How to properly use wedges...

[smokechase II]

wedge technique

Burt just made more good points for this thread.

That often a way to allow your wedging to succeed is to make a deeper face.
That may sound counter intuitive, but it can work very well.

Also to use multiple wedges side by side. They can work together, if you will.

 

[tek9tim]

But seriously, i´ve felled ~30cm trees without wedges and my dad has felled even ~70cm trees without wedges.... But ofcourse, trees are bigger there and everything that works here may not work there

Let's see, to put that in perspective, 30cm is the length of a size 12 (us) foot. No joke you fell those without wedges, there's no room.

 

[Gologit]

Let's see, to put that in perspective, 30cm is the length of a size 12 (us) foot. No joke you fell those without wedges, there's no room.

Sounds more like cutting asparagus than timber.

 

[John Ellison]

Care and feeding

Hate to see this thread die.
After you have modified your wedges to the point that there is'nt much wedge left they can be reshaped easily with an angle grinder or probably lots of other power tools. Sharp axe in a pinch.
What do others use for drivers? I used to keep a 4 or 5 lb.x 30" rafting axe with my gas and oil. But sometimes I cover a lot of ground, so I was using limbs or whatever and If that was'nt enough, go back for the axe. M...sen's sells a metal axe scabbard that goes on your wedge belt. Used to think they would be awful, but a couple of years ago I tried one with a 20" x 3 lb. head and I like it a lot, but not very useful if you can drive from tree to tree. Just a bit to get used to and then you always have it with you. It is surprising what that little axe will do. But, it is not for large heavy leaners.
As has been mentioned, getting a wedge/s driven in tight in a leaner as soon as possible, before you loose more ground (lean) helps a lot. For myself in smaller timber, this is more important than using a heavier axe after loosing ground (lean) because the wedge did not get driven in enough to start with. (Using limb or another wedge instead of chasing down my axe over the hill)

If you are experimenting with wedging, remember there is a point that it becomes impossible with wedges alone. A tree can barberchair backwards just the same as forwards if you cannot overcome the lean with wedges and the hinge is cut up enough. So don't bight off more than you can chew until you see what is possible and what is not.

 

[smokechase II]

home made wedge driver

The best way to make a home made wedge driver is to go with a 2" limb and about 4" long of a 3-4" main stem it connects to.

If you just cut a green stem, say almost 4 ft long and 3' + in diameter, they are hard to hold and the weight is throughout. Not predominately at the end such as in an axe.

Maybe you've got a hardwood where the limb comes in at a slight angle to the main stem. Think of yourself cutting a mallet. A mallet is easier to swing and grip than just a plain limb. Plus you've got a flat surface.

One way to get a wedge that has seen some time in the ER working for you again, (this would be a wedge that has been cleaned up so much that its angle of lift is a little too steep near the point), is to widen your kerf. This can be particularly important when just cutting with 50 gauge.
Place your bar inside the back-cut, put some angled pressure on it and cut your way out. Practice this on a tree where it doesn't matter to get a feel for widening the kerf. Consider doing this for only a small area of the back-cut; get that wedge started and then use another in the unwidened area as the first wedge opens things up.

Remember, when widening the kerf in this manner, you only want to go a skosh and never all the way to a smidgeon.

 

[tek9tim]

What do others use for drivers?

Pretty common in fire to cut the axe bit off of a pulaski and weld on a flat plate to drive wedges. These aren't too bad. I've also dabbled and made a pound-a-hoe by welding a flat plate on the back side of an adze hoe. My favorite is the chenga-pounder, possibly the most effective question extractor ever, which I couldn't even begin to describe in a way that makes sense. But not many people need to dig and drive wedges. Normal situations, I'm happy with the ol' 5 pound felling axe.

 

[boatermark]

Extra Lift and other tricks

Had a couple of more thoughts to add. One trick that can be used (and I don't think this one was mentioned yet in this thread) to add extra lift is to cut a small cookie out of some hard wood and stick this into the kerf with the wedge. Might be used if you are wedging a leaner and have a couple of wedges burried, but the tree hasn't fallen yet. Obviously a hard trick to use if you don't have hard wood material available.

Another trick that can be used (Smokechase II, if you can explain this one better, please correct me) in a situation where you've burried a bunch of wedges and have run out of room in the backcut to add any others is to put a small plunge cut above/below the backcut just the right size to insert a wedge into. Pound this one in and it may add just enough extra lift to get the job done.

 

[smokechase II]

burried wedges

Yes, I do believe that bore below and go with another wedge works.
I have only done it twice, so take it with a grain of salt. I could be missing something for sure. Be ready for the tree to settle back a little and be very quick to remove the bar. I think it’s obvious that this bore should have been done before the wedging. Don't direct this bore at important holding wood on the corners.

There are trees where they are just about to go and if you are feeling lucky, you keep driving then look like a less than intelligent faller when everything is buried and you can’t cut anymore.

 

[wdchuck]

There are quite a few trees on our property that would be great practice to get more comfortable with these techniques.
The trees have grown with the predominant sun availibility, so more arched than lean, but if I could get some confidence with these, it would be a good primer for when needed elsewhere, but the trees are 8"-16"dbh. Would this still work if I use shorter wedges?

 

[boatermark]

Avoiding Embarrassment

There are trees where they are just about to go and if you are feeling lucky, you keep driving then look like a less than intelligent faller when everything is buried and you can’t cut anymore.

...and then you pull a couple of other tricks out of your shorts, the tree goes, and you look like a hero!

 

[FSburt]

Lifting a set back tree.

I have used the previously explained method to get a wedge into a set back tree but have to be careful when plunging into the back to open up a kerf to start a wedge in. Yes I have misread my leans and let a tree or 2 settle back on me before I was able to start a wedge so this is how how learned to get out this jam. Main thing to remember is this all depends on how far your tree settles back if it is too far then wedges may not be enough to lift it to get it back over.