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OPERATUON - GENERAL
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FELLING
TREE
N
WARNING
IFTHETRUNK OR LIMBS ARE ROTTING,
THEY CAN FALL UNEXPECTEDLY AND
CAUSE SERIOUSINJURY.
AS YOU MAKE YOUR FELLING CUT, IF
THE SAW APPEARS TO BE BINDING,
THE TREE IS STARTING TO FALL IN THE
WRONG DIRECTION. IMMEDIATELY STOP
THE SAW AND USE A FELLING WEDGE
AND MAUL (HAMMER) TO FORCE THE
FELLING CUT OPEN. THE WEDGE WILL
HOLD THE FELLING CUT OPEN
ALLOWING YOU TO REMOVE THE SAW.
KEEP EVERYONE AWAY FROM THE
TREE IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
2"
!
Top
Notch _
Figure t2
Felling
Cut
/
........_ 12"
Buttress
Root
DETERMINE THE NATURAL FALL DIRECTION
• Wind - A tree evenly balanced will fal! in the same direc-
tion the wind is blowing.
. Lean - Use a carpenter's level or plumb bob to deter-
mine if tree has a natural lean. A leaning tree will tend to
fall in direction of leano
o Shape- A tree wilt tend to fall towards side that is more
heavily branched.
, Other Factors- Contacting or nearby trees, buildings, or
wires can influence the direction the tree will fall.
CUTTING PROCEDURE (Fig. 12)
After determining the Natural Fall Direction, the tree should
be cut as follows:
IMPORTANT: BEFORE FELLING A TREE, MAKE SURE
YOU HAVE AT LEAST 3 FELLING WEDGES AND A MAI)L
(HAMMER) AVAILABLE FOR USE IF NEEDED°
• Use some means to visually mark the Natural Fall
Direction°
o Mark your notch cut on the Natural Fall Direction side of
the tree approximately 18-24 inchesabove the ground..
. Cut top of the notch first at a 45 degree angle. Saw
through 1/3 of the width of the tree.
o Cut bottom of the notch at a 45 degree angle until you
meet the top notch cut. Remove notch of wood.
• On the side of the tree opposite the notch cut, make the
felling cut. The felling cut should be 2 inches above the
center point of the notch cut. Before the felling cut is
complete, use wedges to open the cut when necessary
to control the direction of the fail Use wood or plastic
wedges, but never steel or iron, to avoid kickback and
chain damage.
• Cracking sounds, widening of the felling cut, movement
in the upper branches are all signs that the tree is ready
to fall.
. As tree begins to fall, turn off saw, and move quickly
away from direction of fall
If your chain saw binds in the felling cut, you have three
options:
o If the wrong direction of fall is acceptable, carefully re-
move the felling wedge. Cut deeper in the notch side of
the tree until tree starts to fall.
o tf the wrong direction of fall is not acceptable, attempt to
use one or more felling wedges to force the tree in the
original direction of fall. Do so by driving the wedges
deeper into the felling cut°
• Keep everyone away from the tree in all directions and
then seek professional help!
OPERATION USFJTIPS
o Clear the work area of debris where you can have se-
cure footing°
o Make sure there is enough room forthe tree to fal!, Main-
tain a distance of 21/2 tree lengths from the nearest per-
son or other objects, Engine noise can drown out a
warning call,
° Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and wire
from the tree where cuts are to be made.
o Plan to stand on the up-hitl side when cutting on a slope.
• Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diagonal to the
line of fall
• Large buttress roots should be removed prior to notch
cut.
o Use a wedge if there is any chance that the tree will not
fall in the desired direction,
. We recommend you cut branches below shoulder height
before fetling tree_(See Limbing and Pruning).
Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to fall:
. Cracking sounds.
o Widening of the felling cut.
• Movement in the upper branches,
-11-
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