back strap cut, whats the point?

[woody paul]

If you want to know why its good to use this type of cut find two good leaning sweet chestnuts cut the first with back strap and then the second without, O by the way ring for a ambulance before the second leaner.

[Canal Navvy]

If a tree splits and then snaps off high your safe zone has gone 😲 , there will be a length of stem above & behind you ..... you'd have to be quick to guess which side it's coming down 😈

[Arbocop]

excuse the title, i'm not rubbishing the cut, I have never used it but recently watched a guy use it and was left wondering why. I'm thinking of giving it a go on the next job which has a selection of straight fells and leaners. But I've just sat through a number of youtube videos of the back strap cut and couldn't see any reason to use it over a standard back cut. If you have cleared you work area and taken up a safe cutting position you should be just as safe? If a tree is going to barbour chair what benefit does the back strap cut offer?

 

Hi chap.

 

all the stated reasons, but the phisics is the back uncut strip holds a leaning tree from moving while you boear throough and cut forwards, to get the hing thickness correct. when that is done you sever the strap and hay presto safe fall.

 

i should say if you have done a chainsaw felling qualification you should cover this

 

cheers

[R Mac]

Yeah was taught when I did CS-31, there's an alternative cut, the double V cut, it's shown before the dog tooth cut in the CS-31 (Felling up to 380) workbook.

[Jimbo 76]

Hi Flat,

 

As covered using an appropriate secondary holding wood cut can negate the risk of a 'barber chair' in a forward leaner i.e a'dogs tooth cut. In this case it's because with a leaning tree the force on the side opposite to the gob is exacerbated due to the further distance these fibres are relative to the hinge and centre of gravity. As covered straight grains like Ash are prone to 'barber chair'

 

However in forestry we use only really back tab holding cut or pie both the same really. This is because on large trees other holding cuts i.e split level aren't appropriate due to the mass off the tree.

 

The pie cut allows us more time principly to set wedges etc winch and can be used on forward and back leaders or even in a changeable situation such as high winds where centre of gravity etc are changeable.

 

In reality if the tree is small diameter we try not to use compound cuts such as dogs tooth as it takes time. However we probably should. Sharp chain and speed allow safe felling so long so as you don't chase the cut.

 

Cheers

James

[Mark Bolam]

I'm glad someone mentioned sharp chain James.

[flatyre]

Thanks guys, wasn't taught it, what threw me was the guy who did it didn't need to as there was very little lean on the tree he was felling, and he didn't do a very good job of explaining when and why to use it. My work involves mainly topping or felling conifers which are maybe fifteen to twenty years old at most, so not big enough for bore cuts etc. But its good to know the reasons behind it. thanks again.

[dan494]

 

Dunno if there is clip online of barbers chairs happening, mibee easier to understand when u see it.

 

 

Heres one some of you may have seen, this guy puts up vids like this to show how good he is at felling!!

https://www.Facebook.com/420942288009041/videos/627799850656616/

[drinksloe]

Going to ask a bit of a stupid question here

 

I see a couple of folk have mentioned a dogs tooth cut (i take it that is the cut where do back cut from both sides so u can put ur breaker bar in) and leaning trees.

I thought they were only for smaller backwards leaning trees so tree does not sit on ur bar and u have no room to get a wedge/bar in plus saw.

 

As being mentioned on a back strap cut thread, do folk use them for forward leaning trees?

I would of thought the side bit left as final cut might be too far round side to stop tree splitting/barbers chairing esp on larger trees

[R Mac]

Did he do a Dogs tooth cut? looked like a regular large felling cut to me. Looked like his back cut was way too high, a good 6" higher than the back of the gob and the hinge was too heavy which was probably why even with the degree of lean he was having to wedge it.