Logs bounce.

Flying~Squirrel

Flying~Squirrel

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VT/NH
I got really lucky that this one bounced right instead of left, or else it would have been inside their living room. Still, I learned a serious lesson about keeping the drop zone clear. It's worth the extra time it takes.


The damaged bark on the longest log is where the problem log hit the ground. It bounced about 10 or 15 feet in the air and did a full 360 before coming to rest on the fence. It probably weighed over 3000 pounds and it floated through the air like a feather.

Sorry boss.
 

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It's amazing how far wood can bounce off other wood, something I always try and hammer into my ground guys heads. (The concept, not the wood....)

Working in the woods.... er, forest, I've had the space not to worry about 'what might happen' and just send things off big spars, cliffs, etc, and watch what happens. It's pretty impressive to see a huge log like that go flying like it's nothing, huh?

Thanks for sharing.

edit: the piece that bounced, where along its length did it hit the piece that was already on the ground?
 
My takeaway from this isn't to keep the drop zone clear. It reinforces my approach of not bombing logs down anywhere near things of value. I'd be roping down smaller pieces even though I work solo. I'd rather take longer with the tree so I can spend zero time dealing with damage. I hate to think about how badly the house could have been damaged if it had gone differently.
 
Dan Cobb said:
My takeaway from this isn't to keep the drop zone clear. It reinforces my approach of not bombing logs down anywhere near things of value. I'd be roping down smaller pieces even though I work solo. I'd rather take longer with the tree so I can spend zero time dealing with damage. I hate to think about how badly the house could have been damaged if it had gone differently.
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One of my favorite quotes
“If you’re not in control you’re out of control”
 
logs are just a massive spring with lots of potential energy (Ever cut a tree down and had some large brush hanging on for dear life? those limbs bounce like nothin)

good thing it was just a fence, and not the house, fencing is cheap (ish) to replace/repair, a house isnt
 
Dan Cobb said:
My takeaway from this isn't to keep the drop zone clear. It reinforces my approach of not bombing logs down anywhere near things of value. I'd be roping down smaller pieces even though I work solo. I'd rather take longer with the tree so I can spend zero time dealing with damage. I hate to think about how badly the house could have been damaged if it had gone differently.
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I have no problem bombing out large logs onto soft(ish) turf, as they won’t bounce. However, there better be nothing hard in that landing zone, or we won’t do it. I don’t think it’s beneficial to limit myself to not dropping logs where they can’t bounce, as long as there is space to safely land them.
 
Reach said:
I have no problem bombing out large logs onto soft(ish) turf, as they won’t bounce. However, there better be nothing hard in that landing zone, or we won’t do it. I don’t think it’s beneficial to limit myself to not dropping logs where they can’t bounce, as long as there is space to safely land them.
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Exactly. It’s hard to be proficient getting wood to land flat without practice.
 
Definitely an "Oh Shit" moment there. I had a boss once that was limbing up a hemlock that was about 40 feet from the front picture window of the clients house. The limb was about 25 feet long and skinny, hit tip first and sprang towards the window but first. Took the window out.
 
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I've catapulted a few logs. Now I'm anal about making sure there's no precariously placed pieces of wood in the drop zone. I have a video a client sent me of a padding log that shot up in the air when we dropped a trunk. I was lucky it went flipping straight up and not off to the side.
 
I like to bounce wood off wood at times, never so big, so close to a house, always with the right rotation, which is a crucial part of the trick. Less craters, one impact zone.


"Flipping logs"
Accelerating or retarding the rotation is part, along with the face cut angle, and height to log length ratio.


I chunk logs solo a lot. Dropping them radially, if practical, can help, just a larger impact area.



Beware buttress roots covered in duff.
 
Treezybreez said:
I've catapulted a few logs. Now I'm anal about making sure there's no precariously placed pieces of wood in the drop zone. I have a video a client sent me of a padding log that shot up in the air when we dropped a trunk. I was lucky it went flipping straight up and not off to the side.
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I got away from pad logs mostly, because I just of that, or I bury them in the ground anyways.
 
27RMT0N said:
It's amazing how far wood can bounce off other wood, something I always try and hammer into my ground guys heads. (The concept, not the wood....)

Working in the woods.... er, forest, I've had the space not to worry about 'what might happen' and just send things off big spars, cliffs, etc, and watch what happens. It's pretty impressive to see a huge log like that go flying like it's nothing, huh?

Thanks for sharing.

edit: the piece that bounced, where along its length did it hit the piece that was already on the ground?
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I believe right about dead center, and it would have landed flat.
 
Treetopflyer said:
Don't forget about the often under utilized vertical speedine.. I do believe that you would've been OK there . Some good cheap bullrope and a rigging ring will work wonders keeping large wood from flying radical.
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I always forget about the vertical speedline until about an hour after the job is done and I realize it would have been useful!
 
I agree with SouthSound about root zone. Even if clear ground roots can launch logs.

Once when I was younger and far dumber I dropped a Euc log on a quiet country roads bridge. I could not believe how high it bounced.
 
Flying~Squirrel said:
I always forget about the vertical speedline until about an hour after the job is done and I realize it would have been useful!
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Yes all rigging has its time and place . Like southbound and Merle just mentioned even with large root buttresses and high roots that will send stuff flying that speedleash ill call it keeps that shit in check when performed correctly.. I've never had a bad experience with Vert speedlines compared to being rocked on a negative rigg the ground hand can't let run fast enough..
 
Here is a tree I took down yesterday where the log gave a decent little bounce. Obviously I could just bomb big pieces into a hole in the ground so it didn't matter and I expected it to happen (hence the camera), but that's a pretty big piece of wood bouncing in the air:

 
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