This is a good thread. I'm actually kind of frightened I have something to contribute.
I'm not a cat. Even they don't have nine lives. Maybe the first scenario I describe doesn't qualify as "burning one". But the second one DEFINITELY does.
About ten years ago I was topping (yeah yeah, I know...) a tree in my backyard that was eating up so much of the sunlight my grass needed. At the time I knew the species but I've since forgotten. I was about as high up as I could get, but in hindsight I'm sure I could've done better. I was cutting OVER MY SHOULDERS, about head height. Working w/my tree chainsaw, I notched the uppermost, vertical limb, and then proceeded to make the back cut. The limb was maybe 4" in diameter. Obviously I was too aggressive, even though I remember specifically thinking, "Go easy here... this branch is not inspired to lean in any direction. Take your time with the felling cut." There was some wind. The branch exploded apart, and the splintery, jagged cut fell directly into my collar bone area. It hurt, ha ha! I had to lift it up and off me and play with it to get it to fall. All in all, not too bad. If it had fallen into my face it would have really messed me up good. I don't think it even broke the skin but it was a violent impact. It seemed like I only touched the saw to the back of that limb, and it just flew apart. And I remember that tree having really supple, strong wood. We hung a low swing on a very long, lateral limb, and it bowed under the weight of an adult, but was fine.
F'fwd to the present. I was working in a conifer this spring, a take-down job. It was a small, tall pine, about 50' high. (attached) Halfway up there were four very scary high tension lines about 8' away. But I was completely mindful of those power lines. Once I climbed past and above them, every limb I felled or tossed never touched them, and neither did I. Now I'm at the top of the tree and I'm making the topping cut. I'm cutting at about the top of my shoulders. Carefully I notched the vertical, highest limb.
It was about 4" in diameter.
I had a tail of climbing line tied maybe 10" above my notch, and my idea was to use one hand to gently pull and try to guide it to fall toward into my wedge. There was some wind. Now the back cut. The homeowner was sitting in a lounge chair, a very safe distance away, watching me. The branch EXPLODED apart. It's all kind of a flash in my mind. The hand that was holding on to the rope that was supposed to 'guide' the limb flailed thru space, leaving me with no hold. I fell back suddenly and violently. My saw was screaming full throttle because as I fell backward my hand kept gripping it. It cut thru my climbing line in a split second, and deep enough into my "Safety Blue" homemade positioning lanyard to expose a nice deep tuft of blue. Good thing I didn't cut thru my 2nd line. Good thing the running chain didn't end up in my face. Good thing a lot of things.
Now... this summer. I'm doing a pretty big takedown... and I'm cutting the topmost, nearly vertical limb. (attached) Again, about the same diameter. I did both the notch and the felling cut with my HAND SAW. And I had NO PROBLEMS. And while I still may notch with a power saw, I will NEVER, in this kind of scenario, EVER make the back cut with anything other than a hand saw. That's just me. But I hope it helps YOU.
I'm not a cat. Even they don't have nine lives. Maybe the first scenario I describe doesn't qualify as "burning one". But the second one DEFINITELY does.
About ten years ago I was topping (yeah yeah, I know...) a tree in my backyard that was eating up so much of the sunlight my grass needed. At the time I knew the species but I've since forgotten. I was about as high up as I could get, but in hindsight I'm sure I could've done better. I was cutting OVER MY SHOULDERS, about head height. Working w/my tree chainsaw, I notched the uppermost, vertical limb, and then proceeded to make the back cut. The limb was maybe 4" in diameter. Obviously I was too aggressive, even though I remember specifically thinking, "Go easy here... this branch is not inspired to lean in any direction. Take your time with the felling cut." There was some wind. The branch exploded apart, and the splintery, jagged cut fell directly into my collar bone area. It hurt, ha ha! I had to lift it up and off me and play with it to get it to fall. All in all, not too bad. If it had fallen into my face it would have really messed me up good. I don't think it even broke the skin but it was a violent impact. It seemed like I only touched the saw to the back of that limb, and it just flew apart. And I remember that tree having really supple, strong wood. We hung a low swing on a very long, lateral limb, and it bowed under the weight of an adult, but was fine.
F'fwd to the present. I was working in a conifer this spring, a take-down job. It was a small, tall pine, about 50' high. (attached) Halfway up there were four very scary high tension lines about 8' away. But I was completely mindful of those power lines. Once I climbed past and above them, every limb I felled or tossed never touched them, and neither did I. Now I'm at the top of the tree and I'm making the topping cut. I'm cutting at about the top of my shoulders. Carefully I notched the vertical, highest limb.
It was about 4" in diameter.
I had a tail of climbing line tied maybe 10" above my notch, and my idea was to use one hand to gently pull and try to guide it to fall toward into my wedge. There was some wind. Now the back cut. The homeowner was sitting in a lounge chair, a very safe distance away, watching me. The branch EXPLODED apart. It's all kind of a flash in my mind. The hand that was holding on to the rope that was supposed to 'guide' the limb flailed thru space, leaving me with no hold. I fell back suddenly and violently. My saw was screaming full throttle because as I fell backward my hand kept gripping it. It cut thru my climbing line in a split second, and deep enough into my "Safety Blue" homemade positioning lanyard to expose a nice deep tuft of blue. Good thing I didn't cut thru my 2nd line. Good thing the running chain didn't end up in my face. Good thing a lot of things.
Now... this summer. I'm doing a pretty big takedown... and I'm cutting the topmost, nearly vertical limb. (attached) Again, about the same diameter. I did both the notch and the felling cut with my HAND SAW. And I had NO PROBLEMS. And while I still may notch with a power saw, I will NEVER, in this kind of scenario, EVER make the back cut with anything other than a hand saw. That's just me. But I hope it helps YOU.
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