Whizzy

[woodworkingboy]

Your description is good, Burnham. Lots of discussions gets things mixed up sometimes. A word or two can sort it out if study was done when discussed, I find. Thanks.

 

[Burnham]

Thanks, Jay.

Step dutchman is basically the insertion of a small block of wood or a felling wedge or even a rock on one side of the hinge to force the hinge to tear off on that side early in the fell. When that happens, the tree will swing to the side opposite the step. Used in conjunction with a conventional face, almost always...because you need the flat surface to set the step on.

This is a difficult beastie to control ...sometimes it works better than you want, sometimes not as well. I don't use it, after a few less that sterling attempts years ago .

Completely different animal from the soft dutchman.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Wow, I don't recall ever reading about that method. People get creative out there in the woods.

 

[forestryworks]

German cut is the vertical bore parallel with the hinge and directly under the apex of the flat and sloping cuts forming the face. It allows more flex in the hingewood. If you bore partway through, the tree holds better on the bored side, which can counteract side lean and generate a bit of swing. If you bore completely through, the hinge functions better, but uniformly.

Wouldn't the holding wood tear out though? Kinda like when one puts their springboard slot, mistakenly, in-line with the holding wood...

That was a great thread, btw. A worthwhile read and fine pics for some of the newer members, perhaps.

Is this it? https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?11056-Hazard-tree-contract-fallers

even a rock on one side of the hinge to force the hinge to tear off on that side early in the fell.

I tried that method once, both with the block of wood (chopped off part of the undercut that came out - that worked good) and also tried a rock. Well I didn't get a strong rock cause when the face closed that rock snapped and got crushed into baby powder.

 

[gf beranek]

When we start deviating from straight falling techniques we begin venturing into the realm of theory.

 

[sierratree]

correcto..............it's the k.i.s.s. principle (principal ?......no..must be principle...)

 

[woodworkingboy]

Had a chance to use the Whizzy today for the first time. The tree made a sudden left turn, but unfortunately only to hang up in another. It is a very good technique.

 

[Burnham]

Wouldn't the holding wood tear out though? Kinda like when one puts their springboard slot, mistakenly, in-line with the holding wood...

No. Maybe my description isn't painting a clear picture for you. The holding wood flexes more easily because the bored slot gives a little room for the the hinge to move forward into as the tree commits. In effect, it's somewhat like making the hinge taller, as if you'd put in more stumpshot.

Is this it? https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?11056-Hazard-tree-contract-fallers

I think it is! Good on you...where'd you find it? Archives, or a search?

I tried that method once, both with the block of wood (chopped off part of the undercut that came out - that worked good) and also tried a rock. Well I didn't get a strong rock cause when the face closed that rock snapped and got crushed into baby powder.

You are sure right there...it takes a chunk of basalt or something similarly dense.

 

[Jed]

Yeah... I really can't imagine the type of experience that wld be required to make an honest attempt at actually implementing Doug Dent's "Step-Dutchman" to any real, profitable affect.

I can see it now (as a residential arborist): "Oh don't worry maam. Sure it LOOKS like the tree's gonna' hit the house, but the thing is: I'm a trained professional. I've got a step-Dutchman all set up so that the one corner will break out sooner than...

 

[gf beranek]

Best laid plans of mice and men.

 

[sierratree]

i've got one, coming up, 40+"er, which is an extremely heavy leaner, cat face rotten on the backside, need to turn it about 15 degrees to the left, in order to miss some nice repro and an rv pad. keep you posted..........

 

[stig]

Don't try to use the step dutchman to make it go against a side lean, that is pretty much bound to fail.

Where I use it is when I have a sideleaner that needs to go around an obstacle like a stump, rock or another tree.

By falling it sideways to the lean and then using the dutchman to break off the hinge on the tension side, so the tree cganges direction and goes with the lean, one can make them do a curve instead of a straight fall.

If you look at post # 83 there is some pictures https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?13702-Whizzy/page9

I always bore the hinge when I use a step dutchman, makes it work ever so much better.

 

[sierratree]

wasn't considering it..........wouldn't even consider it in this instance..........

 

[sierratree]

re: whizzy and german.............for example: If a tree has a favor to the left, and you want to fall it more to the right, when you face the undercut to the desired lay (right)......if you use a whizzy or german, when the tree begins its fall, will the tree pull past the undercut because of the whizzy or german), or simply into the disired lay? I imagine you need to hang in there and kind of guide the tree with the backcut, or just let the whizzy or german influence the fall?

 

[woodworkingboy]

It seems that once the tree begins to fall and gravity takes over, it is just like a standard face until the side without the whizzy breaks, and then the whizzy takes over, the tree still being attached via it. One thing that I noticed with the whizzy is that due to the tree still being attached at that part for longer, you are going to get a slower rate of fall than if there was no whizzy at all and the tree had broken the hinge completely. That might not be the best solution if you are wanting to push through limbs from other trees. A deeper back cut would serve you better to get more speed of fall, if desired, and or the whizzy tailored to break sooner. Hinge holding quality of the species much comes into play with the whizzy.

 

[Burnham]

That's where the art of it all comes into play. No one can accurately answer these questions. It takes a load of experience to play these things right, since no two trees present the precise same conditions.

 

[Jed]

Sierratree: I'll let the pros answer that one.

Stig: That trunk seemed--from the images--to have side lean. Do you always make a level face and back cut on the stump? I was taught, by Ger's High Climbers and Timber Fallers book (Ger: It was the part about Wally Shadduck.), to slant the cuts so as to put them in at 90 degrees to the tree's side-lean.

What says the Danish Master?

 

[woodworkingboy]

It seems like Burnham may well have answered the post following his as well.

 

[stig]

Do you always make a level face and back cut on the stump?

I don't always do anything.

I try to do what the situation calls for within the specifications from the mill that is to recieve the logs.

On a lot of the trees I fall, I could make my life a lot easier if I made a PNW style stump in order to get into some straight fiber, but it would ruin the logs and eventually me.

Beech logs are extremely prone to splitting from the bottom up. Keeping as much of the rootflare on the log as possible will keep the log from splitting, which is one reason for the low stumps.

Anders just cut one last week that split crosswise about 6 feet up as soon as it was on the ground. Since beech veneeer is peeled, that log is pretty much worthless. Anders left the hinge on the log instead of trimming it off in order to show that it hadn't split because of too beefy a hinge.
Smart move, because he talked to the mill buyer this week ,and they had known exactly why he hadn't trimmed the log.

So sometimes the reason for the things I do is not readily apparent unless one knows what I'm falling and for whom.

 

[pantheraba]

Well worded answer and precise explanation. Plus, you just taught me that the rootflare can help maintain the integrity of the log...I'll probably never need to know that but it's good info.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Has it been posted that both the whizzy and the German work best with a conventional face? Just wondering about that. Thanks.

 

[stig]

That is all I use, but I have no idea if it actually works better on those two.

 

[Old Monkey]

Have we discussed a Thin Whizzy yet?

 

[Burnham]

No, but Al knows all about a Tin Lizzy .

 

[sierratree]

dare I ask what a thin whizzy is...............is this a set up?