Boring cut questions

[John Mc]

Beenthere -

In reply #58, it sounds as though you are talking about using a wedge to fell a tree. I believe in this instance, joejkd is talking about splitting wood with wedges.

[Kevin]

it's a faster more forgiving cut than the 1/4 cut. Does it work for bigger stuff?

I usually just bore heavy head leaners.
That's where you want to cut below the bore because there is so much weight pulling on the back strap that the strap can break prematurely below the bar trapping the saw and taking it out of your hands if you are quick enough to let go of it.
What are you calling "the 1/4 cut"?
An 18" tree isn't what I would refer to as large but it might be large for the area you are cutting in and when I'm trying to describe what I would do we might not be talking about the same scenario.
When boring a smaller tree you run out of wiggle room pretty fast.

[Ianab]

How would you all have done it differently?

Wouldn't have bore cut it at all, unless I was just looking to get in some practice.

I would have done that with conventional scarf and back cut, with a plastic wedge inserted as soon as I had the depth, in case it settled back and pinched the bar.

Like Kevin says, I save bore cutting for trees with heavy front lean. Then the technique lets you get the hinge wood set up correctly, before the tree is anywhere close to falling. Work forward to the hinge line, then back to leave the holding strap. Then check your escape route, and snip through the holding wood, and take some large steps the heck out of the way   

But this is the sort of tree we are often felling


Looking at the stump from the other side, with some notes added. You can see how the heavy lean tore out the holding wood before it was cut right through, that's why you are making the cut a little below the main one. The back side of the tree lifts away from the saw cleanly.


Side view of the tree with a minimal scarf cut. Because of the heavy lean, it only needs to be deep enough to form a hinge, once it closes up, the tree is well and truly committed to falling. Notch wasn't perfect, But I'm cutting it at head height on that side of the tree, while the cut was 6" off the ground in the uphill side.


Trying to drop that sort of tree with a conventional back cut will probably result in the whole tree "barber chairing", splitting in 1/2 and possibly dropping on your head.

But learning to bore cut is still a very good idea, there are certain times when it can literally save your bacon.

Ian

[thecfarm]

I did not think of the iron wedges that can be bought now. The ones I use to use are not blunt. The wedges are tapered evenly all the way. I know what you mean about the bottom of the wedge being too fast.  Antique stores have the old ones. Or grind down the new one.

[John Mc]

I agree that a bore cut may not be "necessary" on the tree joejkd posted, but there may still be good reasons to do it.

The bore cut technique certainly is useful on front leaners to prevent barber chair, and get your hinge set up properly without having the tree start moving before you are ready.

For more-or-less straight-standing trees, or even some with moderate back lean, a conventional back cut works fine, IF you have a big enough tree to start your cut from the back, then insert a wedge after the bar is buried, but before the tree settles back. Since 90% of what I cut is 12" or less, I've just gotten into the habit of doing what Kevin posted (in reply #52) on most of my trees. No worries about it settling back either due to the lean or a gust of wind, and I can do it on a tree that might settle back before I was deep enough to get a wedge in on a conventional back cut. I'm in such a habit now, that I'd probably end up doing it on a larger tree as well.

I also think it's a useful technique for someone getting started with felling (assuming you learn to bore cut safely). It can take a while to learn to read a tree, or you can be surprised by something unexpected (there seem to be a lot more "surprises" when you are just getting started). If I were unsure, I'd rather do this than have barberchair fling my saw or smack me on it's way down.

[Ianab]

Just doing a few "for practise", even if you don't need to is fair enough as well. Gets you confident with the technique before you NEED to use it, on a tree that isn't going to be forgiving of mistakes. I wouldn't like to be bore cutting that tree I posted as my first attempt 

Ian