Felling escapes

You don't steer a tree with the back cut, it is steered by the face. It would take a heavy lean to steer using the back cut, and the only steering would have to be towards the favor.
hardly... you can absolutely steer a tree with the back cut during the fall. You're generally not going to turn it much, but when falling into a super tight fall, you can usually get just the slightest tweak in the lay, whihc should be all you need it the face cut is set-up right, as per this video... you can see me standing by the stump and hear the saw rev as the tree began to fall on the first slow motion. Anytime you have less than a 4 degree you better steer it at the stump.

 
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Other way around , (Depending on your bore cut) you're thinning the hinge at the backcut to bring it over (most of the time on two posts of thin hinge really) ... properly done , kinda pops off the stump without pulling or splitting
Have you noticed less fiber pull on Humboldts vs conventional or open face given the same hinge dimensions (2 posts or otherwise)
 
Have many times steered by backcut into preset facing in felling on ground and in tree, especially sweeps across.
Watching and reading the most subtlest reactions, most noticeable on the far end.
Especially on Tapered Hinge as ballast against side pulls to neutralize them
>>to then only leaving the forward force where there was forward + sideward
>>reaching for more of a simpler/cleaner 2D fall into face then a 3D of same + side pull.
On sweep across in tree, that would be a mostly vertical Tapered Hinge, fat side up against the now side pull down.
(Mr. Dent's model turned on side works just as well)
>>cut downward to load stress, especially if using rope
>>then across when at that magic Netherland where can go down or across
>>especially with tight rope close to CoG on longer branch sweep sideways.
>>it wants to go down, you want it to go across, so bargaining with it, teasing it along as tries to grab what it wants(pure down) and yet extrude some sideways from in the trades of dance.
This even works w/o facing, and realizing harshest gravity pull is down
>>so feeding across and down maybe 45 degree angle, where then must not be feeding into gravity harshest pull
Similarly in felling may choose to make a side lean type cut, rather than the easier into fall
>>for practice and seeking less direct ground hit
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Many times seemed, but could never really say totally sifted out:
The speed and DIRECTION (how much forward / to how much sidewards as worked saw) of the back cut as a force of relief and it's timing seemed relative as a force, even tho it is a relief of force; still on the scale of force.
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Knowing when to stop cutting, back out and let Nature take her course is VERY important.
Always and all ways noting tree is already not going where you don't want it too;
>>so are not so much making hinge but leaving it, over cutting to strip hinge when should use/preserve to Tapered ;
leaving behind, by not cutting out the force pattern of support already present in tree.
Never run behind fall, as are still on the loaded axis; as like breech end of rocket launcher, rope recoil etc. if things get fugly
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Knowing the wood and it's state; to evaluate if is more brittle to throw more into face harder and get away;
or more elastic response that can cut slower, safer, steer more etc. is important.
Rigging in tree, that might be careful for the 1st few cuts watching, weighing and measuring how that wood is cutting that day with that saw and my senses and hands; before taking out trickier prey in that tree more tuned.
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Any hangup on branches to other trees etc. are at a high leverage position against clean fall and cannot be allowed.
Must watch for widowmakers/falling branches.
Seen reports where man wearing brain bucket taking karate chop of branch across back of neck gets killed
>>if thought anything like that might present took to wearing rolled up towel across back of neck as chance to mitigate.
 
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I thought it was cause the bucket arms looked like steer horns. Learn something every day.
 
The difference between felling in a logging scenario and and arborist one, as I see it, is the amount of stuff falling from above in logging.
It is not the tree you are felling that is the main danger, but branches from the surrounding trees.
 
Sometimes, you have to keep cutting to outcut a barberchair.



If you're not using a rope, you may need to cut it up thinner. If you're using a rope, you can set it up, and exit, if you want.

Some people cut until its ready to fall or they think it can be muscled over. Lots of people cut with the pulling power applied so that it starts to fall before they are ready to leave in a controlled way, sometimes barberchairing it, or at least starting a split.
Personally, I like to cut it until the hinge is how I planned, then tip it when I'm ready.

Falling with the lean, you may have to run.


Be careful with hot mufflers if you throw your saw down on the run. Don't start a fire, especially with the saw running, blowing how exhaust on the same place the hot muffler may be touching combustibles.
 
The barberchair thing ade me think of this:

 
You're generally not going to turn it much, but when falling into a super tight fall, you can usually get just the slightest tweak in the lay, whihc should be all you need it the face cut is set-up right
That is my line of thinking, but i could see steering with the back cut more effective in the tree on smaller diameters and lengths, and when swinging a heavy leaner to stop the swing short and drop it faster if desired.
 
I will almost always stay at the stump on a tight fall, but generally will cripple and pull with a loader after getting out of dodge. That is the vast majority of the falls.

Lots of times you don;t to be anywhere near the tree when it starts to move:







 
True that.

Young trees = more sapwood and more resilient wood fiber. Most especially Douglas fir. My neck of the woods.

I have observed the movement of the tree changing directions from the gun just by how I progress the backcut either towards right or left corner.

It's a mighty fine line, and not much time, but if you're savvy...
 
I suspect the thought ran through his mind, while he was scrambling away from that mess, "This might be my last tree..."
 
That is the ever lovin' truth. You might need to walk around a few minutes to let the adrenaline wash away some...but the best medicine is to get right back in the saddle. You have to, anyway...that's the job you took on.
 
Crazy the trunk action on that thing as it is going down.

I wonder if there was a safe way to cut that thing? Or explosives maybe the best option
 
I've heard that gif referred to as a barberchair. Is that even a barberchair? Looks like spontaneous decomposition.
 
The first split and trunk's move matches the scheme of a barberchair. After that the trunk crumbled on itself. In a longer vid, we can see him worrying about his cut. He clearly expected to have a problem, probably not as bad though. He was prepared to get out in emergency.

Boring the back cut would be recommanded, but I'm not sure that this tree could have stand it without crunching the bar.
 
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Least he did get an undercut in, and opened as well.

A move in itself that puts more tension and pressure in what is left holding the tree.

I've had a few trees go astray just in the course of placing an undercut. Not even a bars width into it, even.

Run for your life!
 
It has happened to me, too. I remember one I was SURE would fall west if and more likely when it failed during my attempt at facing/backing. It failed, sure as hell, right after I started the sloping cut of the face...and went over backwards to the east :|:.

Best laid plans and all that :lol:.
 
Coast white fir, Abies grandis, aka "Piss fir" "Balsam fir" "Grand fir"

A perfectly find looking specimen, free of any obvious outside defect, can be completely hollow to the sapwood.

Definitely one species a faller should sound before even starting an undercut. I got fooled twice. Pure complacency on my part.

One where people were below the tree, and suddenly we were all scrambling, and running for our lives. Ended up going over the powerlines to boot. Fool me twice.
 
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