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cold weather felling wedges

Started by stumper, December 23, 2011, 08:03:13 AM

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stumper

Who sells Pillar Plastic?  Available on the internet?  I'll do a search and see what I can find.

downeast

Used Baileys' green wedges for years only with leaners or when the tree needs to go exactly where it doesn't want to go: canopy weighting, terrain, or  brush that I don't have time to clear. They're indispensable. Yes, they will break often below 10 F, but the price for a dozen is cheap enough.
A older, better skilled logger showed me his "stone hammer" for banging wedges--more like a short version of a sledge hammer that's compact for carry.
You'd be surprised how much lean a few wedges can correct. If I had more smarts  :o  I could explain the formula for determining how many degrees of lean single and double wedges will correct for felling. Someone here will either know it or google it.
And wedging will correct any insecurity about your hinge. Wedges are much more than backlean tools. Nice trick for your bag of.

tree chopper

my wedge is a 170 franklin skidder i just notch the tree and back cut it leaving a good amount of hinge wood and push it with the skidder works great
me my son a 1968 chevy c50 log truck 1972 franklin 160 with a 453 detroit a prentice h model log loader with a cab mounted on a 1985 international s model huskee woodsplitter and a old military conveyor 2165 josered 2188 jonsered 266 husky 455 husky 036 pro stihl 460 magnum stihl and a p52 pioneer

downeast

Many of us landowners don't have that kind of HD equipment for harvesting small amounts of sawlogs, pulp, and firewood.
Besides, Skidders don't do well on rough, boggy, hilly, or rocky terrain like too many of us have. It's not difficult to learn how to safely and efficiently fell with and without wedges on a non-pro small scale. All of our harvesting including the 6-8 cords of firewood is done solo with saws, and an ATV and trailer that gets into places a skidder can't go. Fell, limb, clean slash, buck, load, stack, split, stack, burn. It's the GoodBody way. 8)

Cutting Edge

Quote from: mjeselskis on December 25, 2011, 09:04:11 AM
I was wondering the same thing as the original post. I keep breaking the plastic ones when I drive them hard to fall a leaner. I never thought of wood wedges. I've got some 4/4 oak that I think I could cut into some wedges. Any secret to making a wood wedge? It would certainly be cheaper than the last plastic wedge I bought for $10.

Elm makes a great wedge.  I make 'em with my little shop bandsaw.  Just use a tapering jig and you can make several in 5 minutes.  As we all know, Elm holds up to splitting quite well.  The head will mushroom some, if it gets to bad just give it a haircut...good as new.
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delgra

Hello 'tree chopper', I liked your 'winch' the best of all!! I do the same with my fel. One must be careful to not let the tree go sideways on you. We lost a pro guy last fall doing the very thing with a skidder and a huge poplar, tree went to the side and fell on him.

downeast

All the pro loggers ( and us woodlot hacks  ;D ) never would use skidders or FELs for felling....too dangerous and unskilled. If a tree can't be dropped with saw, experience, and maybe wedges, don't do it. Big tire gear can't get onto our tough terrain anyhow--bony, boggy, hilly--unless it's a harvester like a Timberjack ( tank treads ) used by many loggers now if they can afford one.

I'll go through a dozen of the Baileys green wedges in a season: they do crack, get cut, and snap.

westyswoods

Short time ago we couldn't find our wedges so my feller cut some out of a down elm. New to me, but it didn't take him any time had four done and they worked great. Me feller is a young man (compared to many of us) and I have learned so much working with him. Always nice to learn new stuff no matter how old one is. He has the ability to share knowledge in a very simple and friendly manner.
Stay Safe and Be Healthy
Westy

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