Which cut to rig down a spar?

I do the same kinda thing...I will add a "mini notch" of an inch or two deep sometimes just to give it a flat edge to pivot on. We will do this with tag pulls, snap/bypass hand pushes and negative rigging. Yea, it's nice some times to be able to influence the piece as it floats for that millisecond before the earth pulls it like a magnet! As opposed to the notch breaking and the piece already committed to tomahawking, which also has its place. I remember Ekka the palm slayer vids showing how to influence pieces by rotation to clear stuff like fences and side walks.

Just another tool in the bag to speed things up. Don't get me wrong..we still notch and back cut when needed...I just don't think its needed all the time.
 
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I think its lame ...Just as I imagined it. That little stuff straight up and down its doable. Show me a big saw in action with that cut on even just a 24 inch spar. Would not be as feasible plus taking your hand off the saw and doing whatever is unnecessary to me for this application . I don't see this being much faster if any than say a simple bypass cut.
 
Treetopflyer said:
I think its lame ...Just as I imagined it. That little stuff straight up and down its doable. Show me a big saw in action with that cut on even just a 24 inch spar. Would not be as feasible plus taking your hand off the saw and doing whatever is unnecessary to me for this application . I don't see this being much faster if any than say a simple bypass cut.
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Don't knock it 'til you try it.

I demonstrated with little wood on purpose. Imagine the same process with a 24 inch bar on a 4 foot section of oak at 28 inches and you'll see the difference for yourself. I've found it to be easier, less impact on the rigging system, and more productive.

To reject something out of hand that you haven't even tried speaks for itself.
 
Big fat short piece may be better for that . I hear you , just cut right through the with top of the bar . All the rocking with skinnier stuff any less than straight up and down in a tight drop zone I think its no good, on a rope yeah bit safer . Fatter shorter rounds I'll say may be something to it.I believe you could basically make the same effect happen by just staying on the pushing side of the bar . Cutting through , holster the saw , push off the log. The saw dust wil still sit in the kerf to aid in sliding heavy piece .Basically what your doing just couldn't reach all the wood at one shot.
 
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Treetopflyer said:
Cutting through , holster the saw , push off the log. The saw dust wil still sit in the kerf to aid in sliding heavy piece .
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Without a pocket wedge or some twigs in the kerf, the saw would never make it all the way through without getting pinched.

Treetopflyer said:
Basically what your doing just couldn't reach all the wood at one shot.
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Actually it does. That's why the cut started opposite of me and cut the 2-3 inches of wood the 14 inch bar wouldn't reach. With a bigger saw you'll have to walk around the tree a bit.

As far as the one-handing goes, I didn't even realize I had done that. Just a bad top handled habit. With anything bigger I NEVER cut with one hand. The saw is off or the brake is on before I push on the back to make sure it's free.
 
On 10"-20" diameter vert spars, cutting firewood size 16"-18" lengths I can make one single pass cut and get my saw out no problem, with out chunk moving more then an inch or two. This is with a 70cc+ saw 20"+ bar dogs dug in pivoting/levering the bar out at the end. No ropes, two hands on saw....When I'm in the bucket I can usually get two no problem sometimes three with out the cut stack falling. I then holster the saw and push.
 
Pushing a bar straight through a 4ft. long 28 in. diameter stick on a spar without getting stuck would be impressive to see. Cutting through smaller everyday stuff, not so much.

If there is another tree nearby that can be used as a tower to rig off of then a little pretension will allow any cut you like.

The context of this discussion is still with rigging down a spar in mind, but there's plenty to discuss...
 
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