tree felling advice needed

[ross_scott]

Ok I have had experience with dropping trees but have always been in fields. I have been asked by a lady to cut up some logs for her supply of firewood( I am getting some aswell) to drop some blue gum trees for her as a couple are leaning over her shed a little bit and she wants them down before branches hit the roof etc. I was going to scarf the tree to ensure it falls in the direction i want it to fall (away from the building of course) and insert some wedges after I have made the back cut for extra precaution and to hopefully get the tree coming down. are these the right steps to take or have you guys got better suggestions. it has been a while since i have done some tree felling but I am hoping I don't have to climb the tree as I don't have a light enough saw to use to bring it down in sections. the saw I am hoping to use is the husqvarna 50 I am picking up this week

 

[SawTroll]

I am no expert on this, but if the trees are in fact leaning towards the building (or if you are unsertain of the lean), I suggest that you use both wedges and a pull rope failry high up in the tree. This means that I advice against doing it alone.

To prevent setback, the wedges should be started in the back-cut as soon as space allows, not after you have finished cutting the backcut.

In addition, I suggest that you make the "scarf" (wrong expression) a 90 degree "open notch", as you wold want the hinge to guide the tree all yhe way down.

If you are feeling insecure about this, better hire a pro arborist to do the felling, and do the rest of the work yourself.

 

[a_lopa]

get a rope up as high as you can and use a 4wd to pull with,tension the tree first put scarf in backcut and pull.have someone with a few brains in the 4wd doing the clutch/handbrake work.never mind these yanks and there terminology

 

[SawTroll]

:alien: I didn't know that I was a yank, and I still don't think I am.....

 

[Ekka]

Hey Lopa, he's from Norway!


Ross Scott, any chance of some pics ... front and side on so we can see the lean and spread of the canopy, heck, Ill mark it out for you where to put the rope and cut etc.

Also, watch this, just click on the link, and if it jumps around a bit just hit stop on your video player until it downloads.

click on this for video of felling gums approx 11MB file

 

[a_lopa]

:alien: I didn't know that I was a yank, and I still don't think I am.....

northern hemisphere your all nuts HA HA.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

I think Ekka is giving good advice. It's hard to give advice on a tree unseen. If you're gonna do the pull rope method, remember that that tree is probably gonna win the battle with your truck, should the lean be too much, or you get it to rocking. Give us some picks, and let Ekka show you what he'd do.

Jeff

 

[a_lopa]

you can always ask some of the resident woodticks/loggers who know everything,oh wait a minute theres a building forget them ask someone whos actually logged some hours on a saw.

 

[Damo]

a lopa...you sound like a smart bloke with a chip on ya shoulder...Northern Hemisphere fellas usually have a vastly different "cutting" climate, in more ways than one. Heaps of softwood, Fir, Spruce and Pine, for instance. I reckon we've got some of the hardest trees in the world when it comes to felling, but fair go! What about giving us some of your tips, seriously.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

you can always ask some of the resident woodticks/loggers who know everything,oh wait a minute theres a building forget them ask someone whos actually logged some hours on a saw.

a lopa- If this was directed at me, I'm sorry mate. I just thought that the advice to pull the tree with a truck should be tempered with a little advice on the importance of not rocking it, or thinking they can overcome too much of a lean, and not get in trouble. Didn't meant to step on your toes dude.

And yeah, I've got a logging/timber background, but I've done residential tree work as well, and I've never put a tree down on a building, electric box, car, dog, bicycle, or anything other than the yard where I wanted it. Doing some this weekend as a matter of fact. But I'm just a dumb yank, so what do I know?

Jeff

 

[ross_scott]

Cheers for the advice so far guys
What I am going to do is take my camera down with me as the wood I am cutting up is a one and a half hour drive from where i live, the place is a lifestyle block(miniature farm) I will assess the situation myself and if I am not sure I will post up the pics for some ideas as I can head back the following week to do the felling(I was going to post up pics of my day of chainsaw carnage in a separate thread) I have only spoken over the phone to the lady about it so I have to see the blue gums for myself ( i have dropped quite a few when I was farming) but if I am in doubt I won't put the saw to them

as for safety equipment i will be taking steel toe capped boots and the hard hat, ear muff and visor combo I was issued by the sawmill i work for, still working on investing in some chaps (wife insists after the pioneer incident but haven't got around to it, mind you I could have this week but bought a second hand husky instead)

 

[Ekka]

Hey Fishhuntcutwood

I don't think Lopa was havin a go at anyone, he was trying to be comically satirical ... you know with that video of Maas where he knocks off the corner of the house.

But hey, your cool, he's cool, just a bit wierd how he posted.

Anyway, thanks for the good word.

Those gums are extremely heavy, if there's a side lean or the canopy is weighted to one side he may have to put a side rope on. We also don't know how big it is. And he can learn how to attach a rope without climbing the tree with a throwbag, or string with a water filled small coke bottle etc.

Cheers

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Mate, sounds like you might be biting off more than you can chew. Where abouts are you? Do you have enough money to pay for a new shed? If you think a husky 350 is to heavy to climb with I think things could go very badly for you on this job as many guys on this site climb with a saw of the same weight. Dropping trees in fields isnt differcult, they want to fall with gravity, you just have to weaken them a bit to do it.
But the step from making a tree fall over to making a tree leaning the wrong way to fall somewhere else is the difference between shooting a gun and hitting a moving target with one. I have turned up to a couple of flattened sheds/corners of houses/half cut trees destined to go through the house that have been done by guys with the best intentions but lacked the knowledge and experience to understand the forces and problems that were about to arise when they started cutting at the tree.

Time to get someone more experienced help on this job, get it done and learn something valuable which will help you in the future, or you can risk the womans shed and possibly your life.

 

[TrogL]

get a rope up as high as you can and use a 4wd to pull with,tension the tree first put scarf in backcut and pull.have someone with a few brains in the 4wd doing the clutch/handbrake work.never mind these yanks and there terminology

The problem with that is if the guy on the 4x4 doesn't get it right the first time, the tree can sway back with lots of momentum and go exactly where you didn't want it to go.

I had a guy with a 4x4 helping me bring down a diseased mountain ash. He revved it up and went forward and then spun his tires and the tree started dragging him back. Fortunately I was on a rope as well and I reefed on it and dropped the tree exactly where I wanted it.

 

[TrogL]

I need advice too

My ex-wife has two trees in her yard that are causing problems - a big pine out front and an elm in the back. The elm is all tangled up in power, cableTV and telephone lines and drooping over the neighbour's garage so I'm gonna let the pros take care of that.

The pine out front has seen better days, it's starting to lean towards the neighbour's yard and drooping over his oh-so-nice lawn and we want it out of there before winter so we can deal with the roots and the landlord is dragging his heels and the whole thing's gonna end up in court if somebody doesn't get off their ass and do something.

The tree in question is about twice the height of a one-story house. Trunk at the bottom is about a foot 1/2 in diameter. Tree is straight (except for the lean) with dense branches. Somebody previously has cut all the branches off for the first twelve feet up. After that it's quite dense.

It's very close to the house, the neighbour's fence and two large trees. There's room between the trees to drop the whole thing if I land it on the road. Problem is, it's leaning perpendicular to the road.

I figure I've got three choices.

1. Climb the tree with a reciprocating saw and take out the branches so I've got a clean trunk to work with, top it dropping it on the front lawn, come half way down, drop that, then bring down the trunk. All the mess stays in the yard.

2. Same as above, but don't mess with the branches.

3. Drop the whole tree on the road (stopping traffic first), chop it into three and drag it out of the way.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Hey Fishhuntcutwood

I don't think Lopa was havin a go at anyone, he was trying to be comically satirical ... you know with that video of Maas where he knocks off the corner of the house.

But hey, your cool, he's cool, just a bit wierd how he posted.

Anyway, thanks for the good word.

I agree. I was just wanting to clarify my position, and that I wasn't coming in and stepping on his toes, or calling his info no good. Sometimes it's hard to communicate when you can't put inflection and mood into your words.

Jeff

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

But hey, your cool, he's cool, just a bit wierd how he posted.

Yeah, I got a PM from him. No worries. It's like you said, we're cool. Thanks a lopa. :angel:

Jeff

 

[Newfie]

I figure I've got three choices.

1. Climb the tree with a reciprocating saw and take out the branches so I've got a clean trunk to work with, top it dropping it on the front lawn, come half way down, drop that, then bring down the trunk. All the mess stays in the yard.

2. Same as above, but don't mess with the branches.

3. Drop the whole tree on the road (stopping traffic first), chop it into three and drag it out of the way.

You forgot the most logical choices.

Hire someone who actually knows what they are doing, or get a clue.

 

[Ekka]

Trogl

It's only a small tree, I would just fell it on the road, have an observer and pick a quiet time of day.

For a side lean I would install a side rope, leave a tapered hinge. See diagram.

 

[SawTroll]

TroglIt's only a small tree, I would just fell it on the road, have an observer and pick a quiet time of day.....

I second that, keep it simple!

A couple of wedges wouldn't hurt, though.