# Bucking question from Professional Timber Falling by Douglas Dent



## fsfcks (May 3, 2009)

I am reading “Professional Timber Falling – A Procedural Approach” by D Douglas Dent, and am puzzled by the descriptions of bucking on pages 146 and 150. I understand the reason for cutting the wedge to provide a release for the compression, followed by cutting the remaining wood.

But why does he describe cutting the offside first? And also boring down through the center log before making the final cut? Both would seem to increase the loggers risk by leaning over the log. It assumes that the nearside is not rotten or otherwise soft, and that cutting the offside is safe. It is not because the bar is shorter than the log, because some of the pictures show long bars.

What is the explanation for the extra cuts?


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## oregoncutter (May 3, 2009)

*sounds like you need a longer bar just kidding*

I think it would be hard to say what's safe and what isn't, alot depends on how the log is laying, and if it's resting on limbs, and where you are bucking it, are the ends suspended or just one end, You have too lok at it, and decide depending upon where you cut it what reaction the log is going to have in general if you are cutting the oofside first You shouldn't be in as much danger as if you were to cut the near side first, because then when all the pressure if any goes You would be leaning over the log.


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## oregoncutter (May 3, 2009)

*using a bar shorter than the diameter of your'e log.*

I know there is more than one right way to skin a cat, most of the time if I have to buck a big log, I will start out by cutting the offside, sometimes while kneeling on the log, then I will take the cut through the center of the log, and work my way out to my near side, depending on the situation I will continue the cut toward me, and work my way down to meet my offside cut, but again it depends on the log and how it's laying there.


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## BC_Logger (May 3, 2009)

heres some info that may help you
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/Forestry/FallingAndBucking.asp


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## fsfcks (May 3, 2009)

Thanks guys. I read the BC Fallers training guide and think I understand now, and why I did not understand before. What I cut would be considered small logs and the BC standard does not show an offside cut. That makes sense to me - it would not be required. For large trees I can see that the offside cut helps avoid the risk of inadvertent holding wood on the offside after you cut the supposed last cut in nearside.


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## Jacob J. (May 4, 2009)

In addition to that, cutting the offside first allows to stand further away from the log when you're finishing bucking the near side. That way you're out of the bite if things go bad. It was even more critical back in Doug Dent's day when the saws were bigger and slower and you were more committed in big wood. 

Side note- his book is still about the best overall you can get for timber cutting, but I highly recommend Gerry Beranek's "Fundamentals of General Tree Work". Gerry's book covers the majority of tree service and timber falling, as well having hundreds of great pictures.


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## fsfcks (May 4, 2009)

Thanks Jacob. That book is even available from an ArboristSite.com sponsor at a good price - Bailey's


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## Billy_Bob (May 4, 2009)

I have that book and looked at those pages.

What is important here is the "final cut". And as said above, this is for large diameter logs.

Anyway all the initial cuts are leading up to that final last cut. And that cut will be a safe cut and a cut which will assure you that your bar does not get "stuck" in the cut.

Notice that the final cut would allow you to stand further back from the log. (And you would be using a long 32" or longer bar typically.)

So if you are standing further back at the time the final wood is severed, then if the log falls down, your toes would not get squished and if the log popped up into the air, your nose would not get hit!

Basically it is to keep the bar from getting stuck in the cut. And this is not fun around here (heavy large diameter trees), because if that happens and you try to use a jack to raise the log, the jack will just sink into the mud and the log will stay put! And I guarantee when this happens, your other "backup saw" will not start. Then it can become a lot of work to get the stuck bar out.

With small diameter light weight logs, no problem if the saw gets stuck. Just bend down and lift the log.


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## 056 kid (May 4, 2009)

bucking is a practice thing. you will make cuts that will want to bind in every direction. thoes are the really dangerous ones cause they usually have alot of different directions of tension on them.


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## 2dogs (May 5, 2009)

Jacob J. said:


> In addition to that, cutting the offside first allows to stand further away from the log when you're finishing bucking the near side. That way you're out of the bite if things go bad. It was even more critical back in Doug Dent's day when the saws were bigger and slower and you were more committed in big wood.
> 
> Side note- his book is still about the best overall you can get for timber cutting, but I highly recommend Gerry Beranek's "Fundamentals of General Tree Work". Gerry's book covers the majority of tree service and timber falling, as well having hundreds of great pictures.



I buck the off side first and then the center of the log. As Jacob and others have stated that allows me to stand back and only have the nose of the bar in the cut. Hopefully the wedges make the log fall apart nicely. I was bucking a 3'+ tan oak two weeks ago that had fallen on its own do to fire. As I bucked off the top of the tree the trunk slid down hill about 8'. I was standing well back from the tree so nothing bad happened. If I had the belly of the bar in the log it would have taken my saw.


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