Common Cutting Techniques (Fig. A, K–R)
Felling
The process of cutting down a tree. Do not fell trees in high
wind conditions.
WARNING: Felling can result in injury. It should only
be performed by a trained person.
•
A retreat path should be planned and cleared as
necessary before cuts are started. The retreat path
should extend back and diagonally to the rear of the
expected line of fall (refer to Fig. K).
Fig. K
RETREAT
45°
45°
RETREAT
•
Before felling is started, consider the natural lean of
the tree, the location of larger branches and the wind
direction to judge which way the tree will fall. Have
wedges (wood, plastic or aluminum) and a heavy mallet
handy. Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and
wire from the tree where the felling cuts are to be made.
notching Undercut - Make the notch 1/3 of the
•
diameter of the tree, perpendicular to the direction of
the fall. Make the lower horizontal notching cut first. This
will help to avoid pinching of either the saw chain or
the guide bar when the second notch cut is being made
(refer to Fig. L).
•
Felling Back Cut - Make the felling back cut at least 2"
(51 mm) higher than the horizontal notching cut. Keep
the felling back cut parallel to the horizontal notching
cut. Make the felling back cut so enough wood is left
to act as a hinge. The hinge wood keeps the tree from
twisting and falling in the wrong direction. Do not cut
through the hinge (refer to Fig. L).
Fig. L
DIRECTION OF FALL
2" (51 mm)
NOTCH
DIRECTION
FALL
TREE
FELLING BACK CUT
2" (51 mm)
HINGE
•
As the felling cut gets close to the hinge the tree should
begin to fall. If there is any chance that the tree may
not fall in the desired direction or it may rock back and
bind the saw chain, stop cutting before the felling cut
is complete and use wedges to open the cut and drop
the tree along the desired line of fall. When the tree
begins to fall remove the chain saw from the cut, stop
the motor, put the chain saw down, then use the retreat
path planned. Be alert for overhead limbs falling and
watch your footing.
Limbing
Removing the branches from a fallen tree. When limbing,
leave larger lower limbs to support the log off the ground.
Remove the small limbs in one cut. Branches under tension
should be cut from the bottom of the branch towards the
top to avoid binding the chain saw as shown in Fig. M. Trim
OF
limbs from opposite side keeping tree stem between you
and saw. Never make cuts with saw between your legs or
straddle the limb to be cut.
Fig. M
Bucking
WARNING: Recommend that first time users should
practice cutting on a saw horse.
Bucking is cutting a felled tree or log into lengths. How you
should cut depends on how the log is supported.
nOTE: Use a saw horse (Fig. N) whenever possible. When
using a saw horse, this is strongly recommended whenever
possible. Position the log in a stable position. Always cut on
the outside of the saw horse arms.
Fig. N
English
9