tree felling using a "boring" cut

http://peplers.blogspot.com/ No, that's not "boring" as in uninteresting, in means using the chainsaw to bore a slot through the tree, allowing you to make the fell quickly by cutting the bit at the back holding it up. Very useful for a heavily leaning tree that might split!

WARNING - if you don't do the boring cut properly, you risk kickback. I trained to learn how to do this, and would not recommend anyone to attempt a boring cut, or any other chainsaw use, without appropriate training.

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• tree
• felling
• fell
• boring
• cut
• chainsaw

[ubetubin]

what brand of saw if that?

[mikepepler]

@ubetubin It's a Husqvarna, a 346XP.

[mikepepler]

@ImmortalGodSkiLL Actually, they're not being killed, just given a severe "hair cut", as they grow back rapidly, using the existing mature root network. This is known as coppicing, and has been practised for thousands of years. It's very sustainable as no or little replanting is needed, and it's good for the wildlife too, as the extra light reaching the ground encourages a diversity of plant life.

[pheloniousmunk]

@momatried1952 Sorry, but both of you are mistaken about the back cut. You never make an angled back cut, either up or down. First, by making an angled back cut you are cutting more material and thus taking longer to release the tree, risking a barberchair. Second an angled backcut prevents proper wedging if needed because the angular holding wood is weak(thinner and unsupported, exposing the longest fibers to forces which may cause them to seperate if if wedged against). To be cont'd.....

[ohgr8thatguy]

wasnt so boring

[pheloniousmunk]

@alieng89 It doesn't prevent stem kick back any more than a typically angled face cut, the angle of the stem relative to the ground when the face closes and the hinge breaks is determined by the angle of the face cut, up OR down. An Open Face cut halves the angle of the stem to the ground. A Humboldt is used so as to not waste valuable board feet of timber on large diameter logs in areas where high stumps are ok or ground angle is very steep.

[pheloniousmunk]

@ImmortalGodSkiLL Do they have a soul? I guess I need to explain that tree life is different from human life.

[pheloniousmunk]

The first thing you should do after making your facecut and then bore the tree is to check that your hinge is equal thickness on both sides, assuming that you aren't trying to spin the tree by making the hinge thinner on one side, and level to the facecut. You can leave the saw in the kerf for this step. Once it has been established as satisfactory, push the saw right out through the back of the tree to make the felling cut. It's faster and safer than doing it the way it was done here.

[pheloniousmunk]

@momatried1952 ....and finally.....an angled backcut, either from the bottom up or top down does nothing to prevent a bar from being pinched.

One more thing, making your backcut level with the bottom of the facecut wedge does not leave any shoulder to prevent a kickback of the tree once the hinge is broken.

[mikepepler]

@momatried1952 Thanks for the feedback. I've done a lot more bore cuts now, as I've just done the CS32 course on felling larger trees - check out my recent videos from it...

[momatried1952]

@mikepepler Hey Mike you got the right idea i just come across the video and the only thing i can say is when you go to make your final cut across the back, go from the bottom up that way if the tree decides to lean back your saw will not get stuck, and also you want your bore to be even with the bottom of your wedge so that you get a nice smooth hinge. Been felling trees for 25 years now and the bore cut is by far the safest.

[TheCombineify]

Nice work!