Wedging Small Diameter Trees

[brendonv]

The left side is a quarter cut, looking from the back. Red is the cuts, first cut on the right, then insert blue wedge, then make other side.

My other diagram is more of a question. Is this a decent way to do the job? Bore out the hinge, blue is the wedge. Then almost make your quarter cuts on top? Leave a small portion to snap when banging?

 

[Burnham]

That would probably work just fine Brendon, but there is no real reason not to overlap the cuts above the bored slot for the wedge.

Nick and Rajan...Bren is showing the back cut procedure. The face cut would be on the opposite side of the tree and be normal.

 

[flushcut]

I C. I really don't wedge over small trees I just use half inch insurance or a throw line.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I C. I really don't wedge over small trees I just use half inch insurance or a throw line.

I like that! Mind if I use it at work?

 

[flushcut]

Be my guest, I cribbed that from John Sanborn.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Why, thank you sir

 

[flushcut]

Just spreading the love.

 

[stig]

That would probably work just fine Brendon, but there is no real reason not to overlap the cuts above the bored slot for the wedge.

Burnham, the reason is that this is taught as a beginner's tecnique.
When beginners work on small trees ( as they do in all other parts of the world than the PNW, where fallers probably start right out in the big stuff, since that is all you have( crap, the smilies aren't working)) they have a hard time avoiding hitting the wedge as they complete the cut.
Hence the split level.

Unfortunately the forestry schools forget to tell them, that doing it split level is just done by rookies, just like boring each and every tree, they go on doing it forever.

 

[squisher]

... sometimes small ones can be had by setting that wedge in the back cut first ... then make the face and drive it over ... I know it"s backwards , but makes total sense to the dyslexic ...

This is what I do, always have and it seems to work fine.

 

[Burnham]

That technique doesn't keep the wedge from bottoming out on the back side of the hinge if you have to lift it much to commit to the face...just ensures you can get a wedge in the back cut .

 

[squisher]

True but a tree that small that the technique is needed has never given me any amount of grief that I couldn't solve by stacking a couple in if need be. I usually always have a shorty high lift in my pouch too that is the go to wedge for those situations.

 

[Bermy]

Hey Stig, I've no doubt you are right, being abandoned out in the middle of the Atlantic after training, I have retained the split level for little trees.

But the split level keeps you away from the metal of the felling lever, as well as avoiding a sit back on a back leaner. It avoids the need to put in a line to pull it over if the tree is small enough, I like the control, and time is not a problem...
Even on the bigger trees (2x bar length, 30-32" diameter, still on the small side for most here!) we were doing the split level, in conjunction with high lift wedges and tractor mounted winches, or the walk around, putting wedges as you go.

'My' split level, the first side of the back cut is level, the second cut underlaps the first one on a downward angle with the outside edges level. Watch out for the uncut 'triangle' deep inside the diameter on the tree, right behind the hinge, as the bar tends to walk out as you cut the two halves of the back cut. That triangle will prevent you getting the tree over, or cause you to swear as you heave on the lever, or pound the wotsits out of your wedge!

And what Burnham said...that's why I like the felling lever, you have much more lift capacity than just a wedge that can (I know, done it!) bottom out on the back of the hinge.

 

[Burnham]

True but a tree that small that the technique is needed has never given me any amount of grief that I couldn't solve by stacking a couple in if need be. I usually always have a shorty high lift in my pouch too that is the go to wedge for those situations.

Right you are, a little 5 incher is a great item to keep at hand.

 

[Jed]

Burnham: I've never even tried the "quarter-cut" technique that Fiona and others like. I just use squisher's technique, and if I'm scared I'll smash the tip of my nice pretty wedge, I'll do the bore-cut thing through the middle like Willie. Is this not "better" than the quarter cut? Or, alternately, is the quarter-cut better because it retains the added directional strength of the whole hinge? But there again, you'd run into the same problem with the smashed wedge-tip wldn't ya?

 

[sotc]

Or you could always bore a half inch under your primary wedge (after setting one in snug beside the primary) and set a second wedge directly below the first

 

[stig]

...that's why I like the felling lever, you have much more lift capacity than just a wedge that can (I know, done it!) bottom out on the back of the hinge.

I use a felling lever a LOT, Fiona.
The one I swear by is the long Stihl model, it is about 120 cm long, that one will really give you some lift.

 

[Burnham]

Stick that lever in something like this, with a little bit of back lean...let's see what kind of lift you get .

 

[MasterBlaster]

+100!!!

 

[stig]

I could probably bend the bark on it a little

But in my pulp days, those levers were a BIG help, that and agreeing with God about which way to fall the trees.

 

[flushcut]

I have never had much luck with those levers aside from being up top tipping spruce/pine chunks.

 

[gf beranek]

I bought a felling lever years ago and used it only a couple of times. Looking back now I think it would have been quite useful when I was clearing right of way. The trees were small and pretty fair standing for the most part. and a throw line was about all that we needed to pull them.

Un fortunately in the series 3 video I have not a mention of the felling lever. Imagine that. Though 2 hours of wedging, jacking and pulling. The big three.

 

[Burnham]

I could probably bend the bark on it a little

But in my pulp days, those levers were a BIG help, that and agreeing with God about which way to fall the trees.

 

[Jed]

Stig: Oh, I see... God is a metaphor now.

Burnham: Nice Humboldt!

Willie: I'm with ya as far as the idea goes. I'll probably try it if I can remember.

Got one question though: When you do that, (bore in under the initial wedge) aren't you just inadvertently reaming out whatever lift you wld have gained from your first wedge? I'm thinkin' that if you didn't ream really well, you'd get your bar stuck from all the compression trying to sit on your bar? Is this the case in practice or not? I cld almost see a guy getting good enough to gauge how much wood to leave between the cuts so that the first wedge didn't lose lift, while the second cld still bust out the wood (like a stagger cut you'd make to bust off a chunk with both hands) thereby giving you a double lift. How does it work? How do you do it?

 

[Bermy]

I use a felling lever a LOT, Fiona.
The one I swear by is the long Stihl model, it is about 120 cm long, that one will really give you some lift.

Ha ha Stig he looks like a Power Ranger!
I've often considered the longer bar, maybe a tool to have on standby, ah but I've just remembered, we were shown how to wedge in a pole using the cant hook to make the short bar longer...never tried it, only seen it, like 10yrs ago!

Oh Burnham, you just HAD to post a big tree picture! One of these days I'll stop through your area and you can educate me

 

[MasterBlaster]

Power Ranger... THAT was it!!!

I couldn't quite put my finger on it...