prosthetic hinge??

[southsoundtree]

I have a half dead willow that I'm working on right now. A take down over the neighbors fence. Half or more of the circumference of the three stems are dead, with living tissue on the minority.

I'd like to limb what I can out of a lead and pull it over opposite it 25-degree-from-vertical lean.

Its small enough that if the lead was solid, I'd pull it over backward, but since its partially dead, I'm hesitant about the hinge holding.


Anyone ever experiment with a prosthetic hinge (actual heavy duty metal door hinge lag bolted to face cut)? I know that the hinges would be thrashed by the trunk (hopefully from the face closing, ripping the wood hinge, then rearing out the metal hinges).

I was thinking that this might work. Of course, I've thought that it might not work, as well.

 

[theXman]

hmmm, I drew up sketches of a device that would strap to the tree, then release after the tree approaches the ground. (so it wouldn't get thrashed so bad).

as most of my ideas, i just draw them up and never do anymore about it.

but I think it might work for extremely dead/brittle trees or hollow trees that would not have good hinge wood.

now watch someone patent it before I ever get a chance.

I came up with it about 10 years ago.

Good idea.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Probably 20-25 years ago I remember seeing a strap on hinge gizmo. It could only handle 4-5" pieces. Much easier to just take a pole pruner/saw/chainsaw on a stick and cut the stuff to little bits.

 

[Blinky]

You say half dead? Trunk tissue may still be good enough for a hinge.

An artificial hinge sounds cool except that you would mainly need it for dead tress... which are going to be the hardest trees to fasten something to.

 

[fordman]

what about cutting it high and but tieing the log like you were but hitching wood down? then even if the hinge breaks off the log wont go to far.

 

[Treeswinger]

Why not just tie a short piece of rope above and below your cut? I have done this quite a few times. Works well.

 

[southsoundtree]

I am planning on face cutting, then tying above and below 90 degree face. Then back cutting.

I think that I'll consider the actual hinge.

I'm also going to use the other two trunks like the arms of a slingshot with a rope through a crotch on each. Pull and have some lateral control as well.

I'll get pics/ video and post sometime after tomorrow, when we do it.

 

[Kevin]

If the area is clear of obstructions you can use holding lines.

 

[southsoundtree]

unfortunately its crowded.

Three trunks coming from the ground. One leads over the neighbor's fence and into/over neighbor's willow. The second leads over the neighbor's fence, shed, and some old car frame/etc (Ford Model T-ish), and the third,and most troublesome and dead is over another fence. Opposite to this third lead is the desired drop zone opposite the lean. This drop zone has a shed in it as well.

I used a hatched to strip the bark around the base to observe the wood. I also "sounded" the tree with the hatchet. Surprisingly, the wood sounded hard. About 1/3 of the circumference of each stem is alive. Large percentages of crown dieback, especially on right side stem, over fence/shed/car. Large limb broke and hung up in the fence, visible in some of the pictures.

I took out three leads from the top of the left stem. Minor deadwood out of the middle stem, leaning opposite to where I want to drop it, and lower deadwood out of right stem. Still, long dead branches horizontal over shed may experiment with spiderlegs approach.

I've wrapped the lower trunks with a rigging rope for support. They are standing up as weight comes off of them.

After the pictures, I moved the rope higher in the tree, between the left and right stem to stabilize them, as I work each stem.

I hope to get a left and right spar, leaving the rear, really dead, entire trunk. I'd like to choke a sling with a locking 'biner on each spar, attached back to the rear/middle stem, and slingshot it through, using a third pull rope right between the two spars, missing the shed visible in the foreground of the second picture.


I'll be finishing it tomorrow, and post pics when I can.

 

[Gerald_Beranek]

Lag bolting chain to act as corners for a hinge can hold a tree long enough to guide it over. I've done it a number of times on pull trees with good success. Although the lags do pull out when the face closes and are often bent so bad it voids ever using them again.

I used 1/2" chain and 1/2 x 5" lags. Three to four in the tree and same number in the stump. Both sides.

The trees I did this with were sound and so the lags held well. the only reason I used the method is because the trees leaned over 45 degrees and I just didn't think the hingewood could hold for that long.

I wouldn't advise using the method if you're working with rot, hollow and basically any unsound wood. Follow Kevin's advise it that's the case.

 

[southsoundtree]

We finished it up. We sorta slingshot the lead opposite its lean. In the pictures with the blue markings you can see the parts of the tree that were alive, and what was dead.

Rather than a pulley or 'biner in the two outside spars, I was able to use stubs to hold the rope.

This was the a more nervous-making job for me as both a climber and owner (potential for damage of three shed and four fences. No harm done. I must say that part of the fun is the danger, some times.


Sorry the pics didn't load right. I'll fix this later today/ tomorrow.

I really like JB's idea about the chain and lag bolts. This seems like all that is necessary, whereas I was thinking about actual mechanical hinges. Seems best in solid wood as stated, however, it could be better than nothing for less than solid wood, provided the lags/ holes don't undermine the integrity of the hingewood. Maybe spaced futher from the hingewood.

I ready this idea the evening following the completion of the willow takedown.

 

[Gerald_Beranek]

You got'er. Good deal.