Thread: Death Wish

I'm no tree logger or anything but I thorught that the tree was ment to fall in the direction of the wedge cut?

Originally Posted by benupton

the tree was ment to fall in the direction of the wedge cut?

Yep,that's what is meant to happen Ben..the tree was being felled against its natural lean ,in an open paddock,not much holding wood left after 2 scarfs were made,wonder the tree didn't fall on them..it gets WORSE though,stay tuned..MM

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

The property where i am presently milling recently had loggers in...heres a snap of their handywork ,so many stumps to photo,that will leave you in shock...more pics coming..MM

No doubt you'll be able to supply a pallet load super cheap now there is a glut?

Originally Posted by Evanism

No doubt you'll be able to supply a pallet load super cheap now there is a glut?

Yep,hardwood logs lying around everywhere,some of the Bloodwoods are huge ..i am milling some massive Mango,and a Red Cedar for myself!...the Cedar is growing in the backyard,and is showing signs of die-back,so i have to put it out of its misery..MM

Well at least his saw was sharp.
Every now and again you get a stand up tree. A pair of wedges and the back of the axe usually solves the problem It never ceases to amaze me, the number of loggers that go out with a chainsaw and nothing else.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Every now and again you get a stand up tree.

True,but when nearly all the stumps are dodgy (alot of tear-out,back cuts finishing below the scarf line,and some were seriously hacked at )...it makes me wonder ..MM

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

True,but when nearly all the stumps are dodgy (alot of tear-out,back cuts finishing below the scarf line,and some were seriously hacked at )...it makes me wonder ..MM

Oh, I see, definite idiot. If he cant even cut a tree down properly, I hate to think how the timber will turn out.
We have a bloke round here that calls himself the tree fella. Some one wrote on the back of his truck, "Tree strikes and your out."

Here's whats happened.

Guys put in a conventional front, then come in from the back as per normal.
That front tells me the guy doesn't know much about cutting hardwood. He shoulda gone for a "good" 30% of the tree... (as in closer to 40%.)
He's doing okay though... just not enough experience to know to do that, he's reading the book labeled Intermediate Felling, rather then Advanced.

The tree has sat back, jamming his bar right before he's been ready to pull it... he's got good holding wood there though on his initial backcut. Maybe a misread on the lean... but maybe a gust of wind too.
He's tried to lift the tree with wedges... see below the first backcut where the barks been knocked away to get the wedges deeper. Probably a plastic wedge and it's snapped though. You can't lay up them with a sledge too much.

He's then pulled his second saw, and put in a new conventional front floored on his first backcut.... look and you'll see where it's cut into the back cut at a 45 degree angle when he cut a touch far.
He's then moved up the old front/new back of the tree the regulation distance and put in a backcut and felled the tree.

It's actually not a bad save, trees on the ground and he's walked away... probably with a pinched bar on his saw.
It also tells me that he didn't have what I have on these jobs... the big yellow wedge labelled D7G.

Originally Posted by John.G

Here's whats happened.

Guys put in a conventional front, then come in from the back as per normal.
That front tells me the guy doesn't know much about cutting hardwood. He shoulda gone for a "good" 30% of the tree... (as in closer to 40%.)
He's doing okay though... just not enough experience to know to do that, he's reading the book labeled Intermediate Felling, rather then Advanced.

The tree has sat back, jamming his bar right before he's been ready to pull it... he's got good holding wood there though on his initial backcut. Maybe a misread on the lean... but maybe a gust of wind too.
He's tried to lift the tree with wedges... see below the first backcut where the barks been knocked away to get the wedges deeper. Probably a plastic wedge and it's snapped though. You can't lay up them with a sledge too much.

He's then pulled his second saw, and put in a new conventional front floored on his first backcut.... look and you'll see where it's cut into the back cut at a 45 degree angle when he cut a touch far.
He's then moved up the old front/new back of the tree the regulation distance and put in a backcut and felled the tree.

It's actually not a bad save, trees on the ground and he's walked away... probably with a pinched bar on his saw.
It also tells me that he didn't have what I have on these jobs... the big yellow wedge labelled D7G.

Thats how I read it to. Only thing is, MM said there are lots of stumps butchered.
Cant beat them big yella wedges can you.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Thats how I read it to. Only thing is, MM said there are lots of stumps butchered.
Cant beat them big yella wedges can you.

Another read would be he has pulled his bar free after wedging, then rather then keep wedging he's let it come back. When you're paid by the cube to fell, time is money.

There's a lot of felling techniques - particularly when you're production felling where tree lean doesn't determine direction of fall so much as limit it - that aren't too commonly seen. The stump story that some might find a total mess and dangerous I read and see as perfectly safe and acceptable. But then again - theres some fools out there who've just been lucky (so far).

I'm not seeing a good stump here, but I wouldn't call it a bad one either. Even the small front... if the tree had a back lean and he was trying to keyhole it to suit the snig pattern it could explain that. We've all had trees sit back, and the guys fixed the issue, got on with the job, put it on the ground and gone to the next one. I'm reserving judgement.

So this isn't a Charles Bronson movie?

I read it as though he's pulled his saw out and the tree has stood, not gone anywhere. I've found when the saw has been pinched (after it's done some work)it tends to leave distinct marks from the chain rivets - little circles in the shape of the bar. Also you wouldn't think he started a seconds saw, over-ran his 2nd scarf while his first saw was still in there....

but we will never know....

At least the tree wasn't left while it was 80% cut, but it does look like someone had a rough time on this one

Originally Posted by John.G

When you're paid by the cube to fell, time is money.

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

more pics tomorrow,as i forgot to take the camera today ..MM