Tree Problem

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ScottLewis

Burning Hunk
Nov 20, 2023
228
Madison County NC
This red elm fell across my driveway yesterday. I can't figure out how to take it down.
[Hearth.com] Tree Problem
 
Pull it flat with a truck or come along.
 
This red elm fell across my driveway yesterday. I can't figure out how to take it down.View attachment 348689
Time to pay someone? If that’s not an option this is what I’d do.
At about waist high high on the leaning trunk I’d make a face cut /notch making sure not to pinch the bar. Then I’d pick the safest side and complete the cut from the bottom up. Going to have to pull the saw out quick. I’ve done it on arm sized limbs. When you think you can pull the base with your vehicle do that. You might have to cut a couple more chunks off.

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Do you have a way to reach the base if you step down the bank and be in a safe position so that you can hop away a few feet?? If so cut it from the top side, until it begins to crack. It will make several cracking sounds and then it will stop. At that point it should be less than half way through and if you are in a safe position to get away, lightly and I mean very lightly, cut into it an inch or less until it cracks again. Then cut below in order to allow it to fall slowly as you cut the right perhaps 24" upward (on the bottom side) away from the upside cut until it falls, going slowly with the chainsaw, and you'll need a minimum 32" saw chain.

As an added note you could spend an hour setting up a 2"x12" leap board so you have a safe way to maneuver away from an angled drop, though I can't really tell from here if it would do that, actually the pic seems to show a pretty mild fall straight into the bank. At that point you should be able to cut it into 6' to 8' lengths to haul away with a tow strap to get them out of the road

I am only saying that this appears to be the safest way to do this. But do not rely solely on my advice. The safest way is to hire a tree faller or a a professional Arborist
 
Hard to tell how big that tree is and how it's hung up, but i'd do the walking the butt like in the youtube above.
 
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The worst part about it is that it appears to be growing out of a ditch. The first thing I'd do is to pull what appears to be a log on this side of it away from the tree and out of the way.

I cut one that was leaning like that but it was on a bank. I'd notch it on the bottom and do a plunge cut above the notch making sure to leave enough wood to make a good hinge. Don't cut the plunge cut all the way through the top and leave enough up there for a trigger. Saw through the trigger and if should safely fall.

Try to find somebody on YouTube making a plunge cut to give you a better idea of how to do it.

If you're unsure about doing it then hire somebody to do it for you. It's better to spend a few bucks and be safe.
 
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The worst part about it is that it appears to be growing out of a ditch. The first thing I'd do is to pull what appears to be a log on this side of it away from the tree and out of the way.

I cut one that was leaning like that but it was on a bank. I'd notch it on the bottom and do a plunge cut above the notch making sure to leave enough wood to make a good hinge. Don't cut the plunge cut all the way through the top and leave enough up there for a trigger. Saw through the trigger and if should safely fall.

Try to find somebody on YouTube making a plunge cut to give you a better idea of how to do it.

If you're unsure about doing it then hire somebody to do it for you. It's better to spend a few bucks and be safe.
Notch the compression wood the top. Triggers are fine and work best on the tension wood.

You will never complete the cut without getting pinched. Would you fall tree with the trigger wood on the side of the lay? No.
 
The tree was growing on the edge of a little creek. The creek washed away the roots on one side and the tree went over in a storm. Most of the roots are still buried in the earth.
The tree didn't fall to earth because it hung up on 3 or 4 small trees up on the bank. These little trees are 25 feet tall and 4 inch diameter.
 
Watch Ebs's video above. He shows you exactly how to do it.
If you are comfortable cutting that like the video shows than fine. If not well then get help.

The good news is you have 2 very nice escape paths.
 
Actually looking at it closer, with that gully it might be tough to comfortably reach the trunk to make a good cut.
And if you can reach it easily then i might even notch both sides as the roots are still partially at least intact and it's possible i guess that the root ball could try to sit back down and pull up on the cut when triggered. Or pull up right after the cut making that a sketch situation.
 
This happens to me sometimes when falling pine in the forest. I chunk the hung tree in 4 to 6 foot sections. The tension is on the top. I would cut down from the top about 1/3 or 1/2 ways. Next, do an upcut from the bottom. I think this cut is angled a little - say 15 to 25% from behind. So you chunk, chunk, chunk it, until it gets closer to leaning vertical. Either keep chunking it and push it over as it balances (onto the road). Or use your truck to pull it down onto the road - pull fast and hard (or use a long rope/chain). If you pull slow it might fall on your truck. Or you could position the rope around another tree just to be safe. It should be smaller and lighter now and easier to manhandle. Good firewood in some areas.
 
Qwee points to an important issue.
The way the rootball influence is the situation determines where the tension is.
A heavy rootbakk may put tension on the top.
A small rootball could result in tension at the bottom.
That'll affect how it's going to behave with the first cut.
 
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Ya, I'm assuming the tree started falling and got hung up in other trees = tension on top. But if it just leaned over due to roots giving out = tension is on the bottom (tree is leaning but not hung up). So now the tension is on the bottom, start bottom cut first (into the tension) and finish it with a top cut. Yes it makes a difference whether it is leaning or hung up.
 
Suppose that tree hadn't fallen on its own. I finally found a video on chunking down a leaning tree. He cuts notches on the top (the tension is on the top). Then he releases it on the safest side with a bottom cut - chunk, chunk, chunk. Yes this is better than a straight cut on top because it allows the tree to fall down easier. I do a straight cut only because I'm trying to save the wood (my firewood). But this is better with a heavy dangerous tree like you had with that heavy walnut. At the end, he finally pulls it down with his vehicle.
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nice work! Hopefully you saved some lengths to turn into furniture! Average firewood, but certainly the right price!
 
I got finished sawing up this beast, my arms were covered with fine, powder, black walnut sawdust. My arms felt like they were on fire! That stuff is seriously toxic. I hurried home and scrubbed down in the shower with Dr. Bronner's peppermint shampoo. Didn't help much.

I was sitting in the chair in front of the a/c, it felt like my forearms were on fire. Red dots appeared all over my arms and it itched. I was informed that Dawn liquid dish soap would deactivate the toxins. I scrubbed down at the kitchen sink with Dawn and hot water. In five minutes the problem cleared up.
 
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If you had a bad reaction, and it sounds like you did, you may want to let your doctor know. They may not do anything but that info might help them figure out some sort of emergency in the future.