"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
I don`t think cutting from the bottom is smart nor is one cut or bark
can peel off the tree. 2 cuts from top and watch out it can and will
swing back into you fast, Helmet and faceguard time. Remington, check
the chain often if it is to loose it could bind and come off the track
in the cut and get stuck up there. Working under a falling branch is not
for an amateur.

Your first cut should be on the underside of the limb, cutting completely
through the bark layer -- up to perhaps 1/3 of the thickness of branch, but
not enough so that branch will bend and bind the saw.. This cut can be a
few inches (or more) away from the trunk, and the purpose of this cut is to
prevent any chance of the bark layer ripping off beyond that point once you
make the next cut. Then cut from the top, with a cut that it outboard of
the first cut. When you get most of the way through the limb will break
off, but because of the bottom cut you won't strip off the bark beyond the
cut or create a wound that could start rot in the tree. Once the branch is
cut off, you can remove the stub with a single cut, starting at the top,
angled to minimize the surface area of the scar.

Without starting with a bottom cut, you risk creating an open wound on the
trunk, and almost certainly will if you're cutting trees such as Live Oak.

This procedure is from the Florida Master Gardeners program -- if you want
more info, check with your extension service or the Florida Yards and
Neighborhoods manual.