Need advice felling this forked, split tree

[R1!]

No,No ,No there is so much pre load in a tree like that you can't be fast enough if it goes wrong.Did you watch how quick it went and the final configuration of the two halves on the ground?Looked like a pair of open shears.

I honestly would not have taken it as one tree.

Im just suggesting a least worst way of how it was done.

 

[moody]

Higher cut?
Waist height or whats the most comfortable
So to avoid the squat and faster reaction time?
Danger means when she goes drop the saw and burn it out of there 45% away from the most likely way it will go?

By plunge cutting a tree properly you control the lean of the tree. The wedges help stabilize it when you make your back cut. And if your hinge cut is correct you'll rid yourself of the dreaded tooth pick hinge as its called around here, which causes a barber chair.

 

[R1!]

Bucket truck is the best if you have unlimited funds or happen to have one.
That split second is crazy high.

 

[bcaarms]

Woooooa there

Please inform me what good advice I ignored and forgive all of us, oh lord of logging, who don't do this for a living, but prefer to learn from research and experience and maintain our own land with our own tools and skills.

This site is easily confused with a bunch of guys drinking beer and shooting the breeze while they clean their chainsaws. There are some things you are foolish to do with your own tools and skills. Any Tom, #### or Harry can go buy a real cool looking AR-15 and some kaki pants along with a pair of sunglasses. That does not make you a SF Operator any more than buying a chainsaw and cutting down a tree makes you a logger. Many men have been killed cutting down trees in their back yard. One I know had an engineering degree and felt it cant be that hard. He was bed ridden for 8 years till he finally died. This tree stuff is deadly. You got away with one. That makes you even more dangerous now. Your family deserves better. Its not the big things that get you. Its little details like not filing the rakers keeping you in the danger zone longer.
I did tree work for Asplundh when I had a break in service. I was a climber topping trees for about 6 months back in the early 70s. I paid money to have six trees taken down around my house in 2004. My ego wanted me to do them. Luckily a friend talked some sense into me. Im not 21 any more, and 6 months does not an expert make. I hope you listen to these men. They are gruff and to the point. They've earned it. For your family's sake, listen to them. It might not seem it, but they are trying to keep us all alive.

Peace.

 

[R1!]

By plunge cutting a tree properly you control the lean of the tree. The wedges help stabilize it when you make your back cut. And if your hinge cut is correct you'll rid yourself of the dreaded tooth pick hinge as its called around here, which causes a barber chair.

Thats helpful I just bought wedges never needed them before or I was very lucky.
I worked on a thinning crew for 5 years Lol.

 

[salty444]

push it over with an excavator.

 

[Icedogs28]

im going to use this thread to justify me getting a bulldozer to my wife:hmm3grin2orange:
but in all seriousness, we have a lot of split oaks like this in the santa cruz mountains. i always try to be extra careful and usually end up pulling one side of the split down with a winch or my my truck

 

[moody]

Thats helpful I just bought wedges never needed them before or I was very lucky.
I worked on a thinning crew for 5 years Lol.

They may seem like just an extra thing to pack around, but they're a great tool to have. We cut lots of forked tree's and the safest way to do so I've done is cut them separately. Sharp chain will allow you to pay more attention to the tree instead of pushing the saw.

 

[rms61moparman]

I sharpened it right before I started the job. I just didn't take down the drag teeth. Like I said, I noticed the mistake once I started cutting, but I decided to just go with it rather than stopping, filing the rakers, and restarting.

It's a minor mistake. I acknowledged it. I'm sure it's common.

NOW!!!

You know why I don't post very many pics and videos to this site.
No matter HOW you do it, it isn't good enough.
Too many professionals around here.


Mike

 

[Guido Salvage]

The most important item (other than common sense) for anyone using a chainsaw is a sharp chain. It minimizes your time in the danger zone and doesn't tax or overheat the saw. I hope lessons are learned by all.

 

[Nitroman]

Bore a 1 1/2" hole on the leaning side and insert one 1/2 pound stick of dynamite. Backfill hole with mud and cap with a 5-gallon bucket of mud. Stand back about 100 yards and set it off. Won't be too loud. Don't even bother getting close and messing with the tree.

You are in farm country, you should be able to find explosives distributors in the Yellow Pages.

 

[056kid]

yea that's funny, everyone "yea good job,nicely done etc.". Then some people who really know WTF they are saying ruin the party haha.

 

[Gologit]

NOW!!!

You know why I don't post very many pics and videos to this site.
No matter HOW you do it, it isn't good enough.
Too many professionals around here.


Mike

Aw c'mon Mike...RandyMac won't beat you up too bad. :msp_biggrin:

 

[RiverRocket]

After reading everything from, "use a bull dozer" or Stick of dynamite to "climb the tree with a ladder"
I'm sure some where serious and some where just being an ass.

If someone that is truly a pro could tell us/me theThe Proper step by step procedures that should have been used in this situation..

In my ignorance, I thought the man did a good job other than the Chain being dull,back cut and pissing around in the danger zone too long.

Here's what i thought i seen in the video
#1) steep face cut (i thought that was correct?)
#2) plunge cut level with face cut (i thought that was correct?)
#3) improper back cut (walking around the tree putting himself in the danger zone)
Didn't see or understand what he was doing on the back side of the tree after consulting with his buddy.

someone said he had six pages of advice telling him the proper technique ??? which tech was that? ladders, bucket truck,bulldozer,excavator,dynamite,tree spikes,or feller buncher ?????

Here's how i thought it should be done:
1. First, make the open face notch (70 degrees open or more). The hinge must be at least 80 % of the DBH, or longer.

2. At the same plane as the notch, bore cut the tree. (Always be sure to bore cut from the side away from the lean if the tree has side lean) If the tree is large enough to require boring from both sides, always bore cut from the leaning side first. Always leave enough holding wood to be sure the tree does not prematurely release. The heavier the forward lean the more holding wood is required. This is a critical step, since if you cut too far back, the holding wood fiber could rip, causing unexpected release.

3. The final step is to make the release cut BELOW the bore cut. As the cuts bypass one another the tree releases and falls. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the forward lean, the further below the bore cut the release cut is made. With severely forward leaning trees, 12 inches or more of space between the bore cut and the release cut will control the speed with which these trees will release. Remember, it is only necessary to bypass the bore cut with the release cut. Do not continue to cut once that step is completed. The longer you stand by the tree and cut wood that is already severed, the more trouble you can get into.

I though he did everything correct except the back cut, dull chain and walking around the tree putting himself in the danger zone.
I know, now that the dull chain and improper back cut was enough to get him killed

I just don't like to see when people start attacking someone and calling them names because they didn't do something correctly.
By all means point out what you think they did wrong and right, and we can all learn something that could probably save someones life (JMHI)

 

[Troy G]

[video=youtube;k3-zaTr6OUo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3-zaTr6OUo[/video]

 

[Gologit]

From that video do you gents really think he would have been safer with a sharp chain?
Not trying to start anything just asking.

He would have been quite a bit safer with a decent chain. Cutting a hard leaner like that, especially one that's split, calls for a fast saw with sharp chain. If you know that you're going up against a big tree with obvious defects common sense would dictate that you start with a chain capable of doing a good job. A good job in this case means a chain that will cut fast.

If you're going to 3 cut it like the OP did you want to minimize the time you spend close to the tree. When you're backing up a leaner you want to be able to really power through the cut as hard as you can go. Dawdling around will increase the chance of a barber chair...it will increase it a lot.

On a split tree like that the 'chair might not slab out straight back, either. They can shoot off at an angle and when they do nobody on this earth is fast enough to get out of the way.

 

[056kid]

After reading everything from, "use a bull dozer" or Stick of dynamite to "climb the tree with a ladder"
I'm sure some where serious and some where just being an ass.

If someone that is truly a pro could tell us/me theThe Proper step by step procedures that should have been used in this situation..

In my ignorance, I thought the man did a good job other than the Chain being dull,back cut and pissing around in the danger zone too long.

Here's what i thought i seen in the video
#1) steep face cut (i thought that was correct?)
#2) plunge cut level with face cut (i thought that was correct?)
#3) improper back cut (walking around the tree putting himself in the danger zone)
Didn't see or understand what he was doing on the back side of the tree after consulting with his buddy.

someone said he had six pages of advice telling him the proper technique ??? which tech was that? ladders, bucket truck,bulldozer,excavator,dynamite,tree spikes,or feller buncher ?????

Here's how i thought it should be done:
1. First, make the open face notch (70 degrees open or more). The hinge must be at least 80 % of the DBH, or longer.

2. At the same plane as the notch, bore cut the tree. (Always be sure to bore cut from the side away from the lean if the tree has side lean) If the tree is large enough to require boring from both sides, always bore cut from the leaning side first. Always leave enough holding wood to be sure the tree does not prematurely release. The heavier the forward lean the more holding wood is required. This is a critical step, since if you cut too far back, the holding wood fiber could rip, causing unexpected release.

3. The final step is to make the release cut BELOW the bore cut. As the cuts bypass one another the tree releases and falls. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the forward lean, the further below the bore cut the release cut is made. With severely forward leaning trees, 12 inches or more of space between the bore cut and the release cut will control the speed with which these trees will release. Remember, it is only necessary to bypass the bore cut with the release cut. Do not continue to cut once that step is completed. The longer you stand by the tree and cut wood that is already severed, the more trouble you can get into.

I though he did everything correct except the back cut, dull chain and walking around the tree putting himself in the danger zone.
I know, now that the dull chain and improper back cut was enough to get him killed

I just don't like to see when people start attacking someone and calling them names because they didn't do something correctly.
By all means point out what you think they did wrong and right, and we can all learn something that could probably save someones life (JMHI)

He could have done everything perfectly. But running a pos chain and bring FULLY AWARE of it makes
All that go away.. If I saw my co worker doing that I'd throw a stick at his hat and tell him to get a new chain.

 

[rms61moparman]

Aw c'mon Mike...RandyMac won't beat you up too bad. :msp_biggrin:

He won't beat me up at all!!!!
I do my stupid stuff in private!


Mike

 

[thomas1]

He won't beat me up at all!!!!
I do my stupid stuff in private!


Mike

Well, that's being kinda selfish, dontcha think?

 

[moody]

He could have done everything perfectly. But running a pos chain and bring FULLY AWARE of it makes
All that go away.. If I saw my co worker doing that I'd throw a stick at his hat and tell him to get a new chain.

In this case wedges would have helped