Adventures in Forestry
rjo__
Posts: 2,114
This has nothing to do with Parallax products... but I really don't frequent any other forums and the good folks here
seem to know just about everything... so, here goes:
I was using a Craftsman 18" electric chainsaw, with a two year extended warranty, to remove some dead trees from
our property.
I watched all of the Youtube videos to make sure I knew what I was doing.... and today, I cut down a tree, but
it fell in the wrong direction and kind of hung up on a neighboring tree. It is kind of scary just hanging there like that.
Now what do I do? No fair calling for help... I messed it up, I want to fix it.
Do I need a winch? What do I hook it to? Can I use a hand winch and a bunch of pulleys... never understood pulleys much.
Rich
seem to know just about everything... so, here goes:
I was using a Craftsman 18" electric chainsaw, with a two year extended warranty, to remove some dead trees from
our property.
I watched all of the Youtube videos to make sure I knew what I was doing.... and today, I cut down a tree, but
it fell in the wrong direction and kind of hung up on a neighboring tree. It is kind of scary just hanging there like that.
Now what do I do? No fair calling for help... I messed it up, I want to fix it.
Do I need a winch? What do I hook it to? Can I use a hand winch and a bunch of pulleys... never understood pulleys much.
Rich
Comments
Dead rotten trees... they do what they want:)
Lots of solutions with ropes/pulleys etc and a photo will help a lot.
Safety first. I'd be very scared going even near it till you work out what to do. Plan it in advance and there should be a safe solution.
Look forward to seeing the photos.
I've cut down a lot of trees and, to put it mildly, it's dangerous shtuff when they get hung up. You really need to have a sense for how wood might split on you, how the bending moments and shear forces, etc. are "alive" in the tree.
Anyway, maybe have a look at this just to get some ideas???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zey8567bcg
As promised here is the tree in all of its 3D glory.
Haven't figured out what to do with it yet... but I will get a video when I do.
-Phil
Good luck.
-markM
If I were faced with that situation, I would get me a very thick hemp rope to tie between the tree trunk (near where you cut it) and the trailer hitch of a vehicle. I don't suggest using a chain because if the chain breaks, it can whip back toward your vehicle and cut your head off. Chains are a lot stronger than hemp ropes, but when they break or slip, they can fly around and they can have enough stored energy + mass to do some major damage. Secondly, I would first try to pull perpendicularly to the trunk of the tree. In other words, have thy rope making a right angle to the trunk of the tree. Also, make sure the rope is long enough that your vehicle is well clear of the tree, and keep everyone away from the scene in case the rope breaks and whips around.
EDIT: but try not to use anymore rope than you need - you don't want too much elastic energy stored in the thing in case it slips.
If you don't have a vehicle, consider a "come-a-long" or winch or something, but whatever you do, do be overly careful.
EDIT: I would NOT try the technique of rolling the trunk that was shown in the video I posted earlier. Your tree appears too horizontal for that technique to work.
EDIT: make sure you pull on your rope nice and steady. Don't let the vehicle jerk it.
Be aware that the branches of the tree now holding the fallen tree are under a lot of stress. Once the fallen tree drops to earth, those stressed-out tree branches might whip upwards. You, your cherry picker, and your teeth might end up getting launched into the sky.
The next day, he hired someone with picaxes and chain saws to get rid of the stump.
Long story short, be careful. It may be worth calling someone to do it instead or risking life and...
... limb. Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.
If he's got the main trunk of the fallen tree lodged in the branches of the tree still standing, then are you suggesting he cut limbs out of the tree still standing so the main trunk can fall through?
If you're suggesting he cut the main trunk of the fallen tree from a cherry picker, then could he end up in a situation where the section still lodged could rotate toward where he's positioned?
That reminds me - if you use a rope as I mentioned above, do NOT use metal hooks or anything at the ends of the rope. Only have rope involved. By using hooks or chains at the ends of the rope, you're just adding mass to the thing, so if it snaps, it has a lot more killing power. Rope can fail but it usually fails before machinery will, and it's not nearly as deadly as chains or metal cables when it lets go.
-Phil
This wouldn't be him, would it?
I've been looking at it... and it is irritating me... so, it is only a matter of time:)
I feel your pain. In that case, it's time to call in the woodchucks.
They don't need no stinking ropes.
-or-
If you go the woodchuck route, I suggest this one...
C.W.
Today, I had to decide how long I should let the two year old tease the dogs with treats... how much food he should be allowed to throw at me, and how much snot I should let accumulate before I stepped in over his vigorous objections:)
The good news is that I have decided to make my escape via the UPNE http://www.propellerpowered.com/expo/ this weekend. I originally thought that I should stay
home and help grandma with the kiddy, but then she announced that she was going to a meeting in Chi-town and that cinched the deal.
Whooooo ha!
Rich