Trueshopping SFCS00B4SA, Manual

Page: 12 / 90

12
Felling a Tree
Hazardous Conditions
Warning!
When felling a tree, it is
important that you heed the
following warnings to prevent
possible serious injury.
•
Do not fell trees during periods of high wind or
heavy precipitation. Wait until the hazardous
weather has ended,
•
Do not fell trees that lean at extreme angles or
large trees with rotten limbs, loose bark. or
hollow trunks. Instead, have these trees
pushed or dragged down with heavy
equipment and then cut them up.
•
Do not fell trees near electrical wires or
buildings.
•
Check the tree for damaged or dead branches
that could fall and hit you during felling.
•
Periodically glance at the top of the tree during
the back cut to assure the tree is going to fall
in the desired direction.
•
If the tree starts to fall in the wrong direction,
or if the saw gets caught or hung up during the
fall, leave the saw and save yourself!
Preparation for Tree Felling
•
When bucking and felling operations are being
performed by two or more persons at the same
time, the felling operation should be separated
from the bucking operation by a distance of at
least twice the height of the tree being felled.
Trees should not be felled in a manner that
would endanger any person, strike any utility
line or cause any property damage. If the tree
does make contact with any utility line, the
utility
company should be notified
immediately.
•
The chain saw operator should stand on the
uphill side of the terrain, as the tree is likely to
roll or slide downhill after it is felled.
•
Before any cuts are started, pick your escape
route (or routes, in case the intended route is
blocked). Clear the immediate area around the
tree and make sure that there are no
obstructions in your planned paths of retreat.
Clear a path of safe retreat approximately 135
o
from the planned line of fall. The retreat oath
should extend back and diagonally to the rear
of the expected line of fall. See Figure 18.
Before felling is started, consider the natural lean
of direction to judge which way the tree will fall.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples and
wire from the tree where felling cuts are to be
made.
Notching undercut
Make the notch 1/3 the diameter of the tree,
perpendicular to the direction of fall, as illustrated
in Figure 19. Make the lower horizontal notching
cut first. This will help to avoid pinching of either
the saw chain or the guide bar when the second
notch is being made.
Notching undercut
1. Make the felling back cut at least 2 inches
(50.8mm) higher than the horizontal notching
cut (Fig 16.). Keep the felling back cut parallel
to the horizontal notching cut. Make the felling
back cut so that enough wood is left to act as a
hinge. The hinge wood keeps the tree from
twisting and falling in the wrong direction. Do
not cut through the hinge.
2. As the felling cut gets close to the hinge, the
tree Warning! Keep a clear cutting should begin
to fall. If there is any chance that the tree area.
Make sure that no objects can may not fall in
the desired direction or it may rock back
contact the guide bar nose and chain and bind