Why 1/3?

[murphy4trees]

Yea, that's funny.

Nice one Butch.. really four words but you used the contraction to keep it to three!!!

 

[woodworkingboy]

My understanding is that was the problem, instead of a clear description, too few words left the image from the comment up to people's imagination.

 

[pantheraba]

hahaha...I love imagination!!

 

[murphy4trees]

I got on a nasty storm damaged locust years ago. Backyard no equipment access... started whittling away at the limbs ... got down to the wood and said.. now there's got to be a way to make this work.. if I was the best tree cutter in the world how would I cut this.. and it just came to me... rolled a big piece of wood right off the phone lines, using the spring effect of the wires to throw the piece over the fence.. the ground guys freaked out!!!

Swear it was all in just putting the imagination to work!

 

[mdvaden]

Word.

But, sometimes I'll go deeper...

Man ... you better not make a tree industry T shirt that says that ... LOL

"I'll go Deeper"

I used to fell quite a few trees on my mother's acreage when I went to college. It was interesting, and a safe place, to experiment with different percentages and watch the difference.

 

[chris_girard]

General rules are damn good, as they are meant to get the beginner / novice started in the right direction. For most in the industry, the more we learn the more we advance beyond the general rules. Haphazardly for fools, unfortunately.

I have to say, though, for the proactive tradesman in the Tree Care Industry the level of professionalism I see just continues to get better. I see it every day in this forum.

Thank you!

Totally agree with what Jerry has said. Stick to the General rules when first learning and slowly learn the tips and tricks as time and experience becomes better.

 

[dstimber]

What's everyone's preferred technique for felling a heavy head leaning tree? I've always thought and done slightly more than 1/3 on face cut. Bore in on back cut, and set up a slightly thinner hinge. Nip corners off hinge. Then reinsert bar and cut out the back. Typical bore cut method I suppose.

The reason I bring it up had 2 guys at work not listen to my advice and set up an ugly barberchair on a perfect black walnut.
I got a call last night said they were alive but nearly got it and ruined the tree. I was told I was right and that what happened was exactly what I told them would if they didn't listen.

Luckily one pulled the other away before the tree split. He was ticked and thought he could outrun the falling tree and get the back cut finished before it started to go over if he hadn't pulled him away.


Anyway I've heard of the side notching method but never seen or tried it.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bermy]

Just about how you describe but
Hinge normal thickness and the release cut is an angle from above then down towards pre-set bored back cut, they call it the 'Dog's Tooth' cut in the UK.
We've had this discussion before and the USA bunch do the release cut above the back cut but on a level plane, the UK lot are trained (or were when I was there) to release on an angle.

 

[Spellfeller]

Interesting, Fi. I hadn't heard of the Dog's Tooth Cut!

 

[Grendel]

I've seen Reg release on an angle as well in some of his videos. . . interesting.

 

[dstimber]

Just about how you describe but
Hinge normal thickness and the release cut is an angle from above then down towards pre-set bored back cut, they call it the 'Dog's Tooth' cut in the UK.
We've had this discussion before and the USA bunch do the release cut above the back cut but on a level plane, the UK lot are trained (or were when I was there) to release on an angle.

This is pretty much how our insurance company requires us to cut by hand now except for special circumstances. The old swing cut method results in an immediate policy drop. We don't worry about it much since our bunch hardly ever cuts by hand anymore



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Broncman]

Is the angled back cut supposed to keep the barber chair from opening up? Kind of give it a heel to hold it?

 

[Tucker943]

It's mainly meant to keep you upright and only extending the bar tip into the kill area should it blow up.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

The stored forces are big enough to shear the whole trunk on 10' to 30' high. The little bitty tooth dog on the stump can do almost nothing to avoid that. But it doesn't have to, in fact, because you had the time to preset adequately the face cut, the hinge and the backcut to get a smooth run instead of a catastrophic failure. Just the run's start is a little harsh when you release the trigger ( = cut the retaining back strap). The angled release cut is only for you keeping a convenient upright stance if the things nevertheless go bad, ready to run.

 

[stig]

One thing to bear in mind about the dog's tooth is that it is released from outside in.
Lots of people will release a back strap by simply continuuing cutting from the inside out, completing the cut they used to make it.
On a heavy leaner this might cause a slab to tear out of the log or massive root pull.
Both have a tendency to hurt the faller.

 

[dstimber]

I haven't had one to tear a slab but have had one pull roots before. Haven't really thought about it but reckon it is safer to release from the outside.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bermy]

A bored out head leaner usually goes with a bit of a bang when you start to cut the release strap...be ready for it!

 

[SawTroll]

Of course it will - it is in the nature of the thing, happens much more abruptly than with a "normal" felling.

 

[stig]

"Normal" being absolutely straight trees on a day with absolutely no wind.

Gotta love those days

 

[CurSedVoyce]