Hung up then unhung

[JohnM]

Was going to post this while still hung up but I got it down but figured I'd post anyway.

Cutting firewood last week and hung this red maple (orange arrow) in a small pine (red arrow).

 

That pine was not happy and neither was I.  I don't do this professionally (guess that's why I was in this situation ) and I'll admit to being bit nervous around that thing.  I tried to drop this pine on the maple and of course it did nothing.  It wasn't a clean miss but it wasn't a clean hit either.  Hindsight, I think I'm lucky it just slid down the side, if it had caught it clean it may well have hung too.  Oh well more sawmill fodder.

 

So I left it hoping maybe the wind would take it down and got on youtube that night and found out how to do this little trick.

 

Hooked up my snatchblock (red arrow) and give it a tug or three.

  

 

The trunk moved over about 8' all told and it hung on three more trees til the last cedar, that thing just exploded.  I had my helmet and earphones on and it was louder than any gunshot I've ever heard.

  

 

All's well that ends well, I guess.  The deer were happy.

 

[thecfarm]

John,I like to put a roll on any of them trees. I put the hook on in such a way that the tree rolls off the stump and than starts to drag it towards me. Some times the roll it all it needs and down it comes. I cut in a bog sometimes and the trees are kinda small and don't have much of a chance to come down. I also put a roll on the tree when I get done limbing too. That way the bottom,the part that is laying on the ground,comes up to the top,so I can see any limbs I missed.
Nice pictures. Looks like you are clearing it out some. By the time it gets easy,is the time to stop in that area and go to another area and start all over again.

[g_man]

Another thing you could have tried would have been to put your snatch block on that first pine before you cut it or one further back. Put the block up high so it will lift the maple butt off the ground when you pull, putting more weight up where it is hung. Hook onto the maple low with your choker. Wrap the chain around an exta time to get the maple to roll down like cfarm mentioned. Picking the butt up and pulling it back with a roll almost always works without any jerking unless you are dead in a crotch. Then you just have to pull it back farther.

 

[JohnM]

Thanks guys, I tried the roll idea, didn't budge.  g_man you're hatch block at a higher angle idea likely would have worked, I tried pulling straight from the tractor but it wouldn't 'hop' the hinge.  It was really locked up pretty good.

[thecfarm]

John,that roll SHOULD of worked. I have hung up a few,much bigger than that one and have got it down. When pulling straight on you have to roll it off the stump,hinge,to break it free.

[JohnM]

I'm sure there will be a next time.

BTW if this was a bad idea/technique someone please say so.  It worked for me this time but doesn't mean it's right.

[thenorthman]

Trick is to roll them AWAY from the standing tree...

The small ones are always a pain.  That and anytime your within 5000' of a sitka spruce, I swear they are either part octopus or made of velcro.

[Tree Killer]

Were there any wedges used before the hinge was cut off ? The pic looks like it went the wrong way off the stump.

[Offthebeatenpath]

Looks like you've been doing just fine John.  We all get 'em hung, just depends on the gear you have on hand to get 'em down.  I almost feel a bit of complacency setting in now that I have a skidder with a winch big enough to yank most trees from most spots.  I spent years doing it by hand, then with hand powered winches, then a skid steer, then skid steer with winch.  The smaller your equipment, the more careful you have to be.  And they get hung regardless.

For me, this weeks tree magnet was a big ash that we were trying to clear around.  Two different sawyers.  Three trees in a row.  All hit the crotch of the ash.  None of the hinges were pointed to fall towards that tree.  It just sucked those pines right towards it, almost magically.

[thecfarm]

And Offthebeatenpath,with smaller equipment you have to know and do all of the tricks to get out of a mess,without getting into more of a mess.  Much eaiser with a skidder now isn't it? Than the way you use to have to do it. 

[JohnM]

Were there any wedges used before the hinge was cut off ? The pic looks like it went the wrong way off the stump.

TK no, no wedges, the tree fell right where I had it pointing I just frigged up the placement of the face cut.

All hit the crotch of the ash.  None of the hinges were pointed to fall towards that tree.  It just sucked those pines right towards it, almost magically.

Ash magic makes for the worse kind of farting around!  Any pics OBP? jk   I didn't get killed and learned some stuff, both out there and here, it's a win-win-win.

[LittleJohn]

JohnM I feel your pain

A few years ago the old man and me where dropping a trees in a guys yards, between his OWB and trailer house; couple of winch cables and face cuts, everything is on the ground and everyone is happy.  Then the homeowner asks if we can look at a few more trees and an idea of if they shoudl/can come down. 

Me being the sawman said sure; after 1/2 hour walking around the yard (old man walks slow and talks ALOT) we came across a 30+" Maple just on the edge of the yard, went up maybe 20 ft and forked into a decent tree (showed a few signs of rot starting - small rotten limbs).  He asks when we can come back to fall it; I looked at the old man and said we have gas, a saw and are here aren't we.  A few minutes later, face cut reveal tree is held up by maybe 2" good wood all the way around  , so I start into back cut gingerly while watching tree (did not need to squish myself).  Tree starts to pop and crackle and begins to fall, and then stops at about a 20° angle HUNG UP.  I am not happy and refuse to cut more, so we wait, as we are talking we see a big old mama racoon sticks her head out of a hole just below the fork in the tree (we laugh and say hang on for the ride) and sure enough a few minutes later with a thundering crash the tree hits the ground - never did find that coon

[Ed_K]

One thing to remember if a tree hangs into a crotch of another tree,when pulling it may uproot and come foward.My last hang up pulled a b/birch down,I used a pulley block to get me,the tractor an winch out of drop zone.

[Stephen Alford]

 Hey John, thanks for posting. Just a couple of thoughts.  Can't help but notice that  where you took the first pic is where the tree fell.       From the pic of the softwood you dropped on the maple it was a glancing fall. Those are dangerous if the hinge is cut off or breaks off the butt lifts ,goes back,swings or all of the above.  Maybe its just me but generally the saw is filed for hardwood and in mixed wood the problem arises that the saw cuts to fast through the softwood so I have to be careful not to cut all the way through.   Leaving a hanger over night is a bad idea . The rule here is to carry a roll of flagging tape and clearly mark the danger zone. This is also done for any danger found like test pits etc.   Sometimes family or friends will come looking for you or a neighbor will wait till your gone and take a mosey to see what your up to.  Just trying to be helpful not critical.    You shared your hanger story and put it out there so I will add mine and join with you .   


 
  Hung a big maple up in a "leave snag tree".  Worked around the fall zone for a couple tanks.  Went to limb up a yellow birch that fell pretty close. Heard what I thought was a tire blow ,on the skidder,huge wosh. Turned around to see the top of the maple behind me . That is the snag in the background, had to set the saw down for a minute.   "Note to self increase fall zone".   

[stoneeaglefarm]

Hanging trees is part of all our days in the woods, Great responses on how to help out, I will also besides doing the double wrap with choker run the cable to base of tree and into the notch area so when you are winching(do that slow) it will often just pick the tree off the stump and roll it at same time. The cable allows the tree to be pulled and lifted at same time, Often a little fiber pull on the outside, But its down safe. I think this posting about falling has really helped out alot of folks and weeding out the angry sided folks is a great idea, Like getting ride of poison ivory.

[Kevin]

HI John;
It looks like the tree fell sideways but without being there I have to assume that the hinge was cut too thin which allowed the tree to fall wrong maybe because the tree was loaded heavier on one side with branches or was just naturally leaning that way.
If that was me with that tree I would have tried to roll it off with my logrite hook.
It doesn't look too well hung and it should roll out with a little persuasion.
I always look for the lean and the load prior to cutting and almost always use a wedge or two along with a good hinge.
Once the hinge goes so does the tree.

[OntarioAl]

Steven
Your guardian angel was working full time and you lived to describe the exact scenario that cripples or kills hand fallers. It makes me shiver to think how close a call that was. Thank god that you are still with us.
I have lost several friends to various types of accidents while logging, the one that closely resembles Steven's near miss but with tragic results occurred as follows.
Twin brothers with a successful Tree planting/ Silviculture company it was mainly a April to October operation decided  to get into logging during the winter for something to occupy their time and provide cash flow. These two young men were the "Salt of the Earth" real "Christian" gentlemen and as  a Professional Forester and Logger I had some business dealings with them  and quite a few Friday afternoon discussions over coffee. It was during one of this coffee sessions that the told me of their plans. I cautioned them to start slowly and take time as they were entering a field where they had little expertise.
They were hard workers and  the first winter went very well it was halfway through the second winter that tragedy struck.
It occurred on a timber lot (160 acres) about 3/4 mile south of my residence,that they had purchased.
It was a very windy day and they were cutting aspen one got hung up and instead of waiting for his brothers return with the skidder to dislodge the tree, the victim kept felling trees it was while he was limbing and topping that the wind disloged the hung up tree crushing his skull between the tree and a stump.
His brother found him and later related to me  that he cradled his bothers body in his arms and cried and prayed for a while before walking out to get help. The Coroner told the surviving brother that death was instantaneous. The Company still is in business but the logging ended that day. I still reflect on the incident (and use it as an example when I deliver Chainsaw training) when I drive past the lot which by the way the surviving brother has turned into a managed wood lot in memory of his brother.
Heads up Work Safe Take No Chances
Al

[Billbob]

John, I see that you have a nice Farmi log winch on the back of your tractor.  That would have taken care of the problem in about 3 minutes.  I had the same thing happen to me this winter.  A big tamarack tree fell the wrong way and got hung up and the butt fell behind the stump.  I backed up the tractor to the butt end, wrapped a choker chain around it, used the 3pt hitch/log winch to lift the butt clear of the ground and drug the tree into the clearing.   Bill   

 

[Billbob]

It was a very windy day and they were cutting aspen one got hung up and instead of waiting for his brothers return with the skidder to dislodge the tree, the victim kept felling trees it was while he was limbing and topping that the wind disloged the hung up tree crushing his skull between the tree and a stump.

It is not a pretty sight Al.  A few years ago I got a call to a woodlot in town.  A fellow was working by himself clearing the trees for the Costco building.  Sunday afternoon, windy, cold, early winter.  Poplar tree that was hung up fell and crushed him.  His body wasn't discovered until Monday afternoon when his family reported him missing.  Hardest part was informing the family.
Since that day I have never walked away from a hung up tree.  I figure out how to get it down safely and I don't do anything else until it's on the ground.
Bill

[Ed_K]

You need to be real cautious when lifting a hung tree with a winch.I had the skidder rear end come off the ground when a tree slid down the hanger.