Felling notches

[lspmmp]

I second or third or whatever it is by now the advice to keep the tree in vision as you clear out along your escape path. In 30 yr., once a tree almost got me good because I ran away with my back to it. As the tree fell, it rotated, rapidly, and brought around a large limb I thought was no problem due to where it was located on the trunk. By large I mean about the thickness of my thigh, large enough than when it caught me and threw me down then pinned me, it hurt. Fortunately, it was just hurt and not damage. Startled the heck out of me, I can say.

Afterward, when I managed to dig beneath my leg to be able to pull out from under it, I thought about what had happened. Best I can figure, the various limbs on the tree had grown so that the tree, though standing vertical, was unbalanced and thus the rotation on its way down. It rotated about the vertical axis and naturally brought the limb in question whirling around. It was extraordinarily quick. Since then, there've been a few other times a tree did something sort of like this, though not with a limb in position to come around and hit me. In any case, I was expecting it and was in good shape to avoid getting hit.

Live and learn.

Steve,
Do you mind if I ask what species of tree it was that got you?

Thanks,
Larry

 

[SteveH]

Larry, it was a Ponderosa. And if you are trying to picture how it could happen with that species, yes they usually have a tall section of trunk straight up with the limbs starting up a ways, but this one had a big one down lower, and it was crooked and came around and snagged me because the limb curved downward toward the ground a bit.

 

[lspmmp]

Larry, it was a Ponderosa. And if you are trying to picture how it could happen with that species, yes they usually have a tall section of trunk straight up with the limbs starting up a ways, but this one had a big one down lower, and it was crooked and came around and snagged me because the limb curved downward toward the ground a bit.

Steve,
Thanks. I lived out in Idaho and Montana for a while and am fairly familiar with Ponderosa although I haven't cut one down before. They can get to be very large trees and I can see how they could be dangerous. I know they also twist when they grow and I don't know if that has any bearing on how they fall. Glad to hear that you didn't get hurt (seriously at least )

Larry

 

[2dogs]

Ted I'm headed to the Sierras early tomorrow morning so I won't be able to post for a few days.

Have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and stay safe!!!

 

[2dogs]

Bump

 

[TreePointer]

Okay let's start a "Who uses a MAC vs PC thread" :computer: kinda like an oil or notch thread as this could turn into another off topic :rant:.

Good idea!

Stihl is better cutting PCs than Macs, but Husqvarna clears more silicon chips when noodling. Actually a 12 ga. Remington is a lot more effective on either platform.

 

[Justsaws]

They still bother to make Macs?:hmm3grin2orange:

Thought they were all about music now, you know after they dropped their own hammer.oke:

 

[JAM]

I am asked to cut lots of problem trees, often dead ones, usually with lots limbs that can drop on me. As soon as I tip one of these trees I am making tracks away from that stump. The stump is the center of a bullseye in an impact zone and I don't want to be there when the bomb drops. This week it was a 4' limb 8" in diameter, but I was out of there when it hit.

I got hit by a limb some years ago, wasn't my idea of a good time.

 

[7oaks]

While thinning an area on my property about a year ago I cut a rather tall but small diameter 15-18" tree on a steep rough slope that didn't have any real good escape route. When it fell it fell onto a rather large sapling which deflected the base into the area of my hip. No damage done but a very good lesson...

 

[Turkeyslayer]

I have a friend that is a municipal worker, he has taken the chainsaw safety course. A couple of years ago I was logging my woodlot, and he came ouit for the day to give me a hand. I was cutting a large beech tree just at the top of a steep gully, the tree was quite balanced so I thought I would just wedge it over to keep it from goin down the gully.

So I notched it, started my backcut, stopped inserted wedges, continued my backcut all the while my friend was right there watching. Just as the backcut started opening and the tree cracking, my friend (who shall remain nameless) takes off on the 45 degree escape route. While he was running with his back turned, I had taken about 4 steps back and was waiting and watching to see exactally where the tree was going. Right at the second the tree really started to go a gust of wind came up spinning the tree so it was heading right at my friend. Well I will tell you I have never screamed so loud in my life, my friend heard me over the running saw and with muffs on and ended up running right under the stalk of the falling tree (he was trapped by a very steep ravine on the other side) to saftey :censored: I think that is one of the worst situations that either of use has ever been in. He still credits me for saving his life. And both of us will never take our eyes off a falling tree. Now we say it was the day he was almost planted in my woodlot :censored:

This just goes to show never fully trust just your safety route, and never taske your eyes off a falling tree.

 

[stihl sawing]

I have a friend that is a municipal worker, he has taken the chainsaw safety course. A couple of years ago I was logging my woodlot, and he came ouit for the day to give me a hand. I was cutting a large beech tree just at the top of a steep gully, the tree was quite balanced so I thought I would just wedge it over to keep it from goin down the gully.

So I notched it, started my backcut, stopped inserted wedges, continued my backcut all the while my friend was right there watching. Just as the backcut started opening and the tree cracking, my friend (who shall remain nameless) takes off on the 45 degree escape route. While he was running with his back turned, I had taken about 4 steps back and was waiting and watching to see exactally where the tree was going. Right at the second the tree really started to go a gust of wind came up spinning the tree so it was heading right at my friend. Well I will tell you I have never screamed so loud in my life, my friend heard me over the running saw and with muffs on and ended up running right under the stalk of the falling tree (he was trapped by a very steep ravine on the other side) to saftey :censored: I think that is one of the worst situations that either of use has ever been in. He still credits me for saving his life. And both of us will never take our eyes off a falling tree. Now we say it was the day he was almost planted in my woodlot :censored:

This just goes to show never fully trust just your safety route, and never taske your eyes off a falling tree.

Sounds like that one could have turned out bad, Glad no one was injured. It's always a good thing to watch the tree go as you back up. Also is a good idea to clean out the area you will be backing up on to keep from tripping on things.

 

[056kid]

Thanks for the B-Day wishes 2dogs. Things could be better but I am alive so...

 

[Deadwood Kid]

Im not gonna try to bull#### and say i know just as much as anyone else.

because when it comes down to it, You listen to what the old timers say. period.

"Theres old loggers, and theres bold loggers, but there aint no old, bold loggers."

its simple. the old timers make it to being old by knowing what the hell there talking about. now theres always a difference between the big fir's where i live and the hardwoods elseware. and being a live tree, snag or whatever it may be also alters the decision of where to stand and where to hide.

when i was first being taught by, as most people around here would agree, one of the most experienced\skilled timber cutters around, he made one thing clear.

"its when you get cocky, that you get hurt"

this can happen to any age of a cutter. theres always somethign to be learned, and nothings ever guarenteed in the woods"

You dont live to retirement age by being cocky, you live that long because you're smart enough to take everything as a lesson, and turn it into experience.

~brandon

 

[BuddhaKat]

Im not gonna try to bull#### and say i know just as much as anyone else.

because when it comes down to it, You listen to what the old timers say. period.

"Theres old loggers, and theres bold loggers, but there aint no old, bold loggers."

its simple. the old timers make it to being old by knowing what the hell there talking about. now theres always a difference between the big fir's where i live and the hardwoods elseware. and being a live tree, snag or whatever it may be also alters the decision of where to stand and where to hide.

when i was first being taught by, as most people around here would agree, one of the most experienced\skilled timber cutters around, he made one thing clear.

"its when you get cocky, that you get hurt"

this can happen to any age of a cutter. theres always somethign to be learned, and nothings ever guarenteed in the woods"

~brandon

Rep to ya for imparting that pearl of wisdom. No old, bold loggers. So true.

That's why I mentioned about how fun it would be to spend a week hanging over the shoulder of an old pro. How bout it 2dogs? Care to have an old rook watch ya for a few days? You're the closest to me.

 

[Deadwood Kid]

yeah. it'd be cool to carry someones jugs again for a few days... i think most ppl around me live way south or way north tho =(

 

[stihl sawing]

It don't look like a good notch to me, I would like to see the outcome on this one. Next to a fence and a small notch. No kind of PPE.

 

[valekbrothers]

It don't look like a good notch to me, I would like to see the outcome on this one. Next to a fence and a small notch. No kind of PPE.

He must have his 500 ton winch cabled to the top of it...........

 

[stihl sawing]

He must have his 500 ton winch cabled to the top of it...........

LOL, It looks bad crooked too. Maybe just the camera angle.

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

He must have his 500 ton winch cabled to the top of it...........

Judging by the saw he's using YEP HE'S ANOTHER IDIOT! GOODBYE FENCE!!!

 

[056kid]

you guys have alot of critique,


alot...