How to keep trunk on the stump?

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seriously now... you gotta cut the notch greater than 90* so the hinge doesn't break... then you gotta hope the tree doesn't want to bounce or roll more than the hinge wants to keep from ripping... A lot depends on tree fiber
 
Hello NebClimber, if I am understanding the question correctly, I would say that a crownless, limbless tree requires no extra consideration, depending on it's hieght. Spars under 16' are glorified fence posts. Since it has no or little weight to commit it over, notching may be unnecessary. Simply feather in a double kerf as a notch and blast thru the holding wood once the tree indicates to you where it wants to fall. If it's a straight up and down spire, some friendly persuasion may be in order such as a wedge or two.
John
 
How about no notch at all on the compression side? Just cut in the back side, start tapping in wedges as soon as you can and then when you're 7/8ths of the way through, pull your saw out and wedge it over.
 
Originally posted by NebClimber
What's the most effective way to fall a spar yet keep the spar on the stump?
Steven,

Things fall.&nbsp; Causing them to fall is to fell them.&nbsp; I know it's confusing because "fell" is also the past tense of "fall", but <i>(to )fell</i> is the proper verb to use when discussing the activity.

Your question really is "what's the most effective way to ensure hinge wood doesn't fail (in a spar)?"

Since it's a spar, by definition there are no limbs to hold it off the ground at the upper end, so assuming the ground is level in the direction of fall, the hinge will have to bend 90&deg; plus a tad.&nbsp; Depending on species and length of time it was a spar that might be a tall order or it might be simple.

As Daniel has suggested, the notch will have to be 90&deg;+ meaning it will be an open-face notch (both upper and lower surfaces will slope away from the apex of the notch).&nbsp; All that remains is to ensure the hinge wood will remain flexible enough so as to not entirely shear as it bends the 90&deg;(+).

Hinge wood can be made more flexible by lengthening the fibers which bend and this can be easiest accomplished in one of two ways:<ul><li>make the back cut above or below the apex of the notch</li><li>do not form a tight apex, but instead leave a vertical section between the upper and lower faces of the notch</li></ul>The first item is discouraged practice when using an open-face notch, but can work.&nbsp; The second item may require a bit more effort but would be the better choice.&nbsp; Either way, you want to terminate the cuts as cleanly and precisely as possible.

There really is a fair amount of freely available literature covering this topic.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.google.com/search?num=100&lr=lang_en&q=tree+felling" target="_blank">Here</a>'s a good starting point.

Glen

[edit:&nbsp; <a href="http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for60/for60.pdf" target="_blank">This</a> link from among the above results could almost be the article Daniel wrote, almost.]
 
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i dont know what your question is neb. most response are telling you how to cut the spar, but when you you say keep it attached to the stump what do you mean exactly? that excavator pic looks like the way to go.
do you want to cut off a log or get the stump out of the ground?
 
Eucalyptus?/??????????

Hi Aussie_lopa. I just looked at your photo, my first thought was, "how did some guy back east grow a Euc??? Then I read you are from Aus and I thought, oh the ORIGINAL Eucalyptus masters!!! It looks just like San Diego county!!

Dave
In Jamul, Eastern San Diego County California
Euc's home away from home.

Cant get too big a saw for stump work on old Euc's!!!!!!
 
hey there dave,post some eucy pics!im going to post a few foreigners shortly from my area,a few redwoods etc:)
 
if the butt must stay at the stump it can be tied off to the stump itself or another point prior to felling.
 
Odd, I've never had a situation where I needed to keep the trunk on the stump. I have had problems where some structure around the stump wouldn't allow me to just throw it.
I just bored through at waist level, tied a shackle, and secured the trunk at the shackle so it wouldn't fall on the structure. But, I've only had to do that only once.

Instead of trying to keep it on the stump, I would just work the trunk down lower, and not attempt to throw it so tall in a tight situation.
 
i think if i understand that you want the trunk to stay on the stump, but be cut free??? use a plunge cut(borecut).
if you insert your saw into the wood with a plunge cut and use wedges to keep weight off your bar you can keep the trunk to the stump. just leave a little piece of face wood at your stopping point.
this will work for you, but i dont recommend it with a spar that is very tall unless you have an open area. once you plunge cut your way around you will have little to no control over that log if it is tall and you could get hurt.
i only use this technique on 6' or less trunks so the bobcat can just lift em right off the stump.
 
Euc pics

Hi Aussie_lopa, I will have to get my scanner hooked up and working again. There is an area in Lakeside CA called Eucalyptus Hills, the power company was doing clearance/removal and I came across guys with a 3120 buried to the bucking spike and a 48 inch bar.....stilll couldnt get the stump cutdown in one pass. Each of the 3 main trunks that joined at the stump was over 24 inches and one was 36ish!! I am getting lots of free oak for firewood right now, but all in all euc is my favorite. i specially like the one we call lemonwood because it makes the whole yard smell good when you mow over the exfoliated bark. G'day, Dave.
 
Originally posted by rmihalek
How about no notch at all on the compression side? Just cut in the back side, start tapping in wedges as soon as you can and then when you're 7/8ths of the way through, pull your saw out and wedge it over.

Wouldn't that cause the spar to "barber chair" and possibly come down on the feller?
 
Originally posted by MasterBlaster

I just bored through at waist level, tied a shackle, and secured the trunk at the shackle so it wouldn't fall on the structure.


Butch, Can you explain the red and blue parts of your picture with a little more detail please?
 
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