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John Hushagen earns $10,000 a year...and creates new forests at the same time!...
A simple program that will help keep your woods in good condition, and provide firewood and some lu...
A small woodlot has the potential to provide a homestead with firewood, lumber, sawdust, compost, p...
Maintaining wooded property, including timber management, making a plan, clear-cut, seed tree, shel...
Next, make your V-cut on the side of the tree in the direction you expect the tree to drop; then make the back cut. If the tree is 16 inches or better in diameter, knock in your wedges as soon as the back cut is deep enough to hold them. Wedges will help drop the tree where you want it, and reduce the chance that your saw will bind if you miscalculate or the tree sways. If you hear a "snap" while you're cutting, don't take time to look around. Move out fastthe tree could split and fall prematurely or a widowmaker may be on its way down.
Assuming everything goes as planned, when the tree starts to move, quickly slide out your saw, switch it off, lay it on the ground, and git. The safest escape route lies at a 135° angle from the direction of fall, or 45° from the extended fall line (see illustration on page 41). Keep an eye on the falling tree as you move away from it. Uneven growth or a twist in the trunk can cause the tree to fall where you least expect it. Sometimes a tree bounces or hits a stump and slides sideways or downhill.
If other people are around, let them know when a tree is going to fall by yelling "timber" or some other prearranged signal. Make sure others are aware that they should stay behind you and not try to outrun a falling tree. Children and pets have short attention spans; leave them at home.
Once your tree is safely down, start at the stump end and trim all the branches close to the trunk. Don't be sloppy—a pointed stub can cause untold grief. When you reach the point where the tree's diameter is smaller than you consider useful, cut off the crown. If you're working on a hill, stand on the up-slope side in case the freed log decides to roll.
While you're limbing the tree, take care not to let the tip of your saw hit dirt or a second branch, causing kickback. This is the culprit in some 30% of all chain saw injuries. It occurs when the whirling teeth passing the upper half of the bar's tip hit something solid, forcing the bar back toward the saw's operator.
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