What's a good technique to use when bucking a tree with a bar shorter then tree width

[atriuum]

Hi,

I have a large felled oak that I want to buck with a 20 inch bar . The trunk is much larger than bar length. What is the best way to go about this?

 

[brokenbudget]

hire a pro:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[atriuum]

Nah. A pro was once in my shoes, and had to somehow learn.

 

[newsawtooth]

Nah. A pro was once in my shoes, and had to somehow learn.

Do what he did then. Cut it.

 

[troythetreeman]

if you got a sharp chain, straight and bur free bar, lining your cuts up will be easy enough, just be mindful of the pressure its under and dont bind your saw up
make undercuts where necessary and keep your saw out of the dirt, often youll need to make several nearly complete cuts, then roll the log
not a bad idea to have a spare chain or means of sharpening on hand, tho sharpening a saw is an art, grinders create a lot of heat, i free hand with files, screwed a few up getting it right, but they do sell guides for files as well
but most places only charge 5$ a chain, my time is worth more then that, only saw i sharpen myself is my climbing saw or when otherwise idle anyhow and just to touch up, the longer the chain, the harder it is to get it right as the teeth all need to be equally sharp and the same length
buy a couple plastic wedges to hammer in to hold cuts open, they work well and wont hurt your saw if you hit them

 

[troythetreeman]

be smart, just cause it on the ground doesnt mean its safe to just make random cuts, use your eys and your brain

 

[serial feller]

Troythetreeman had some good advice, but to keep it simple first make sure the area is safe. Is the tree on level ground; will it roll? Are there any branches pinned under the tree which will cause the log to shift as you make your cut? Are there any other problems which might place you in danger? Once you have determined you can safely make the desired cut start cutting on one side of the log, keeping your saw basically horizontal. Once you have cut approximately 50% from top to bottom, switch sides. Cut the second side from top to bottom stopping again at 50%. Take 2 plastic wedges and drive them into the cut at the 10:00 and 2:00 positions. (obviously 12:00 will be straight up.) Reinsert the saw into the cut and continue cutting downward until you have about 6 inches of wood remaining then pull the saw back until the tip of the bar is about 1/3 through the log and finish cutting through to the bottom being careful not to get the chain into the dirt. At this point you should be able to finish with one cut from the other side. NOTE: IF THE TREE IS ON ANY KIND OF SLOPE BE SURE YOU HAVE SET YOURSELF UP TO MAKE THE FINAL CUT ON THE UPHILL SIDE! As you start your final cut pay close attention to what the log is doing. If the cut begins to close on one side or the other, drive the wedge in tighter and open the cut back up or you may pinch your bar. In some cases as you near completion of the cut you can drive both wedges in harder and actually raise the log up an inch or so under the cut.

Go slow.
Keep your situational awareness.
If it feels unsafe, then it is!

 

[atriuum]

I appreciate the suggestions. I have been staring at youtube vids for a while also looking at bucking, but your suggestions help. Mostly I am just super-cautious and want to avoid bloodying the bar. I popped my chainsaw cherry this past-week, but all the trees were either 20" or less, so cutting a wider diameter than the bar wasn't an issue. Though, my back became an issue the day after, the saw gets heavy... LOL

I will cut some wood wedges and see how those workout.

Thanks again.

 

[Doc Hickory]

This is a little off the strict subject, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyways. When bucking a tree, many feel it is an advantage to limb it first. Cutting limbs off isn't as simple as it may sound. The ones on top are holding their own weight up, the bigger the limb the more weight. Undercutting will result in a pinched bar unless you are very careful. These can be an inconvenience.
The limbs underneath can be downright dangerous. They are supporting the weight of the whole tree, and in effect can become giant springs. You undercut these and when you get to that point where there is no longer enough wood to support the weight and kerpow! It will explosively snap or split, too quickly many times for you to do anything. If it splits and sends part of itself at your leg welcome to the wonderful world of broken bones and casts. Always stand clear of a compressed limb. It requires more than just walking up to a limb and sticking a saw into it. It's a bit of an art to it.
Others leave some limbs, particularly on the downhill side to help prevent those rolling trees mentioned above. Every tree is different, the terrain is different, dead wood behaves differently than live wood, even the temperature can be one of the variables.
Keep your eyes open and know what to do when something happens. Good advise above, particularly about using wedges to keep the cut open. Happy sawing!

 

[Section VIII]

I've found that wedges are the best and easiest way.

If rolling is a factor, just place a section of a smaller tree or portion of tree that you have already bucked and if it isn't small enough, shape it into a wheel chock and use that to keep the tree from rolling. If you must, cut and roll as many times as necessary. Of course, cut the entire length part of the way, roll. Cut some more the entire length and roll again, etc.... until bucked.

 

[serial feller]

Atriuum, Just checking to see if you got-r-done yet and how it went.

 

[DangerTree]

Assuming you are on flattish ground de-limb the log. Start cutting on one side of the log from the top down to about 3/4 or so through and do it every 16" or so. Go around to the other side and do the same thing using the cuts you made first as guides. At this point guess how far the log would need to roll in order to turn it over- place a branch there to stop the log. A peavey is helpful for this task a rope or a long bar can be used also. Now insert the saw bar into the kerf of the previous cuts and cut upward using the back of the bar.Do not continue to pull the saw into your face as that would hurt. Go around to the other side and repeat. Walla Presto dun like din din.