Felling cuts - level or diagonal cut first?

[Thor's Hammer]

You are such the tattle tale. Next time mom leaves us alone in the house you are going to get such the beating, you just wait and see!

Ohh you big bully. I'm going to get the UN to take all your guns away too!

 

[sotc]

settle down or youll both get a lickin!

i dont normally worry about the wedge pinching, usually poke a stick in there to keep it from dropping, or pull out early and smack it with an axe

 

[Magnus]

Top cut first.
Never more than 1/3 of trunk in the face.

Broken hinges is a big no-no.

Safest way I know is top cut first, bore in and go around. You have to be very careless to damege the hinge if top cut is first. If you are not correct, you can adjust the face somewhat after wedge is out...

There is more chance of pinch if bottom is taken first, with hole tree standing too, much more weight.

Weight on the weges of the trees we cut here are not enugh to pinch the bar much. We only have up to a meter tree's here.
Sometimes bigger, but on rare occasions.

 

[stehansen]

I do the bottom cut first. Sorry Thor, I'm aligning (pun intended) myself with the goose-stepping Forest Service guys.

 

[sotc]

how dare you call me a pine cone copper! (ducking so burnham cant slap the back of my head)

 

[Blinky]

settle down or youll both get a lickin!

[...] usually poke a stick in there to keep it from dropping, or pull out early and smack it with an axe

That just sounds kinda... I dunno... selfish.

 

[sotc]

i was trying to word it so it didnt sound bad, guess i failed

 

[Stumper]

Usually the flat cut first since it seems easier to set the gun........but I occassionally do an angled cut first......ususally on dinky stuff or when working at height. Whatever feels right. -I try not to overanalyze some stuff but concentrate on the lean, weight , wood quality and the lay and let my subconcsious git-r-dun.

 

[Mr. Sir]

...As for using the sighting or gunning lines on the saw, after 30+ years of falling, I simply look where I want the tree to fall when I start cutting, and that is where it falls.
... I can feel when I've got it lined up.

I do the same thing simply from years of experience, but it looks funny to read it like that, almost like a Star Wars thing: "Luke, use the force."

But I usually make the bottom cut first.

 

[squisher]

I do not agree with Brett.

But I do make my flat cut first, same reason easier to gun imo. When circumstances are tight and my insurance is on the line I don't usually rely on the force, I rely on geometry and get right down and gun with the sight on the saw. I make sure it's perfect and then make my diagonal cut line up properly.

 

[GASoline71]

Usually do the diagonal first since it's easier to avoid a bypass... but I wouldn't want to be opposed by right thinking gummint trained folks. I guess I'll try it the other way for a while and see what happens.

That's what the dogs on a saw are for mang... dog in at the kerf on the horizontal (gunning) cut and make that second (angle) cut. Let the dogs do the geometry for you...

...clear as mud?

Gary

 

[stig]

I do the same thing simply from years of experience, but it looks funny to read it like that, almost like a Star Wars thing: "Luke, use the force."

.

I rewrote that 3 times before posting it, trying to make it sound less goofy!

 

[Bounce]

Here's a question for those of you that like to make the diagonal cut first - if you aren't in touch with the force and can't instinctively aim the tree (say you have only 10 years of experience), how do you know precisely where it's going to fall? Is it possible to be precise and make the diagonal cut first? If so, how?

 

[SkwerI]

On trunks over 3' diameter, I still haven't figured out how to be precise no matter which cut I make first. I always end up having to make an adjustment or two to get the notch right. :roll:

 

[Magnus]

Do you make top cut in one motion or shift positions to eash side of tree?
If you cut top cut first it is no danger if you cut a bit uneven or two deep.
Felling cut, bottom face cut and hinge should be above in any case.

Open faces L shaped almost is what control best for me.
Need to wedge more this way perhaps, but there is little chance of pinch in the face and driving a wedge is alway's standard on big tree's anyway...

 

[Jonseredbred]

On trunks over 3' diameter, I still haven't figured out how to be precise no matter which cut I make first. I always end up having to make an adjustment or two to get the notch right. :roll:

I still have the wedges I won from Burnham if you need some help steering.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I find it much easier to 'instinctively' sight the tree for an accurate fell using the top cut first. The little sights on the saw work just as well diagonally as horizontally.
But thats probably because I'm an enlightend european, and euro stuff is naturally superior.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Sites do work well on both cuts.. .I do often make my horizontal first to sight in well. I will also make a diagonal cut first often with a open face (birds mouth) cut as both ar diagonal. I do a lot of leaners as bull pines are high populous here. As is live oak. As far as felling accurately ... Practice... Start small and work up. When in doubt, Pull line in the tree or a couple to make sure. Wedges are a must.... But most of it is practice in your cuts and sighting, reading the tree, judging the weight. I still win 6 packs and 12 packs from my team by hitting a target...
Also ... on your back cut.. you can adjust by how much wood you leave in the hinge on what side.... Cut slow... watch how the tree is leaning as you cut.. it will tell you all you will need to know to finish the cut. Does all this make sense... All else fails... ask Burnam.... LOL
I would love to spend a day felling with Burnam... or a week .. ORRRRR... LOL He da man on felling far as I am concerned.. No offence guys.. .

 

[SkwerI]

No argument here, Stephen. Heck, Burnham has forgotten more about felling than I'll ever know.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Heck ... where is Burnam??? I aint seen a whole lot of text from him last couple days....

 

[Al Smith]

On trunks over 3' diameter, I still haven't figured out how to be precise no matter which cut I make first. I always end up having to make an adjustment or two to get the notch right. :roll:

Trot on down to Lowes and get two 8 foot furring strips and make a set of gunning sticks . If you learn how to use them you can drive a stake with a tree ,well sometimes .

 

[Ax-Man]

Trot on down to Lowes and get two 8 foot furring strips and make a set of gunning sticks . If you learn how to use them you can drive a stake with a tree ,well sometimes .

I am not a logger or faller and I don't pretend to be one. The statement Al made is probaly more important than which cut goes first . The sticks align the center of the notch and that is way the stem will fall. If the spar or stem lands flat and does not bounce one way or the other look how the trunk relates to the notch. The top of the stem or spar will be in line with the center of the notch.

If you don't want to use gunning sticks take a tape measure and measure across the notch. Mark the center of the center of the notch with the tip of the chainsaw. This will be line of fall the tree will follow if the notch has been cut correctly and all other things pertaining to the tree are good to go for a one cut drop . After awhile you don't need the tape measure eyeballing it comes just about as close. I have even taken my saw and laid it on the ground with the tip pointing to the center mark and then step backed to see that the bar is dividing the center of the notch evenly on both sides. This gives you a better visual sighting of where the spar will fall. A little unconventional method from the norm but works for me anyway.

I played around with this method a couple of years ago and found it to be very accurate for me verses using the gunning sights. I use this method when I need to be on the right on the money. I never have been able to get the hang of using sights all that well. I am not a faller by any means. They would throw me off compared to just plain old sighting by eye and cutting the notch. Maybe I am missing the finer points of using them I dunno.

I have cut notches both ways. I don't see a big difference . For me top cut first works the best followed by the level or floor cut. But lately to eliminate a stump cut I do it more the conventional way. Bottom cut first followed by top cut.

 

[sawinredneck]

Funny!! I do what I think the tree needs! Usually the diagonal first, then the horizontal.
I keep hearing about them even had it explained a time or two, but I still don't know what "gunning sights" on a saw are!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If you look at the saw..... there is a line drawn across the top and side of the starter housing... On Stihl ... On Husky its a line that is formed in the plastic across the filter housing and starter housing. This is the gunning sight... Line points to the direction of fall... or if you are bucking wood... even with the trunk of the tree... sorry I dont have a pic....
It is 90 degrees from direction of the bar

 

[sotc]

here ya go andy