Stacking wedges

[appalachianarbo]

I've seen this a couple times now, and can't figure out how the wedges below the back cut actually move any wood to create a lean. The NC Forest Service uses this on back leaners. Can anybody explain?

I understand the bore cut, and use it sometimes, but stacking wedges in slots like this doesn't seem like it would make any difference.

 

[forestryworks]

only steel wedges would break through those slots... not that you would use them

what that picture shows is a waste of time

 

[tawilson]

I think someone is trying to make a ladder.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Yup, steel is real baby!!!!!!

 

[forestryworks]

I think someone is trying to make a ladder.

:agree2: :greenchainsaw:

 

[smokechase II]

limitations

A man has to understand his wedges limitations.

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Every time a new slot is cut it decreases the lift distance capability by the height of the slot, (bar thickness).

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This is an OK technique when you are dropping a smaller diameter tree, say 8 inch diameter, so that you can use longer wedges and not drive a wedge into the hinge. Caveat; caution on too much holding wood removal on any given tree.

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I've never seen it used where there was this much resistence. It may be difficult to get all of these started in unison.

I would suggest side by side wedging then as the wedges are close to fully inserted going with stacked.

All the Best

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On third thought, this may have application on an unusual tree where there is limited good wood at the rear and going to stacked wedges is limited by space.
That would be about 1 tree in 10,000 where this could work.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I understand the bore cut, and use it sometimes, but stacking wedges in slots like this doesn't seem like it would make any difference.

the thought behind this is that it makes it easier then feathering the wedges the old way.

if the notches are close enough together the wood in between will break off along the medualry rays. As with splitting, wood is weakest parallel to the grain.

This is a very good way to handle small stemmed back leaning trees that are just big enough for a borecut, and too small to get a wedge in any other way.

I think in your picture the lowest cut is too big and would take some of the force out of the process. I've only seen it done on the back side of smaller trees, not ones this large

I think both GOL and ArborMaster both teach this method.

 

[VL07]

also helps prevent the wedges from popping out when you need to stack them.

 

[sawchip]

i think its a waste of time:monkey:

 

[appalachianarbo]

Thanks for the replies. I've never used this method, and judging from your replies, never will. I got that picture from an article on wedges from Tree Services Magazine written by Michael Tain.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

I came across some tall pine trees east of Baton Rouge this year that were mostly striped from a massive hail storm. They were often not leaning the way I needed them to, if at all, and we were still experiencing some good winds on the outskirts of Ike.

I had hot power lines and buildings to avoid so it was critical to get the upper hand.

They wanted the tree line taken back so as to alleviate any future threat from these recently dead and dying trees.

So I used my two plastic stihl wedges I grabbed on the way out of town just in case, along with my old hatchet that my father in law passed down.

Well, like John said, these trees were too small for anything else, and working in a dense stand, this was so much faster than roping.

Sometimes I would stack two wedges to get an advantage, but never that low, or close together. Worked great every time.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

i think its a waste of time:monkey:

It is not something for every fell, but a nice trick to know. You can put them right through your face cut, just like boring for better yield on high value logs.

If you have ever had to feather wedges to get a 3 inch jack to throw a leaner over, you will understand how this method can help.

 

[teamtree]

I did not believe it until I saw the demostration at a 'Precision Felling' training session taught by ArborMaster.

I have tried it myself and it works.

You are basically moving the vertical tissue of the tree between the wedges and it lifts the tree accordingly.

 

[md_tree_dood]

I dropped a 24" american beech with 4 PLASTIC wedges with the general basic method in that picture.

So I disagree with the no plastic and the 8" tree comment

 

[HolmenTree]

Arbormaster Training taught me this exact trick back in 2001 on a 20" bdh white spruce, I laughed at the idea at first but when it went with no problems I thanked them kindly for the information.You really have to pay attention on making your slots deep enough and don't leave too thick of a hinge, as we all know hinge thickness can make or break the wedging technique.

 

[riverwalk]

maybe its just a way to keep the wedges handy so you can get to them easy when you need them

 

[Climbing Cutter]

I tried this the other day on a bradford pear. All it did was to pinch my saw in the backcut.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I tried this the other day on a bradford pear. All it did was to pinch my saw in the backcut.

It is one of those things that is learned best shown then trying to figure out. I had problems with it til a buddy who works for one of those demonstration companies showed me how.

 

[Climbing Cutter]

It probably works best if the backcuts are made first, the saw removed, then the notch made and wedges pounded.?

 

[windthrown]

It probably works best if the backcuts are made first, the saw removed, then the notch made and wedges pounded.?

But if its a leaner, it will flip over your back cut (and single wedge) before you can cut and drive in the stack of wedges. So they would have to be slotted and stacked before the back cut is made. Or so I would think... which to me would seem to pinch your saw in the back cut, as Climbing Cutter said.

I have tried this technique with one or two cuts below the backcut but they were spaced out about 8 inches apart. I cannot say that it did any good. But we had lots of leaners and I had 85 acres of trees and area to play in.