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OPERATION
TREE FELLING
_ ARNING
IF THE TRUNK OR LIMBS ARE ROTTING,
THEY CAN FALL UNEXPECTEDLY AND
CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY.,
AS YOU MAKE YOUR FELLING CUT, IF
THE SAW APPEARSTO BE BINDING,THE
TREE IS STARTING TO FAI_L 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 ALLOW-
ING YOU TO REMOVE THE SAW. KEEP
EVERYONE AWAY FROM THE TREE IN
ALL DIRECTIONS.
Bottom
Notch
Cut
I
I
I
Buttress
Root
DETERMINE THE NATURAL FALL DIRECTION
• Wind - A tree evenly balanced wilt fall in the same
direction 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 wilt tend
to fall in direction of lean.
- Shape - A tree will tend to fall towards side that is more
heavily branched
- Other Factors - Contacting nearby trees, buildings, or
wires can influence the direction the tree will fall
CUTTING PROCEDURE (Fig. 22)
After determining the Natural Fall Direction, the free
should be cut as follows:
IMPORTANT: BEFORE FELLING A TREE, MAKE SURE
YOU HAVE AT LEAST 3 FELLING WEDGES AND A
MAUL (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 inches above the ground
• Cut top of the notch first at a 45 degree angle, Saw
through 1/3 of the width of the tree,
• 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
telling cut, The felling cut should be 2 inchesabove the
center point of the notch cuL Before the felling cut is
complete, use wedges to open the cut when necessary
to control the direction of the fall, 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 isready
to fall
• As tree begins to fall, turn off saw, and move quickly
away from direction of fall,
Figure 22
tf your chain saw binds in the felling cut, you have three
options:
• If the wrong direction of fall is acceptable, carefully
remove the felling wedge, Cut deeper in the notch side
of the tree until tree starts to fall,
• If 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!
FELLING TIPS
• Clear the work area of debris where you can have
secure footing,
o Make sure there is enough room for the tree to fall.
Maintain a distance of 2 1/2 tree lengths from the near-
est person 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,,
° Plan to stand on the up-hill side when cutting on a
slope.
- Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diagonal to the
line of fail
- Large buttress roots should be removed prior to notch
cut-
. Use a wedge ifthere isany chance that the tree will not
fail in the desired direction.
• We recommend you cut branches below shoulder
height before felling tree.,(See Limbing and Pruning),
Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to fall:
• Cracking sounds,
• Widening of the felling cut
° Movement in the upper branches.
-15-
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