You Can Do It Projects

How do you do it and make sure the tree falls where you want? We went to Tim Ard, president of Forest Applications Training, for some help. He is one of the industry's top chain saw and logging experts, working as an instructor for Husqvarna, as well as running his own company. Ard has taught safety and logging to more than 13,000 people. Here's how Ard suggests safely cutting a tree:

LEAN. First, look at the tree. The top of the tree, or the crown, tells you where to make the cut that will make the tree fall where you want.

Any tree has a natural forward, backward or side lean determined by the crown. The lean of the crown influences where the tree will fall. Therefore, you cut your notch in a place on the trunk that offsets the lean.

NOTCH. Now it's time to actually make your notch cut. The width of the notch is determined by the width of the tree. The notch should be 80% of the trunk's diameter.

The opening of the notch should equal at least 70 degrees (see photos below). The notch depth should extend about one-quarter to one-third of the way into the tree. Try to make both cuts meet exactly.

HINGE. On the portion of the trunk opposite the notch make a cut called the back cut (see photos below). The back cut is made to a point only deep enough to create the hinge.

The hinge is that portion of the trunk that you do not cut. It falls between the notch and the back portion of the tree (see photos below).

The hinge controls the fall of the tree. It is made to prevent the tree from rolling to one side or another. The width of the hinge should be equal to 10% of the tree's diameter at 4½ feet above the ground. A tree 10 inches in diameter should have a 1-inch hinge.

A well-cut notch steers your tree to the ground. First, determine the tree's diameter. Here, it is 10 inches. The width of the notch should be 80% of that measurement. In this case it will be 8 inches wide.	The notch opening should equal 70 degrees from top to bottom. A narrow cut could pinch the falling tree against the stump, causing the tree to roll off the stump.

Make the back cut on the back of the tree. Don't cut all the way through; leave about 1 inch of the trunk in place. This hinge guides the tree to the ground and prevents it from kicking back toward you.	Here's a good illustration of what the cut should look like. To the right in this photo is the remnant of the notch. The uncut portion, or the hinge, is next. On the left is the area of the back cut.

These photos show how to make the notch in a tree. The top cut is first (left photo). The width of the cut equals 80% of the tree's diameter. The lower cut (middle photo) should be the same depth and width as the one made on top. The final photograph shows how the notch should look.

Limbing and Bucking

A fallen tree presents new hazards. There may be damaged limbs in surrounding trees that may fall so it is a good idea to look overhead before proceeding.

There is always some form of pressure on the fallen trunk and limbs. There may be back, side or twisting pressure.

It is best to start cutting up the tree at the stump end and working toward the crown to slowly relieve these pressures progressively down the length of the tree.

For trunks or limbs with downward pressure, cut a "V" on top. Then cut from below so the limb falls cleanly away from the blade.

Another technique is the offset cut. Make one cut from the top halfway through the limb, then another cut offset a few inches away from the bottom until the two cuts are the same distance into the limb. The weight of the downward pressure should separate the limb.

A logger can be severely injured when limbs with back pressure on them—a force pushing upward—are severed from the tree.

Two cuts are made to address this problem. The first cut is made on the bottom. The second cut is made closer to the tree and into the top of the limb. This is the stress side.

It is important that the two cuts bypass. This prevents the limb from kicking back and hitting the logger.