Felling trees (continued) – Shindaiwa 502s User Manual

Page 14

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14

WARNING!
Failure to leave a proper

wooden hinge during the felling or
“back cut” can cause the tree to
pinch the saw’s guide bar and may
also change the direction of fall!

WARNING!
Always make your falling cut

parallel to the bottom cut! An angled
falling cut may cause the tree to split,
possibly changing the direction of fall!

Working from the same side of the tree

3.

and at a 45˚ angle to the first cut, make

your second cut in an upward direction to

remove a notch from the tree as shown.
Working on the opposite side of the

4.

tree and starting approximately 2” (5

mm) higher than the bottom of the

notch created in steps 1-3. Set the bum-

per spike just behind the felling hinge.
Use full throttle and bring the bar and

5.

chain slowly into the tree. Make sure the

tree does not start to move in the opposite

direction to your intended felling direction.

Bumper

Spike

Wooden

Hinge

If a tree is otherwise healthy and not

seriously out of balance, its direction

of fall can often be encouraged by first

“notching” the tree on the side facing

the desired direction of fall.
After the notch is completed, start the

felling cut slightly higher and on the

opposite side of the tree, away from

the direction of fall.
The goal of the method is to leave a

sturdy wooden “hinge” for the tree to

pivot on while falling.

Determine the direction of fall.

1.

On the side of the tree facing the direc-

2.

tion of fall, make a single 90˚ cut through

approximately 1/3 of the tree’s diameter.

Escape

Path

Direction Of

Fall

45°

45°

NOTE:

If the cut appears to be closing on the
bar, use a mallet to drive one or two
plastic or wooden wedges into the cut
behind the bar.

Drive a wedge or breaker bar into the

6.

cut as soon as it is deep enough.
When the tree begins to fall, stop the

7.

saw, and put it down on the ground.
Use your retreat path to exit the area

8.

quickly.

(Over 6” (15 cm) diameter)

Wooden

Hinge

Direction of

Fall

Felling

Cut

Notch

Felling Trees (continued)

Felling Larger Trees

Bucking

WARNING!
Always cut downed timber

from the uphill side of the wood! Be
alert for potential injury from rolling
or shifting logs! Downed timber may
shift or roll unpredictably during cut-
ting or handling operations!

Techniques

I

f the log is well supported, start your

cut from the top of the log. Keeping

the guide bar parallel to the ground,

cut straight down but do not allow the

saw to cut into the ground.
Cutting downed timber, or “bucking,”

increases the possibility of the wood

settling and pinching the guide bar.

Driving one or more soft plastic or

wooden bucking wedges can help pre-

vent bar-pinching during a cut.

CS_Bucking1_all models

First Cut

Second Cut

CS_Bucking2_undercut_all models

First Cut (underbuck) About

1/3 of Tree Diameter

Second Cut (overbuck)

Use two cuts when bucking near the

inboard end of an unsupported log.

Make the first cut as an overbuck approx-

1.

imately 1/3 the diameter of the log.
Finish the job with an underbuck com-

2.

ing up from beneath and joining the

first cut.

Use two cuts when bucking the out-

board end of an unsupported log.

Your first cut should be an underbuck,

cutting upward through approxi-

mately 1/3 the diameter of the tree.

Finally, move to the top of the log and

finish the cut by bucking down (over-

bucking) to your first cut.

WARNING!
Kickback danger increases

in over-height or out of position cut-
ting! Do not overreach or attempt to
cut above shoulder height!

3

2

1

Limbing a standing tree is usually accom-

plished in the same manner as bucking,

with a third and final cut used to remove

the remaining stub of the limb.

NOTE:

When cutting unsupported logs or limbs,
starting with an underbuck cut will mini-
mize the possibility of the wood splitting
during the bucking cut.

Limbing

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