Picture of circle of death
- Thread starter Bretto
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MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Welcome to the TreeHouse, Bretto! 
Honestly, I not sure what you're talking about...
Honestly, I not sure what you're talking about...
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Interesting. I've never seen a tree do that for no reason at all. It's usually associated with too much weight pulling the tree to the lay and making the cut too slow as with a dull or underpowered saw. We've had a few discussions about breakaway lanyards but have never come to any real conclusions.
I've never hear it called the circle of death before. The last time that happened to me I sliced my lanyard to escape.
I've never hear it called the circle of death before. The last time that happened to me I sliced my lanyard to escape.
chris_girard
Treehouser
Welcome to The TreeHouse. Here's the best info on the 'circle of death'
http://treetools.co.nz/BlogRetrieve...earchID=8452985&ObjectID=137821&ObjectType=55
http://treetools.co.nz/BlogRetrieve...earchID=8452985&ObjectID=137821&ObjectType=55
chris_girard
Treehouser
Download the article by clicking on the word 'here' in the article.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
I think he's referring to a trunk splitting out and drawing a climber in by his flip line and crushing him. Maybe yes, maybe no.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Yes, that's what he's on about. I've never heard that term before!
treebilly
Student of the Jedi. OH-7106A
We didn't call it the circle of death but I was told not to be in there or I would die. It can happen with any type of tree
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
It's all in how you make the cut, for the most part.
Wood Collector
TreeHouser
I have heard that palms are notorious for splitting when blocking down, and so have to be cut all the way through to avoid this.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
It's all in understanding leverage on a stem: the tension and pressure forces on it. then cutting it in the right manner to prevent a split in the stem / trunk from happening. experience is the only key to fully understanding the forces that work on a stem. Newbies be aware of this.
Grendel
TreeHouser
Wonderful post Jerry.
I would add, Poplar, I've seen split up the whole tree. Anything brittle with a straight grain structure will be more prone to big splits. But as Mr. Beranek so concisely said, the shape and lean of the stem, whatever the species, and how you hit it with the saw, will be the deciding factors.
I would add, Poplar, I've seen split up the whole tree. Anything brittle with a straight grain structure will be more prone to big splits. But as Mr. Beranek so concisely said, the shape and lean of the stem, whatever the species, and how you hit it with the saw, will be the deciding factors.
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Oh, poplars are top of the list to split out if not judged right.
Porkbrick
TreeHouser
ive had bark peel suck me into the trunk as well.
SouthSoundTree-
TreeHouser
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- Sep 24, 2014
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Red Alder.
Gord had a video of it happening to him on Bigleaf maple.
A good reason for a cuttable link with a steelcore flipline. I move to a rope lanyard when there is a risk. It chokes the stem better, removing my body from the circle of death.
You can be chunking the lower portion of a tree that was once heavily loaded, and is not relieved of the weight, split while chunking down. If there is a big knot on the stem, holding it together, and that is removed, the tree can be triggered to split.
A guy on one of the San Juan Islands runs a tree/ firewood business of some sort, from his mini-x. He has to be 'transfered' there, I believe, by an employee. I hear that a stem split, and he was using the circle of death system, as in his harness and body was within the loop around the tree, rather than having a DdRT lanyard attached to a central point, or on the bridge rings, etc.
Gord had a video of it happening to him on Bigleaf maple.
A good reason for a cuttable link with a steelcore flipline. I move to a rope lanyard when there is a risk. It chokes the stem better, removing my body from the circle of death.
You can be chunking the lower portion of a tree that was once heavily loaded, and is not relieved of the weight, split while chunking down. If there is a big knot on the stem, holding it together, and that is removed, the tree can be triggered to split.
A guy on one of the San Juan Islands runs a tree/ firewood business of some sort, from his mini-x. He has to be 'transfered' there, I believe, by an employee. I hear that a stem split, and he was using the circle of death system, as in his harness and body was within the loop around the tree, rather than having a DdRT lanyard attached to a central point, or on the bridge rings, etc.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #17
There was a picture posted on here in a topic showing a forum member that it happened to but he was lucky and wasn't squashed, from what I've heard most have happened when the head is cut out and compression tension forces cause the trunk to split
SouthSoundTree-
TreeHouser
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2014
- Messages
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Yes, most common when taking out too large and leaning of a head, especially with a standard face cut/ back cut, and no chain or rope/ webbing binding of the stem.
When you are hearing and feeling the stem crack as you cut, you know there are a lot of internal forces trying to reach equilibrium, as the physical reality of the tree changes, cut by cut.
I got called by a guy to finish a huge walnut, which his Bud Light, Rockstar, nicotene brain bid at $700. Homeowner got someone else to finish it. I would have charged him more than that to finish the tree, no clean-up. When he was blocking down a big leader, he had a chain binder on the stem. He must not have bound it tightly, for some reason, or it stretched the chain when it split. It came tight with inches divinding the split, 4", if not 8". He didn't want to go back up into that tree.
Spur and single lanyard only guys are at risk more, IMO, as they might get pushed into the decision to take a bigger top because it starts bending over too much, or they reach a spreading crotch that their flipline doesn't accommodate... same guy as above.
When you are hearing and feeling the stem crack as you cut, you know there are a lot of internal forces trying to reach equilibrium, as the physical reality of the tree changes, cut by cut.
I got called by a guy to finish a huge walnut, which his Bud Light, Rockstar, nicotene brain bid at $700. Homeowner got someone else to finish it. I would have charged him more than that to finish the tree, no clean-up. When he was blocking down a big leader, he had a chain binder on the stem. He must not have bound it tightly, for some reason, or it stretched the chain when it split. It came tight with inches divinding the split, 4", if not 8". He didn't want to go back up into that tree.
Spur and single lanyard only guys are at risk more, IMO, as they might get pushed into the decision to take a bigger top because it starts bending over too much, or they reach a spreading crotch that their flipline doesn't accommodate... same guy as above.
Mick!
TreeHouser
Alianthus split on me. Chogging down a leaning stem it split bottom to top. Nearly broke some ribs.
Not a big tree by any means. Doesn't have to be I guess.
Not a big tree by any means. Doesn't have to be I guess.
I was taking down a gum tree...I had cut the top out and was cutting and pushing sections and it was cracking for at least 20' going down each time I cut a chunk...visible crack in the middle of each bit. I was tied in to another tree, scary sound to hear! I would not have thought it had had that much loading on it, was fairly upright.
Chris E
I'm Not Slash
Bermy was there anything about that tree that could have indicated the hazard?.?
pantheraba
More biners!!!
No pictures of circle of death yet...is there maybe a diagram?
Mick!
TreeHouser
Basically when you're ringing down a dodgy tree if you clip your flip line into your d rings at the front, ie where you'd normally put your life line. So that if a major split happened the flip line would, in theory, contain it.
If you're in your side rings as one normally does your body is part of the "squeeze zone" aka circle of death.
I'm not sure a picture is needed.
If you're in your side rings as one normally does your body is part of the "squeeze zone" aka circle of death.
I'm not sure a picture is needed.
Jed
TreeHouser
I've done some stupid-heavy Fir tops before... what about changing up to an SRT choke, just for the back-cut, and then back to the flipline when one is out of harms way?
Limbrat
TreeHouser
Clipping both ends of your lanyard/flipline to one point of attachment, be it bridge ring, carabiner or whatever, helps eliminate the circle of death scenario.
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