Re: Pro Tree Cutters
Well, I'm not considered a professional, but I've cut hundreds of large trees, mostly oak, for fuel. If there's 5 feet of lean in a tree, you aren't going to get it to fall the other way without external force. The last bit of wood in the wedge and back cut (hinge) has to be on the back side of the center of gravity, or it just plain won't go that way.
I cut one 33 inch oak that had about 2" x 4" of uncut wood left, and it still stood there. A light tap on a wedge dumped it over.
To get a leaner going the right way, I use one or more 7/16 or 1/2 inch nylon rope(s), 100 feet long. I tie one end up high in the tree. How high is a calculated thing, depending on how big the tree is and how much pull would be needed to overcome the moment generated by it's lean. I calculate that. Using whatever I have handy for the pull, be it another tree and a come-a-long, or the 4x4, I stretch the rope(s) 10 feet in the intended direction, or a vector designed to produce the intended fall. Again, that's a calculated angle. If the lean is significant, the wedge and back cut have to be perfect or it'll go sideways.
The rope has to generate a spring pressure in the intended direction. Once the trees center of gravity gets past the stump, it doesn't make much difference what you do, it's going to go that way. The trick is to have enough spring pressure on it to get it to that point. 100 feet gets the pulling equipment out of harms way.
There's a whole lot more to it than that. There are many different ways to cut the notch, back cut, side cuts, or maybe no notch at all. It all depends on the tree and what you want it to do. It can get very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. A tree can split and jump upward and backwards, first breaking your neck, then crushing you under the stem. It can fall the wrong way, or jump sideways. Probably one of the most dangerous procedures in felling a tree is the way the government "safety" manuals tell you how to do it. (set your running saw down and run)
If you can practice on trees that won't wreck something if they go the wrong way, you can probably quickly build up the confidence to take down trees near a building. Don't try it unless you have enough experience and confidence to say exactly where it's going to land, and how much in which direction it's going to spin coming down.
hope it helps
John
