Chainsaw novices often have trouble dropping a vertical, well balanced tree, and when they are confronted with a leaner, things can be very interesting. Many don't realize that leaners need to be hinged to take them down successfully, and this leaning ash tree is a prime example. The stem split for a short distance both ways before it fell, and the woodcutter left it without putting it all the way to the ground. Leaners can split and smack the cutter in the head, or trap your saw to complicate your day, so make a plan before you cut.
A horizontal stem is an extreme leaner, and the hinge needs to be built to prevent the stem from splitting lengthwise. You do need to build the hinge a bit thicker than you normally would for a vertical tree, because it is under a lot of compression, and it will collapse, trapping your saw at the end of the bore cut if you misjudge. Cut the backstrap after you make your setup, and the stem will fold down on the hinge.
Very nice. How did you know I have one of these to deal with? :-)
ReplyDeleteJust in case your tree is not thick enough for the bore cut as in this post, you can make the hinge by boring with the bar turned to run parallel to the stem, as in this post: http://truebluesam.blogspot.com/2011/06/easy-leaner-technique.html
ReplyDeletePractice your bore cut on a safe chunk of wood, such as a tall stump if you aren't used to doing that. Start with the bottom corner of the nose, then rotate and plunge.
http://truebluesam.blogspot.com/2007/12/bore-cut.html
Post some pictures so we can see how it goes. Be safe, thanks for writing, David N