Best cut for swinging limbs

[96coal449]

Beaver cut! Notch and then nibble away at edges and interior of notch. Watch the pinch and let gravity do the work. Use or loose the compression and tension wood accordingly. Back cut not necessary at times. Practice on the ground when delimbing and you get the feel for how well sap wood will hinge. Like others have said a lot of variable with wood moisture being one of the greatest to consider

I climb with a beaver in my back pocket for when my saw runs dry. Seriously... I find this post touching home because every morning I get up, get my coffee, and stare across the road at a 2-3 acre beaver pond. It's a beautiful sight.

 

[Daniel]

I like the thought behind the peel cut it makes a lot of sense.
Really just trying to find the best way to blend my abilities with my groundman's. I'm no longer working with other climbers on the ground so it's causing me to reevaluate how I approach things. I worked with such quality people that they could bail me out of bad rigging set ups with good rope work. No longer the case. No bigs, I adapt.

Thanks everyone for their input, love reading rigging discussions.

That's right... I don;t like to put my safety in the GM's hands no matter how good they are or how long we've worked together... Good cutting and riggingskills can keep you safe no matter what the GN does. That doesn't mean going small either.. can be safer to go big ... great input fromt the community...

 

[Daniel]

I like having the larger Shizzel spider plate handy with some short hanks as it allows two or three point balance and can be used like a hub and straps for lowering several pieces at once. I do like the Blake's hitch method too, and you don't even need a separate piece, just clove or cow hitch your first point with a really long tail, run it to your second point, tie a running bowline with a long tail, and use that to tie the Blake's back to the line. It's super ghetto, but it works a charm and is really useful when you're only going to do it once.

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Sometimes its easier to go simple when its just one cut (lowest limb over the roof) and you don;t have to bring out the gear bag... I generall can get a good swing without the extra line... just tie it off at the BP and pre-tension the line with a lot of force, let the tips brush the roof and gutter. Yesterday used a redirect shackle on a short old line for a sling, just below the cut.. hung the piece then cut just below the sling and let both pieces swing back to the DZ.. new groundie commented afterwards that he should be paying me to watch such things.. if you had a GRCS involved you could hand the piece and then crank it up a few feet, but the maim advantage recuing the swing by breaking it up into two parts... when the big piece does the second swing, its tips downa nd under the cut, so a good bit safer for the climber or bucket op.

 

[BenDraper]

This is a cool thread. My last two you tubes have what is being described in. Swinging limbs.

 

[islandarb]

Benn D...my bro...lol

 

[Nish]

Yesterday used a redirect shackle on a short old line for a sling, just below the cut.. hung the piece then cut just below the sling and let both pieces swing back to the DZ..

So, the lowering line is attached to the first piece you cut, but you've connected the butt of that first piece to the remaining stub with a short sling. The weight of the remaining stub, when cut free, raises the tip of the first piece. Is this right?

 

[Daniel]

not exactly... the shackle is used as a redirect on a long horizontal limb over the roof.. the overhead rigging point is higher , but a long wys back.. When the pieces is cut it hangs there from its end (over the roof) NO run and then when the cut is made below the redirect shackle the piece swings back towards the tree and off the roof, so it can be lowered .. When it makes the second swing it is hanging tips down and has much less force to the swing, with tips down if it does a little brush on the roof, its no harm no foul. god sytem when needed.. thaat's why my GRCS lives in the garage.

 

[Nish]

not exactly... the shackle is used as a redirect on a long horizontal limb over the roof.. the overhead rigging point is higher , but a long wys back.. When the pieces is cut it hangs there from its end (over the roof) NO run and then when the cut is made below the redirect shackle the piece swings back towards the tree and off the roof, so it can be lowered .. When it makes the second swing it is hanging tips down and has much less force to the swing, with tips down if it does a little brush on the roof, its no harm no foul. god sytem when needed.. thaat's why my GRCS lives in the garage.

That's helpful. It sounds efficient. Thank you for the detailed explanation and reasoning Daniel.

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[TheTreeSpyder]

Cut-wise:
A kerf-dutchman(low) / tapered hinge(high)
face direction: slightly down towards 4 o'clock or so maybe same angle as roof line etc.
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Play as a step/swing-dutchamn theory on felling/only turn Dent's model sideways.
(only face more towards step than tapered side of hinge,
allow swing duchy mechanic to easier relief point nearer to gravity pull)
w/downward side as sideLean distracting from target (across sweep).
step/kerf pushes up on close as tapered hinge is pulling up.
face is path of least resistance offered.
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Best flex force is rope pull from far/stiff end of load, foot press down/ bucket press down been known to work too.
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Sideways pull tension on rigging line can help force stronger across hinge;
and same angle can help force stronger hinge/in response
>>by pull rope on the leveraged end from hinge
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Sometimes rig not needed if can confidently work forces to make limb throw clear of roof line.
Or less tricky rig needed, if can just get limb to fold to target position for rope to take load, before cut-off.
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Pic on crossed cuts, tapered hinge, purposeful step-dutchman;
shows again faceCut bypasses down or across vertical fiber stack.
note rotational/leveraged push/pull combination in last graphic (arrows)
(Older pic;drawing style probably late 90's)
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[CutHighnLetFly]

I'm all about the rip cut my rigging. I think it's good I learned to notch stuff, and now am learning to effectively rip cut limbs for rigging. You gotta understand how the piece will shift and the way the kerf will open while the piece is moving so as to not get your saw pinched. Not just "grip it rip it" cutting.
Thanks for the input guys, and the new tips.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Ripping thru can work well, gotta stay in it's safe range.
Can disrupt fiber into parent though; so if preserving tree/ is a consideration.
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It does not provide a path of least resistance into open face;
It does not necessarily keep everything 1 piece simple on the hinge,
>>so not having competing parts jamming against each other
It does not (necessarily) fold from stress to wide hinge, can focus pressures to almost a point
It doesn't always use inner rings, many times peeling off just outer rings
>>less substantial than the 'welded mass' , but can be more flexible.
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Are some of the assumed mechanical trade-offs made doing this;
so i'd use very judiciously, not across the board (so to speak)
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i maid this around early 2000's(lil'ruff),
trying to show sideways swing dutchman(tapered hinge up/pull side, dutch kerf under/push up side) rigged theory
(previously posted about above; knew i had this some place!):
mytreelessons.com/horizontal rig.swf
then extends theory to noFace / rip across with dutchman theory.
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Drawing( older vintage '90's) showing taking dutch step 1 side + tapered hinge= swing dutchman turned sideways into tree rigging
http://www.mytreelessons.com/images/sweep versus fall-step 1.jpg
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Warning: This is getting far into theory of using powerful forces to maximum. This strategy uses Dutchman Forces in an early closing of the Face on 1 side; that legend and lore has warned against; so is for enlightened discussion purposes only..
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(if vertical cut bypasses horizontal, close is across fiber stack flexible axis
if horizontal cut bypasses vertical (to fiber orientation) close is 'up' thru fibre stacks
'roman column of strength' is a stop/ not a flex across bendable axis of fibers!
reference previous post drawing showing horizontal or vertical cut bypass comparisons)
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Usual accidental dutchman of horizontal face cut bypassing the more vertical cut;
kerfs across full face, providing full stop or shear mechanical command.
Step Dutchman ,
gives block or kerfs heavy side only to push up,
offers rest of face as path of least resistance,
allowing forward force flow that a full face kerf blocks can command to BarberChair.
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.......orrrrrrrrrrrrr sumetin' like that!