Techniques for cutting standing trees with significant rot

DAPNET Forums Archive › Forums › Sustainable Living and Land use › Sustainable Forestry › Techniques for cutting standing trees with significant rot

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • June 29, 2011 at 12:41 pm #42890
    Andy Carson
    Moderator

    I am cleaning up my fencerow and small forested areas and have noticed a significant number of diseased trees with visible or suspected rot in thier cores. Many of these trees are sizable, with 2 foot diameter trunks. From the presence and appearance of the stumps, it seems that the area was “cherry picked” for good timber about 15 years ago and what was left was diseased or multi-trunked large trees and a bunch of small trees that are way too thick. I think it needs some management… At any rate, I have never cut down a tree with rot in it and am frankly a little afraid it is going to do something unpredictable if I try to cut it like a “normal” tree. What techniques do you all use for these types of trees? I wonder if these types of trees are beyond my somewhat amateur skill level and I need to find a “real” logger to help me out with these… In case it opens up any additional techniques, there really isn’t a “bad” direction most of these trees can fall and I’m not expecting to get anything other than firewood out of them.

    June 30, 2011 at 2:20 am #68197
    Rick Alger
    Participant

    I thought some of the guys would be all over this, but since they are not, here’s my two cents.

    Around here at least you could get somebody to just drop the trees for you to cut up. I happen to be doing this right now for a neighbor. It shouldn’t cost you a whole lot, and an experienced guy will probably drop a hundred or so trees in a day if they are along fence rows with no obstructions.

    If you decide to do it yourself, let me suggest you take a safety class. There are good ones available, and their hands-on approach is the best way learn. IMO you really don’t want to tackle rotting two-foot trees with a few hints gathered from the net.

    June 30, 2011 at 3:05 am #68199
    Andy Carson
    Moderator

    Thanks Rick, I kinda thought this was beyond my skill level, but wanted to check if this was easier than I thought it might be… Maybe I was making it more complicated in my mind than it ought to be… Sounds like it’s not an easy task, so I’ll leave it to someone who knows what they are doing and keep my life and limbs to myself.

    PS. The biggest source of my dilemma is this… I think the most rotten part would have to be part of the notch (I can’t imagine it would make a good hinge and I wouldn’t trust it to hold if I made it part of a backcut). I can usually find a strong looking part of these trees to make a backcut into, but as I’m not sure how deep the rot extends, it seems the tree might give way too early. Also, I am a little nervous about relying on a hinge that might be half (or more) rotten. Also complicating this (at least with a couple trees) is that there is rot on the side of the tree that I wouldn’t want it to fall because it would hange up on close neighbor trees or “sister trunks”. I wonder if these types of trees are often “head stratchers” to the Pros?

    June 30, 2011 at 11:12 am #68198
    Jim Ostergard
    Participant

    Andy,
    I would agree with Rick. I’m on a job now with a good bit of standing and rotten deadwood scattered amongst the saw logs and pulp. I drop them all the time but am never very comfortable doing so. Even with a lot of rot a large wedge will sometimes help. My biggest concern is that when pounding on the tree the upper part may break off and make for a very sore head or worse. It is hard to look up and pound at the same time. Same goes for when trying to push it over. That top can come down anytime.
    Jim

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.