Sloping Back Cuts - Why Not?

[Philbert]

A nice photo from another site:



Philbert

 

[Duce]

A nice photo from another site:

View attachment 53351

Philbert

Do you notice all safety equipment these posts use? Flip Flops, shorts, eye protection, chaps, ear protection, wedges, just to name a few. WTH?

 

[Marshy]

Safety Crocs!

 

[RI Chevy]

Safety vest and protective weekend warrior hat.

 

[Philbert]

(Thumb position on top bar)

Philbert

 

[junkman]

The floppy hat with the sunroof is pretty safe ,from what i am not sure yet though .Wonder if the bear is around that clawed up the tree .

 

[Dolmar Junkie]

Not exactly a good explanation.
He is right in saying it's wrong but he abviously doesn't know the actions and reactions. IT DOES NOT make a weak hinge. Intact fibers are just that. and it won't change the strength of the fibers. It doesn't make any difference on a forward Leaning tree therefore it doesn't weaken the hinge. Now if it was an architectural design then it would be the weaker of the two as you are eliminating the base surface and replacing it with a leverage point, If the tree were to set back. The length of the tree is now acting like a huge pry bar over the pivot putting a lot of stress on the holding wood.

As far a splitting due to opening up the end grain? No! It wouldn't split with the holding wood intact. If the holding wood fails then the stress is releaved.

Someone needs to go to cutting skool

Who said give me a big enough lever and I will move the world?? Archimedes? But that's what an angled back cut is a giant lever,when you need it least....

 

[Dolmar Junkie]

That was painful to watch.

It was like a train wreck,just couldn't look away! So many things wrong with this. But let's give him a break,he just left the tanning bed, and was late for class at brain surgery school...

 

[Dolmar Junkie]

Do you notice all safety equipment these posts use? Flip Flops, shorts, eye protection, chaps, ear protection, wedges, just to name a few. WTH?

Seems to be a theme...

 

[Dolmar Junkie]

(Thumb position on top bar)

Philbert

How can you even hold a saw like that?

 

[Dolmar Junkie]

The floppy hat with the sunroof is pretty safe ,from what i am not sure yet though .Wonder if the bear is around that clawed up the tree .

Skin cancer PPE...

 

[Philbert]

Another version of a video posted earlier:

Philbert

 

[Dub11]

Another version of a video posted earlier:

Philbert

Thanks

 

[Trevj1]

Heyzooos!

Did he cut that tree down, or did it get sick of listening to him blather, and jump?

Gotta admit, based on the title, I only watched to the end to see if he got took out by a widowmaker, or something interesting like that.
Pretty disappointed that one is still in the gene pool.

 

[usmcbuckwild]

Lots of good info here.

 

[Nathan lassley]

That made my head hurt and gave me gas.

 

[motoOzarks]

Timber!

 

[Maintenance Chief]

I didn't even know that a sloping back cut was even an option? When was this a thing? ISA and USDA don't teach that?
I like farmers and have worked for a couple but I think it's a little insulting to name this abomination after them.

 

[Philbert]

I have seen people use it, and seen stumps cut like that. ‘That is how they were taught’.

It seems like it might be ‘better’ than a horizontal back cut, and the problems are not ‘obvious’, which is why I wanted to understand it better.

Philbert

 

[Woodpecker]

Not sure how I missed this thread originally. As an arborist I'm presented with precision felling scenarios on a regular basis. If a fall goes bad it will result in significant property damage for my clients. In short I get paid to get it right every time.

Many good points to avoid a sloped back cut were made, but I'd like to add the sloping back cut is most dangerous on forward leaning trees. It gives the false sense that it will mitigate barber chair when in fact the opposite is true. We all know that a barber chair is caused when the top of a falling tree moves faster than the saw can sever fibers in the back cut. In addition to the extra distance that needs to be covered, the sloped back cut is closer to a rip cut than a cross cut making it one of the slowest felling cuts you can make. Thus, there is an increased risk of barber chair with the sloped back cut. This fact coupled with the complacency instilled with the false sense of safety make the sloped back cut a bad idea.