Requesting Advice on this Leaning Pine Tree

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Thanks for the confirmation, Stig!

Thanks a lot Gary! .... this subject was initially put forward by Sean.... but it had crossed my mind...

Kenny, thanks a lot for all your informed detail and help..... acknowledging your post, but it will take me "a minute" to try to really absorb/understand it!
 
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  • #27
Finally got around to falling/felling this Loblolly(?) Pine Tree.

Here are the pictures to finish up the thread.

Loblolly(?) Pine --- ~22" x 60'

leaning_pine_on_ground_from_stump_1_20190121_145541.jpg
#1

leaning_pine_on_ground_from_stump_2_20190122_142221.jpg
#2

leaning_pine_on_ground_stump_closeup_3_20190122_142021.jpg
#3

leaning_pine_on_ground_stump_side_view_4_20190121_145944.jpg
#4

That's kindergarten stuff! ... yeah, I know.... but because in large part to folks' here comments... tree is safely on ground.

self-assessment...

THE BAD AND/OR UGLY

* adrenaline/heart/respiration going so heavy I didn't take it all in while it was falling to enjoy the thing crashing down -- "D"
* my son was watching me (for safety) but I forgot to get him to film me (so I could review my actions afterward) -- "F"
* when the tree started to fall, I quickly stepped away... but it was a relatively small tree and I stopped about 8' away -- to the side -- sort of hypnotized watching it.... aware that it could hit the ground and the butt bounce/lurch/lunge/roll at me.... so I was ready to move.... but I should have moved quickly back 15' away to watch it fall. -- "C-"
* used not so sharp chain to cut down the tree... not too bad on plunge/back-cut, but horrible on face cuts -- "C-"
* forgot to put out a marker to estimate exactly where I wanted the tree to fall and see if my estimate of the height was correct -- "C"

THE GOOD ... or "ok"

* good aim -- tree felled/falled in almost exactly the lay I intended it to... missed the critical targets... no damage... EVEN though tree was twisted and bent and leaning away from intended lay -- "A-"
* level back cut and hinge -- back cut at hinge is pretty level with front of hinge... not too ugly -- "A-" or "B+"
* thickness of hinge -- hinge thickness was off some ... about 2.5" on the close/good side to 4.5" on the far/bad side ...
....was afraid of cutting too much off far side.... I had wanted the hinge to be thicker on one side... but I got the wrong side thicker.... if it had been 2.5/4.5 reversed I would have given myself an "A" ... but since such a heavy leaner the extra thickness didn't matter much -- "C-" to "B-" (since heavy leaner)
* decent face cut -- not a perfect "V" but no dutchman and it is even with the hinge -- "B+"

so what's the big deal with this little pine twig?

Well if you don't have anything else to do.... any comments and assessments -- humourous or otherwise would be much appreciated!
 
What is your hinge thickness as a percentage of tree diameter at hinge height?



Screwing up which side is which, and not knowing...
well, um,...
Do you know how dangerous this line of work is? Zero pressure from a customer or an audience of customers, and ...
 
I may have mentioned this before but, hinges are strong and they work. If someone has the magic answer for a supposed problem, with social media, they might make a mountain out of a molehill.

You had trouble with a thick hinge before then just got panicky 'nipping', and ...

I don't think you need such thick hinges. 20% is thick, IMO...you're just trying to steer it down, not go perpendicular to gravity or anything, like pulling is not holding up the weight of the tree, even back-leaning (if you have a good line angle), rather, its tipping the tree over on top of the hinge. People overpull all the time.

My friend who used to do trees (poorly) was the king of pull it hard with a thick hinge, because he didn't know better, and was a big fish in a tiny pond.
 
I'm with Sean. Dang, Robert. You really are pretty sorry at this stuff. I say it so harshly because I fear you are going to get hurt, or hurt someone else before you learn enough to not be dangerous. I want you to really hear me, friend.
 
SeanKroll said:
because he didn't know better, .
Click to expand...

Funny I was just thinking the same thing about you! You're not too bright Sean.... You say he got in trouble with a thick hinge before by nipping away at it... Guess what???? when you nip away at a thick hinge until it's not a hinge at all, then it's not a thick hinge anymore.... and the problem never was that it was thick! He didn't have enough pull on that tree...

this recent tree was a front leaner... NOthing wrong with leaving a thick hinge on this tree.... The back release insured no BBC, and the taper really didn't make much of a difference because there wasn't enough side lean to pull the tree off the lay... while thickness may not have mattered much here, and if anything the thick hinge held and kept the tree to the lay, even with the improper taper... That tree was a fine fall Robert... And Ya, you're still learning.. Those that aren't are mostly dead!
 
You're not too bright Sean....
Click to expand...

please-just-shut-dkkp1a.jpg
 
Oh, I was pretty sure it was from GOT, easy peasy.

I've read all of George R. R. Martin's GOT books published to date. Not so much as for seeing the television version, but believe it or not, I have caught some segments here and there. I know quite a bit about the story, characters, etc. It's a good tale.

But I don't recall the waggling sausage scene :). Nor how it applies to the current discussion, even less so :D.
 
Hey Robert, I don't feel you got a fair shake on this one. That stump looked great! With a not so sharp chain, the bore cut was a good choice. Keep practicing on easy trees with low consequences, you'll get that taper right next time
-Brock
 
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