How do i use a wedge?

[TheTreeSpyder]

Us climbers seem to just use our trusty ropes ran high; what secrets and help from wedges are we passing up?

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=167306

 

[MasterBlaster]

None that I see, bro. Wedges are secondary to setting a rope.

A properly set rope will minimize the 'what if?' factor.

Logging in the woods is a different critter. You have a 'lil leeway. I speaking of tighter situations.

I really ain't a logger. Wedges are for loggers, IMO.

 

[a_lopa]

you should use a waedge all the time when falling no doubt in my mind. climb when you need to climb

 

[turnkey4099]

Firewood cutter only here. I carry wedges but rarely use them falling. Why? Because almost every tree I cut has a lean or is off-balance somewhat. I only use the wedges when I am unsure of the balance to ensure it will go where I am aiming. Can only recall 2 times in the past 4 years where a wedge was needed.

Harry K

 

[Newfie]

T.S.,

In your case you can use wedge with dredge, hedge and ledge.

I'm sure you can invent some others.



In the climbers realm, I can see the wedge as an assist and back-up to the pull line. Netree and I worked together yesterday and he showed me how he uses wedges in conjunction with a line to pull over an opposite leaner (great guy to work with and shoot the sh!t with as well). Definitlely different from the loggers use where there is more room for error, and more pounding.

I use them all the time in logging and land clearing to lay everything out the same direction. Makes skidding faster and easier.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

okay, a climber's/ suburban cutter is wrought with targets not to hit; we depend on a throw line setting a line high so climbing part is nil in this example;

i was hoping for some secrets, different views of experience of the felling crowd; to see what we are missing, better technique etc.

i was hoping for experioence like from the writers of the classic epic"Oral Diarhea of a Chain Builder"

'Course we invited him to our tree fight too.......

So what is the other side; whom stands for these men that have found more magic in wedges than line pull and why?

The diversity and satire of logger to climber amazes/amuses me, also in the commoness of the elements used and fought, but on such different ends of the scale; as to show the whole dynamic range of the forces at play, and reaffirm the powers of their mechanichs in the 2 examples.

Orrrrrrrrrr something like that...
:alien:

 

[a_lopa]

im the first to admit your ''only remembered by your stuff ups''or maybe thats aus culture. but ive wedged a few over and have my falling ticket (mixed species)if i see a shot ill take it with a wedge or three.

i witnessed a job that had three days put on it only a month ago a smooth barked euc backlean and all limbs going with the lean over signal wires no front weight as it was facing rail line tree was 60 ft nightmare limb hang job.an arborist i know with 27 yrs was doing the job. i wasnt to confident and im never like that he is probably the most knowledgeable tree guy i know.tree was triforcated dropped first 2 no dramas now for the hard part.

he hooked a tirfer 3tonne hand winch up but didnt come down to far, i was looking at how much weight had to bring over and was doubting it leverage wise as im all for leverage, i yelled to climber my opinion i thought it may go side ways.he gave me a grin and nod that he knew what i was thinking.we tensioned it scarfed front slight back cut winched till we were going to drop, we got it just before centre and he bangs a wedge in it releives the tirfor and we pull it over. it probably was where he put his scarfe (where a few limbs had joined)that made it possible.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Wedges are great to use and will commit alot of weight over.
However, they are generaly abused unless the cutter is aware of what they are doing with them.
The biggest mistake I've seen is where the faller drives them in too hard before the hinge wood is thin enough, causing mushrooming of the wedge with little or no mechanical advantage. Wedges are designed to not only commit the weight of the tree somewhat, but also to keep the backcut open off the bar to prevent pinching.
When wedging, let the wedges tell you whats happening. In other words, tap them in alternately as one releases the other without damaging them and feathering the hinge with a slow chain to get everything right.
John

 

[John Ellison]

Originally posted by Gypo Logger
Wedges are great to use and will commit alot of weight over.
However, they are generaly abused unless the cutter is aware of what they are doing with them.
The biggest mistake I've seen is where the faller drives them in too hard before the hinge wood is thin enough, causing mushrooming of the wedge with little or no mechanical advantage.
John

Gypo, thats right. A sure sign of a green faller is WHACK WHACK all day long. I know that I sure went thru a lot of wedges figuring out lean and that I had to get the hinge cut up.

John

 

[NeTree]

I agree Gypo.

I start out with a relatively thick hinge, and start my wedges in.

Then alternate between driving wedges and thinning hinge, allowing the wedges to pick up load.

One common mistake I pointed out in another thread was people going too fast with wedges, and not allowing the top of the tree time to catch up. Very little wedge equals ALOT of movement in a tall tree. Pop the hinge and you're SCREWED.



Newfie was a blast to work with. I always have fun meeting other people from the site!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

It's fun to read the different posts, here and on the climbers forum. Here, it's all about racing saws and wedges. On the climbers forum, it's ropes pulling devices.
You loggers can make a big tree move with wedges, 99 out of a hundred times. Climbers need to move the big trees 10,000 times out of 10,000. If we don't, houses get crushed, or worse.

With the advancement of throw balls and line, putting a rope in a tree takes about a minute. Set up a come-a-long in about five minutes.
Point being, loggers could learn from us, we can learn from loggers, even Gypo...

 

[geofore]

MM/throwballs

Not done much logging eh, Mike? Who's going to pull the rope for you when you're logging? You don't get a ground crew to go out with you. Logging is a different animal than resi-dential work. Take your wedges if your logging because you are not going to get a crew to pull the rope, If you hang a tree a skidder will come pull it out, later. "You are not going to get a ground crew to pull ropes!" Learn to use wedges and jacks if you are going to be logging cause the skidder is busy hauling logs. Different animals Mike, different animals. You get Sledge and Wedge for a ground crew logging but you can have Pete, Manual, & Joe for resi- dential work.

 

[a_lopa]

talking to my mates who work out in ''the bush''its a free for all just get em down in most cases,young guy out there the other week learning, went to back release a leaner on steep clif 66m took the saw with it,end of story to saw

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've always would have liked to spent a few years logging in my tree career. I would have learned a lot about getting trees down without ropes. I rarely get to just walk up to a tree and throw it. It's usually stripped to a snag, with a line attached.
Like Geofore said, two different critters.
Once in a blue moon I get the chance to throw a big one, no lines or nuttin... I love it!

 

[a_lopa]

mb i work with a mate who is a logger when i get jobs taking out windrows pines etc we use a cat ex 25t with grab its funny how we both cut trees yet so far apart loggers get used to letting rip and giving it a push,its just beut doing a good notch /backcut on something that would be so hard and simply pushing it over cut in few length pick up and stack,

 

[MasterBlaster]

I would like to learn all the different bucking techniques that exist. I can't imagine how they get the really big ones cut without ever binding your saw. I'm pretty good at doing it, but I know there is more I could learn that could only be accomplished by spending a few years doing it.
I'm too old now, I thunk.

 

[geofore]

firewood cutter

To turnkey 4099, that guy cutting firewood, you don't use the plastic wedges to hold the kerf open in a log on the ground? Why not? It'll keep from sticking your bar as the pieces pinch together, that is what they are for and they do work.
MB, You'll still manage to pinch your bar or at least I do once in awhile, even though I know better. When I figured I could wiggle the saw through the last 2" of that 4' round of elm on Saturday, I pinched in when the piece started to roll, only rolled a few inches. Grabbed the saw tighter than a vice. Embarrassed myself in front of Rich and Steve, having to ask to borrow a wedge to get my saw out and that piece of elm was only 4' diameter about 4' long and couldn't have weighed much more than half a ton sitting on a slope. I forgot to bring my wedges. Not easy bucking a big log on a hillside without wedges. Had to get the pieces small enough for the Jonh Deere to pick them up. 4' round 4' long is just about heavy enough to upset the machine on a wet slope. A wedge and a couple of taps and the saw was out. So whether you think you need them or not wedges are a must have on the job.
Need to do the math, the pieces didn't weigh in at near half a ton they weigh in at 2,800lbs, too much for the little deere to pick up on the soft ground, so I have to cut them smaller. 2' length or less.

 

[MasterBlaster]

A couple of wedges are ALWAYS in my toolbox. I never use them for throwing, just bucking and ALAPing stumps.
But then again, I AM a resi-dential treeman, for the most part.

 

[a_lopa]

putting a stick in the top of the cut when your half thru saves some greif,there always around

 

[Ryan Willock]

What size Deere are you using?