Cutting windfalls.

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stig

stig

Patron saint of bore-cutters
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I just came across this video.
It shows some of the dangers of cutting windfalls, even though he doesn't cut anything that is severely bent.

I've literally years of experience in doing this in both hard and softwood. The 1999 storm alone took about 1½ years to clean up after.

One thing I do different than this guy, I use a bar that is long enough to reach through from one side.
He is so much putting himself in danger's way with having to crawl though the logs and cut while standing under other logs, due to the short bar.

This is one situation where the Patron saint of borecuts go all PNW:lol:

I just thought it was a good video, that those of you not familiar with that kind of work might enjoy watching.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tLl7hS3UI5g" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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For some reason I can't embed..................what is wrong?
 
And boy am I with you on the long bar here, Stig. There is some very sketchy stuff there.

I also did a lot of that sort of work, as the roads clearance specialist on my NF. Nothing to stand up besides your experience, but a plenty even so. It is the riskiest kind of bucking a sawyer will ever see.
 
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We usually have a big storm every 10 years here and some smaller ones in between.

I caught the last year of cleaning up after the 1981 storm, when I got back from California in spring 1982.
Then again a biggish one in 1993, the " Storm of the century" in 1999 and two major ones in 2013.

We should be due for one again soon. 1999 was special in that a LOT of mature hardwoods went over.
Those are very different to work than conifers.

As for the sketchy stuff, most of the comments agree with you.
He is needlessly putting himself in danger.
 
I've noticed this embedding problem a few times before. It appears that either this software OR youtube gets rather wonky sometimes. I bet in a few hours it goes back to normal.
 
I suck at reaming cuts to keep the saw from getting pinched allowing an undercut to be avoided. Maybe I just don't have a feel for it, maybe I'm doing it wrong. I always get a bit of kickback that jams the bar into the narrowing kerf above. The only way I've found to cope with it is to not continually borecut, but to lift the fully inserted bar several times throughout the cut to keep the above kerf open. That still has a high risk of pinching.

Tips please

stig said:
I just thought of looking for what Youtube has under the Danish word for wind fall.

Here is a guy who almost lost it for not paying attention:

Can't embed this either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fYVvs-oj8Y
Click to expand...

He just planted a new tree just to cut it down. I almost thoroughly enjoyed watching the little tree pop up till he cut it too.
 
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The guy who made this video was my partner during the 1999 cleanup.
He is trying to teach an apprentice to cut close to the stump in order to save the veneer log.
In this case it is a poplar, so the log is worthless, a perfect practice tree.

Again, too short bar and of course a needless amount of futzing about, since it is an apprentice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk_sUkeO4Lo
 
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I never borecut windfalls.
Too hard to judge how much they are bent over in whatever direction. Misjudging that will get you pinced..

Reaming cuts are your friend in that situation, because if you are patient enough, you'll hardly ever get pinched.

Setting a wedge or 3 is a great help as well.

Burnham?
 
Dangerous work on steep ground. Yeah, bigger bar helps big time. One mistake having to work both sides of those trees is deadly. I was tense just watching it.
Wedges are way easier. I'lll bore some, but damn pretty well certain of the bind when I do. You can still get surprised.
 
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I do a reaming cut on the side that will pinch ( I'm missing some nomen clature here, care to help, Burnham) as far in as I can reasonably get.
Then I cut the sides, again reaming a bit and then just spring it from the other side, going hell for leather.

On a valuable veneer log in hardwood, I'll spend a lot of time reaming and setting up the tripping cut, on a wolfy pine or spruce I'll just let her rip.
Not much lost there if you tear the side off the log.
 
It always gets me how the chainsaw warriors come out after hurricane and start lashing in to clear trees, then either end up in hospital or realize late how tricky it is and quit halfway, or actually survive what they are doing only to leave a mutilated tree that probably would have been fine if left well enough alone.
 
Windthrown trees really keep you on your toes, especially on steep ground. My first six months in forestry was spent cleaning up a blown site & looking back I did well to survive- I definatley had plenty of luck.
 
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