Living Dangerously

pachanco

I don't imagine they teach these techniques on chainsaw courses, a nice spot to be working all the same. I like my feet firmly planted on the ground when felling trees.

periodictable

At the Coillte training unit in Mountrath years back, they taught most of those elements, except the timber was on a smaller scale.
Would that we managed our forest estate to grow trees to a fraction of that size and magnificence!

pachanco

I always assumed those chainsaw courses were run by the "health and safety brigade". That's interesting that they were teaching such techniques. I suppose needs must. I suppose as long as you know what you're doing and you're not complacent you'll be all right. I still wouldn't fancy being balanced on a few sticks wielding a chainsaw all the same. Thankfully I can hug all the trees on my land(not that I go around doing that now!), so no need for such techniques here.

It would be great if we could collectively take a longer term view with trees and think more about future generations instead of planting for short term gain.

Oldtree

pachanco wrote: »

I don't imagine they teach these techniques on chainsaw courses, a nice spot to be working all the same. I like my feet firmly planted on the ground when felling trees.

:eek: but wow

pachanco

Oh yeh, it's a good video alright and a very scenic spot to be plying your trade, fully deserving of it's million plus views. It's not as dangerous as it first appears, when I saw the opening shot it looked like he was dangling over the edge of a very steep cliff face, but it's more gently sloping than it first appears. You'd certainly know about it though if you had a bit of a stumble.

Would anyone consider wearing a harness in a similar situation tied off to another tree or would it just get in the way?

Oldtree

I think with felling you need to be able to move out of the way if at all possible should somthing go wrong so perhaps a harness wouldnt be a good idea, he did take his eyes off the tree when it was falling tut tut.

Squiggle

periodictable wrote: »

At the Coillte training unit in Mountrath years back, they taught most of those elements, except the timber was on a smaller scale.

They taught you to make the directional cut while in front of it and turn your back on a falling tree? :eek:

That tree in the video looks like it's leaning towards the front cut and the feller has no diagonal escape route. Madness imo.

periodictable

Squiggle wrote: »

They taught you to make the directional cut while in front of it and turn your back on a falling tree? :eek:

That tree in the video looks like it's leaning towards the front cut and the feller has no diagonal escape route. Madness imo.

The scale is completely different and this guy is in a real life situation working for a living. The methodology is one thing and looks lovely on paper but in practice one must improvise.

Oldtree

I was watching a council worker (all kitted out) fell an ash (25 foot high reasonable size crown) on the side of the road next to a wall. Cuts were fine but high due to wall (knock stone wall over!!!??? would have been safe). They were using a digger to ensure direction of fall. He did cuts and they pushed with digger and so confident was the feller that he turned away and did not watch tree. tree fell in direction as expected. The tree crown bounced as would be expected by anybody with experience and bounced the butt back at the feller's back while he was walking away. It missed him by an inch and continued on for another 2 foot. It would have broken him in half if it had hit him there was so much force in the bounce back. he remains blissfully aware of how close he came to being broken in two to this day. I was in a state of shock and shaking at what I had just seen.

never take your eyes off a falling tree and always have an escape route or two worked out and cleared.