Barber Chair Question

[smokechase II]

No answer

sILlogger:

Nice job on the illustration and cutting thought/technique.

I have no explanation other than there might have been a hidden defect in those trees.

Here is a shortened statement by John Ellison:
"The weirdest one was a spruce in Alaska. It never had a saw cut in it … the hook tender had just rigged a lift tree. It was not topped. Two 11" blocks, two chokers and two sections of haywire were hanging from the tree. He had just taken off the belt and spurs … we heard a noise and the tree barber chaired from some fault inside starting at 5 feet. No wind at all."

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So on that thought, for the good of the order, here are a couple powerpoint slides converted to jpeg.
They show dealing with visible splits.

 

[046]

smoke.. that's a really dangerous looking split trunk.

 

[sILlogger]

smoke.. that's a really dangerous looking split trunk.

ahh...the real fun ones are the ones that are busted into too sections over your head....but they are still together.....30ft over your head....the tree is already in two pieces sitting on the stump..an upper and lower portion

 

[smokechase II]

Odd thought

That second tree, the Oak, I think was actually more dangerous.

Here is a view of its crown.
If it had been dropped with that split parallel to the hinge............

 

[hammerlogging]

I think some hinges are being left too thick. The width of the hinge, as a guidleline, is 10% diameter MAXIMUM. But even 30" white oaks only need a 3/4" hinge width. Sometimes there is nothing we can do, but really narrowing down your width is going to help. Hickory facwe slabbing, for instance- even 1/2 hinge width and they'll still slab up the face. Sillogger- your technique and description and all tells me you do know whats up but I wonder if your ears are too thick too. Do youclip the outside bark of each side of your hinge? But what i did hear from you is about doing the center bore at the same time as the bottom cut of the face, I always did it as its own step but why? Cause I'd never thought of the way you're saying.

We're allgoing to be tempted to blame the faller for breaking a nice black walnut and there are enough soso cutters who we can blame, but we cant say for sure, it happens eh. We're a proud sort and we can definately talk some crap right?

Its the length of the hinge that is your best tool for precision felling. And the center bore is a great tool.

The root pull can be nasty, especially if it say catches the strap on your chaps or something. SOmetimes I use a buttress root to add strength to my holding wood, but other times I make sure to cut through a buttress root even if it means my holding wood is not at the total back of the stump to avoid chance of root pull.

I like the pics about felling the problem trees. thats the thoughtfulness it takes to be great observe and adapt. We have a skill profession and its art, its a dance

 

[sILlogger]

I think some hinges are being left too thick. The width of the hinge, as a guidleline, is 10% diameter MAXIMUM. But even 30" white oaks only need a 3/4" hinge width. Sometimes there is nothing we can do, but really narrowing down your width is going to help. Hickory facwe slabbing, for instance- even 1/2 hinge width and they'll still slab up the face. Sillogger- your technique and description and all tells me you do know whats up but I wonder if your ears are too thick too. Do youclip the outside bark of each side of your hinge? But what i did hear from you is about doing the center bore at the same time as the bottom cut of the face, I always did it as its own step but why? Cause I'd never thought of the way you're saying.

alot of times it doesn't take much to keep the tree from setting down on the saw...and on a typical tree w/o alot of lean i don't leave very much wood holding....as for clipping the bark...it depends on the tree....hickory, walnut & good white oak=alwasy...some of the other just depend.

that hickory sure is a PITA isn't it!!

 

[056kid]

You can also chase what hinge wood. 2.5'' to .5'' in maby .5 seconds.