OPERATING CHAIN SAW
Continued
4. Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and
wire from tree where you will make felling cuts.
5. Stay on uphill side when felling tree. Tree could
roll or slide downhill after falling.
Felling Procedure
A) Felling Notch
A properly placed felling notch will determine di-
rection tree will fall. Place felling notch on side of
tree in direction you want tree to fall (see Figure 14).
Follow directions below to create a felling notch.
1. Make lower notch cut as close to ground as pos-
sible. Hold saw so guide bar is horizontal. Cut
1/3 the diameter of tree trunk (see Figure 14).
Note: Always make this horizontal lower notch
cut first. If you make this cut second, tree can
pinch chain or guide bar.
2. Start upper notch cut the same distance above
first cut as first cut is deep.
Example: If lower notch cut is eight inches deep,
start upper notch cut eight inches above it. Cut
downward at 45° angle. The upper notch cut should
meet end of lower notch cut (see Figure 14).
3. Remove tree trunk wedge created by notching cuts.
B) Felling Cut
1. Make felling cut two inches higher than lower
notch cut and on opposite side of tree (see Figure
14). Keep felling cut parallel to lower notch cut.
2. Cut towards notch.
WARNING: Do not cut all the way
through tree. Leave about two inches of
tree diameter uncut directly behind fell-
ing notch (see Figure 14). This uncut
portion acts as a hinge. The hinge helps
keep tree from twisting and falling in
wrong direction.
3rd Cut -
Hinge
Felling Cut
2"
(5 cm)
2"(5 cm)
Figure 14 - Felling A Tree
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Direction of Fall
2nd Cut - Upper Notch Cut
1st Cut - Lower Notch Cut
3. As felling cut nears hinge, tree should begin to fall.
Note: If needed, drive wedges into felling cut to
control direction of fall. If tree settles back and
pinches chain, drive wedges into felling cut to re-
move saw. Only use wedges made of wood, plas-
tic, or aluminum. Never use wedge made of steel.
This could cause kickback and damage to chain.
4. When tree begins to fall, quickly
• remove saw from felling cut
• release trigger to turn saw off
• put saw down
• exit area using retreat path
WARNING: Be alert for falling over-
head limbs. Watch your footing while
exiting area.
LIMBING A TREE
WARNING: Avoid kickback. Kick-
back can result in severe injury or death.
See Kickback, pages 4 and 5, to avoid
risk of kickback.
WARNING: When cutting limb that is
under tension, use extreme caution. Be
alert for wood springing back. When
wood tension is released, limb could
spring back and strike operator causing
severe injury or death.
Limbing is removing branches from a fallen tree.
Make sure your footing is firm. Keep feet apart. Di-
vide your weight evenly on both feet. Do not remove
larger limbs under tree that support log off ground.
Remove each limb with one cut (see Figure 15). Clear
cut limbs from work area often. This will help main-
tain a safe work area.
Make sure you start your cut where limb will not
pinch saw during cutting. To avoid pinching, start
cut on freely hanging limbs from above limb. Start
cut on limbs under tension from under limb. If pinch
occurs, turn saw off, lift limb, and remove saw.
Figure 15 - Limbing A Tree
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