How do u cut this

[nativewolf]

 

 Forks about 8' up.  White oak,  about 17" on larger stems.  Stems going opposite directions, 

[ehp]

I cut lots of that stuff, If I think the tree will stay together and not split I cut it as 1 tree as it will almost always have a lean 1 way or the other, yes forks are leaning away so lets just say north and south, most times both will lean either east or west as well , if tree has a seam between the 2 stems running to the stump and Im sure its going to split on me I fall them as each tree , put notch in tree to fall the way it wants , and most times I put in my back cut for the 1 stem Im falling then split the 8 ft by cutting down from the top , its pretty easy and its safe . You should see some of the stuff I get myself into doing these clear cuts around factories and building and wires and stuff. I have been lucky so far and never hit anything but that can change in a blink of a eye . I should be doing another 8 acre clear cut right inside the city here starting next week, whole bush is 99% black oak which is no where as nice to cut as red oak when your trying to make trees spin on the stump  

[ehp]

that tree looks pretty solid so if it was me I would notch it , back cut it and use the tree pusher on skidder and push it over  simple, fast and safe

[Autocar]

If the seam is tight where there grown together I would cut it as one tree but if it shows sign of a seam then I would cut the one that has the least amount of wood by putting a small notch and boring into the tree keeping a small amount of wood for the hing. Then using the back of the bar saw up to the seam if it dosen't seperate then I would start a vertical cut between the seam till it lets go. 

[mills]

I'd cut them as one, but you know as well as anyone that they need to fall flat. You would think that if they split when they hit the ground it would be down the seam. 

But white oak is something else. I've screwed up cuts on white oaks before and talk it to the ground trying to convince it not to split.  :D And it doesn't. And then I've had others that wanted to split on what I thought was a perfect cut. Go back and look at the stump, and then the tree, and still can't figure out what went wrong.  :-\

[Skeans1]

If there's a decent seam like it looks like one option is to spring board up not my favorite but manageable there on that flat ground.

Good question how many have ever been up on boards before?

[Autocar]

Skeans when I was a young man my wife and I compeaded in lumberjack shows I always want to try chopping off a spring board but never got a lead on one. Looking back it probably was a good thing  :D

[nativewolf]

Good responses, thanks all.  @ehp thought of you looking at this tree. It does have a lean, right into some young small save trees...not great.  The sides could each fall ok, no worries but they are too high and I've not done a springboard and am not going to learn on this job,  :D....too old for that kind of new trick and it is not worth that much.  Cut another one at 4 or 5' up and that was as high as I want to cut. We have lots and can sell the butt so I'm in no hurry to screw it up.  

Think I'll leave this for the next harvest and maybe we'll have a processor on site and can cut them that way.

[longtime lurker]

Yeah Skeans I've cut off boards, with a saw and a racing axe. Plenty buttress root species around here and its kind of a necessity.... plenty 1 board trees, a few two board trees. Now I am older and slower and dont bend in places that I used to  - and a bit too much flex in places where I never used to - so I have one blade trees where I stand on the dozer blade, and two blade trees where I stand on the tree spear.  I've even got a little bit of plate set at the right angle so she's level at fully raised up there.

Technology - it's a wonderful thing. :D

[ehp]

I cut lots a trees above my head , huge soft maple here you have to do that all the time , yes Im old and slow but when its time to be somewhere else my old legs get me there pretty fast .