Felling a back leaning stub

mistahbenn

mistahbenn

Treehouser
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Apr 15, 2009
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Brooklyn, New York
So we got this oak down to the main fork today, double rigging the wood to land it from over the roof into the yard with excellent success. Hell of a lot of wood! In the morning I have to fall the remaining 40ish feet of trunk into the open space, with about 30 feet of room to play with between a fence and another garage.

The tree leans way backwards, maybe 4-5 feet from the base.... We will setup a redirect between the house to the street for the bucket truck to pull. Nothing can go wrong! I plan on having a very open face, maybe 60 degrees, so as to stand the log vertical and over without the mouth closing and the hinge breaking.

Im thinking the hinge will be in line with the top of the ivy. Can I trust it with all that extra weight on top?

Have any of you felled one like this in a similar situation? Im just venting my thoughts really... if you have any advice, or stories, let it be heard!

Open face, thick hinge, pound wedges, get the hell outta there and a strong steady pull. Its a big trunk, fat, and leaning. Wish me luck!
 

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:) There was a hickory about 30 feet away for the second rigging point Jerry, so we were lucky for that. Now that hickory is no more.... The stub is actually touching that garage on the back side.

Would you recommend a 'letterbox'?(Boring the hinge?) Or just have a good thick hinge for maximum control? Im going for the second I think. I trust oak fibres. The tree is solid.
 
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Here was the 'before' picture, with the hickory behind... Had to climb out the top of the oak this morning in -13 celcius! Yummy
 

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are you saying to hinge it at 15', that close to the building? You need it to jump away from the building, breaking the hinge at the right point. You don't want the tip to land first and drop the butt back into the building.
 
If your pull Is directly in line and not off to either side I would think gutting the hinge would be helpful. As you said you trust oak fibers. It really helps ease the pull over the whole hinge in the few times we have used it.
 
I'd prefer to pull it directly away from it's lean rather than any sort of side lean. Not sure that is possible. Also I'd want a little gap at the back of the hinge and your back cut near the top of that. Go for it, you won't hurt anything in Oregon from there :D
 
Nor in GA!! Nail it, boy!

Willie...what does this mean? " Also I'd want a little gap at the back of the hinge and your back cut near the top of that. " What is the gap you speak of? From boring the hinge?
 
Instead of the back of the face ending in a sharp angle, there souls be a vertical section an inch or 2 high. You still don't bypass your cuts but you will have to beat the face out with an axe. I'll see if I can find a pic online
 
This kinda shows it Gary
 

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And the higher back cut should keep it from shooting back at the building.

I'd also want a straight pull on that sucker! Seeing how you have bucket access, I'm not sure I'd chunk it down a little more, that way you don't have so much back lean over the house, but that's me. I'm also no expert!
 
df1d0c9ffdb50222cc0efb412e017f13.jpg
 
First you need a facecut with a opening of 70-90 degrees on that back leaner in order for the face cut not to close before it hits the ground.
Stepped up back cut will keep the butt from sliding back into the building.
Before you make any cuts you'll have to install a pre tensioned pull rope tied as high as possible in the tree and anchored with your truck.Then when cuts are all made get the momentum going quick by pulling it over with your truck.
You may have to redirect the rope with pulleys or blocks to get a straight pull.
 
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I have a direct pull against the lean so that's no problem.

I'm not worried about the face closing before it hits the ground, just that it will stand vertical and then to the fall. As long as the hinge doesn't break in between it wl be fine...
 
That's why you need to tension your pull rope with the truck first before you make your backcut. With the momentum of a smooth quick pull with the truck the tree will come into the lay straight whether the hinge breaks premature or not as long as there's no heavy side lean.
Good idea to anchor a 2nd rope above the facecut to an anchor in the lay path. That would prevent the butt sliding back into the building if the stepped back cut doesn't stop it.
Read my old thread .......everything you will need to know.;)

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?13870-My-advanced-gun-sight-technique
 
Jobs like that I've had great success with a 2 ton Tirfor endless cable puller. Pre tension then little cut and little pull alternating to stand it up. With good hinging wood even the it doesn't look possible ones have gone over successfully. Two pullers makes for added security and less pucker sometimes.
 
Puller works for me, slow and steady. Maybe if I had a vehicle capable of pulling, I'd try it. Tirfor isn't just a puller, it's a great one.
 
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