Thread: one for the falling experts.

i agree with weisy a strap cut should only be atempted by expereanced fallers as it very dangerous when not done proprely and should not be explained in text without someone experianced enough to show you. Never attempt one of these cuts unless you know what you are doing.
If you want to learn how to do it i sugest you get in contact with a fitec trainer or someone very experianced in doing a strap cut.
As it was said earlyer when you cut the strap it all hapens very quickly and leaves little time for escape

Originally Posted by Krunchie

Btw I have been using Fiskars Axe's and Splitters as my tools of choice when it comes to cutting/splitting wood or knocking a wedge in. Any thoughts?

Cheers

I have a Fiskars Splitter, they are very popular down here, The handle is carbon-fibre I think, as light as a large claw hammer, I believe they are impossible to break
(according to the bloke in the Sthil shop) mine is about 3 years old. I thought everyone would have one by now, if you have'nt tried one, get one, you won't bother with wooden handles or f/glass handles again. So easy to cart around.
cheers John

Originally Posted by swing mill

i agree with weisy a strap cut should only be atempted by expereanced fallers as it very dangerous when not done proprely and should not be explained in text without someone experianced enough to show you. Never attempt one of these cuts unless you know what you are doing.
If you want to learn how to do it i sugest you get in contact with a fitec trainer or someone very experianced in doing a strap cut.
As it was said earlyer when you cut the strap it all hapens very quickly and leaves little time for escape

I agree. Suffice to say it is only used on heavy forward leaners and involves a sequence of cuts that conclude with a final cut that cuts the "strap". Then you run like hell. (in a controlled and professional manner of course).

regards
Steve

there is no need to run like hell, or even run at all.

teh beauty of a strap cut is you have control of exactly when the tree will fall.

before you start cutting any tree you should have an escape rout cleared back behind anotehr tree or to a safe location. teh books say a minimum of 6m away. and it should be at a 45 deg angle to fall.

most forest i have worked in you would need a dozer to clear a 6 mt escape route(or spend an hour with the saw) for the forest was that thick with undergrowth and regrowth and in those situations those sort of rules seldom apply you take refuge as far away as posible behinde anything big enough to hide behinde sometimes it might be only 3 or 4 meters away.

as for no need to run well i disagree a strap cut tree will fall a lot faster due to the exsesive lean and the need to eliminate as much holding wood as practical (10% rule) to eliminate splits, yes you can say when the tree will fall but you cant say how fast.in most occasions this leaves little time for retreat.

I agree with Carl,running away is asking for trouble,with a greater risk of tripping,or stumbling.If you have confidence in what your doing,and have created a clear and safe exit,then no need to run away at speed.It's when people panic,problems occurr.No tree is worth loosing your life over,no prizes for heroics...sometimes there are trees that should be left standing,simply too dangerous.I was told by a very,very experienced cutter up north,never to run away...move swiftly,keeping a eye on the exit path,and the other eye on the tree!!

Originally Posted by swing mill

most forest i have worked in you would need a dozer to clear a 6 mt escape route(or spend an hour with the saw) for the forest was that thick with undergrowth and regrowth and in those situations those sort of rules seldom apply you take refuge as far away as posible behinde anything big enough to hide behinde sometimes it might be only 3 or 4 meters away.

as for no need to run well i disagree a strap cut tree will fall a lot faster due to the exsesive lean and the need to eliminate as much holding wood as practical (10% rule) to eliminate splits, yes you can say when the tree will fall but you cant say how fast.in most occasions this leaves little time for retreat.

Sounds like most of the scrub we have around here, vines, lantana & dense bush, (often you have to fall a smaller tree to give yourself room to safely fall the one you want) but statistically most fatalities & injuries happen within 4m of the stump, so if your outside that range then your putting the odds in your favour, anybody who falls a tree & slowly walks away not looking back needs their head read. If your falling for good millable logs, excessive leaners are left for seed, feed or habitat trees because of the uneven tension in them & the hearts run all over the place. The most inconspicuous trees can slab up on you, although its very rare, I have never had a leaner slabup on me because you are prepared & fall them accordingly, but I have had 2 dead straight standing trees slabup on me. They can splitup when the backcut is in only 1/4 or less & I'll tell you something you drop everything & RUN as fast & as far as you can along your escape track. hiding behind a tree is not a good practice to do, the more open air you have above you the better, gives you more chance to see & dodge falling limbs. There are so many hazards in falling with different forest types, getting a ticket is really only the start of the learning curve.
regards inter

I've learnt that a strap cut is dangerous and should only be done by experienced people.
But what the hell is it. Any youtube videos links that I could look at?

If you have to run away from a tree that you are felling.then either your technique needs reviewing or the tree should never have been felled in the first place.Move swiftly,but DO NOT RUN !!

Originally Posted by GSRocket

I've learnt that a strap cut is dangerous and should only be done by experienced people.
But what the hell is it. Any youtube videos links that I could look at?

Oh Sorry Missed Bob L's link. Thanks, now it's making sense. Heard of it talked about but never new its name..

Originally Posted by InterTD6

statistically most fatalities & injuries happen within 4m of the stump, regards inter

I was also told this statistic and follow it. You need to get more than 4 m away from the stump to dramatically improve your chances.
OK you can walk briskly if you are likely to stumble when you run but just make sure you get more than 4m or Carl's 6m away at 45 degrees or as the terrain dictates.
My run is more like a brisk walk anyway these days

cheers
Steve

Originally Posted by InterTD6

. . . . statistically most fatalities & injuries happen within 4m of the stump, . . .

While I agree tree felling is very dangerous most people don't realize that statistically you are much more likely to be injured or killed in a traffic accident on your way to a logging site or other stupidities that creep into the business.

My Dad used to work for one miller that used to routinely overload his trucks. the miller had an elaborate bush telegraph system - as soon as the truck inspectors turned up in town he'd have someone ring him and he used to ring several farms along the log truck route and they'd put up a flag outside their farm gate. If the flags were up and they were overloaded the truck drivers would pull over and drop off a log or two by the side of the road. These trucks were also poorly maintained and a result of this Dad was badly injured in a prang in one of these truck and he had to leave the bush.

Hopefully this no longer happens

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

If you have to run away from a tree that you are felling.then either your technique needs reviewing or the tree should never have been felled in the first place.Move swiftly,but DO NOT RUN !!

most times its not the technique its the type of cutting you use. a strap cut as i said before leaves little time for retreat due to the type of cutting it is. under normal cutting conditions i wont run but will move quickly and be very observant but when using a strap cut its a diferent story. at this point i should say that a strap cut should not be performed unless ther is more than enough clear space for retreat (ie open space with nothing around under foot and more than one option for escape)

as for the tree not being felled well sometimes there are no options. just be aware that things can go wrong and you need to be prepared, use the most appropriate technique suited to the task and most importantly don't rush your cuts do them in a timely maner and don't panic. if you are not confident in felling the tree then get someone who is.

Originally Posted by InterTD6

Sounds like most of the scrub we have around here, vines, lantana & dense bush, (often you have to fall a smaller tree to give yourself room to safely fall the one you want) but statistically most fatalities & injuries happen within 4m of the stump, so if your outside that range then your putting the odds in your favour, anybody who falls a tree & slowly walks away not looking back needs their head read. If your falling for good millable logs, excessive leaners are left for seed, feed or habitat trees because of the uneven tension in them & the hearts run all over the place. The most inconspicuous trees can slab up on you, although its very rare, I have never had a leaner slabup on me because you are prepared & fall them accordingly, but I have had 2 dead straight standing trees slabup on me. They can splitup when the backcut is in only 1/4 or less & I'll tell you something you drop everything & RUN as fast & as far as you can along your escape track. hiding behind a tree is not a good practice to do, the more open air you have above you the better, gives you more chance to see & dodge falling limbs. There are so many hazards in falling with different forest types, getting a ticket is really only the start of the learning curve.
regards inter

yep same sort of scrub where the vines tangle in the tops of the trees and are strong enough to twist the tree on the stump as it falls, the trees are that close together when felling poles they hang up in the heads of other trees so you end up felling 2 or 3 more into it to get it to the ground ( should get a machine to pull it down but when you fall without one there arnt many options) yep great stuff.ha ha

as you said trees with excessive lean are seldom marked for mill log however if there is one as long as you can prove it is to much of a risk the forestry will usualy dismiss it as a habitat tree

i agree with the 4 meter thing but sometimes its almost imposible to move that far due to the undergowth.

all in all i agree with your post.