Felling technique-Small Trees.
The recent thread asking about felling technique reminded me of something new this past cutting season that I started doing. It is about cutting small trees and being able to use a wedge on them. I define a small tree as any tree that you do not have room to set a wedge in behind the bar when making the back cut. Roughly anything 8-10 in. and under.
What I started doing is making the back cut first, roughly 2/3 of the way through. Then I palm or lightly tap a wedge in. Then I go around to the front and carefully make a wedge cut underneath leaving the appropriate amount of hinge wood.
Then I can come around to the back and hammer the wedges in until it falls. I did this all cutting season and every tree fell perfectly.
I know you could make the back cut second, remove your bar, and then set wedges, but I have had bars pinched that way and even had them come over backwards.
This video shows something like this at the 2 min. 42 sec. mark.
The recent thread asking about felling technique reminded me of something new this past cutting season that I started doing. It is about cutting small trees and being able to use a wedge on them. I define a small tree as any tree that you do not have room to set a wedge in behind the bar when making the back cut. Roughly anything 8-10 in. and under.
What I started doing is making the back cut first, roughly 2/3 of the way through. Then I palm or lightly tap a wedge in. Then I go around to the front and carefully make a wedge cut underneath leaving the appropriate amount of hinge wood.
Then I can come around to the back and hammer the wedges in until it falls. I did this all cutting season and every tree fell perfectly.
I know you could make the back cut second, remove your bar, and then set wedges, but I have had bars pinched that way and even had them come over backwards.
This video shows something like this at the 2 min. 42 sec. mark.