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S Make sure there is enough room for
thetreetofall.Maintainadistanceof
2-1/2 treelengths fromthe nearestper-
son or other objects. Motor noise can
drown out a warning call.
S Remove dirt,stones,loose bark,nails,
staples, and wire from the tree where
cuts are to be made.
Direction of Fall
45_
Plan a clear retreat path
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large
trees. A notch is cut on the side of the
treein thedesireddirectionoffall.Aftera
felling cut is made on the opposite side
of tree, the tree will tend to fall in the
direction of the notch.
NOTE: If tree has large buttress roots,
removethembeforemakingtheno tch.If
using saw to remove buttress roots,
keep saw chain from contacting ground
to prevent dulling of the chain.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING TREE
S Make notch cut by cutting the top of
the notch first. Cut through
1/3 of the
diameter of the tree. Next complete
the notch by cutting the bottom. See il-
lustration. Once notch is cut, remove
the wedge of wood from the tree.
Notch
First cut
Second cut
Felling cut here
Hinge
S After removing the wood from the
notch, make the felling cut on the op-
posite side o f the notch. This is done
by making a cut about two inches
higher than the center of the notch.
This willleave enough uncutwood be-
tween the felling cut and the notch to
form a hinge. This hinge will he lp pre-
vent the tree from falling in the wrong
direction.
Opening
of felling
cut
Closing of
notch
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, use
wedges to open the c ut if necessary to
control the directi on of fall . To avoid kick-
back and chain damage, use wood or
plasti c wedges, but never steel or iron
wedges.
S Be alert to signs that the tree is ready
to fall: cracking sounds, widening of
the felling cut, or movement in the up-
per branches.
S As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put it
down, and get away quickly on your
planned retreat path.
S
DONOT use you rsaw t ocut dow n a par-
tial l y fallen tree. Be extremely cautious
wit h part i all y f al len t rees that may be
poorly supported. When a t r ee doesn’t
fall completely , set saw aside and pull
down tree wi th a c able wi nc h, blo ck and
tackle, or tractor.
CUTTING A FALLEN TREE
(BUCKING)
Bucking is the term used for cutting a
fallen tree to the desired log size.
WARNING: Do not stand on the
log being cut. Any portion can roll caus-
ing loss of footing and control. Do not
stand downhill of the log being cut.
IMPORTANT POINTS
S Cut only one log at a time.
S Cut shattered wood very carefully;
sharp pieces of wood could be flung
toward operator.
S Usea sawhorsetocutsmalllogs.Nev-
er allowano ther person to hold the log
while cutting and never hold the log
with your leg or foot.
S Do not cut in an area wher e logs, li m bs,
and roots are tangled. Dr ag l ogs into a
clear area before cutti ng t hem by pull ing
out exposed and clear ed logs fi rst.
BUCKING TECHNIQUES
WARNING: If saw becomes
pinched orhung ina log, don’ttryto for ceit
out . You can lose control of th e s a w, re-
sulti ng in injur y and/or damage to the saw.
St op the saw; drive a wedge of plast ic or
wood i nto cut u nt i l the saw can be re-
moved easily. Restar t saw and careful l y