We have been going through the wood with the cold spells this winter. We like to run the stove in the basement when the temps get down in the twenties and colder, and we have a foster dog downstairs to keep warm. That doubles the amount of wood going up the chimney. Warmer temps are coming in a few days and I will be out in the woods again bringing in more dry ash wood.
A quick rundown. The hinge should be about 80% of the tree's diameter at breast height, and should be on the side of the tree where it is falling. Placing it back gets rid of all of your leverage if you need to use wedges to push the tree over. The thickness of the hinge should be up to 1/10 of the diameter of the tree. You see no hinge wood at all on this stump. The back of the hinge should be level with the front of the hinge. The taller you make the hinge, the greater the risk of it failing from twisting as the tree goes over. The back cut should normally be made perpendicular to the bole of the tree. That is normally horizontal. You will hear people tell you straight-faced that they angle the back cut so the stump can push up on the tree. Call me if you ever see a stump reach up and push. What that angled cut can do is allow the butt of the log scoot down and out, leaving no hinge to guide the tree, and totally change the balance of the tree. A tree that was balanced forward can be changed 180 degrees, and drop on your head as you try to get away.
Anon: I think it originally looked like these stumps.
Many Thanks for the suggestion, John!
