At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 3:44:48 PM UTC-4, gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".
I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.
I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

Here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbKZiejUuTg

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh
wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

I felled 3 tall pine trees that were close to the house. What I did
was climb as high up the tree as I could and tied a rope to the tree.
Put a loop in the other end and attached a come-along. I then put as
much pull on the come-along as I thought it could stand. From that
point I began to fell the tree in the normal method and had a neighbor
slowly crank on the come-along as the tree weakened. Everything worked
out just fine. Now, how do you get rid of the stumps. Simple. After
the tree is down you then cut the stump as close to the ground as
possible. Get you a galvanized garbage can, or if needed 55 gallon
drum. Cut the bottom out so it is open at both ends. Put that over
what is left of the stump. Fill it up with one bag of charcoal, light
it and a day or so later, all you have is a hole in the ground. It
might take a couple of bags (one at a time) but you will see what you
need to do after the first bag is gone. Easiest way in the world to
get rid of stumps. You might want to wait until the stump appears to
be dead, but I usually just grill 'em when I cut 'em. The most
important part of all of this is to be careful, very careful.
take your time and keep an eye on what is happening.
**
Lonesome Dove

Lonesome Dove wrote:

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh
wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.


Putting it under tension and then cutting is a recipe for disaster. Even
without tension there is danger of kickouts and whatnot, tension
increases the risk of problems exponentially.

The safer DIY approach is to rent an aerial lift for the day, and take
the trees down a piece at a time, putting the parts in the basket with
you if need be so you can move off to the side to drop them in a safe
area.

There are nice self propelled lifts with 50' working heights and ~2'x4'
baskets good for 800# that you can tow on a trailer with a good pickup.
They use outriggers instead of massive weight, so you can't move the
base while up, but you also don't need a semi to deliver them. I rented
one recently for about $250/day.

gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that
partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall,
narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2'
in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to
fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal
pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30'
up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on
the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty
remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and
tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could
rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

the
I fell a birch that was leaning exactly opposite to the direction I needed by
attacking a line high in the tree, then winching it towards one in the correect
direction firmly with a come-along. I attached the line maybe 2/3 up the tree,
looping around 3 major branches. The pressure exerted by the come-along was
sufficient to significantly bend those branches in the direction it was pulling.

I then very carefully notched and backcut the tree to encourage it to drop in
the needed direction. The rope pressure prevented it falling away perfectly, and
the notch/cut pivoted it right in the line I wanted.

This tree was just over 1' at the base, so obviously less massive than yours.

I don't think a single pully would allow nearly enough pull to do what you need.
A good winch or come-along would be a better choice.

gwandsh wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees

So you are fortunate enough to have some mature oak trees, but you're
too much of an ass to appreciate them.

You're a tree-hater and it gives you a hard-on to swing an axe and
destroy them.

We have too few trees and too many asses like you on this planet.

I'm with Pete C. on this one.

You can save 75% of the cost of maintaining your home by learning to do the simple repetative stuff yourself. Cutting down a tree falls into the other 25% catagory.

I'd either rent a cherry picker to do this or hire any company in the sign business because all of them will have cherry pickers. That way, you can do the job safely and not risk dropping the tree onto something you don't want to crush.

Either that, or hire a tree service company to cut it down for you.

I'm just thinking that at some point DIY becomes dangerous when you're doing things you don't know how to and the consequences of doing them wrong can be significant. This is one of those instances, and it's where a wise DIY'er would pay the extra money to rent a lift so that he can do the job safely or pay someone experienced in this kind of work to do it for him.

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh
wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers
How strong is the block and tackle?

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:58:48 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:


Lonesome Dove wrote:

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh
wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.


Putting it under tension and then cutting is a recipe for disaster. Even
without tension there is danger of kickouts and whatnot, tension
increases the risk of problems exponentially.

The safer DIY approach is to rent an aerial lift for the day, and take
the trees down a piece at a time, putting the parts in the basket with
you if need be so you can move off to the side to drop them in a safe
area.

There are nice self propelled lifts with 50' working heights and ~2'x4'
baskets good for 800# that you can tow on a trailer with a good pickup.
They use outriggers instead of massive weight, so you can't move the
base while up, but you also don't need a semi to deliver them. I rented
one recently for about $250/day.
Felling under tension IS tricky - but if you notch it properly it
WILL fall safely, where you want it. Notch it low towards where you
want it to fall, then cut downwards toward the notch from the back
side. That way it cannot kick back at you, and it won't jam the saw.

On 07-31-2013 16:05, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

I remember when a "pro" was someone who could control the
direction of fall by the angle of his cuts.

--
Wes Groleau

Words of the Wild Wes
http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/WWW

Home Guy wrote:
gwandsh wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees

So you are fortunate enough to have some mature oak trees, but you're
too much of an ass to appreciate them.

You're a tree-hater and it gives you a hard-on to swing an axe and
destroy them.

We have too few trees and too many asses like you on this planet.

And certainly one too many like you.

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:50:37 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

Home Guy wrote:
gwandsh wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees

So you are fortunate enough to have some mature oak trees, but you're
too much of an ass to appreciate them.

You're a tree-hater and it gives you a hard-on to swing an axe and
destroy them.

We have too few trees and too many asses like you on this planet.

And certainly one too many like you.

After the last two weekends here in Waterloo Region where we lost a
LOT of trees to downbursts, a LOT of people are taking a long hard
look at some of the remaining mature trees that are within striking
distance of their houses and deciding to have them come down in a
controlled manner, rather than crashing through the roof. We only had
a couple of small limbs come down from the Honey Locust on the
boulevard, but I spent several hours removing half of a huge hard
maple from a friend's back yard - just missed the house falling from
the neighbour's back yard - and another large tree came down in my
brothersa yard - torn out of the ground in his neighbour's yard -
again JUST missing the house and deck - and there is a HUGE half dead
tree 3 lots away that could wipe out his house if it came down the
right direction.

gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

Hi,
I had to do that once at my cabin but our cabin sits on a flat land at
high altitude. Exactly that is what we did but I used 1 ton pick up with
winch to hold the rope tight and enough away from falling trees. We
attached heavy rope to the winch cable. After pruning, we notched the
tree where to cut, we used big chain saw little above behind the notch.

On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 5:49:29 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:58:48 -0500, "Pete C."

wrote:





Lonesome Dove wrote:



On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh

wrote:



At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".



I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.



I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.



Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.





Putting it under tension and then cutting is a recipe for disaster. Even

without tension there is danger of kickouts and whatnot, tension

increases the risk of problems exponentially.



The safer DIY approach is to rent an aerial lift for the day, and take

the trees down a piece at a time, putting the parts in the basket with

you if need be so you can move off to the side to drop them in a safe

area.



There are nice self propelled lifts with 50' working heights and ~2'x4'

baskets good for 800# that you can tow on a trailer with a good pickup.

They use outriggers instead of massive weight, so you can't move the

base while up, but you also don't need a semi to deliver them. I rented

one recently for about $250/day.

Felling under tension IS tricky - but if you notch it properly it

WILL fall safely, where you want it. Notch it low towards where you

want it to fall, then cut downwards toward the notch from the back

side. That way it cannot kick back at you, and it won't jam the saw.

A sloping backcut is a sure sign of an amateur who has no clue about felling a tree.

Harry K

On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 5:26:12 PM UTC-7, nestork wrote:
I'm with Pete C. on this one.



You can save 75% of the cost of maintaining your home by learning to do

the simple repetative stuff yourself. Cutting down a tree falls into

the other 25% catagory.



I'd either rent a cherry picker to do this or hire any company in the

sign business because all of them will have cherry pickers. That way,

you can do the job safely and not risk dropping the tree onto something

you don't want to crush.



Either that, or hire a tree service company to cut it down for you.



I'm just thinking that at some point DIY becomes dangerous when you're

doing things you don't know how to and the consequences of doing them

wrong can be significant. This is one of those instances, and it's

where a wise DIY'er would pay the extra money to rent a lift so that he

can do the job safely or pay someone experienced in this kind of work to

do it for him.




Exactly. I have been cutting firewood and felling big trees since 1976. Had a spruce tree (20" diameter with no appreciable lean) in my back yard that needed to be removed. Simple job, tree could fall in a 270 degree arc with no damage. The other 90 degrees would be on the house. I hired a pro to fell it. The cost of rebuilding a house is far more than what a pro charges.

Harry K

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I've done this at least a dozen times with no problems. Use 1/2" rope
and notch the tree in the direction you are pulling it with the rope.
Do it like this after attaching rope and notchin:

1. apply tension to rope
2. cut a little (1") opposite (and above) the notch

Repeat above until tree starts to fall in the direction of the rope.

Of course the rope must be longer than the height of the tree.
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.

On 7/31/2013 7:32 PM, Home Guy wrote:
gwandsh wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees

So you are fortunate enough to have some mature oak trees, but you're
too much of an ass to appreciate them.

You're a tree-hater and it gives you a hard-on to swing an axe and
destroy them.

We have too few trees and too many asses like you on this planet.


Trees are more trouble than they're worth.
Neighbor got a Refuse to Renew notice from his insurance company
unless he had 2 large trees removed from his yard.

Wes Groleau wrote:

On 07-31-2013 16:05, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

I remember when a "pro" was someone who could control the
direction of fall by the angle of his cuts.

That works only when the tree is reasonably vertical and balanced. No
amount of angled cuts will get a tree that is leaning notably or
significantly out of balance to fall the opposite way.

gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers


Assuming the trees are close to your cabin, you should do something to
control the base of the falling tree so it can't kick back and hit your
cabin. A rope to another tree, or even to the prospective stump would
probably suffice. Trees partially overhanging a cabin is not
necessarily a bad thing; they keep it cool in the hot summer.

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh
wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".


Does the down hill side of the tree have large branches? They may
need to be cut off first so the tree does not topple backwards.

Drive a wooden stake in the ground where you want the tree to land
(think of hitting the stake). Cut the trunk -- with the correct notch
(uphill side) and hinge cut (downhill side) -- make sure notch is
level when cutting (three can spin off) before cutting the hinge cut.
Cut the trunk ~ waist high *AND* ensure you have a safe escape route
when / if something goes wrong you can run away.

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.


Cut large branches off on the side opposite the direction you want the
tree to fall - takes the weight off. Climb the tree, attach a rope at
a high spot. A helper on the ground can hold enough tension on the
tree in the direction desired and pull on the rope. DO NOT allow them
to wrap the rope around body parts!!

I see no need for a winch type approach.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

With practice you can make a tree land any place you like.

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:58:48 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:

Putting it under tension and then cutting is a recipe for disaster. Even
without tension there is danger of kickouts and whatnot, tension
increases the risk of problems exponentially.

.... if the tree gets wide, you have cables a stuff flying around. A
good rope is all that is needed for a tug on the tree when cut
correctly.

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 20:49:29 -0400, wrote:

Notch it low towards where you
want it to fall, then cut downwards toward the notch from the back
side. That way it cannot kick back at you, and it won't jam the saw.

+1

....AKA as the "hinge" cut. The notch cut should be as level as
possible in the direction of the fall. Done right, the tree will not
spin off the stump or "kick back".

The OP should be cutting a 2' tree at waist high. Then come back later
to remove the remaining trunk.

"gwandsh" wrote in message
...
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially
overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile
scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The
terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by
attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block
on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote
and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need
to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice,
or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not
seeing much info online.

If you do this you will find the tree falls along the slope due to the
anchor. (ie it swings in a quarter circle as it falls.)
You need a good rope and anchor or hitch it onto the back of a substantial
vehicle and drive uphill as far as you can.
Or better still two separate ropes and anchors, just to be sure
You need a rope length at least four times the hieght of the tree.
You need to fasten it on about 3/4 of the way up. on the main trunk. Higher,
the branches are too thin. Lower, the leverage will be too great. Don't
fasten to any dead wood, it may break.
There is a strong chance of it "kicking back" (due to the anchor) as it
hits the ground so be wary. Make sure you have a clear route to get away
from it as it goes down. As soon as it starts to fall, get clear. Remember,
it will rotate and fall at 90 degrees to your cut, don't get the chainsaw
trapped.

On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 3:44:48 PM UTC-4, gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".



I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.



I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.



Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.



Cheers

I've done that. I notch it as well. If the tree is reasonably straight up with equal branch loads it'll work for you. But if not then you need to take it down in pieces.

On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 2:44:48 PM UTC-5, gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".



I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.



I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.



Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.



Cheers

I have taken down dead or diseased trees in the yard a few times that I needed to have fall in the right direction. Not as big or heavy as yours, though, I think the biggest was about a 16 inch diameter elm. I have been able to direct their falls using the right notching and cutting combined with a rope and one or two people pulling on it. My advice would be:

1. Do you really need to remove the trees? Oaks live a long time, and as others have said, provide shade. And they look nice.

2. If you are sure they must go, the next step is a good look at the tree and how much it leans and which way. Does the trunk lean, are there a lot of branches on side versus the other. Which way does it want to fall. With trees that size, if it is leaning in a very bad direction, it might be time to call a pro. Are there other trees in the way?

3. I haven't tried the winch or come along method. I think a situation where that much force was needed, would make me think about calling a pro.

4. Get the rope up as high as you can and still be around a sturdy part of the tree. You can start by tying a string to a rock or heavy bolt or something that you can heave up there. You need the rock to come all the way back down. Then you tie the rope to the string and use the string to haul the rope up over and down. Make a loop in one end of the rope, feed the other end through it, and pull it through (the loop sliding up) until the rope is well secured around the tree branch or trunk. Consider whether you would like to have two ropes.

5. Position your pullers. Cut your notch and start your backcut. You want to leave a hinge to direct the tree's fall. When it starts to creak/move you exit promptly and the pullers pull. The tree will do what it's going to do. Hopefully what you want.

6. Again, have respect for the scale of what you're doing. The tree's weight is measured in tons. You are releasing a huge amount of energy. Felling trees is dangerous, especially big trees like what you have. -- H

gwandsh wrote in
:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that
partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall,
narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2'
in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to
fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal
pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30'
up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on
the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty
remote and cost is a large factor.

Cost of what?

A) Hitting the house
B) Hitting the ground person
C) Falling out of the tree with a chain saw
D) Any combination of A, B & C
E) All of the above


Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and
tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could
rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

harryagain wrote:
"gwandsh" wrote in message
...
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that
partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall,
narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2'
in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to
fell these trees "uphill".
I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal
pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30'
up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on
the line as the trunk is cut.
I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty
remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and
tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could
rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

If you do this you will find the tree falls along the slope due to the
anchor. (ie it swings in a quarter circle as it falls.)
You need a good rope and anchor or hitch it onto the back of a
substantial vehicle and drive uphill as far as you can.
Or better still two separate ropes and anchors, just to be sure
You need a rope length at least four times the hieght of the tree.
You need to fasten it on about 3/4 of the way up. on the main trunk.
Higher, the branches are too thin. Lower, the leverage will be too
great. Don't fasten to any dead wood, it may break.
There is a strong chance of it "kicking back" (due to the anchor)
as it hits the ground so be wary. Make sure you have a clear route to
get away from it as it goes down. As soon as it starts to fall, get
clear. Remember, it will rotate and fall at 90 degrees to your cut,
don't get the chainsaw trapped.


Please explain why a tree cut to fall one direction, and pulled near the top in
the same direction, would rotate and fall 90 degrees from that direction.

"Pete C." wrote:
Wes Groleau wrote:

On 07-31-2013 16:05, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and
tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could
rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

I remember when a "pro" was someone who could control the
direction of fall by the angle of his cuts.

That works only when the tree is reasonably vertical and balanced. No
amount of angled cuts will get a tree that is leaning notably or
significantly out of balance to fall the opposite way.

Just for the record, major Snippage must have occurred because DerbyDad03
did not say any of the words quoted in the post above.

On 8/1/2013 12:10 AM, Tony Hwang wrote:
gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that
partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall,
narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2'
in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to
fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal
pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30'
up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on
the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty
remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and
tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could
rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

Hi,
I had to do that once at my cabin but our cabin sits on a flat land at
high altitude. Exactly that is what we did but I used 1 ton pick up with
winch to hold the rope tight and enough away from falling trees. We
attached heavy rope to the winch cable. After pruning, we notched the
tree where to cut, we used big chain saw little above behind the notch.


Depends on the lean, have you felled trees in the past?
I have been successful each time at putting it down where I want. None
were leaning the opposite direction.

Pruning like others have said on the side toward your structure and the
lean will give some weight to the opposite side.

You realize that cable is dangerous... and rope would have to be rated
for thousands of pounds...
The cable can actually launch toward you if things go wrong, and the
speed would make it impossible to get out of the way.
Rope would be safer... but again, the weight of the tree exceeds most
ropes...

__Only you can determine if this is doable... none of us has the vision
to recommend what you are capable of__ and how dangerous the task is.
Pics would help. With someone in the pic for scale.


--
Jeff

On 8/1/2013 12:10 AM, Tony Hwang wrote:
gwandsh wrote:
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that
partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall,
narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2'
in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to
fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal
pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30'
up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on
the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty
remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and
tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could
rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

Hi,
I had to do that once at my cabin but our cabin sits on a flat land at
high altitude. Exactly that is what we did but I used 1 ton pick up with
winch to hold the rope tight and enough away from falling trees. We
attached heavy rope to the winch cable. After pruning, we notched the
tree where to cut, we used big chain saw little above behind the notch.


Depends on the lean, have you felled trees in the past?
I have been successful each time at putting it down where I want. None
were leaning the opposite direction.

Pruning like others have said on the side toward your structure and the
lean will give some weight to the opposite side.

You realize that cable is dangerous... and rope would have to be rated
for thousands of pounds...
The cable can actually launch toward you if things go wrong, and the
speed would make it impossible to get out of the way.
Rope would be safer... but again, the weight of the tree exceeds most
ropes...

__Only you can determine if this is doable... none of us has the vision
to recommend what you are capable of__ and how dangerous the task is.
Pics would help. With someone in the pic for scale.


--
Jeff

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 21:23:26 -0700 (PDT), Harry K
wrote:

On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 5:49:29 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:58:48 -0500, "Pete C."

wrote:





Lonesome Dove wrote:



On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh

wrote:



At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".



I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.



I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.



Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.





Putting it under tension and then cutting is a recipe for disaster. Even

without tension there is danger of kickouts and whatnot, tension

increases the risk of problems exponentially.



The safer DIY approach is to rent an aerial lift for the day, and take

the trees down a piece at a time, putting the parts in the basket with

you if need be so you can move off to the side to drop them in a safe

area.



There are nice self propelled lifts with 50' working heights and ~2'x4'

baskets good for 800# that you can tow on a trailer with a good pickup.

They use outriggers instead of massive weight, so you can't move the

base while up, but you also don't need a semi to deliver them. I rented

one recently for about $250/day.

Felling under tension IS tricky - but if you notch it properly it

WILL fall safely, where you want it. Notch it low towards where you

want it to fall, then cut downwards toward the notch from the back

side. That way it cannot kick back at you, and it won't jam the saw.

A sloping backcut is a sure sign of an amateur who has no clue about felling a tree.

Harry K
Harry's a logger now!!!! Oh Joy.


Jonsered reccomends a slightly downward felling cut. Every woodsman
I've worked with uses a slightly downward felling cut - some aimed
right at the apex of the directional notch, but more often aimed
higher in the cut - and NEVER cut all the way through. You leave a
narrow "hinge" to control the direction of fall. Wedges can be used in
place of the rope or come-along, , or in conjunction with the rope..
Using a block and tackle, the "pull" rope should come back past the
tree so the puller is not in the path of the falling tree. Using a
straight pull you want to be sure the puller is WELL beyond the point
where the top of the ree will land - out of range of flying
projectiles as well.

We felled a LOT of large elms back in the sixties due to Dutch Elm
Desease. I was a teanager on the farm back then and spent a LOT of
time in the bush.Then we lost a lot of Birch due to Birch Borer - and
now it's the Emerald Ash Borer doing it's thing - so the ash trees are
coming down by the hundreds.

Then we get these freak storms that indiscriminately down anything in
their path and we need to clean up after them - felling those that are
too damaged to salvage after the cleanup.

On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 15:16:42 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

Please explain why a tree cut to fall one direction, and pulled near the top in
the same direction, would rotate and fall 90 degrees from that direction.

If the cut is not level across the truck, there is a risk of the tree
spinning off the stump and going anyplace it likes. The rope will not
control it.

If this notch was cut on a slope - the same might happen.

Pic:

http://www.earthwalkthebook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/THE_MOST_UNKINDEST_CUT_OF_ALL.jpg

YMMV

Oren wrote:
On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 15:16:42 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

Please explain why a tree cut to fall one direction, and pulled near
the top in the same direction, would rotate and fall 90 degrees from
that direction.

If the cut is not level across the truck, there is a risk of the tree
spinning off the stump and going anyplace it likes. The rope will not
control it.

If this notch was cut on a slope - the same might happen.

Pic:

http://www.earthwalkthebook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/THE_MOST_UNKINDEST_CUT_OF_ALL.jpg

YMMV

There's a guess. Hardly a logical answer to the claim I was questioning.

On Fri, 2 Aug 2013 12:51:26 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 15:16:42 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

Please explain why a tree cut to fall one direction, and pulled near
the top in the same direction, would rotate and fall 90 degrees from
that direction.

If the cut is not level across the truck, there is a risk of the tree
spinning off the stump and going anyplace it likes. The rope will not
control it.

If this notch was cut on a slope - the same might happen.

Pic:

http://www.earthwalkthebook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/THE_MOST_UNKINDEST_CUT_OF_ALL.jpg

YMMV

There's a guess. Hardly a logical answer to the claim I was questioning.


Tell us your radical logic, so we all know the position you take. Have
you never seen a tree trunk spin of a stump?

"Bob F" wrote in message
...
harryagain wrote:
"gwandsh" wrote in message
...
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that
partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall,
narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2'
in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to
fell these trees "uphill".
I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal
pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30'
up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on
the line as the trunk is cut.
I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty
remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and
tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could
rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

If you do this you will find the tree falls along the slope due to the
anchor. (ie it swings in a quarter circle as it falls.)
You need a good rope and anchor or hitch it onto the back of a
substantial vehicle and drive uphill as far as you can.
Or better still two separate ropes and anchors, just to be sure
You need a rope length at least four times the hieght of the tree.
You need to fasten it on about 3/4 of the way up. on the main trunk.
Higher, the branches are too thin. Lower, the leverage will be too
great. Don't fasten to any dead wood, it may break.
There is a strong chance of it "kicking back" (due to the anchor)
as it hits the ground so be wary. Make sure you have a clear route to
get away from it as it goes down. As soon as it starts to fall, get
clear. Remember, it will rotate and fall at 90 degrees to your cut,
don't get the chainsaw trapped.


Please explain why a tree cut to fall one direction, and pulled near the
top in the same direction, would rotate and fall 90 degrees from that
direction.



The rope prevents it falling down hill. It won't fall uphillbecause of
gravity.
As it falls, the rope restrains it, the top of the tree describes a quarter
circle and it lands "across the slope"

On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:44:48 -0700 (PDT), gwandsh
wrote:

At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall, narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about 2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking to fell these trees "uphill".

I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30' up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull on the line as the trunk is cut.

I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

Cheers

If I had my own remote location I'd do it myself.
Just read up on it, and use good gear with enough strength.
You're not supporting the entire weight of tree with the tensioning
gear, just applying directional force.
If you give it enough thought and still have some doubts, hire a pro.
You didn't say how pitched the slope is, and whether it's possible
for the cut tree to slide into and punch through your cabin.
The rope/cable will be useless in stopping that if the base of the
tree is close enough to the cabin, so keep that geometry in mind.
An anchoring rope/cable near the base of the tree might be needed.
But I'd go for.
Then I'd get to talk about my lumberjackin' days over a few beers.

On Sat, 03 Aug 2013 11:37:39 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

Then I'd get to talk about my lumberjackin' days over a few beers.

....and invite some lumberjills over

harryagain wrote:
"Bob F" wrote in message
...
harryagain wrote:
"gwandsh" wrote in message
...
At a remote location we have a couple of large oak trees that
partially overhang or lean towards our cabin roof. These are tall,
narrow profile scrub oaks, but are 50'+ high and have trunks about
2' in diameter. The terrain is sloped, so essentially I am looking
to fell these trees "uphill".
I was thinking they could be safely taken down with minimal
pre-pruning by attaching a grapple at a fairly high location (20-30'
up), roping to a block on another tree, and applying a lot of pull
on the line as the trunk is cut.
I realize a pro would be the best option, but as I said, it is
pretty remote and cost is a large factor.

Wondering if anyone has taken a similar approach to removing trees
that need to fall in specific directions. Would a standard block
and tackle suffice, or are there specific tree handling versions I
could rent somewhere? Not seeing much info online.

If you do this you will find the tree falls along the slope due to
the anchor. (ie it swings in a quarter circle as it falls.)
You need a good rope and anchor or hitch it onto the back of a
substantial vehicle and drive uphill as far as you can.
Or better still two separate ropes and anchors, just to be sure
You need a rope length at least four times the hieght of the tree.
You need to fasten it on about 3/4 of the way up. on the main trunk.
Higher, the branches are too thin. Lower, the leverage will be too
great. Don't fasten to any dead wood, it may break.
There is a strong chance of it "kicking back" (due to the anchor)
as it hits the ground so be wary. Make sure you have a clear route
to get away from it as it goes down. As soon as it starts to fall,
get clear. Remember, it will rotate and fall at 90 degrees to your
cut, don't get the chainsaw trapped.


Please explain why a tree cut to fall one direction, and pulled near
the top in the same direction, would rotate and fall 90 degrees from
that direction.



The rope prevents it falling down hill. It won't fall uphillbecause of
gravity.
As it falls, the rope restrains it, the top of the tree describes a
quarter circle and it lands "across the slope"

If the pull on the rope is strong enough, and the hinge point of the cut is left
strong enough to do it's job, that shouldn't happen, but I guess I can at least
see why it might. When I did it, I had the upper branches bent in the direction
I wanted enough to overbalance the tree in the desired direction. As I did the
backcut, the tree began to move in the desired direction, releasing pressure on
the rope. I stopped cutting at that point, and pulled down on the rope between
the anchor point and the tree to apply more tension, which got the tree moving
again, dropping it right in line with the rope. Admittedly, I've only done this
twice, both times with narrower trees than the OP's (Birch, and pine), and both
trees were only leaning a few degrees in the wrong direction.

For the OP - there are a lot of youtube videos showing how the cut becomes a
hinge, and discussing how minor variations in the cut can significantly affect
the potential movement of the tree. You should understand these and be capable
of doing the cut accurately before you decide to try this yourself.

On Sat, 03 Aug 2013 10:46:09 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Sat, 03 Aug 2013 11:37:39 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

Then I'd get to talk about my lumberjackin' days over a few beers.

...and invite some lumberjills over

Now that part damn sure ain't rocket science!
**
Lonesome Dove