Back cut below gob cut?

[Marc Lewis]

The simple answer is the back cut should never be below the apex of the gob.

 

I have offen seen people angle down the back cut towards the gob assuming this will help mechanical advantage in driving wedges etc. This is a massive misnomer. It takes a surprising small amount of holding wood to safely fell a tree. By slanting your back cut you simply decrease the efficiency of the wedges as the largest turning motion is given at 90 to the hinge. I know this sounds counter intuitive but it's the case.

 

Good placement and correlation of the back cut to hinge becomes more apparent the larger the tree.

 

If your doing anything over 1.5m you simply won't be able to fell the tree with wedges if your back cut is below the hinge. The mechanical disadvantage will be become apparent.

 

If you don't believe me try it. I've ballsed it up in the past and it's not fun.

 

Cheers,

James.

 

Good post:thumbup:

[Spruce Pirate]

What if you don't want to use wedges, you want to use momentum rather than faff about lugging them to a job, so you do half and half, get it going then slow it down by coming below so the hinge doesn't tear out due to side weight?

What if you want to do the back cut, get as far out the way as possible due to its location, say on a cliff edge then pull it over and you want it to go over as slowly as possible so not to damage say a Golf Tee?

 

I'm interested, but you've lost me a bit. I get that it comes over more slowly with the back cut below. By half and half do you mean deep gub, half way into the tree? Sorry if I'm being thick

 

Good points earlier on knowing what species to use cuts on too.

[treequip]

The simple answer is the back cut should never be below the apex of the gob.

.

 

Looking at a "gob" its roughly triangular.

 

The apex of a triangle is the highest point so yes the back cut should be a ways below the apex

[Stubby]

Whats a tree ?

[Pinkfoot]

Stubby ! I am trying to learn summink. Even I know what a tree is.

[stihlmadasever]

Whats a tree ?

 

Just after 2...

[Jimbo 76]

Looking at a "gob" its roughly triangular.

 

The apex of a triangle is the highest point so yes the back cut should be a ways below the apex

 

MR Treequip

 

Apex of your cuts. To form the hinge face. Ie the point.

 

But you knew that anyway....

[aspenarb]

Nothing wrong with a step cut if your pulling them over

 

[ame]

[/ame]

[Jimbo 76]

What if you don't want to use wedges, you want to use momentum rather than faff about lugging them to a job, so you do half and half, get it going then slow it down by coming below so the hinge doesn't tear out due to side weight?

What if you want to do the back cut, get as far out the way as possible due to its location, say on a cliff edge then pull it over and you want it to go over as slowly as possible so not to damage say a Golf Tee?

 

Stephen,

 

I might be reading this wrong mate but I don't understand how setting the back cut below the hinge in anyway helps.

 

If you have serious side mass and you want to directional fell you can by selecting the appropriate compound cut as normal and dressing the buttress accordingly.

 

If you want to slow the decent you can adjust hinge thickness and closing angle of gob regardless of back cut position.

 

I'm not saying your way doesn't work but I can see no advantages only issues.

 

And for a large tree you simply will not get it over if your back cut is below.

 

I never don't have wedges for felling.

 

But I guess if it works for you on smaller timber and you haven't smashed up the local golf course jobs a good one.

 

Cheers,

James.

[Stephen Blair]

Jimbo if you don't understand it, it doesn't mean it's wrong!

 

Spruce Pirate, meant half in half with starting the bore cut above then tapering down as you go around.

It worked well on the tree I did on the picture above.

That was a 100' pine that had grown with loads of space, so had the huge 30' plus branches, it was an outsider in a group of 5, you can see the buttress root on the left in the picture, I tied it into the buttress low down because that's good chewy strong wood in there.

i could of put a tirfor on, shoved the 7 tonner against it, used wedges but I did it this way and it worked, would it of worked with a standard hinge and back cut, I'll never know.

I don't think much now when I'm felling, I just sink the saw in and I take it from there, my brain just goes into auto pilot I find.