OPERATING CHAIN SAW
Continued
4.Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and wire from tree where you will make felling cuts.
5.Stay on uphill side when felling tree. Tree could roll or slide downhill after falling.
Felling Procedure
A) Felling Notch
A properly placed felling notch will determine di- rection tree will fall. Place felling notch on side of tree in direction you want tree to fall (see Figure 14). Follow directions below to create a felling notch.
1.Make lower notch cut as close to ground as pos- sible. Hold saw so guide bar is horizontal. Cut 1/3 the diameter of tree trunk (see Figure 14). Note: Always make this horizontal lower notch cut Þrst. If you make this cut second, tree can pinch chain or guide bar.
2.Start upper notch cut the same distance above Þrst cut as Þrst cut is deep.
Example: If lower notch cut is eight inches deep, start upper notch cut eight inches above it. Cut downward at 45¡ angle. The upper notch cut should meet end of lower notch cut (see Figure 14).
3.Remove tree trunk wedge created by notching cuts.
B) Felling Cut
1.Make felling cut two inches higher than lower notch cut and on opposite side of tree (see Figure 14). Keep felling cut parallel to lower notch cut.
2.Cut towards notch.
WARNING: Do not cut all the way through tree. Leave about two inches of tree diameter uncut directly behind fell- ing notch (see Figure 14). This uncut portion acts as a hinge. The hinge helps keep tree from twisting and falling in wrong direction.
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| Direction of Fall |
3rd Cut - | Hinge | |
Felli | ng Cut |
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2"
(5 cm) 2nd Cut - Upper Notch Cut 1st Cut - Lower Notch Cut
2"(5 cm)
3.As felling cut nears hinge, tree should begin to fall. Note: If needed, drive wedges into felling cut to control direction of fall. If tree settles back and pinches chain, drive wedges into felling cut to re- move saw. Only use wedges made of wood, plas- tic, or aluminum. Never use wedge made of steel. This could cause kickback and damage to chain.
4.When tree begins to fall, quickly
¥remove saw from felling cut
¥release trigger to turn saw off
¥put saw down
¥exit area using retreat path
WARNING: Be alert for falling over- head limbs. Watch your footing while exiting area.
LIMBING A TREE
WARNING: Avoid kickback. Kick- back can result in severe injury or death. See Kickback, pages 4 and 5, to avoid risk of kickback.
WARNING: When cutting limb that is under tension, use extreme caution. Be alert for wood springing back. When wood tension is released, limb could spring back and strike operator causing severe injury or death.
Limbing is removing branches from a fallen tree. Make sure your footing is Þrm. Keep feet apart. Di- vide your weight evenly on both feet. Do not remove larger limbs under tree that support log off ground. Remove each limb with one cut (see Figure 15). Clear cut limbs from work area often. This will help main- tain a safe work area.
Make sure you start your cut where limb will not pinch saw during cutting. To avoid pinching, start cut on freely hanging limbs from above limb. Start cut on limbs under tension from under limb. If pinch occurs, turn saw off, lift limb, and remove saw.
Figure 14 - Felling A Tree
Figure 15 - Limbing A Tree
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