Timmmmbbbeerrrr! Oops!

[Kenster]

Ah.. the best laid plans....

I downed a pretty good sized Water Oak today. Standing dead. I noticed it about a month ago when I spotted lots of downed limbs. "Sweet!" says I. It's only about 20 feet from a trail big enough for my 8N tractor as well as my smaller lawn tractor and wagon. The tree was surrounded by thick brush and vines and scrub trees. I spent an hour cleaning out an area where I wanted to drop it, as well as a work area immediately behind the tree and an escape path running 90 degrees from my drop zone. Wanted a safe working environment.

With a freshly sharpened chain my MS 390 tore into the tree trunk. I cut out my front wedge and moved around to make my back cut. Dang! I was not expecting to get pinched on the back cut. Only then did I realize the tree had just the slightest back lean to it. I drove a couple of wedges in to free my saw then pounded them in a lot further, opening up that back cut. I couldn't get the saw back into the back cut but it was already deep enough so I moved to the front again to widen the wedge cut. Slowly, the tree starts to fall... exactly 180 degrees from my intended drop zone. Now, I have not dropped a great number of trees but the ones I have have always fallen exactly where I wanted them. The tree fell into an area thick with vines, scrub, short cedars, yaupon, etc. I cleared the area somewhat and cut the trunk into several approximately eight foot lengths. I hope to be able to drag them out with my tractor and a chain. Otherwise, I'll buck them to 20 inches and bring one out at a time, use the stump to split them and perhaps stack them right there and leave them there next to the trail for the next two years or so.
Pictures below:

To get an idea of the height of this tree, if you look toward the bottom of the trunk you might see a white glove I hung up at a height equal to the top of my head. Call it six feet. I'm guessing the tree is around 45 feet tall. I can barely reach around it and place my hands together. About 16 inches diameter.

The next two pics are of the downed tree, already cut into sections. The top is stuck in other trees (visible in last pic) but I think I can get it down fairly easy.

This pic shows pretty clearly the crap the tree fell into.

 

[NH_Wood]

That's some thick stuff to work in - hope you can drag out with the tractor, that's what I'd try first! Good luck! Cheers!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Holy crap, that tree was a widow maker waiting to happen. I'm glad the worst that happened is it fell sideways.

Matt

 

[Kenster]

Holy crap, that tree was a widow maker waiting to happen. I'm glad the worst that happened is it fell sideways.

Matt

I definitely had my helmet on and was looking up a lot while cutting. Nothing came loose while I was out there. Falling sideways would have made me dirty my britches or otherwise ruined my day. Fortunately it fell straight back rather than straight forward as I intended. It's going to be tough pulling it out of that thicket.

 

[Prosecond]

You cut your hinge off. Hinge and wedges with the proper face cut the tree can only fall where you want tell it to. Glad you are OK.

 

[marine5068]

I saw a neat tool called a "TimberTool" by Norwood Industries. It helps in dropping your tree easily and professionally and right where you want it to go.
It's like a long high-lift or farm jack that sticks into the tree at the top end and puts 2 tonnes of pressure per inch on the tree to safely push the tree in the fall line you've chosen. It also forces the felling cut open so the tree can't settle and bind your chainsaw bar.
Very neat professional tool for the do-it-your-selfer.
Check out the link below....
http://www.norwoodindustries.com/en...g/Norwood_timbertool_treeharvesting_jack.aspx

 

[yooperdave]

what the heck are all those green colored things hanging onto the trees???? and how come you can still see the tree trunk once it hit the ground????? and why isn't the ground all white???? just wondering......

 

[billb3]

Tough to do when there's thick underbrush like that but I'll walk around and look at it from four angles twice.
Sometimes more if it's hard to tell where the lean and weight is. Slope and other trees at slight angles can bias a judgement.

I had a pine tree spin around 180 while rolling off the hinge and stump and then go 180 the wrong way.
Dead pine, but still solid wood, so couldn't blame that or the wind either.

 

[mainstation]

You cut your hinge off. Hinge and wedges with the proper face cut the tree can only fall where you want tell it to. Glad you are OK.

+1

 

[smokinj]

Can you get a pic of the wedge? Wedge should be 25-33 percent of the tree sounds like you went way over that.

 

[Raptor]

My wife got me the book "To Fell a Tree" for Christmas. It is clearly written and easily understood. An excellent source of information on how to help keep yourself in one piece while out cutting wood. I asked for it because I had seen it mentioned many times on this forum and I, as does everyone, can use every good source of information I can get my hands on. My MIL has a large maple (about 36") that is somewhat hollow and rotted out one side that needs to be dropped to prevent it from taking out a fence line in a storm. I plan on using the chain and binder technique to help prevent it from barberchairing on me when I drop it. Luckily it is on the edge of an open field with no buildings close by. I just need to miss the fence, so it can drop anywhere within plus or minus 90 degrees of due west and the lean is in that general direction. I will likely use a pull line as well just to be safe.

 

[muncybob]

"chain and binder technique "

What is this? I also plan on picking up that book.

 

[Kenster]

what the heck are all those green colored things hanging onto the trees???? and how come you can still see the tree trunk once it hit the ground????? and why isn't the ground all white???? just wondering......

South Central Texas, Dave... Not the U.P.! Down here, we consider snowfall a fun event.

 

[Kenster]

"chain and binder technique "

What is this? I also plan on picking up that book.

My understanding of this technique is that you use chains to tightly wrap around and bind a tree trunk that has a vertical split running through it. This keeps the tree from splitting and falling apart on you once you begin to cut it. Quite a dangerous situation.

 

[thewoodlands]

"chain and binder technique "

What is this? I also plan on picking up that book.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/63714/

This is out of the same book, post number 16.



zap

 

[Kenster]

Can you get a pic of the wedge? Wedge should be 25-33 percent of the tree sounds like you went way over that.

Jay, I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that a wedge should not be pounded in more than 25-33 percent of the diameter of the trunk? The two wedges I have are heavy, metal ones.

Here is a pic of one of them, taken from another recent post. Doesn't show the head of the wedge but should give you an idea.
This piece of cedar fence post that I'm cutting into kindling is eleven inches long. The wedge is about seven inches, more or less.
Maybe I should have piggy-backed the wedges instead of putting them in the cut separately. That would have given me more lift.
I know these are not proper felling wedges but it is all I have to work with until I order some 'real ones.'

 

[woodsmaster]

You cut your hinge off. Hinge and wedges with the proper face cut the tree can only fall where you want tell it to. Glad you are OK.

+ 1

 

[Raptor]

Muncybob, The chain and binder are used to hold the tree together while felling it to prevent/minimize the danger of it violently splitting and going every-which-way and taking you out in the process. You wrap a heavy chain around the tree just above where you plan to cut and cinch it down tight with a binder. I plan on using at least two chains and binders spaced about 2 feet apart on this one. I will likely stop the back cut short of the tree falling on it's own and use the pull rope to start the fall once I am clear of the fall zone. I have about 300 ft of 2500 lb rated nylon rope that I can double up and use to put quite a bit of force on the tree to start the fall. If I end up breaking the top half of the tree out then there will be far less weight and size to worry about when I complete the felling of the trunk.

As others have stated, this is a very dangerous undertaking and should not be attempted without a good understanding of what can go wrong and how to deal with it. It is ALWAYS advisable to enlist the help of an experienced "tree man" when dealing with something like this. I have the good fortune of having a friend who has been doing tree work most of his life. I am having him take down a large pecan that is right next to a barn on the same farm. It has a lean toward the barn and although it has a sound trunk I cannot risk dropping it on the barn or the power lines to the east of it. It isn't close enough to the power lines for the power company to take it down, but it looks tall enough to reach them if it falls that way.

 

[mainstation]

He means your "notch" or "birds mouth" or "face cut". It shouldn't be anymore than 1/3 diameter of the tree--from your pic, yours appeared to be 1/2. That, and the lack of hinge gave your tree no definite direction to fall, and as you found out you could not steer it into the felling zone. Be safe.

 

[smokinj]

"chain and binder technique "

What is this? I also plan on picking up that book.

My understanding of this technique is that you use chains to tightly wrap around and bind a tree trunk that has a vertical split running through it. This keeps the tree from splitting and falling apart on you once you begin to cut it. Quite a dangerous situation.

keeps it from barber chairing. If you need this to fell a tree chances are your out of you Leigh. Walk away why you still can.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Can you get a pic of the wedge? Wedge should be 25-33 percent of the tree sounds like you went way over that.

Jay, I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that a wedge should not be pounded in more than 25-33 percent of the diameter of the trunk? The two wedges I have are heavy, metal ones.

Here is a pic of one of them, taken from another recent post. Doesn't show the head of the wedge but should give you an idea.
This piece of cedar fence post that I'm cutting into kindling is eleven inches long. The wedge is about seven inches, more or less.
Maybe I should have piggy-backed the wedges instead of putting them in the cut separately. That would have given me more lift.
I know these are not proper felling wedges but it is all I have to work with until I order some 'real ones.'

Kenster, I believe Jay was referring to the notch and not the wedge. That is, make your notch 1/4-1/3 of the way into the tree. This is considered proper, however, many times I will not go nearly that far and make only a small notch. Last weekend I was watching a fellow drop some trees that were only about 16-18" and laughed because he made his notches bigger than I used to make when felling a large tree!

As for the tree falling in the opposite direction I have had that happen but I do try to be sure they don't fall into the crap your tree fell into. :lol:

 

[smokinj]

Can you get a pic of the wedge? Wedge should be 25-33 percent of the tree sounds like you went way over that.

Jay, I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that a wedge should not be pounded in more than 25-33 percent of the diameter of the trunk? The two wedges I have are heavy, metal ones.

Here is a pic of one of them, taken from another recent post. Doesn't show the head of the wedge but should give you an idea.
This piece of cedar fence post that I'm cutting into kindling is eleven inches long. The wedge is about seven inches, more or less.
Maybe I should have piggy-backed the wedges instead of putting them in the cut separately. That would have given me more lift.
I know these are not proper felling wedges but it is all I have to work with until I order some 'real ones.'

Kenster, I believe Jay was referring to the notch and not the wedge. That is, make your notch 1/4-1/3 of the way into the tree. This is considered proper, however, many times I will not go nearly that far and make only a small notch. Last weekend I was watching a fellow drop some trees that were only about 16-18" and laughed because he made his notches bigger than I used to make when felling a large tree!

As for the tree falling in the opposite direction I have had that happen but I do try to be sure they don't fall into the crap your tree fell into. :lol:

wedge is the part that is taken out of the face cut.notch or face cut is what is left on the tree. A good look at the wedge piece taken out could give some answers.

 

[Kenster]

He means your "notch" or "birds mouth" or "face cut". It shouldn't be anymore than 1/3 diameter of the tree--from your pic, yours appeared to be 1/2. That, and the lack of hinge gave your tree no definite direction to fall, and as you found out you could not steer it into the felling zone. Be safe.

I think that must be it. I just went out to do a little measuring. My original front wedge cut measured about 5.5 inches. The diameter of the trunk at the cut is exactly 16 inches so, and only accidentally, my notch was right on the money. However, I've discovered other mistakes. My wedge cut was more like 30 degrees, not 45 degrees. My back cut was pretty much even with the face cut instead of being an inch above it. Also, I see now that my back cut was not truly perpendicular but slightly angled. Sloppy. With the wedges in place I could do no more back cutting so I worked to make the notch deeper and, apparently cut through the hinge. Even with two large metal wedges driven well into the back cut, the tree still sat down on the back cut and continued to fall 180 degrees from where I intended.

I'm learning.

I'm about to go out and start removing that wood from that tall, thick brush it's lying in. It's a beautiful, mild sunny day to be working in the woods.

 

[smokinj]

He means your "notch" or "birds mouth" or "face cut". It shouldn't be anymore than 1/3 diameter of the tree--from your pic, yours appeared to be 1/2. That, and the lack of hinge gave your tree no definite direction to fall, and as you found out you could not steer it into the felling zone. Be safe.

I think that must be it. I just went out to do a little measuring. My original front wedge cut measured about 5.5 inches. The diameter of the trunk at the cut is exactly 16 inches so, and only accidentally, my notch was right on the money. However, I've discovered other mistakes. My wedge cut was more like 30 degrees, not 45 degrees. My back cut was pretty much even with the face cut instead of being an inch above it. Also, I see now that my back cut was not truly perpendicular but slightly angled. Sloppy. With the wedges in place I could do no more back cutting so I worked to make the notch deeper and, apparently cut through the hinge. Even with two large metal wedges driven well into the back cut, the tree still sat down on the back cut and continued to fall 180 degrees from where I intended.

I'm learning.

I'm about to go out and start removing that wood from that tall, thick brush it's lying in. It's a beautiful, mild sunny day to be working in the woods.

when you have all the pieces to the puzzle and can put it back together you can learn everything you need to know...The stump not leval enough either. Back cut should be a couple inchs highier aswell.

Back cut should come over the top of your face cut by atleast 2 inchs.

 

[smokinj]

You cut your hinge off. Hinge and wedges with the proper face cut the tree can only fall where you want tell it to. Glad you are OK.

+ 1

If I have a good tree I will drive stright through the hinge this is where most feller will perfer a 660 over a 460. I admit I do lift when driving through.