Why wedges rock!!!

[sawinredneck]

Well kids, I boned everything today!! It was a bad day for the 046, and a worse day for me!!

My dad wanted help dropping a "big" hedge tree for my nephews, they wanted the wood for a firepit. "Just bring you're big saw with the big bar, that's all you'll need". Well, I was born in the dark, but..........

So I show up with the 346 and the 046 with the 32" on it. No nephews, Dad drops a small tree, the former owner had tied it all togheter with chains and a comalong, don't ask me!!!! It's on the ground and chopping it up, I hit the cable for the comealong, had it cut in half before I even knew it!!! Got the comealong out, cable out, all the chains out, it went fine, pushed all the brush up with the skidsteer, lif is fine on that one.
Then I see the "big" one. HOLLY CRAP!!!!! 33" stump, 36"x39"DBH!!! Still no nephews and the wind is blowing to beat the band!! I am not happy, my back is killing me so I am not thinking as well as I need to be. I go to drop this sucker. Cut my notch, it has a good lean to it and I want it to go off a little to the side of the lean, Elm tree in the way, and I do not want a Hdge tree hung up!!! I start the back cut, I don't what I was thinking, much less doing, I was ending up a good five inches UNDER my notch, not good!!! But I am in too deep now!! I pull out and make a slice on the front to relieve it some, and continue the back cut. I finally got it where I wanted it, but ONLY because I use the heck out of the wedges and beat the piss out of them, I even cut one in half!! Had I not had them, this would have been incredibly ugly!!!!!!
Well, my dad leaves to "go check on the nephews" so I can block this up!! I got waht I could out of the way with the 346, bu cutting 18" hedge rounds doesn't make the 346 happy, and doing it with the 046 and a 32" bar isnt much more fun!!!! Then all the times I pinched the bar and had to cut it out with the 346, good times!!!
SO............ I am out there thinking, "why didn't I just do this by myself?" and then I look around, "GEEE, I guess I am!!!"""
It was not a good day!!!
Andy

 

[1wildthing]

sounds like you need a beer after that one.

 

[KMB]

I "discovered" wedges about a month or so ago and though I have not used it (yes I only have one - found it all by itself in Lowes - more soon to come) to fall a tree, it's great for bucking. Especially when it's a downed 32" oak with know room underneath to make a clear cut (without getting in the dirt). No more pinched bars - if wedge is placed right . And y'all are probably wondering what I'm doing messing with a tree that big without a "big" saw. Well, the 970 with a 24" bar and full-skip chain doesn't do to bad. Something 85cc + would have been nicer, but as one AS member has in his sig: "Run what you brung" (or something like that) .

Kevin

 

[Log Splitter]

That sounds like a typical day in the woods for me. And, it was a lot worse before I found ArboristSite.

 

[jefeVTtreeman]

at least it was after Christmas. maybe two beers tonight!




.

 

[04ultra]

Well kids, I boned everything today!! It was a bad day for the 046, and a worse day for me!!

My dad wanted help dropping a "big" hedge tree for my nephews, they wanted the wood for a firepit. "Just bring you're big saw with the big bar, that's all you'll need". Well, I was born in the dark, but..........

So I show up with the 346 and the 046 with the 32" on it. No nephews, Dad drops a small tree, the former owner had tied it all togheter with chains and a comalong, don't ask me!!!! It's on the ground and chopping it up, I hit the cable for the comealong, had it cut in half before I even knew it!!! Got the comealong out, cable out, all the chains out, it went fine, pushed all the brush up with the skidsteer, lif is fine on that one.
Then I see the "big" one. HOLLY CRAP!!!!! 33" stump, 36"x39"DBH!!! Still no nephews and the wind is blowing to beat the band!! I am not happy, my back is killing me so I am not thinking as well as I need to be. I go to drop this sucker. Cut my notch, it has a good lean to it and I want it to go off a little to the side of the lean, Elm tree in the way, and I do not want a Hdge tree hung up!!! I start the back cut, I don't what I was thinking, much less doing, I was ending up a good five inches UNDER my notch, not good!!! But I am in too deep now!! I pull out and make a slice on the front to relieve it some, and continue the back cut. I finally got it where I wanted it, but ONLY because I use the heck out of the wedges and beat the piss out of them, I even cut one in half!! Had I not had them, this would have been incredibly ugly!!!!!!
Well, my dad leaves to "go check on the nephews" so I can block this up!! I got waht I could out of the way with the 346, bu cutting 18" hedge rounds doesn't make the 346 happy, and doing it with the 046 and a 32" bar isnt much more fun!!!! Then all the times I pinched the bar and had to cut it out with the 346, good times!!!
SO............ I am out there thinking, "why didn't I just do this by myself?" and then I look around, "GEEE, I guess I am!!!"""
It was not a good day!!!
Andy

Sit back and have one Andy ......or a 12pack........

 

[sawinredneck]

KMB, buy more wedges!!! I had five in this sucker to move it right.

That doesnt include all the times I got stabbed buy thorns, dang things even went through my kevlar gloves!! I wish I had a picture, my phone was out of memory and I didn't grab the good one on the way out. It flat SCARED me!!! The butt of the tree ened up sitting on the stump, on top of the top of what was supossed to be my notch, and the skidsteer wouldn't move it!!! Had to take off the top to get it off the stump. Nothing like a 32" hedge tree sitting two feet up in the air teetering!!!

Yeah, I am wa past the beer tonight!!!
Andy

 

[ASEMASTER]

spliter

Andy before you do another cut job finnish the spliter and use it on that tree.

 

[sawinredneck]

Andy before you do another cut job finnish the spliter and use it on that tree.

I wish, the nephews want to burn it as is, big chunks and all!!! Should e on heck of a fire!!!

 

[Canyon Angler]

What's a "hedge tree"? Is that a species? I keep hearing people talk about them, but I'm clueless as to what they are... To me a "hedge" is a line of shrubs that separates one yard from the next.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Look up "Redneck" in the dictionary and there SHOULD be a picture of Andy.

Lucky you didnt get hurt.

LIttle story for ya....

First week at my current place of employment I was entrusted with a Poulan w/20" bar, no extra chains, no files, and no one else around "just in case."

Ive got my headphones on and my glasses, but no other ppe. Im having a good ole time cutting trees down, clearing for a new road. Nothing really bigger than 24" and nothing smaller than 16". Up on the edge of the woods there was this real nice 24" to 30" Red Oak, I dont know the exact dimensions and youll soon see why.

So im cutting, having a good ole time, and I see this Oak going over....So I go up to see whats going on, and heres my new boss wadded up in a pile on the ground. So I say to myself...."WTH happened here?" I get on the phone and call one of the other managers to call 911.

Apparently he had undercut is face cut...the Oak started to go in the right direction despite this error, but when it got about 45 degrees to the ground, it jumped off the stump, tagged him and knocked him down. Then the Oak decided it wasnt done with him, swung around and landed on him.

He ended up with 4 broken ribs, one punctured lung, dislocated shoulder, broken ankle, and about 1 year off work. He still takes pain meds from this accident and its been 4 years since.

I know you dont need a lecture, but that story inspires me to always pay attention to what Im doing when felling trees, no matter how big.

 

[sawinredneck]

What's a "hedge tree"? Is that a species? I keep hearing people talk about them, but I'm clueless as to what they are... To me a "hedge" is a line of shrubs that separates one yard from the next.

Osage Orange, Ironwood, and hedge apple are some other comon names for it, Drops the green balls a little bigget than grapefruit, has thorns up to two inches long with a sap that will swell you and and iritate you're joints, and sparks will come off with a brand new chain on. It's fun stuff!!! But has the most BTU's of any wood if you got the balls to cut it up!!!

I know Casey, I knew I was screwed half way into the back cut, but what do you do? Be a LOT more carefull and move on. You have no idea how fast I was ready to drop that saw and dissapear!!! It SCARED ME BAD!!!!! Without the wedges, I have no idea how it would have come out, even with the wedges, I had NO IDEA how it was going to come out!!
Not one of my brighter shinnier moments!
Andy

 

[clearance]

Saw, wedges don't rock, they are a must. You been here for how long, listening to pro fallers and others tell you this and you still went out without them, hmmm. Always take at least three wedges with you, I have been dumb enough not to use them before and had to make a spot for one with my axe when the tree sat back and pinched my saw (powerlines right behind it, neighbors tree), but at least I had 'em. Three, cause if you have to stack 'em, whatcha gonna hold it with?

 

[sawinredneck]

Clearance my freind, you need to reread this, I SCREWED UP BAD TODAY, and the wedges were the only thing that saved my butt!!!!! I used five to drop it and several more durring the bucking proccess!
Andy

 

[clearance]

Sorry, I just scanned over it. Good it worked out.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

The way I read it, he had them from the get-go.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Nevermind, we all posted together.....

 

[04ultra]

The way I read it, he had them from the get-go.

Jeff from now on you need to be there to keep Andy in check..


.

 

[sawinredneck]

Jeff from now on you need to be there to keep Andy in check..


.

YUP!!!! Or, just to check on Andy
Andy

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Jeff from now on you need to be there to keep Andy in check..


.

Well now, what alot of you guys don't know is that I'm a sawin' redneck too! That'd be the blind leading the blind!