Cutting standing deadwood

[ourmoneypit]

[quote author="Eric Johnson" date="1165450891"]...cut, snip...

SAFETY NOTE: Standing deadwood is a lot more dangerous to cut than standing live trees.[/quote]

We are newbies all around. Bought our first chainsaw this spring, and have been teaching ourselves to use it. It's a Stihl and came with a DVD explaining about the saw and safety, and we have been taking it slow. We have yet to cut down anything thicker than 4" alive, or 6' tall if already dead, practising learning to control the direction of fall in this way. We have several standing deadwood white birch trees we plan to cut down in the next week, so would like advice on how to do so safely, noting the above comment. Also, why is it more dangerous to cut standing deadwood?

 

[Carl]

The problem with cutting dead wood is it is dead. This means high up branches could fall down from the saw vibration and crack you on the head, arm, or body. be sure and look up before cutting and see what may be above you and what may get knocked off from the saw vibration. If the top is rotten or any part of the tree that too may get knocked loose from the vibration or when it starts to topple and you don't want anything falling from above to hit you.

 

[RedRanger]

Yep-more than a few fallers have been killed falling snags. Usually top breaks off from saws vibration, top comes straight down and kills em. If your want to be a little safer falling the dead ones? Get your wife or someone to act as a spotter to keep an eye on the top while you are making your cuts. It`s a little difficult to keep looking up yourself while at the same time doing the cutting.

 

[sgcsalsero]

If I had a bunch of large dead standing (how big are your birches?) I'd hire an experienced crew just for the felling and then do all the rest myself. Maybe a little money involved but consider it 'insurance'.

 

[savageactor7]

The vibrations of the chain saw are enough to make a limb fall right on your head/neck. That said I cut dead wood all the time ... I save it for a winter pursuit mostly to engage in an outdoor activity that helps me sleep better at night.

Every tree needs its own risk assessment and that is hard to explain in 25 words or less.

The 2 cent version is I scope out the tree and hopefully it will fall is a desirable place. I take care to remove the brush from 10ft around the tree in case I have to exit very quickly...I remove all protective head gear so I can look up at all times. Now if a limb were to fall I could hopefully escape it's impact. the trick is to always look up when cutting dead trees...even your hinge cuts.

I have over a 30 acre wood lot that I manage meticulously cause I think it's fun, I enjoy it, it's the right thing to do and it's a form of therapy. Since 6Jun I've been in a cast and besides cutting the lawn I taken a saw blade on a weedwacker and have cut down over 15 acres of invasive species and and junk wood/brush that imo interfere with my precious hardwoods development.

Standing dead wood can be done safely if you give it some thought...and always look up. If I were I casual cutter of wood I'd avoid it but since it's our own land I have to deal with it...or worry about your loved ones. My priority of tree cutting is the biggest trees, dead trees (in winter only), split trunk trees...cause they can be a real pain as they mature then invasive species or junk wood like poplar and willow.

Since '77 there's only been 1 dead tree I've refused to cut out of about at least 15 a year...that one cause I couldn't reduce a catastrophic risk consequence no matter what controls I implemented.

 

[quinn]

I get all my wood from standing dead trees and agree with everything said above. Most of it comes from wood killed from forest fires in the area. If you have no experience with a saw either hire someone to do it or go to your local saw shop and track down a faller with some time on their hands and pay them to take you out and teach you how to fall a tree. It is not something I would want to learn from a book or in any way other than seeing it and practicing with an expert and saw in hand. There are lots of tricks to falling and bucking wood. I have been running a saw since I was a kid and I still love spending time with old-timers and learning from them.

 

[FatttFire]

I also agree with the aboce, but I always wear my helmet and have a spotter when cutting standing dead! You just never know when that top could be more dead than you think and come down and get you! The Amish call it a widow maker !

 

[N/A N/A]

You guys have just about put it all out there! But one thing to add that I am surprised that none of you guys mentioned...especially the pros..I dont consider myself a pro..But you also got to watch the dead ones being hollow inside. Being rot or eaten out by bugs. Sometimes they will fall before you expect them too and sometimes in directions you didnt want them to. Especially if you dont have allot of experience like myself. Instead of getting that nice slow "timber!" the trunk can actually fail causing the tree to collapse sometimes at a rapid rate not leaving you much time to escape. Anybody else want to correct me or add on to this??

 

[ourmoneypit]

We acquired this property from a man now in his 70's who has been in a wheelchair, paraplegic, many years. He was put there when a tree he was felling on this property fell on him. He owned several chainsaw stores, and by all accounts was well-experienced. In my work, I have seen too much of the results of workplace accidents in all fields of work to take chances.

We head out to the property tomorrow, so we'll be better able to assess if we feel comfortable felling the birch trees in question. We never cut alone, always together. When in doubt, we err on the side of caution. Now we know what to take into consideration in making our decision on these trees, and what to watch out for if we do decide to proceed, thanks to everyone who responded. While we do have some family members who are experienced woodcutters, none are near enough to 'mentor' us, so we're taking it very slow.

Simply practicing forest management will keep us in wood for the next several years. Only a very small portion of the acreage has been 'cleaned up'.

 

[JustWood]

If it's possible, cut a live tree into the dead ones to break them off. If you do have to cut a dead one, stand fully erect and make your notch at waist level . This will minimize the area of your body falling debris can come into contact with. Without a doubt ALWAYS WEAR A HARDHAT.

 

[sgcsalsero]

We acquired this property from a man now in his 70's who has been in a wheelchair, paraplegic, many years. He was put there when a tree he was felling on this property fell on him. He owned several chainsaw stores, and by all accounts was well-experienced. In my work, I have seen too much of the results of workplace accidents in all fields of work to take chances.
.

OMP . ...you may want to pose a question or two on the homeowner's forum of arboristsite, you may get an earfull from those guys but the advice is free & good

 

[Backwoods Savage]

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned is that many times standing dead trees will have a tendency to split more than a green tree. Depends upon the species, but it is another caution to be added.

Many times we cut dead trees but are very careful. Last year I cut a maple that had been dead a couple years. The reason I had not cut this tree sooner is because of some of the limbs up high. Didn't trust them at all. Widow makers they are. After a big wind storm though, the suspect limbs broke off so then we cut it.

 

[woodconvert]

"the trick is to always look up when cutting dead trees...even your hinge cuts."

Uh...sorda. Actually, i'd rather have a spotter looking for falling stuff (which I never do as I only cut alone) but i'm more interested in the chips on the hinge cuts. When they go brown (from rot) then it's a different ball game. You have a weak or no hinge....but I also try not to cut rotten stuff.

If you are worried about falling branches, give the tree a healthy rap with a sledge hammer...if it doesn't come down then then the chances are good it won't come down with saw vibration. I cut a lot of standing dead elm and ash and i've never been hit on the mellon with a branch...which is not to say it won't happen. Just use your head and you'll be fine.

 

[Beanscoot]

If it is possible to get close with a truck and the tree is small enough, what about pulling the tree over with a winch? You could climb up with a ladder to attach a rope or cable fairly far up if desired. Then if your rope be long enough, you'd be clear of the danger area.

 

[ourmoneypit]

If it is possible to get close with a truck and the tree is small enough, what about pulling the tree over with a winch? You could climb up with a ladder to attach a rope or cable fairly far up if desired. Then if your rope be long enough, you'd be clear of the danger area.

Hmmm...there's a thought. We don't have a winch (yet), but the property came with a bulldozer (ostensibly for clearing snow)...so long as we can find something long enough and strong enough, the 'dozer could probably pull it over. I've been looking for a good excuse to get a good tow/pull strap made of that seatbelt-like stuff. The trees we're talking about are quite close to the edge of a clearing, and in an area we want to eventually clear out fully anyway. Lots of options. I like that sledgehammer idea...it'll tell us if the tree is sound, too.

 

[sgcsalsero]

but the property came with a bulldozer (ostensibly for clearing snow)...

A bulldozer . . well why didn't ya say so in the 1st place

 

[woodconvert]

the 'dozer could probably pull it over. I've been looking for a good excuse to get a good tow/pull strap made of that seatbelt-like stuff.

Not to be a fun governer....but pulling over trees that don't want to be pulled over with equipment that has plenty of umph gives me the sh*ts. I've known two people that were killed doing that when the cable/strap/buckle broke. If you've got a front end loader that you can push up high and really lean on it that works well for me plus it seems (SO FAR!) to be pretty safe. If you have to make a notch cut that's ok too.