OPERATION
nCut a notch about 1/3 the diameter of the trunk in the side of the tree. Make the notch cuts so they intersect at a right angle to the line of fall. This notch should be cleaned out to leave a straight line. To keep the weight of the wood off the saw, always make the lower cut of the notch before the upper cut.
nMake the backcut level and horizontal, and at a minimum of 2 in. above the horizontal cut of the notch.
NOTE: Never cut through to the notch. Always leave a band of wood between the notch and back cut (approximately 2 in. 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 shootback of the tree off the stump.
nOn 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. Drive wedges in, little by little, to help jack the tree over.
NOTE: When bucking or felling with a wedge, it may be necessary to remove the
nAs 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.
WARNING:
Never cut through to the notch when making a back cut. The hinge controls the fall of the tree, this is the section of wood between the notch and backcut.
REMOVING BUTTRESS ROOTS
See Figure 25.
A buttress root is a large root extending from the trunk of the tree above the ground. Remove large buttress roots prior to felling. Make the horizontal cut into the buttress first, followed by the vertical cut. Remove the resulting loose section from the
HINGE
BACK CUT
Fig. 23
WEDGE | Fig. 24 |
VERTICAL
CUT
LOOSE
SECTION
HORIZONTAL
CUT
Fig. 25
Page 21 — English
