How to cut up this fallen tree

[woodlandfarms]

We had a big windstorm and have a number of large trees down, all pulled up by the rootball. My concern on all of them is snapback with the rootball. My neighbor has some sort of specialty certification in tree removal (he works for the government managing large tracts of land) so hopefully he can help, but with the holidays he may not be avail.

Anyway, just wondering how you would tackle this. Oh, rootball is around 10 foot from the ground up. Photos do not give the thing justice.

 

[jerrybob]

Had a few of those over the years......here's some good advice from another forum........

http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=32768.0

 

[MinnesotaEric]

We had a big windstorm and have a number of large trees down, all pulled up by the rootball. My concern on all of them is snapback with the rootball. My neighbor has some sort of specialty certification in tree removal (he works for the government managing large tracts of land) so hopefully he can help, but with the holidays he may not be avail.

Anyway, just wondering how you would tackle this. Oh, rootball is around 10 foot from the ground up. Photos do not give the thing justice.

That tree stump doesn't look like it is going fall back into the hole when it gets cut but may roll toward the trunk or side to side. Since you have a tractor and the tree is on a downslope, chain the top of the root ball from the upside of the slope to your tracker and put the chain on a bit of tension. Then I suggest plunge cutting the middle to the bottom leaving a trigger on top so my saw cannot bind.

Practice plunge cutting after watching some YouTube videos as it is an essential saw-handling skill. This issue of plunge-cutting is to start on the bottom front part of the chain and then roll the tip into the cut and allow the saw to cut itself in. You must understand how the saw handles because if you don't understand how to plunge cut, the saw tip will kick back and potentially cut the operator.

When you make a plunge cut , you cut through most of the trunk from middle to bottom in this case, leaving a bit of material on top. The material on top is the trigger. Nothing will happen until you cut the trigger from the top down in a second cut.

If the root ball rolls back into the hole, no big deal. If the root ball rolls side to side, you are prepared to get out of the way. If the root ball tries to roll toward the trunk down your slope, your chain prevents that from happening.

 

[clemsonfor]

I would just limb it then start from the top bucking it up. If there going to flip back sometimes they do it before you even get to the stump, you can watch it. it will be down then get almost neutral to gravity then the next on it will flop up.

But depending on how you take it apart i think it may go foward as well. I would just under cut it near the trunk.

They are scary but just watch your footing and have a clear excape path with no trip hazards and use a big saw with a longer bar to stand clear and be ready to let go of saw if need be. tTHey can hurt you but just keep your eyes open adn you will be fine. Now if you have never used a saw or use one once a year to cut a UTV full of firewood i may be hesitant but i have run a good bit of saws and cut a lot of firewood and i would just look at that thing and just go to work!! I should post a pic of the last tree i cut! it was two huge white oaks tops all tangled and one hanging up. Still havent finished it but most would of just trimmed the branches and been done on it.

 

[Cord]

I would just limb it then start from the top bucking it up. If there going to flip back sometimes they do it before you even get to the stump, you can watch it. it will be down then get almost neutral to gravity then the next on it will flop up.

But depending on how you take it apart i think it may go foward as well. I would just under cut it near the trunk.

They are scary but just watch your footing and have a clear excape path with no trip hazards and use a big saw with a longer bar to stand clear and be ready to let go of saw if need be. tTHey can hurt you but just keep your eyes open adn you will be fine. Now if you have never used a saw or use one once a year to cut a UTV full of firewood i may be hesitant but i have run a good bit of saws and cut a lot of firewood and i would just look at that thing and just go to work!! I should post a pic of the last tree i cut! it was two huge white oaks tops all tangled and one hanging up. Still havent finished it but most would of just trimmed the branches and been done on it.

2nd. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If it's going to move, there will be indications before it does.

 

[davesl708]

My method would be to buck the trunk back to five feet of the stump. Use the tractor to stand the stump up then make the final cuts. This way you will be in control of the stump all the way.

 

[MMagis]

That one looks simple, nothing to worry about there. Personally, I start at the top and work "down". The cut at the base is the last thing I do. That way if anything is going to move, it's going to do it a little at a time as the weight is reduced.

 

[Egon]

How it gets cut may depend on what the tree will be used for and the size of your tractor.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Well, lots of stories on this. First, the property was ravaged by the previous owner (meth dealer, needing quick cash). Illegally logged, so every tall fir or cedar is rare so loosing this was a bit of a blow.

Second, it is nice and straight. I hate the thought of firewooding it but in the end I know it has no value to a logger. I have a few things I might want to do with it so I am going to try and keep it as long as possible. I do have an alaskan sawmill.

All the advice is appreciated. I had not thought of the plunge cut but makes good sense. I guess you guys are right that if it starts to move I will know it long before it happens. Still its a lotta tree and I have to respect that for sure.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Hook a chain to the root ball so it can't fall toward the tree and use a chainsaw. It will let you know when it is going to flip back and you can just get out of the way. I have done many and it is not as bad as it looks. Ed

 

[4570Man]

This is a huge root ball leaning pretty good down hill, and he doesn't have a very big tractor. Changing the root ball to the tractor = bad idea. I would chain the root ball to another large tree up the hill.

 

[JerryK]

Me, besides probably letting it lay 'cuz I have lots of Beech and Sugar maple to burn and let it rot in place, would tackle the root ball thing at the get go. From the uphill side, cut upwards about 1/3rd of the way thru the trunk somewhere handy. Then cut from the top down towards the 1st cut. You should see real soon if the root ball wants to settle back down or not, and if the trunk is going to want to roll downhill some. Finish that cut, either downward or upward [using wedges if you have to], and get the thing separated. Then start limbing the rest, again from the uphill side and making sure it doesn't want to roll either way. Buck up the trunk and split in place... But, heh, that's just me.....

 

[Egon]

Assuming the tractor is small.

Put some blocks under the trunk near the base and then use a bottle jack to lift it a touch. Cut on the stump side of the jack. If the bar wants to hang up just jack up a little more. After the stump is free do the limbing as the branches let you. Finally cut into lengths and place on blocks to get the log off the ground.

 

[Bill 55]

I would secure the root ball, drive a shim under the log back near the root to hold the log, then cut it off right at the shim. That should prevent it from pinching the saw.
Bill

 

[Jim Timber]

Cut it just like you would a low branch. Up from below about 1/3 then down from the top. If the root ball wants to pinch, you'll see it when the holding wood gets thin. You can wedge from above then as needed. If it's going to fall back into the hole, it'll start pulling away and closing the bottom kerf.

Eric's plunging isn't a bad idea to start the bottom cut, but I'd rather take the tension out of it than cutting a trigger as the last move before seeing what it wants to do.

If you want the root ball gone, put some blocking in the crater before you start working on the trunk. Makes getting a grapple on it easier (or sticking your bucket under it, if that's what you've got).

 

[Egon]

Late thought: leave the trunk and ground support branches intact. Then mill in place with the Alaska Mill starting from the top. Mill a fixed length down till there is no tree left and then repeat on the next section. You could end up with some very nice baulks of lumber.

 

[stuckmotor]

I seem to remember a root ball falling back into the hole and killing somebody. I also think I saw a tree around 20 feet tall stand back up when the top was cut off the tree. It might have flopped back over in the opposite direction and destroyed the guy's truck. I just can't remember.

 

[newbury]

Late thought: leave the trunk and ground support branches intact. Then mill in place with the Alaska Mill starting from the top. Mill a fixed length down till there is no tree left and then repeat on the next section. You could end up with some very nice baulks of lumber.

IF you've got the bar, the time and the desire for wood this reads like a good approach but I would not mill from "the top".

IF that rootball is 10 feet high it looks like the tree is < 2 foot DBH.

Then looking at this pic

it seems like you could roll the tree downhill to the LEFT.

I would fasten a strong rope towards the top of the rootball and to something to the uphill RIGHT of the stump to prevent it from rolling.

I'd limb it "leave the trunk and ground support branches intact." then measure off some good sections and use the downhill slant to CSM three 3 inch thick 10' or longer slabs starting several feet from the base and working downward (don't make them to thick or long, they will be to heavy to handle). Gravity will help pull your saw. If you enough length of good wood for another set of slabs I would then repeat for another 10' or 12' section. Basically cutting the tree in half. I only write 3" thick slabs because that's the size I like.

Next carefully cut some or most of the ground support branches on the LEFT side, using the rope to ensure it does not roll.

Then "top" the tree at the downhill end of your CSM work.

Take the rope and USING A SNATCH BLOCK (for safety) pull the rootball and tree over to the left, continue your CSM work.

If it won't roll to the left, try to the right.

But if it was me, it wasn't in the way, and I didn't need the wood I'd let it rot in place.

 

[hslogger]

There are lots of good suggestions here. Your aborist buddy no doubt will have input. Seeing that you have access on decent ground and machinery and tools, my advice is to secure the rootball with what ever you have, block and tackle with rope and chain with the tractor or big come along. Go on the low side and cut from top to the bottom almost. Only with your nose, say in six or seven inches. Then go back to the higher side and bore underneath,cut that up from the bottom a few inches.

Turn off you saw and double check all your fastening of the root wad. Now take your saw and slide the nose down the side, bored in just a few inches like you did on the low side.
Finish you cut from the high side coming up from the bottom a bit more, then finish it off by coming down from the top. Always be vigilant of your surroundings and fastening gear.
Do have a couple slender long wedges and an axe at your side. The short fat wedges are useless and dangerous. Slender wedges have more power with slow movement which is always the way to go.
Don't forget chaps and hard hat and gloves. Annnd, might just as well have a friend watch over you.

 

[Fossil Farm]

As others have said, secure the root ball and the trunk very well. Do your initial cuts with the chainsaw. Since you are not sure on how to do the cut, I would do the final cut with a crosscut lumber saw (if you have access to one). It is much easier to hear the cracking or watch for movement of the trunk or stump this way instead of the chainsaw blocking out what movement and sounds the tree is doing. A flying or pinched chainsaw is no fun, especially with that large of a trunk and root ball. Good luck. You should be fine.