Falling a big leaner

Ianab · December 10, 2006, 03:43:11 AM

Friend still has a heap of big Mac cypress that she wants rid of, and has a digger at the farm doing track work so it was an opprtunity to get another one on the ground and hauled out to where we can mill it.

Lil did the pictures of course

Pick a tree

A bit of time spent clearing the scrub and fallen limbs around the base. Clearing escape route etc.

Got the scarf cut, nothing flash, the tree is leaning pretty heavy the way I'm falling it, so the scarf is just enough to form a hinge.

Lil couldn't get any good shots of the felling cuts because of the scrub and other trees, she was safely way back up on the hill. ;)

On the ground ;D

A good log, 15m (45ft) of pretty clear timber

The stump, not the most tidy, but one scarf side was about 5ft off the ground and the back side was about 6". Makes it hard to keep things lined up when bore cutting from each side :-\

Measuring the stump, 1300mm = about 52". There a few boards to be had in this one ;D

If you are on broadband have a look at the actuall fall 8)

Youtube Video

Next mission is to complete the limbing and buck it, then get the digger to haul the logs out of the gully.

So more to come.

Cheers

Ian

Burlkraft · December 10, 2006, 06:37:48 AM

Nice Job Ianab.......

Another one of those trees that looks like the ones I cut...until ya get the tape measure out and it's twice the size... ;D ;D

TexasTimbers · December 10, 2006, 11:00:25 AM

Thanks for the lesson Ianab. I have soime questions i think I have been cutting my leaners wrong. I have been cutting Box Elder and practically every on eo f the big ones are leaners. I won't waste time (read: I don't want to embarass myself) explaing how I have been doing it, but I would like more details on how you cut a leaner like that.

First you cut the "pie" as we call it down here I guess the "scarf' is the proper temrinology. Then you insert a plunge cut on the opposite side of the scarf, leaving a few inches of holding wood on the backside, and pushing the blade to exit out of the scarf?
How does the blade keep from getting pinched as it approaches the scarf? Do you hammer wedges into the side of the cut as you go along before the weight of the tree can pinch the blade?
I guess you have to be careful not to leave too little wood on the backside or esle the tree could twist depending on how the weight is distributed on the branches and spin around and attack you.
then the final cut on theholding wood on the backside? With all that tension on this "holding wood" as I'm calling it, i bet just a touch from the blade will snap it right away?
I know there are things online and probably I'm sure right here on the forum for making proper cuts I need to read up on them before I cut down any more bigguns that have those "hidden dangers" that kill people.
thanks for posting this.

leweee · December 10, 2006, 11:11:56 AM

Excellent execution Ian. 8) Good to see you in shirt sleeves,enjoying the summer breeze & exercising the Dolmar. ;D It's just freezing outside here. :

leweee · December 10, 2006, 11:24:28 AM

kevjay check out this thread. ;D

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=9418.0

Ianab · December 10, 2006, 01:53:40 PM

QuoteFirst you cut the "pie" as we call it down here I guess the "scarf' is the proper temrinology. Then you insert a plunge cut on the opposite side of the scarf, leaving a few inches of holding wood on the backside, and pushing the blade to exit out of the scarf?
How does the blade keep from getting pinched as it approaches the scarf?

Sorta... on the main backcut the bar doesn't exit the wood at all. You still leave normal hinge wood behind the scarf. So at that point the tree is still supported by the hinge (about 4" in this size tree) and the back is held down by the strap at the back (about 6" wide)

Quotethen the final cut on theholding wood on the backside? With all that tension on this "holding wood" as I'm calling it, i bet just a touch from the blade will snap it right away?

Yup... the holding strap at the back is under a LOT of tension. But it's a simple cut to release it, then get the heck out of the way :D Once you cut that, the tree starts moving right away.

The advantage of this method is that you pretty much remove the chance of a barberchair , which is the main worry in leaning trees. It gives you the chance to set up your hinge wood properly, before the tree thinks about falling. Then do one small cut from about the safest possible place and over she goes.

I have put some notes on the stump picture, hopefully that explains better.

These are Leewee's pictures from the post he refered to, they explain the theory better.

Cheers

Ian

BigTrev · December 10, 2006, 07:06:19 PM

I'll admit, you had me 'stumped' till I saw those pictures :D

Dan_Shade · December 10, 2006, 07:50:51 PM

those pictures make it look easy!

Furby · December 10, 2006, 08:33:28 PM

It's not!

Gave it a try for the first time on the big ugly down in OK. ;D
I wasn't cutting a leaner, but I've been wanting to try the bore cut.
I was able to get the bar to just poke through the other side of the tree, just ahead of the holding strap so I would have a guide.
Reinserted the bar on the other side at that little cut, but still managed to miscut. :-[
Also didn't have any wedges with me and as there was no lean to the tree, it sat down on the bar when I cut the holding strap. :

I'm looking forward to trying that cut again, when the option presents itself.

Part_Timer · December 10, 2006, 10:26:09 PM

That ought to make a wack of boards.

You making furniture for the baby's room?

TexasTimbers · December 10, 2006, 10:45:11 PM

Thanks Ianab, that is a great illustration. I will just go ahead and fess up on how I've been cutting them. They aren't as big as yours but they are fairly severe leaners most of them, so they don't just kind of "stand there" a few seconds for you, and I've had a few times where it wasn't a close call necessarily, but I just never feel right about the way I've been doing it.
All I have been doing is making the scarf cut in the front and then making the back cut from the back straight through, just below the level of the center of the scarf cut. It usually causes too much tear out in the center of the tree because the thing takes off before I can get the blade plumb through. At least, I don't hang around long enough to put it all the way through.
I'm gonna use your method next time. Thanks for the lesson.

Tom · December 10, 2006, 10:47:38 PM

Don't cut the hinge wood all the way through. If you have no hinge for control as it falls, you are leaving fate to the wind, so to speak.

Ianab · December 11, 2006, 12:05:42 AM

Quote from: Part_Timer on December 10, 2006, 10:26:09 PM
That ought to make a wack of boards.

You making furniture for the baby's room?

Baby furniture is pretty much completed, but that should replenish the wood stash again ;D
I got the tree bucked into 3 logs today and did some rough measurements and put them thru the forum calculator... 2500 Bd ft

The log was still 31" at 42 ft up where the first big crotch was. I can cut all the lower grade stuff out as garden sleepers for the owner and she will pay for the digger to move the logs, but hopefully I get about 2000 bdft of good timber.

I think I wil have payed for it in sweat though, summer seems to have started here 8)

Cheers

Ian

Jeff · December 11, 2006, 12:07:19 AM

Quote from: Ianab on December 11, 2006, 12:05:42 AM
summer seems to have started here 8)

Ya, here too...

blaze83 · December 11, 2006, 01:19:25 AM

ian,

nice job on the fall, I've not tried that bore technique but a couple of times, you carried it out to perfection.....look forward to seeing more pictures of the lumber as you get it milled

steve

Ianab · December 11, 2006, 05:43:56 AM

Steve

It's not as perfect as it looks, the plunge cuts didn't exactly meet up, but they were close enough that the trees weight just rips them into shape ;) Even if the opposing plunge cuts miss by an inch.. it doesn't actually matter. The foward lean just rips it apart, and you are well out of the danger zone taking large steps in the opposite direction as this happens

Just for Jeff....

View from Sharons driveway, Cresco turboprop plane is dropping fert on the neighbours place. But the green and blue are the general idea ;D

Ian

RSteiner · December 11, 2006, 06:59:58 AM

Nice job and good pictures. 8)

At first the tree looked like it was much smaller in diameter than it actually was. Over 4 feet in diameter is a large tree. I have an ash tree next to the barn that is close to that size which really puts things in to perspective.

The stump looks very good considering the size of the tree and the slope you had to work on. Limbing out a tree that size is going to take a few minutes.

Randy

rebocardo · December 12, 2006, 03:00:52 PM

Great picture, from the video it sounded pretty windy.

Ianab · December 12, 2006, 09:13:38 PM

Just got back from the farm after fishing the logs out of the scrub.
The but log was about all the 12 ton digger could manage

Going in for the number 3 log.

Number 2 was a bit of a struggle as the two logs where straddling the stream and we had to break the last bit of holding wood with the digger.

The butt log was bucked a little shorter to keep it's weight down... a good thing as it turned out.

The two best logs 8)

Now... get the mill out there and cut them up

Ian

leweee · December 12, 2006, 09:44:50 PM

Great pics Ian. 8) You get a better idea of the size of the tree in that last pic.

Love that scenery. 8)

blaze83 · December 12, 2006, 10:45:51 PM

great pics Ian,

keep em coming 8)

steve

Ianab · December 16, 2006, 02:03:19 AM

Well, some progress has been made :

Between the annoying breakdowns...
We went to go sawing on Friday and I test started the saw before we left, of course the cord wouldn't retract. 1.2 hour trip into town and luckily the local dealer had one in stock, half an hour home and I was abvle to get the thing going. That was OK, we went and milled for an hour or so and chewed up the drive belt :

Loaded up what we had and called it a day, got a new drive belt this morning and hit it again in the afternoon. Finsihed the smallest log (3rd one up) and moved the mill down the hill to the Big Kahuna. Got set up opened the log and then noticed the top cover on the saw jumping around. Nothing serious, just a looses screw, but it's way the heck down under the carby and I didnt have an allen key that will reach :

Anyway it was getting late so we called it a day and hauled some more wood and firewood slabs home.

The number 3 log was a bit rough, so we cut mostly 6x4 landscapeing timbers from that, and some 1 and 2 X from the better sections.

Ian

sawguy21 · December 16, 2006, 09:54:24 AM

8) Great pictures Ian.

leweee · December 16, 2006, 12:08:01 PM

Nice Whack O Lumber. 8)

Raphael · December 16, 2006, 12:54:22 PM

Quite the nice Whack O' Lumber: Blessed are the swingblades...

That's some tree Ian more than twice the diameter of the one that's currently giving me fits. I wish I could get a few FF folks to talk some sense into my father he wants to just slice straight in on the back side and let gravity take it from there. :

I'm half tempted to let him do in the hopes that his saw doesn't survive but he does. He's managed to turn several trunks I set aside for timber into firewood and kill a bunch of healthy up and comers "because they're just brush".