What felling cut

[jase8519]

Hi all,

 

I was working with a bloke the other day pollarding a willow. We could free fall all timber as no targets below the tree. The lad doing the climbing was felling very large sections well over 12 -14 inch diam and lengths some about 15 to 20ft and very near horizontal. He was just putting an under cut in then a top cut quickly through the branch. Some fell fine and only a few barbered chaired. My question is should or would a bore cut or a snap cut have been the best option or another method. Thanks in advance. ps The bloke I was working with has many years experience and imo was not in any danger at all, Me being fairly new to this just wanted to know if another cut would have been more appropriate.

[treequip]

Why didn't you ask him?

 

Surely he would have been in a better place than any of us to clarify any points.

[Steve Bullman]

I'd generally put in a thin but reasonable deep gob on limbs like you've described

[Steve Bullman]

When I say deep, I mean as deep as you dare without pinching the saw up

[jase8519]

I did ask him and answer was under cut it then chase it through..... just wan to know what you guys would have done.

[treequip]

I did ask him and answer was under cut it then chase it through..... just wan to know what you guys would have done.

 

 

Its tricky to second guess what someone else has done

 

Personally I would do whatever was appropriate at the time and commensurate with the individuals ability.

[daltontrees]

Hi all,

 

I was working with a bloke the other day pollarding a willow. We could free fall all timber as no targets below the tree. The lad doing the climbing was felling very large sections well over 12 -14 inch diam and lengths some about 15 to 20ft and very near horizontal. He was just putting an under cut in then a top cut quickly through the branch. Some fell fine and only a few barbered chaired. My question is should or would a bore cut or a snap cut have been the best option or another method. Thanks in advance. ps The bloke I was working with has many years experience and imo was not in any danger at all, Me being fairly new to this just wanted to know if another cut would have been more appropriate.

 

A flat fall can be more or less assured by using an outboard step cut, sounds like what the guy was doing.

[Gerbutt]

I line my cuts up on bigger stuff. Be careful using outboard cuts, I've found they sometimes take the saw with them.

[Mick Dempsey]

A lot depends on species, on larger hardwoods I trim both sides as much as I dare, undercut (just kerf width) then hard and fast directly above and in line and it pops off.

Picked that up off a Yankee forum, works really well.

[jase8519]

A flat fall can be more or less assured by using an outboard step cut, sounds like what the guy was doing.

 

So what is the max diameter you would use a step cut ?