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So how many are familiar with the proper method of felling Black Walnut timber ?

Started by RayMO, October 20, 2013, 09:05:28 PM

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RayMO

Here in the midwest it is called "bucket cutting" Not sure about other areas but any other method around these parts is frowned on by my buyers unless you trim the butts off and waste some very high dollar wood.
Father & Son Logging and sawing operation .

treeslayer2003


beenthere

I'd be interested in how the cut gets a name "bucket cutting", as it must relate to a "bucket" in some way.  ::)

Proper method per who?

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

HiTech

I would put the notch in upside down to start. Then make a back cut...careful not to cut the hinge off. If it doesn't pinch the bar and falls down I know I put the notch in the right place. If it pinches the bar and doesn't fall it's back to the drawing board. lol I had a buyer tell me once not to notch trees that way. They wanted to see in the butt log where the notch was cut out. Why?? Who knows? Maybe so they could tell the butt logs. I would be interested to know what a bucket cut is? Never heard of one.

mark686

I use a borecut on my grade and venere timber even the very large trees that go for pallets. the only bad thing with this cut is its kinda unpredictable.

RayMO

It is a flat bore cut next to the dirt that cuts all but the spurs/buttress roots first. Then the buttress roots are clipped off perpendicular to the tree/bore cut . Leaves the tree with a perfect flat butt and no splinters or fiber pulls. One then trims the spurs off the stump for a clean stump flush with soil level or even lower as well .

I am sure bucket cut is not the proper term for this style but rather a local name given it 8).Either way it gets the most wood with the least waste as you can get very low on the stump often times digging down a ways first if the quality and size of the tree warrents it .
Father & Son Logging and sawing operation .

OntarioAl

RayMo
Some pictures of a stump and felled tree showing the butt would be nice.
Up here in Ontario I am a certified power saw Trainer/Verifier, and I have some idea of the concept you are describing, the pictures would help get my mind straight  around your term "bucket cut".
Thanks
Al
Al Raman

stavebuyer

I have heard the method you are describing referred to as "cathedral cut" I guess due to the arches on the stump. That's the way I was taught to fell veneer. 

mark686

Quote from: OntarioAl on October 21, 2013, 11:30:46 AM
RayMo
Some pictures of a stump and felled tree showing the butt would be nice.
Up here in Ontario I am a certified power saw Trainer/Verifier, and I have some idea of the concept you are describing, the pictures would help get my mind straight  around your term "bucket cut".
Thanks
Al
RayMo what you explaind is what we call a bore cut I was taught by an oldtimer the only bad part is the tree goes where it wants :o I have been chased a couple times but it was a combination of wind and other trees. be careful out there I will try and get some pictures of the process.

Nemologger

here in my neck of the woods its called spur cutting. Plunge in and cut all the center then work the spurs starting with the one towards the lean first.
Clean and Sober

Hans1

Spur cutting is what it is called hear in iowa. Most walnut is cut this way no hinge and no directional control. Lots of these hang for me but are easily pulled down . It is surprising some times how little wood on the spurs will hold a tree up.

bill m

I have heard of it and seen pictures and video of it. If an employee of mine ( don't have any anymore ) did it they would be fired on the spot - no questions asked. A few extra dollars or a couple more trees a day over personal safety doesn't fly with me.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

Cedarman

Spur cutting may save wood for the company that bought the trees, but is extremely dangerous compared to open face cutting.  Since there is no control over felling direction residual damage to other trees could be big.  I don't want to see it in my woods.  I know of one person still damaged because a tree got him when he spur rooted it.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

CX3

I'm with Bill M on this one. Directionally fell or not fell at all. If your buyer complains about how trees are cut I'd find a different buyer. My goal is to go home every night
John 3:16
You Better Believe It!

missouriboy

I never put a hinge in walnut. Here in Missouri is all bore cut. You can really screw up a walnut tree with a hinge been there done that and lost money. It takes alot of skill to cut high dollar walnut not everybody can do it.

bill m

There's not a walnut tree on earth ( or any other kind of tree ) that's worth risking personal safety for a few extra bucks.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

beenthere

bill
All in the eyes of the beholder.   ;D

I know I wouldn't walk and work on steel beams high up on sky scrapers or those tall towers for any kind of money. But there are those who can and will do it.  ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

sharkey

Quote from: missouriboy on October 25, 2013, 01:54:51 PM
I never put a hinge in walnut. Here in Missouri is all bore cut. You can really screw up a walnut tree with a hinge been there done that and lost money. It takes alot of skill to cut high dollar walnut not everybody can do it.

Please explain how your going to fell a large walnut without some kind of hinge?

thecfarm

I'm with bill.
I have been around someone that did not know how to fell trees. That job did not last long. He hollered run and I wondered what was going on. I have never had to run from a tree in my life. I have heard the stories about felling trees. Like I say, you cut on this side of the 40 acre lot and I"ll cut on this side.  ;D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

ga jones

I cut walnut here. Open face bore cut. There's enough flares on them not to harm the veneer. The buyers want the flares cut off anyway. They fit in containers better and I would imagine easier to spin on the rotary.i have never seen anyone humbolt cut hardwood here you loose to much off the stump.
380c timberjack c4 treefarmer international trucks jonsered saws. Sugi hara bars d31 komatsu 350 tj grapple

WH_Conley

Everything is on a hillside here. You can put in a Humbolt with plenty of room to spare and still be cutting in the dirt on the other side.
Bill

treeslayer2003

well, I been readin this since it started. i'v cut all kinds of vneer timber for over 20 years. yup, they want the butt cleaned up any way. most really old walnuts will have some sort of defect at ground level any way. I open face bore the heart from the face and back quickly. my buyer actually prefers I cut um that way. walnut not splitty anyway. I ain't knockin nobody's methods, I've stump jumped plenty, but I just can't wrap my mind around what y'all saying. how do ya cut the front corners without getting pinched? this is tricky at best. you younger dudes should try other methods before tryin this. I don't think it's nessasary most the time any way.

CCC4

I can get some pics of this style stump 2moro. There was a guy cutting on this tract I just took over. He cuts about all his hardwood with this method. He called it crown cutting. He was trained by Amish in Iowa er somewhere, must be a Swiss German method.

I personally have never used this type of method, I have stood beside when this was being used and watched it work successfully, but I have no experience with it. Walnut here is junky and just gets sold right along with everything else. I will get pics 2mor for sure...ifn ya have never seen a stump cut like this...you will remember it for sure.

Hey RayMo, do you use this cut on anything else or just high grade? Ever had one go wrong? How about falling momentum, seems like they fall slow through the tops...does it help on ave out in heavy topped Walnut? The cut woolies me, but if done right it works. 

RayMO

I only use it on  high grade walnut . As far as clipping the spurs/buttresses off goes... You cut them stait down perpendicular to the flat bore cut and the tree will not pinch your bar as the movement is so small.
A similar method when directional felling is required is to use a very shallow notch in the buttress root on the fall side and bore cut all the way out the back using wedges when needed.
Normal deeper notch and hinge methods will often shatter the wood fiber quite a ways up the butt . Not a big deal on a $3.00 or less lumber log but not so good on a 30" $10.00 veneer log .
Father & Son Logging and sawing operation .

CX3

John 3:16
You Better Believe It!

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