Frozen wood strength

[treebogan]

Today I was working in single didgit tempretures climbing and removing some pretty large Sitka Spruce and Hemlock trees.This was the most frozen timber I've worked on and notice my "snap cuts" were most difficult to break,the wood just hung on,even with a pronunced "over cut".Likewise,when we pulled over a large chunk from a trunk on a Hemlock I really had to go to a minimal ammount of hinge.All the while when climbing these Trees just felt and moved strangely.

 

[Sprig]

I have not run into this but my (un) educated guess is that the sap hardens and you end up with something like glued plywood, hence, really tougher stuff as evergreens have their own 'antifreeze' built in, when it gets really cold this must have some sort of structural effects. No sliding within the grain at the hinge, different breaking qualities. Dunno. Great question! This has piqued my curiosity, is this the same with thinner sapped hardwoods? Deciduous trees I mean. I've cut alders and willows in below zero conditions and they just snap off, maybe even quicker, I can imagine maples and other similar woods doing the same, is there a difference with the conifers? Look forward to others experiences as well.

 

[Stumper]

It is well documented that wood gets "stronger" as temperatures decrease but also loses some flexibility. Thus it gets harder to bend...and may break when bent a lesser distance than when warm.

 

[treebogan]

Snatching a top was a bit of a ride!

Thanks for the info on the timber strength!I suspected the timber may have been stronger when frozen,but was unwilling to try it out.tomorrow i have a Balsam Poplar removal,as it has only about six inches of live wood in places your information is reasuring!Hope its very cold tomorrow

 

[beowulf343]

Whoa treebogan! It's true what Stumper said, but don't assume you'll be safer in the ugly trees just because it's cold out. The deciduous trees do have a tendancy to be a bit more "brittle." Have had ash and maple limbs snap off in my hands in below zero temps.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

As power for distance is exchanged in leveraging; so too in curing or freezing wood; we can find an exchange of elasticity for strength.

This even holds true for dead/ but not rotted wood. It can cure Nature-ally to give stronger, but less elastic wood. So, face push rather than/ or mixed with hinge pull for directing can be found to be preferable.

 

[CRN Tree]

ash I have seen split when it's cold out. About taking a guys head off while cutting on the ground. It split about 10 or so feet up fell over and left us quiet a predicament

 

[treebogan]

Frozen cottonwood turned out well

yesterday I took down a 4' diameter Cotton wood that was hollow from stump to top.The tree was so decayed I was reluctent to lower top off and luckily didn't need too.So I cut the tree in half with a 066 and a 36" bar,as the wood was frozen the holding wood in my hinge held really well and I was able to steer the top away from a nasty Birch tree that was in the way.