When good plans go ...

[turnkey4099]

Tree had a slight lean straight away from the camera and was a bit weight loaded to the right. Diameter right at 20" at the falling cuts - that was about chest high due to the co-dominant stem that was there prior.

My brush pile is direct to left.

Figured I could undercut aimed at the brush pile, back cut and wedge.

Worked great up until it was time to wedge. Hammered on the plastic and no go, back in with saw for a touch - pinched it solid.

Inboard clutch - greatest thing ever invented. Power head dropped right off.

Retrieved a metal wedge and sledge and bang, bang, bang, tree starts over, I step back several feet. Snap and you see the result.

CSI time, what went wrong? Didn't take a genius. My undercut was way too shallow of an angle. Barberchaired as soon as the undercut closed.

Another shot from the opposite side.

Stub stood back up when I worked up the tree and cut it free an hour later. If you mentally picture that stub standing nearly straight up, you can see how thin my wedge was.

Lesson: Don't cut thin wedges

At least it landed right where I wanted and my shorts were still clean.

Got a request today from a professional logger who conducts safety training. He wants to use those photos in a "how not to do it" lecture. "If it werent' for the honor, I'd just as soon pass" comes to mind. I gave him the permission.

Harry K

 

[Egon]

Thanks for the pictures. Glad no one or equipment was damaged.

I have a few white pine trees that I wish to fell but so far have found reasons to delay because I'm just darned scared I'm not up to a proper job!

 

[RonMar]

Yep, the relief or wedge cut wasn't big or deep enough. The tree started moving and storing energy, then all the space in the wedge area was used up, and that stored energy had to go somewhere. Since there was still a considerable ammount of strength left in the core of the trunk, it bent and broke out the back side. Done properly the remaining weakend core material actually breaks under tension and leaves a little row of ripped wood fibers standing vertically across the center of the stump.

In some cases, with a weak upper structure, this stop during fall can break the tree in half up higher. That broken top comes down uncontrolled, and the energy delivered to the lower trunk after that break, can actually spring it back the opposite direction and make the lower section fall 180 degrees from that intended...

Good pics, no wonder your friend wanted them for training. Thanks for sharing them with us.