Dropped a big oak today (pics)

[Kenster]

I recently spotted a big dead oak out in our woods. Probably killed by the drought. Most likely either Pin or Post oak. Earlier in the week I cleared out all top branches that had already fallen and bucked up the keepers. I cleared a large work and fall zone as well as escape paths. It's pretty brushy back there. So today I went out with a new RSC chain on my MS390. First time to use RSC. Wow! Loved it (but I digress and don't want to end up in the Gear Forum...)

I cut my notch to aim the tree near the edge of the work zone I had cleared. My aiming point was a couple of three inch saplings. I made my back cut to what I figured was about an inch from the notch. Nothing happened. Instead of cutting some more I pulled my wedges out and hammered them in. I could hear an occasion cracking but the tree did not want to move. I just about buried those wedges. The tree moved just a wee bit, groaned a little more, then nothing. I couldn't get the wedges out and the tree was going nowhere without the help of a really strong wind. I decided to get the saw and cut a little more on the face. Well, of course the bar and my new chain got pinched when the tree settled another half inch or so. But it had now moved enough that the wedges in the back cut were all freed. That bar and saw were going nowhere. Thinking I'd rather lose the bar and chain than the whole saw, I disconnected the power head of the saw and set it aside. Next I doubled up with two wedges on top of each other and started driving them home with a ten pound sledge.

At this point, I laid a big metal wedge in the face notch next to the stuck bar and chain. My thinking is that when the tree came down and the notch closed it would roll off that wedge and not crush the bar and chain. After a few mighty whacks with the sledge I heard some loud cracks. I stepped way back into my safe zone and watched the tree come crashing down. My scheme to avoid damage to the bar and chain worked. The wedge and bar/chain were still sitting on the stump with no damage to the bar or chain!

I still have a tendency to make my back cut NOT perfectly horizontal. Tends to angle just a wee bit. Need to work on that.

You can see by the following picture the hinge was pretty good but at about one o'clock in the the pic you can see that the hinge is thicker on that end which probably accounts for why the tree didn't want to fall. That thicker part of the hinge seems to be all that was holding it up. The hinge on the other end only got thinned out when I reapplied the saw before it got pinched. This shot is looking straight down on the stump.

The next shot show the butt end of the fallen tree with most of the hinge still in tact.

Below are two shots of the tree on the ground. It's right at 35 feet to the 'Y' and another 15 feet or so above the 'Y.' A great deal of the crown had already fallen and has been cut up and cleared away.

Remember those saplings I said were my target spot? I couldn't have been more precise (and lucky!) I figured I would just smash them. That 'Y' is nudging right up against the saplings which are inside the Y!

There's a lot of wood to be had in the remaining top that came down today.

Below is the product of today's work. The double stacked rounds in the back are two rows deep but you can't tell that from the photo.
There are 23 rounds, 20 inches long, most of them are 16 to 18 inches diameter. I didn't get into the tree top that fell today. This is all up to the 'Y' and one round, 20 inches long, above both sides of the 'Y."

The nice part is that this tree fell across one path in the woods and is about eight feet from the intersection of another path. I rolled the rounds up to the path. I can set up my splitter right on the path next to this stack of rounds. I'll split vertical and toss the splits back toward the other path where it is easily accessible with my lawn tractor and small trailer. This will be the first time I split 'on site.' Should be a lot easier this way. I'll leave the mess out there, plus I won't have to move those big, heavy rounds.

I might put my sons to work as splitter assistants when they are here next weekend.

By the way, I counted 105 rings on this tree. Most are no more than 3/16 to 1/4 inch wide. That is one slow growing, dense tree. It was back in thick woods with lots of competition which would probably account for the slow growth. The stump is about 20 inch diameter. Twenty inches wide in 105 years!

 

[bogydave]

Nice.
Looks like white oak with quit a bit of sap wood. Center looks solid.
Might be pretty dry already.
Several weeks of burning & good BTU

 

[WellSeasoned]

Wow.....thats a monster. Hell, the splinters on that thing looks bigger than the splits I burn. Nice!

 

[Kenster]

Nice.
Looks like white oak with quit a bit of sap wood. Center looks solid.
Might be pretty dry already.
Several weeks of burning & good BTU

I'm anxious to haul the splitter out there but it may be after Christmas before I get the chance. This wood will most likely be for the winter of
2014/2015.

 

[MarkinNC]

It looks like you have plenty of wedges (fortunately). Do you think if your back cut was about an inch higher it would have helped? That my guess looking at your pics and the stump. Nice write up!

 

[Kenster]

I have five big metal wedges. I really need to get some heavy plastic felling wedges, though. Yes, I do believe that it would have made things easier if my back cut was an inch or so higher. That was my intention but it's hard for me to judge and I missed it. Thanks for the observation. That's why I put myself out there. I knew you guys would offer suggestions, not ridicule.

 

[rdust]

Yes, I do believe that it would have made things easier if my back cut was an inch or so higher. That was my intention but it's hard for me to judge and I missed it. Thanks for the observation.

For the back cut I always make a mark cut(just knock the back off) with the saw at the height I think it right, I then step back and take a look, if it's not right I try again till I get it right. I also use this to make sure I'm coming in parallel to my face cut.

 

[JustWood]

I don't know how to say this other than be blunt.
With the wedge marks on the but log of that tree I can tell you were pounding on those wedges like a trans Pacific sailor docking a Hong Kong hooker !
Stop before you kill yourself or end up in a wheelchair!
All that dead wood in the top can become easily dislodged pounding those wedges and/or saw vibration.
If you really have to cut dead wood cut it with the lean at waist height , clear a escape route and ALWAYS look up and be ready to move FAST.

 

[Kenster]

Lee, I appreciate your words. Since I won't cut a live tree, it will always be standing dead or down. Most of dead crown was already on the ground and cleared out. I wear a hard hat, constantly am looking up, and as I said in the text of my original post, I had cleared a work zone all around the tree AND two escape paths angling away from the back of the tree. Actually, virtually all of the remaining dead crown was on the felling/front side of the tree. That was one of the reason I chose to drop it in that direction. I was standing in as safe a spot as could be had under that tree. I would hit the wedges a couple of times, stand back and listen and watch, then step up again. I was as cautious as I could be this side of sitting in the house watching a ball game.

I know pounding wedges is not an ideal method. I need to improve my back cuts. That will help. I keep trying to learn.

 

[bpirger]

How cold does it get in your neck of the woods Kenster?

 

[Kenster]

We usually get a few nights in the teens, several in the 20s, and a bunch in the 30s.
Most winters we will get a couple of sustained freezes that may last a couple of days well below freezing.
There aren't too many times each winter that I maintain much of a fire during the day because my Bride and I both like the house on the cool side.

 

[Kenster]

This has got me thinking and I'm always trying to learn something and improve my technique.

If I have made a full depth back cut and then realize that it is on or near the same plane as the back of the notch in the face cut, is there any reason not to make another back cut a couple of inches higher than the first one?

 

[bogydave]

One reason is your under a dead tree longer & it's already weak from the cuts you made, wind change could bring it any direction.
Dead trees don't have a hinge like a live tree. allot more brittle & can fall faster & tops/limbs break & go whatever direction.
I have a grapple I throw up as high as I can if I want it to go against it's lean & use a nylon rope & put tension on it (like a rubber band)
Dead tree is a different animal, can have unseen weak spots.
I had a dead spruce collapses on the saw on the back cut bind the saw & not fall for 10 minutes, fell 90° from the notch. (bent bar)
Gotta do what you gotta do, just be extra cautious. Let someone know where you are going to be cutting

 

[Woody Stover]

How cold does it get in your neck of the woods Kenster?

His neck of the woods never wears a turtleneck. :smirk:

Nice grab, Ken! I've got some Pin that I want to buck and split soon and I'm slating that for 2014. With your wind and dry heat I bet your stuff would be burnable in two years if you felt like it, especially since it was standing dead.
Lee makes a good point. I'm guilty of not looking up all the time. I need to do that, and always have a spotter. I don't need to get hurt; Dropping 'em is too much fun!

Yes, I do believe that it would have made things easier if my back cut was an inch or so higher. That was my intention but it's hard for me to judge and I missed it. Thanks for the observation.

For the back cut I always make a mark cut(just knock the back off) with the saw at the height I think it right, I then step back and take a look, if it's not right I try again till I get it right. I also use this to make sure I'm coming in parallel to my face cut.

Sometimes I'll start the back cut until the bar completely into the tree and I can let the saw lay there. Then I can look from all angles and still see the plane of the saw.

I'm not sure if making the cut higher helps. I posted a while back about an Ash I cut that wouldn't fall. It was leaning away a bit from where I wanted it to go but I think the fact that the back cut was too tall kept me from being able to wedge it over easier...the tall wedge wood was too hard to break away from the stump wood.

I got some stackable plastic wedges that come in different lengths from Bailey's. Be prepared to buy more as you saw the ones you've got to shreds. :lol:

 

[stejus]

Nothing like the sweet satisfaction of dropping a large oak. I've had the pleasure of carefully inspecting and dropping a few of these on my property. It's literally earth shaking when the tree hits the ground! Enjoy the warmth while processing the wood, and better yet, enjoy the heat when you use it in the future. ;-)

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Some trees just do not want to fall without some help. I am lucky enough to have a Bobcat and can just give one a push if it is hesitant, but in some cases wedges do come in handy. I would recommend hooking on a rope(as high as you can by throwing a bean bag with a string) and put a come-along at a safe distance in either the direction of the desired fall or even better use another tree in the direction of the fall and bend the rope on an angle away from the desired fall. Then you safely use the come-along and the fall line is not in line with you working the come-along (still do it at a safe distance in case the tree does not fall the way you expect). Hope that makes sense, it is really a safe and pretty inexpensive way to go.

 

[CTYank]

Kenster, I'm no expert, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express, but one problem stands out to me- recutting into your existing face cut.
Seems to me, from expert testimony, that you want the two planes of your face cut to intersect in a line. With no further cutting there; else you get a "dutchman" which is sub-optimum. (Can any expert clarify re "dutchman" please?) And you got one helluva dutchman, it seems.

Seems you might benefit from what some of the PacNW fellers do, cutting out space at the back-cut for placing hydraulic jacks. No whanging & banging to send widow-makers down on you. Of course, you'd need some plates to spread the load across dead wood.

Nice marksmanship with the saplings. Nice avoidance of casualties.

 

[Needshave]

I have two oaks to drop that so far I've been hesitant about. They have a bit of a S shape to them. The base of the tree leans opposite of the crown. I would guess it wants to fall the side the crown is on because of the leverage. I've been cutting only year and a half now. So far I have avoided these but they need to drop this winter.

 

[Jags]

I have two oaks to drop that so far I've been hesitant about. They have a bit of a S shape to them. The base of the tree leans opposite of the crown. I would guess it wants to fall the side the crown is on because of the leverage. I've been cutting only year and a half now. So far I have avoided these but they need to drop this winter.

Needshave - if you are looking for felling advice I would recommend two things:

1.) take all advice as "advice" - it is pretty tough to call a tree from behind a keyboard
2.) Start a thread with plenty of pics.

Most of the folks here (me included) are wood burners. There are a few pro's sprinkled in.

As to the OP - it was already pointed out that your backcut should have been a bit higher. That would have helped with tree movement. Also - wedges - you ain't splitting this tree, just leaning it. If it takes more than a few medium whacks, step back and re-evaluate. Just my opinion.

You got it on the ground safe and sound and that is always good. We want you to be around for that to happen many, many more times.

Hint: in the back cut, once I have enough cut that it will hold the saw in place, I step back and size it up for any correction needed.

 

[Kenster]

I appreciate all the helpful advise and critique from everyone. Most of what I have learned about felling, bucking, splitting, stacking and burning has come from this forum.

Thanks!

 

[mecreature]

It looks to me like you did start the back cut above the notch.

 

[Kenster]

It looks to me like you did start the back cut above the notch.

I was trying to make the back cut an inch or so higher than notch. Because the back cut was not level part of it was pretty even with the notch. I'm pretty sure now that the main issue was that the hinge was too thick on one end. It was about an inch on one end and almost three at the other end. That's why it took so much wedge work to push the tree over.

 

[Gasifier]

Nice work Kenster! Looks like a lot of good BTUs for you. How is your weather down there? Getting any water at all? I hope your entire area gets some rain and snow. Have a good one.

 

[Kenster]

Nice work Kenster! Looks like a lot of good BTUs for you. How is your weather down there? Getting any water at all? I hope your entire area gets some rain and snow. Have a good one.

Thanks! We've had a half inch of real slow rain today with a little more coming, according to the current radar. That brings up to 15.5 inches for the year. "Normal" is close to 40.