Wedging a small tree. Method # 2 . The safest and best method for those of you just getting started . This method ensures the tree will not come forward on your bar.
Thanks for the video. I’m re-familiarizing myself with tree felling again because i got some dead trees on my property and need more firewood this year. I’ve never seen the side cut method before so it’s a bit confusing why that works, mechanically, but it obviously does, so I’ll try it. I have one wedge and a small chainsaw.
Dan, always gr8 vids. One suggestion: whenever doing leaners, it'd really help if you pointed what direction the lean is, and which direction the fell should be, before doing any cutting. Saves time trying to figure it out on the go. Love your stuff.
It sounds like straight-grained trees are a real problem. Where I live, everything is a hard trash oak with wavy grain that hates to split. I don't even think about little trees causing problems. It's the big ones that scare me. I use a pole saw to get me farther away. I make a little cut on the front. Sometimes I bore cut from back to front until I get close to the front cut and then cut the trigger on the back. When I see or hear action, I run away. They flop every time. I will think about this method if I ever have to cut a straight-grained tree.
Is this a good method when you aren't sure which way the weight of the tree is leaning? - i.e. the lower part of the tree goes slightly in one direction but the upper part curves back in the opposite direction (the tree balancing itself as it grew). But it appears fairly straight overall.
That is correct. That is the reason for leaving a part of the back cut in place until last. If you use the standard method for cutting a small tree with back lean ( putting the back cut in first , then the wedges, then the face cut. ) If you use that method and you are wrong about the lean. When you go to saw the face cut out , the tree will come forward on to your bar. It could just make it to where your bar is stuck , with the entire weight of the tree leaning on it It could also cause the tree to barber chair over your saw. Either way , it can cause some serious and dangerous situations. That is what method number 2 prevents. That is why I say it is the safest method.
@@norcaltimberfaller1943 Thanks for the reply. I recently found this technique called the "letterbox", czcams.com/video/MZHJ0uq84IA/video.html Works like a charm.
@@jimbrennan7415 Thanks for the link Jim. I have never used that technique myself. I normally turn the wedge sideways if I am worried about the wedge running into the hinge wood before the tree lifts far enough to go over. That being said, I can definitely see the merits of the letter box technique as well. Thanks for the information.
I've only cut hundreds not tens of thousands of trees... your advice is to novices... and warning... for those novices... bore or plunge cutting requires some starting angles and knowledge. Without having right skill set plunge/bore cut is dangerous. I'd have liked more advice for novices.
That is a good point. A lot of the techniques I use do require bore cutting, back baring , etc. I think that a video talking about the dangers of this would be good. I also need to talk about using full comp chain. That makes boring a lot smother with less chance of kickback.
Inexperienced feller here. Can you explain the angles you are using for the face cuts please? They seem more acute than the other videos on youtube, but they obviously work. Any info would be appreciated. Great work expert!
Sure, I will do my best to explain that. Let me start by saying this. Generally speaking , nice wide open faces are the most accurate and safe faces to use. However , when a person is falling tree after tree for a living , speed and productivity become a factor. Narrower faces are faster and in the right kind of timber they are also very accurate. What is the right kind of timber? Good question. The right kind of timber is tall more tube like timber. The reason this kind of timber does well with narrower faces is because it is committed to it's shot far sooner in it's fall. That is why it can break it's hinge wood earlier and still hit it's shot with accuracy. In contrast, "squatty" short, swell butted timber, with heavy limbs , needs to fall further into it's face before breaking hinge wood. If it does not , it tends to "drift" out of it's shot. Sometimes it can "drift " quite far out of it's shot. The bottom line is this. For fallers who are just starting to learn how to fall timber, always open your faces wide. This will give you the most consistent and accurate results. If you plan on falling a lot of timber on a regular basis, then begin practicing with some of the faster face cuts and other methods that will make you more productive , but still allow you to be accurate and do a good job. Practice is the key. That really only comes from cutting a lot of trees and getting a "feel" for what timber will and won't do. What works with one type of tree does not necessarily work with another type of tree. I hope that was help full. Thanks for the question,. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
I normally try to get my back cut to match up evenly with my face cut. That is when I am using a Humboldt Face cut. For a conventional face cut I do raise the back cut up two inches or more.
Another technique I use is to put the gob in first, then bore through the gob straight out the back. Smash in a wedge and then nip out the two corners, 👍🌲🪓🇮🇪
Glad to know I am not the only one cutting into wedges out there.
Perfectly explained. Thank You for taking the time to make sure we understood the "why" and the "how".
Your most welcome !
Thanks! Easy to understand and I can use this with confidence.
Very good to know!
Thanks for the video. I’m re-familiarizing myself with tree felling again because i got some dead trees on my property and need more firewood this year. I’ve never seen the side cut method before so it’s a bit confusing why that works, mechanically, but it obviously does, so I’ll try it. I have one wedge and a small chainsaw.
Probably best to experiment with all the methods and see what ones work best for you.
Thanks for sharing. We've got a lot of smaller teees like that, I'll be trying this method tomorrow ir Saturday !
Dan, always gr8 vids. One suggestion: whenever doing leaners, it'd really help if you pointed what direction the lean is, and which direction the fell should be, before doing any cutting. Saves time trying to figure it out on the go. Love your stuff.
That sounds like a good suggestion to me...thanks for the comment !
It sounds like straight-grained trees are a real problem. Where I live, everything is a hard trash oak with wavy grain that hates to split. I don't even think about little trees causing problems. It's the big ones that scare me.
I use a pole saw to get me farther away. I make a little cut on the front. Sometimes I bore cut from back to front until I get close to the front cut and then cut the trigger on the back. When I see or hear action, I run away. They flop every time.
I will think about this method if I ever have to cut a straight-grained tree.
Thanks for weighing in. Glad you liked the video
Excellent video. Thank you
Thanks for sharing. I will definitely use this method
I like that!❤
Over this side of the Atlantic, we might call that a back cut first Danish pie or even a "spit level" cut.
never heard those terms before...I learn something new every day....thanks for the information!
Is this a good method when you aren't sure which way the weight of the tree is leaning? - i.e. the lower part of the tree goes slightly in one direction but the upper part curves back in the opposite direction (the tree balancing itself as it grew). But it appears fairly straight overall.
That is correct. That is the reason for leaving a part of the back cut in place until last. If you use the standard method for cutting a small tree with back lean ( putting the back cut in first , then the wedges, then the face cut. ) If you use that method and you are wrong about the lean. When you go to saw the face cut out , the tree will come forward on to your bar. It could just make it to where your bar is stuck , with the entire weight of the tree leaning on it It could also cause the tree to barber chair over your saw. Either way , it can cause some serious and dangerous situations. That is what method number 2 prevents. That is why I say it is the safest method.
@@norcaltimberfaller1943 Thanks for the reply. I recently found this technique called the "letterbox", czcams.com/video/MZHJ0uq84IA/video.html Works like a charm.
@@jimbrennan7415 Thanks for the link Jim. I have never used that technique myself. I normally turn the wedge sideways if I am worried about the wedge running into the hinge wood before the tree lifts far enough to go over. That being said, I can definitely see the merits of the letter box technique as well. Thanks for the information.
NICE!!!
I've only cut hundreds not tens of thousands of trees... your advice is to novices... and warning... for those novices... bore or plunge cutting requires some starting angles and knowledge. Without having right skill set plunge/bore cut is dangerous. I'd have liked more advice for novices.
That is a good point. A lot of the techniques I use do require bore cutting, back baring , etc. I think that a video talking about the dangers of this would be good. I also need to talk about using full comp chain. That makes boring a lot smother with less chance of kickback.
Inexperienced feller here. Can you explain the angles you are using for the face cuts please? They seem more acute than the other videos on youtube, but they obviously work. Any info would be appreciated. Great work expert!
Sure, I will do my best to explain that. Let me start by saying this. Generally speaking , nice wide open faces are the most accurate and safe faces to use. However , when a person is falling tree after tree for a living , speed and productivity become a factor. Narrower faces are faster and in the right kind of timber they are also very accurate. What is the right kind of timber? Good question. The right kind of timber is tall more tube like timber. The reason this kind of timber does well with narrower faces is because it is committed to it's shot far sooner in it's fall. That is why it can break it's hinge wood earlier and still hit it's shot with accuracy. In contrast, "squatty" short, swell butted timber, with heavy limbs , needs to fall further into it's face before breaking hinge wood. If it does not , it tends to "drift" out of it's shot. Sometimes it can "drift " quite far out of it's shot. The bottom line is this. For fallers who are just starting to learn how to fall timber, always open your faces wide. This will give you the most consistent and accurate results. If you plan on falling a lot of timber on a regular basis, then begin practicing with some of the faster face cuts and other methods that will make you more productive , but still allow you to be accurate and do a good job. Practice is the key. That really only comes from cutting a lot of trees and getting a "feel" for what timber will and won't do. What works with one type of tree does not necessarily work with another type of tree.
I hope that was help full. Thanks for the question,. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
@@norcaltimberfaller1943 that was a great answer
I watched this and #3 and wondered if the face cut was the "standard" 2 in. below the backcut?
I normally try to get my back cut to match up evenly with my face cut. That is when I am using a Humboldt Face cut. For a conventional face cut I do raise the back cut up two inches or more.
Did anyone else notice the pitch change with each stroke?
Another technique I use is to put the gob in first, then bore through the gob straight out the back. Smash in a wedge and then nip out the two corners, 👍🌲🪓🇮🇪
That sounds like a pretty good method as well👍