Wood Felling Wedges?

[Longknife]

Anyone else use wood felling wedges?

I find a lot of the generally available plastic wedges do not like the cold (some would say extreme cold) temperature I tend to fell in. I've kept an eye out for the steel reinforced ones, but never came across any readily available. Plus, with EAB, I find I'm felling a lot more smaller diameter trees that don't leave a lot of room for wedges and the chainsaw bar in the back cut, meaning if I'm really needing to persuade the tree, my wedges can tend to get nipped by the chainsaw.

I've been having reasonably good luck with cutting wedges from hardwood scraps. They're basically "free" and expendable, and depending on the abuse, I can tend to get a fair number of uses out of them.

Here's a few I recently cut to replenish my stock (black walnut and mahogany). The ones on the left have a few uses under their belt.

 

[Nealm66]

I’ve made my own wedges quite a bit to help doubled up wedges when we were cutting old growth. Nothing as nice as the ones you made. I think madsens has some steel wedges still on they’re website. You should try making your back cut first on the smaller trees and get your wedges in snug and then make your undercut. Another trick is to only saw half your back cut and stick your wedge in leaving a gap to finish

 

[Longknife]

I’ve made my own wedges quite a bit to help doubled up wedges when we were cutting old growth. Nothing as nice as the ones you made. I think madsens has some steel wedges still on they’re website. You should try making your back cut first on the smaller trees and get your wedges in snug and then make your undercut. Another trick is to only saw half your back cut and stick your wedge in leaving a gap to finish

I've tried a couple of techniques, but it can be difficult of make the back cut first without pinching the saw if I'm figting a heavy lean (and a plunge cut isn't practical).

Really, my favorite part is just not worrying about nicking a wedge and knowing they basically expendable.

 

[Nealm66]

I would run with 3 wedges. 2 small, 1 big. One of the small ones I kept new for the hopefully unlikely event I need it pound it into a pinch to free my saw. The other 2 definitely caught some abuse lol

 

[GadDummit]

I never had problems with plastic as long as they're toothed wedges. How cold are you calling "extreme"? I think I have 4 small and two big.

 

[Longknife]

I never had problems with plastic as long as they're toothed wedges. How cold are you calling "extreme"? I think I have 4 small and two big.

I'd say the plastic starts having issues from about -15C (5 degrees) to -30 (-22 degrees which is the weather I'm often feeling in it seems.

 

[Nealm66]

I would almost always cut a wood hammer for pounding wood wedges. Axe would always bust the wood ones and screw up a good wedging spot

 

[GadDummit]

I'd say the plastic starts having issues from about -15C (5 degrees) to -30 (-22 degrees which is the weather I'm often feeling in it seems.

Yeah, I'll have to defer to others on that one then. At 5 degrees I'm inside with my tootsies wiggling at the fire and pouring scotch in my coffee. 20 degrees i can handle, but anything colder than that can wait until spring around here.
Good luck and ..... stay frosty haha!