Best Way To Minimize Damage Removing Limb - Black Locust

[lxskllr]

That job I was talking about that had the locust fenceposts I'm gonna cut has a large locust with an 8" limb sticking out ~50° from vertical. The main tree probably has heart rot, but I could get 2-3 posts out of that limb assuming I don't find problems once it's down. What do you think is my best bet getting it down without splitting any of it? Coos Bay? Normal face + backcut? Good ol' snapcut? Figure I'll use my 362 for speed in cutting. My inclination is to use a standard face + back, but I thought I'd ask.

edit:
to clarify, I'm talking about splitting the limb I want to make fenceposts of. The main tree's gonna be gone once that lot gets cleared. There's a couple fantastic spruces in that patch, and I'm hoping they have enough sense to work with them, but probably not :^/

 

[gf beranek]

Is it a limb? Or is it a spar?

Generally limbs are small, ascending to drooping structure, and often severed easily using a simple, but adequate, undercut and a top cut to send on its way. When executed properly a limb will pop cleanly from the cut.

A spar is a different matter. They often constitute a major fork of the trunk of a tree, and are generally much heavier than any limb. In which case a simple bottom and top cut may fail to get such a piece of work to part cleanly.

In which case you may want to open the undercut with a face.

 

[lxskllr]

*It's a limb, but it's a beefy limb, especially for locust. Probably grew out to catch more light. The main tree is 30"dbh to the best of my memory, but I didn't study it. I already rejected it for being defective, and a good likelihood of being full of metal.

*Acknowledging I may not be 100% up on terminology. It isn't really forming a "second tree". I wouldn't call it codom or anything, but perhaps it technically meets the standard? It could probably be treated like a spar up against the main stem. By memory, it leaves that at ~60°, but flattens out fairly quickly.

 

[gf beranek]

Sounds heavy.

 

[lxskllr]

Yea, it is. That was my concern. I could see it starting to go over and barberchairing. I'm not so much concerned about my safety as ruining the wood. I can stay out of the way of any breakage, but it would suck losing the wood. It doesn't cost anything but time, but it does have value, and it would be a shame turning it into firewood. I think my boss said treated posts are going for $12/each now. That would be $24-$36 gone. Nothing earth shattering, but it's better to have it than not.

 

[Jomo]

Why not limb it on one side, and drop it opposite the lean/heavy side with a pull rope?

Jomo

 

[lxskllr]

Hmm... It would take a good bit more time, but I could probably lighten the end, and rig it to the main stem to take the weight off. The boss is pretty impatient, but I could maybe just do it ahead of time, then collect it with the trailer when he comes up. I was thinking about clearing the vines by myself, then just falling the other trees when he's with me. If I dropped everything ahead of time, I was concerned it may disappear. If I leave it standing, it'll stay put til I get to it.

This one's kind of the bonus wood. I have 3-4 other locusts I'm gonna climb to remove vines, then just straight fall them. Those are 8"-12"dbh. I was looking at that limb sticking out, and thinking it would be a good addon to the primary trees.

 

[murphy4trees]

if you need to ask rookie questions like that, please don't comment on my work as if you have a clue. because you don't

 

[Jomo]

When did you turn into such a superior prick Murph?

We all had humble beginnings yu jerk........

Jomo

 

[lxskllr]

if you need to ask rookie questions like that, please don't comment on my work as if you have a clue. because you don't

So, expert, how would you do it? No rigging, just cutting. I stated what I considered the best chance of success. Furthermore, I'm just shooting the shit here. That friggin' limb doesn't really matter much, but it's treework to talk about instead of the garbage you shit all over the forum. Let's hear it dickweed. How does the great pro do it? If you say anything about a bucket, I'll be up there before the day's done to kick you in the nuts...

 

[murphy4trees]

there are a lot of ways to do it. I could make a list... you want to talk dumb sht with all the other "experts" here, have fun, just don't talk about my work..

If you need directional control, center plunge first, then cut a small notch undercut , then nip the top strap... if you don't then anything like a coos bay will work.

 

[lxskllr]

Yea, there's a lot of ways to do it. I listed three in the OP. The question was the best way. 8" doesn't give you much room for boring. Coos bay... Maybe. Certainly good for removing wood, also might barberchair ruining a fencepost. That's why I posited a "standard" cut. Face on the bottom, and a fast saw cutting through the top. Try get through before the face fully closes.

edit:
On boring... It could probably be done with two saws. The 2511 to cut the face and bore it, and the 362 for the fast cutting. That's a little fussy for a locust limb, but worth considering. Faster than rigging. There's a period where you're cutting air to get through the hinge, and the bounce when you hit it. Maybe that's better than staying fully engaged with the wood? Maybe not...

 

[flushcut]

I'd make a normal notch maybe a little narrower depending on head lean, snip the sapwood a little deeper leaving a 3" x 6" or so post perpendicular to the notch, then burn thru that post quickly severing the limb. It should land flat.
Any pics of said limb?

 

[lxskllr]

Nah, I don't have pics atm. I've been looking at these since summer, but the boss wasn't clear if that patch of woods was going, and if he was really interested in locust posts. Seems he's come to like the locust I've already cut. Complains about having to predrill the staple holes, but he likes the wood. Current prices of treated posts don't hurt either. I think that $12 figure I gave earlier was low, especially if you consider the oversize pieces that can be used as corner posts.

 

[murphy4trees]

On boring... It could probably be done with two saws. The 2511 to cut the face and bore it, and the 362 for the fast cutting. That's a little fussy for a locust limb, but worth considering. Faster than rigging. There's a period where you're cutting air to get through the hinge, and the bounce when you hit it. Maybe that's better than staying fully engaged with the wood? Maybe not...

You're overthinking it ... just make the cut

 

[SeanKroll]

The mentally ill need your compassion John.

Some people can't control their oral diahhrea.

 

[gf beranek]

Another thing, I almost forgot to mention, if saidlimb is long enough that its far end (brushy end) can hit the ground first, before the butt gets off the cut, could leave you in a dire situation. You could get struck by the butt of the limb.

Making it imperative that you get the limb to pop off the cut clean, without wood-pull or hinging.

Unless of course you plan it that way.

 

[stig]

if you need to ask rookie questions like that, please don't comment on my work as if you have a clue. because you don't

If you look at your spruce video at around 26 seconds in, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Rookie!

Learn to use a saw before setting yourself up as the god of treework.

And for what it is worth, I DO have a clue.

 

[Jomo]

Any of you old climbers ever use jump cuts to make lateral's jump out and away from the trunk?

No doubt Murph knows.....

Jomo

 

[CurSedVoyce]

All the time.

Ger, actually, he could but tie it, cut it so it hinges slowly down resting the weight of the brush on the ground. Bridging the fence. Then whittle the brush, lower whats left. If the situation permits.

 

[flushcut]

Another thing, I almost forgot to mention, if saidlimb is long enough that its far end (brushy end) can hit the ground first, before the butt gets off the cut, could leave you in a dire situation. You could get struck by the butt of the limb.

Making it imperative that you get the limb to pop off the cut clean, without wood-pull or hinging.

Unless of course you plan it that way.

Solid advice here. Golden!

 

[Jomo]

Come on Murph!

Surely you have a YouTube video of proper jump cut's in action?

Jomo

 

[Tree09]

We are talking about fence posts here, the future kind not the kind attached to a customer's fence. Drop that shit at the base, the way it's leaning ideally, and cut them up standing upright with a properly sized saw. If you miss you end up with more firewood, which is what most of the tree sounds like anyways. That's how a logger would do it, and if that didn't work the next one he cut would.

 

[Jomo]

But Murph n I are climbers that know how to deal with verticality and it's horizontal cousins.......

I've either lobbed him a softball he can hit out of the arboriculltura ball park.....or struck him out.

Jump cut's apply to both bucket boys and real climbers by the way......

Jomo...

 

[murphy4trees]