Tree Felling Technique Thread

[treesmith]

Otherwise mostly this sort of felling, Get all brush down and chipped first, then wood,

 

[Shanesaw80]

We rarely use or teach the conventional undercut, only in a case where a lower stump height is needed. We use Humbolt for most all of our logging and the Pie/V-notch for anything that’s deemed dangerous (frozen, rotten, burnt, most all deciduous trees, etc) as it’s the safest and gives you the largest amount of control of the tree.

 

[Marshy]

Can any pros or instructors in here lay out the 4 or 5 steps that should be accomplished when assessing a tree to cut down? Something like 1) asses the lean 2)determine desired felling direction 3) clear your escape route 4) determine safe cutting technique

Yada yada yada something along those lines

I make no claim to be a pro or instructor level sawer. Here is a general run down I use when approaching to cut a tree.

Check the top for hazzards, snags, window makers and branches hung in adjacent trees.

Check the lean. Look from stump to crown and look for the head lean and side lean. Between the crown and the stump the side lean may be one direction but the head (top) may be another. To do this I pick a spot ~15' away from the base and scan up and down. Move 90 degrees around the tree and repeat. I'll also look straight up the trunk. The overall lean is the controlling factor for where to consider steering the tree when falling.

Clean out the area around the stump and choose an escape route.

Assess the stump for sound wood before sawing. If theres an area of visable decay consider the effects on the holding wood and where you plan to lay the tree. If it's a large old tree that you suspect is hollow, do a vertical bore cut and check for soundness. Consider making a high stump to get good fiber if possible.

Choose your type of cut and execute.

One thing I will add about the escape path is. Dont just pick a single path and call it good. Have more than one available. If the tree goes in an unintended direction you need to be prepared to move opposite. I got greedy with a cut, tree went opposite direction, only took a few steps back and piece of a limb rang my bell. Thank God for a hard hat, walked away unscathed.

 

[XP_Slinger]

I make no claim to be a pro or instructor level sawer. Here is a general run down I use when approaching to cut a tree.

Check the top for hazzards, snags, window makers and branches hung in adjacent trees.

Check the lean. Look from stump to crown and look for the head lean and side lean. Between the crown and the stump the side lean may be one direction but the head (top) may be another. To do this I pick a spot ~15' away from the base and scan up and down. Move 90 degrees around the tree and repeat. I'll also look straight up the trunk. The overall lean is the controlling factor for where to consider steering the tree when falling.

Clean out the area around the stump and choose an escape route.

Assess the stump for sound wood before sawing. If theres an area of visable decay consider the effects on the holding wood and where you plan to lay the tree. If it's a large old tree that you suspect is hollow, do a vertical bore cut and check for soundness. Consider making a high stump to get good fiber if possible.

Choose your type of cut and execute.

One thing I will add about the escape path is. Dont just pick a single path and call it good. Have more than one available. If the tree goes in an unintended direction you need to be prepared to move opposite. I got greedy with a cut, tree went opposite direction, only took a few steps back and piece of a limb rang my bell. Thank God for a hard hat, walked away unscathed.

Good routine Wade. Especially the alternate escape route point. I don’t do that enough.

 

[XP_Slinger]

Skills? Your joking rite.

As in keeping it all lined up, I couldn’t do it. That’s all I was talking about.

 

[Marshy]

Good routine Wade. Especially the alternate escape route point. I don’t do that enough.

Yeah, well I'm guilty of it also.
Honestly, I'm starting to think a better method is to pick a landmark in any direction that is at a safe distance and 45 degrees from your intended lay and go to that spot after cutting. That way your insured you get away far enough. Behind another tree is always helpful too.

 

[Drptrch]

Post fire Hazard reduction and rehab on the Shasta NF in Sept ‘18 following the Interstate 5 fires

Humbolt launched it 20’ downhill (small controlled working crew all above it)

I’d say for fire crews working during a fire, for a majority of the trees, having them stay close to the stump or still attached and on ground is what they’re looking for.
A lot going on


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[Coltont]

As in keeping it all lined up, I couldn’t do it. That’s all I was talking about.

Haha no no no. Saying that he was skilled.

 

[XP_Slinger]

Haha no no no. Saying that he was skilled.

Ha! Copy bud, didn’t catch the sarcasm. All good

 

[XP_Slinger]

Post fire Hazard reduction and rehab on the Shasta NF in Sept ‘18 following the Interstate 5 fires

Humbolt launched it 20’ downhill (small controlled working crew all above it)

I’d say for fire crews working during a fire, for a majority of the trees, having them stay close to the stump or still attached and on ground is what they’re looking for.
A lot going on


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes sir, fire fighting is a whole different world I know nothing about. Cool pic illustrating the energy a humbolt can generate to kick the tree away with some down hill assistance.

 

[Shanesaw80]

Post fire Hazard reduction and rehab on the Shasta NF in Sept ‘18 following the Interstate 5 fires

Humbolt launched it 20’ downhill (small controlled working crew all above it)

I’d say for fire crews working during a fire, for a majority of the trees, having them stay close to the stump or still attached and on ground is what they’re looking for.
A lot going on


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice work! That’s one of my favourite jobs is felling on a fire, as terrible as it is to see the forest burn if that makes sense. And unfourtunately BC has burned a ton over the past couple of years, massive fires. Just something about falling a big tree with flames shooting out the backcut that gets the heart pumping.

 

[woodfarmer]

That’s a first I’ve seen someone boring out the heart of a tree while cutting the notch. I usually knock the notch out and then bore the heart to I can see what I’m doing.

 

[ManiacalMark]

I've probably done more bore cutting while bucking then I ever did while putting them on the ground.

 

[jacob j.]

@Drptrch My technician just finished S212 through the USFS in east TN. They told him in no way should they use a Humboldt cut. Is this a regional thing or USFS thing?

I am also just a hack and have picked up some valuable techniques from loggers and USFS. The biggest difference I have found between the two is loggers don’t want to screw up the butt log and the USFS guys want to make the safest cut possible.

I bore cut some, but usually don’t worry about fiber pull so I use a conventional method.

@jacob j. What say you ??

I PM’d @2dogs as he is a Contract Hazard faller, for CalFire and might have onsite.

There's some great discussion here. The disparity between types of face cuts is both a regional thing, and what has been agreed upon through various companies, & State and Federal land management agencies. The language in the S-212 Student Guide is (verbatim): "
There are a variety of undercut and back cut methods. Each method is
specific to a particular cutting situation or felling technique, and all
methods are not approved by all agencies. You should have an
awareness of these methods and their appropriate applications."

The official language in the instructor guide for S-212 though is that:
"The student should consider the felling situation and perform a risk/hazard
analysis prior to determining the felling plan or sequence. The student should
then utilize those techniques/practices through which the student is most
familiar and feels most confident/capable with."

I taught the class for 18 years and I was never concerned with which face cut a student wanted to use. My concern was that they were comfortable with the sequence and that they were confident in getting the tree down safely. The land management agencies don't give a squat about marketability of the wood because in most instances, they won't be selling the wood. When I cut in private industry, we were given wide latitude in how we wanted to get a tree down. Safety was the highest priority but profit was also a priority.

Ultimately it comes down to what works for you. There is a push though in some segments of private industry to adopt the "Swiss Falling Method", which is a conventional cut with a steep angled face cut and a series of bore cuts to the back of the tree. A good buddy of mine spent 18 months cutting on the Southern California Edison ROW project and they strictly enforced the Swiss falling method.

 

[BonScott46]

There's some great discussion here. The disparity between types of face cuts is both a regional thing, and what has been agreed upon through various companies, & State and Federal land management agencies. The language in the S-212 Student Guide is (verbatim): "
There are a variety of undercut and back cut methods. Each method is
specific to a particular cutting situation or felling technique, and all
methods are not approved by all agencies. You should have an
awareness of these methods and their appropriate applications."

The official language in the instructor guide for S-212 though is that:
"The student should consider the felling situation and perform a risk/hazard
analysis prior to determining the felling plan or sequence. The student should
then utilize those techniques/practices through which the student is most
familiar and feels most confident/capable with."

I taught the class for 18 years and I was never concerned with which face cut a student wanted to use. My concern was that they were comfortable with the sequence and that they were confident in getting the tree down safely. The land management agencies don't give a squat about marketability of the wood because in most instances, they won't be selling the wood. When I cut in private industry, we were given wide latitude in how we wanted to get a tree down. Safety was the highest priority but profit was also a priority.

Ultimately it comes down to what works for you. There is a push though in some segments of private industry to adopt the "Swiss Falling Method", which is a conventional cut with a steep angled face cut and a series of bore cuts to the back of the tree. A good buddy of mine spent 18 months cutting on the Southern California Edison ROW project and they strictly enforced the Swiss falling method.

Don't let the Swedes hear you calling it the Swiss Method.

 

[Dustin4185]

There's some great discussion here. The disparity between types of face cuts is both a regional thing, and what has been agreed upon through various companies, & State and Federal land management agencies. The language in the S-212 Student Guide is (verbatim): "
There are a variety of undercut and back cut methods. Each method is
specific to a particular cutting situation or felling technique, and all
methods are not approved by all agencies. You should have an
awareness of these methods and their appropriate applications."

The official language in the instructor guide for S-212 though is that:
"The student should consider the felling situation and perform a risk/hazard
analysis prior to determining the felling plan or sequence. The student should
then utilize those techniques/practices through which the student is most
familiar and feels most confident/capable with."

I taught the class for 18 years and I was never concerned with which face cut a student wanted to use. My concern was that they were comfortable with the sequence and that they were confident in getting the tree down safely. The land management agencies don't give a squat about marketability of the wood because in most instances, they won't be selling the wood. When I cut in private industry, we were given wide latitude in how we wanted to get a tree down. Safety was the highest priority but profit was also a priority.

Ultimately it comes down to what works for you. There is a push though in some segments of private industry to adopt the "Swiss Falling Method", which is a conventional cut with a steep angled face cut and a series of bore cuts to the back of the tree. A good buddy of mine spent 18 months cutting on the Southern California Edison ROW project and they strictly enforced the Swiss falling method.

Thanks for the feedback! Like I have said, other instructors I have asked about this, give me the same answers. If the situation deems X method be used and the sawyer is comfortable with it, go for it. They were teaching to bore cut to set the hinge. The 362 I sent with him does not like to bore cut. They thought it was the chain and swapped chains. It was a new RS chain that hadn't been cut. Making him bore cut was making him uncomfortable since it was bouncing like crazy. He tried RM and RM3 chain with the same results. I tried it yesterday in a poplar, and I couldn't get it to roll in smoothly either. It does have a lightweight bar, so I don't know if that matters or not.

 

[Dustin4185]

Don't let the Swedes hear you calling it the Swiss Method.

Then what is the "Proper" term?

 

[BonScott46]

Then what is the "Proper" term?

Guess I should have added a winky smiley. It is called the 'safety corner' method. Steep face, narrow hinge and always bore in leaving a post of holding wood in the back so that the tree can't take off before the cutter is ready or sit back before they have got a wedge in.

 

[jacob j.]

Swiss method is the slang term for it here - but several large companies are enforcing it now.

My buddy told me that if he were caught using a Humboldt face cut on that job - he would be fired immediately.

 

[Drptrch]

There's some great discussion here. The disparity between types of face cuts is both a regional thing, and what has been agreed upon through various companies, & State and Federal land management agencies. The language in the S-212 Student Guide is (verbatim): "
There are a variety of undercut and back cut methods. Each method is
specific to a particular cutting situation or felling technique, and all
methods are not approved by all agencies. You should have an
awareness of these methods and their appropriate applications."

The official language in the instructor guide for S-212 though is that:
"The student should consider the felling situation and perform a risk/hazard
analysis prior to determining the felling plan or sequence. The student should
then utilize those techniques/practices through which the student is most
familiar and feels most confident/capable with."

I taught the class for 18 years and I was never concerned with which face cut a student wanted to use. My concern was that they were comfortable with the sequence and that they were confident in getting the tree down safely. The land management agencies don't give a squat about marketability of the wood because in most instances, they won't be selling the wood. When I cut in private industry, we were given wide latitude in how we wanted to get a tree down. Safety was the highest priority but profit was also a priority.

Ultimately it comes down to what works for you. There is a push though in some segments of private industry to adopt the "Swiss Falling Method", which is a conventional cut with a steep angled face cut and a series of bore cuts to the back of the tree. A good buddy of mine spent 18 months cutting on the Southern California Edison ROW project and they strictly enforced the Swiss falling method.

Thx JJ. Figured you’d be able to provide and explain some input from both professions and uses


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