Our farming season is well underway, so we will be spending less time strategizing, planning and executing our timber harvest plan for the farm vacation cabin. With us getting busy growing food and Lee scheduled to return to Maine the beginning of April, we decided that we best harvest a relatively large tree (to us), about 3 feet in diameter, and the first tree that will be sawed for the vacation cabin rental. We gave Lee the honor of felling this tree. (Lee mostly had the honor because neither Carl, Townes or I have enough experience yet to harvest a tree of this size.)
Once again, I learned a lot from Lee, while he explained to Townes, as to how we would fell a tree nearly 36 inches in diameter using a chainsaw with an 18 inch bar. It is pretty spectacular all the little “helpful hits” we learned doing this job. The technique we learned from Lee was developed in Sweden so we must thank the Swedes for allowing us to cut timer safely with our small chainsaws!
Lee standing to the right of the first hemlock that we will saw for the vacation cabin rental. Notice the size of the tree towering so high in the forest.
Lee making the first cut of the felling notch which is a 60 degree angle.
The second cut of the felling notch which is a 30 degree angle which will meet the 60 degree angle forming a complete 90 degree felling notch.
Lee’s saw bar is not long enough to saw the 30 and 60 degree angles so they meet so here he is executing a plunge cut so that the angle will be precise and the tree will fell on the desired fell line rather than on us.
Because the circumference of the tree is larger than the bar of his saw, Lee cut the ‘flair’ out of the tree, mostly so his saw could plunge through the tree, safely felling the tree. If his saw could not cut through the tree then it would be unpredictable as to when and where the tree falls. Cutting the 'flair' off prior to felling also prevents the tree splitting.
Once the ‘flair’ was cut from either side of the tree, Lee ‘plunged’ cut into the tree leaving a hinge behind the felling notch and a tab on the opposite side of the tree from the felling notch. He ‘plunged’ cut from either side of the tree because his saw bar is not long enough to go through the entire tree.
After Lee plunged the saw into the tree (the back cut), leaving a hinge between the felling notch and the back cut, he puts in wedges so that his saw does not get stuck in the tree when making the final. Once the wedges have been driven into the tree, the tab is cut, only after a ‘wind gust’ if cutting in windy conditions. The ‘tab cut’ is the final cut before the tree goes down!
The tree is down right where Lee planned for it to fall!
This is a diagram using the Swedish timbering strategy that Lee has been teaching us. I do want to cut a large tree but not sure if I am yet brave enough. The ‘Fell Notch’ (aka felling notch) is the 90 degree angle towards the desired fall line. The hinge is for safety and will break once the tree falls. It holds the tree upright if on level ground. None of our trees are on level ground here in the Appalachians. The back cut is accomplished by plunging the saw into the tree so that one leaves the hinge and the tab. Lee had to plunge from both sides of this tree because it is larger than his saw bar. Lee, being very skilled at this job, plunged cut from both sides of the tree and his plunge cuts met in the middle! The tab is on the opposite side of the felling notch and is the last cut made before the tree falls.
Lee trimming off the branches from the tree. Now we need to buck it and haul it out of the woods. That will be an adventure in and of itself (hauling it out of the woods, that is).
On the food production side of the farming operation…. The majority of the onions and first few brassicas have germinated and are growing. We hope to work up some beds for direct seeding but the soil is wet so I don’t see that happening according to our schedule. Mother nature now has us a little behind schedule but we will be OK!
