Climbing a "leaner"

[htb]

5 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

It’s Newton.

Probably some kind of cocktail of red wine, meth and spice.

Just a tame day then?

[Joe Newton]

It was a Tuesday of memory serves.

 

Felling it would have flattened the understory trees. No biggy but the LA wanted them retained for whatever reason. Also because the stem was so bent it would likely have rolled and ended up in the live traffic lane.

[Thesnarlingbadger]

It was a Tuesday of memory serves.
 
Felling it would have flattened the understory trees. No biggy but the LA wanted them retained for whatever reason. Also because the stem was so bent it would likely have rolled and ended up in the live traffic lane.

Fair enough. I know there would have been good reason mate.

[Joe Newton]

1 hour ago, Thesnarlingbadger said:

Fair enough. I know there would have been good reason mate.

I haven't even mentioned the mewp that was just out of shot 🤣

[drinksloe]

Plenty of good advice already.

 

1 thing that has not been mentioned is the simple straight fell, assuming u have 40ft of garden to the 1 side not surrounded by buildings, if the birch is healthy at the butt the hinge will hold well.

At 40ft tall not a massive tree dunno how heavy the branches are on the leaning side, but if not too heavy i'd put a pull rope as high up as i could with a throw line, give the tree a pull/shake just by hand to see if i thought i could just pull it over by hand without a winch ( usually work solo so no one else to pull rope as i cut) if it didn't move set up some sort of hand winch.

 

If i thought i could boss the tree myself ( and assuming ur confident with ur felling cuts), i'd put my back cut in 1st, knock a small wedge ( depending how small the tree most likely parralell to where hinge line just incase u need to wedge it a bit before u pull it over, as i u drive in the normal way will hit the back of the hinge) then stick my gub cut in.

Depending on the targets i might leave the hinge a bit thick but when u have cut a tree this way to thin the hinge u cut a slither of the diagonal face of the gub. 

Since building nearby i'd prob set my little winch up anyway even if i could pull it over just for peace of mind

 

Most likely push over with ur shoulder, was felling a load of birch yest, some had a hellish back lean on them, not  big timber only really getting 6m odd of firewood of most, some a good bit more, but amazing how far u can push them doing the back cut 1st, u'd never do it otherwise with normal cuts with timber so small.

 

Another trick i made up which is handy for willow or trees heavily leaning over burns is to cut a long hooked stick with a branch u can use as a hook ( a V fork but stem upside down) stick ur pulling stick up in the tree, back cut 1st and just use ur pulling stick to pull tree over.

Seen me doing small willow growing at 45 degrees over burns on my own with out getting feet/hands wet, nipping saw or buggering about with ropes, a good quick and easy way on small timber.

Once u get the hang of it works well and can get a lot done in a day

Edited February 23, 2022 by drinksloe

[Thesnarlingbadger]

I haven't even mentioned the mewp that was just out of shot 🤣

I’d have rather climbed it than got in a MEWP, horrible things.

[woody paul]

If it could be felled would he be asking the question about climbing it??. 

Never heard of felling trees your way, There's a lot that can go wrong and if it did try and explain that in court if it got to that. 

[Marc Lewis]

I believe it is a proper technique, used in the states a bit.

[Stephen Blair]

Best trees to start on, skinny and scary!  Kick your spikes in as hard as you can, always be at the back of the tree and get your chore working.  Cross your flip line or add a carabiner to choke and suck it up and learn this is the job.  You’ll be scared, you’ll have to battle the WTF am I doing up here emotions but you’ll get there.  

[drinksloe]

5 hours ago, woody paul said:

If it could be felled would he be asking the question about climbing it??. 

Never heard of felling trees your way, There's a lot that can go wrong and if it did try and explain that in court if it got to that. 

He didn't say it couldn't be felled just building on 3 sides and a back lean.

All i'm saying is an extra point of view from a non/poor climber

 

I'm a forestry cutter and rubbish/retired climber so i'm always looking if possible to straight fell a tree a bit/lot of back lean wouldn't automatically mean u couldn't straight fell, depending on tree species.

I would never suggest it if he mentioned almost any other hard tree species, but birch are dependable hinges if u do ur bit right.

I've seen climbers climb a lot of trees i would never have bothered as that often is their 1st thought with a problem tree, not right or wrong just a different mindset as thats the way u think

 

If ur putting a winch on it u could put the back cut in as standard as no chance of nipping ur saw.

Only doing back cut 1st as otherwise it would nip ur saw and no room for a wedge, and in a but as small no a lot of room for a split level either.

If ur confident and know ur cuts and where u want each cut to end makes no odds putting back cut in 1st, althou it does take a bit off experience to get ur gub just right.

 

I'll fell a lot of trees that way if i need to, ie small under 2ft butts and slight back lean, otherwise u get no production.

Felling crappy wee willow solo over a burn its a godsend with a pulling stick if u want to stay dry and not drop them in burn.