11" at the Small End, 19" at Butt

SwampDonkey · February 24, 2014, 04:29:38 AM

I've seen a lot of good cedar wood wasted in those big logs because of what we call pencil rot, little pockets less than an inch in diameter of rot near the centre and all that clear outer wood just wasted. You take a 25+ cedar and there is still a lot of good wood. Mostly what I see sawed by a local guy is 6" x 6" x 8' cants. I suppose whoever buys them is sawing out boards, but to me there is a risk of centre checking, since they are boxed heart and the logs he saws are no bigger than 12-14" inch stuff. Maybe they are making posts. I would saw boards from the smaller logs and if making cants use the big logs and not have pith in them. Just me maybe. ;) Cedar probably won't check too deep. He still has a pile of 6 cords or more still out in a pile after 2 or 3 years probably with lots of worm holes by now.

shelbycharger400 · February 24, 2014, 06:38:31 PM

Stupid bush trees, this is why I use come-a-longs and cables, and chains. They take forever to fell and break down. This one was around 20 something, and It had a twin top, cant remember if i got two or three saw logs out if it . I had 3 so far do this. sad thing is I had one in Dec , Minutes just before I got the call Jack decided the first time he wanted out..lol Its home and under a few feet of snow now.

I have to say, Erc seems to be the most dangerous to do, hard to tell weighted side, they chair up, or heavy notch then seem to stand til the bitter end in back cutting even with cable tensioned , then explode and crack/fall in seconds.

SwampDonkey, 4 inch thick erc cut from the core, it checks ! But then again it did have a partially rotted core on the one I did so it possibly could have been stressed. I do 2 1/2 now, and they end crack in a few inches but not too bad for stuff 14 to 20 something wide, its character to a table.

mesquite buckeye · February 24, 2014, 07:34:31 PM

This felling has me concerned about safety issues.

Also one more spot to beat that pruning drum one more time. If the trees are pruned up as they grow, you don't get bush trees. ;D

Ianab · February 24, 2014, 07:59:45 PM

Hate it when that happens. :-\

Yes I got it down on the ground safely, but it's a lot of work. A bulldozer made life a lot easier.

Ian

hackberry jake · February 24, 2014, 08:07:52 PM

The notch on any tree shouldn't exceed 1/4 the diameter of the tree. The notch is just to open up a flat side to make your hinge wood. The bigger they are the easier they should be to fall because of leverage. cut the 1/4 diameter notch plenty wide, then come in the back side and make your felling cut. The felling cut should be level but just slightly above your notch. stop the felling cut at least an inch before you reach the notch. this is your hinge wood. Hinge wood is VERY important. You do NOT want to cut the hinge until the tree is on its downward path. For trees that are leaning slightly and you want to take them away from their lean, you simply drive a wedge in the felling cut once your bar is clear. Once you get your 1" minimum hinge and the tree still isn't moving, you take a sledge hammer and beat the wedge into the cut more. Always watch for falling limbs that break out of the tops of the trees! This is how I do it anyways. With heavy leaners, a long cable or chains a high up the tree as you can get is usually the safest way.

thecfarm · February 24, 2014, 08:43:49 PM

I have got many cedars trees on my land. Very few have ever made it to the ground without some help with a tractor. Most times there are trees that just about touch the limbs and cedar does not have the weight to push through the other tree limbs.

mesquite buckeye · February 24, 2014, 09:47:09 PM

If I have an unpruned cedar, I prune it to shoulder height or a bit higher before I drop it. Not really more work and they tip over easier. ;D

Cedarman · February 24, 2014, 10:29:57 PM

It is difficult to tell which way a cedar leans, especially if there is much of a slope.
I use open face felling method and only cut deep enough to get 2/3 to 3/4 width of tree for hinge. I bore cut about 3/4" to 1" behind the hinge and then cut toward back of tree. If tree is not too big, I cut out the back. Tree will either fall or set back on bar. If it sets back then use 2 plastic wedges driven in an inch or so behind hinge to get tree to go on over. For smaller trees I do same and if tree sets back on bar i use a pusher pole to make the tree go on over.
If tree does not fall all the way down, then it is time for the winch. Too much energy can be expended to get a tree down that is a leaner.
Cedar is butt heavy and not top heavy like hardwoods, thus leaving leaners being held back by just a little limb.
I also cut about 3" from ground.
Those great big bushy trees with big limbs can be a challenge. That's why real men cut hardwoods and pine and us wimps cut cedar. :D :D

mesquite buckeye · February 24, 2014, 11:03:44 PM

I cut them as low as I can without hitting dirt.

Sometimes with mesquites we will even dig down a few inches to gain a bit of length. ;D

SwampDonkey · February 25, 2014, 02:43:33 AM

We never cut open grown limby cedar up here because they grow thick in cedar stands, so the limbs are very small diameter and never have trouble coming down. One that leans into another tree might be, but under normal felling conditions, no. The limby tops of white cedar are even used as rails down to 4" or so. And what didn't make a rail became a fence post. ;D

shelbycharger400 · February 25, 2014, 04:15:17 PM

QuoteThis felling has me concerned about safety issues

mesquite buckeye, I here ya, anyone enters the forest with a saw knows the risks. Im doing what I can, and only doing a few a day, then taking breaks ect. This treeline has never been touched, Im using 5/16 chain and 3/8 cables, their only going the way I want them to with the come a long. I did clear all the branches I could reach, a lot are 2 inch, but these do have some branches that are 4 to 6 in diameter. I dont trust these free felling, too hard to predict. When im done with this job, if I get another batch of cedars, im paying a guy with a bucket truck to clear all the branches. Id rather be cutting hardwood or pine, wayyy less work!

WDH · February 25, 2014, 04:17:33 PM

I ~~covet~~ want it.

SwampDonkey · February 25, 2014, 04:26:40 PM

I have some big spruce in the back yard around 26" stuff and they are quite limby. But when they come down them limbs are no match for the weight of the tree. They are heavy trees. Now the top end might be 3-4 feet high, but a lot safer to work around than something way up in the air. ;) I've had to limb a few of them as they fall down in winds, rot in the but for 3 feet on most, then white wood for another 70 feet.

shelbycharger400 · February 25, 2014, 04:42:46 PM

MOST pine branches snap, oak too, but erc rarely. prob make a good bow out of A ONE INCH BRANCH . JACK/red PINE is another thats tough

SwampDonkey · February 25, 2014, 05:59:43 PM

Red spruce is very tough to, worse than pine. A white spruce, what I have in the yard, not as tough. I know red pine is tough, I've thinned in red pine plantations and it's miserable stuff to get through with a brush saw. You have to prune your way through it. Man you should try to walk though red spruce regen up to your neck. Almost like swimming. :D