Rate My Hinge.

[Bewarethemoon]

It was a 35ft pole with a back lean. Bore through the middle to have a more friendly hinge. That was my thinking.......(correct me if needs be as I want to learn, plenty out there who have years and years of experience and tips to pass on!!!😀)

 

 

No, not at all. That sounds right to me.

 

I was just being inquisitive 👍🏻

 

Daniel

[18 stoner]

I like your interpretation, except for this part;

 

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"When the tree falls on the hinge".

 

 

The problem I have with this, and therefore the whole opinion you have explained, is that a decent face cut will allow the hinge to "bend" for adequately long enough that the momentum will of already set the falling position of the tree before the face closes, therefore eliminating the effect of buttress fibres pulling the tree one way or the other.

 

Hope I've explained my thoughts ok.

[mistahbenn]

A lot of it is for show. So the photos you take look prettier. Also the more cuts you make the more it looks like you're a pro, after all, any twonk can do a gob and back cut.

 

The only time I've ever found it necessary is felling a tree over 3x bar length.

 

Im a twonk and lazy and just cut at a height which is most comfortable, then cut the butt. I also cut bog gobs all of the time now with great success. Whole tree, sticks, rigging timber. Not only does it undermine the COG, making it easier to push off the hinge, I find a hinge at the fattest part of the tree is more reliable.

 

Why do you make your gobs so small, please do tell..

[scotspine1]

Just for accuracy, for me personally I prefer it.

 

If you're doing it for the accuracy reason your wasting your time, energy, fuel and saw hours doing it that way.

 

You don't need to cut the buttresses off - make your notch, scribe your backcut and use that scribe marking at the sides to make reducing cuts on each side to remove the curved fibres of the buttresses, don't go too far in on either side as you don't want to ruin your hinge, just the same depth as you would if you were cutting the entire buttress off. Then continue on with your backcut in the same kerf.

 

there's various other methods of removing the buttress fibres without the need for cutting away the whole buttresses themselves.

 

The angle of your notch ie 60 degrees and the quality of your hinge (optimum size for stem diameter, species, conditions etc) is far more important for felling accuracy than removing buttress fibres. In fact, the effect of removing buttress fibres in relation to achieving a more accurate fell is of so little significance as to be almost negligible when considering your approach to felling a tree.

 

Buttress removal in general is a throwback to forestry for the reasons other people have already mentioned.

[silky fox]

I am loving this thread right now...buttresses...to cut....or NOT to cut,that is the question😆

[Joe Newton]

Im a twonk and lazy and just cut at a height which is most comfortable, then cut the butt. I also cut bog gobs all of the time now with great success. Whole tree, sticks, rigging timber. Not only does it undermine the COG, making it easier to push off the hinge, I find a hinge at the fattest part of the tree is more reliable.

 

 

 

Why do you make your gobs so small, please do tell..

 

 

My gobs are small cos the trees I cut are tiny compared to you arb Heros over the pond!

 

Which of my gobs do you mean? I usually prefer a deep gob over a small one as you get a larger area of hinge wood. Typically I cut about 40% in for a gob.

[Ian Flatters]

When you say accuracy Ian, do you mean dressing the hinge due to having flat edges etc, or more accuracy of the fall?

 

I, like Pete can't picture an advantage.

 

 

Yeah, only if your felling commercially.

 

Yeah dressing the hinge properly I found is quite important for teaching the apprentices. I've always started them of that way.

[Lucan]

I was told to cut the toes (or ears?) off beech and a few others if felling of mill wood as they have a tendency to tear up the stem reducing the quality of the product.

[Darrin Turnbull]

Im a twonk and lazy and just cut at a height which is most comfortable, then cut the butt. I also cut bog gobs all of the time now with great success. Whole tree, sticks, rigging timber. Not only does it undermine the COG, making it easier to push off the hinge, I find a hinge at the fattest part of the tree is more reliable.

 

 

 

Why do you make your gobs so small, please do tell..

 

 

The sapwood has more fibers. Heartwood would tend to break quicky. Thats the only reason i can think of.

[Spruce Pirate]

I like your interpretation, except for this part;

 

 

 

 

The problem I have with this, and therefore the whole opinion you have explained, is that a decent face cut will allow the hinge to "bend" for adequately long enough that the momentum will of already set the falling position of the tree before the face closes, therefore eliminating the effect of buttress fibres pulling the tree one way or the other.

 

Hope I've explained my thoughts ok.

 

Yes, you've explained your thoughts fine. I'm not trying to convert you to taking the ears off - just trying to answer your question of why do people do it. For what it's worth, I cut around 100 trees today - I didn't take the ears off any of them. I think taking the ears off, or not, is another decision you have to make on a tree by tree basis - most of the time you'll be fine leaving them on, on the flip side, most of the time taking them off isn't going to do too much harm either.