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Tips for Felling a Tree Keep You Safe, the Job Easier

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Tips for Felling a Tree Keep You Safe, the Job Easier Tips for felling a tree keep By Bill Kohlbrand ou’ve read the preceding Y“how-to” article about chainsaw sense and wood cutting and are familiar with the techniques. Now that you know about compres- sion and tension, we’ll talk about felling a tree. To determine the “com- pression” side of the tree, we size it up using some 1 4 criteria: • Lean • Limb placement • Snow load • Wind Usually, these few fac- tors will determine which way a tree wants to fall. These other factors will help determine the intend- ed lay of a tree: • Species (woods of dif- ferent species vary in strength and bending 2 5 ability) • Powerlines and other overhead hazards • Live or dead (as a rule, dead wood doesn’t bend as well as live wood, so its hinge may be more brittle). • Other nearby trees • Branches of nearby trees • Stumps or rocks that can cause a tree to jump off of its stump • Tree defects such as rot, dead limbs, catfaces (blemishes in wood caused by a partly healed 3 6 scar) and vertical cracks. If the weight of a tree 24 BARNYARDS & BACKYARDS you safe, the job easier causes the tree to split try, keep working until they of wood. You need sound least 20 feet – better if it vertically up the tree, a do, but try not to get too wood to form a hinge. Place puts you behind a big, solid “barber chair” can occur. deep. Notch the tree to the a wedge in the backcut tree. Avoid using a snag for These can be quite direction you want it to fall. when there is room. If plan- protection. After the tree violent and happen quite While cutting, I like to ning on changing the lean falls, wait a few seconds suddenly. Barber chairs kneel on one knee so I can with a wedge, remove bark to let things settle. Be sure can also occur when a easily look up and escape where the wedge will be to look up for any potential tree starts to fall before falling objects if necessary. inserted. Wedges are more overhead hazards. Practice the saw removes enough Use the gunning marks effective when they are lift- is the key. Start with low wood to form a hinge. (see photographs on page ing wood instead of push- complexity trees, preferably • Loose rocks that may be- 24) on the side of most ing against bark. Watch the smaller trees with plenty of come dislodged and roll saws. They act like a gun tree top as much as pos- open ground to fall them in, toward you. sight and help line things sible! You can make minor and work into more com- • Obstacles such as fenc- up. I make the angled part adjustments to the falling plex ones that require more es, homes, or vehicles. of the face cut first be- tree by taking a little extra precision. You can check • Plan ahead so you don’t cause I can then look into holding wood off of one your accuracy by painting fall trees across each the kerf and make the cuts side or the other. If using a spot where you want the other. meet more easily. By look- the gunning sights, imagine tree to fall, and see if you Since you’ve deter- ing into the kerf, I know my you are steering the tree. can hit it. Don’t be compla- mined which way the tree horizontal cut won’t go too The tree will pull to the side cent. Small trees can injure should fall, decide if it will deep. Check the face cut, with thicker-holding wood. you as much as large ones. work. There must be a by placing the saw against The top will move more Take time, and pay attention clear path for the tree to the apex of the face cut, than the saw kerf. Another to what you are doing. Once fall through the tree cano- and make sure the tree way to detect tree move- you understand compres- py as well as a good place is still aimed the way you ment is to watch a wedge. sion and tension, and basic for the tree to land. In addi- want it to fall. The back of the wedge will cuts and why they are used, tion, you must have an es- When you take the fall as the tree starts to fall. you will be on your way to cape route between 90 and wedge of wood out, exam- If the wedge starts to go being an ace woodcutter. 135 degrees away from the ine it for condition. Sound up, the tree is setting back, intended direction of fall. wood is needed to form a and the wedge needs to be pushed in if possible. As the If it looks like the plan will hinge. Felling tool work, clear the work area tree falls, cut a little more Make the Backcut and escape route. holding wood off, but don’t Photos 4, 5, 6 cut it completely! All control Make the Face Cut The backcut should be of the tree is lost if you cut Photos 1, 2, 3 a level cut to meet the face the holding wood off. Shout Two cuts are needed to cut or a little higher. Leave a warning, just in case make a face cut (notch). A a strip of uncut wood to someone wandered into sloping cut and horizontal form a hinge. The thickness the cutting area. Back away cut must meet perfectly to of wood needed to form from the tree as it falls, but form a good hinge. If these a hinge is dependent on don’t take your eyes off cuts don’t meet on the first the species and condition of it. It’s best to retreat at Bill Kohlbrand is a district forester with the Wyoming State Forestry Division. He can be reached by calling (307) 746-4261 or by e-mail at [email protected]. fall 2008 25 .
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