Felling broken and hinged tree

[Gotzskillz]

Hey All,

Need some pro help here.

Ive got a oak tree that snapped about 12 feet off the ground, stayed partially attached, and also wedged itself in a crotch against another tree.

Ive cut off what I can from the ground and have tried working my way down the trunk to drop it in sections. I have pinched my saw a few times as Im not sure of the correct technique.

Should I keep working my way down the trunk towards the break and if so what's the best method? Or is there a better way?


Thanks in advance

 

[lone wolf]

Try pulling it down with a heavy rope or cable first. Dont get under it.

 

[Big_Eddy]

Assuming no heavy equipment, I’d first try a come along and a long rope thrown over the sloped log as close to the break as possible. If that fails, then I’d work this from the top backwards towards the crotch, cutting off about 8’ sections. For sections with an end resting on the ground, cut 1/3 through from the top, then cut the remaining 2/3 from below. If any of the sections are cantilevered, cut 1/4 to 1/3 from below, then finish from above. Always watch for twisting when a section breaks away. Keep doing it and eventually the crotch will drop enough to free itself from the other trunk.

Now get the rope and come along again, and try to twist it off by pulling the freed end around in a circle around the stump.

If the hinged break is still together and strong, I’d fell the standing trunk at 90 degrees to the leaning section.

 

[Mad Professor]

Be careful when it moves, is there any dead stuff in the top of the small tree it's wedged against? It's trunk forks just above the hangup and bark looks like it could be ash. Also anything that top is tied into.

 

[irhunter]

I have pinched my saw a few times as Im not sure of the correct technique.

As far as this tree goes...there are a number of reasonable solutions. And, the previous posters have suggested several.

The majority of saw operators pinch a bar every now and then.

But, the fact that you've done it a few times during one operation says, you probably don't understand cutting wood under tension/compression. Which almost certainly means you don't understand how you can get hurt, due to unplanned release of forces, during a bucking operation.

Every time you pinch a bar...it is a sign that you have mis-read the bind, and you've made a mistake.

At this point, that's no big deal. No one is born with bucking skill. And, you're still vertical.

By far, the best way to learn this sort of thing is to have a skilled friend who comes over and teaches you how to buck safely. But, not everyone has "someone."

For right now, take a look:



If you don't understand something in the video, ask about it here.

Roy

 

[Paul Bunions]

I have used wedges on stuff like this to keep the saw from getting pinched as I work my way to the trunk. The stuff toward the end that's on the ground is not likely to hurt you if it falls.

I wear steel-toed boots, though.

 

[fields_mj]

My main goal would be to get the large limb on the right completely removed BUT I would not start by working in it first. Instead, I'd start by working on the 2 longer branches in order to lower the larger limb to a safer working height. Make a shallow cut from the top, then come up from the bottom to keep from pinching your bar. Work those two limbs back close to where they fork, then go back to the larger branch on the right and see how far back you can cut it. You need to whittle away at all 3 branches until the large branch on the right is completely removed. This will allow the remaining top to be pulled to the left to get it off the pole/trunk/stump.

I'd always keep myself positioned to the right of the tree so that it couldn't fall (very far) in my direction. Use the standing trees keep the tree from being able to come your way BUT be mindful of how the tree would behave if it came off its pole/trunk/stump at any given time and choose your cuts accordingly. The standing trees can keep the top from falling to the right, but if the tree frees itself from the pole/trunk/stump, the top can slide or the limbs can come back up and do some pretty serious damage to your body in the process.

Once the large limb on the left is removed, I'd use a 1/2" rope around the top to pull it off its pole/trunk/stump to the left (tractor, truck, UTV, ATV, winch, come along). If you can't get the top off, leave it let mother nature work on it for a while. You don't want the cut the stump with top still laying on it, and you don't want the remaining top to be anywhere near vertical. The more vertical it gets, the harder it will be to predict how it falls when it finally comes free.

That's what I'd do, but I'm not a logger or an arborist, so take it with a lot of salt.

 

[Gotzskillz]

Assuming no heavy equipment, I’d first try a come along and a long rope thrown over the sloped log as close to the break as possible. If that fails, then I’d work this from the top backwards towards the crotch, cutting off about 8’ sections. For sections with an end resting on the ground, cut 1/3 through from the top, then cut the remaining 2/3 from below. If any of the sections are cantilevered, cut 1/4 to 1/3 from below, then finish from above. Always watch for twisting when a section breaks away. Keep doing it and eventually the crotch will drop enough to free itself from the other trunk.

Now get the rope and come along again, and try to twist it off by pulling the freed end around in a circle around the stump.

If the hinged break is still together and strong, I’d fell the standing trunk at 90 degrees to the leaning section.

Thanks for the information.

Yeah, unfortunately no heavy equipment. Guess its time to but a come along though. plenty of times I could have used one but never the necessity.

I was probably binding because I was only cutting from the bottom up without an initial top cut.

 

[Gotzskillz]

My main goal would be to get the large limb on the right completely removed BUT I would not start by working in it first. Instead, I'd start by working on the 2 longer branches in order to lower the larger limb to a safer working height. Make a shallow cut from the top, then come up from the bottom to keep from pinching your bar. Work those two limbs back close to where they fork, then go back to the larger branch on the right and see how far back you can cut it. You need to whittle away at all 3 branches until the large branch on the right is completely removed. This will allow the remaining top to be pulled to the left to get it off the pole/trunk/stump.

I'd always keep myself positioned to the right of the tree so that it couldn't fall (very far) in my direction. Use the standing trees keep the tree from being able to come your way BUT be mindful of how the tree would behave if it came off its pole/trunk/stump at any given time and choose your cuts accordingly. The standing trees can keep the top from falling to the right, but if the tree frees itself from the pole/trunk/stump, the top can slide or the limbs can come back up and do some pretty serious damage to your body in the process.

Once the large limb on the left is removed, I'd use a 1/2" rope around the top to pull it off its pole/trunk/stump to the left (tractor, truck, UTV, ATV, winch, come along). If you can't get the top off, leave it let mother nature work on it for a while. You don't want the cut the stump with top still laying on it, and you don't want the remaining top to be anywhere near vertical. The more vertical it gets, the harder it will be to predict how it falls when it finally comes free.

That's what I'd do, but I'm not a logger or an arborist, so take it with a lot of salt.

Thanks.

Like you stated, my intent was to remove any of the branches that weren't baring any of the weight. As you could see, I got as far as I could with the right branch. That's when I started with the other two but after getting pinched a second time I knew I needed to stop and seek advice.

I see my mistake was starting my cuts from the bottom up with no top cut. Im assuming that acts as a hinge to allow the bottom cut to open up as the cut progresses?

Not being sure how the tree would act due to the additional hang up with the crotch on the other tree was also a concern. It sounds like in this case it helping rather the hindering me.. to an extent.

 

[oldfortyfive]

A polesaw is real handy in situations like this. Keeps you away from any unexpected movement.