Newbie wedge question

[joesawer]

Unfortunately, I've misjudged lean on more than one occasion. Getting a saw stuck is really a drag, and damages the ego when others are watching!

There are all kinds of optical illusions that will make us misjudge the lean of a tree. We try to judge the lean by the surroundings, but nothing is flat or square in the woods. A plumb bob is the best referance to judge the lean by. If you have an ax with you it makes a fair plumb bob. pinch the handle between your thumb and finger and let the head hang down being careful not to tilt it with your grip. judge the lean from at least two points at 90 degrees from each other.
If it is close to balanced visualize where the hinge will be and look straight up from there. Don't just look at the trunk look at the center of mass.
I hope that I'm making this clear.

 

[John Ellison]

Accuratley judging lean was one of the hardest things for me to learn. I carried a fishing sinker/line in my pocket for a long time. It sure is hard to make any money when all the ground is steep and you have to plumb most every tree.:biggrinbounce2:

 

[Timberhauler]

Timberhauler, do you ever get concerned about a tree going the wrong way and taking the New Holland for a ride? I always run my winch through a snatch block so it can only drag the tractor so far. Course if it ever happened I could really have a situation to deal with.

As long as you have a rope near the very top,you're OK...If I have one with that much weight on one side,I would get some of the weight off of it before attempting to pull..

Unfortunately, I've misjudged lean on more than one occasion. Getting a saw stuck is really a drag, and damages the ego when others are watching!

There are all kinds of optical illusions that will make us misjudge the lean of a tree. We try to judge the lean by the surroundings, but nothing is flat or square in the woods. A plumb bob is the best referance to judge the lean by. If you have an ax with you it makes a fair plumb bob. pinch the handle between your thumb and finger and let the head hang down being careful not to tilt it with your grip. judge the lean from at least two points at 90 degrees from each other.
If it is close to balanced visualize where the hinge will be and look straight up from there. Don't just look at the trunk look at the center of mass.
I hope that I'm making this clear.

This is again where I would set a rope,then you minimize the room for error even more....You people can knock the way I do it all you want to,but for some starange reason it works for me,and has been for a long time...I do not only do tree work,pruning,climbing,ect..We also clear small patches of timber,up to about five acres or so.

 

[SawTroll]

..... Bottom: K&H Triple taper 10" (good wedge - note staggered angles.)
...

That one looks really good, I have never seen anything like it........

 

[clearance]

We also clear small patches of timber,up to about five acres or so.

Hmmm, you must be there a long time, putting a rope in every tree on five acres.

 

[Urbicide]

That one looks really good, I have never seen anything like it........

Bailey's carries them. opcorn:

http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/106?mv_session_id=4JRW2oX5&product_sku=15323

 

[John Ellison]

:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

Hmmm, you must be there a long time, putting a rope in every tree on five acres.

 

[Timberchic]

Hmmm, you must be there a long time, putting a rope in every tree on five acres.

I read this entire thread over several times trying to see it from several different sides,and all I could come up with is this....I would like to know who the hell you think you are???Paul Bunyon or something???....First off,NO!!!..He's not roping every single tree in the woods when clearing a big tract,just as he said,just the ones that need it..And who are you to criticize the way someone else does something just because it's not exactly the way you do it..To say TH is no tree feller would about be like saying Dale Jr. isn't a race car driver..He's made too many miraculous falls for it only to be mere luck...Pulling them with a rope,wedging,what's the difference?,both accomplish the same goal...I've pulled enough trees to know as well that once you have gotten the tree started with a rope,it is no longer in your control,it follows the lead that was left by the faller,just like when one is wedged over..I'm no faller myself,but have seen it done many times both ways....Timber made his suggestion to help the guy who started the thread learn how to accomplish his goal as safely as possible,and yes,it was a thread about wedging,but he also mentioned he wanted to fall trees in his post,so he just added a 2nd opinion...Just because you're too closed minded to visualize what he was trying to tell the guy does not mean you are the only one on this site who knows anything about falling trees.Now he left this thread alone and was done with it until someone simply asked him a question,then you had to chime in and throw gas on the fire again.The last post of yours was absolutely unnecessary.

 

[Urbicide]

Aluminum wedges?

I was wondering if any of the Pros here ever use aluminum felling wedges. Part of my TSI is removing quite a few standing dead elms. Most have lost their bark and are harder than hell. Plastic wedges don't last too long in these either. opcorn:

 

[SawTroll]

I was wondering if any of the Pros here ever use aluminum felling wedges. Part of my TSI is removing quite a few standing dead elms. Most have lost their bark and are harder than hell. Plastic wedges don't last too long in these either. opcorn:

I am not a pro, but over here we have plastic and magnesium ones, never heard of Alu ones.........:greenchainsaw:

 

[04ultra]

I read this entire thread over several times trying to see it from several different sides,and all I could come up with is this....I would like to know who the hell you think you are???Paul Bunyon or something???....First off,NO!!!..He's not roping every single tree in the woods when clearing a big tract,just as he said,just the ones that need it..And who are you to criticize the way someone else does something just because it's not exactly the way you do it..To say TH is no tree feller would about be like saying Dale Jr. isn't a race car driver..He's made too many miraculous falls for it only to be mere luck...Pulling them with a rope,wedging,what's the difference?,both accomplish the same goal...I've pulled enough trees to know as well that once you have gotten the tree started with a rope,it is no longer in your control,it follows the lead that was left by the faller,just like when one is wedged over..I'm no faller myself,but have seen it done many times both ways....Timber made his suggestion to help the guy who started the thread learn how to accomplish his goal as safely as possible,and yes,it was a thread about wedging,but he also mentioned he wanted to fall trees in his post,so he just added a 2nd opinion...Just because you're too closed minded to visualize what he was trying to tell the guy does not mean you are the only one on this site who knows anything about falling trees.Now he left this thread alone and was done with it until someone simply asked him a question,then you had to chime in and throw gas on the fire again.The last post of yours was absolutely unnecessary.

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:



.

 

[Gologit]

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:



.

:hmm3grin2orange: Ahhhh, hell, never mind.

 

[PA Plumber]

TC,
I think TH has earned a lot of respect on this site. I know he has from me. I am guessing he is being given such a hard time is because of posts like this one:

opcorn: ....Just come on down here and I'll show ya' what I'm talking about....I think I would much rather pull on a rope with a tractor or a skid loader than pound on a wedge with a hammer...I do keep them around,but do not use them to fall big trees.

I figured the ribbing as part of the read on this thread. I also thought TH was taking it pretty well and had some fun replies. This thread has been a good read and informative. I never thought of it any other way.

 

[Engineeringnerd]

Something I've started doing is carrying a light weight dead blow hammer tucked into my chaps belt. It has somewhere around an 18" long handle and allows me to carry it wherever I go to tap in a wedge, when bucking, or sometimes I can fell the tree without having to fetch an axe. You are able to get two hands on the sucker and pound pretty good. I noticed Sears (Craftsman) has a deadblow with a metal face, which would be even better.

Someone mentioned a difference between a felling wedge and a bucking wedge. I just use a 5" wedge for bucking. What's the difference?

 

[SawTroll]

... I figured the ribbing as part of the read on this thread. I also thought TH was taking it pretty well and had some fun replies. This thread has been a good read and informative. I never thought of it any other way.

Yep, that's it - no hard feelings, hopefully.........:yoyo: :yoyo:

 

[Timberhauler]

:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: You don't need a jack. Just tie a piece of clothes-line to the tree and pull it over with your riding lawnmower. And you had to know that was coming.

:hmm3grin2orange: And what do you tell them? "Wedges??!! We don't need no stinking wedges!!! Just tie all your bootlaces together and have the heaviest guy on the crew (and the fastest runner) pull that side-leaning SOB right on over. Be sure to get the bootlaces back when you're done...otherwise your corks'll come off and stay stuck in the tree"

You have been put in your place, by pros and amatuers alike, give up.:deadhorse:

I am far from perfect, I have cut off my holding wood as well, and put a tree across a three phase powerline because of that error, and more, over the years, and not just with chainsaws..... Whatever works for you T.H., just don't b.s. about falling here, it ain't gonna work.

Joe-Thats not what he thinks, read his post, may well be what happened though. Also, you are a faller, not an arborist pretending to be faller, seen that, you would be the guy I would call, I mean if I didn't have half a clue myself. Enginenerd- you can put in your back cut in first, set a wedge and then put in your undercut on skinny trees.

First off...I can take jokes with the best of them,for the most part,there is no hard feelings...I just realized that I did not include the remarks made by husky137...When it happens once or twice,it's a joke,but keep on pushing and it's no longer funny.I was OK with everything that was said until certain people started giving me discredit on the methods I use,then started to imply that I didn't know what I was doing.Everything either I or one of my employee's do is done to minimize risk.If we are clearing a lot,then it's no big deal,usually we can let the tree lay wherever it wants to go..But when we're doing residential work,9 times out of 10 if the tree goes anywhere else other than where we plan for it to go the results can be very costly,if not deadly.So why not take every precaution possible?Again,the reason I suggested what I did to the guy who started the thread was to simply minimize his room for error..Not to give him any discredit,but being new to falling,I'm assuming he might not have an experienced enough eye to accurately judge some trees,so if he learned what I'm talking about and used it,it would give him another advantage should he get himself into a bad situation.

 

[Engineeringnerd]

Timber,

I don't think there's much fault with being too safe. I don't cut very much compared to many of you guys, but when it matters, a rope can be a great safety, if not the primary means of pull.

Since I don't cut trees for a living, I have the ability to choose which trees I am going to cut. For the most part I dodge the ones that can cause damage --hey its a hobby-- but that isn't your role. You have to take down the tricky stuff next to valuable property; and do it without crushing anything or anybody.

Truth is, a wedge can pop out and a rope/rig can break. Each of us has to do what he/she can do to be professional and safe depending on what the situation demands.

 

[clearance]

I read this entire thread over several times trying to see it from several different sides,and all I could come up with is this....I would like to know who the hell you think you are???Paul Bunyon or something???....First off,NO!!!..He's not roping every single tree in the woods when clearing a big tract,just as he said,just the ones that need it..And who are you to criticize the way someone else does something just because it's not exactly the way you do it..To say TH is no tree feller would about be like saying Dale Jr. isn't a race car driver..He's made too many miraculous falls for it only to be mere luck...Pulling them with a rope,wedging,what's the difference?,both accomplish the same goal...I've pulled enough trees to know as well that once you have gotten the tree started with a rope,it is no longer in your control,it follows the lead that was left by the faller,just like when one is wedged over..I'm no faller myself,but have seen it done many times both ways....Timber made his suggestion to help the guy who started the thread learn how to accomplish his goal as safely as possible,and yes,it was a thread about wedging,but he also mentioned he wanted to fall trees in his post,so he just added a 2nd opinion...Just because you're too closed minded to visualize what he was trying to tell the guy does not mean you are the only one on this site who knows anything about falling trees.Now he left this thread alone and was done with it until someone simply asked him a question,then you had to chime in and throw gas on the fire again.The last post of yours was absolutely unnecessary.

Thank you for the ticket ma'am, can I have my drivers licence back please? Too funny, by far, the guy B.S.s about falling, gets called on it and has to get his woman to biatch out the guys who know what they are doing. I just walked in the door after finishing a job, cutting down four decent sized (approx. 80'-90' tall, 20"-30" d.b.h.) dead pines. One was good, just fell it, the next two leaned towards the neighboring property (house, garage), one I wedged over, the bad one I got a rope in it and had my g/f pull it over with the Blazer. The last one was straight up and down, I wedged it over. Took my time, left lots of holding wood, less than two hours, driving included. A real faller would have just pounded it all, but hey, ropes have there place and I use them accordingly. :biggrinbounce2: Dale Earnhart is a race car driver, TH ain't no faller, thats been well established, by himself, no less.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Fordman99]

Dinggg..dinggg..dinggg

In This Corner...!!!!....

 

[clearance]

In This Corner...!!!!....

You missed the brawl, coming from all sides, over the ropes and into the ring, a free for all, even the girl holding the rounds sign got involved. But it was no contest, a couple of straight right handers and he was down for the count. Don King has left the building, its all over but the crying.