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Plan aclear retreat path
:t . ... U"_"_
Direction
ofFall
45 ° /
.,o0
FELLING
LARGE TREES
(6 inches in diameter
or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large
trees. A notch is cut on the side of the
tree in the desired direction
of fall. After
a felling cut is made on the opposite
side of tree, the tree will tend to fall in
the direction
of the notch.
NOTE: If the tree has large buttress
roots, remove them before making the
notch. If using saw to remove buttress
roots, keep saw chain from contacting
ground to prevent dulling of the chain.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING
TREE
• Make notch cut by cutting the top of
the notch first. Cut through 1/3 of the
diameter
of the tree. Next complete
the notch by cutting the bottom. See
illustration.
Once the notch is cut, re-
move the wedge
of wood from the
tree.
First cut
_
2"
_ Felling cut here
Secol_clcui
j
\
_._
Hinge
• After removing the wood, make the
felling cut on the opposite
side of the
notch. This is done by making a cut
about two inches higher than the
center of the notch. This will leave
enough
uncut wood between the fell-
ing cut and the notch to form a hinge.
This hinge will help prevent the tree
from falling in the wrong direction.
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
Closing of
notch
Opening
of felling
out
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete,
use wedges
to open the cut if neces-
sary to control the direction
of fall. To
avoid kickback
and chain damage,
use
wood or plastic wedges,
but never
steel or iron wedges.
• Be alert to signs that the tree is
ready to fall: cracking sounds,
widen-
ing of the felling cut, or movement
in
the upper branches.
• As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put it
down, and get away quickly on your
planned retreat path.
• DO NOT use your saw to cut down a
partially fallen tree. Be extremely cau-
tious with partially fallen trees that may
be poorly supported. When a tree
doesn't fall completely, set saw aside
and pull down tree with a cable winch,
block and tackle, or tractor.
CUTTING
A FALLEN TREE
(BUCKING)
Bucking is the term used for cutting a
fallen tree to the desired log size.
Ai_ WARNING:
Do not stand on the
log being cut. Any portion can roll
causing loss of footing and control. Do
not stand downhill
of the log being cut.
IMPORTANT
POINTS
• Cut only one log at a time.
• Cut shattered
wood very carefully;
sharp pieces of wood could be flung
toward operator.
• Use a sawhorse
to cut small logs.
Never allow another person to hold
the log while cutting and never hold
the log with your leg or foot.
• Do not cut in an area where logs,
limbs, and roots are tangled. Drag logs
into a clear area before cutting them
by pulling out exposed and cleared
logs first.
BUCKING
TECHNIQUES
,_
WARNING:
If saw becomes
pinched or hung in a log, don't try to
force it out. You can lose control of the
saw resulting
in injury and/or damage
to the saw. Stop the saw, drive a
wedge
of plastic or wood into the cut
until the saw can be removed easily.
Restart the saw and carefully reenter
the cut. Do not use a metal wedge.
Do
not attempt to restart your saw when it
is pinched
or hung in a log.
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