Ooops!

[Paul Barton]

So I had my first proper cock-up today! I hesitate to write it here but it may just help someone else.

 

We were felling dead/dying horse chestnuts in a field next to a road. We couldn't fell them straight in to the field (at 90 deg to the wall) as there was some fencing within the field to avoid so we decided to fell them diagonally, ie at 45 degrees to the wall.

 

We put a line in the tree attached to a Land Rover as the tree was very slightly back weighted towards the road.

 

Unfortunately the hinge was inadequate due to my poor cutting. I had done my cuts, walked away from the tree and signalled for the Landy to pull away - then watched with horror as the tree started to go and then span around on it's hinge and toppled towards the road:scared:. I am pleased to say we had closed the road as a precaution anyway so no passing traffic was involved.

 

I was so gutted and rather sheepish for the rest for the afternoon.

 

Looking at the stump I could see my mistake clearly - I had left a minute hinge on the field side and a thicker hinge on the road side. That's right everybody: exactly the wrong way round! I also totally over-estimated the hinge strength in dead timber.

 

Did another tree almost identical later this afternoon and that one went sweet, big sigh!

[Ian150482]

Not much you can say now, only to remember you cant put the hinge back so leave it thicker than usual, and when you want to check the hinge is parallel eye it through with your sink cut. I proberly not explained that very well.

 

I've had a bad day, and my head aches.:wave:

[Jamie]

lesson learnt, nothing was damaged. i'm sure everyone has done that once.

 

Our newbie did that recently, except he squashed a panel of heras fence. He wasn't so cocky after that

 

Jamie

[Dean Lofthouse]

If I want to make sure I have a good hinge and make it perfect, I put in the gob cut and plunge cut behind, you can then take as long as you wish to get the hinge exactly how you want it.

 

When your ready, plunge your saw in and continue the cut back

[Pete Mctree]

If I want to make sure I have a good hinge and make it perfect, I put in the gob cut and plunge cut behind, you can then take as long as you wish to get the hinge exactly how you want it.

 

When your ready, plunge your saw in and continue the cut back

 

plunge cuts are very limiting, if the wood is brittle or there are cavities you can find yourself in a very dangerous and difficult position as the hinge is set poorley with no chance of compensating for the problem

[High Scale]

Don't worry about it Paul, unlike some people who would like us to believe otherwise, we all sometimes, get things wrong.

[Dean Lofthouse]

plunge cuts are very limiting, if the wood is brittle or there are cavities you can find yourself in a very dangerous and difficult position as the hinge is set poorley with no chance of compensating for the problem

 

Plunging behind the hinge and bringing it forward to create the hinge you want is extremely accurate and not limited at all. I use it when I want an extremely accurate fell.

 

If the wood is dead and the tree is leaning sideways from the way you want it to go, then no hinge will hold, however you do it or however good you are.

 

I've just thought of a new invention, :alberteinstein:Mr Ed I need a word!

[3dogs]

dont worry about it weve all done something similar. pmt once felled a tree on me:cussing:

[Pete Mctree]

dont worry about it weve all done something similar. pmt once felled a tree on me:cussing:

 

Must not have been big enough as i can't remember:wave:

[Ian150482]

Pecontools, Do you mean same method as the dog tooth cut?