Ooops

cutterboy · April 21, 2016, 10:03:41 PM

I cut this pine down yesterday morning. It fell into the crotch of a good sized hickory and split it right down the middle!

I then cut a log off the butt and the rest of the tree went up in the air.

So now there was a 68 foot log stuck eight feet up in the air.

I moved the tractor up to the log and raised the bucket (fel) up to it. Then I climbed up into the bucket and sawed an eight foot log off the end. I did this two more times.

Taking the weight off the butt end allowed the top to come down to the ground.

I limbed the top and cut three logs off that end. That left a 16 foot section still up in the tree.

I pushed one end of the 16 footer up with the tractor bucket which brought the other end down to the ground.

Then the tractor was able to pull the 16 footer out of the tree and onto the ground.

The hickory tree looks rather odd standing there split down the middle. Later I'll cut it down for firewood.

All the best, Cutter

sawguy21 · April 21, 2016, 10:07:14 PM

That looks like a good way to get hurt, it must have been a little entertaining watching it shoot for the moon after the first cut.

Ianab · April 22, 2016, 05:17:43 AM

On the positive side, you didn't have to worry about getting the chainsaw in the dirt while bucking the log :D

mills · April 22, 2016, 05:28:17 AM

Mind if we laugh with you? :D :D :D

We've all done stuff in the woods that we hoped we could get cleaned up before anyone shows up.

thecfarm · April 22, 2016, 05:35:22 AM

Just an "easier" way to spilt some fire wood. :D

WDH · April 22, 2016, 07:30:47 AM

I would call that a "pinch point".

cutterboy · April 22, 2016, 08:23:21 AM

Quote from: mills on April 22, 2016, 05:28:17 AM
Mind if we laugh with you? :D :D :D

Not at all. I was upset at first and said some words that my wife would not approve of, but after I settled down I had a good laugh at myself...especially looking at that DanG pine stuck up in the air.

cutterboy · April 22, 2016, 08:32:12 AM

Quote from: sawguy21 on April 21, 2016, 10:07:14 PM
it must have been a little entertaining watching it shoot for the moon after the first cut.

Actually it didn't shoot up quickly...it just rose up slowly. I thought the pine was stuck tight in the hickory and wouldn't move.
I was expecting the pine to fall about 25 feet to the left of the hickory but I did a poor job with the back cut and left some holding wood on the right side of the stump. That pulled the tree to the right.

g_man · April 22, 2016, 08:52:51 AM

I like that. Nice photos too. Couldn't ask for a nicer day than yesterday - to nice. There always has to be something to fight - rule number 1.

gg

WV Sawmiller · April 22, 2016, 09:13:05 AM

Should have left the pine in the hickory and called the TV people and let them film a reality survivor series there. I can see Naked and Afraid or Dual Survival or such contestants building a shelter under that. You sure you didn't need your own handy dandy shed out there in the wood? Stretch a tarp over it and store your equipment or lumber or such. No fuss no muss.

Bert · April 22, 2016, 10:10:13 AM

Hickorys and pines must not get along. Mine went the other way though. I cut a hickory which barely caught a limb on a pine and ran down the limb into a fork. The butt of the hickory shot 20 feet or so up in the air before the pine split like yours sending both to the ground. I felt the wind off the butt of the hickory on its way up. Ooops moments happen even for experienced fallers. Im not too proud to say Ive messed up once or twice. Anything can happen in the woods.

On that particular tree I knew there was chance it could get hung but didnt want to cut the pine as it had some tree stand steps nailed to it from longs ago. Trying to work around it and the breezes just didnt blow quite right.

Gearbox · April 22, 2016, 01:08:59 PM

If I did that I would have said Fell right where I wanted it

enigmaT120 · April 22, 2016, 01:54:18 PM

Quote from: Gearbox on April 22, 2016, 01:08:59 PM
If I did that I would have said Fell right where I wanted it

That's what I was thinking. "I meant to do that. Yeah, that's the ticket."

I mean, think how hard it would be to do that on purpose? Actually from reading through the advanced falling technique threads I think a bunch of you guys could do it on purpose.

petefrom bearswamp · April 22, 2016, 05:49:42 PM

Been there done that I wont tally the number of times but it has been quite a lot..
Unfortunate but stuff happens.
All you can do is laugh and move on

madmari · April 23, 2016, 06:15:11 AM

I call that a "Robin Hood".

lumberjack48 · April 23, 2016, 12:42:18 PM

You had a built in delimber if you had the power to pull it. I loved cutting White Pine with 250 to 300 bf in them, involves no limbing.

trecher2 · April 24, 2016, 10:03:38 AM

Its nice to know im not the only one that can turn what should be a 10 min safe task into an hour long fear for your life, wth moment, with little to no production gezzz. Usually happens on monday am or friday pm also..