Bore cut felling, with wedges

[Adios Pantalones]

My next door neighbor is a fireman and they had some sort of class on felling trees. The preferred method was to cut the notch, then plunge cut through the side so that the back cut is started at the hinge. Cut back leaving a strap in place. Now pound wedges on either side of that strap before finishing off the strap piece there.

Now the tree is braced and wedged should the weight be a bit wrong and you can force it against the lean a bit more than you'd expect. Seemed like a PITA, but we took down a good sized pine like this and pushed it the other direction.

I was reminded vaguely of the felling method that someone posted here on a palm tree, but with a wedge in either side ti would be stabilized a bit more I think.

Anyway- this seemed to add a measure of safety that might help newbies, though plunge/bore cutting requires some skill/safety consideration in itself.

 

[Jags]

A setup like that sounds like it might be a good deal in certain situations. I personally have done this a couple of times but find the most difficult part is gauging the hing. On a normal cut, I know the hinge is about right when the tree starts to fall over. :ahhh:

 

[Woody Stover]

I don't have a lot of experience with leaners. I'm going to cut one today, but it's not leaning very much; Shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, I can see how you could move the trunk a lot with the wedges in the side like that. I've got some stackable wedges to give me more lift, and my leverage against the lean would be better from the back, I think...

 

[wendell]

Sounds like they are using the Game of Logging technique. You don't need to use it often but on a forward lean it is invaluable. It is nice to know that your tree can't barber chair. I had a heavy leaning oak last fall and used the bore cut. When I cut the back strap it sounded like a bomb went off and the tree was on the ground in a second. Even with the bore cut, the trunk still split up the center. If I hadn't bore cut it, that thing would have barber chaired with a vengeance and I don't think I would be here now.

It is a good skill to have in your bag.

 

[MarkinNC]

I think that is the "latest" technique they are teaching. I have seen it on youtube a couple of times. The concept is that you keep the tree stable to you cut the "strap" of wood remaining. I make a lot of bore cuts in general and it's just my style though I don't often make a bore cut when felling. I think getting a bore cut started can be a little tricky for a firefighter that makes one every few years. We call that a high risk low volume procedure in my business.

 

[thewoodlands]

zap

 

[Kenster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoameGbMVt8&feature=related

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

I've posted this before. I was taught this technique by a friend with 20+ years experience.
Setting the hinge is key, you can land a tree anywhere you want and much less risk of barber chairing on you.