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Keep an escape route (Fig. A)
Before felling, an escape route has to be planned
and cleared, if necessary. The escape route should
lead diagonally away from the back of the falling tree
(Fig. A).
Item 1: Plan of emergency exits
Item 2: Position in which the tree falls
Felling of large trees - only with appropriate
training
(15 cm in diameter)
Fell large trees using the notch method. Here, a
wedge is laterally cut out of the tree according to the
desired direction of fall. After a cut has been made
on the case of the other side of the tree, the tree will
fall in the direction of the wedge.
m
Note: If the tree has large prop roots, they should
be removed before making the notch. If the saw is
used to remove the prop roots, the chain should
not touch the ground, to prevent it from becoming
become blunt.
Undercut and felling of the tree (Fig. B-C)
• Saw a wedge with a depth of 1/3 of the tree
diameter at a right-angle to the falling direction.
Make the lower horizontal wedge cut first (Fig. B,
No. 1). This will prevent the saw chain or the guide
bar becoming jammed when the second wedge cut
(Fig. B, No. 2) is made.Now remove the excised
wedge.
• Next, you can run the felling cut (Fig. B, Pos. 3)
on the opposite side of the tree. Do this at
approximately 5 cm above the centre of the notch.
Make the dropping cut parallel to the horizontal
wedge cut. For the dropping cut (No. 3), saw only
to a depth so that a bridge (No. 4) (holding wood)
remains which can act as a hinge. The bridge
prevents the tree from turning and falling in the
wrong direction. Do not cut through the bridge.
Note:
When the dropping cut is made close to the
bridge, the tree should start falling. If it looks like
the tree may possibly not fall in the desired direction
or it leans back and traps the saw chain, stop the
dropping cut and use wedges of wood. plastic or
aluminium to open the cut and to tilt the tree into the
required falling direction.
When the tree starts falling, remove the chainsaw
from the cut, turn it off, put it away and leave the
danger zone via the planned escape route. Look out
for falling branches and do not trip.
• Be alert to signs that the tree is starting to fall:
cracking sounds, widening of the felling cut, or
movement in the upper branches.
• To avoid injury, do not cut down a partially felled
tree with your saw. Pay special attention to partially
felled trees that may be poorly supported. If a tree
does not fall completely, set the saw aside and pull
with a cable winch, block and tackle, or tractor.
• Start by cutting a few small logs, using the exercise
to get a feel for your device before you tackle more
difficult tasks.
• Press the casing of the chain saw against the log
when you start sawing.
• Allow the saw to work. Exert only slight downward
pressure.
• In order not to lose control of the device you should
lean towards the end of the incision so there is no
pressure on the saw.
Felling Trees – Only after appropriate training
Caution:
Watch for broken or dead branches that
could fall during sawing and cause serious injury. Do
not saw near buildings or electrical wires if you do
not know in which direction the felled tree could fall.
Do not work at night since you will not be able to see
properly, or in rain, snow or storm, as it is difficult to
predict the the direction in which the tree could fall.
•
Plan your work in advance.
•
The work area around the tree should be clear
so you have a firm foothold.
•
The operator should always stand on the uphill
side of the terrain as the tree is expected to roll
or slide after felling.
•
Check for broken or dead branches, which can
fall and cause serious injury.
The following conditions may affect the direction in
which a tree falls:
•
Wind direction and speed.
•
Lean of the tree. The inclination is not always
visible due to uneven or sloping terrain.
Determine the lean of the tree using a solder or
a spirit level.
•
Branch growth (and hence weight) on one side
only.
•
Surrounding trees and obstacles.
If two or more people are involved in the cutting and
felling, the distance between those who are felling
and cutting should be at least twice the height of the
tree to be felled. When felling trees, make sure that
other people are not put at risk, that supply lines are
not hit and that no material damage is caused. If a
tree comes in contact with a supply line, the supply
company has to be notified immediately.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted, it may
suddenly collapse and fall on you. Make sure there
is enough space for the tree to fall safely. Keep
a distance of 2 1/2 tree lengths from the nearest
person or other objects. Engine noise can drown out
a warning call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and
wire from the tree where you are going to cut.