Magic Cut

[southsoundtree]

Magic cut, previously posted by Gord I believe. Couldn't find it by Search.

Wanted to show this to Syeblue.

Great for dropping chunks/ logs with some amount of directional control without all the difficulty of breaking a hinge on short sections, plus gravity pulls the chunk toward the dropzone.

This attachment shows a nice vertical stem. The dashed line indicates the balancing point. On leaning stems, be sure that if you are going against the lean, that you are still undermining the center of gravity.

Cut one undermines the center of gravity enough for the log to want to move forward.
Cut two establishes the full width dutchmen.
Cut three shows the release cut below Cut one.

This works great, without all the hassle of a pull rope to overcome gravity and bend the hinge.

A person can knock down logs fast this way.

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

Okay.

 

[tophopper]

Magic?

I use that all the time when I dont want to push over a block of wood. Just cut the face deep enough to undermine the COG. Let gravity do the rest.

 

[tomthetreeman]

The whole point of a 'snap cut' (two offset horizontal cuts) is so that you can put down the saw and control the wood. This certainly isn't a replacement for that, just an easier way to air mail wood. I like the diagram, hopefully some will learn from it.

-Tom

 

[southsoundtree]

Yes Tom. I agree. This is using an offset overlapping cut for a release, sorta like cutting the backstrap on a bore cut that is stopped short of coming out the back side of the tree.

This is for good landing zones below, not super tight ones.

This can work on shorter sections such as those that would typically be snap-cut, hang saw, break holding zigzag wood, push off, but really shines on logs. No need to wait to descend from the last cut until the groundmen set the rope on the climbline to be pulled back up. No need to pull up two ropes weight. Just drop, and spike down the spare (or lower off if you are using a retrievable false crotch choked around the spar).

I've been using it to drop large doug-fir logs with no pull rope. I just rotate my orientation a little bit, try for a 1:5 ratio of workpiece to spar, and land them flat side by side, radiating out from the base of the tree. Way faster and easier than pulling logs off with a hinge. Can't be used on backleaners unless pulled off with a rope, or still substantially undermining center of balance.


Used the Magic Cut to get these trunks down in 10-15' pieces

I find Paint to be worth a thousand words.

 

[Gerald_Beranek]

It's good

 

[cory]

Does it need to be mismatch/step cut?? What's wrong with just using a normal back cut and leaving a thin hinge?

 

[KyLimbwalker]

It looks like a snap cut (with a notch) that won't take your saw. Looks good.

 

[Winterbush]

is it a humbolt with a dutchman or a snap cut with a snipe?

 

[Gord]

It's a sniped snap cut. Here's the original illustration.

 

[Gord]

The advantage is being able to take off sizable logs with no pull line.

Compared to cutting a deep notch with a hinge it is a much easier cut to make and somewhat safer in that there is little risk of a 'saw-snatcher.' It's easy to make even with a bar considerably shorter than the wood diameter.

I use it commonly for square rigging short logs as well.

 

[southsoundtree]

Thanks for the re-posting Gord.

Funny... I thought of it the other way--as a full dutchman, backcut.

Tomayto...Tomoto.

Or am I missing some nuance with the snipe?

 

[Gord]

It's not a real felling cut if there's no hinge made.

 

[TGCIII]

a snap cut with a bend or a bending snap cut? whatever it works. thanks for the post

 

[Tom Dunlap]

[ QUOTE ]
It's not a real felling cut if there's no hinge made.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly!

I've seen many old stumps, and some fresh ones, with by-passed face cuts. the saw handler, I don't call them fellers, is just plain lucky that they don't loose control when the by-pass the face since there is no hinge.

 

[southsoundtree]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's not a real felling cut if there's no hinge made.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly!

I've seen many old stumps, and some fresh ones, with by-passed face cuts. the saw handler, I don't call them fellers, is just plain lucky that they don't loose control when the by-pass the face since there is no hinge.

[/ QUOTE ]


The cut is made with intention. The workpiece goes where it is directed.


Is it not really just a micro step-dutchmen with a snipe, with the hinge behind the face, which closes very immediately and releases the hinge. And another way to think about it is a sniped snapcut (people will argue that a snap cut is made for people to be able to break the holding zigzag wood and handle the piece. Not that this differentiation is important, just theory.

You don't have control over sideweight, true. That is not what it is for, though.

Still seems like Tomayto, tomoto. Who actually says tomoto, anyway?

Gord is the first to post it the the Buzz from what I've seen, so if he says Tomayto, I guess it can be Tomayto.

Thanks again for the clear presentation in the original post Gord. A very useful trick to put into the bag for specific situations.

As a disclaimer for newbies: The simpliest scenario presented here is for dead vertical, balanced pieces. No effective sideways control is present to overcome side/ backweight. Use a pull line for backweight, as with all things, with careful consideration. Don't expect it to work with side weight without an opposing rope and skilled groundman operating it.