Widow maker.....

[rick91351]

I had noticed a tree near where our fifth wheel parks was beetle killed.



Our old fifth-wheel needed a little TLC this year, new water heater, furnace had quit and a couple other this and that things.  So we took it out to repair.  Today I went up today to fall a couple trees that were really leaning and this tree.

I have fallen a lot of trees, this one leaned a little to the north and to the east.  Should have went down in a very good spot.  This was an easy fall. 

Then something happened.  It rocked back and pinched my bar with a great deal of force.  I knew I personally could be in big trouble.  I just left the saw running and went up the hill to the south as hard as I could go.  I got behind and other big tree for protection and watched.  This tree let out a huge crack that my wife heard over in the next draw.  It pivoted and fell north rather east north east as it leaned.  It fell on my saw but caused no damage to the bar or case.     



The butt was about 28 or 30 inches.  It bucked up into two nice 33' logs with a lot of top for fire wood.  As I was bucking it up I started thinking and getting nervous about what caused this.   

I think now it was due to the wind.  I at the time did not think that it was blowing that bad.  This beetle killed tree seemed to be very stable and little to no wind movement.  I noticed after ward the wind was coming over the top of the ridge and causing the other trees with a lot of foliage a lot of movement.  This indeed might have caused my problem.



So for safety sake check the wind.  The out come of this might have been quit different had I tried to save the saw.  Or stood there wondering what to do next not knowing the dangers when falling trees.

By the way Don and PineCone a was wearing chain saw chaps.  Thanks for your posts about that.  I have never used them before.  Never really seen the need.  But if you guys wear them I guess I can as well!!

     

[Don_P]

I'm glad you're OK, some trees can sure give you religion.
It's hard to tell from a pic but it looks like the hinge wood got cut thru on one side which could have led to a twist on its way. I've been using a bore cut on just about anything suspect, it is a safer cut.

[Windpower]

Most of the time my Dad would hook a cable from the winch truck up and put a load on the tree in the direction of fall

I still saw a couple go off wrong

good thinking to get out of the way, rick, that could have been bad

[diyfrank]

Yes, looks like you sawed it right off the stump. Got to leave a little hinge.
Glad you weren't hurt.

[rick91351]

Hey! The rest of the day went a lot better.  They all went were I went them.

 

[NM_Shooter]

I noticed a very large dead ponderosa that I need to get down before it falls on my new outhouse.  I'm worried about it, as it is standing dead for a long time, and a very big tree.  It has large branches extending outward, and I am concerned that one of those might fall down on my while sawing. 

I am considering building some sort of 4x4 frame to stand under while I cut this thing down.  Or I may just leave it alone... it is downwind from my structures (mostly).  Maybe I should just leave it.  Hmmmm.

[rick91351]

Those I try and cable off, I have a snatch pulley I use for that.  I usually tie off to another tree or you can even pound a dead man in to the ground and cable around it.  Then run the cable to a vehicle or come-along to give it a good strain.  Doing this watch out that the vehicle is well out of the way.

As far as branches falling I would also be very concerned them falling on someone at random.  Seems the only time they do shed one is when some one is close.  But with your cabin and short season up there I doubt that would be a factor.  Myself I fall them and turn them in to boards.....   

[rwanders]

Fear is a good thing when cutting trees---especially on mountain sides. I have done some of this work----biggest was about 5 foot at the butt. I would always make sure I first cut a couple escape routes through the underbrush so I had at least 10' or so head start if I needed to skedaddle. Worked with several old Alaskan loggers who were laughing at me-----I pointed out that one of them had a wooden leg, another was missing a hand, etc, etc. Told them "That's why I make room to run."

Standing dead wood always is more to worry about. Old Cottonwoods are especially dangerous. They rot out in the center, including the big limbs, which sometimes fall from vibrations as you cut. Even worse is they tend to suddenly collapse, almost explode, when you cut through the live wood around the rotten center. They go down somewhat like the towers on 9/11 and you had better be ready to run---big steps and lots of them.

Just as there are not many "old and bold pilots", there's not a lot of old and bold cutters in the big trees.

[MountainDon]

Glad you are okay Rick. Isn't it amazing how some trees can develop a "mind if their own"; they twist and fall in a completely unforeseen direction?  If there is anything I truly "hate" it is standing dead trees. They just do not always fall/react as one would expect. The dead/dry wood has no "spring" left in it. They won't lean until they are darn near cut through the final fraction. Around here I find the Aspen to be the worst. When they are dead/dieing I cut them off as high above the ground as I can comfortably reach. Most of the crap wood is nearer the base. They can be ticking bombs. But I'd rather have the wind blow over the dead pines when I'm not around as well. Fortunately we felled all the dead trees near our cabin site before building.

If the tree in question is anywhere close to something/someplace I don't want the tree to fall I make use of cables and "come-a-longs" or the Jeep winch. I have a Warn pulley snatch block I use to enable a directional change of cable pull. That way the tree likely won't fall on the Jeep!

[Pine Cone]

Glad everything ended up OK.

I have nicked my saw chaps a couple of times over the years, never cut into the core, but it scares the heck out of you.  Of course it tends to happen near the end of a day when you're tired...

Didn't see any evidence of you using plastic chainsaw wedges or hear any discussion about them.  They can be lifesavers as well, keep the saw from getting pinched as well as encouraging it to go a specific direction.  Plastic so the saw can just cut them if they get too close to the chain.  Used to be made out of wood in the old days...

I usually try to have two in my back pocket, sized appropriate to the diameter of the tree.  They can be used to help get the tree to fall once you have cut close enough to your hinge-wood.  They offer just enough force to start pushing the tree in the right direction.  Most importantly, they keep the tree from setting back onto the stump which can happen when the wind blows.  Once it sets back it often falls 180 degrees from where you intended.  Don't ask me how I know

Professional timber fallers often use the shape of the hinge-wood left on the stump to help turn a tree as it falls.  Trees will twist in the direction of the thicker hinge wood.  In your case it wasn't intentional, but it worked pretty well.

[MountainDon]

Good advice on the plastic wedges. I have a couple and clear forgot about them until PineCone mentioned them. Very useful. Probably forgot about them because most of the trees I cut are so dang skinny there's no room to use them.

[diyfrank]

Don, you mention cutting small trees with no room to wedge.
Heres a tip that works well. If the lean is not in your favor, make your back cut first going 2/3 or so through. place your wedge in and then make your face cut. The tree will sit on the wedge and when done one or two taps and its on the ground. Works quite well.

[rick91351]

PineCone good advise on plastic wedges I usually have some in my saw-box and they were not there.  They might not have made it back to the box after last years wood cutting expeditions.  I most likely would have used one or two on the tree I showed as example there.  I did not really like something about that tree. 

I was telling the old faller that showed me a lot of stuff about what happened.  He said that is why he sets the cut on the butt like he does.  If it is going to go wrong it will always go that way.  But he also reminded me.  'Be-careful because there are no always in the woods.'

Went up yesterday a took down another tree that was leaning over around where the RVs park.  It is about the same size.  I have a couple more to fall up there, but had been up about thirty hours.  By the time I fell that one and bucked it up I did not want to tackle another one.  I am starting to save myself for the finish.    

Still wearing the chaps, and they are getting a little dirty now.  Not feeling like a ripe red apple sitting in the tree.  Or one of those over protected USFS contract thinners I have seem.     Some they had up here last year sort  that make me wonder if the protection is not more dangerous than the work.            

       

[OlJarhead]

Glad you are ok!  Scary stuff -- I fall a few trees myself and always worry about them.

Also, i wear chaps now too!

[Pine Cone]

And while we're all thinking about styling safety gear, don't forget your eye protection.  I like the wire mesh lens one's best because they can't fog up.



My favorites are the bug-eyed ones...


I'm also a fan of the sunglasses style for bright summer days...


When I ran chainsaw crews for the research forest I knew we had good safety glasses when the summer crews took theirs home with them at the end of the summer.  All of the above are from Bailey's Logging Supply

[MountainDon]

For eyeglass wearers, like myself, these fit over them.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=35615&catID=

[Windpower]

this thing has saved my head from some rather painful experiences

I am convinced I should get some chaps now too

My Dad did get nicked to the bone one or twice on his shins

[considerations]

This is logging country.  All the safety measures are good....but trees are living things, not uniform extrusions....so, you are stacking in odds in your favor, but the outcome is never totally predictable.   

I'm just chicken enough that if it's over 6" at the base or more than 35' or so, I call someone who knows what they are doing....my way of stacking the odds. 

[Ernest T. Bass]

this thing has saved my head from some rather painful experiences

^^ Definitely a must for dead trees... I was cutting an aspen for firewood earlier this year and had a decent-sized branch give me a good wack. Knocked the helmet off of my head, busted off one of the ear muffs and bent the screen. I was a little shook, but no fractured skull.

[OlJarhead]

this thing has saved my head from some rather painful experiences

I am convinced I should get some chaps now too

My Dad did get nicked to the bone one or twice on his shins

Came close to taking my toes off once a couple years ago and after having been raised in logging country I stopped, the light bulb went off, and I went and ordered safety gear from Bailey's.

Late last year a coworker cut right between his quads while bucking up a log...no chaps, big scar.  He is going to wear chaps now too.

Steel toes are also a good idea and a Hard hat with screen and muffs.

[Squirl]

This just reminded me to order some saftey gear too.  I never wear my goggles because they always fog up.  I only ever see the cheap goggles that fog up or the safty glasses that don't help with dust at the big box stores.  I asked for the best ones the sell from a fastenal rep.  He ordered me these:

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=1023803&ucst=t

I will let you know how they work.

[Sassy]

Those look like ski goggles, Squirl...  mine used to fog up even though they were not supposed too.