Thank you! Got a couple questions about a couple of your points. The rest I'll add to the stack in my head to keep in mind!
1. Get a throw bag and use a basal tie to climb set to your TIP and isolate the branch you are going to use instead of using lanyards.
I can see how that would have worked for the birch tree in my last post, but how would I do that in a fir tree? (Unless the implication is to go up the fir tree like I did the birch tree)
3. Don't let your rpms drop too low or a tooth may bite and pull the saw. Use less pressure instead if you want to slow the cutting speed.
I'm one who suffers from CLSA (Can't leave stuff alone), and did an exhaust mod, pulled the limiter caps, and re-tuned it a tad rich. The tuning is a bit of a learning process for me, so to keep from ruining the saw I tuned it rich. I've been slowly leaning it up, but I can't tell how the tune really behaves until I have it in wood for a while. Thus it's 4-stroking at a crazy low RPM in this video. After the tree was down, I was cutting up brush and played with the tune a bit, and got it cutting much better. We'll see how it does on the next tree. (this weekend methinks)
4. Don't rig from your TIP. If it fails you will be screwed.
In a tree like that birch, how would you have rigged it? There were at the very least 3 dead branches that absolutely had to be rigged to protect stuff below on the neighbors property.
6. Use your top handle saw until about 20". Lugging a large saw around a spar will wear you out faster than cutting both sides of a cut.
6.5. Get a medium saw. Worn out climbers might rest a heavy saw on a lanyard for a second.
Assuming you're referencing the first fir takedown I posted. I plan on getting a medium saw. I had one, but sold it to get the bigger saw because I needed the bigger saw more, and I also wanted a different medium saw that was going to be easier to find parts for (my old medium saw was a CS-490 that I bought from Home Depot, didn't know much about chainsaws and specs except how to safely operate them, and that saw was going to be a pain to get parts and support for. Especially support because I got it at a box store.)
Haven't decided on what saw yet, but I'm leaning towards the smallest one I can toss a 20" bar on, with a lightweight bar. I wish Echo made wrap handles for their smaller saws. I can see that being very helpful in a tree.
7. Move around the spar and get a better angle on your face cuts.
8. Shallower face cuts are easier to line up.
9. Practice the humboldt cut.
So go shallow on the face cut, and longer on the back cut? I would see that being an issue in some situations. (on the birch, the big face cut I did had a sizable back lean to it... I cut until the log sat on my bar, and pushed it over.
Humboldt I've had some issues with... I botched both of the final stem drop cuts at the stump. The first one was REALLY ugly. There's a reason I kept those pieces small enough to manage, big enough to practice with.
10. Use steady force to snap a snap cut after removing your saw. Shaking them can cause them to snap in the wrong direction.
And if it doesn't go, re-evaluate the cut, and cut more as needed...
11. Keep posting videos. You are in the right place to learn.
I plan on it! I film every tree so I can analyze the footage, and have others do the same if they so choose, and I am very grateful for the help!
