Bucking Large Deadfall - Need Tips

[slowp]

I am a firm believer in flames. Orange, yellow and red flames. They'll make it go faster.

 

[AT sawyer]

I think this is the diagram you were looking for

Just got back from trail project in the mountains. Graphic shows the compound cut, though a bit exaggerated. This type of cut is much less likely to bind, but you have to cut more wood, so don't make your angle so large that you can't cut it cleanly. I find that I only need to compound it on one cut to get the same effect, but a double compound pretty much guarantees it won't bind. Wedges are your friends.

View attachment 198680

View attachment 198680

 

[sailri]

It is going in Monday morning, the color is called "Detonator Yellow", currently seen on Dodge Chargers.

Love that color on the Chargers.

But the best looking Ranchero I've ever seen was at the Shelby Museum in Boulder. Black with red painted highlights and interior, and a Shelby Cobra engine - looked like a Batmobile pickup - and it was '62 or '63 so it had the mini-fins on the back. Belonged to a museum volunteer.

Gonna look nice in yellow....

 

[Biker Dude]

I like that compound cut, I'll have to try it some day!

I would have just made a top cut 1/4 through the log, pounded 2 wedges, and then cut up from the bottom till the log came free.

 

[MtnHermit]

Just got back from trail project in the mountains. Graphic shows the compound cut, though a bit exaggerated. This type of cut is much less likely to bind, but you have to cut more wood, so don't make your angle so large that you can't cut it cleanly. I find that I only need to compound it on one cut to get the same effect, but a double compound pretty much guarantees it won't bind. Wedges are your friends.

Thanks for that diagram, helps a lot.

Turns out your diagram and this one from another thread were the key, I just didn't pull it all together in the field.

I used #1 on small trees repeatedly and it worked every time. Somehow my firewood cutting experience had me cutting square to the tree (essentially #4) and I would have had a guaranteed B&C bind had I not left that small uncut section. I recognized the bind potential, I just couldn't figure out the solution while cutting.

I've now figured out both the correct cut and why my process of cutting the top before cutting through the uncut center worked. Had I used the correct cut angle, #1, I would not have had to worry about a B&C bind then a compound cut of a smaller block, one I could roll away, would have cleared the trail. I used my wedge repeatedly, you can see my wedge driver sitting on top of the log, photo #2 of my OP.

BTW, your diagram also answered another unasked question, the 1" offset away from the drop side. I find I have a difficult time when under-cutting in matching the cut line, now I know to move away from the drop side. IOWs, error away.

Thanks again for the post, major help.

 

[AT sawyer]

Devil of a post

And you thought nobody'd notice.........

 

[MtnHermit]

Just got back from trail project in the mountains. Graphic shows the compound cut, though a bit exaggerated. This type of cut is much less likely to bind, but you have to cut more wood, so don't make your angle so large that you can't cut it cleanly. I find that I only need to compound it on one cut to get the same effect, but a double compound pretty much guarantees it won't bind. Wedges are your friends.

Finally got a chance to try a double compound cut that you described and illustrated. I stood the saw on its nose using the dawgs to define a straight line on the backside of the log, then followed that line on the front side, then finished with cutting up from below. It behaved as you described, dropped away with no binding.

This was the technique i should have used on my OP photos. All my firewood experience had me mind locked into square cuts.

Thanks again for the how-to.

 

[AT sawyer]

Thanks for sharing that, it's a picture-perfect example of the technique.

 

[ShaneLogs]

This was the last and largest of the trail deadfall I needed to remove at an elevation of 11,800-feet. As you can see from the third photo I succeeded but I was in constant fear of binding the B&C. I'm hoping someone would critique my process and offer tips how I could have done it better, given a chainsaw with a 20" bar. My estimate of the diameter for my first cut was 26". All photos were taken from the high side of the tree.

• I started at the low side/bottom and did a top cut about half-way into the log until the saw jumped about 3/4 of the way down. I hadn't noticed the vertical split in the log
• Then went to the high side and did a top cut down about 1/4 diameter
• Set my wedge into the top
• Bored into the tree below the split and continued down and out
• I could see daylight through all the cuts except in the middle
• Went to the top and removed top limbs and cleaned the ground for good footing
• Made a vertical cut, ~1/3 diameter, of the low side from the top while standing at the high side, this cut was ~6" below the support log barely visible in the second photo
• Did a top cut half way down
• Set my wedge into the top
• Cut down and through the log, it dropped ~2", apparently supported by one of the limbs
• Went back to the bottom cut, set the wedge, cut through the middle resulting in the second photo
• Used a 3' dia log to pry the cut log out of the bind

The two photos were taken 45-minutes apart, felt like 2-hours.

A third photo, may help.

Please share your suggestions/knowledge.

The photos look great and good job! Are you just clearing a walking trail or is it a four wheeler trail or something ?

 

[MtnHermit]

The photos look great and good job! Are you just clearing a walking trail or is it a four wheeler trail or something ?

You can learn more in this post and accompanying thread.

The trail has never been used, hence the overgrown look. The trail will be foot and horse only when it is "opened".

 

[slowp]

You can learn more in this post and accompanying thread.

The trail has never been used, hence the overgrown look. The trail will be foot and horse only when it is "opened".

I will guess that you are doing outlaw work. Breaking the law. AND you've actually posted it on the internet.

Did you do NEPA work before building your trail? I think not. That is required by law whenever a ground disturbing activity is undertaken and usually before the actual work starts. Like building new trail. Or rerouting old trail.

But, you seem to be above the law, at least you've never said whether you had FS approval for your work.

Funny, the guys who work in the woods, who make livings in the woods, have to abide by the law. I guess if you are a recreationalist, anything goes.

And, are you in wilderness? If so, you are breaking another law. Plus, you've opened up a way to cost the taxpayers more money. An environmental group could now sue, because procedures and LAWS were not followed. Then the trail would need to be obliterated, and more money removed from trail maintenance for that work. See what a can of worms you've opened???

 

[2dogs]

MtnHermit I haven't heard from you in awhile. Have you been banned or just MIA?

BTW are those images recent? Colorado has warmer weather than California.

 

[Gologit]

I will guess that you are doing outlaw work. Breaking the law. AND you've actually posted it on the internet.

Did you do NEPA work before building your trail? I think not. That is required by law whenever a ground disturbing activity is undertaken and usually before the actual work starts. Like building new trail. Or rerouting old trail.

But, you seem to be above the law, at least you've never said whether you had FS approval for your work.

Funny, the guys who work in the woods, who make livings in the woods, have to abide by the law. I guess if you are a recreationalist, anything goes.

And, are you in wilderness? If so, you are breaking another law. Plus, you've opened up a way to cost the taxpayers more money. An environmental group could now sue, because procedures and LAWS were not followed. Then the trail would need to be obliterated, and more money removed from trail maintenance for that work. See what a can of worms you've opened???

Well, he's never let common sense, good advice, and rules get in the way of what he wants to do yet.
He has no idea of how much he doesn't know.
And no clue of the long-reaching harm his well meaning but clueless actions can cause.

 

[redprospector]

Well, he's never let common sense, good advice, and rules get in the way of what he wants to do yet.
He has no idea of how much he doesn't know.
And no clue of the long-reaching harm his well meaning but clueless actions can cause.

Hahaha. Sounds like some other folks on here.

Andy

 

[tramp bushler]

People who asj questions in here should think a little before getting all tore up over having something explained to them . They should have worked for some of the hook tenders I've had to . . What is it about people from Colorado , always telling their elevation .
Oh I'm from 14,000 feet
SO .


Shouldn't get so enamered with underbucking . What are u gonna do when u have all the same top bind , or more but where u need to buck the tree is on the ground . .

If your nice maybe I'll splain that to u .

 

[floyd]

Well, I guess it is kinda like the "outside" thing there in AK.

 

[MtnHermit]

MtnHermit I haven't heard from you in awhile. Have you been banned or just MIA?

I'm not now nor ever will be a professional logger, just a simple firewood cutter, then only deadfall. Haven't needed help, so no current posts. I simply wanted to thank AT sawyer for the excellent advice.

You attempted to help me in this thread, when I posted this photo:

You can see the general likeness to my intended log on the trail:

I allowed my frustration with the lack of cutting advice coupled with ample equipment advice and I stepped on some toes by lashing out. My bad.

BTW are those images recent? Colorado has warmer weather than California.

Tuesday. The CO snow-pack is ~50% of the 30-year average. Now's the snow in CA?

 

[2dogs]

I'm not now nor ever will be a professional logger, just a simple firewood cutter, then only deadfall. Haven't needed help, so no current posts. I simply wanted to thank AT sawyer for the excellent advice.

You attempted to help me in this thread, when I posted this photo:

You can see the general likeness to my intended log on the trail:

I allowed my frustration with the lack of cutting advice coupled with ample equipment advice and I stepped on some toes by lashing out. My bad.



Tuesday. The CO snow-pack is ~50% of the 30-year average. Now's the snow in CA?

What snow? Our snowpack is way below normal as is rainfall. The water folks have already said we will have rationing this summer.

 

[slowp]

Again, the top photo of blowdown with snow is a Douglas-fir that I ended up cutting out here in Warshington. It is not in Colorado. It was 3 or 4 years ago. I could go up and take pictures of it today as it is still there, but bucked through.