Dag GUM it

[melloyello]

I have grown tired of looking at a gum tree that was leaning back towards my shop so I decided today was the day. I was going to spur up it and knock out some limbs but I just got a foot ascender so I used that instead. I didn't have to climb it, just wanted to use the new ascender. Worked great. Lot easier on the legs.
Anyways, I put a 1/2" rope about 50ft up the 70+ft tree in a crotch and hooked my power puller to a tree about 90ft away. I put some tension on it and made my face cut, then started the back cut enough to get a wedge in. Then I went over and cranked on the power puller until the tree was leaning in the direction I wanted it to go. I left about 3" of hinge hoping the tree wouldn't come down with me in the woods and it worked. Thank god. 30 or so smacks on the wedge and she went. Probably doesn't look like I was nervous in the video but I was. Not as bad as my last tree which was leaning worse than this one. Got over half of it split today. Going to offer the wood up to anyone that wants it at church tomorrow. One fella is a Boy Scout troop leader so maybe they will need it for campfires or something.

 

[Babaganoosh]

Don't give that wood to anyone you want to remain friends with. It's terrible. I'm giving an entire cord away. The people who I am giving it to had a fire and it took out their entire shed and wood supply. Brother in law left a kerosene heater running in the shed.

 

[melloyello]

Don't give that wood to anyone you want to remain friends with. It's terrible. I'm giving an entire cord away. The people who I am giving it to had a fire and it took out their entire shed and wood supply. Brother in law left a kerosene heater running in the shed.

That's horrible about the shed. I have nothing against burning gum. It's just a pain to split and stack. I am about 4 years ahead with poplar, gum, pecan and oak and I have 2 more oaks and a huge poplar to take down in my yard.

 

[Oldman47]

That gum jumped just as you finished the face cut. Not sure you would have seen it from where you were standing.
Why such a wide hinge?

 

[TedyOH]

Back cut / finish cut should have been 3" higher?

 

[melloyello]

That gum jumped just as you finished the face cut. Not sure you would have seen it from where you were standing.
Why such a wide hinge?

You are exactly right. Went back and looked at the video. It moved quite a bit too. I didn't see it when it happened. If I had, I wouldn't have wedged it at all. I would have kept cutting until it started to fall. You want to come over and be my eyes next time? I'm in need of a helper around here. Lol
I have only been felling trees for a couple of years and don't have a teacher so I'm learning as I go. I have learned a bit in 2 years. Had a couple of trees that didn't exactly want to cooperate.

 

[melloyello]

Back cut / finish cut should have been 3" higher?

Good observation. I started almost high enough but cut at an angle. The ground is unlevel there and I think I followed it. Guess I need a bubble level on my saw.

 

[TedyOH]

On trees that size i cut an inch or so, stop step back and see how im lining up. But the bottom line is that you got it to fall where you wanted it to, I don't think I would have even attempted that tree with the building so close

 

[melloyello]

On trees that size i cut an inch or so, stop step back and see how im lining up. But the bottom line is that you got it to fall where you wanted it to, I don't think I would have even attempted that tree with the building so close

I was nervous but I figured the odds were in my favor with wedges and pulling it. I don't yet know what I am going to do about the one that is leaning at about 60 degrees at the back of my storage building. Guess now that I am cutting and climbing I can try my hand at some rigging. I just don't have a ground guy for that kind of stuff. Probably get someone over with a bucket truck for that one.