OPERATION
■Felling Backcut. The backcut is always made level and horizontal, and at a minimum of 2 inches (5 cm) above the horizontal cut of the notch. See Figures 15 and 16.
■Never cut through to the notch. Always leave a band of wood between the notch and backcut (approximately 2 inches (5 cm) or 1/10 the diameter of the tree). This is called "hinge" or “hingewood.” It controls the fall of the tree and prevents slipping or twisting or
■On large diameter trees, stop the back cut before it is deep enough for the tree to either fall or settle back on the stump. Then insert soft wooden or plastic wedges into the cut so they do not touch the chain. The wedges can be driven in, little by little, to help jack the tree over. See Figure 17.
NOTE: When bucking or felling with a wedge, it may be necessary to remove the
■As tree starts to fall, stop the chain saw and put it down immediately. Retreat along the cleared path, but watch the action in case something falls your way. Be alert for overhead limbs or branches that may fall and watch your footing.
WARNING:
WEDGE | Fig. 17 |
BUCKING
See Figures 18 through 21.
Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen tree to the desired log length.
■Always make sure your footing is secure and your weight is distributed evenly on both feet.
■Cut only one log at a time.
■Support small logs on a saw horse or another log while bucking.
■Keep a clear cutting area. Make sure that no objects can contact the guide bar nose and chain during cutting, this can cause kickback. To avoid the dan- ger, keep the
Never cut through to the notch when making a backcut. The hinge controls the fall of the tree, this is the section of wood between the notch and backcut.
NOTCH
BACK CUT
HINGE | Fig. 16 |
KICKBACK
Fig. 18
19