The Descriptive Process

[Gologit]

Fellow from the woodlot sent me these pictures from last week. Not enough detail for me to tell if he was standing in a bad spot at the time or not. Apparently the stump stood back up at some point. Wish I had been there to help.

View attachment 392491

Question for you guys that cut rootwads. I very seldom have to make that kind of a cut like the guy in the picture. Is he standing in the right place? If he finished his cut and the rootwad stood up it might be a hell of a ride.
On the other hand, if he made his cut the other way, between himself and the rootwad, he might have to bail out when the trunk dropped. Or is there something I'm missing here?
Let's discuss this here and not in Chainsaw or Firewood. I'd rather hear what the real cutters think and not have to listen to the ankle biters.

 

[slowp]

Cutting logs? Or firewood chunks? You pretty much have to start at the butt to cut logs, right? No ankle biting intended....

 

[1270d]

It appears like he is just getting what he can from the top, then it looks like it would be best to step off toward the camera, undercut to bind then finish it from the top at arms length. Stump looks well loaded back to its hole.

Seems like the safest way from what I can see in the picture. Curious what the others will think.

 

[northmanlogging]

Haven't cut many, but I try to stay on the ground, could be he was just cutting the top bit while standing on the log, then finished it up on the ground?

Most times the root wad will flip back into its hole... most times... other wise its a good time for a tall sideways stump, or leave it for someone more desperate.

Root wads is what power drove my ole basket case 046 2 feet deep in a swamp, trunk had landed uphill, once severed it just took every thing with it.

 

[rwoods]

As you know I am no pro, but I love cutting root balls. As I noted there is not enough detail in the picture for me to judge but if he were sawing through in my opinion he is in the wrong spot. Actually standing on top of either side of a through cut IMO is the wrong spot. I think he was on top simply due to the size of the stem. If he had no safe side, I would have told him to relieve what stress he could, cut up the trimmings and leave the stem and root ball to someone else. Generally, if this non-pro had been there I would have likely had him relieve the stress beginning at the top of the stem. From there we would address how much, if any, of the remaining stem should be shorten given the chance of rolling and/or standing up. Not having the time constraints of a logger, I have at times anchored a root ball just in case I misjudged whether it is going to topple or right itself. Ron

 

[joesawer]

I hope he did not finish his cut while standing on top.
I would have decided what side I wanted to be on then cut it up as much as possible and then tripped it from that side.

 

[joesawer]

How do you anchor the rootballs?

 

[northmanlogging]

Hook a line to over/to the top of the wad, and back to something away from you. Decent sized rope is usually enough, 1/2 or bigger, coarse cable is always preferred.

 

[rwoods]

First understand that I mainly cut yard trees so I am almost always on flat ground and generally I have room to maneuver. With my limited skill set, it is usually safer if the root ball stands up. When I am unsure that this will happen I will rope across the top of the root ball down to the stem. The rope is then tighten towards the root hole by tractor or truck with the hope that I won't get squashed if indeed it wanted to fall forward.

It appears that not only can NML run a saw he can type a lot faster than me.

Ron

 

[joesawer]

I have never seen this and am trying to visualize it.
You rig it so the stump can't move towards you?

 

[joesawer]

Ok so you make sure it is going back into the hole

 

[northmanlogging]

yup, basically a guy line for the ball.

I took a typing class in high school... I use more then one "faynger" to spell with...

 

[joesawer]

In the woods I have to read the tension as I cut it loose to anticipate which way it wants to go.

 

[joesawer]

Lol my fayngers are to fat for this little touch screen!

 

[joesawer]

A few years ago I worked on a tract of hard wood that had been blown down by straight line wind. Hundreds and hundreds of root balls over ten feet tall. Man if you ever wanted to hide something that would have been the time and place.

 

[rwoods]

In the woods I have to read the tension as I cut it loose to anticipate which way it wants to go.

The fellow in the picture is just a volunteer firewood cutter like myself. I was surprised to see his picture as I am not sure he has much experience beyond bucking firewood. Trying to read the tension is what I enjoy about root balls. But when faced with a 9 to 10 foot tall root ball, I will get out the 1" rope if there is any doubt in my mind as I seldom cut anything that has to be cut. Ron

 

[rwoods]

I said I love cutting root balls but hundreds and hundreds would satisfy my taste in a hurry. I'm sure you would have rather been falling them. Ron

 

[joesawer]

Being cautious is much better than being dead or crippled.

 

[treeslayer2003]

In the woods I have to read the tension as I cut it loose to anticipate which way it wants to go.

yes, this.........i have one at present job prolly 15' tall. i already cut it almost all the way off, it will fall on me if i cut it thru. i will use the skidder and "super choker" to twist the log free then the wad can do what it wants.
i know Ron don't have a skidder, so yea he is better off bucking from the top down......just expect it to upright itself.
yea Bob, imo that guy is not in a good place unless he is indeed not cutting the stem but some thing smaller on top of it.

 

[joesawer]

Yes I would have much rather been falling them. It was some prime hardwood and there was a lot of waste and dangerous as he'll. A lot did not blow over and where leaned at 30 to 45 degrees.
As soon as I got done with that tract I moved onto a tornado salvage it was way worse.