Felling
A Tree
Try
to work with the natural weight & lean
of the tree. Always have an escape route,
once the tree
is falling, leave
the area...injuries have occurred
where the trunk has bounced back & unstable
branches have fallen onto the operator.
Cut
a face aligned to the direction
of where you want to fell the tree. The depth of the face
should be approximately 1/3 the diameter of the tree.
Cut
2 small slots, slightly deeper than the bark
at this face. This may prevent bark tearing/holding
onto
the stump & splintering
when the tree falls.
The
back cut should be slightly higher than the bottom of the face,
do not cut through to the face, leave a section called the hinge,
this is what
the tree pivots on... it is the controlling wood, without it
the tree can fall anywhere.
We always recommend the use of a directional pull
line.
Click
here to see diagram
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Pruning
Always
cut one branch back to another. Do not leave stubs. watch
the angle of your cut & don't cut off
the branch collar.
Click here to see diagram
Ladders
Always
secure ladder to tree, remember weight & loading
changes as you remove wood & the ladder may slip. Preferably
have someone at the bottom of the ladder
to steady & secure
it. Try to secure yourself to the tree,
chances are the ladder will
fall
before
the tree does!
Knots,
Ropes & Dynamic Forces
Be aware of moving
weight. Depending on the type
of rigging technique used loading
on ropes, knots & trees can
easily exceed 10 times the weight of the piece being
cut off! This is a highly technical precise
science & best left to the experts.
Be careful!
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