Noob question on taking tree down in sections

B

beetle_X

Location
Central NY
Hi, this is my first post so hello fellow arborists!

I have done a lot of ground work on my own property and I would like to start doing straight forward ,simple climbing work. Anything complicated I'm going to leave for the pros. With that said I want to learn to take trees down in sections.

So my first question is how do you get the first piece down? I have read that climbing with spikes should be done on diameters of 6" or more. Lets say the top limb sticks straight up 20'. How do I get that cut and do it safely. I would not feel comfortable trusting the hinge with a length that long. I really have not found a lot of info on taking trees down in sections other that cutting pieces off that are only about 36" long and then pushing it off of the top.
Thanks for your expertise!
 
Listen to @cerviarborist

And...get ready for the Peanut Gallery

Give us an insight to your background. What skills and knowledge are you bringing?

Going off the ground to work is dangerous and unforgiving.

You'll be surprised how cheap it is to have a pro out the wood on the ground and walk away. A proper climbing kit could easily cost $600. And that's for used gear off Craigslist.

Be realistic. And look at your goal of going home to
Your family tonight
 
beetle_X said:
I just found this video of a arborist taking a big portion down. I guess I'll have to get more comfortable with the idea.
Click to expand...

Terrible example of treework but a good example if it's given you a tiny reality check

He's a logger not an arborist.

Improper harness
No climbing system for egress
Safety glasses?

How many hours and hundreds of vertical climbing feet have gone under his boots?
 
Give us an insight to your background. What skills and knowledge are you bringing?
ANSWER:
Iv'e worn out 2 chain saws and have only did research on climbing. I have also been to the emergency room before and I'm not spiritual. LOL The plan is to start climbing and get comfortable with that and then work in some small forgiving trees.
 
beetle_X said:
Give us an insight to your background. What skills and knowledge are you bringing?
ANSWER:
Iv'e worn out 2 chain saws and have only did research on climbing. I have also been to the emergency room before and I'm not spiritual. LOL The plan is to start climbing and get comfortable with that and then work in some small forgiving trees.

Lets say the top limb sticks straight up 20'. How do I get that cut and do it safely. I would not feel comfortable trusting the hinge with a length that long.
Click to expand...

If you've worn out two saws and aren't comfortable putting a trustworthy hinge in a twenty foot piece of spar, then I'd suggest you look for a local chainsaw operating class and learn some of the finer points. Set some spar sections upright and practice on them until you have your hinge technique down pat..then maybe try it low and slow off the ground.
 
Let's talk a little about the cut to use on a tall top piece. I would want to use a open face because the hinge would break later but the top piece would stay closer to the trunk when it broke so that would be bad correct? Open face would not be the way to go?

Also ,when I see small pieces being cut and pushed off the arborist is doing a straight cut from both sides but how are they keeping the saw from being piched. I assume that they are not cutting completely through and just breaking a small bit when pushing it off of the trunk.
 
Dude, I'm being as kind as I can be now. In this line of work, what you know doesn't put you in a coffin, it's what you don't know. You sir very obviously don't know what you don't know. To even come in here and presume that you're conversing on a peer basis and even know what questions to ask and the correct order of operations to learn how to safely work aloft shows how far into the weeds you are.

Sincerely, hire a pro and tell them you want to shadow them and learn from them while they work on your trees.

On that cheery note I'm unfollowing this thread.
 
Here's my advice, from someone who's also a new climber and not a pro, just a guy who likes trees:
  • Keep researching climbing -- terminology, equipment, safety, techniques. It's fun! Once you know some of the basics, start getting equipment -- although you can climb with just a rope and a saddle (which will still set you back a couple hundred dollars) and knowledge of a handful of knots, you're going to want more gear to make the experience safer, easier, and more enjoyable (this can be an addiction on its own, and you can very easily drop a grand on climbing equipment alone).
  • Practice climbing. Get comfortable with different techniques, and learn how to safely and predictably get in and out of, and move around in, a tree. I'm basically at this stage. Learning new skills and techniques is fun! While I'm okay with using a chainsaw on the ground (I'm hesitant to say "comfortable" with -- it's when you get too comfortable with things that they bite you!), the most cutting I've done in a tree is using a handsaw to trim small (<3" or so) limbs while I'm securely attached with both my climbing rope and my lanyard. Your first post you stated "I would like to start doing straight forward ,simple climbing work. Anything complicated I'm going to leave for the pros." Climbing a medium size tree and removing some small dead limbs with a handsaw is about the most straight forward and simple climbing work that you could do -- and even that you need to be careful. I've seen videos where what you'd think was barely a nick with a handsaw to your climbing rope resulted in complete failure of the rope. At the stage we're at now, using a chainsaw to take a tree down in sections is in the category of "complicated things best left to the pros"
  • Once you are aware of the basics and starting to get some practice in, feel free to ask questions! In my short time here, I've found the people on this forum generally very helpful and willing to share information. But, you'll get much better results when you've done your homework and have some questions on specific things. It's the difference between asking [Please tell me in a forum post how to do this very complicated, dangerous thing] and [I mostly understand this concept but I'm having trouble with one part of it]. @cerviarborist and others aren't trying to be rude or withhold information -- they're trying to tell you that they don't think you're prepared to tackle something like this. Saying "I'm a new climber, but I can use a saw on the ground, please tell me how to take a 30' top off a tree, I'll figure out the rest" is like saying "I've ridden a bicycle a few times, please tell me how to operate the air brake on an 18-wheeler, I'll figure out the rest".
  • Once you can climb up, down, and around a tree, know a few techniques for doing so, and can do so consistently and safely, then you can think about hauling up a chainsaw and taking larger wood. Again, I'm not at this stage yet. We'll see if / when that happens. But I certainly won't think about it until I'm more educated and practiced. As another example of how to approach a forum of mostly professionals, I'm sure if you came in here saying you've been climbing for a while, and done some trimming and removed some larger limbs in pieces on a few trees, but you've never taken a top before and wanted some pointers, people would be happy to help. Or bring a few photos of a specific tree and ask people how they'd handle it.
In short -- don't get put off by replies that are trying to keep you alive. This shit is dangerous, tree pieces are heavy, chainsaws are sharp, and all will happily kill you in multiple unpleasant ways if you let them. It can be handled -- and you can learn how to do it -- it just takes time and effort. You need to study on your own, ask specific questions, start slowly, and practice. Taking down a tree in pieces is not starting slowly -- it's one of the more complex things that you can work up to once you're more comfortable with the basics.
 
We hesitate to directly advise people new to the profession through a medium like this forum because it is not considered adequate training for the task you are wishing to accomplish.
It is not comfortable for arborists to encourage self-taught climbers to work at home because our community is haunted by death and dismemberment.
That being said, cutting techniques require practice to develop comfort with them and the best place to practice is on the ground. Hinging wood is something you should be very comfortable with before cutting a top out on spikes.
The best way to learn what you want to know is in person, with a seasoned arborist.
 
@beetle_X dude dont be mad, we just don't want to give you enough info the build false confidence, try something, and end up seriously hurt or dead because things happen that fast.
What ypur asking can't be answered over text. Ask a live human in front of you to show you. If you think you want to learn this trade by YouTube and very broad internet questions you don't respect the dangers of this work .
I don't mess with electrical stuff or serious automobile stuff because I respect the trade and acknowledge my limits. Be careful out in your yard bub. Hope you stay cause there is plenty to learn, just learn what you need to know tjen start asking questions
 
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