Barber chairing- stay on the stump?!

[Treeaddict]

I saw a video where the tree slowly starts to crack into a barber chair situation. The cutter walks behind the tree and cuts from both sides as the trunk is cracking. The splitting is getting worse and he stays on the stump to finish the back cut and drop the tree. It worked this time.

Obviously a bore cut (even in rotten heartwood) would have prevented this.

I can’t imagine staying to complete the back cut during a chairing event.

 

[biggun]

Sometimes it is the thing to do.

I was once cutting up a large Poplar and the skid steer had a bit I much tension on the line. I was 2/3rds or the way through the back cut with the 880. The stem started to split and crack. I had to keep on cutting past the tension as there was a Victorian Summerhouse to the side. It could have gone anywhere if the BC had really happened.

I knew what was happening but my instinct said to keep cutting and it will be ok.

N.B. I was ready to ditch the saw and run like the clappers though.

It went fine, landed in the field and the guy I was at the stump with just looked at me and commented about Ball size. We had a Rollup to calm the nerves and then cracked on with clearing the mess up.

 

[cory]

the guy I was at the stump with just looked at me and commented about Ball size.

I get that all the time

You ever get a BC so bad, so huge, so high that it's a real problem to get it down because it is a giant booby trap, even with a skidder? Sorry to say I have. Managed to live thu it. Probably before I knew of bore cuts.

 

[cory]

This has to be numero uno barber chair vid

 

[stig]

In a logging scenario one will have the occasional tree start to split up.
Most of the time one can simply keep cutting and it will cease.

The trick is to know when it is time to abandon ship and just get the hell out of Dodge.

 

[gf beranek]

That one will live on for a long time.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

You NEVER forget the one that almost got you

 

[cory]

Well said

 

[Treeaddict]

I suppose if you do it long enough you’ll have THAT ONE?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yup. Even when taking all precautions. Knowing when it is possible. Sometimes, they do it anyway. But you are better educated and at the ready. Better chance of surviving when it does.

 

[Eric H-L]

I think you need an Instagram account to watch this. It gives me the chills because the tree looks small enough to seem harmless to an inexperienced person like me. My brother-in-law was going to cut down a heavy leaner this size and I talked him into hiring an arborist based on Jerry’s book.

 

[Eric H-L]

Lot of comments on the Instagram about the inexperience of the chainsaw operator, the retreat almost straight back, lack of face cut, should have bore cut. (Not sure this tree was big enough to bore?) No commenter said Coos Bay cut or chain the trunk.

 

[stig]

You can ALWAYS borecut.
If the tree is small, bore in vertically or 45 degree.
That'll allow boring on trees less than a bar width in diameter.

 

[gf beranek]

Rotten trees been my closest calls to getting killed at work. Second to that my own stupidity.

 

[Treeaddict]

I’ve become a big fan of the coos bay in the canopy (only used it 5 times) but love it for the smaller diameter stuff up there. Nice to not have to reach around to face cut it as well. This will be a “go to” cut.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I have yet to try it for real. I never think of it, either on ground or in the tree. I know well the advantage, but my mind seems to censor it .LOL

 

[pete mctree]

Blunt saws kill people !

 

[SeanKroll]

I’ve become a big fan of the coos bay in the canopy (only used it 5 times) but love it for the smaller diameter stuff up there. Nice to not have to reach around to face cut it as well. This will be a “go to” cut.

Get good at cutting... only through practice.



Coos Bay definitely has its place.

 

[Eric H-L]

Just saw a recent August Hunicke video that included a nice discussion and demonstration of a coos bay or improved jump cut used on a heavy limb. I thought how well this fits the Treehouse discussion. He starts explaining the risks and the plan to mitigate 14:00-15:23. Then we have a brief intermission while Damien Elsasser makes a cut in a neighboring tree. Then August makes his cut at 17:28-19:36 with replays from three different camera angles and afterwards a discussion of the ride and a quick camera shot of the cut off end for stump analysis. The back cut and that stump view are collaged for the thumbnail of the video.

 

[Robert P]

This has to be numero uno barber chair vid

Why isn't wrapping a chain around the trunk as I saw mentioned in a video standard practice?

 

[stig]

Got plenty of other stuff to drag around the woods.
No need to drag a chain with you, just bore cut your trees.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

It takes time too, and you have to retrieve the chain/sling after the fall, not easy with the butt embeded in the ground or pressed hard against a root or some debris.

 

[Treeaddict]

I’ve wrapped a chain before but bored also. There was 2 loaded vehicles within 30’ for the tree though though. I wouldn’t take a chain or a strap into the woods.

 

[cory]

Just saw a recent August Hunicke video that included a nice discussion and demonstration of a coos bay or improved jump cut used on a heavy limb.

I wouldn't do it that way but I could be wrong.

I would put the kerf in underneath deep as reasonably possible as AH did and then finish with the back cut on top, no side cuts. I feel large heavy limbs like that will hold on longer before tip-tilting down thus giving greater likelihood of the desired effect.

The Coos Bay afaik is more designed for basal cuts on heavily leaning trees to just get them down safely, not trying to get them to act in a certain way enroute.

 

[SeanKroll]

Didn't watch the video.

I will put a small kerf to prevent potential bark tearing, then Coos Bay long limbs, with a push on the butt away from the trunk to get a bit more clearance from an obstacle, with good success at flat landing.

Tip landing would more likely end up with the butt on the rear side of the butt, possibly hitting a structure, etc.