What do you think of my lumberjack skills

[schlot]

I took down an Ash today at the scrounge I posted about earlier. It was in amongst a grove of honeysuckle which is overgrown and getting removed so the wind break can be replanted. I left the tree stump purposely high, the way the contractor wanted it.

I thought I'd post some pictures of how I did it and let you guys with a whole lot more experience grade my work.

I spent about a half hour cutting the honeysuckle away from the tree, my exit path and where I predicted the tree would fall.



Here is some pics of the face cut. Give me your thoughts please.


Side view


Front view


Finished face cut


Face cut from the side


Back cut


The end result

Luckily the tree dropped almost exactly where I wanted.

How did I do...anything I should have done differently?

 

[Trooper]

Schlot, I am no expert but those face cuts look good and hey the tree fell where you wanted it to. For me that would be a success!

 

[SKIN052]

Nice conventional face cut. Have you tried other types of face cuts?

 

[Jon1270]

I've done more reading about felling than actual felling, so I am no expert. But, one of the things I've read, in more than one place, is that the notch ought to be a substantially larger angle (wider/taller, not deeper into the tree) so that the hinge stays intact for more of the fall. The hinge has to break as soon as the notch closes, at which point the hinge can no longer control the direction of the fall. Having the hinge break that way can also pull fiber out of the trunk, but that's only a problem if you're planning to make the tree into lumber.

 

[TimJ]

Tell me what you did after you drove your wedges in ?

 

[schlot]

Nice conventional face cut. Have you tried other types of face cuts?

No I haven't as I'm trying to get this style down first.

 

[schlot]

Tell me what you did after you drove your wedges in ?

After the wedges were initially set I cut the rest of the back cut to where you see the hinge. Leaving about 2" for the hinge, and then drove the wedges in until the old girl fell.

 

[schlot]

...and when I say old girl I mean the ash tree not Aunt Mildred.

 

[Woody Stover]

Can't really assess the hinge from the angle of that pic...

After the wedges were initially set I cut the rest of the back cut to where you see the hinge. Leaving about 2" for the hinge, and then drove the wedges in until the old girl fell.

Was it leaning the wrong way? Normally, I don't need wedges if the tree is leaning in the general direction I want it to go...

 

[Ashful]

Looks like you're on your way!

My primary trouble, when I started felling trees, was that I'd always leave too much hinge. I guess I was afraid it would break if I went too thin. I'd get the trees to fall where I want, but I'd always have to hammer a bunch on the wedge(s) to get the tree moving.

Point is, 2" of hinge seems like a lot for any tree much under 40" diameter. How big was this tree?

 

[schlot]

Can't really assess the hinge from the angle of that pic...
Was it leaning the wrong way? Normally, I don't need wedges if the tree is leaning in the general direction I want it to go...

It wasn't leaning the wrong way but there was a good wind when I did it, so I thought better safe than sorry. I only drove the wedges after I didn't see the tree move after I finished my back cut.

 

[schlot]

Looks like you're on your way!

My primary trouble, when I started felling trees, was that I'd always leave too much hinge. I guess I was afraid it would break if I went too thin. I'd get the trees to fall where I want, but I'd always have to hammer a bunch on the wedge(s) to get the tree moving.

Point is, 2" of hinge seems like a lot for any tree much under 40" diameter. How big was this tree?

It wasn't a huge tree, maybe 18" diameter at my cut.

I know on a couple other trees, that I pushed the my back cut really close to the hinge so maybe I was being too conservative?

 

[Ashful]

Well, you got it to fall where you wanted, so all's good. Looking at your last photo, I'd say the hinge actually looks pretty good. My initial comment was based on your description of a 2" hinge, which would be a lot on an 18" tree, but your last photo shows you actually had a pretty good hinge width ratio.

Your photo prior to the last shows the wedges going in mighty early, but there's no harm in that, if you can still get the saw bar in the slot in front of them. I usually wait until the bar is pinching in the cut, before I pull a wedge out of my back pocket and hammer it in.

Good job!

 

[TimJ]

Well, you got it to fall where you wanted, so all's good. Looking at your last photo, I'd say the hinge actually looks pretty good. My initial comment was based on your description of a 2" hinge, which would be a lot on an 18" tree, but your last photo shows you actually had a pretty good hinge width ratio.

Your photo prior to the last shows the wedges going in mighty early, but there's no harm in that, if you can still get the saw bar in the slot in front of them. I usually wait until the bar is pinching in the cut, before I pull a wedge out of my back pocket and hammer it in.

Good job!

Yes, all of that and it looks like the tree rocked back on you

 

[schlot]

I didn't see any rocking back...and I was watching carefully. The wedges went in very easy. I wonder if I had cut deeper on my back cut if I would have needed them at all.

Here is a different shot of the finished cut.

 

[Defiant]

Looks great to me, I usually give it a deeper face cut. Funny how the wind plays in, had a tree near some power lines in the front yard that on any given day would have to of been roped. I waited because the winds were going against me, well one afternoon the winds were screaming out of the west (favorable direction) and I dropped her right where she needed to be, with the help of the wind

 

[Woody Stover]

I wonder if I had cut deeper on my back cut if I would have needed them at all.
Here is a different shot of the finished cut.

Yeah, if the tree is leaning the way you want it to go, it'll go without any wedge help. That hinge looks fine to me.
But I NEVER cut in the wind. It can be very unpredictable when you start factoring in gusts, changes in wind direction, unknown forces applied to the trunk, etc...not to mention widow-makers on dead trees. There's no rush; I always have time to wait for favorable conditions. Falling already has plenty of variables and potential hazards. No reason for me to be adding any more!

 

[Defiant]

But I NEVER cut in the wind.

I agree with you to a point, I used to sail and the gusts were steady and the cherry tree had a nice straight trunk

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You did okay schlot. The notch could have been just a bit deeper but for that small of a tree it is no problem. Generally look at 1/3 the diameter of the tree for the notch. It is interesting looking at the stump from the side view because the cut looks a bit out of level. How did you accomplish this?

 

[bogydave]

Got yourself a new career started.
Looks good.

I see some fresh snow there. Spring coming to you slow this year too?

I'm guessing by now it all CSS & be ready to burn in a year or two

 

[schlot]

Got yourself a new career started.
Looks good.

I see some fresh snow there. Spring coming to you slow this year too?

I'm guessing by now it all CSS & be ready to burn in a year or two

Sorry, didn't see your question until now.

Yes, spring is definitely late. We had 5" of snow a few days ago. It's gone now, but the farmers are getting antsy!