It was going great until....

[slack ma girdle]

Like that, good to see something different

[Haironyourchest]

Amateurs built the Ark, and eejits built the Titanic...wait...?..

 

Seriously thanks a million, video making is a labour of love and a thankless job for the most part. It's great to have people actually watch the bloody thing and then take the time to comment, I really appreciate it.

[chrism3513]

Hi chrism3513, appreciate the comment!

 

yes you're right, would have been a better job to not narrow the tree down. The reason I did that was simply because I wasn't confident lining up my cuts if I went in from both sides of the tree.

 

The other trees were smaller diameter and it was hard to visualise the straight cuts inside the big gnarly roundy stem. So I thought it might be easier if I could start with some flat planes, and also narrow the stem so I could see the tip of the bar out the other side. I tried using a small spirit level and some rope to mark out the cuts on a previous tree, which kind of worked, but was rushing to finish the job and didn't bother doing that with the big boy.

 

This was the widest tree I have felled so far, the stuff I usually deal with (as it comes up in maintenance work) is much smaller.

 

My usual approach on trees over a foot and a half is to set up the cuts, leaving a somewhat oversize hinge, then apply a little tension with my tirfor. If she won't come, then I gently stroke the back of the hinge a bit and crank a bit more. I have read that 90% of fatal tree accidents occur within five feet of the tree, so I like to be away. If I get bad vibes I work on the hinge with my pole saw, if possible.

 

Fair enough... I reckon you should practice your cuts from both sides It can sometimes catch you out a bit if they dont line up perfectly, but you just have to take the time fixing the scarf if thats the case .

 

youre above mentioned technique for bigger trees sounds fine, but in time you should be able to judge it a little better; id say on 70 - 90% of fells i do (including some big eucs, we get em big in here in Victoria!) i can get the pull rope tensioned up how much i want (usually on a 4wd or similar), do the back cut from both sides, with a wedge or two in as a precaution. then get the hell out of there and signal for the ute to pull it over once im a safe distance away.

 

sometimes itl start going whilst im finishing the 2nd half of the backcut, in which case i try and keep cutting for as long as i can so im not left with a huge hinge on that side, but once the tree has moved a few degrees its a case of get out of there!

 

 

 

By the way, forgot to mention. Video is entertaining to watch / well produced. good work!

[NFG]

Hi

 

Nice video, like the music & we all learn by mistakes.

 

thanks for posting

 

 

N

[Haironyourchest]

Thanks chrism3513 the next big one that comes along I'll take the bull by the horns and just go for it, without cutting out the buttresses. Will most likely mark it out with chalk though, my eye's just not that good to freehand it yet.

Was thinking maybe a builder's self-levelling laser level might work, the ones that project a 'sheet' of laser...

[Haironyourchest]

Hi

 

Nice video, like the music & we all learn by mistakes.

 

thanks for posting

 

 

N

 

Cheers!

[Darrin Turnbull]

Frank Zappa meets ZZ Top.👍

[Haironyourchest]

True!

[Haironyourchest]

I posted the vid on Arboristsite as well, and have been somewhat shocked at the difference in overall responses compared to Arbtalk. Im feeling that it must be a UK - US thing...

 

The guys over in the new word have been telling me that I'm lucky to be alive and that thy couldn't stomach to watch the video etc...?

 

Kind of made me a bit worried, what do you think - was the job really that dangerous? I know the cuts were wrong and crap etc. but was I in real danger? Hard to quantify if one wasn't actually threre, I guess.

 

Or do we Islanders just have a more easy going attitude to danger? Hard to imagine. Then again it could just be pure coincidence....

[treequip]

I posted the vid on Arboristsite as well, and have been somewhat shocked at the difference in overall responses compared to Arbtalk. Im feeling that it must be a UK - US thing...

 

The guys over in the new word have been telling me that I'm lucky to be alive and that thy couldn't stomach to watch the video etc...?

 

Kind of made me a bit worried, what do you think - was the job really that dangerous? I know the cuts were wrong and crap etc. but was I in real danger? Hard to quantify if one wasn't actually threre, I guess.

 

Or do we Islanders just have a more easy going attitude to danger? Hard to imagine. Then again it could just be pure coincidence....

 

Opinions are like armpits and the world is full of keyboard warriors, many of whom are just full of it.

 

Beware placing too much weight on the options such experts. Simple fact is you know it wasn't the best work ever but you also recognise that there were issues to address.

 

Maybe next time get someone experienced to talk you through it:thumbup: