Rate My Hinge.

[Frank]

I just like the sound of the back of my axe hitting a wedge. Think it looks cool as well to fall a tree with wedges. Set it up with chainsaw, finish it with back of the axe.

[Tom D]

I tend to use larger gobs occasionaly when i want to get back to some butresses for lateral stability. I never cut a big gob on a big tree without first checking it for soundness, otherwise you could cut through any sound wood into a big rotten hole, leaving very little hinge.

 

Take your bean tin and draw round the base onto some paper then take a coke can and place it in the midle of your circle, draw round that and you have another inner circle. The inner circle represents hollow or rotten wood. now draw two hinges, one at 25% across and one at50%, measure the live wood at either side and you will see that the smaller gob has more live wood.

 

over simplified but you get the idea.

 

I treat every large tree individuallt and usually place my gob where i feel it will have most strength.

[skyhuck]

On hollow trees I just leave the hinge thicker to make up for the lack of width, again with hollow trees I prefer the hinge to be nearer the middle, as I feel it reduces the chance of twisting and splitting.

[18 stoner]

But you require more leverage, because you have not undermined the COG, just get a tin of beans and a pencil. Put the pencil under the tin in the "recommended" hinge placement. Now push the tin as though it was a tree being felled, note the amount of pressure required to push the can.

 

Now move the pencil back to near the middle of the base of the can, now push the can again, the force require will be much less.

 

No Dave, your tin of beans would be relative to a stem leaning back possibly, but not a tree with a canopy posiibly 40 or 60 feet wide backleaning.

 

Its to do with percentage you move the hinge in relation to the canopy not the stem width.

 

I totally agree with you about getting the hinge far enough back to gain a good wide hinge, but pushing it back to overcome the COG is not mathematically correct.

 

If a COG of a tree was say 3 feet behind the hinge, moving that hinge back say 6 or 8 inches will hardly reduce the weight backwards. However, it will increase the force needed at the rear of the back cut to push the tree over, especially if the back cut is now only say 6 or 8 inches long from the hinge. That force needed has almost doubled, yet negligable effect to the COG.

 

I have tried and explain this before Dave, and possibly aren't too good at it, but hope this time ive done it better:blushing:

 

If however, as you say you dont use wedges to push the tree over, and just a pull line, i guess it doesnt matter a hoot how deep the gob is!

[skyhuck]

 

If however, as you say you dont use wedges to push the tree over, and just a pull line, i guess it doesnt matter a hoot how deep the gob is!

 

Oh it does, Todd my groundie is not huge, so by setting the hinge further back he does not need to pull as hard.

 

Also by using a large gob on upright well balanced trees you need no felling add at all, they just go over.

[RobRainford]

I only ever use small gobs if I'm climbing and using a silky say on a small branch. When I'm felling I use a pretty 'standard' size. On ones where I need that extra weight on the front I'll cut a bit deeper. But usually I'm never more than 25-30%. If it's small trees say up to 6" diameter or a 10' high pole I will put a larger than average gob because it's easier. I had to knock over a dead ash stem. About 6' high and 15" diameter. Half rotten from daldinia. Big gob. I left a hinge about 1cm thick and it wouldn't fall over even with a big gob in it. Just gave it a nudge and it fell nicely then.

[Frank]

I only ever use small gobs if I'm climbing and using a silky say on a small branch. When I'm felling I use a pretty 'standard' size. On ones where I need that extra weight on the front I'll cut a bit deeper. But usually I'm never more than 25-30%. If it's small trees say up to 6" diameter or a 10' high pole I will put a larger than average gob because it's easier. I had to knock over a dead ash stem. About 6' high and 15" diameter. Half rotten from daldinia. Big gob. I left a hinge about 1cm thick and it wouldn't fall over even with a big gob in it. Just gave it a nudge and it fell nicely then.

 

But did it fall the right way?

 

 

 

Let's see some pictures of your hinges.

[combined tree services]

my gob cuts tend to vary depending on the species and condition of what im felling . we recently took down a large Lawsonia which had a large cavity at the base , Chris that works for me felled it by taking out a large gob(just over halfway through ) so that he could use the buttres roots for the hinge , it came down exactly whee we wanted it too come down . It was something i had not thought about doing in that circumstance but was well impressed with the results!!

[RobRainford]

But did it fall the right way?

 

 

 

Let's see some pictures of your hinges.

 

It did!

 

 

I don't think to take any but I think I've got one somewhere!

 

I will start to take more just for you frank!

[18 stoner]

I had to knock over a dead ash stem. About 6' high and 15" diameter. Half rotten from daldinia. Big gob. I left a hinge about 1cm thick and it wouldn't fall over even with a big gob in it. Just gave it a nudge and it fell nicely then.

 

Did you shout "TIMBER" and "YEE HAA!" running up and down the stem waving your hands in the air then take a bow from the applauding crowds?