Thursday, April 12, 2018

When Do You Say No To A Tree?

This is one I said NO to!  I posted this video here in February 2012, and because I was still working I couldn't give some of the details.  This black oak had a big opening in the north side so you could look in and see that it was just a rotten shell.  It was not a safe tree to cut, and I recommended that the park staff wait until there was a good layer of snow on the ground, throw in some diesel fuel with gas mixed in, light it and walk away.  There would be no picnickers near this tree that time of year, and it made sense to me.  They did not like my recommendation and insisted that I drop it.  Take a good look at the hinge.  It is all rotten wood, but it held together long enough to send the tree to the ground without falling apart on the stump.  Watch that rotten wood dust fly as I cut.



2 comments:

jon spencer said...

That was dangerous.
I kept waiting for one of those dead branches to come down.
Let alone wondering if it would fall in a safe direction.

David aka True Blue Sam said...

I think about a hollow shell like this one collapsing when you stick your saw in it. Before you start cutting you need to evaluate where the tree wants to go, and if it begins to collapse, go in the opposite direction. It is better to not go in a straight line opposite the lean, in case it barberchairs, but at about 135°. Whatever your escape route, move quickly to get away from trees like this one. I paused to see if the gap began opening after I pulled my saw out. That was a mistake on a tree like this. As I was getting away I was thinking, "Why did I stand there and watch?!"