Proper use of chain saw to clean up trails?

raisingarizona wrote

JTG4eva! wrote

raisingarizona wrote

If your doing tree work all day long you are gonna fuck up from time to time. Chaps are a must imo. You carry multiple wedges on your person as well and with the really really big trees you are gonna use em.

Hey, I never claimed to be a pro!  Having dropped quite a few trees as a homeowner I relied on proper notching....and the safety of the come along on the big trees.

Shit, I’m far from a pro too! Maybe the very best of the bestbtarely need a wedge but my rookie arse sure did a lot.

Yeah, I probably had just enough knowledge to really make me dangerous!  Like I said, on trees of decent size we always tied the tree off with rope and used the come along.  Effective (but more time consuming than a wedge ) at insuring the tree doesn’t fall in the wrong direction and pulling the tree over.  At least that’s what worked for us!

   Short answer is I grew up loving these types of tasks. Had coaching from a relative that owns an Arborist company. I really learned when I decided to take down several 80ft Oaks at my house.
    When I was a kid, the big deal was cutting the bottom off a Christmas tree for customers at the family tree yard. Learned to drive a tractor and back up a trailer there too. 7 yrs old. Good times.

COOL Johnny.

I need a guy who can drop at least one big tree in a very specific spot.  It's got to miss a building and a septic field. On the other side are trees I want to keep.

I may have a lead (via PM). At this point it probably has to wait until spring.  Johnny if you get to Gore this year and want to take a look LMK.

How tall are these poplars? Any pix of the site? It may need to go down like this:
https://youtu.be/JEJySUOxIuk
I used a 60ft and a 120ft articulating boom lift. I don't have climbing spikes, but I might know someone.

If I could get a line that far up the tree, I'd be willing to try to drop it.

It looks about as tall as that tree? I am really bad at estimating tree height. And they are always taller than they look. In my experience the top 1/3 is really the top half.

Harvey,

I'll take a look and see what you're dealing with.  If they are big slammers, (20"+ at breast height, full crowns) close to your house, you may need a pro.  Give me a shout when you're up for opening day.  

All the Best.  Go Patriots.

64ER

BRLKED wrote

My advise would be to find a class at your local Cornel Co-Op, assuming you live in NY.
 Chain-saws are dangerous! I never work without chaps and a helmet, use wedges often, touch sharpen every gas and oil fill-up. And if I can get away with using a hand saw  that is the way I go. Silky Sugawawa or Zubat you will be amazed at what these saws are capable of and how fast they cut.

IMO that's the best advise you could give anyone who's looking to learn how to fell trees. I've been around it for my entire life. Until I was 16 I thought my name was, "get wood". I even cut my thumb off with a chainsaw so yes, they are extremely dangerous. Respect the saw.

I hate poplars!  If someone on your street has a tractor you could always notch it and put some pressure on it with a bucket bucket to be sure it's going to head in the correct direction.  

Luckily the pops are soft and should cut pretty quickly

I hate huge poplars too , when i first bought my home (before most of you were born ) i took two out probably 80 plus ft high , one was trifurcated and within 25 ft of the house .

 I still have one of these monsters way back in the yard . It is easily taller than those ( could be in the 100 to 120 ft range ) that should come out too,. i have had selective pruning so that the first branches are like 40 ft up.  It provides great shade in the summer cuz the other trees in the yard are conifers . But when  the damn wind blows i play pick up sticks , happens a couple times a week a real PIA , but this bitch would cost  a shit ton to cut and remove so i tolerate it .....grrrrrr

This is how it's done:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFTOlmCijjs

Harvey wrote

COOL Johnny.

I need a guy who can drop at least one big tree in a very specific spot.  It's got to miss a building and a septic field. On the other side are trees I want to keep.

I may have a lead (via PM). At this point it probably has to wait until spring.  Johnny if you get to Gore this year and want to take a look LMK.

If you need a pro you could always call my cuzin ---- he kinda knows what he's doin

Here's another one he did in LP
 

Camp - Does he live in Johnsburg?

No, closer to Plattsburgh --- I'm sure there are pro's closer to you.

Anyone who's truly interested in taking classes this is an excellent choice to do so.

My cousin (Mark) is one of the instructors there.

http://www.woodlandtraining.com/instructors.php

Harvey I know a couple local climbers if you wind up needing one.

Ed maybe you can stop by Thanksgiving weekend if you are in the neighborhood. Take a look. Probably does need a climber.

Those vids are sick Camp.

I’ve been a laborer on jobs like that but I’m never the guy in the tree

I’m heading into the canyon this December for a week long hazard tree removal job, I’m stoked!

yeah it's amazing what a guy who knows what the hell he is doing can do with a saw, a few ropes, and well placed knots. One would really need to think it all the way thru or shit could hit the fan real quick.

Take some pics when your in the canyon --- i'd be real interested in seeing them, most likely share them with my cuzin as well.

As far as sharpening chains go, just find out what the pitch on the chain is and get a file that's made for that chain. They're usually round (unless you have a square-ground chain) and fit perfectly inside the teeth of the chain. Then sharpening the chain is as easy as a few forward swipes on each tooth. Don't sharpen the chain more than a few times. The sharp never holds after 3 sharpenings. That's my experience anyway. You probably have a multi-tool that came with the saw with a flat head screwdriver on one and and a wrench on the other end. That's the only tool you need to swap out a chain. There should be a step by step guide in the manual on how to do this. It's really not difficult.

HUH you are mistaken.  You sharpen the chain every time you fill it with gas.