Cutting heavy horizontal limbs

woodworkingboy

TreeHouser
Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
31,007
Location
Nippon
When you guys cut very large horizontals, do you ever put a face in the lower side to give the log more time to swing down before it breaks away? After kerfing the underside up as far as seems good without getting pinched, I do start my cut from the top and then swing the bar over to the far side to remove wood there, say a third in or so, before continuing down from the top to complete the drop. There is some awesome weight out there, and sometimes if I am safetied in to the same limb farther back, I get to thinking about some undesirable split that might occur. Do you think that having a face in the underside is a good idea to give more time to cut down from the top, maybe provide more momentum for a clean break as well? I don't feel entirely comfortable with it. Advice appreciated, and thanks.
 
Sometimes it seems to me no matter what you do it's going to tear, step cuts, gobs, whatever.
The only thing I take into account is the species, Spruce, whilst rarely having large horizontals, will always seem to hang on, deodars break off clean and drop horizontal, Oaks tricky to break off, maples less so.
I've had the most success with step cuts. Not much help probably, just my thoughts.
 
I generally want heavy limbs to drop flat, i.e. horizontally, to avoid the tips hitting the ground and the butt springing back. In that case a face on the underside is counterproductive, so I use either a Coos Bay type or a golden triangle type cut. They both do the same job, speed up the main cut to avoid splitting and get the limb severed ASAP before the tip starts to drop.

If rigging, and I want the limb to come down tips first then I will do the same as you describe.
 
Sometimes if they are really big I'll make a kerf under cut and ream the cut till the bottom closes and then make the top cut, pop and splat. I'll leave a long stub just to be sure that it won't split to the trunk. But, if the limb has me wondering I cut it smaller and take it in pieces.
 
Lots of different ways to handle that. I generally cut from the bucket these days, so the ripping into my lanyard is not so much of a concern. One time I was trying to get a 18" oak limb to land flat and used a "plunged vertical snap cut".. the same thing I use for hung trees.. worked well. Or you can use a narrow face without getting too much movement from the tips, but that always has the danger of pinching the bar. A coos bay will work, and should be practiced before use in critical situations. I've also used a bore cut and back (in this case top) release where the first cut is the plunge, then cut the notch real shallow, and then the release cut. There is one cut that is superior to all the above.. quick, easy, full proof. One of these days I'll show it to you all!
 
I'll put as deep a kerf undercut as possible, then nip the sides as deep as possible, then go full rpm cutting down from the top... POP!
 
Ditto. A notch on the bottom of a heavy large limb is asking for a split if you don't go about it right. Ive done it wrong on a limb that's to be lowered down and watched the limb split. Not funny to watch when that limb is supposed to be lowered down.
 
One last question, would you put the top cut inside the bottom (inboard is I believe the terminology) outboard or straight down on top?
 
When you guys cut very large horizontals, do you ever put a face in the lower side to give the log more time to swing down before it breaks away? After kerfing the underside up as far as seems good without getting pinched, I do start my cut from the top and then swing the bar over to the far side to remove wood there, say a third in or so, before continuing down from the top to complete the drop. There is some awesome weight out there, and sometimes if I am safetied in to the same limb farther back, I get to thinking about some undesirable split that might occur. Do you think that having a face in the underside is a good idea to give more time to cut down from the top, maybe provide more momentum for a clean break as well? I don't feel entirely comfortable with it. Advice appreciated, and thanks.

Well WWB, you've certainly received a wide range of advice on how to deal with cutting very heavy horizontal limbs while lanyarded on to it. Some of the advice downright dangerous IMO.

Differing tree species react very differently depending on a wide range of factors, like whether they're green and wet or dead and dry, etc.

But as a general rule, the best advice IMO is not to lanyard into heavy laterals if you're going to relieve in one cut. Depending on how far out on it you are, relieving that weight with one cut almost invariably will result in you being bounced about like you are lanyarded onto a diving board. Lots of climbers have cut themselves badly because they were not expecting that diving board affect caused by the limb they're on rising suddenly once relieved of 500-1500 lb burden.

The higher the weight relieved, is proportional to the violence and speed of the limb you're on rising. Therefor the best way to deal with heavy horizontals, or any heavy limb that's not vertical, is to get out there and relieve the weight in small increments. Piece it out, a couple hundred pounds at a time. Get the brush off it in stages, in pieces that one or two groundies can get out of the DZ without cutting it up.

It's funny and somewhat counter intuitive, but I've found that most conifers are more predictable and hold their hinges better when dead, particularly horizontal wood. Green cedar and fir heavy horizontals are notorious for snapping off the second you start cutting them on the topside.

Heavy horizontals are best dealt with in small increments, particularly if you're lanyarded onto them, IMO.

Jomo
 
A technique that I learned for getting heavy horizontals to fall flat was taught to me as a "box cut"

Make a very shallow face cut on the underside
Nip the edges of the face about a 1/4 ways in on both sides
Back cut directly above your face
voila!
Has worked well for me.
 
A technique that I learned for getting heavy horizontals to fall flat was taught to me as a "box cut"

Make a very shallow face cut on the underside
Nip the edges of the face about a 1/4 ways in on both sides
Back cut directly above your face
voila!
Has worked well for me.

MasterBlaster said:
I'll put as deep a kerf undercut as possible, then nip the sides as deep as possible, then go full rpm cutting down from the top... POP!

Did you read this entire thread? :drink:

lol
 
oops. It was a terminology oversight! kerf to me is the wood displaced by the saw. Kerf/face same thing? A better question may be, does it matter in this application if you make a "wedge" cut or just a kerf?
 
Back
Top