plumb or level to determine the di- rection of tree lean.
°Weight and branches on one side.
•Surrounding trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted, it can snap and fall toward the
This hinge will help prevent the tree from falling in the wrong direction.
Hingeholdstree on
stumpand helps controlfat1
operator. | Opening of | |
Make sure there is enough room for | felling cut | |
the tree to fall. Maintain a distance of |
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2.1/2 tree lengths from the nearest |
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person or other objects. Engine noise |
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can drown out a warning call. | NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, | |
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, | ||
use wedges to open the cut when | ||
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nails, staples, and wire from the tree necessary to control the direction of fall.
where cuts are to be made.To avold kickback and chain damage, use wood or plastic wedges, but never steel or iron wedges.
| ,_ Plan a clear retreat path | • Be alert to signs that the tree is ready | ||||||||
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| to fall: cracking sounds, widening of | |||||
_...., |
| Directionof Fall | the felling cut, | or movement in the up- | ||||||
45 ° .. |
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| per branches. |
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| ° As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put it | |||||
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| down, and get away quickly on your | |||||
FELLING | LARGE | TREES |
| planned | retreat | path. |
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| • Be extremely cautious | with partially | ||||||||
(6 inches | in diameter | or larger) | fallen trees | that | may be poorly sup- | |||||
The notch method is used to fell large | ported. When a tree doesn't fall com- | |||||||||
trees. A notch is cut on the side of the | pletely, set the saw aside and pull | |||||||||
tree in the desired direction of fall. After | down the tree with a cable winch, | |||||||||
a felling cut is made on the opposite | block and tackle, or tractor. Do not | |||||||||
side of tree, the tree will tend to fall in | use your saw to | cut down a partially | ||||||||
the direction of the notch. |
| fallen tree. |
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NOTE: If tree has large buttress roots, | CUTTING | A FALLEN | TREE | |||||||
remove them before making the notch. | (BUCKING) |
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NOTCH CUT AND FELLING TREE | Bucking is the term used for cutting a | |||||||||
• Make notch cut by cutting the top of | fallen tree | to the desired | log size. | |||||||
the notch first. Cut through 1/3 of the | WARNING: | Do not stand | on the log | |||||||
diameter of the tree. Next complete | being cut. Any | portion can | roll causing | |||||||
the notch by cutting the bottom. See | toss of footing | and control. | Do not stand | |||||||
illustration. Once | the notch is cut, re- | downhill of the log being | cut. | |||||||
move the wedge | of wood from tree. | IMPORTANT | POINTS |
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| Finalcut here | • Cut only | one log at a time. | |||||
Firstcut | =- |
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| • Cut shattered wood very | carefully; | ||||
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| sharp pieces of wood could be flung | |||||
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| toward operator. |
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Notch |
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| ° Use a sawhorse | to cut small logs. | |||||
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| Never allow another person to hold | |||||
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| the log while cutting and never hold | |||||
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| the log with your leg or foot. | |||||
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| • Do not cut in an area where logs, | |||||
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| limbs, and roots are tangled. Drag logs | |||||
• After removingthe wood, make the | into a clear area before cutting them. | |||||||||
felling cuton the opposite side of the | BUCKING | TECHNIQUES |
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notch.This is done by making a cut | WARNING: | If | saw becomes pinched | |||||||
about two | inches | higher than the cen- | or hung in a log, don'ttry to force it out. | |||||||
ter of the notch. This will leave | You can lose control of the saw result- | |||||||||
enough uncut wood between | the fell- | ing in injury and/or | damage | to the saw. | ||||||
ing cut and the notch | to form | a hinge. | Stop the saw, drive | a wedge | of plastic | |||||
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