cutting of vine maples and spring poles in general with a hand saw was incredibly dangerous and anyone trying would surely die or forever be maimed if they had the audacity to even try.
> 
> notably he was mistaken... about many things...


 
They'll teach you how at the sawyer clinics for trail volunteers.


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## lmbrman (Jan 1, 2014)

Here is woodyman from MN showing his technique for springpoles at the charity cut. I think he called it 'partial release'.


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## Philbert (Jan 2, 2014)

I thought this thread was a sequel to "The Shawshank Redption"!!!

But seriously folks . . . 

I have seen instructions to run the chain (top of bar) back and forth laterally under the bend, almost like a grinder, to remove compression wood and relieve tension on the top of the bough. 

I prefer to use a pole saw to 'defuse' these from a short distance. 

Philbert


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## slowp (Jan 2, 2014)

Philbert said:


> I thought this thread was a sequel to "The Shawshank Redption"!!!
> 
> But seriously folks . . .
> 
> ...


 

I have heard and seen it at the chainsaw precert. They called it shaving and it would be hard to do with a hand saw.


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## madhatte (Jan 2, 2014)

Got a nice dent in my hardhat not too long ago from a stray hunk of vine maple I wasn't paying enough attention to.


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## bitzer (Jan 6, 2014)

Conifers are an entirely different animal to me. Therefore I've got much respect for them. I love cutting some nice tall pine and spruce (tall for here is about 100ft.) The guys who think cutting them is easy have no real time on the saw in any kind of timber. Hardwood almost always has some kind of lean or limb weight. For me judging conifers can be tricky. I just don't have the stump time on em. Throw some steep ground in and about double the height of what I'm used to and I'd have a lot of humble thoughts. I nearly always cut spring poles at the end. A small undercut than a quick over. Just gotta know where to stand and what its going to do. Hope ya don't mind me editing your picture Miss P! Couldn't find one of my own. Unless the tip is up too high, then I nip at it like that. That's with a chainsaw of course.


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## bitzer (Jan 6, 2014)

1270d said:


> What's the deciduous snobbery thing? Is there a thread somewhere I need to go read or what? I cut more hardwood than most but try not to be any kind of snob?


There are a lot of claims by guys who have no real time on a saw that cutting conifers are like cutting telephone poles. Just an ongoing rant kind of thing.


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## slowp (Jan 6, 2014)

bitzer said:


> Conifers are an entirely different animal to me. Therefore I've got much respect for them. I love cutting some nice tall pine and spruce (tall for here is about 100ft.) The guys who think cutting them is easy have no real time on the saw in any kind of timber. Hardwood almost always has some kind of lean or limb weight. For me judging conifers can be tricky. I just don't have the stump time on em. Throw some steep ground in and about double the height of what I'm used to and I'd have a lot of humble thoughts. I nearly always cut spring poles at the end. A small undercut than a quick over. Just gotta know where to stand and what its going to do. Hope ya don't mind me editing your picture Miss P! Couldn't find one of my own. Unless the tip is up too high, then I nip at it like that. That's with a chainsaw of course.
> 
> View attachment 326315


 
And you'll get the trebouchet effect. If you've got a long bar and chainsaw and there is nothing to be launched, that'll work. But with my little pruning saw (which I have named Cudjo), I will continue to do the time release cuts. It's just the safer way. 

Vine maple is one of our more notorious species of brush. 

I don't know how to draw on my pictures so go ahead. But, should you ever be watched by the trail sawing gurus, they'll want you to do the little cuts method and ding you for the red circle cut. They're just trying to keep folks healthy and doing the same thing.


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## bitzer (Jan 6, 2014)

I know. I was taught to cut em that way too. With a chainsaw of course. I wouldn't go gnawing away at the end with a hand saw.


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## slowp (Jan 6, 2014)

I guess I could have put a Barbie doll on it and launched her. The Used Dog might have retrieved the doll, or not.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 6, 2014)

Thing with conifers is to do your best to judge lean, use and axe plumb bob whatever, then stuff a wedge in her as soon as there is room, cause even if you do judge the lean right the wind will be there to prove you wrong anyway.


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## slowp (Jan 6, 2014)

Darned if I can figure out which way they want to go.....Dammit Jim, I'm not a faller, I'm just a country forester....
This little one sat back but I got the saw out in time and I have no idea why those little stairsteppy things are there.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 6, 2014)

Someone needs to spend the time and show ya how to back em first stuff a wedge then face it up... perhaps at that gtg thing in Oly if it ever happens...


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## slowp (Jan 6, 2014)

northmanlogging said:


> Someone needs to spend the time and show ya how to back em first stuff a wedge then face it up... perhaps at that gtg thing in Oly if it ever happens...


 
I've seen that done. I don't trust my cutting either. I'd whack off the hinge and down the little bugger would come, right on the Barbie Bar. It was explained to me after a tree did "sat back'" on my saw and it was a similarly sized tree except it was.......a maple. A friend cut out my saw, after getting all excited and yelling. Oh well.
It's done in this video.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 6, 2014)

Its not so hard, just have to be careful with hold wood, better to leave to much, If you can cut fyrewood you can do a backwards falling cut. take it slow and think about every cut, aim carefully and fallow through, just like shooting skvuerls, remember to gun the back cut, and gun the face to the same spot, easy peasy


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## 056 kid (Jan 7, 2014)

Just don't do it on a head leaner lol. Or maybe its better to say don't wedge it into a head leaner before the face is in!


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## madhatte (Jan 7, 2014)

northmanlogging said:


> perhaps at that gtg thing in Oly if it ever happens...



Workin' on it. Like I said before, it's not my rodeo, but I can still tug on coat-sleeves. I guess the city got cold feet worrying about liability or something.


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## paccity (Jan 7, 2014)

well why don't we plan on some takedowns at bobs this spring. i know he would like some thinned out . plenty of hard leaners in there. and there not connies. just a thought.


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## slowp (Jan 7, 2014)

Those scary cottonwoods?


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## twochains (Jan 7, 2014)

Ms. P. I see you using alot of hand tools on your adventures....are you required to in some areas? I love your all's scenery out there! I am a fern freak! I love them...and your alls moss...wow what a beautiful region you all live in!


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## treeslayer2003 (Jan 7, 2014)

I meant to say something about the ferns before, some here are protected but I can't tell um apart. lol, almost everything here is protected, I don't dare say anything when I find strange stuff.


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## slowp (Jan 7, 2014)

twochains said:


> Ms. P. I see you using alot of hand tools on your adventures....are you required to in some areas? I love your all's scenery out there! I am a fern freak! I love them...and your alls moss...wow what a beautiful region you all live in!


 
Remember, it rains and rains and rains here. I've got a table lamp on now. I had to get a light turned on just a bit ago so I could read my music. That's why there's all that moss, and ferns and green moss on my pickup. On the road there's moss hanging from trees, moss along the road and moss even grows in the road and gets scraped off by the road crew in places. Our clothing sometimes has that mildew smell. I notice it when I travel over to the dry side of the mountains. 

I'm using hand tools because I've only got The Used Dog as a helper so I'm going lightweight, I want to be quiet cuz it's kind of a stealth operation--OK as long as I stay low profile, it is on a legal, official trail, and I'm really fat and will burn more calories with hand tools. I call it the gym.


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## slowp (Jan 7, 2014)

treeslayer2003 said:


> I meant to say something about the ferns before, some here are protected but I can't tell um apart. lol, almost everything here is protected, I don't dare say anything when I find strange stuff.


 
A former 'ologist wanted to start putting restrictions and protecting ferns and got thumbs down. They're everywhere. It's hard to see where you are stepping, or what you are stepping on. 

I've moved some around on my place. They transplant well if you put them in the same kind of sun exposure.


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## slowp (Jan 7, 2014)




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## twochains (Jan 7, 2014)

slowp said:


> Remember, it rains and rains and rains here. I've got a table lamp on now. I had to get a light turned on just a bit ago so I could read my music. That's why there's all that moss, and ferns and green moss on my pickup. On the road there's moss hanging from trees, moss along the road and moss even grows in the road and gets scraped off by the road crew in places. Our clothing sometimes has that mildew smell. I notice it when I travel over to the dry side of the mountains.
> 
> I'm using hand tools because I've only got The Used Dog as a helper so I'm going lightweight, I want to be quiet cuz it's kind of a stealth operation--OK as long as I stay low profile, it is on a legal, official trail, and I'm really fat and will burn more calories with hand tools. I call it the gym.



HA! Well, yes ma'am that will get you into shape for sure! I was wondering because in our designated National Park section of the National Forest they have strange laws such as...no dogs (oddly enough) no rubber tired anything (carts, or vehicles)...once a plane mysteriously went down in Park service ground...it was taken apart and brought out on a trailer with solid metal wheels! That was stupid because the tractor pulling the trailer still had rubber tires! IDK...My buddies wher filming the "Non-reported" plane crash and gubmnet guys threatened to take their cameras...my buddies took off and ran from them on their dirtbikes. They were going to take their cameras...! Go figure! 

I have some endagered ferns on my property...tons of "red ferns", they grow knee high...really pretty!


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## twochains (Jan 7, 2014)

I also had a pair of chocolate labs growing up! Buk and Belle, they were great dogs, both had hip dysplasia though, Belle had alot of surgeries, but Buk never had any.


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## Cedarkerf (Jan 7, 2014)

slowp said:


> View attachment 326480
> View attachment 326483
> 
> 
> View attachment 326487


Reminds me of home


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## northmanlogging (Jan 7, 2014)

paccity said:


> well why don't we plan on some takedowns at bobs this spring. i know he would like some thinned out . plenty of hard leaners in there. and there not connies. just a thought.



You mean Callifornia Bob as in Gologit or some different other bob, cause there seems to be a metric **** ton of em running around... 

As much as I hate cottonwoods, they do sound good crashing to the ground.


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## paccity (Jan 7, 2014)

northmanlogging said:


> You mean Callifornia Bob as in Gologit or some different other bob, cause there seems to be a metric **** ton of em running around...
> 
> As much as I hate cottonwoods, they do sound good crashing to the ground.


farleyville. gologit will attend hopefuly.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 7, 2014)

Hmm Oregon... Probably the same weekend as Deming again... Risk being arrested 600 miles from home, or go to Deming and see the same people as last year... I guess I could just pay that fine, wait no, I didn't do anything wrong... (****ing cops anyway)... 

Its up to the war dept...


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## nk14zp (Jan 8, 2014)

slowp said:


> View attachment 325447
> 
> 
> Here is a typical vine maple springpole. Cut it wrong and you can get hurt. I returned today and took care of it with hand saws. Before leaving home I improvised another duck tape and sleeping pad sheath. This is my most dangerous saw. I seem to cut myself with it or impale myself. It is a sharp beast.
> ...




What no sloping back cut?


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## slowp (Jan 8, 2014)

It is slopping.


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## HuskStihl (Jan 8, 2014)

slowp said:


> View attachment 326417



That picture makes me feel right at home


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## SliverPicker (Jan 8, 2014)

My mom used to work at a dentist's office. They would get 3-4 loggers per year that were missing multiple teeth or much worse from spring pole releases. Oral surgeons love spring poles.


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