Working with Wedges

[Marky Mark]

I was using some wedges the other day made of plastic and one came shooting out as the log dropped. I would like to know how bad can this hurt your chain? should I make some out of wood to use.

THANKS

 

[treeclimber165]

Ummmmmmm......

They came out with plastic wedges because the steel ones would mess up chains.

 

[tony marks]

i know theres got to be better than what im using.i dont mind them gettin mashed etc. but i had one send a sliver of plastic
somewhere this week.that wouldnt be fun ,i dont much think.imo have to stay outa lowes i reckon. i believe they were oregon tho.

 

[chainsawworld]

plastic wedges are the way to go. before i was trained in open face-bore cutting i used to send steel wedges in behind the back cut. tough on the chain when you hit them. the plastic ones are strong enough to stay together when lifting a tree over and will not damage the chain if you hit them. light to carry and take abuse. they can be hit with an axe with good effect. nice to use to avoid pinching when bucking. bright colors to find them in the woods. stackable.
do use eye protection when driving them.
marty

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

I like the plastic wedges for certain jobs like today felling some oak at sisters house for free of course family discount,and I munched my 12" wedge it's to bad it was brand new too,kinda figured I had hit it when I saw orange chips coming outta that tree..Steel wedges definetly have their place though.

Later Rob...

 

[DDM]

Last week i was Removing 2 dead pines after Topping ect i was Down to about 30' Trunks I Pulled out my plastic wedges and a Hammer. While i was gassing up the saw the homeowner came around the truck with a steel wedge and a Sledge hammer I told him no thanks i was in no hurry to replace my chain He called my wedges Sissy.

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Did you drop the last 30' on his HOUSE you should have.......Well maybe not......

 

[crowe]

Hello
Wedge are wonderful I use them everyday when I am cutting in the woods. I contract cut by the thousand and cut anywhere from 40 to 60 trees a day depending on how rough the ground is. Anyway I will probably wedge close to half of them. It is so nice to be able to fell a tree so the skidder can back right up hook it up and take it out of the woods without having to tear up half an acre. I order all my wedges from Baileys and Madsens I am particulary fond of the Hardhead wedges they are plastic with a steel shank so they dont hurt your chain and you can really get into the back of them with a four pd axe. Also K&H wedges are good ones as well really can take a beating as long as you are hitting square on the head. Plastic wedges wont hurt your chain they are the way to go. I also have some magnesium wedges that are supposeed to be chain safe however I have not nicked one yet so I couldnt say I have only used them a couple of times and didnt really like them they seem to really drive hard and they are also HEAVY. Take care, Wade Huggins

 

[chainsawworld]

wade,
nicely said. i used madsen's at first. now i use laser. both are good plastic wedges. it is most important to to hit the wedge square and with a flat heel axe. rounded axes will destroy a wedge. a plastic wedge that bottoms out on the hinge can be easily re-shaped with the axe. textured wedges are less likely to get "spit-out" of the kerf. marty

 

[crowe]

Marty,
Tell me more about the laser wedges, where do you get them, lengths, prices and so on. I am always looking to try new products or at least new to me. I have always been partial to the hardhead wedge but some people dont like them for safety reasons. I usually keep one good hardhead wedge and two good K&H wegdes with me in the woods I use the hardhead to set the tree where I will be doing the hardest driving and use the other two for the easier lifting if needed. The funny thing about wedging is that nobody really use's them. I have cut for alot of different people and when I would walk onto a job they would look at me like I was crazy or something. But when the end of the day rolled around and they saw how many trees I was putting out and how nice the woods looked I had their respect, however after I left they were still to lazy to use the wedges and went back to their old ways of ripping and tearing up the woods. Another thing I use that threw them for a loop was my stump vice guys have sat their and looked at that thing and said what in the hell is that? I guess I live in my own little world, take care Wade

 

[JimL]

Originally posted by crowe
Marty,
Tell me more about the laser wedges, where do you get them, lengths, prices and so on. I am always looking to try new products or at least new to me. I have always been partial to the hardhead wedge but some people dont like them for safety reasons. I usually keep one good hardhead wedge and two good K&H wegdes with me in the woods I use the hardhead to set the tree where I will be doing the hardest driving and use the other two for the easier lifting if needed. The funny thing about wedging is that nobody really use's them. I have cut for alot of different people and when I would walk onto a job they would look at me like I was crazy or something. But when the end of the day rolled around and they saw how many trees I was putting out and how nice the woods looked I had their respect, however after I left they were still to lazy to use the wedges and went back to their old ways of ripping and tearing up the woods. Another thing I use that threw them for a loop was my stump vice guys have sat their and looked at that thing and said what in the hell is that? I guess I live in my own little world, take care Wade

I got 2 stump vices, one mounted on a 23" oak slab 6 " thick in the back of my truck and the other stays with me but i rarely use it.

 

[buckwheat]

I invested in some wedges this spring when I was taking down a 48" oak, but I only used them for bucking to avoid pinching. Is there a good source of information on how to properly use wedges for felling?

 

[chainsawworld]

crowe and jim,
laser wedges come from laser sales,aka, cutters choice in pa. GOL and WACS teach lots about wedging. trees with less than 15 foot of back lean can be wedged over the top. pretty amazing stuff. marty

 

[crowe]

Buckwheat,
You should contact your local dealer and find out when they are having a cutting class new cutters. That is really the best way to learn how to use wedges. Ask your local foresters if they know of someone they would recomend that you might be able to go hang out with for a day or two, maybe you could go to the woods and drive wedges for him and pick his brain a little. Anything that is chainsaw related really should be a demonstrated hands on experience. Good luck, be safe Wade Huggins

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Last week I got my copy of Tim Ard's felling CD. A really good investment. I got the copy that I can print from, costs a little more but it will be worth it.

http://www.forestapps.com/


Tom

 

[logcutter429]

Like crowe says i cut piece work too, and could'nt live without wedges, i've got a horseshoe rasp that when i messup and nick em, or trim the end off to bring em back to life again, works pretty good.

 

[chainsawworld]

crowe,
when i teach WACS i teach newbie and seasoned alike. i get a chuckle when i show something that some else has "been doing it my way for years". when they see why i teach it a certain way they become "willing to learn".
ah-yes, tim ard. let me just say that Woods And Chainsaw Safety is hands on learning. because no tree is alike, practice does not make perfect, practice only makes improvement. cassettes,videos,CDs etc. are not in the woods with you to explain and make sure you understand exactly how things are done, nor is the instructor there to snatch your butt out of the way when things go wrong.
marty









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[Newfie]

Marty,

You said,"trees with less than 15 foot of back lean can be wedged over the top." Did you actually mean to see 15 foot or did you mean 15 degrees? Thanks in advance for clarification.

Dent's "professional timber falling" has some great info on techniques and the use of wedges. Of course its a book and hands on teaching has no substitute.

 

[chainsawworld]

newfie,
15 foot of back lean measured from the center of the stem and the center of the top.
marty

 

[Newfie]

Thanks Marty, that makes sense to me now.