Felling Trees
Our "Firewood Processing" thread is now 130 pages long, and I am guilty of loading just about anything related to me sawing, moving, hauling, splitting, stacking into it. So, how about a thread for Felling Trees.
I reported earlier (probably in that crowded Firewood thread) that I had a half-dozen dead red Oaks topped out by a climber this summer, and I am gradually getting that wood processed. But late in the summer I noticed yet another Oak that had died, and was leaning toward my utility lines. Today my son visited, so with some help I decided to tackle it.
I threw a line up into that crotch in the middle tree there. (It didn't happen on first, second, or third toss):
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Then, with my son on the handle of the come-along:
Sorry for the 4:30 video, it would be shorter if I had taken the hatchet down the hill with me, or, if I learned how to edit with the GoPro studio software.
Thanks Guys, please add your pictures, stories, and with any luck a couple videos to this thread
I reported earlier (probably in that crowded Firewood thread) that I had a half-dozen dead red Oaks topped out by a climber this summer, and I am gradually getting that wood processed. But late in the summer I noticed yet another Oak that had died, and was leaning toward my utility lines. Today my son visited, so with some help I decided to tackle it.
I threw a line up into that crotch in the middle tree there. (It didn't happen on first, second, or third toss):
Then, with my son on the handle of the come-along:
- I climbed down and notched the face
- I forgot to take my hatchet down with me, so I stumbled up, got it and knocked the notch wedge out
- Son cranked some serious tension on the tree
- I made the back cut, drove in a pair of wedges, and inched the back cut a little farther
- Reached for hatchet and got one more tap on the felling wedge, but tree was already on the way down
- And, as usual in my video, a small branch plunked my camera
Sorry for the 4:30 video, it would be shorter if I had taken the hatchet down the hill with me, or, if I learned how to edit with the GoPro studio software.
Thanks Guys, please add your pictures, stories, and with any luck a couple videos to this thread
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The smell really grows on you. 
Any oak smells good.
The smell really grows on you.
I like the smell of any wood, anytime. Always have. For 20+ years as a carpenter we were almost exclusively using regular pine or Doug Fir, but I loved the smell when cutting it. I love the smell of burning wood, shoot, just the smell of wood period.
I hate when it smells like cheese.
Mike
Mike
Is that "limb"-berger?
I got a chance to cut some trees that had fallen across one of my favorite hiking trails. All oak.
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There were 6-8 smaller ones that I didn’t bother to take pictures of. I was glad I brought a file with me because I got into the dirt about half way through the adventure. I’m really careful not to put the tip in the dirt, but sometimes it happens.
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There were 6-8 smaller ones that I didn’t bother to take pictures of. I was glad I brought a file with me because I got into the dirt about half way through the adventure. I’m really careful not to put the tip in the dirt, but sometimes it happens.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As a carpenter since I was 6 yeras old I can relate. I love the smell of any fresh cut wood. I don't like the smell of burning walnut though.
Randy. You look nothing like your profile pic. It must be an old one.................... 🤣
@Steve Urquell
Randy. You look nothing like your profile pic. It must be an old one.................... 🤣
Took down a dead, back leaning, Alder. Basically, a standing pole. Didn't want to fall it with the lean as it would have landed in the seasonal, mucky, stream. Rigged up the bull rope through a pulley strapped to another tree and hooked to the New Holland Workmaster 55. I put some tension on the rope and made the face cut. Put the back cut in just deep enough to set a wedge and then finished up to the hinge. Then I got the heck out of there since there was a lot of limbs that it had to go through. I hopped on the New Holland and started to pull. It didn't take much effort, but it did try to take the small cedar next to it down also. Here are a few pics and I did shoot some video that I will get uploaded. Lots of debris came down with this one.
![Plant Plant community Tree Branch Wood]()
![Plant Sky Terrestrial plant Trunk Tree]()
![Plant Tree Terrestrial plant Natural landscape Trunk]()
![Plant Plant community Tree Terrestrial plant Wood]()
![Plant Tree Natural landscape Wood Terrestrial plant]()
![Plant Tree Wood Natural landscape Terrestrial plant]()
![Plant Wood Natural landscape Terrestrial plant Tree]()
Nice work! 👍👍
Nice. Man I'd say that was dead for sure.
Dead alright. Not a branch on it and the top broke off. Cut some rounds to test for moisture content. The bottom is still damp, but as you go up it gets drier, and the top is dry and burnable.
![Plant Wood Natural landscape Trunk Grass]()
![Wood Plant Natural landscape Natural material Grass]()
Nice job @cjet69. The pucker factor must have been huge on that one!
Reminds me that I need to locate my moisture meter. I saw it recently, but the garage swallowed it again...
Mike
Reminds me that I need to locate my moisture meter. I saw it recently, but the garage swallowed it again...
Mike
I hate when that happens! Some times there is a certain person (the wife or kids) for that though that is not you or your lack of brain power to remember 3 days ago. 🤣
I need to borrow my brother's meter, then he won't be able to find it when he needs it next.
Here is the video.
Good morning fellow sawyers. I had this big 24" DBH dead red with a serious bowed lean that I wanted down for my next firewood processing:
![Plant community Plant Wood Natural landscape Twig]()
It is aimed toward my house, though it would not reach that far. I warned my wife that she would hear - and likely feel a pretty good thump when it hit the ground.
With that lean, it was carrying a lot of weight, so I was cautious and attentive to the possibility of a barber chair. I've never had a dead Red Oak do that, but this one would not surprise me. So, here is about three minutes of opening the face, starting the back cut, and then standing back and watching the slow-motion fall:
This after action picture shows how the aim at my house was nearly perfect.
![Plant Tree Wood Vehicle Natural landscape]()
When I came in for lunch my wife expressed that she wasn't prepared for the sound and feel of the thump. Proof positive she doesn't listen to me. But, I've got 50 years experience with her.
It is aimed toward my house, though it would not reach that far. I warned my wife that she would hear - and likely feel a pretty good thump when it hit the ground.
With that lean, it was carrying a lot of weight, so I was cautious and attentive to the possibility of a barber chair. I've never had a dead Red Oak do that, but this one would not surprise me. So, here is about three minutes of opening the face, starting the back cut, and then standing back and watching the slow-motion fall:
This after action picture shows how the aim at my house was nearly perfect.
When I came in for lunch my wife expressed that she wasn't prepared for the sound and feel of the thump. Proof positive she doesn't listen to me. But, I've got 50 years experience with her.
Nice job. Will you also be taking down the tree immediately adjacent to this one? It looked like it nearly got uprooted as the one you were cutting was falling. I thought you were going to get a 2-for-1 !
There was plenty growing on the north facing side, but as near as I can tell that was all growing on the loosening bark, and didn't penetrate through the sap wood. Here is an overhead shot of the stump showing the thickness of the hinge:
![Plant Wood Grass Automotive tire Tree]()
And, as usual, the MM reading was high 30's - more precisely 39%
![Wood Gas Landscape Brick Geological phenomenon]()
And, as usual, the MM reading was high 30's - more precisely 39%
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