i fall a fair amount of trees here- and the trees here on the coast are consistently bigger, but not as 'knarley' and spring loaded as the trees in your neck of the woods.
putting a tree on the ground is one thing.you gotta make sure you dont set up a barber chair, watch out for dead limbs above you- many fallers have been killed by dead limbs, make sure it goes the way you want it too etc etc.
but bucking up a tree on the ground , thats the real deal. eric summed it up very well!!
real hard to learn this by correspondance, but here are just a few pointers.
look thrice - cut once.
look where limbs are touching other limbs- thats a potential source for tension wood. make a few cuts into the compression wood- just almost into the neutral plane( just like tillering a bow)but not deep enough to get the bar pinched- about an inch apart- 1/2 dozen cuts or so- along both sides of the tension point- that will help relieve the tension- and distribute it better- help stop things blowing up.
then standing somewhere safe- start to cut into the tension wood slowly.
i always like to cut all the extra limbs off a bit above the tension point- so that if stuff does start flying about- there is a little less to hit you.
clear all the easy free limbs first- get everything cleaned up before you tackle the tough ones- clear all the debris away.
and when you are cutting the tough ones-( dont laugh!!) always set up an unobstructed escape route- things start to go bad you can run/stumble backwards out of harms way- without getting tripped up, and the log rolling on you.
i always carry two saws, or at the very least a spare bar and chain, if you get a bar pinched( and it happens to everybody) you can at least cut yourself out- or at least change the powerhead to a new bar.
a few fallers wedges are a good thing too- and the back of an axe to pound them in- if needed
listen to what Eric says- if you are going to be cutting loaded wood- go slow, and clear everything out of the way .
wear buckers pants, i actually prefer the chaps- believe me- first hand experience with this.
make sure your saw is very sharp- nothing more dangerous than a blunt saw
always try and keep the saw below head level.
and always look at the saw, when you are cutting, and make sure you are not in the flight path if the saw kicks back!!!- always be set up, so that if the saw does kick back- you can still hold onto it, and your natural body position will guide the saw past and away from you.
but also look around you- dont only watch the cut- look whats happening to the rest of the tree, and other limbs- they will start to move and tell you if somethings gonna happen.
always....always know where the tip of your saw is!!!- that is what will cause the kickback.- keep it in the air- not in the wood- and watch it doesnt touch anything else, a rock- another limb etc etc.
as you get better you can start doing plunge cuts etc
i have been thinking for a while now to put a small tutorial/help video together, just helping people with a few falling and bucking pointers. as so many of us are out there cutting down bow wood.
just be careful and go slow- if you get in a pickle- stop take a breather , and study it real hard- take your time-and it will be ok- get in a rush- thats bad news.
Topic: Found a BIG Osage..... (Read 921 times)
