Bifurcated Oak

[bert0168]

Damn hedgerow trees :bang:

Looking for some tips on falling this bifurcated oak. Hard lean with head lean too. I feel it's within my ability but it's the first bifurcated tree of this size for me and I'm not sure if I should take it whole, which I think may be possible, or fall each trunk separately (thats what I'm not sure how to do).

If the split was lower, I would be fine but It splits at about chest/head height with each trunk about 24" - 30". The single stump I estimate at 3' or so across, didn't actually measure it. The lean is away from anything it can destroy (except me :msp_w00t so I can fall it into the lean which is pretty hard IMO. If I try to take each one separately, I think I may need to bore them to keep them from chairing.

What I'm worried about is how do I get the back trunk down with the front trunk in the way? Should I take the chunk out from in front of it after the front trunk is down? I'm not sure I can snipe it enough to jump it that far.

 

[802climber]

Hey I am not trying to be a jerk but maybe you should hire a climber for an hour or two.


:chainsawguy:

 

[Slamm]

Are you dropping them to the left in that photo .......... across the fence? Or to the right?

If its to the left just cut the fence move it out of the way and drop them like one tree. Shallow face to stay away from rotten wood and bore cut it or swing cut it in some manner to leave a backstrap to hold it all together until its time to let them go.

If its to the right, you have your work cut out for you.

Sam

 

[Jacob J.]

Are you dropping them to the left in that photo .......... across the fence? Or to the right?

If its to the left just cut the fence move it out of the way and drop them like one tree. Shallow face to stay away from rotten wood and bore cut it or swing cut it in some manner to left a backstrap to hold it all together until its time to let them go.

That's what I would do, fall the whole mess as one tree. You can shimmy up a ways and set binders around the two stems to keep them together.
I fell a Silver Leaf Maple once that had four stems coming out from a 3.5' x 4.25' trunk. I set three sets of binders around the stems and fell 'em as one trunk.

 

[bert0168]

They are going to the left which is into the lean. I was thinking of dropping them as one tree but didn't think about using a binder strap. Good idea :msp_thumbsup:

The POS fence will be gone.

 

[bert0168]

Hey I am not trying to be a jerk but maybe you should hire a climber for an hour or two.


:chainsawguy:

No problem.

The rub is that it's standing dead, I don't think I could get anyone to climb it AND there is no way to get a bucket in there.

 

[huskyhank]

What Slamm wrote.
This is a good time to bore.

 

[802climber]

No problem.

The rub is that it's standing dead, I don't think I could get anyone to climb it AND there is no way to get a bucket in there.

Oops, couldn't tell that from the pics at first.

 

[imagineero]

You can never get anything more than the most general advice from a single photo like that, without seeing the tree in person.

Based on that single pic, I'd be inspecting the intersection of the 2 leaders very closely for cracks. My gut feeling looking at the pic is that they can both go as one, but then without seeing the head and what's in it you can't really make that call.

What saws have you got? If you've got a nice fast saw with a big enough bar then you could take the whole thing with a coos bay cut which is pretty simple and straightforward. You dont have much directional control but it doesn't look like you need it. Alternatively a bore cut will work fine. If you don't have a bar that will reach all the way through the trunk near the ground and aren't that proficient with matching your cuts then taking the 2 trunks individually might be more the way to go. I'd still take the first with a coos, then the second with a conventional face. Look real cafeully at how the branches interact. If there is any interation (highly likely) then taking them both at once is the safer option.

More photos would help.

Shaun

 

[palogger390]

Like slamm said bore cut. Just watch for any sort of seperation or listen for a pop when you get close where they grow together. If either happens get out of dodge. If it is rotten watch that it doesn't collapse on your bar. If i were a little closer I'd put it on the ground for you in few minutes, but its long drive to Bucks county from Cameron county.
Good luck. And don't do anything you are uncomfortable with.:biggrin:

 

[Slamm]

One thing I was going to point out about that crack or pop that Palogger just said. Is if you bore cut it and it starts to separate just keep going and let that first one fall over, get out of the way. As the second one will have enough meat to stay put, there are variables, but after the first one goes over (if they separate), you have probably started to cut certain parts of the second stem. Check to see if you can use that started cut with a proper face cut and then send the second one on its way. Just a thought, if they do separate.

Sam