Trying to be more professional in my cutting

[Engineeringnerd]

I've been cutting small amounts of wood for years to clear property, cut firewood, and help friends and would like to be safe and productive in my cutting. I've just finished reading Beranek's Fundamentals of General Tree Work and am almost though reading Dent's Professional Timber Falling. After reading these books, I'm amazed at the complexity these guys present for cutting wood.

For instance, when bucking with a bottom bind situation I have always just undercut or cut a wedge out of the bottom then cut from the top (making sure I'm standing uphill). Dent, however, recommends on page 54 to make 4 distinct cuts and 1 bore to cut the log. Is this overkill or do the pro's really do this?

Also, when bucking Dent often recommends making a near vertical offside cut before wedging/cutting through the log. He seems to recommend this offside cutting procedure even if the cutting bar is long enough to cut all the way through the tree. The only rationale I've seen is that it allows the worker to stand farther away from the piece when it breaks free. Once again, is this really best practice with the pro's?

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

I think alot of it is the magatude (sp?) of what they're talking about. If you're bucking a six, eight, or twelve foot diameter tree laying on steep ground these cuts come into play. Or maybe even a smaller tree on uneven ground, possibly with tension, compression and shear forces all present. Myself, bucking even 30" firewood laying flat on the ground, no, I don't worry about it. I might cut up or down depending on how it's laying, but all else being equal, it's just one or two simple cuts to accomodate the log's lay and I'm done. No need to get fancy if there's no need to get fancy.

 

[John Ellison]

Standing farther away is sometimes a side benefit but what Dent is showing is ways to buck saw logs that are in a bind without pulling a lot of wood slivers [ screwing up the saw log]when the logs break apart.
Sharp chain and fast saw in smaller timber and you can usually just cut from the top and bottom, or if you are just cutting firewood.
Bucking on steep ground you will want to make sure you get the far side [downhill]bucked first and far enough that you wont have to go there again.

 

[Kiwilogger]

In NZ, our skiddies are awesome.

By "bucking" I presume you mean cutting right through a log that is lying on the ground (or a bearer)?

Under downward compression, standard practice here is to start the cut the top of the log go over a little, pull out and go down the log so the saw is only in the log 1/2 way, when you get halfway down the log, bore in at a 45 degree angle and then cut right through to the bottom. Then, come back up the log from underneath using a fast "pushing-sawing action" (this keeps the cut larger than normal). As you have already cut the top of the log, you won't get any slabbing of timber as you finish the cut and the log falls. Nor will your saw get jammed.

Takes a bit of practice to get right, take a hammer and wedge with you........