Bi-Directional Notch

[bonner1040]

I have been thinking of how to make a notch go two ways. I wanted to pull a tree back and then sideways with the hinge holding the whole time. We did something similar with a maple that had been storm thrown onto a house. We were able to pull it up and then sideways by facing the notch two directions at almost 90 degrees and making specific back cuts.

Here it is in practice one a small river birch. The birch is perfect because it is so flexible.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZAc49NUKkJ4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you like the video click through to youtube so it registers a view!

 

[MasterBlaster]

so it registers a view!

I'm curious... what does that matter?

 

[bonner1040]

It doesnt, but its worth knowing that people saw it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Pretty cool. It looked like it worked just fine!!!

 

[stig]

I did something similar with a big elm about 15 years ago.
But being a logger type, I used a 3½ ton Tirfor to pull it to vertical and a skidder to pull it into the lay.

The thing to be aware of is that your second hinge will be too narrow to give you much directional precision.

 

[bonner1040]

I imagine that was a bit bigger tree!

My gut says you are right about the narrow hinge and directional precision. Not wanting to take that chance, we used the relocated grcs pull to crank it against the resistance of the porta wrap which pretty much let us lay it exactly where we wanted it in terms of azimuth from the stump.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

We did it with an oak on a trailer home (far from a 5 mil house ) with two pullers and two guys and myself as the cutter. We only had a small zone for the tree to land in a fenced yard. The lean was over the trailer with a side lean as well over the patio roof. Like the tree was wedged into a corner. Straightened it up and pulled it in the LZ. Wish we could have had a GRCS ffor doing it instead of 2 come-a-longs and portys. Worked sweet though. Be amazed if we ever have to do it again before I retire

 

[bonner1040]

More than likely it could have been blocked down just as fast, given the size. It was a fun exercise and good practice though should I ever run into something similar.

 

[stig]

Yup.Pretty much a once in a lifetime scenario.
Mine was a big dying elm next to a very trafficked highway.
Had to be straightened up and slipped through two beech trees to get it to fall away from the road.
We had the cops block off the road just in case, but it worked like a charm.
Impressed the hell out of the two officers on the scene, in fact.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

 

[MasterBlaster]

Why do the two notches have to be together? Why not cut underbed "A", then below or above it, underbed "B"

?

 

[stig]

That is actually the way I did it. Second notch about 1½ foot above the first one.
With a chain between the two to keep the tree from splitting apart from the pulling force.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

That is actually the way I did it. Second notch about 1½ foot above the first one.
With a chain between the two to keep the tree from splitting apart from the pulling force.

Cool Nick.


I was thinking two notches.

Chaining seems like a good precaution.

I learned that if you reface your tree, a guideline is 2 diameters apart (10" tree = 20" vertical spacing of faces, or was it 1-1.5 diameters). Thoughts?

 

[bonner1040]

I had a refaced cut split at the wrong notch. It went the wrong way, pulling the rope over the cut and and breaking it.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[murphy4trees]

Cool Nick.


I was thinking two notches.

Chaining seems like a good precaution.

I learned that if you reface your tree, a guideline is 2 diameters apart (10" tree = 20" vertical spacing of faces, or was it 1-1.5 diameters). Thoughts?

Depends on species, condition and forces involved... obviously the more the merrier, and strapping the tree between the two cuts is not a bad idea..

that was a nice video, explanation and execution... funny too! There's another arb that stood a big one up then dropped it 90 degrees to the pull some years ago.. everyone thought he was a reckless maniac, Nosak wanna be, at the time... its not such a radical idea these days... when you get into big wood like that you gotta find something better than a GRCS to do the work...

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XI57_nTRkd0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[stig]

Or some better rope angles!

 

[Al Smith]

I've stood them up before but never exactly like that and with a larger area to flop it .By the same token I thought once I could wedge over a back leaner and lifted it right off the hinge .Bad plan .

 

[Fruitbowl]

Or some better rope angles!

I'm with you Stig. The rope angle on that pull looked pretty acute. Were there no other options for an anchor farther away? That required so much more force to pull it. Just curious. Fun to watch.

 

[Fruitbowl]

Great precision Nick. Super tight and you nailed it.

 

[bonner1040]

Thanks FB, whats your first name again?

Guys, Murphy obviously used the best rope angles available, did Daniel second guess Miagi?? I dont think so.

 

[Fruitbowl]

My name is Chris.

 

[RopeArmour]

I am missing something here.
Isn't it easier to knotch to the lay and cut and hinge to the pull and then fell to the lay.
Skip a notch and skip potential for splittig, twisting and such.
Plus you had it rigged high to begin with so it all seems a bit redundant.
Just curious is all. Hundred ways to skin a cat and all that.
I like your thought process by the way. It is going into the ol bag of tricks for sure.
Thanks for taking the time to post Nick.
What happened with the rest of the tree?

 

[bonner1040]

I would say the lay would have been like 110, 120 degrees to the lean. Just notching it towards the lay wouldnt have worked, it would have ended up smashing the crab, the deck behind it or getting hung up in the maples. They were basically touching as you can see.

As for the rest of the tree, we limbed the lower stuff off quickly but if you are asking about the smaller leader we did the same thing. I took one continuous video of it but didnt edit it together as I figured 10 minutes was a bit to much on the subject.

Considering the size, and that it was river birch we probly could have done it a few different simpler ways, but it was a fun excercise and an opportunity to try something in a relatively risk free environment (except for the $5 million dollar house of course). With the high rigging it was a bit redundant, originally I was just going to winch it straight back, but the birch was far taller than the maple and the rigging point in it was only about half/two thirds height of the birch which would have caused a surefire windmill.

We had some fun with it and added a bit to the armamentarium

 

[bonner1040]

Hey Chris!

 

[RopeArmour]

I would say the lay would have been like 110, 120 degrees to the lean. Just notching it towards the lay wouldnt have worked, it would have ended up smashing the crab, the deck behind it or getting hung up in the maples. They were basically touching as you can see.

As for the rest of the tree, we limbed the lower stuff off quickly but if you are asking about the smaller leader we did the same thing. I took one continuous video of it but didnt edit it together as I figured 10 minutes was a bit to much on the subject.

Considering the size, and that it was river birch we probly could have done it a few different simpler ways, but it was a fun excercise and an opportunity to try something in a relatively risk free environment (except for the $5 million dollar house of course). With the high rigging it was a bit redundant, originally I was just going to winch it straight back, but the birch was far taller than the maple and the rigging point in it was only about half/two thirds height of the birch which would have caused a surefire windmill.

We had some fun with it and added a bit to the armamentarium

Awesome thanks and cool word armamentarium