The Descriptive Process

[bitzer]

Small dbh can make a fool out of anyone. It went sideways on ya Ron cuz you cut that side of the hinge to tight, but you already knew that. Cut a deep back cut in first like (80-90 percent of the tree), start wedging, then just scratch a face in. Putting the hinge that far forward gives you plenty of room to wedge and stack if you need too. It also takes pressure off the hinge. Also put the full backcut in so you don't have to put the saw back in. These are options if you know you're going to be wedging for sure. If unsure I'd still keep that hinge farther forward than normal just in case. The smallest wedge i own is a 10"er. I've wedged 8" diameter trees with em, maybe smaller. Also setting some up and knocking em over with others saves a lot of work and headaches. Like you said once you get a hole going you have more options. If you doing a clearcut figure out which way most of the trees are leaning before you start cutting. Thats the first thing I do. On a southern exposure or flat ground they typically lean east and south. There are always a few that fight the general lean of the woods, but there will be a general direction the entire woods wants to go. Northern exposre can be a little different, hills, etc.

 

[rwoods]

Thanks. It never occurred to me to go that deep with the back cut. I assume you have to be quick with the wedge insert.

I have certainly learned why you guys use wedge pouches. More than once yesterday a tree closed on me while I was fighting my clothes to get a wedge out of my pocket.

Ron

 

[northmanlogging]

I chew the nose of a lot of wedges because I stick em in as soon as there is room, sometimes its not enough room, but they are in there and ready to do what they do.

If there is enough room I'll set one and leave the other hanging, before getting nearly done with the back cut, the hanger is used as a bobber or indicator, it will start to drop or stand up as the tree starts to move one way or the other. Granted with one wedge set they don't usually stand up, unless it sits down hard, but if you just set the first wedge so it don't fall out then it works pretty good, or you can use a fairly narrow wedge and stick it in so its just hanging by itself, but you run the risk of nocking it out on accident then.

 

[rwoods]

The terrain of the plot I am cutting is best described as the sides of three hills. Most of the trees are straight, tall and small diameter. In addition to trying to leave unmolested the saw timber, I am trying to maintain a firewood lay of crossed stems to keep as much as possible out of the dirt without making a jack straw mess. Big order for this hack. But I am slowly getting back into the swing as well as learning new things. Due to public roads and adjacent properties, I had to leave the fringes and start in the middle.

Thanks for all the advice, bitzer. I know you have an appreciation for the type of patch I am cutting.

Ron

 

[rwoods]

NM, I just now saw your reply. I need to develop the habit of getting a wedge in quick. These dang things are so small that you can zip through them in seconds.

I know I thinned the hinge too much but I still don't know why it came my way other than maybe a puff of wind. It was leaning slightly to the far side as indicated by my two swinging "plumb bobs" and it had the weight of both those "bobs" pulling it that way as well.

Ron

 

[rwoods]

I guess I should add for the sake of any Noob perusing this thread that although I have been wondering why the tree fell my way, the truth remains that without an effective hinge you have no control over the tree and it will fall where external forces take it. I had no effective hinge because I thinned it down to almost nothing. I am fortunate that I had cleared an escape path. I am also fortunate to have an undamaged saw. I have no human explanation of why it landed where it did instead of being crushed.

Ron

 

[Metals406]

Step cut the back if you want to stick a wedge in a little one, no worries of it closing on ya.

 

[rwoods]

Explain please. Ron

Step cut the back if you want to stick a wedge in a little one, no worries of it closing on ya.

 

[Gologit]

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=eka

 

[Metals406]

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=eka

CA, the state of extremes.

If yer not on fire, you're getting 'excessive' rain. LOL

 

[Gologit]

CA, the state of extremes.

If yer not on fire, you're getting 'excessive' rain. LOL

Yup, that word caught my eye too. Excessive rain. As opposed to inadequate rain I guess.

Another shining example are the Tsumani Evacuation Route signs that are posted all along the coast. The arrows on the signs all point up hill. Duh. I wonder why we have to be told that. Might be a good Darwin test if somebody pointed the arrows down hill and let IQ sort things out.

 

[Skeans]

Yup, that word caught my eye too. Excessive rain. As opposed to inadequate rain I guess.

It's either they need row boats or tankers full of water, they should be happy to have any rain.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Metals406]

Explain please. Ron

I'll come up with an example, might even cut a tree fer ya.

 

[rwoods]

Thanks. I'll be back at it tomorrow - in the mud. It rained a lot this week. Ron

 

[Cedarkerf]

Yup, that word caught my eye too. Excessive rain. As opposed to inadequate rain I guess.

Another shining example are the Tsumani Evacuation Route signs that are posted all along the coast. The arrows on the signs all point up hill. Duh. I wonder why we have to be told that. Might be a good Darwin test if somebody pointed the arrows down hill and let IQ sort things out.

Guess Captain Kirk wont be demanding we send water this year

 

[rwoods]

Today was a beautiful clear day, 33 degrees and no wind. I started a new patch near the edge to may an opening from the highway to access the other patches; trees were mostly not so straight and a little thicker than last week's. Except for most being poplar, life was good. Probably another 50 trees down on two tanks through the MS361. Lots of challenging stuff for me. Vines as big as your forearm, clusters intertwined, tops connected by vines, a few necessary dominoes and two that required wedge stacking. Not one single pinch or bad fall. Then I got the old MAC out to fall a couple 24" poplars and a 30" sycamore. The sycamore and the first poplar had such a slope to the back cut that I came in even with the face cut. All went well but what the heck - different handling saw and muscle memory from the small saw maybe, don't know - I guess I'll have to remount the bubble level on the bar. Also I snapped a wedge earlier in the day. May make it into a high lift 5 incher.

Ron

 

[SliverPicker]

I don't see a problem there Ron. Nice job.

Switching saws on dime catches everyone flat footed at times. No biggie.

 

[paccity]

what the heck is been going on around here.

 

[Gologit]

what the heck is been going on around here.

Same old. It's about time you got back here. Staying busy?

 

[rwoods]

what the heck is been going on around here.

Apparently not too much as there seems to be enough time and patience to put up with my intrusions. For which I am grateful. Ron