Extension Circular 1124 July1983 The 75 Wooa land WorIcbook

'Felling and BuckIng TechnIques DATE. for Woodland Owners OF Skills at felling and bucking occur, they might not require big chain file with a handle and timber are useful for many wood- equipment.Never work alonewith a holder land owners. The safe and effective chain saw. You should have some- plumb line (a string with a use of a chain saw allows you to do one nearby who can give you aid weight at the end to provide a precommercial thinnings, salvage immediately if an accident occurs.OUT vertical line to determine the lean operations, commercial harvesting, Before you begin felling and of the tree) hardwood removals, and even fire- bucking timber, you ISshould be peavey or chain (to work with wood gathering more efficiently. experienced at chain saw use and hangups) While these activities are neces- maintenance, be physically fit to sary on many properties, do not withstand the exertion, and have the Proper felling and bucking can undertake them without sufficient required accessory tools and supplies. significantly add to or detract from skills. This publication cannot pro- The protective clothing and equip- the value you receive for your vide the full complement of felling ment you will need are: timber. Getting the most value from and bucking skills, but it does hardhat (protective helmet) timber through bucking practices is outline principles and procedures to eye protectioninformation: (screens, glasses, covered in other publications (see help you begin developing needed goggles) "Suggested reading"). This publica- skills. hearing protection (ear muffs or tion is oriented to specific manual A good approach to skills develop- plugs) techniques of felling and bucking ment is first to understand the basic and not to maximizing returns principles involved. Many are out- safety chaps (protects legs from through these practices. lined in this publication and selected thigh to ankle) However, you must be aware that referenceswhich includes your gloves felling directly influences subse- chain saw owner's manual. currentboots (caulked or hobnail boots quent skidding or yarding activities. Next, you can developPUBLICATION the skills are preferred) If trees are felled out-of-lead, they you need to operate the chain saw comfortable clothing (snug fitting, may be difficult or impossible to get effectively by cutting material that is cuffless pants) to the road. You should plan your already on the groundthis should first aid kit falling patterns in advance of the help develop bucking skills as well. fire extinguisher felling activity (see figure 1). Finally, if you canmost arrange some practiceTHIS sessions with an experienced axe (for pounding wedges and timber cutter, you can continue cleaning out the undercut) Evaluating the learning valuable techniques while saw gas, bar oil, and lubrication conditions for felling For for the tip of the bar cutting standing timber. There are certain conditions that Start with small, straight trees that wedges (plastic or aluminum) make it unsafe for nearly any are soundnot becausehttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog these trees woodland owner to cut timber. are safe, but because if problems

Oregon State University Extension Service may cause limbs to fall unex- Felled Out of pectedly, as well as hamper vision. ci At every tree to be felled, you should clear an escape path (perhaps two) at a 450 angle from a line projected backwards from the direction-of-fall (see figure 2). Be- cause most felling accidents occur when the cutter remains within 25 feet of the stump, you should clear -,' #øZtraii the escape path(s) at least that distance. The path should be free of brush and other obstacles so that you can drop the saw and walk quickly (or run if necessary) to a position in the clear. Sometimes there are obstacles at (-I the DATE.base of the tree that make a quick 6",," escape difficult or that require using the saw in awkward positions. While

- -a--- - stumps are normally cut as low to the 0.OFground as practical, higher stumps may be needed to work around obstacles or provide a standing position for quick escape. Beginning cutters should seek OUT professional help if rocks, multiple stems growing from one stump, steep slopes and difficult terrain, or IS other obstacles hinder a quick escape. Professionals can minimize risks under circumstances that pose life-threatening conditions for be- ginners. If you don't have a clear direction- of-fall, leave the tree standing until information: you can obtain help. Circumstances Figure 1.Ap!annedfellingpatern.

Some are associated with the tree itself; others are associated with the weather and conditions on the site. You will have to determinecurrent the limits of your skills and seek help or stop felling timberPUBLICATION when unsafe condi- tions exist. Direction-of-fall Conditions around the tree. Wind, snow, and fogmost can make it danger- ous to cut timber. A slight puff of THISwind may tip the tree in the wrong direction or cause problems at the Tree may come stump.For When the tops of the trees back over stump are moving at all, beginning cutters should not fell timber. Fog hampershttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog vision up into the tree, making evaluation of the lean Escape route difficult and obscuring loose limbs. If the direction-of-fall is not visible, / someone may enter a danger area Figure2..Escape paths without being seen. Snow and ice requiring help might include: power limbs grow. Thelimb loadingfrom a lines or buildings in jeopardy, large limb growing on one side of the difficult terrain (steep slope with a tree can be enough to pull the tree tree leaning heavily uphill), trees that out-of-lead as it falls. Cutting will cross roads, etc. Professionals techniques can overcome limb load- can use cutting techniques, wedges, ing as well as lean. hydraulic rams, or lines to solve Another problem with limbs is these problems. that they may interlock with limbs of You should arrange the cutting an adjacent tree, making it difficult pattern for a clear-cut operation so to get the tree started to fall in the that cutters are felling trees into desired direction. the open area rather than into the While looking upward at the lean timber. When standing timber is and limb loading, look also for loose brushed by falling trees, limbs or limbs hanging overhead (loose bark tops may be knocked loose and also can be a hazard). Snags and either fly back toward the cutter, or trees with overhead hazards are hang dangerously overhead as particularly dangerous because saw widowmakers. vibration or treeDATE. movement can In thinning operations, fell trees bring these objects crashing down on to openings (remember to consider you. When cutting these trees, an how they will be extracted during extra person should be available to yarding), and give extra care to keep anOF eye on the hazard while the overhead hazards. Also, try to work cutter attends to making the proper up the hill and across the slope to saw cuts. minimize hazards from logs or trees Evaluating a tree also requires that sliding or rolling downslope toward you determine if rot is present where the cutter. OUTthe felling cuts are to be made. Controlling a tree during felling Evaluating the tree itself. Trees that present special hazards to IS requires that you make the cuts in operations are termeddanger trees. sound wood, or that you know the These typically require skills beyond extent of rotten wood and compen- sate for it by leaving extra sound those of a beginner. Snags (trees that wood or by changing the direction- have been dead for some time) often present problemsthey may be of-fall. rotten or have heavy, loose bark and You can expect rot if a tree has been dead for some time or if fungal limbs overhead, and they may react unpredictably when standard cutting information:fruiting bodies (conks) are present. techniques are used. In addition, some tree species Heavy leaners may be danger (hemlock, true firs, cedar, and some Figure 3.Determining the plumb line. hardwoods) commonly have rot in trees. Trees withpistol buttsare the lower bole (tree trunk). found on slumps and slides and can Boring the tree (sawing with the also occur when a seedling grows up string (see figure 3). (A fishing tip of the bar directly into the tree) is next to an obstacle. This shape may weight on a string makes a good require different cutting techniques. necessary to determine the location currentplumb line.) of rot near the area you intend to Some trees, such asPUBLICATION cedar or large Determine the direction the tree make felling cuts. With the bar of hardwoods, may have brittle or will fall naturally by looking at the rotten wood that requires different the saw in a vertical position, make lean from at least two sides of the boring cuts on the stump below this cutting techniques. Also, any tree tree. If the natural lean is in the area. These cuts will not weaken the that hangs up in another tree is a chosen direction-of-fall, then you danger tree for beginners. tree where the felling cuts are most can use standard cutting techniques. planned, especially if you make You should mark any tree that If the natural lean is away from the presentsTHIS an immediate hazard with them vertically along the line in direction-of-fall, you will need to use the direction-of-fall. red-and-white candy-striped ribbon special cutting techniques. Sawdust from rotten wood is quite to warn othersandFor save it for Cutting a tree without evaluating professional help. different from the uniform, white the amount of lean is an invitation to chips produced by sound wood. As For trees you determine you can disaster. The lean of each tree is an exercise, you could bore into handle, the process of evaluation http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogunique; however, it has been ob- some logs known to contain rotten starts by determining the lean. You served that trees growing on slopes can find the amount of lean with a wood to see the difference in the commonly lean downhill. sawdust. Maintain firm saw control plumb line that you can make by Another factor that influences when boring because it is a prime hanging any small weight from a where a tree will fall is the way its situation for chain saw kickback. ce at this kind of evalua- The conventional undercut is professional cutters to probably the most familiar and the a large amount of easiest for beginners to use. ri by looking over the tree The Humboldt undercut takes the Beginning cutters wedge of wood out of the stump as a mental checklist of the opposed to the butt log. ibed above for each tree; The step undercut is most corn- g a key piece of informa- monly used for very large treesmore ,ring trouble. A summary than 48 inches in diameter. presented at the end of Gunning the tree. Once you Ltiofl. determine the direction-of-fall, make the first cuta horizontal one, ? cut or undercut one-fifth to one-third of the tree's diameter (figure 5d). This cut is at cut or undercut provides right angles to the direction-of-fall. in the tree stem in the f-fall. Enough wood is Saws are usually built so that the cutter can sight down the handle, as the undercut to commit DATE. if using a gun sight, to aim the tree in riovement in the direction- the direction-of-fall during the first ee types of undercuts are used depending on the cut. Saws with curved handles have a set of marks to use as sights to help ces (see figure 5a, b, OF assure that the cut is perpendicular to the direction-of-fall. OUT IS JHL..jL4, a. Conventional b. Humbolt Step Other factors that you should consider when evaluating the tree are information: shown in figure 4. Some trees have a characteristic butt swell at the base; you must make felling cuts far enough into the tree to reach the projection of the upper bole down- ward into the butt swell. The tree may have other defects that might influence cutting,current such as a point ofPUBLICATION weakness up the tree from snowbreak or rot, or a double trunk from an injury that produced two tops. Also, some types of trees have wood that is brittle rather than the most ltl stringy and strong fibers of young fir THISand pines. Making use of the information. AfterFor evaluating the conditions around the tree and the tree itself, you can usehttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog the information to make the appropriate felling cuts. More I' importantly, the evaluation tells you if help is needed and what hazards to If cuts do not match. expect. the hinge wood is cut away Figure 5 .(a, b, and c) Types of undercuts; (d) the first cut using an axe to check direction-of-fall; and (e) matching the cuts. The back cut does not continue into the tree to match the undercut. A hinge of uncut wood is left to control the speed and direction-of-fall. The raised back cut leaves two inches of form height on the stump and helps flUfl( prevent the tree from coming back toward the cutter as it goes over (see figure 7). Making the back cut. Before you make the back cut stop the saw and give a warning for the direction-of- fall: down the hill, up the hill, across Uniform & level cut the hill, as the case may be. Listen the unequal pressure will cause tree for a reply. to fall out of lead On straight, small trees make a single horizontal cut to the hinge. The width of theDATE. hinge should be enough to control the treeusually 1 to 3 inches (figure 7). InsertOF a falling wedge as soon as it rber ch is practical. The wedge will prevent smatch the tree from sitting back on the saw (you can use a wedge as insurance for misjudging tree lean). Make the back cut moderately fast OUTso that the tree does not pull wood away from the stump or butt log. Also, once you have started, make IS the back cut before wind or gravity acts unpredictably on the tree. Take care to avoid cutting off the Figure 6.Missed cuts on the undercut. corners when making the back cut. Just as matching the undercut is critical, overcutting the back cut can change the direction-of-fall (see For a conventional undercut, match these cuts andinformation: alert the cutter figure 8). A helper at the tree can align the next cut so that a wedge of to make corrections. Once the cuts watch the far side of the saw to make wood is removed by meeting exactlymatch you may still need to chop the sure the back cut is progressing the deepest point of the first wedge of wood out of the undercut. satisfactorily. horizontal cut. The vertical opening Using an axe to clean it out will of the face cut in the direction-of- help provide a uniform closing line. fall should be about one-fifth of the With the wedge of wood removed, Series of cuts tree's diameter. place the axe in the undercut and currentuse it as a sighting device to recheck On trees larger than the length of Matching the cuts. It is essential the saw bar, you can make a series of that the upper and lowerPUBLICATION cuts for thethe direction-of-fall (figure 5d). If the face cut or undercut is not cuts for the back cut (see figure 9). undercut match (figure 5e). As the aligned with the direction-of-fall, These cuts preserve the strength in tree goes over in the direction-of- there is no certainty that the tree the tree until you make the final cut fall, the undercut will close uni- will go in that direction. Make up to the hinge. You should insert a formly where these cuts mostmeet. corrections in the undercut before falling wedge as you make cut three. If the cuts do not match, the forcebeginning the back cut. of the THISfalling tree will be redirected as the face closes irregularly. The tree may not fallFor in the desired The back cut Getting away from direction or it may barber chair (split The back cut is a horizontal cut the tree up the middle as it falls). Figure 6 shows how the forcehttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog of the falling made about two inches higher than As you make the final back cuts, tree is redirected when the undercut the horizontal cut of the undercut. glance frequently up the tree for overhead hazards. When the tree does not close uniformly. starts to go over, remove the saw Beginning cutters should have another person at the tree to help crucial if the tree does not fall according to your plan.

Problem trees There are a number of problem Direction- trees that you can handle once you of-fall acquire basic skills. Just as a Hinge reminder, a careful evaluation should be your first step. If you need help, don't compound the problem by starting to cut the tree. Mark danger trees and leave them for professionals. Multiple stems.Some trees have multiple stems growing from one stump. Usually, you must treat each stemDATE. as a single tree. Difficulties arise from the awkward cutting positions and the problems in determining a direction-of-fall. OFStart with the outermost stems and fell them in the direction the stem is leaning. Watch out for overhead hazards as each stem is cut. You may need several escape paths to get in the clear. OUT Occasionally conifers will have Figure7.The back cut double stems originating from a IS single stump. These trees are called schoolmarms.If the split occurs higher than you can reach with a saw, there is probably sufficient wood to hold the two stems together while you fell the tree as a single tree. The direction-of-fall should be perpendicular to the horizontal long information: axis of the two stems (see figure 10). However, regardless of the height of the fork, cautiously examine the trunk for a well-defined vertical seam or scar indicating a separation of the two stems. In such cases, use the technique below to fell the current stems separately. Figure 9.Aseriesofseven cuts in the If you can reach the split with a PUBLICATIONback cut is necessary for large trees. saw, you can fell the stems indi- Corner cut off vidually. Select the direction-of-fall and make the undercut. Then make the back cut lea ''ing the appropriate most hinge. You can make the back-cut THIS from the cut and proceed quickly with boring cuts. along your escape path. If the seam between stems is weak, You can drop the saw (with the the stems may separate as you make For motor running) and retrieve it later the back cut. Otherwise, stand up when things settle down. You only and saw downward toward the have a few seconds to get inthe clear, back cut between the stems. Be http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogaway from the tree. Get far enough prepared to move quickly to the away so that limbs knocked loose from adjacent trees won't fall on you. The time spent earlier clearing out one or more escape paths can be Figure 8.Missed cuts on the back cut. Side view tial amount of wood will break away as the tree goes over. (See figure 12c.) Correcting for moderate lean. Moderate lean may be overcome in felling with the use ofholding wood: an extra amount of wood left on the Long axis hinge wood to "hold" the tree against the lean during failing (see figure 13). Holding wood modifies the shape of the hinge so that more is left opposite the direction of lean; however, you must not cut through the hinge wood because a hinge is still necessary to control the rate of fall. Felling againstDATE. the lean. You can Direction-of-fall fell trees with a small amount of lean against the lean with wedges. Figure 10.A tree with two stems (schoolmarm). YouOF will need a shallow undercut (1/5 the diameter of the tree) in the clear. You can fell the remaining Leaning trees. These present direction-of-fall (see figure 14) and a stem with the lean, or you can make problems even for experienced longer lever arm (distance from back corrections to pull the tree against cutters. Beginners should not at- of tree to the hinge wood) for the the lean (see figure 11). tempt to fall trees that lean heavily. action of the wedges. Use the wedges Trees with moderate lean canOUT be to lift the tree upright, and then felled once basic skills are developed continue felling and wedging until a chain may be wrappedIS around the tree goes in the desired direction. the tree above the cuts to help You will need sufficient wedges to prevent a barber chair situation. alternate pounding them as you release pressure on one set and then Felling with the lean. You can fell the other. trees most easily in the direction they On small trees, insert a wedge as lean. Start with a standard undercut soon as possible when you make the up to one-third the diameter of theback cut. On larger trees start the stem. Take care to information:match the cuts. back cut first so you can insert You can use three types of back cuts wedges before making the shallow (see figure 12): undercut. Cut to 1. On small trees less than 12 inches Progress slowly with the back cut, separate d.b.h., you can use a standard and alternate pounding the wedges back cut if you make the cut in tight to lift the tree. You can place Boring quickly. A substantial amount of wedges on top of each other to get backcut hinge wood will break away additional lift. Then continue currentquickly. Be ready to move to the backcutting until wedging straight- PUBLICATIONclear. (See figure 12a.) ens the tree. 2. On larger trees with more lean, You still need a hinge to control bore out the center of the back cutthe tree, but as the wedging continues, from the back cut side to reduce you may need a narrower one. The most the potential for producing a amount of pressure on the wedges is barber chair (see figure 12b). Then a guide to whether more back cutting FellTHIS remaining make a quick back cut, using the is needed. When back cutting is to stem with lean remaining wood on either side of the point where an adequate hinge is or correctFor the center cut to act as hinge left, you can wedge the tree over. for lean wood. Besides the actual amount of lean, On large leaners make two side other factors such as limb loading, http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogcuts and leave a center portion ofthe presence of rot, the tree's shape, wood to hold the tree. A quick and wind determine how the tree will back cut will cut part of the fall. Wedges provide about 1 inch of remaining wood while a substan- lift if used properly.

Figure11.Fellingtwostems separately. Beginners should consider the maximum amount of lean that wedges can correct to be: 4 feet on a 50-foot tree; 7 feet on a 100-foot Chain tree; and 10 feet on a 150-foot tree. prever This rough guideline applies to trees splittii between 12 and 24 inches d.b.h. Felling trees with more lean is possible up to a point with wedges, Larger hinge but this usually requires experts. They can use hydraulic rams or jacks, or they can use lines attached Direction-of-fall and lean to the tree to pull it upright and then fell it in the proper direction. Con- siderable judgment gained from years of cutting experience is needed to fell some difficult trees against the lean. ProblemsDATE. with hangups. Even experienced cutters create hangups occasionally. Hangups occur be- cause the cut treefallsinto standing OFtrees. Never cut the tree in which the first tree is hungup. Often it may be only the limbs of adjacent trees that are holding the tree upthis is DOF and lean especially common in thinnings. OUT When a tree hangs up, the first step is to evaluate the situation from a safe location. Often the hangup IS will suddenly and unexpectedly break away limbs on its own!

Figure 12.Felling with the lean using a chain, (a) a standard back cut, (b) a back cut with the center bored out, and (c) a side-notched back cut.

Leave more holding wood information: to correct for lean

Direction-of-fall

Direction-of-fall PUBLICATIONcurrent-k iJ,Ii C: Work wedges most as backcutting THIS DOF Figure 13.Correcting for moderate lean with holding wood.For 1- Lean http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog

Figure 14.Felling against the lean with wedges. Three techniques are commonly bottom. It may require two or required trim), cutting out defects, used to get the tree to the ground (see more of these sequences to get theand maximizing log value. figure 15). These are most effective tree clear. Between each of these Before explaining bucking tech- on small trees (less than 18 inches in sequences, try to roll the tree clear niques, a better understanding of diameter). If these are not successful, if possible (described in number chain saw kickback is needed. mark the hangup with red-and-white 1). candy-striped ribbon. Then use lines Kickback. This is the sudden, 3. Felling another tree into the uncontrolled movement of the saw from a machine to pull it down or hangup.There are times when an toward the operator. The cutting seek an experienced cutter's services. adjacent tree may be felled into power of the saw is transferred into a the hangup to clear it. The tree 1.Cutting the treeoffthe stump. sharp movement of the saw back- Sometimes you can clear the should hit the hangup with suf- wards. For a.variety of reasons the ficient force to break either hangup if you cut away the lower saw chain fails to cut the wood and portion of the stump and cut the the tree or the obstacle. If the the saw's horsepower propels the original hangup causes another tree off the stump. Cut away the saw rearward. The causes of kick- portion of the stump below the tree to be hung up, use lines from back include: undercut and then cut the remain- machines or get an experienced ing holding wood. If the impact cutter. Do not compound a safety a poorly maintainedDATE. chain (depth doesn't clear the hangup, you can problem by building a teepee of gauges are too high); use a peavey or similar tool (a hung trees. Mark the hangups a pinched saw bar and chain; hardwood stick and chain) to roll and get help. the nose of the bar encountering the tree to break off limbs. Stand an obstacleOF (a limb, another log, where the trunk won't fall on you etc.) at an angle that makes cut- and watch what the hangup is Bucking ting difficult; and doing in the tree. Bucking involves cutting the trees cutting from green wood into dead 2.Cutting away the butt.Making a into lengths specified by mill wood. cut part way up the butt of the requirements. Besides the techniques tree may clear the hangup. First, described in this publication, youOUTThe power of even small chain saws make a shallow V-shaped cut on must be concerned with making is more than a person can handle if the top of the tree (see "Buck- square cuts, measuring theIS lengths kickback occurs unexpectedly. ing"), then make a cut from the correctly (including adding the Figure 16 shows the critical angles on the nose of the bar that make

information:

PUBLICATIONcurrent most THIS First make a shallow cut on top or cut outFor a wedge http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog

Cut from bottom Figure 15.(a) Cutting down hangups by cutting away the stump, (b) cutting away the butt, and(C)felling a tree across the hangup. cutting difficult. If the nose of the Obstacle hit here ndirection bar hits an obstacle on the lower will cause saw to kick portion of the rounded nose, the saw down and back wifi kick up and back into the operator. If the top of the rounded nose hits an obstacle, the saw will kick down and back. Nearly halfofthe 125,000 chain saw accidents last year were caused by kickback. Many of them might have been prevented by more knowledgeable saw users. The best prevention measure is proper use of the saw that avoids kickback: Maintain control of the saw with good footing and a solid, two- handed grip. DATE. Know where the tip of the bar is at all times. Anticipate kickback situations Obstacle hit here OF like when you are making a boring will cause saw to kick cut. Bore at an angle upward or up and back downward rather than straight into the log. Figure16.Critical angles on the tipofthe saw bar. Maintain the saw's chain brake if it has one; however, do not OUT depend on its chain-stopping feature alone: use proper work- Because it is not always possible to cutting tension wood. A portion of ing positions with a firm grip on evaluate correctlyIS where the compres- the wood frequently breaks away as the saw. File the chain according sion and tension wood are located, the tension wood is cut. to the manual's directions. (Im- you should have an axe and wedges The same principles apply to trees proved bar designs and antikick- available to open up a pinched cut orlying in a horizontal bind, except back chain are worth investigating.)chop out a stuck saw. The terms top that you must cut from a safe bind and bottom bind also indicate position (see figure 20). Also, you Cut the compression wood first! the location of the compression must make the final cuts from the Any bucking situation deserves the wood. information:uphill side of logs on a slope where same careful evaluation as does The concept of cutting compres- rolling might occur. felling. Your first step is determiningsion wood first is illustrated in a the direction the bucked segments series of cuts in figure 19. In large Other bucking situations. Several will move after cutting. timber, a number of cuts are made toother situations are commonly The way the log will move dependsreduce the amount of wood left for encountered during bucking. Logs on how gravity and tension wood applying the principle. In each of supported throughout their length interact. Compression wood and these examples, the final cut is on a slope may have end pressure tension wood are shown in figure 17. (see figure 21.). The upper log may Compression wood is on thecurrent inside of a curvedPUBLICATION or bent piece of wood; the forces are pushing the wood fibers together. Tension wood is in Tension wood _j_.-_---. --_.---. the outside of the curve; forces are pulling at the mostwood fibers. The rule in bucking is, Cut the THIScompression wood first. Cut the tension wood last, and the cut piece willFor move in the direction of tension unless overcome by gravity. Several examples of small logs where two http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogcuts will suffice are shown in figure 18. The first cut is only deep enough to cut some of the compres- sion wood without pinching the saw. The second cut releases the tension Compression wood causes saw to bind wood. Figure17.Compression and tension wood

10 Compression wood

Top bind Compression wood c1

Tension wood Tension wood Log movement Bucker 4 position

Tension wood DATE.

Tension wood / Figure20.(a) The top viewofa tree lying in horizontal bind, and (b) the series of cuts necessary to reach the tension wood.OF

Compression wood 1" Compression wood OUT Bottom bind

Figure 18.Determining top bind and bottombind for IS bucking small logs.

information: sion Figure21.Bucking with end pressure.

slide downhill when you make the for bucking may also present special cuts. problems. vood Bucking these logs requires two Another problem exists when currentcutsmake the first cut offset and limbs supporting the log cannot be PUBLICATIONuphill on the lower half of the log, removed prior to bucking. Unfor- and make the second cut downhill on tunately, no simple solutions fit all the upper half of the log. A wedge situations. The best advice is to can help keep the upper cut open.If spend time analyzing the likely Fension woodthe logs do not separate, mark them movement of the log. most as a warning to those doing the THIS skidding or yarding. Windfalls are bucking problems, Limbing ompression not only because they are hard to Removing limbs from trees ap- For wood evaluate, but because the rootwad pears relatively simple; however, the may act unpredictably as itis cut significant number of accidents that away. Underground, bent roots occur during the limbing activity http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogapply pressure to upright the rootwad. refute this simplicity. Limbs under pressure need to be evaluated for the 19.Multiple cuts in large In the process, it may roll onto the Figure location of compression and tension material. bucker, or the log may react unpredictably. Awkward positions wood (see figure 22).

11 3. Evaluate the tree and determine 8. Determineifthe bucking cut can Cut 2 the direction-of-fall, be made safely. Did you plumb the tree, Determine compression wood, determine lean, and limb tension wood, and the way the loading? bucked pieces will move. Is rot present? Buck from the uphill side.

Cut 2 Is this a danger tree to be left 9. Never work alone! for a more experienced cutter? Felling and bucking timber is 4. Make the undercut. Cut 2 inherently dangerous. Only the Are the cuts level? Do the cuts proper use of safety equipment and match up? Is the face cleaned cutting techniques can make the out? cut 1 process safer. This publication Does the undercut face the 1'Cut 3 f identifies procedures the beginning ry to direction-of-fall? cutter needs to think about during 0 clean up stub Is it the proper depth? the learning process. Practice and 5. Make the back cut. guidance from an experienced cutter Shout out a warning and listen can provideDATE. additional skills. Figure22.Cut limbs by cutting compres- for replies. sion wood first as shown (top) on a log with limbs, and (bottom) on a standing Put in wedges as needed. tree. Make the back cut 2 inches higher than the undercut. OFSuggested reading Don't cut off the holding Your chain saw owner's manual. Limbing often requires working in wood. and awkward positions. Unsure footing Leave a hinge to control the Conway, Steve, Timber Cutting makes moving from one limbing fall. Practices, 2nd edition (San Fran- position to another especially dan- 6. Move to safety andOUT watch for cisco: Miller-Freeman Publica- gerous. The safest way to proceed overhead hazards. tions, 1978). is to move to the next position Do you need help to clear a Dent, D. Douglas, Professional while the saw bar is on the far side IS Timber Falling: A Procedural of the log from the cutter. Injuries hangup? Are broken limbs left hanging Approach (Portland, Ore.: Ryder often occur to the legs when they are Printing, 1974). unprotected by safety chaps. as hazards in adjacent trees? Predicting how the limbs will 7. Evaluate the limbs before limbing. Faller's and Bucker's Handbook, move after cutting is still another Worker's Compensation Board of problem. You will gain experience British Columbia (Vancouver, through cautious trial and error. 1973). information:Sarna, R. P., Chain Saw Manual (Danville, Ill.: The Interstate, Summary checklist 1979). Considering the number of ideas that fallers and buckers must remember and use in their work, a checklist is a necessity. Eventually the checklist becomes a set ofcurrent mental habits, but PUBLICATIONbeginning cutters need explicit reminders (consider making a pocket card checklist for your use). 1. Prepare to do the job safely. Personalmost protective gear? Tools and supplies? THIS This publication wasprepared by John J. Garland, Extension timber harvesting specialist, Saw and chain maintained? Oregon State University. It is one of a series of publications being developed as an Extension 2. EvaluateFor the conditions for Woodland Workbook.Your county Extension forestry agent has additional information. Weather? Extension Service, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Henry A. Wadsworth, director. This Escape routes and cutting publicationwasproduced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and positions;http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog is kickback possible? June30, 1914. Extension work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, theU.S. Do you have a falling pattern Department ofAgriculture, and Oregon counties. to follow? Oregon State University Extension Service offerseducational programs, activities, and materials without regard to race, color, national origin, or sex as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Actof1964 and TitleIX ofthe EducationAmendments 011972. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.