Spar/stubb movement

[xtremetrees]

Ive found to stay back from the stubb when taking tops.
I may only barely touch the stubb and let the notch work.

Twisting tops to make them go is not advised!. I found that any twisting will cause violent reaction into my spar, a radial bone or any part of you touching the spar will get whacked. Its a little movement that causes damge to my body not like a swinging air rushing by your ears movement Dont twist pieces (throwball a left side of a crown)your downing.....or you will get a popping effect.

If a leaner over a house, sure hook a bobcat cat to it and down it in half. I've seen and done pull opposite the lean but dont catty corner/twist tops.

Leaning the upsidedown notch (humbolt) is best when topping. I get less spar movement and my stubb laands closer to the base of my tree.I use it almost exclusively now It also lands butt first and not the top.

If I want the top to land first (prevent damage/mass dampening) I'll step to the side while cutting a standard notch and hold (cradle)the top as it releases. Gloves are a no no when holding large pieces to land top first as a snag could rip your new gloves.

 

[xtremetrees]

What I'm trying to figure out is why am I so beat up and sore

 

[clearance]

Ive found to stay back from the stubb when taking tops.
I may only barely touch the stubb and let the notch work.

Twisting tops to make them go is not advised!. I found that any twisting will cause violent reaction into my spar, a radial bone or any part of you touching the spar will get whacked. Its a little movement that causes damge to my body not like a swinging air rushing by your ears movement Dont twist pieces (throwball a left side of a crown)your downing.....or you will get a popping effect.

Leaning the upsidedown notch (humbolt) is best when topping. I get less spar movement and my stubb laands closer to the base of my tree.It also lands first and not the top.

If I want the top to land first (prevent damage/mass dampening) I'll step to the side while cutting a standard notch and hold (cradle)the top as it releases. Gloves are a no no when holding large pieces to land top first as a snag could rip your new gloves.

I honestly have no idea how I have topped and cut down well over a thousand trees without this advice, thank you so much. I thought that a shallow undercut was the main factor in having a top land flat, I stand corrected. God, my radial bone is killing me, I have to go and soak.

 

[woodchux]

You get that much movement when you're letting the tops fly [not lowering]?
I cut a 70 degree notch most of the time, and if not lowering the top , It usually dosent buck too hard.

 

[xtremetrees]

There is a formula distance calculator for getting tops, logs. to lay flat. Someone should know it or the link.
I dont open my face up on either notch upside down or standard to much nor is it thin notch. Just a standard face notch i guess.

 

[rbtree]

The formula doesn't apply when there's brush on the piece being cut. a 45 degree face is perfect for helping the top to land flat..usually the wind resistance of the limbs to will do the job for ya...unless she's butt heavy.

If I'm dropping a long log, say 33 feet, from 37 feet up, I want it to nose in a bit, so I'll cut a relatively deep but a 20-30 degree closed face, so it will pop off the stump and rotate less than a more open face would allow. Never a problem with fiber pull or barber chair with a straight grained conifer stick.

Seems, of late, I haven't done as much logging this way, guess most of the jobs have either been floppers or required craning. In fact, we're crane logging tomorrow, a few firs.....

 

[xtremetrees]

Ive always used the standard 1/3 face cut. I can see how deepening the nocth could help direct the fall/spin

Crane logging must be nice.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

The promised equal and opposite effect is always there, just showing itself more on a spar so far up from it's anchoring (roots), and so narrow a span across.

Even in a whole tree you are felling; the force in the stob/stump is there; just the anchor/ pivot is closer to control it better; as well as width of the stump. So you have leverage of resistance to moving in the width of the stump, and not much leverage of amplification in the forces of hinging because of the low height of the stump. But still underground she pitches some, can even break pipes and wires if stiffly entangled by stump roots; especially if more of a ball than far reaching roots IMLHO.

 

[Climb020]

Most tops I'll to a 40% depth there abouts and either a 30 or 70 degree notch. 70 is a little better for it to land flat. I would not recomend doing a 45 degree if you don't like getting tossed around a little. With a 45 degree the force of the notch braking and the top putting presser back on the spar are the greatest and that energy needs to released some how and it end up wobbling the spar and taking you for a ride. Sometimes this is not a concern but on more hazardous trees it is.

 

[clearance]

I have never been taken for much of a ride, topped and cut down many trees in pieces. Have taken off some pretty big tops and logs, Like 40' fir tops, 22' cottonwood logs that were almost 4' at thier butt, 50' up. Maybe try to fall the tops or logs in a similar way that you would fall a leaner on the ground. The whole point of falling leaners safely is so they don't chair, chairing is caused by loading it up. Don't let the top/log stay attached to the holding wood all that much, it just loads up the pole with energy that will come back. Leave some holding wood of course but if it goes over easy and takes off it is better. Of course I never hang tops or logs, thats just asking for problems.

 

[gitrdun_climbr]

rubber and rigging don't mix

While removing a severely leaning 40' Alder from over a shed and fence my rubber gloves sucked into my rigging line (with top attached) and froze that top up just as my groundie had started to let it run...needless to say that tree shivered like a whore in church. Although they don't last, those rubber coated gloves are great for rope climbing but I make dammed sure to pull out the leather when rigging now!

Speaking of barbering, I have a question/concern: I skinned and topped that Alder the way I would a conifer and while blocking down 3'-4' chunks I could hear hissing, crackling and popping in the wood. With such tension from the lean was that sound the wood fibers separating? Was that thing maybe ready to burst? Do many of you sling the trunk on these leaning trees?

 

[xtremetrees]

Ive noticed that crackling sound to gitrdone. Ive noticed it mostly on nut trees straight up and down when I start bucking them down in 3-4 foot chunks. I assume its the radials or medulary rays seperating vertically thou I am not sure. Its just releasing pressure from all that weight that was above it. I think. Any cracking, snaping or any sound the tree makes I pay close attention. ESPecially when climbing dead trees.

Thanks for boosting my thread bro.

I guess I've roped out my share of leaners even roping leaners all covered in poision ivy..Yikes. Not good for the gonads ya know what I mean..
I try to enusre good seperation on leaners, Im already gonna ride enuff without a notch a werkin and holding.
If your not flase crotching the logs and taking a natural wrap becareful of the rope sliding down onto your safety. Here is where climbers that use the utilities workers pole belt or any other safety not steel core is asking for trouble.
Sometimes i go by the pawn shop looking for guns, Ill look and see any electrical workers gear etc. and often times I'll see pole straps with rope burns almost half into.:angry2: