OPERATION
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TREE FELLING
WARNING:
IF THE TRUNK OR LIMBS ARE ROTTING, THEY CAN FALL UNEXPECTEDLY AND
CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY,
AS YOU MAKE YOUR FELLING CUT, IF THE SAW APPEARS TO BE BINDING, THE TREE
IS STARTING TO FALL IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, IMMEDIATELY STOP THE SAW AND USE A FELLING WEDGE AND MAUL
oHAMMER) TO FORCE THE FELLING CUT PEN. THE WEDGE WILL HOLD THE
FELLING CUT OPEN ALLOWING YOU TO REMOVETHE SAW. KEEP EVERYONE AWAY FROM THE TREE IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
DETERMINE THE NATURAL FALL DIRECTION
•Wind - A tree evenly balanced willfall in the same direc- tion the wind is btowing.
•Lean - Use a carpenter'slevel or plumb bob to deter-
mine if tree has a natural lean. A leaning tree willtend to fall in direction of lean.
•Shape - A tree will tend to fail towards side that is more heavily branched.
•Other Factors- Contacting or nearby trees, buildings,or wires can influencethe direction the tree wilt fall.
CUTTING PROCEDURE (Fig. 12) Afterdetermining the Natural Fall Direction,the treeshould be cut as follows:
IMPORTANT: BEFORE FELLING A TREE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST 3 FELLING WEDGES AND A
MAUL (HAMMER) AVAILABLE FOR USE IF NEEDED.
•Use some means to visually mark the Natural Fall Direction.
*Mark your notch cut on the Natural Fall Directionside of the tree approximately
•Cut top of the notch first at a 45 degree angle. Saw through 1/3 of the width of the tree.
•Cut bottom of the notch at a 45 degree angle until you meet the top notch cut. Remove notch of wood.
•On the side of the tree opposite the notchcut, make the felling cut. The felling cut should be 2 inches above the center point of the notch cut. Before the felting cut is complete, use wedges to open the cut when necessary to control the direction of the fall. Use wood or plastic wedges, but never steel or iron, to avoid kickbackand chain damage.
•Cracking sounds, widening of the felling cut, movement
in the upper branches are all signs that the tree is ready to fall.
•As tree begins to fall, turn off saw, and move quickly away from direction of fall
Top | i | g |
Notch _ | _2" | 1 S_I_ |
Felling.Direction |
cut |
|
Bottom |
|
Notch | Buttress |
Cut /3 _ | |
\ | °oo, |
Figure 12
If your chain saw binds in the felling cut, you have three options:
•If the wrong direction of fall is acceptable, carefully remove the felling wedge. C_ deeper in the notchside of the tree untiltree starts to fall.
•If the wrong direction of fall is not acceptable, attempt to use one or more felling wedges to force the tree in the original direction of fall. Do so by driving the wedges deeper into the felling cut.
•Keep everyone away from the tree in all directions and
•then seek professional help!
FELLING TIPS
•Clear the work area of debris where you can have secure footing.
•Make sure there is enough room for the tree to fall. Maintain a distance of 2 1/2 tree lengths from the near- est person or other objects. Engine noise can drown out a warning call.
•Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and wire from the tree where cuts are to be made.
•Plan to stand on the
•Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diagonal to the line of fall.
•Large buttress roots should be removed prior to notch CUt.
"Use a wedge if there is any chance that the tree will not fall in the desired direction.
•We recommend you cut branches below shoulder height before felling tree. (See Limbing and Pruning).
Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to fall:
•Cracking sounds.
•Widening of the felling cut.
°Movement in the upper branches.
