Best felling cuts for felling uphill??

[drinksloe]

Alright

 

Bit of a newbie question really considering how long I've been on a saw, but wondering wot others do as every day is a school day.

And thinking there must be a better way than wot I'm doing.

Must admit never really learned many fancy cuts

 

The craic is felling soft woods ( larch in this case but also done similar with SS and Norway) up a pretty steep hill to a harvester at the top

 

Wot I'm looking for is a cut which will sever every time, even if at 45 uphill angle, but still strong enough hinge to control direction and wedge if needed.

 

I think I'm right in saying a Humboldt will??

Have used it occasionally, when I used to climb but never used it that much.

These are big enough sticks I dinae want to be p##ssing about with cuts not confident in and need to get timber on deck, althou safely

 

I'm just using a standard cut with sap? wood cuts ( think that's there name to stop great big rabbit ears/tears) althou often slightly split level as coming in from both sides so i can be on the safest side

 

Adapting it slightly and it does sever most trees, but every now and again I absolutely hate having to go back in the sever the hinge, esp when they ping up, see saw and then twist and slide back down the banking at u 

[Bolt]

If felling uphill, the humboldt may well be a waste of timber.

 

I would experiment with a shallower angled conventional sink cut, as it should break off the hinge sooner than a ‘normal 45*’ angled sink cut.

 

The enthusiastic removal of ‘sap wood’ should reduce tearing and ensure a clean break.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jmac]

I usually only use the humbolt cut for felling down hill when sticks are being winched uphill, I just use a shallow angled deeper conventional cut for felling uphill so it breaks off the hinge before coming in contact with the ground.

[Spruce Pirate]

Never used the Humbolt for uphill felling, need to have too high a stump to get the gub in the stump. 

 

Personally I use the sap wood cuts as you describe, narrow gub and leave as thin a hinge as possible.  Forward leaning trees sometimes worthwhile boring in and setting the hinge nice and thin first.  Wouldn't bother messing around with straps at the back, just come straight out.  Most trees uphill will need a wedge in my experience normally means you end up chasing the hinge to get it as thin as possible and then making a swift retreat, not always easy on a steep slippy slope.  Generally don't like uphill felling but sometimes needs must.

 

There aren't many experiences as scary as you describe of a butt pinging 15' in the air and then taking off down the hill as you sever the hinge if it stays on. 

[jmac]

Like this? Poor quality un focused footage, I ain't no Spielberg ?

[Stephen Blair]

Match the angle of the slope, your job is to fell the tree and be safe.  I always want the tree to stay attached to the stump once it’s hit the deck to save any drama.  Once it’s on the deck cut along the hinge and leave a couple of inches holding on, let the harvester driver learn how to turn/twist rip it off.  Work as a team and once you have X amount under your belt and the operator  you will have it sussed.

  

[jmac]

8 minutes ago, Stephen Blair said:

Match the angle of the slope, your job is to fell the tree and be safe.  I always want the tree to stay attached to the stump once it’s hit the deck to save any drama.  Once it’s on the deck cut along the hinge and leave a couple of inches holding on, let the harvester driver learn how to turn/twist rip it off.  Work as a team and once you have X amount under your belt and the operator  you will have it sussed.

  

That's ok if all the tree is going to be on the ground, but if like the ones in the video 50 ft of the tree would be in mid air, leaving it on the hinge is way more dangerous and I dont want to be dicking about nibbling at a hinge in that situation.

[Spruce Pirate]

What you can do sometimes is get the harvester to hold the tree while you take the hinge off.  Only works sometimes if the tree is lying right.  It can save the tree taking off, but won't help to stop it springing.  Sometimes it could make the butt spring worse.

[drinksloe]

Aye jmac exactly like that, there not so bad when they just ping up althou they do have some force, it's when the bigger butts decide to chase u down the hill, esp if they roll and come down at a different angle. When u thought u were safe sliding on ur arse at an angle.

Ur to busy looking down to make sure u don't end up swimming in the river if u slip.

  

Aye not so bad if doing single trees to harvester but it broke down the other day so ended up just felling them on my own for an afternoon to put day in.

Lu's some of the butts are getting up near oversize kgs so harvester struggling a wee touch with the bigger 1's, if still on hinge might be too much for it.

 

Aye I never thought of making gub tighter ( but I should off) althou I have got into a bad habit on normal trees off having quite a tight gub keep meaning to open it up but must of been doing it for years and just seems natural now.

Mind doing it years ago for a skyline with closed gubs to snap hinges ( downhill felling) and a particular skinny tree just hung up in mid air didnae have enough wieght in it to snap hinge.

Won't be a problem the stuff I'm on now thou

 

I am tending to over cutt the gub cuts in both directions on purpose to weaken it too ( althou remembering this when leaving hinge, seen u forgetting the over cut and just about step cutting the buggers, not good if need to wedge), which I hate doing + plus the sap wood cuts.

Butt odd 1s still hanging on, not many thou.

 

 

 

Aye jmac, speilberg has nowt to worry about, but then again won't be easy catching them the speed they ping at while keeping u safe.

I doubt speilberg has ever had to worry about a couple of tonnes of timber chasing him down a slope u can barely stand on when dry never mind this time of year 

[Stephen Blair]

10 hours ago, jmac said:

That's ok if all the tree is going to be on the ground, but if like the ones in the video 50 ft of the tree would be in mid air, leaving it on the hinge is way more dangerous and I dont want to be dicking about nibbling at a hinge in that situation.

Totally agree on the situation on the video, I think whatever you do on those jobs it’s cut n run, slide and hopefully not get caught out.

  I don’t know the safe answer in those situations accept the site should be felled down hill and skylined out maybe.