How would you go about cutting this.

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EJP1234

Burning Hunk
Mar 19, 2015
105
Greensboro, MD
How would you go at this... I already got the part I could that was "Y'd" off and up to where I felt safe without putting too much tension on my bar. It's a maple tree, so the wood is soft, and it cuts super easy. Its about 10' up to where it snapped over, but it's stringy there and still connected. I'm thinking a ladder on the right side of the actual trunk to use it to shield me and cut from the top to get it to drop. I really want this wood. It's super easy to get too, I can park my truck 4' from it for an easy load. How to cut.jpg
 
Is there any tension or bind on the part that's laying on the ground? If not, I'd start at the lowest end on the ground and work my way up the slanted part of the trunk until it started to lift, then cut the stem off of the stump like a normal notch and drop operation.
 
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I would tie it off as high up the broken part as possible
put some tension on the rope in the direction you want it to fall
use a 4 wheeler or you truck or just some one pulling the rope
cut it off at ground level so it falls where you want it .
I hate cutting off a ladder
 
Just to clarify, it's big, it's like 3' diameter where it is snapped. And there is tension on the part laying on the ground. I went back as far as I could go... infact I left a chain in it yesterday lol.... I took my bar off and then rocked it back and forth but lost the chain lol...

And it's not going to lift, 99% sure as I work back it's going to fall.
 
yes, how did you conquer that?
 
I'd cut where the snapped part of the trunk is near the ground, but where there is enough space to get the bar underneath so it won't bind. Start the cut from the top, then finish from the bottom. This will separate the part that is laying on the ground from the part still hanging. The hanging part will fall to a steeper angle but still be attached. Then I'd repeat until only a little bit is hanging, or maybe it would break off.
 
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A bunch of very calculated cuts, a 4" wide strap and a pickup truck.;)

I wish I could give you more info on how to attack your tree but I really can't. The pre-stress and loading of the crown will be different in every one of these situations. I ended up pulling the branch off of the tree and getting the whole mess horizontal on the ground.

Be very, very careful. There is tons (literally) of weight waiting for gravity to overcome. And I can assure you that if you are on a saw you WILL NOT be faster than gravity.

Maybe consider partial cuts and then using force (truck, tractor) to break it? Dunno - hard to do over the internet.

ETA: in my pic above, you can see the corner of big blue (my truck). It wasn't there to look pretty.
 
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EJP1234 said:
Just to clarify, it's big, it's like 3' diameter where it is snapped. And there is tension on the part laying on the ground. I went back as far as I could go... infact I left a chain in it yesterday lol.... I took my bar off and then rocked it back and forth but lost the chain lol...

And it's not going to lift, 99% sure as I work back it's going to fall.
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While bar pinches do happen sometimes they shouldn't happen that often. Do you have wedges? You need to have wedges and you need to palm one into the cut ASAP so the kerf doesn't close up on you. As stated above, start cutting on the top but finish cutting from the bottom so the kerf OPENs as the tree weakens and collapses down. Once you get a significant portion of that trunk cut back you can likely safely drop the trunk with the broken part still hanging on it.

#1 BE CERTAIN the broken part is still fairly securely attached to the standing part. You can do this by attaching a strap near the top and pulling with a truck etc. If the trunk falls, problem solved, if it doesn't, then you should be able safely fell what is left. I would attach a strap to the top part of the standing trunk and pull while felling...
 
I cut a similar mess up last fall, but it was a big @ss double trunked Siberian elm with the full crown. I don't really have any pics, since I was too busy trying not to die, and my brother-in-law/spotter was too busy not letting me die. Lots of looking, thinking, little cutting, then more looking.

Hard to give any advice on something like that. Tension and pinch points make every situation different, and it's something you gotta make up as you go.
 
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Had a similar situation a few years back with a red maple that had snapped off 8' up or so. Partly due to carpenter ants and partly due to a freak windstorm.

The break was strong so I worked it like any other ~ limbs first, 16" rounds from the top back, using wedges. By shoulder height the break was supporting what was left. Notched and back cut like an ordinary fell to drop the rest.

The stem is gonna be under tension where it lays so make relief cuts on top and finish your cuts from underneath. The stem could move sideways when weight is cut off it so keep a close eye on it while cutting.

I don't recommend standing on a ladder while using a chainsaw. It's a potentially dangerous practice. Many folks have been seriously injured doing this.
 
Fred - u want 1/2? I need a spotter lol... It's right on 404 at my hunting property, probably 30 minutes south of you.
 
If it was me...i'd start at the fallen portion as well. Remove weight and get a 'feel' for which way it wants to twist.

I think the biggest risk here is dropping the big trunk closest to the upright tree. That is why i'd shave off as much mass as possible before I attempt anything.
 
What do y'all think about cutting a wedge out of the main trunk, drop the whole thing just like normal...to the side. I would consider chaining the standing part tight to the laying part so it doesn't try to straighten out and "come after you" once cut loose
 
brenndatomu said:
What do y'all think about cutting a wedge out of the main trunk, drop the whole thing just like normal...to the side. I would consider chaining the standing part tight to the laying part so it doesn't try to straighten out and "come after you" once cut loose
Click to expand...
I think that's a variation of what most of us are recommending. There is no "right way" to recommend this because all we have is a crayon style drawing of the situation. I'm certain there is more at play than what is depicted in the diagram...
 
I'll take a photo this afternoon and post it, but probably not until tomorrow morning as I have a wedding rehersal to go to tonight.
 
EJP1234 said:
I'll take a photo this afternoon and post it, but probably not until tomorrow morning as I have a wedding rehersal to go to tonight.
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Just to be clear, I wasn't knocking you with my previous comments; just making the facts known. Even from a photo it will be hard to give a "right" recommendation. That being said, a few photos would be helpful. Make sure there is a reference for perfect vertical or you hold the camera perfectly square so we can accurately just which way the tree leans.
 
brenndatomu said:
What do y'all think about cutting a wedge out of the main trunk, drop the whole thing just like normal...to the side. I would consider chaining the standing part tight to the laying part so it doesn't try to straighten out and "come after you" once cut loose
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I do. Face cut on one side and felling cut on the other and pull the thing over on its side.
 
Sorry for the delay, had a meeting this morning. Thoughts?
 

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At that size, I would probably start towards the end touching the ground and make a top cut and finish with a bottom/up cut and just keep moving up the trunk.

Or...rope it up and put a little pressure in one direction or the other and simply do a wedge and back cut and drop the whole dang thing on the ground.
 
Right on..

Is that a Sycamore Maple?

We dont have sugar maples where I live.

I am basically on the atlantic coast, and it's sandy soils.
 
I'm on the MD/DE line. Infact that tree is 1/2 mile from DE, about 1/2 way down the straight N/S MD/DE border.
 

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The bark also says "maple" - not sycamore, but not really "sugar maple" either. Sycamore is typically scaly at some point along the tree (but not always).

There are folks on the site that are better at the ID than I am, but from the available pics is sure looks like maple to me.
 
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Dunno - now I am confused. Your pic looks similar to this sycamore leaf pic (but closer to the sugar maple leaf I posted above in my opinion).
stock-photo-leaf-of-sycamore-maple-tree-78114967.jpg

And now I am questioning the bark. It really isn't consistent with sugar maple bark. This may very well be sycamore with a very pronounced leaf.
 
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