Cool Video

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I always tie into my front Ds when taking a top out

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Got any pics?

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I can take some pics MB

I use a saddle with 2 Sliding Ds at the front, so I transfer from my Side Ds to my front Ds.

This means I am not part of the loop -If the stem splits, my steelcore flipline and climbing line will be stretched by the stem splitting but I wont be crushed because I am out of the loop.

There have been some terrible injuries caused by the stem or branch splitting when tied into Side Ds

When you are tied side D to side D you are part of the loop.
 
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To arrest the bark tear, we place the cuts a full diameter or so below the falling cuts. A tree with a side lean will need the cuts put much lower, or the wood will pull out from the wing cuts. You need to be prepared to spur down below your safety cuts to get below the action if needed. This is one situation where the introduction of, choked off safety lines does not work. Heavy side leaners, forget it.



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Usually if wing cuts (i was taught kerf cuts) are used i put them one to two inches below the apex of the notch and about one to two inches into the tree. I never noticed fiber pull below that point. Placed there the kerf cuts, as far as i can tell, do not affect the strength of the hinge. But i've never taken or will have to take down such trees or a top that large, or deal with the trees you do.

Steve
 
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Beautiful there in the Dandenongs. Clear to see that Graeme is a true professional and not a chancer. Oh, and a badass when it comes to TD's

I have heard the following said:

The book, "The Art and Science of Practical Rigging" was originally titled "Graeme and Friends."

Graeme once challenged Lance Armstrong in a "Who has more testicles?" contest. Graeme won by 5.

Faster than a speeding bullet ... more powerful than a locomotive ... able to leap tall buildings in a single bound... yes, these are some of Graeme's warm-up exercises.

Just joking... awesome vids Graeme!!!

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Pandering to celebrities does not suit you Nathan.
Your better than that.
 
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A defect six feet below your position could unexpectedly let the whole show go before you are ready. That strap from below simply picks up your fliplines, choked off lifeline and happiness, and drags you all to the ground. Bother.
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Graeme

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Graeme,

Try finding an area on the stem with decent big knuckles or stubs that were created earlier in the take down, make your directional notch cut above them - this can dramatically reduce the risk of the splitting you are talking about as well as those cuts you mentioned.

We all know how hard it is to split a log which is full of knots and ugly stubs.
 
Axenot, I was not pandering, but since you asked for it, here are a few more....all in good fun of course.

Graeme doesn't daydream. He's too busy giving trees nightmares.

Divide Graeme by zero and you will in fact get one........one badass that is.

Graeme once participated in the running of the bulls. He walked.

There are now five cup sizes at Starbucks: Short, Tall, Grande, Venti, and Graeme.

When Graeme wants an egg, he cracks open a chicken.

Graeme doesn't kill two birds with one stone. Graeme kills all birds, with two stones. The ones in his pants.

After taking a steroids test doctors informed Graeme that he had tested positive. He laughed upon receiving this information, and said "of course my urine tested positive, what do you think they make steroids from?"
 
Excellent feedback, Graeme. I've never tried corner cuts, or wing cuts, below the felling cuts, but I will, next time I have a side lean.

And you're absolutely right about notch angle, it depends on the situation.

Have you ever had a butt slide backward off the stump?
 
Kerf cuts stuff

I cannot speak for your wood. But what I am familiar with, mostly pine and fir, is not to be messed with at the corners.

One can center face bore usually without any significant impact on hinge function. But to weaken the holding wood at the corners if you are not going with the lean means loss of control.

The only times I do the kerf or wing cuts is on heavy leaners or to equalize things when there is rot on the off corner or to eliminate a root pull on one side. In the later, I'll generally make that cut down low.

Trivia question:
Has anyone here ever set up a root pull to 'help' a tree over against its lean? Let's say you have placed your face and have a tapered hinge and wedges lifting against the lean etc. Now add to that the fortunate circumstance of a protruding root directly below the tension side of the hinge. I've bored vertically starting down from where the back of the thicker side of the hinge will be to encourage this root to join the team.
I think this works really well. Unfortunately it should be filed in the art arena as I don't seem to have acquired the ability to make it a science.
If you don't have success with getting root pull in certain species, you may have to lower your felling cuts.
Since I'm the only person I know of who has done this, time for the disclaimer, "please don't try this at home - for professionals only!" This is pretty serious stuff. A root pull can be an incredibly powerful event.
 
Re: Kerf cuts stuff

Dent's book on page 125 shows a photo of where a springboard was placed directly below the hinge. In effect, creating a deep wing cut.
Another caveat, don't put your springboard slots below your holding wood unless you like surprises.

Also, when vertical boring to determine rot. Think about where that bore is going in, as you can be setting up a barber chair or undesirable root pull.
 
Re: Kerf cuts stuff

fuelsguy1969 - it was a Ponderosa pine, a long time ago, that taught me the lesson of using corner cuts. That top hung on and tried to shake me out of the tree.

Fighting the lean when topping is risky. The fiber up there isn't nearly as strong as at the base of the tree.
 
Re: Kerf cuts stuff

Olman60:

Explain a little more. If the top "hung on" that sounds like the wood was strong, in a way.

(Is this going to be one of those flexible sapwood is actually stronger because it has some give versus brittle and stoic hardwood is the strongest because it doesn't want to bend discussions?)

I do know that the wood at the base is denser and stronger, regardless of sapwood vs. hardwood, as it is where the tree needs the strongest support. Both to hold it up and keep it from going over with a wind.

You might have to draw a diagram to get me up to speed. Not sure from your prior post exactly.

Thanks
 
Re: Kerf cuts stuff

Sure fuelsguy. As I said, this was a long time ago, the mid-70's. But as I remember the top wasn't that big, maybe 5 or 6" diameter at the cut. I didn't do corner cuts. When the top had tipped, and come to a horizontal position, the hinge still hadn't broken free. The tip continued downward a few more feet before the hinge finally broke. This created a strong pull on me and the standing trunk, which, of course snapped back once the hinge did finally break.

The hinge hung on on one side, and stripped off wood and bark below the cut. The top landed roughly vertically, tip first and then toppled. No property damage beyond holes in the lawn.
 
Re: Kerf cuts stuff

Olman:
My question in this was really twofold.
1) What happened mechanically?
2) You, perhaps falsely, accused the wood up high of being weak.

If it holds on longer, how is it weaker?
I certainly don't have any problem with kerf cuts. Just would like to defend the poor sapwoods of the world.

Static versus flexible. Strength is in the eye of the beholder.
 
Re: Kerf cuts stuff

If there is no significant side lean, as in the situation I described, I think kerf cuts are a good idea to eliminate "bark tear" as Graeme calls it. I'm certain kerf cuts would have prevented the pine top from landing tip first.

fuelsguy, if you're saying the wood was strong, not weak, where I cut on the pine, I agree. The strength, not weakness, of the hinge was the cause of my problem in that case.

Side lean is another kind of problem.

Tell me if I haven't addressed your questions.
 
Re: Kerf cuts stuff

Well done.

Your line"
"The fiber up there isn't nearly as strong as at the base of the tree." when talking about the hinge hanging on threw me off.
 
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