Throwing chains

[sotc]

yeah but wildlife would forever be harmed in the widerness if you were to fire and engine there

 

[Burnham]

yeah but wildlife would forever be harmed in the widerness if you were to fire and engine there

Oh hell, the critters don't care, and certainly don't vote. It's the tree huggers who can't stand the idea of the wilderness being sullied by the noise of that 26th year of the 20th century.

 

[GASoline71]

I have been on the trails up in the Naches that Sean is talking about... If you were the one that was cuttin' those monster blowdowns... Holy crap... I feel for ya buddy.

There are some big nasty trees up there across those trails. The powerline road that goes from Crow Creek/Khaner Flats all the way up to Raven's Roost is a favoriye with the Jeep and ATV crowd. Some of the mud holes will swallow a truck, so these guys are going off the trail further and further to go around them. There are areas that they have destroyed so the underground powerlines are exposed as well. The powerlines go up to a Microwave tower at the top of Raven's Roost.

They are not using straps for their winches around the trees, and undermining all the root sysyems. Some of the "trails" that go around the mud pits go almost 100 yards into the woods.

These chuckleheads then wonder why the FS wants them off of the trails and is closing land use to 4X4's...

Gary

 

[Bounce]

Yeah Gary, the road to Raven's Roost has become pretty popular among off roaders who apparently take great delight in utterly destroying it on a bi-monthly basis. We used to have a great time driving those green FS rigs up and down that road fast enough to hydroplane over the worst of the potholes/lakes. At least we could use chainsaws around there though. For some stupid reason they don't let you use chainsaws in wilderness areas. As near as I can figure, it's because they would prevent you from being able to hear the Navy jets practicing low altitude flying. Those guys flew so low we could see the color of their hair sitting in the cockpit. I think they used us as targets to practice mock bombing runs. To be perfectly honest though, we never could have used chainsaws to clear wildnerness trails anyway because we couldn't have carried enough gas to last a whole week.

 

[GASoline71]

Those jets are on low level training routes through the valleys of Eastern Washington. Most of them come from where I work... NAS Whidbey Island.

I used to elk hunt up there. It would be so nice and peaceful up there on the ridge above Crow Creek or on Cougar Ridge... then you would hear those baby's rumbling throuigh the mountains... You could look down on them from the ridgetops... I always though to myself... "Damn, I can never get away from those noisy bastids..." LOL

Gary

 

[sotc]

we get them around here doing touch and go from the guard station in klamath falls

 

[Bodean]

I use alot of boring cuts when I'm bucking logs.
Also helps in lining up my cuts to avoid mismatched ones.

I use it as a wedge as well.

I just cut through on the compression til it wants to tighten then leave
a few inches of wood til you bore in on the tension side and cut the rest of
the log. The wood you left can usually be tripped easily without fear of
pinching.

I could be wrong though.

 

[Burnham]

I use alot of boring cuts when I'm bucking logs.
Also helps in lining up my cuts to avoid mismatched ones.

I use it as a wedge as well.

I just cut through on the compression til it wants to tighten then leave
a few inches of wood til you bore in on the tension side and cut the rest of
the log. The wood you left can usually be tripped easily without fear of
pinching.

I could be wrong though.

Trip the strip from the compression side or the tension side, Deva? Must be tension, I think.

 

[Al Smith]

I've never thrown that many chains,thank heavens .I have had two saws however hung in the same tree. More than once I have to admit .

I had a little climber hung in a limb once about 35 feet up.I tied the saw off and snatched the limb out from the ground with my pick em up for power .

 

[stehansen]

We would get jets occasionally where I worked in Wells, NV, Where I grew up in Patterson it was 3 miles from the Crows Landing Naval Air Station which is a part of Moffett. During Vietnam there was quite a few jets but after that there were the Orions doing touch and goes most of the time. Most of the time we didn't even see them but if there was a south wind, then they would come over our house, but not low, at least a thousand feet up.

 

[The Branch Doctor]

I like to use a plastic wedge when I'm bucking. Is that bad?

 

[sotc]

i do that some times to, just a place holder to let me cut deeper with out getting bound

 

[Frans]

I like to use a plastic wedge when I'm bucking. Is that bad?

No, that is a sure sign of being a professional. The rookie cutter or slacker worker does not bother to use a wedge when needed to keep the wood from binding the bar and chain.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's about the only time I do use a wedge. That, and ALAPing stumps.

 

[squisher]

You should always have wedges when felling a tree even if you are using a pull line imo. Anything can happen and I like having a wedge/axe with me just in case.

 

[sotc]

i agree, ive wished a few times i had a wedge in a hairy spot

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ewwwww!

 

[Al Smith]

i agree, ive wished a few times i had a wedge in a hairy spot

Well,some times I wish I had a road map .

 

[sotc]

haha sickos

 

[Blinky]

Hell yeah, I definitely use a wedge bucking big wood. I hate sticking a saw.

I keep wedges handy for felling but don't use'em much, I like ropes on residential jobs; plus the customer feels more comfortable when they see a rope in the tree.

 

[GASoline71]

I like to use a plastic wedge when I'm bucking. Is that bad?

No that is good... the only place for metal wedges is for splitting wood with a maul.

Using plastic wedges saves the chain if it comes in contact with the wedge. It is a good idea to use wedges when buckin' up logs to keep from binding.

...and as Butch said, when ALAPing big stumps. Keeps the stump off'n the bar and chain for easy cuttin'.

Gary

 

[Al Smith]

Oh ,I 've tripped more than a few trees using steel wedges . Then again I've hit them with a chain too,not good .

 

[squisher]

I keep wedges handy for felling but don't use'em much, I like ropes on residential jobs; plus the customer feels more comfortable when they see a rope in the tree.

My insurance specifies a pull rope so I put one in damn near every tree I fell even if it's a natural, just in case.

I honestly never use wedges for bucking up wood in a residential setting. Hell if I ever do get pinched there's a whole armoury of saws not far away. Plus the mini can help out now if need be. In the bush is another story getting pinched can fork up your day.

 

[lumberjack]

My insurance specifies a pull rope so I put one in damn near every tree I fell even if it's a natural, just in case.

I honestly never use wedges for bucking up wood in a residential setting. Hell if I ever do get pinched there's a whole armoury of saws not far away. Plus the mini can help out now if need be. In the bush is another story getting pinched can fork up your day.

I hate them natural trees, they can look so simple until you stick a saw in them.


I very rarely, if ever, use wedges for bucking. I do use them for throwing suitable trees. This past weekend I used wedges to drop 3 back/side leaning (towards the house) trees, had to use a rope on the last one. I do use a rope far more than wedges.

My customers aren't educated enough to prefer a rope.

 

[Husky D]

I have to say that neither method should be used to the exclusion of the other. I'm with Dave when he says you need to read the binds; that's your first step, and this gives you the information to base your plan of attack at each bucking point. If you just put saw to wood and go 'til the tree talks to you, you may have already limited your choices, not a wise thing.

On the other hand, you must pay attention to what the tree gives you as feedback as you undertake execution of your plan. Carl is absolutely right when he says the tree will let you know which way it wants to go...if that feedback coincides with your read and the approach you have taken, all is well...but if not, you must whoa back and re-evalute, make a new plan to accomodate the new information.


General ideas:
A certain amount of chain throwing can be avoided by keeping your chain tension just right. Don't twist the saw. Keep a sharp chain and let it work the wood, don't try to horse the saw. Be patient, take your time. Only commit as much bar as is necessary to release heavy tension. If you can tell that one side of your cut is going to stay put and the other is going to move, keep your cuts either perfectly lined up or shade the release cut to the side that will stay put. Keep your body away from the moving side, cut with your off hand if you need to to do this. It is usually better to start bucking at the small end of the tree, if possible.[/QUO

Good post Burnham but would add just be careful if you buck from the small end if you have fully windblown tree's that as you release weight that the root plate doesn't take the tree back up into the vertical. If your bar doesnt reach fully across the trunk do a vertical reduction cut (as long as there isn't side tension) and leave yourself the smallest amount of wood you can to cut as quickly as possible. Stepping your saw a couple of inches away from your compression cut towards the piece of timber that will move the least will give you a safety margin for pinching or throwing your saw.
Can be really interesting cutting windblown timber at times!