Murphy's Step Cut

[woodworkingboy]

Chris, with a heavily leaning tree, I think it generally gets referred to as a "trip" cut, and often not so much wood left to make a proper step. More just releasing the holding wood from below the level of the bore, to keep your saw from getting caught within the splitting wood. The times I have used it, I generally nibble away at the holding strap until ot snaps, lesser socking the saw into the tree from behind. The saw getting caught within the bore cut is the issue, why it gets tripped from behind and below. Adrian's is kind of a step, though. Larger tree or more lean makes for more holding wood strap, obviously.

 

[rangerdanger]

Wasn't meant as a step cut. I just make my trip cut slightly below my bore, to keep my saw from getting pinched and snatched away. Its always worked well for me. I normally just go a few inches below my bore, not enough to be considered a step cut imo, just like Jay said, more of a trip cut.

 

[Altissimus]

... not preaching, just opinion... study away Murph but you bring nothing new to felling.... the back cut below the hinge is covered in Gerry's book well ... to refresh , the below cut will still go true to the lay but will require more effort... also your argument about flushing less stump , well if you cannot flush cut a big stump working residential... hmmmm, it is part of a job well done.... I will stick with proven methods... no shortcuts

 

[Tucker943]

Looked to me to be a step cut, that's why I was confused. I know all too well about bore cutting Jay. Ive had my share of it when I was a logger.

 

[Tucker943]

Murph you are talking out your ass about loggers not knowing about low cuts. Loggers lose their jobs daily for leaving high stumps. Don't know if you know, but a foot of the butt is worth 10 feet of the top. With that said, a good logger makes low stumps.

 

[Altissimus]

That so called step gizmo is just a semi controlled barber chair .

... exactly ... a thick hinge wtih proper stump shot would be way safer and more predictable... Al is right, sorry Murph

 

[Altissimus]

Murph you are talking out your ass about loggers not knowing about low cuts. Loggers lose their jobs daily for leaving high stumps. Don't know if you know, but a foot of the butt is worth 10 feet of the top. With that said, a good logger makes low stumps.

Word ... proves Murphy comes from a place of ignorance... logging, the money is in the Butts generally, so we cut LOW ....

 

[Al Smith]

What low stump cuts ?Fer crips sakes I'm not a pro and I can get them right at ground level .Big fat ones too.

 

[Altissimus]

What low stump cuts ?Fer crips sakes I'm not a pro and I can get them right at ground level .Big fat ones too.

Serves as a lasting signature that a Pro wwas there...low, flat stump is what I spec in my bids

 

[MasterBlaster]

ALAP!!!

As Low As Possible

 

[No_Bivy]

http://youtu.be/21mWwZOFxe4

Better step back cut....

 

[murphy4trees]

... not preaching, just opinion... study away Murph but you bring nothing new to felling.... the back cut below the hinge is covered in Gerry's book well ... to refresh , the below cut will still go true to the lay but will require more effort... also your argument about flushing less stump , well if you cannot flush cut a big stump working residential... hmmmm, it is part of a job well done.... I will stick with proven methods... no shortcuts

Check that... Gerry's book talks about using a low back cut.. that is not a step cut... do what works for you though. You obviously don't need my input.. it would be nice if we could all share differing opinions and perspectives without getting ugly.. it gets old, that's why I don't post much anymore...

 

[woodworkingboy]

... exactly ... a thick hinge wtih proper stump shot would be way safer and more predictable... Al is right, sorry Murph

Given that someone has familiarity with the technique, as Murph does, and knowing how wood responds to certain stressea that cause breakage, I can't see why the step cut should be considered insufficiently safe or unpredictable. There are grain or species variables where I would think it could be unsafe, so not something that should be suggested to someone that can't properly assess a situation, or also can't take precautions when learning it. It's an interesting technique, at least to me, observing wood dynamics in the field that scientists will force in a laboratory and then print numbers on a page about. Scientists don't normally get to also see a big crash, working with dainty blocks.

 

[Husabud]

I have never used it. That vid does make it look painfully slow and difficult.
I have used a bore cut a few times and I am still not impressed with the results. A simple notch followed by a steady back cut with all your angles correct will not fail you.
As far as safety goes, if you know your species and its health, you can leave enough hinge to make an easy pull turn into something you need a rope puller for.
I will have to look for Murphs vids to see what all the hype is about.

 

[Tucker943]

Bore cuts have their place, more so in the woods falling hardwoods. Less fiber pull, in some instances safer, and not barber chairing leaning trees that a sawmill has already bought and paid for.

 

[Al Smith]

Well okay ,with a bore and back strap you are making the release cut outward .It happens fast but you are clear of the tree before it trips .

What happens on that step gizmo if it barbers out on you and tosses the saw back at you as it goes over ? If it flings that saw you'd never be able to hold it .

 

[Jack]

This has been an interesting read. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the risks of a 'root pull' - a significant possibility with a low back strap on a heavy leaner.

 

[murphy4trees]

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qc4IYyTzYQQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[murphy4trees]

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QQ8syV5LVOE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Bixler]

Start the vid at 1:01 STEP TRIP CUTTIN'
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-Ml5aVtKh3Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Bixler]

If you have to carve a chair out of stump, might as well step cut it to get things started.

 

[Bixler]

Start vid at 1:01 STEP CUT IN Tree
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cNV5gnZpMSo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Bixler]

Here's one of mine at 3:38
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ejb4uL_WjFc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
it used to have some classic rock music but i dont hear anything.

 

[murphy4trees]

Start the vid at 1:01 STEP TRIP CUTTIN'
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-Ml5aVtKh3Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

NICE variation. I hadn't seen that vid before Bix.. very creative... love it! I do something similar from time to time. Is that Scott's rig doing the chipping?

 

[murphy4trees]

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fWlPac0btqA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The piece at 4:00 here doesn't actually show the step cut. Using the step here allowed me to put the saw away and use both hands to push the but of the big top sideways, from the bucket... big back-leaning dead oak top, step cut assures the bar won't get pinched and gives extra confidence that the set up will hold until the pull is called for.