Death Wish

**John.G** · 23rd October 2013, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

Doesn't mean that you cut trees 2 metres above ground height,leaving oodles of good wood behind(just to save time),or fell them off their natural lean,or operate in a hasty manner...i have seen some very talented operaters in action,engaged them in alot of scrub work,and rarely saw a tree 'stand up' whilst they were harvesting..a talented cutter will work out the weight bias in the trees head,any spurs on the butt to indicate bias as well..and fell them where they want to fall.The lad that produced that lovely stump also dropped tree onto tree onto tree,smashing everything

,luckily he was experienced.Your right John,time is money,for the cutter and also for the landowner,who has waited 60 years for his crop to mature, only to see it smashed to bits. .MM

I'm not disagreeing with you at all on this. You've seen the mess in total... all I've seen is this picture. And my first thought was... I'd kick his %$*^% #### for leaving that much stump on a tree like that. (Mind, in the good old days we used to do the same in that open country... high enough so you could see the stumps and not take out the sump on a landcruiser when the grass was up. Nowadays we take them on the deck... low enough to straddle with a quadbike) My point was that he's screwed up one way or another, but then he's fixed it with the tools he had on hand.

Me, I rarely have the luxury of felling with the natural lean/weight bias... there's always a gully that'll snap the log, or it's too steep to drag it back, or another tree I dont want to damage, or I want to screw it across that way and drop it right... there... so I can get the skidder/dozer onto it without dropping the chokes. When I did my first chainsaw ticket when it became mandatory for operating on crown land - probably around 1990 or so - the instructor (chief forestry officer because there were no chainsaw instructors around then) put us in a patch of scrub, picked a tree, dropped a matchbox on the ground anywhere but the natural lean and said... hit that you pass, a miss and you fail. Everyone passed, but we were doing it every day for a living and some of the guys there that day had first walked into the rainforest with axes and crosscuts.

Directional felling is part art and part science, with a lot of experience and a fair dash of luck (to live long enough to get the experience) thrown in. And it's a dying art at that... most of the men that I'd consider expert are retired from the industry.

**Bushmiller** · 25th October 2013, 01:28 PM

There's no substitute for experience in tree felling. Trouble is, you only get that experience by tree felling

.
Hopefully you follow a few ground (tree?) rules and you live to tell the tale.

I recall a logger friend saying he was going to have a look at my stumps. I watched apprehensively while he checked them out. he smiled and said "Your trees won't kill you." He also said that on sloping ground if you have any doubt about which way it will go, fall it downhill.

I always have wedges and an axe with me. Often the wedges are cut from branches in the bush. They work as well and there is an inexhaustable supply. You can never say I didn't have any with me. It's not often I don't put a precautionary wedge in the back of the felling cut. It gives you early warning when the tree starts to lean as the wedge loosens (or tightens

) and as I am normally by myself, I'm as careful as I can be.

Regards
Paul

**rustynail** · 25th October 2013, 03:42 PM

Solo felling is a dangerous game. Particularly in rough country. A wedge, lightly set in the felling cut, gives a good indication of impending fall direction. On scary trees we use a "cockie" with a pointy stick. A poke in the backside and its time to desist and depart. Ear muffs and a noisy saw dont help amplify that tell tale creak or snap of a falling branch.

**Bushmiller** · 25th October 2013, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by rustynail

Solo felling is a dangerous game. Particularly in rough country.

RN

Absolutely. I don't recommend it to anyone.

If I followed my own advice I'd be a wise man. It would probably also be a first! Having said that I'm still alive and as I don't consider myself a "lucky" person, I must be working safely, but just not wisely. You can't beat the buddy system.

Will you be at the BM GTG? I will look forward to meeting up if you can get there.

Regards
Paul

**MAPLEMAN** · 11th November 2013, 05:12 PM

Hacketty hack

..MM

**John.G** · 11th November 2013, 10:50 PM

Okaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy... that's a little bit different.

At least he went low this time... even if the lazy b@$t@rd didn't take the thirty seconds it would have required to clean up those hairs on the hingewood that will be just sooooooooo good at taking tyres out.

**rustynail** · 12th November 2013, 09:36 AM

Looks like a short saw job. Maybe his felling saw stopped talking to him - or died from embarrassment.

**MAPLEMAN** · 12th November 2013, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by rustynail

Looks like a short saw job. Maybe his felling saw stopped talking to him - or died from embarrassment.

Exactly what i thought..stay tuned for the next pic,the backcut meets the bottom of the scarf cut,in other words,no holding wood..the stump is almost flat

..MM

**MAPLEMAN** · 12th November 2013, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by John.G

Okaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy... that's a little bit different.

At least he went low this time... even if the lazy b@$t@rd didn't take the thirty seconds it would have required to clean up those hairs on the hingewood that will be just sooooooooo good at taking tyres out.

There was a heap of tearout in the Butt of this tree (it was cut down and left,the tree behind it was the one they were after,apparently..the old fellow was collateral damage unfortunately),so i think the 'hairs' must have been cleaned up a bit...i think this one was felled against its natural lean too,as some heavy wedging is noticable on the stump surface,and it still didn't want to fall forward

....MM

**rustynail** · 12th November 2013, 02:04 PM

Might be a good idea to find out who he is and take out an insurance policy on him. You shouldn't have to wait long for a payout.

**Bushmiller** · 12th November 2013, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by rustynail

Might be a good idea to find out who he is and take out an insurance policy on him. You shouldn't have to wait long for a payout.

RN unfortunately that becomes gambling and was outlawed a considerable time ago. It also invites mysterious, unexplainable or otherwise insidious deaths

.

You have to have what the insurance companies call "insurable interest."

It's a pity though as there are a few people around with a potentially short life expectancy. I could make a killing (oops: strike that!)

Regards
Paul

**rustynail** · 12th November 2013, 10:52 PM

Ok, then just follow him about, you'll be able to get his saw. And if its before noon, you should score his lunch as well

**MAPLEMAN** · 15th November 2013, 05:34 PM

...Timbeeerrrrrrrrr....MM

**Barterbuilt** · 15th November 2013, 06:13 PM

I think that is called Wedging your bet

If in doubt wedge the other side.

**Sigidi** · 16th November 2013, 08:35 AM

From my in-experienced eye, there doesn't seem to be very much in the way of redeeming factors involved in this stump

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