My plan for a leaner

[onion]

Here is what I have to deal with:

Here is what is happening at the business end:

The hangup:

So basically I want this taken care of since it is hanging over my firepit which I would like to use this summer without wondering if the tree is gonna fall on us . I'm thinking I can get up in the treestand thing (I didn't build it lol) and undercut it above the split about halfway through the tree. Then I'll come in from the top closer to the treestand. What do you guys think?

 

[skinnykid]

Seeing on how I just dropped a pine on some power lines, I ain't gonna say nothin!

 

[rdust]

I think I would cut the top side and then undercut it. When the tree starts falling it won't want to pinch the saw. It'll be fun cutting that one with it so high, it should come down almost vertical.

 

[ansehnlich1]

Ain't no way I'd climb up in that treestand and cut that tree. That sucker might just pop right straight back at ya, hit something, slide sideways, who knows what the hey it'll do. I'm not certain it'll just fall straight down ya see.

However, you may do as you please

I can't tell how she's hung up at the top, but if it were likely to come down with a good pull, I'd be tying a rope around the properly shaped rock and throwin that rock up over that leaner as high as I could and then I'd be winchin' that bad boy out of that snag with a come-a-long and watchin it fall from a safe distance.

You'd be amazed how much pull a 2 ton come-a-long has. I've yanked bigger leaners than that straight back with a come-a-long til they fell to the ground.

Be safe.

 

[sksmass]

Remember the words of Clint Eastwood, "A man's gotsta know his limitations." If you don't feel safe, don't do it! Find someone with the experience and equipment to do it safely, and pay 'em! It just might be your life you save.

 

[gzecc]

Can you tie a rope up high. If you can and can also get a truck with a hitch into the area, pull it sideways with the truck from at least 50' away. If you tie it off high enough you will have great leverage.

 

[chad3]

If a solid platform, I'd cut from the underside of the split (cutting downward) from the platform. It may kick back, but you will be out of harms way. From there if it doesn't fall, start cutting down to up till it frees.
Hope you get it down. No way to cut the hangers as well.
Chad

 

[thinkxingu]

Looks like there's another tree it's against--can you take that one down? If so, will both come down? Otherwise, I would use a come-along to put some pressure on the bottom half to go in the direction you want it to when you cut it (i.e. away from you!).

Good luck.

S

 

[coolidge]

BE CAREFULL on that one, looks like its going to roll right at you on that platform.

 

[rdust]

Looks like there's another tree it's against--can you take that one down? If so, will both come down?

Good luck.

S

This is probably a lot safer then trying to cut on a platform that traps you. Hard to escape if the tree doesn't do what you want it to when you're on that platform.

 

[patch53]

If you can get a 4 wheel drive vehicle back by your fire pit, I would try to get a chain or heavy tow strap about 10-15 feet above the butt and just give it a few fast hard pulls and see if either breaks at the base or dislodges from the hang-up. Obviously, don't get too close to butt end with your the vehicle in case it snaps off and comes toward you. You could carefully try to take your chainsaw first and cut some grooves into the area where its split to weaken it some before you try to pull it. If the hang-up isn't lodged into a crotch, I would think you could get it down. Good luck, be careful whatever you try.

Pat

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks like there's another tree it's against--can you take that one down? If so, will both come down? Otherwise, I would use a come-along to put some pressure on the bottom half to go in the direction you want it to when you cut it (i.e. away from you!).

Good luck.

S

THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT DO NOT ATTEMPT IN THIS MANNER! PLEASE!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The very first thing to do would be to determine if that stand is safe to be on Too many times people fasten things like this on trees; the tree grow, the trees wave in the wind, lumber rots..... I've heard too many times about stupid hunters making permanent stands like this and then abandoning them. Later some idiot comes along and decides to use it as a treestand. All is well until he is up onto the stand.....and then it crumbles. The fall isn't bad; in fact it can really get the adrenaline shooting through the body, but that sudden stop at the end of the fall is not so much fun.

Fortunately this is a very small tree so it should come down okay.

If that stand is safe then cutting from it might be okay. However, once up there you have to determine what will happen to the tree if you do cut it there. It can't be determined from the picture but it is possible that the butt of the tree very well might go towards that stand when it is cut. If so, that is not the way to cut it for sure.

However, it might be done if done very carefully. There are 2 possibilities that can't be determined from the picture which method is right. It looks like the tree might be held pretty good in the other tree to keep it from sliding backwards. If so, all is well. Cut the top just a couple of inches and then undercut it. But do so above the split. If the tree has to be cut at the split I would look for another way to take it down.


If it weren't for the split, or if you could cut it above the split, you could anchor it so it did not go towards you and then when you cut it, instead of cutting the top or the bottom of the tree, cut the far side (this will weaken the tree so it will want to go away from you as it comes apart at the cut). That is, in the picture you would be cutting the side away from the tree or that part that we see in the picture. Then watch the tree and as soon as the cut showed a gap, stop. Try to pull (a helper) or push the tree away from the stand. You may have to cut more; just cut slowly.

Above all, be careful.

 

[mikes67]

[quote author="patch53" date="1265574140"]If you can get a 4 wheel drive vehicle back by your fire pit, I would try to get a chain or heavy tow strap about 10-15 feet above the butt and just give it a few fast hard pulls and see if either breaks at the base or dislodges from the hang-up. Obviously, don't get too close to butt end with your the vehicle in case it snaps off and comes toward you. You could carefully try to take your chainsaw first and cut some grooves into the area where its split to weaken it some before you try to pull it. If the hang-up isn't lodged into a crotch, I would think you could get it down. Good luck, be careful whatever you try.

+1 one on the 4x4 pickup. I would try and get the tow strap up as high towards the top as you can and try and yank it down.

 

[dvellone]

The scary thing about being in the tree stand is you've got no escape route if you've got to hustle out of the way. Sometimes if there's a lot of pressure on the butt end of a hanger it's pretty difficult knowing exactly what's going to happen. There's a good reason we call them "widow-makers". It looks like you've got a lot of nearby trees of enough substance that you might be able yarn that thing down one way or the other. Maybe get a chain on it's butt-end and try to rip it down. I pulled a huge cherry down that similarly hung up with my chain and a chain-fall, which pulls slow but with a lot of force. If you can't get it down safely, maybe move the fire-pit.

 

[thinkxingu]

I thought widow-makers were branches/limbs that fell from above?

S

 

[XX78]

Where are you in Ohio?



I've seen a lot worse hang-ups than that. If I were cutting that tree down I may do it a bit differently, but here is a safer way.

As the tree now resides, most people would want to make a cut either on the top or bottom of the leaning portion of the trunk. By top I mean the portion of the trunk (above the split out) that is facing the sky. The bottom is facing the ground, and if it would have not hung up, would already be on the ground.


there is plenty of wood still attached near the trunk, and the way it is hung up looks like it is well supported and fairly stable. I would get a good long rope, chain, long tow strap, and tie it to the tree about 6 feet above the split out. I would get out the step ladder and prepare to make 2 cuts perpendicular to the top/bottom of the trunk, but not to the top or the bottom. Think of it as a compass. Top is north, bottom is south, Make you cuts on the East and West sides of the tree. When you do this, do it in this fashion. Have another person on the rope. When making the first cut, if you decide to make it on the East side, have that person with the rope on the west side of the tree. Make your cut just over half way through the trunk, then stop. Move the ladder to the other side of the tree and have the person throw the rope over to the other side of the tree you just cut on. Have them hold the rope and snug up tension on the rope. Do not have them pulling on it, just keep constant tension on it. I would make the next cut about 3-4 inches above the cut on the other side, and take that cut to about half way through. Let the saw do the cutting on its own, i.e. dont force the saw to much into the wood, constant pressure by the operator is enough to feed the saw wood. If the saw pinches, do not panic, and do not have the person pull on the rope. If you are worried about your saw, tie a rope to the tree below your cuts, leave some slack then attach to your saw. When the tree falls the rope will prevent the saw from hitting the ground. Get off you ladder, with or without the saw, then go help the person snap that little bit of tree that is still connected.

If there was a problem that pops up when you are cutting, then that is why there is a guy on the rope while you are cutting. It the tree begins to go, he should be ready with a burst of energy to pull the butt end of the cut towards him (with a safe distance between them) and away from you.

Took me longer to explain how to do it than it would to do it.

 

[chad3]

DO NOT cut either of the hang up trees If you look at them either of them will have that tree coming straight down towards you. Please make sure that if you are at all nervous about this job do not do it. I've had a few trees that have made the hairs on the back of the neck tingle. Those I made sure I was very careful when cutting. Trust your senses I you are very nervous, get someone else to take it down even if you cut it up.
Chad

 

[onion]

I'm not going to cut any trees it is hung up on, I don't want to cut any living trees unless absolutely necessary.

I also cannot get anything back there that would have enough balls to be able to move the tree plus the ground alternates from being a skating rink to a swamp so I wouldn't get any purchase with the tires anyway.

The stand is very sturdy. I have no questions about it's being able to hold me since we have had easily 3 times my weight in it already. It is also quite bigger than you may think although I would only have about 10' horizontally before I would have to jump down 4 or 5 feet (and break my legs).

Trying to look at this from an analytical point of view...A very rough calculation is that this tree weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 pounds (its a red maple). All of that weight is being pulled by gravity straight down. The remainder of the trunk and the trees on the other end are exerting an equal and opposite force straight up. Since the leaner obviously weighs more near the split, the majority of this force is being exerted at that end. The easiest thing to do would be to pull on the hung end since I am fighting the least amount of force. Maybe 200 pounds. Not to mention that pulling on that end gives me way more control of the fall.

Actually the EASIEST way would be to get some PVC pipe, 100' of cannon fuse and duct tape and get rid of some of this older black powder I have...I could do without having the sheriff come to visit however

 

[marlboroman]

Do it the way ansehnlich1 explained. Use a come along. No other way is safe.

 

[billb3]

I might try a rope to pull the top to the side, first, too.

If you have to cut at the base I might cut into the splintering with a chain saw and then finish cuts with a bow saw.
Splinter cuts don't always do what they look like they might do.

 

[ramonbow]

You can take this idea with as many grains of salt as you like. This hairbrained idea is half serious and half in jest.

move all of the stuff you value away from the area.
drill about three 1 inch holes almost through the split part of the tree at the narrowest spot. Angle the holes downward slightly.
place one of those long taper candles in each hole, light, and keep an eye on things from a distance.

I have never tried it but i could work if you have the patients, a calm day, and low wildfire risk.

 

[dvellone]

Actually the EASIEST way would be to get some PVC pipe, 100' of cannon fuse and duct tape and get rid of some of this older black powder I have...I could do without having the sheriff come to visit however

Well, maybe hang a target on that butt end and spend some time siting in you 30-30, or 30-06

 

[firefighterjake]

Here is what I have to deal with:

. . .I'm thinking I can get up in the treestand thing (I didn't build it lol) and undercut it above the split about halfway through the tree. Then I'll come in from the top closer to the treestand. What do you guys think?

HehHeh . . . my first thought was "Wow . . . some guys are pretty serious about cutting trees . . . they even build tree stands just so they can get a better place to cut."

 

[onion]

Actually the EASIEST way would be to get some PVC pipe, 100' of cannon fuse and duct tape and get rid of some of this older black powder I have...I could do without having the sheriff come to visit however

Well, maybe hang a target on that butt end and spend some time siting in you 30-30, or 30-06

I considered using my 12 gauge (no rifles bigger than a .22 and the muzzleloader would take forever) but the backstop leaves a lot to be desired and the slugs are $2.50 each