Step cutting unrigged large white willow branches

[hesslemount]

Has anyone any tips for step cutting larger willow branches? I pollarded a willow and all the branches were free fall as zero collateral. Branches had leans of 10-55 degrees and were 10cm-40cm diameter weighing up to 3/4 tonne. I’m 16 years a climber and 27 years qualified. Very few of the step cuts were playing ball with no clean breaks, many unprofessional tares and one very unpredictable rip from just an undercut on the largest branch that 99/100 times would have trapped the top handled saw with a 45 degree lean.

[Timbertom111]

Go out further and take smaller bits.

 

Put a felling cut in as appose to step cut. Make sure you cut the side of the hinge aswell before back cut. 

 

Use a bigger saw with smaller bar for faster chain speed. 

[Jake Andrews]

I tend to ‘box cut’ those sort of branches (not sure if that’s a widely used term or not).
I start with the under cut, then proceed to cut sideways into both sides of the branches by about an inch but meet up with the under cut. You are now left with a rectangle shape of holding wood at the top. Now, cut the top holding wood straight down to meet both side cuts and the under cut so that all cuts meet. This ensures that no cambium or new woood remains uncut and doesn’t tear. What you will find is that the branch ‘pops’ off the branch rather than folds down like willow tends to do when step cut, you get a much better clean break this way.
Hope this helps.

[carlos]

4 minutes ago, Jake Andrews said:

I tend to ‘box cut’ those sort of branches (not sure if that’s a widely used term or not).
I start with the under cut, then proceed to cut sideways into both sides of the branches by about an inch but meet up with the under cut. You are now left with a rectangle shape of holding wood at the top. Now, cut the top holding wood straight down to meet both side cuts and the under cut so that all cuts meet. This ensures that no cambium or new woood remains uncut and doesn’t tear. What you will find is that the branch ‘pops’ off the branch rather than folds down like willow tends to do when step cut, you get a much better clean break this way.
Hope this helps.

i learnt that cut from members on here and find its reliable and effective.

[manco]

nothing to add

[daltontrees]

What Jake said, near impossible not to get tears with willows.

[woody paul]

As already said big saw short bar and keep it sharp. 

And don't back off at any point or stop cutting. 

[Mick Dempsey]

Get some mud sent up.

[Retired Climber]

10 hours ago, Jake Andrews said:

I tend to ‘box cut’ those sort of branches (not sure if that’s a widely used term or not).
I start with the under cut, then proceed to cut sideways into both sides of the branches by about an inch but meet up with the under cut. You are now left with a rectangle shape of holding wood at the top. Now, cut the top holding wood straight down to meet both side cuts and the under cut so that all cuts meet. This ensures that no cambium or new woood remains uncut and doesn’t tear. What you will find is that the branch ‘pops’ off the branch rather than folds down like willow tends to do when step cut, you get a much better clean break this way.
Hope this helps.

I can't picture this in my head. Would someone be kind enough to draw a picture or something (for the hard of thinking). 

[Wonky]

I think it s simple really, it’s what thos guys in the USA do with stringy sap wood in standing timber and don’t want it to fuć up the fell by it holding on.

 

to put it another way, you got a nice veneer log and you want to max out the product, so you cut the sap wood on each side so you don’t get fiber pull 

and helps with it not Barber chairing. So the same goes with it up in the tree ?

 

im sure there’s a proper term for it  “relief cuts” ?