The bore cutting rage/fad

[booboo]

If you bore in just below the scarf apex then you have a full hinge and you can use the back cut to easily double the wedges without feathering. the chunk of wood between acts as a shim or bearing.

I've seen that done but never tried it, makes sense though. I have stacked wedges in the kerf on the backside though, after boring through the hinge perpendicular to the face. The only places I've done that is for stuff like lot clearing, driveways, etc... where it's more a matter of convenience rather than critical imprtance where exactly the tree ends up. That's starting to get sketchy at that point though, if the tree's got that much of a back lean, I'll put a rope in it rtaher than take a chance.

 

[Tree Dr.]

triangle back cut

Triangle back cut is not used to steer the fall(tapered hinge)It is to reduce the possibility of barber chair.Backcut is made at angle from either side then the middle is cut last.

 

[tawilson]

This bore cut phenomenom is definetly a regional thing. The bore cut method is extolled as safer, but there are a couple of things to consider, first, you spend more time at the stump looking at your cuts, more time and opportunity for a widowmaker to get you. Second, there is a possiblity you could cut off too much or not enough holding wood, this applies to any backcut, but moreso here I believe. Also, it requires more skill to place the cut if you have to two side it. You can't just walk the saw around. Now TWilson brings up something I hear here quite often, "no room for a wedge", there is always room for a wedge, simple, make your backcut first and stick in a wedge, then make the undercut, be carefull to leave enough holding wood. I do this all the time, it is approved here. As far as loggers bore cutting, yes they do, but not like we are talking about.

Sorry. I think you suggested this method to me before. I'll give it a whirl next time. I took down a 12" dead oak in my campground last weekend. I used the bore cut, putting in a couple wedges before cutting the strap, and it went where I wanted.

 

[GASoline71]

Triangle back cut is not used to steer the fall(tapered hinge)It is to reduce the possibility of barber chair.Backcut is made at angle from either side then the middle is cut last.

Good explaination... in theory it works the same way a Coos Bay cut does... but you don't remove as much wood in the back two angled cuts.

Gary

 

[murphy4trees]

I love the bore cut but use it only a very small percentage of the time... The main reason loggers adopted this and use it faithfully is because of the average increase of 5 seconds in escape time.... Now that might not mean much falling a spar in some backyard, but in the woods 5 seconds is huge!!

I fall trees almost every workday for 25+ years, and often need to be exremely precise in direction and judgment of length etc... I rarely get paid for wood, and almost never have to worry about throw back or hangers etc.. that is objects falling from the sky....

I only fall hard front leaners from time to time and will bore or use the cos bay... never tried the triangle...

I really like the bore when there is bad wood involved or occasionally when I don't trust the driver to pull slowly, or when I want to be away from the tree when it goes... I almost always pull with a rope and rarely use wedges... Every once in a long while I like to bore and set the hinge perfectly for added precision, but almsot always can pinpoint the drop with a standard backcut, looking down the handle or gunning line...

I think it is good to practice the bore cut/back release for when you need it, but wouldn;t agree with those who say it should be used in all suburban falls... It is a great trick to have in your repretoire and if you haven;t tried it, I highly recommend learning... It come in so handy when needed..

IE... a few weeks back I was dropping a white ash across a driveway.... HEAVY front leaner with a wierd flare and next to some other smaller trees that intefered with bringing the saw in straight from the back...In order to avoid hinging through the flare I used a very shallow notch... maybe 4-5" on a 30"+ cut, bored in behind it to set the hinge & make sure the tree fell on the log that was set across the drive to protect the blacktop... then I was able to trigger the back release by cutting from both sides of the intefering trees and finished on the side that left me an easy escape...

The cool thing about the bore/back realease is that the tree starts to move when the back release goes, then hesitates as the fibers of the back release pull out or the fibers of the hinge offer resistance ( not sure why it stops for a couple seconds)... Now if I was a logger, where escape can mean life or death on a regular basis that hesitation and the saw being easir to pull out of the back release would make me feel really really good....

I think suburban arborists can learn a lot from loggers, but we must understand the differences in the work. We can adopt techniques and use then when they make sense, yet it would be impractical to blindly follow their lead in this and many other techniques....

 

[joesawer]

I rarely use a bore cut with a strap to trip the tree, only on very heavy forward leaners.
What good does it do to set wedges in a bore cut? The tree cannot possibly move forward until the back strap is cut or broken, all the wedges can do is compress the wood fiber.
With a back leaner I would rather cut in far enough to set a wedge, then cut up the hinge as far as I am comfortable while watching the top for movement, then advance the wedge or pull to move the top. When the tree is pretty much straight, fine the hinge up, then tip the tree over.
With a bore and trip cut the tree does not move until the strap is cut, then it is to late to change anything. You are completely committed to the hinge you made before the strap was cut.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i assume we are talking about a bore plunge through the face to take out center of hinge; and not a bore behind hinge to leave a safety release at back of the tree. Some of the responses seem to 'lean' towards the latter though.

i think if the hinge is placed so the compressed portion of the hinge(pivot) is in same place, on same tree; the tension hold parts of hinge all have the same strength. Because the hinge is just a reflection of the pulls(and pushes of wedge) on it(therefore we can 'fake' a hinge out to be stronger by placing extra pull(rope) or push(wedge) on the hinge). But, also the outer extremes of the hinge have most of the control against side to side movement. So, a bore cut would reapportion center fibers to the sides; so have more side to side control.

Sorenson showed a plunge through center face to eliminate the center wood(sometimes 'heartwood' or dead etc.) for having less splintering up inside of the fat / mo$t valuable end of a spar. Theory was this can be stiffer wood and to place the load on the more flexible outside fibers. i think in pines (and some stiffer 'junk' varieties/ or dead center trees) around here; i've seen where that can be applicable; for more predictable lay.

It is also recommended for heavy head leaner. i think a tapered hinge does steer against side pulls; and even keeps a horizontal limb sweeping across on a horizontal path longer (fat end up, setting it up for down as the 'side lean' against the desired horizontal path).

There is also the what if the saw doesn't reach across scenario. One reason i've been thankful i've used it; is to gain more understanding, experience and confidance that paid off well for dealing with trees that were mostly rotted out in the center. These had far more material removed than you'd do yourself; but i was better prepared to deal with them, from the experiences of removing that material myself.

 

[KMB]

Triangle back cut is not used to steer the fall(tapered hinge)It is to reduce the possibility of barber chair.Backcut is made at angle from either side then the middle is cut last.

Thanks for the explanation. Is there a web link (or maybe someone has a picture) of where I can see what the triangle back cut looks like?

Kevin

 

[SWE#Kipp]

When i'm in the woods cutting I have to limb the trees as well and it's their I can save time, the falling is there fore important for me to get right thats why I like bore cut "GOL" method, I don't care if it takes 10-20 sec longer to fell the tree as long as it's lay is were I want it to be !
with this method I get a second chance to make a new face and hinge if I discovered that I screwed up the first time (it has happened to me a couple of times at least) to me thats a good and safe thing ,,,,,
with small trees that I can cut and push with my shoulder I just throttle away with a regular back cut which is faster for me than the bore cut, but I don't think it's as safe as bore cut ,,,,,
this might not make sense to you, but if thats the case I blame it on the English language ,,,, can't all you learn Swedish instead

 

[yooper]

I helped a logging crew during a period I was layedoff, the reason they bore cut was to eliminate checking, I really didnt see the point untill I used the traditional notch and drop method.

The hinge tears the centers now your thinkin no big deal, I didnt think it was either, but get paid for the board feet of lumber and every inch counts.

now whether this is a common practice or just some loggers wantin to show the line clearance guys they can do something different, I dont know.

but they were a fun bunch, & I did learn the bore cut so I gained knowledge about somethin.

LXT..........................

Your exactly right there, bore/strap cut is best for log timber to reduce fiber pull while tree is falling. After cutting ...say 50 two foot at the stump log trees in a day the fiber ripeage you save the land owner may be in the hundreds of dollars depending on the species of trees being cut.

 

[pbtree]

Gasoline , Clearance I agree with you both 100 % the use of the bore cut is limited and if not done properly can lead to some serious issues , in my opinion people should stop thinking on how technical they look and just fall the dam tree the old way

What he said...

 

[turnkey4099]

Your exactly right there, bore/strap cut is best for log timber to reduce fiber pull while tree is falling. After cutting ...say 50 two foot at the stump log trees in a day the fiber ripeage you save the land owner may be in the hundreds of dollars depending on the species of trees being cut.

Yes but... Again, it is another tool that should be in everyone's kit and just like other tools, it should be used when appropriate. In my case, I am making firewood and having a foot or so of the butt with fiber pull or splits is not important to me.

To get back to the point of the OP. I have been working a salvage operation on a burn for about 5 years now. Willow ranging from 20" up to near 4'. All lean, some pretty bad, all have detiorated wood near the butt to the point that some will fall as soon as the back cut is started. There is no way I will try a bore cut on such dangerous trees. Chain above the cut, undercut if the lean isn't too vicious and standard back cut. So it tries to barber chair - it isn't going any further than tightening the chain (1/2" log chain).

At times I was beginning to think it was getting so bad I expected the following: "My chain is cutting crooked" "bore cut it".

Harry K

 

[John Ellison]

One of the times I think a bore cut and release is superior to any other method is in a blow down where you cant work it from the top down. Like where a tree lays over and the root wad of another tree holds it up in the air. You have to make the first cuts near the roots. Tree is at 45%.
How else can you do it? If your strip has a lot of blow down you are using it a lot. Oh oh, this is the C T C and Climbing forum.
I am not going to use it when pulling or wedging over a back leaner. Would much rather ease it over and see how it is reacting.
Pretty much only use it for barber chair avoidance or for when my saw/bar is just too small.:jester:

 

[treevet]

Was taking a 2 ft dia lead, about 50 ft long, about 60 foot in the air that had the lean and tip weight and straight grain (ash) that would add up to a barber chair. An inexperienced climber might have tied in to the available crotch right above the cut and felt he could just blow it into the open area from there. I tied above and behind so I could escape and put in a small notch and slowly back cut to see if what I thought would happen would. It barber chaired and the slab went out behind, and over the cut and when it finally folded, I saw from a safe spot , the butt of the slab come down and land right where I was standing and I would have been stuck if low tied and would have squashed me like stepping a grape. Lesson learned. Bore cut has a place in the air too.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Quite a story!


Tapered Hinge is used for steering sidelean to center gun IMLHO. Dent writes about it in his felling bible: "Proffessional Timber Falling-a Procedural Approach".

i've even taken the model up in the air and turned it sideways to usher a horizontal branch; on a more horizontal path to clear an obstachle below. Just place fat end up to pull away from the 'side lean' (down) and allow to steer on the chosen path (across).

Please excuse the tattered edges; as this is years old now; and has been handed around a lot:

 

[turnkey4099]

Quite a story!


Tapered Hinge is used for steering sidelean to center gun IMLHO. Dent writes about it in his felling bible: "Proffessional Timber Falling-a Procedural Approach".

i've even taken the model up in the air and turned it sideways to usher a horizontal branch; on a more horizontal path to clear an obstachle below. Just place fat end up to pull away from the 'side lean' (down) and allow to steer on the chosen path (across).

Please excuse the tattered edges; as this is years old now; and has been handed around a lot:

Excellent. I have never seen it illustrated before. I have used it in the past, mostly successfully but now I understand the force vectors. I was just eyeballing a tree the other day wondering if I would be able to steer it far enough to miss another tree. I am far from being a professional so I don't try falling trees where there may be subesquent damage to something.

Harry K

 

[PUclimber]

I use the bore cut quite a bit and have practiced with it on trees that really didn't need any special cutting just in order to get it down and get it into my arsenal. It is kind of nice to use the bore cut for using a snap cut. Where as you set up the notch bore cut and then make a back cut above the bore cut and then you can clear the area and all it takes is a little tug to take it down. As well as this being a safer method you reduce the amount of holding wood before you cut the strapp and this will lessen the barber chair effect.

 

[jrparbor04]

here is my two cents,,,i am an I.S.A Certified Arborist,,,have done just about anything that has to do with trees. climbing,,,felling(not falling), bucket and etc. i have also been Arbormaster trained in the area of Precision felling,,,
they have taught me to use the bore cut method,,,both the face bore and side bore,,,i for one,,,believe it is a safer method to felling a tree around others,,,on the traditional cut,once you have started to make your back cut you are commited to cutting that tree,,,if others(the public)are present the bore cut presents a safe time after cutting your notch and the bore,,,keeping the back strap in for safety to relook at the surroundings,,making sure all are safe before committing to felling the tree,,,i have used both methods all day and everyday,,,as we all know,,,each tree is different and presents different situations in felling a tree the professional and safe way

 

[smokechase II]

Commitment:

I would suggest that the work area be secured and a felling method selected with some confidence of success prior to any felling cuts being made.

What are you going to do if the public walks in just as you cut your backstrap?

The area is secured or it isn't.

****************************

A similar argument could be made for either cutting method where wedges are necessary to counter a lean.

The tree is going to stay in place until it is talked over with a wedge(s). A reason why this is safer than cutting the strap is no saw is running. Noises like the popping of the wood, the laughter of children playing under the intended lay and the quicker escape available without the saw etc.

When I hear a blank check "this is the safer method" assertion I laugh and I think "how foolish".

There is absolutely no way that open face cutting can be the preferred cutting method in any sort of hazard tree felling.

Death from above. Must look up.
The cutter cannot be obsessed with a cutting technique that requires more concentration at the cut or being bent over and presenting greater exposure.

Why you'd think open faced cutting was developed in an area where there were almost exclusively second growth forests and few hazard trees.

 

[jrparbor04]

well,,,obviously,,,with the bore cut method,,,you tree feller has the chance to look at the current surroundings and look out for the public,,,if the public is present at anytime of the felling process,,,proper safety measure should already been in place,,,if you are a professional,,,so,,,better chance with the public being safe in the bore cut method than the traditional method,,,as of always,,,,safety is number one