Swinging dutchman cut

John Vander · February 24, 2015, 06:29:51 PM

Always have a wedge (2 actually) with me. Working near power lines...don't want to be without them. :D

timberjack 450 · February 24, 2015, 08:22:07 PM

Does this cut work on red oak and hard maple? A lot more limbs on them then the soft wood trees I see them cutting on you tube.

so il logger · February 24, 2015, 08:26:53 PM

Sure does, I cut mostly heavy crown hardwood and use a type of this technique daily. Red oak is one species that does not hold to the stump as well as other's but it will swing as long as you don't clip your hold wood too soon

beenthere · February 24, 2015, 09:29:40 PM

I've been helping a friend take down trees around his house and buildings. He has one yet to cut, and is anxious to have me cut it.
I'm thinking the swinging dutchman as explained is the way this one needs to be taken.

The plan is to put a cable on it regardless.
The lean is to the West (where his shed is at about 30 ft away. The lay needs to be to the South or at least southwest about 45° from the lean.

If I think through the dutchman, I put a good notch to the South or SSW. Then start the backcut at the West edge of the notch and cut bringing the backcut around the north side about 180° just deep enough to put a wedge in (to keep the kerf from closing on my bar tip) to the West.
Continue around with that backcut leaving hinge/holding wood on the East side to be cut through when the tree starts to fall... South or Southwest.

Does this make some sense?

Tree is solid, recently oak wilt killed. No rot shows.

so il logger · February 24, 2015, 10:25:55 PM

Yes, make's perfect sense to me. And you can leave some hold wood on your east side and let it fall without cutting it all the way off. Some holding wood pulling shouldn't hurt the butt log too much, if your really wanting to better the odds of it falling where you want it. By holding wood I mean directly behind hinge, just cut it as you explained and it will swing. You can tell by the tree lift when it is time to stop cutting or cut more. Maybe tap wedges in before you get too much of your intended hold wood cut. This is hard to explain perfectly :D Good luck Been There it will work

beenthere · February 24, 2015, 10:40:17 PM

Thanks
I appreciate your analysis and support. Will keep you posted..

so il logger · February 24, 2015, 10:46:06 PM

Wish I could explain it better but it sounds to me like you got the idea ;) Be safe

beenthere · February 24, 2015, 11:16:24 PM

I followed your explanation very well, I am certain. Thanks.
Confirmed what I wanted/needed to know about the East end of the hinge and that I can leave some holding wood there. Should keep the bar tip from becoming pinched.

luvmexfood · February 24, 2015, 11:24:59 PM

Going to try this on a tree when the weather improves so I can get back into the woods. Tree is on a steep downhill slope and I can only get within about 35 ft of the butt on the uphill side with the tractor. The more I can get it to swing to the left or right the less is under the hill to try and pull back up.

Problem with this tree and several more i have is, one you can call them leaners but a more accurate description is curvers. They have a lot of lean to them but also curl towards the downhill side. Think they will be real prone to barber chair if they are not cut to fall down hill with a lot of plunge cutting from the face. They get a lot of sun from the direction they curl towards and guess they have grown toward that way. So much curl that most will have to be bucked 8 or 10 ft just to get the curve out of them. Will try one and see. They may just have to be left. Good mast trees for deer and other wildlife. Can't get them all.

Better to either let them stand and produce a little mast than to either cut and not be able to retrieve the log or get injured getting them out.

John Mc · February 25, 2015, 08:48:43 AM

I guess I'm missing something here. Is there any reason to do a swinging dutchman if you don't need to swing the tree AROUND some obstacle (e.g. I need this tree to fall south, but there is another tree to the SSW that it will hang in, so I need the tree to START falling more easterly, then swing to the south once the crown is around the obstacle tree - perfect case for a swinging dutchman)

If all I need is for the tree to fall straight south, why not just notch it and drop it straight south (you may need to adjust the aim to compensate for side lean)? I may need a wedge if the lean isn't cooperating (either to keep it from collapsing the hinge on the lean side if it's a heavy leaner, or to give it a push if it's a back leaner). If you are worried about barber chair from a more forward lean, a bore cut to establish the hinge followed by completing the back cut will held avoid that.

I realize that for some a swinging dutchman may be faster than a wedge, but if you are trying to avoid a shed or some other high-value target, productivity isn't really the concern. If there is no obstacle in the direction of intended lay, does the swinging dutchman still have some advantage (other than speed)?

I've never tried one. This thread has gotten me interested in trying it - though my first few times will be on a firewood tree with room for error and no important obstacles, so I'm not causing myself problems if/when I mess it up.

ga jones · February 25, 2015, 09:12:08 AM

Yes. Speed. Faster production. No wedging

treeslayer2003 · February 25, 2015, 09:26:02 AM

the common use is simply to keep felled trees in a lay to ease skidding. and to avoid leave trees.

but yes, a face and wedges will usually work as well.

Lumberjohn · February 25, 2015, 10:03:42 AM

If I had a tree cabled off the last thing I would do is cut off most of the hinge making a cut Im not comfortable with.
I am not at all embarrassed to use rope and wedges especially around houses.

Lumberjohn · February 25, 2015, 10:12:54 AM

JOHN MCK,
I think the "swing" is not only to go out around something, but to give the tree some movement/inertia/roll, if you will, to start heading it the correct way by severely weakening the lean side.
My concern is that "jolt" with only half a hinge may cause the remaining hinge to tear off while swinging.

Mn woodchuck · February 25, 2015, 08:53:43 PM

This is apperantly what I have been doing for 55 years or more I never knew it had a name. I rarely have an exact same width of hinge Most of the time I am using the hinge width to direct the tree where I want it to fall , only if it's a straight with the lean do I cut it straight across till falling. I haven't ever used wedges either untill this winter and hearing about it on here. It all depends on each situation how you do it.