Falling a big leaner

[Brad_S.]

Why, he wasn't wearing any personal safety equipment! What kind of message is that sending to our young children? >:(     ;D

[Jeff]

Tom told me, when I showed that to him yesterday, if I posted it, thats the first thing that would be said. :D

[Mooseherder]

He was wearing Pajamas, then shirtless, then jean shirt, then Pajamas again, then shirtless again and Jean shirt once more. :D

My favorite line: 
I'm a lumberjacker baby, since my chain saw you. 8)

[LIL]

COME ON GUYS!!!!!!!!

He doesnt need anymore encouragement! - Just ask him about the saxophone that baby got for christmas.   :D :D :D

(and as I sit here with the speakers up and the lumberjack song on in the background - guess whose kicking up a storm - will like Tom said - maybe its dancing in there!)  ;D

LIL

[Ianab]

One last wood gloat  ;D



Thats all the good stuff, mostly cut as 1x and 2x, a couple of live edge table slabs and assorted odd sizes. A lot of it is nice clear timber. Anyway, a couple of months stacked there and then I'll move it into the shed to finish drying.

Cheers

Ian

[rebocardo]

Assuming it is firewood. On that birch tree (?) I would tie a cable way up high in the tree and see if I could pull it down with my 4x4 first since it looks rotted at the base. If that did not work, I would relieve the tension, make an large degree but shallow (1/4 way) open face notch waist height, start a backcut about one inch heigher then the notch, cut it about 1/4 way through, exit, and wait for it to fall. Might take a minute or two.

Personally, I wrap all rotted leaners with chains to prevent barberchairing. I don't try plunge cutting in rotted leaners since you never know how much hinge wood you will actually have.

I usually just make the above face cut, back cut, and if it does not fall by gravity after a minute or two I pull it down with the truck/van.

I usually pull with a block so I am not walking parallel with the tree, I am walking away from it to my truck at an angle. If you rock a leaning rotted tree with a face cut and back cut, the fiber usually breaks and the tree comes down with you 80 feet away from the trunk in the opposite direction.

My advice would be watch out for spring boards since I would not go clear any saplings in its way since it could fall at any moment.

[Norm]

That's a nice whack of wood but don't you get the same question from folks that visit...."what ya gonna do with all that wood!"

My theory is you can never have too much wood stashed.  ;D

[Kevin]

Raphael;
With the stump rot the holding wood might pull out on a bore cut depending on how bad it is.
If it looks good a bore will work.
If there's any doubt I would cut a taper from the outside towards the hinge wood and go in fast at high rpm from the back for felling the tree.
If you hesitate in the back cut it could split out.
If you are really concerned then a rope placed high in the tree and tensioned from the back will hold the weight and act as a guy while you cut it.

[Raphael]

Kevin - et.al.
   Thanks for the input, that's pretty much the approach I've been figuring on.  It could be firewood or it may useful timber(s).  It looks to be solid above 7 or 8 feet but no way of telling until it's on the ground.  If its good I'll mill it a full 16'+ and see what the tension does, I'm hoping for one flat plane so I can make it into my last 14' joist but if it's too willful may become a pair of arched 8' tie beams for my front entry.
  Spring boards shouldn't be a problem as it's leaning towards open ground (over a well travelled path)... One brush pile directly below the trunk and a couple of stunted Black Walnuts out where the crown will land.

[Kevin]

You may discover some bad stress in any lumber taken from a tree like that but no way to know without opening it up.
Good luck.

[Raphael]

  My birch tree dropped right on the ideal line (between the rock and brush piles), of course I didn't have my camera.  :
Only casualties were two Black Walnut limbs, one from the left row and one from the right.

  I put a nice open face notch barely ~2½" deep and could have made the back cut with a pen knife.  I heard the first pop just as I went to make the sap cuts so I shifted slightly, put an inch deep slice on the back side, killed the saw and backed away.  I'd chained the trunk but I don't think there was enough real wood left to barber chair, no joist in this tree, I cut off a half dozen fireplace lengths before the pith became solid and it's still got a channel of rot climbing one side an inch below the bark.  On the axel I've got a straight 10' log that's 80% lumber 20% punk at the butt and solid at the top.  I also saved 3 shorter pieces with crotches to play with on my WWM (when I have some free time).

[leweee]

Glad to hear everything went well on the take down. They do get the blood pump pounding don't they. 8)

[rebocardo]

Hey, that is great. 10 feet is better then no feet :-)

Looks like miltary tires on the arch?

[Raphael]

Looks like miltary tires on the arch?

They could very well be, the assembly's vehicle of origin is unknown.
But there is a faded pin stripe on the wheel so I'm guessing a civillian ¾ or 1 ton truck from the late 40's early 50's.

[Forrest277]

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.

3Also didn't have any wedges with me...."


always carry wedges !