Finally got my courage up

[square1]

Two big (~24" & 28" DBH) dead ash leaning over my trail through the woods. Both had poison ivy that I cut at the base early in the spring and the bigger one had a 10" cedar hung up in it. Pulled the cedar free with the 1700.



Cleared my escape routes. Cut a shallow steep notch to try to steer it away from the black walnuts growing in the area



Drew a line around the trunk with my saw then plunged & bored out the center



Bulls eye! (Sorry this pics a little fuzzy, I was shaking pretty good after she hit the ground )



Doesn't look like much, but it popped pretty good when I was cutting the trigger from the center out. That was my queue to run for the hills.

 

[motownbrowne]

Thumbs up on boring through the trunk and cutting back from there. Much safer and goes a long way toward preventing barber chairing.

Ever since I learned this method, there's no going back.

 

[Thomas]

Well done never can be careful enough when dealing w/dead trees.

 

[square1]

Thanks. I wanted them down on my terms. Feel a lot better about mom taking walks through the woods now too.

 

[murphy1244]

Thumbs up on boring through the trunk and cutting back from there. Much safer and goes a long way toward preventing barber chairing.

Ever since I learned this method, there's no going back.

How's that work??

 

[motownbrowne]

How's that work??

You cut the face (or notch), then bore through the trunk and establish the hinge. Then cut back away from the hinge. Leave a "trigger" strip that you cut once the coast is clear.

I learned from FISTA. Great organization.

I can't get the link to post, but googling "bore cut tree" brought up a good PDF from the university of Illinois.

 

[square1]

How's that work??

Plunged in from both sides and bored out all the wood between the vertical red lines. The fun part is trying to meet in the middle



You can see where the trigger / holding strap was inside the oval. You take that out with your fastest saw at WOT, listen closely, watch carefully, and beat a hasty retreat at the first sign of the tree starting to go.

 

[motownbrowne]

Plunged in from both sides and bored out all the wood between the vertical red lines. The fun part is trying to meet in the middle

View attachment 400610

You can see where the trigger / holding strap was inside the oval. You take that out with your fastest saw at WOT, listen closely, watch carefully, and beat a hasty retreat at the first sign of the tree starting to go.

View attachment 400609

If the tree is leaning, or you've got wedges to ensure it tips, you can cut that trigger a few inches below the main cut. The wood pulling apart acts as a brake and slows the tree at the beginning of it's descent.

 

[square1]

^^^ Good to know! ^^^
Thanks.

 

[motownbrowne]

You bet. The FISTA instructor said that he's cut the trigger from the outside on a heavily leaning poplar tree 18" below the main cut. Then you stand back and listen as it crackles and pops and tips.