Saved By A Method

A couple months ago there was a logger killed not too far from here when a dead branch like this one nailed him on the head. This particular limb fell behind me after I made my escape from a dead black oak I had just dropped to make some firewood. The method I use to fall trees is what saved my noggin. There are lots of people who cling to the old methods of cutting trees, and I see their comments on my YouTube videos. The most surprising thing to me about this is that the U S Forest service still teaches the old method to their people because someone in the organization thinks that the bore cut is difficult or dangerous to learn.

The open face and bore cut method for falling trees has some great advantages over the older methods. It is a necessity for trees with excessive forward weight in order to prevent barber chairs, which are often deadly. The bore cut allows you to make your hinge the exact length and thickness you want while your tree stand motionless, and allows you to set up your wedges in advance of releasing the tree. The greatest safety advantage I see is that the faller is up on his feet when the tree is released, and can make a quick exit away from the stump as soon as the tree is in motion. Those seconds saved in your getaway will eventually save you from injury or death if you cut down trees.

This dead black oak has a bit of forward weight to the north, so wedging won't be needed to make it fall.

The first cut aims the tree, which will fall at a 90 degree angle to the bar of the saw.

The second cut matches up to the first, creating the front surface of the hinge.

Bore through behind the hinge and cut most of the way to the back of the tree.

Bore through from the other side, and cut back. Look around before you sever the back strap to make sure no spectators have wandered into your impact zone. The tree will stand safely with this method until you release it.

Sever the back strap. Cutting down will prevent your saw's bar from being sat upon by the tree when you miscalculate the balance of the tree. Get away from the stump on a predetermined path to safety. Twelve feet is the critical distance, and you should plan on at least twenty feet to be safe.

The finished stump and butt log. Angling down slightly with both bore cuts would have eliminated the bypassed wood.

Hinging with the bore cut is also useful for bucking logs that are suspended on both ends. Make a notch, bore through to make a hinge, and cut out the bottom.

I was able to put all but three armloads of this tree in our wood trailer. The little Kubota had to snort pretty hard to make it up the hill on the way back to the house.