top lock?

[slippery]

hi all, iv'e managed to secure some fire wood from felled trees in railway sidings, but i have not been trained properly on the chainsaw, although i have been using them a few years, and have been a woodcutter (carpenter) for twenty + years.

some of these trees are laying against a bank, about 3-5 meters away and slightly above the level of the felling cut, in compression and i know that can be tricky. i recall reading about a cut that was maybe called a top lock?

can anyone refresh my memory please??

[Mesterh]

Be very careful when felling along or up banks, the butt can come back at you and/or flick up, doing some very very serious damage!!

 

Dunno about the top lock:confused1:

[Stephen Blair]

going from your information mate, you should do your ground tickets, plenty guys on here could help you out arranging them, just a few hundred quid and a week of your life. And you will thoroughly enjoy it, if you are going to start doing your own firewood then then the saving on gas and electricity will cover your training

[ukminch]

A rolling bore cut maybe? Sounds like the trees may already have been felled, can't you drag them out to somewhere you can work with them more easily?

 

R

[Treewarrior]

Slippery, you called me a few weeks ago regarding timber for logs. I called your number but got no answer.

 

Where's the trees. I could possibly come and have a look at what's required for you.

[tommer9]

going from your information mate, you should do your ground tickets, plenty guys on here could help you out arranging them, just a few hundred quid and a week of your life. And you will thoroughly enjoy it, if you are going to start doing your own firewood then then the saving on gas and electricity will cover your training

 

Couldnt agree more. You may even find a 2 day course teaching maintainence and cross cutting, without the felling side, which would be sub £200 mark. Well worth it, and on top of heating bill savings, you will save a fortune on not paying a shop to service your gear. Good luck with the firewood.

[Billy]

Sounds like your a practical guy, with some saw experience just use your common sense and be careful, CS30 & 31 only really give anything useful to complete novice's IMO. The information given on tension and compression is extremely basic and nothing you couldn't figure out on your own. Dealing with tree's on banks, tension and compression etc is more about experience so you may as well get stuck in. Just take it slow and be aware of the potential energy stored in some contorted limbs, sometimes you've only got to touch the chain on them and they will snap and fly around, this could easily break a arm or leg, or much worse. I've not heard of this top lock cut, sorry. Jut avoid cutting too deep into the compression side of timber, especially if you only have 1 saw!!

[Mesterh]

Tbh I musta missed the bit where you say they have already been felled.

 

I would be very weary tbh and it prob isnt a job for a novice especially on there own.

 

If its a complete mess of a job ie felled anyway lots of crossing etc then it will be tricky enough for a pro.

 

Take some photos and post them at least before you have a go mate.

 

Things can happen very quick and go wrong quicker.

[dangerous brian]

Weve done rail tree work biggest draw back is the public liability through the roof,also british rail dont mess about if you dont have the qualifications you dont have the insurance,i would buy a load in and forget about the rail work for now also trees on any sort of bank are twice as much work,may end up being false economy,but if you need some sound advice PM combined trees he knows his stuff.

[ukminch]

Tbh I musta missed the bit where you say they have already been felled.

 

 

He doesn't I just thought it sounded like trees had been felled brash chipped leaving the trunks on the bank where they fell sort of thing. Hence the 3-5m away from his access point? Maybe quite wrong in which case I'd definitely suggest doing a felling course.

 

R

 

p.s.

In fact it wasn't how I read it,

"hi all, iv'e managed to secure some fire wood from felled trees in railway sidings"

Edited February 3, 2010 by ukminch
Added a ps