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• Study the natural conditions that can
cause the tree to fall in a particular di-
rection.
Natural conditions that can cause a tree
to fall in a particular direction include:
• The wind direction and speed.
• The lean of the tree. The lean of a
tree might not be apparent due to un-
even or sloping terrain. Use a plumb
or level to determine the direction of
tree lean.
• Weight and branches on one side.
• Surrounding trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is
rotted, it can snap and fall toward the
operator. Check for broken or dead
branches which can fall on you while
cutting. Make sure there is enough
room for the tree to fall. Maintain a dis-
tance of 2-1/2tree 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 a clear retreat path to the rear
and diagonal to the line of fall.
_/= Plan a clear retreat path
.... (}-'_- Direction of Fall
-t
45° /,_
/4o"
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches (15 cm) in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large
trees. A notch is cut on the side of the
tree in the desired direction of fall. After
a felling cut is made on the opposite
side of tree, the tree will tend to fall into
the notch.
NOTE: If the tree has large buttress
roots, remove them before making the
notch. If using saw to remove buttress
roots, keep saw chain from contacting
ground to prevent dulling of the chain.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE
TREE
• Make notch cut by cutting the top of
the notch first. Cut through 1/3of the
diameter of the tree. Next complete
the notch by cutting the bottom of the
notch. See illustration. Once the
notch is cut remove the notch of
wood from the tree.
Final (felling) cut here, 2 inches
(5 cm) above center of notch.
S
After removing the wood from the
notch, make the felling cut on the op-
posite side of the notch. This is done
by making a cut about two inches (5
cm) higher than the center of the
notch. This will leave enough uncut
wood between the felling cut and the
notch to form a hinge. This hinge will
help prevent the tree from falling in the
wrong direction.
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
Opening of
felling cut
/
/
/
/
/
Closing of
notch
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete,
use wedges to open the cut if necessary
to control the direction of fall. To avoid
kickback and chain damage, use wood
or plastic wedges, but never steel or iron
wedges.
• Be alert to signs that the tree is
ready to fall: cracking sounds, widen-
ing of the felling cut, or movement in
the upper branches.
• As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put it
down, and get away quickly on your
planned retreat path.
• DONOT cut down a partially fallen tree
with your saw. Be extremely cautious
with partially fallen trees that may be
poorly supported. When a tree doesn't
fall completely, set the saw aside and
pull down the tree with a cable winch,
block and tackle, or tractor.
11
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