Notching Tree's

[manual]

It might work where you are, but a 20 inch tree in thee PNW can be 125 feet or more tall! Interesting, but I think I'll pass!

Hey Husky sells those.

 

[talon1189]

Hey Husky sells those.

Well in that case........I would never buy one :hmm3grin2orange: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Talon

 

[tek9tim]

Ay Least we can bend all the way down to the ground to Fell a Tree.
Waste not want not.

Hey, I fall for safety, not production. Why expose more of your body to falling hazards and put yourself in a position where you can't look up as easily nor bail out as quickly? Thanks, I'll keep making my stumps waist height.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Where do you find those 1" wedges? Aren't those the ones you're supposed to put in your axe? Just kidding, I assume you mean 1" thick at the head, or you missed hitting the 0 to make it 10"...

Good catch! Dropped the 0.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Ay Least we can bend all the way down to the ground to Fell a Tree.
Waste not want not.

Huh? West coast production calls for low stumps as well. I was commenting on his big dogs. And in fact, the Humboldt cut, which is of West Coast origin is the product of "waste not, want not."

 

[ericjeeper]

stumps waist (waste high)

I am having my farm logged.. If I saw a stump "waste"
high.. it would be the last log cut.
We are selling on shares.. Why leave a 3 foot chunk of log standing on the roots? That would amount to some serious cash on 600 trees.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Speaking of low stumps, I have always been a stickler for grade and yeild, however, in the following picture, I cut the two stems off conveniently high because I had to waste three feet above that anyway. We call people who cut high stumps, "Backache Barneys." Lol
I guess I should be wearing a hardhat and chaps, but the first rule of thumb is make yourself relaxed and comfortable.
John

 

[Timbercutter]

Backache Barneys now thats funny:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Gologit]

Hey, I fall for safety, not production. Why expose more of your body to falling hazards and put yourself in a position where you can't look up as easily nor bail out as quickly? Thanks, I'll keep making my stumps waist height.

Well said!

 

[John Ellison]

Picture a tree that at ground level the stump is usually close to three times the diameter that it is at chest level. Even if it were practical to fell it at a low height, the log would have such a drastic dia. change that you would have to short butt (cut the butt off) it anyway. The mill wouldnt want it that way and it wouldnt load on a truck very good.
One of the reasons for a Humbolt there is that the waste comes out of the stump, which is good. A Humbolt on a tree that has little taper at the stump will waste wood, because you have to make a higher stump.

 

[tek9tim]

I am having my farm logged.. If I saw a stump "waste"
high.. it would be the last log cut.
We are selling on shares.. Why leave a 3 foot chunk of log standing on the roots? That would amount to some serious cash on 600 trees.

It isn't waste if it's a hazard snag, which comprises 99.9% of what I cut. If I'm cutting anything that is going to be for production (such as dropping trees for cone collection) I'll make my cuts low. All I'm doing is dropping trees to keep them from dropping on my friends, and the trees aren't merchantable anyhow, because they're either rotten or on fire. Why leave a 3' log standing on the roots? Because I like my body arranged the way it is.

 

[manual]

Hey, I fall for safety, not production. Why expose more of your body to falling hazards and put yourself in a position where you can't look up as easily nor bail out as quickly? Thanks, I'll keep making my stumps waist height.

As we know that every tree presents a different plan of attack.
Bending over is bad on the back all day.
Try cutting a tree in a position some what of a catcher in baseball.
use your legs.
I am willing to bet that you can get out of the way a lot faster this way also.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Picture a tree that at ground level the stump is usually close to three times the diameter that it is at chest level. Even if it were practical to fell it at a low height, the log would have such a drastic dia. change that you would have to short butt (cut the butt off) it anyway. The mill wouldnt want it that way and it wouldnt load on a truck very good.
One of the reasons for a Humbolt there is that the waste comes out of the stump, which is good. A Humbolt on a tree that has little taper at the stump will waste wood, because you have to make a higher stump.

Very true. Western Red Cedars are bad about that.

 

[manual]

Picture a tree that at ground level the stump is usually close to three times the diameter that it is at chest level. Even if it were practical to fell it at a low height, the log would have such a drastic dia. change that you would have to short butt (cut the butt off) it anyway. The mill wouldnt want it that way and it wouldnt load on a truck very good.
One of the reasons for a Humbolt there is that the waste comes out of the stump, which is good. A Humbolt on a tree that has little taper at the stump will waste wood, because you have to make a higher stump.

What type of tree are you talking about with such a big bell.
When I was milling wood I would always Rip the bell ends off and start milling.
Don't know to many sawyers that would just shorten the log.
Alot of good wood going to waste if you cut at waste height.
For every three trees you fell waste high you lose One log.
Now lets say your looking at #1 grade or veneer grade for the first 18 feet
and the first limb shows up. If you were to cut that waste high you just lost money You might get a veneer grade log instead of two,
There is still grade in those bells.

 

[Tree Sling'r]

Something else you missed is stump shot. You aren't aiming to put your backcut right into the apex of your face, but rather at least 1-2 inches above it. A good trick I use on trees the size you say you cut is to put my dog in just above the corner of the face, level the saw, and pivot off the dog. Of course, I have real dogs on my saws, not the sissy ones that come on half wrap saws, so this trick works. Perhaps more help to others than you. Sorry. BUT, back to my original point. The stump shot is important because it keeps the butt of the tree from swinging back should the top hit something. Of course, a humboldt diminishes the need for such a thing, but still won't hurt in that situation either. Basically comes down to the fact that the point the tree is pivoting on is lower than the stump behind it. Don't worry, we'll get ya learned. But you might want to invest in some more wedges. Andy and Jeff are right.

Sounds like too much Government influence to me - Sounds just like the Forest Fairy I laughed out of the saw shop the other day.

 

[Urbicide]

Speaking of low stumps, I have always been a stickler for grade and yeild, however, in the following picture, I cut the two stems off conveniently high because I had to waste three feet above that anyway. We call people who cut high stumps, "Backache Barneys." Lol
I guess I should be wearing a hardhat and chaps, but the first rule of thumb is make yourself relaxed and comfortable.
John

At least you got your pants on.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[manual]

Hey Gypo

Did you drop that double together ?
Is that where you started to back cut or are you making your knotch ?

 

[Gypo Logger]

Did you drop that double together ?
Is that where you started to back cut or are you making your knotch ?

Hi Manual, I was actually cutting 'ears' on the foreward stem, which would have ended up as ears on the second stem. Hope the following pics help.

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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sunlover3/RT.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sunlover3/th_RT.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sunlover3/385maple.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/sunlover3/th_385maple.jpg"></a>
</center>

 

[tek9tim]

Sounds like too much Government influence to me - Sounds just like the Forest Fairy I laughed out of the saw shop the other day.

Government or D. Douglas Dent, whichever. It works to get trees safely on the ground. I fully know that you can get trees safely on the ground many other ways, I've seen a ton of logger's stumps that have nothing that Doug Dent outlines in his book, and only a couple of loggers with steel in their skulls. I better make sure that point is clear. Loggers don't use hardly any of the safety techniques that I've been taught, and they really don't get hurt that often, especially considering the sheer number of trees they put themselves under. As for forest service cutting, when a tree is burned thin and you need to drop it, it simply comes down to eliminating variables and making your cuts in the safest possible manner.

I am certainly not saying FS cutters are the end-all. Nor I do I want to make generalizations. Ok, so maybe one: FS cutters would not make good production cutters. We simply have a different adgenda.

TreeSling'r, I have a lot of respect for you becuase I know you are definitley one of the guys that actually, really knows what he is talking about when it comes to cutting trees. I mean no animosity toward you, and I hope that perhaps you can look past the fact that I'm a "Forest Fairy". I just like playing with fire AND chainsaws.

 

[SawBum]

Great read guy's....Stihl has (and I aint pushin the name) a great chainsaw saftey video if you can find it. You can buy it on-line but someone has to have it for free. It covers a lot of great info on safe cut's. Thats what it's all about right? Felling a big tree and living to tell your buddy's?