Blocking, chunking, undermining the COG

[Reg]

Man. There sure are some jerk offs on here eh? Haha, jeeze. We all do the same very dangerous work. What's with all the hate/**** talking on here? People say be safe, take your time, yada yada, then, it seems they turn right around and talk **** on someone's techniques being tooooo slow, or waaaaaasteful, or whatever the hell. I just don't get it. Why's everyone always wanna make a big deal outta stuff? Never met Reg in person but he seems like a sound fella who's confident/good enough to take large chunks like demonstrated, annnnnnd also be safe and smart to his comfort level about it. No ones "way" is really "better" than anyone else's in reality. Especially if they accomplish what they set out to do that day, and safely leave site and go back home that evening. Hope somebody gets what I'm trying to say. And Reg, keep being an "egotistical European"! I do quite enjoy how it seems to disgruntle lots of my fellow "mericuns"

Thanks mate, really, but no worries. I've been around forums long enough that its not going to hurt my feelings. That and the extent of my arrogance means that even if Im wrong, Im still right. Clearly.

The footage here emphasizes it better even: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/treework-santa-clara-slowmo.250625/#post-4657333

Thats not Mr Holden in the other tree at the begining either. He is probably busy doing more important work, in a very important city.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

Reg, what I did notice and thought was interesting was when you make your snap cuts during the first part of the video, you make your second cut above the first. I've always done my second cut lower. I was taught this way so if that piece decides to go on its own, your saw won't be stuck in the kerf of the overlap.

Does that make sense?

Just wondering if there's a specific reason you cut first low, second high?

I learned using break cuts from a climber with more years climbing that I hired part time. He cuts most of the way through on the back side, then cuts just a tad on top of the first cut until the chunk drops down and closes the deeper kerf on the far side. If the chunks are heavy, you just rock them a little to break them free and then rotate them like a full garbage can; once they overhang a bit, it's easy to push them over. Just did a beetle-killed ponderosa pine this way; the last piece was at 24 in. diameter and around 32 in. tall. I quit because I was tired of being in the tree, and felled the rest.

I used to take taller pieces, make a face cut, and pound wedges. No more. I haven't done it yet, but I'll probably follow his lead and take a pry bar up with me if I have to push over double-firewood 3 ft. thick chunks (or fatter).