1/2 cut hinge.

boreality

During the back cut I've over cut the far side and taken out half the hinge. Other than slowing down and avoiding this, is there a solution once the hinge is compromised? I guess a side anchor line is about it or any other solutions?

Eric Frei

Well hopefully it's not the side opposite the lean.

If the tree is symmetrical (weighted same) and there's no wind factor it shouldn't make a real big difference, obviously if there's targets around you'd want to rope it.

Also depends how much hinge left on the other side, if that was really thin too then more likelihood of unpredictable failure.

Re cutting another hinge or back-cut also real risky as I assume the tree is ready to go or perhaps going.

Tell us what happened.

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boreality

Of course it was on the high side, and like you say it was ready to go. What happened is I put the spruce top on my truck hood. No injuries and repaired for $300 but still. Probably the only solution to this is not to do it in the first place. Some falls need all the hinge they can get. And move the truck.

stirmantrees

gotta appreciate the honesty. We all make mistakes.

Levi Parkin

It's true, we all screw up from time to time. Good on ya for fessing up to it. Glad to hear no one got hurt.

boreality

Actually when I think about it the first year doing this I cut right through the whole hinge. Smaller trees and balanced so they came straight back, got away with it. No targets, probably why I just hacked at them. Got em cleaned up quick before my helper could see what I did. And before doing this professionally when cutting firewood I'd play with cutting part of the hinge duing the fall and trying to spin the trees. Pretty cool, but the results were never guarenteed.

Eric Frei

Yeah it's a bitch if you've already over cut.

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Levi Parkin

I remember my first summer doing this, I was never allowed to fell trees, but my co-worker was (for some reason) and one day we were cutting down a back leaning eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) which happened to be leaning towards the most used street in our whole town. I TOLD him, we should set a line in it and pull it over, he said "no" he would/could drive it over with wedges. Long story short, the wedge didn't work and in trying to remove "some" hingewood, he cut entirely through the hinge, the tree fell over backwards into the middle of the street, and we spent a good portion of time running about trying to get the tree out of the street before our boss showed up. It was terrible.

boreality

I also remember from my firewood days trying some of the craziest notches. Layering three face notches spiralling around the side and cutting the hinge to follow them. It worked but I don't think clients would want me to use this by their houses. I didn't know better, just out having fun.

dov

I remember when I cut through half the hinge... The trunk did a 90 degree twist and landed on the neighbours roof! Thankfully not much damage and I could get enough matching tiles - the people were away on holiday too, so I tarped the roof for the night then came back with the new tiles the next day. Left a note, but never heard from them. Was angry with myself for ages over that one...

Garry Brockley

Yep done that just the other day whilst climbing limb was supposed to go straight out, instead i over cut one side and it released off at 45 deg to the left and broke out a couple the branches on a neighbours tree damn i was annoyed with myself i took my eye off the ball for a second.
I have seen a method when felling trees where once you have but the gob in then you put a long peice of grass at the hinge sticking out the other side, when you are cutting through from the rear you can look around the back and see how far the grass is from the bar.

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boreality

I was thinking of taking a small mirror up in the tree if it was an awkward position to check the far side. Or mount one on the bar tip. You know the piece of grass is not a bad idea, hard to come by near the top though. Maybe a small twig.

boreality

Thanks Galbee I knew someone must have a trick to solve this common problem. I used the twig 3 times today and it worked great. Another arrow in my quiver.

Garry Brockley

No worries glad i could be of help practise makes perfect

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JohN Dee

I remember Tree Machine talking about using disposable square shape chopsticks... Obviously the square ones so they will stay in place...

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We are what we repeatedly do... Excellence then, is not an act, but HABIT...

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kel

Is there a problem, if you have cut into your hinge and the tree hasn't fallen, to start a fresh cut 30cm or more above or below? Done that once or twice. Like the idea of a stick in the cut as an indicator.

boreality

Might have to keep a couple pieces of chewing gum in the kit for the windy days. If I knew what a gob was I may not have to explain this, anyway. What I was doing was setting up the hinge thickness on the far side, jamming a stick into the kerf then finishing the backcut. The stick jumps as the chain hits it and whala perfect hinge.

Willard Holmen

Not so crazy. Years ago [and maybe a few still do today] veteran timber fallers did much the same idea as you explained to get valuable trees to the ground. One term was the "swing dutchmen felling method", where cuts were made into the corner of the hingewood on the notchside. In big red cedars over 10 feet [ over 3 meters] in diameter these fallers could turn the tree up to 180 degrees on the stump before it hit the ground.

A method I adopted in falling small conifers was "hand bunching" the trees into 3 to 6 trees per bunch with all butts even and all in the same lay. In tightly spaced stands [very few limbs on the trees] working off the face of my strip, when the falling tree is about 3/4 from verticle I cut completely through the hingewood, then with the trees falling momentum I would grab it with both hands and pitch it before it hits the ground. A 10" dbh 50 foot tall spruce can be pitched a fair distant with enough practice.With these bigger trees you have to get your one knee under the stem to help pitch it, just make sure the hinge is completely cut through or you risk breaking your leg.
Small 4" or so trees can be thrown with one hand.
This method sure ups the production in cut and skid logging small timber.
By the way seeing your from Saskatchewan, I was born raised on a farm near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Willard.

boreality

Well there you go Willard. I'm Bevin Andres "Frompy Eh" as well and now Arboresting in the Emma Lake area. All the boys around here brag about hand bunching. I never had the chance myself, I did nursery work and tree planting. I guess some guy from Quebec brought the technique here. I have thrown tops past targets the same way though.

Willard Holmen

Glad to meet you Bevin. I'm situated at The Pas, MB.
Yes alot of logging techniques came from those French Canadian loggers of Quebec to our neck of the woods.
Are you any relation to the Andres from Nipawin?
My Uncle George had a cottage at Bells Beach, Christopher Lake. I have many good childhood memories from there.
Willard.