Sawing action! Mike ponders life in the background
stumpdiameter.jpg
Stump diameter
wedge.jpg
Wedge cut
tree.jpg
The tree
“There are no words to express the abyss between isolation and having one ally. It may be conceded to the mathematician that four is twice two. But two is not twice one; two is two thousand times one.”
― G. K. Chesterton
Ok, so I tentatively hate the bow saw. It’s possible that mine just sucks or that I chose a dumb tree for a beginner, or that I’ll have better luck next time. But, man, was this rough. I’ve worked on this tree for something like six hours over three days.
I know there are more pictures here than are needed, but I had to tell the tale. And I get that this isn’t an example of perfect lumberjacking, but I got the tree down and solved a lot of problems along the way.
F1BE66C5-D48F-46DE-BF9E-343B21713F19.jpeg
This maple is twisted and deformed and interfering with the healthy pine.
3C461086-29B2-4DBA-83D7-F91C04A5EC30.jpeg
I expected it to be easy and got these tools out.
00A13ABB-636B-4E53-9053-25B5AE289716.jpeg
I eventually got a wedge cut out on the underside of that curve.
3C40F12F-22E2-43A9-9FC6-22BF158CE05D.jpeg
And then cutting toward the wedge from above, my saw got stuck.
57916578-12EE-4D60-B4B1-F4A5B7EAB360.jpeg
After failing to free it by hammering shims in behind, I got another saw and cut downward but it started to bind.
89E6BB80-8D7A-4188-94F4-942319B000EE.jpeg
I decided the shape was to blame so I trimmed off the top branches and started the wedge again about eye-level.
633D1EA1-B68A-4F99-ACD4-04F9F9F5A6F0.jpeg
Everything was tight, but I got close enough to through, that I could push it into falling.
43ABD354-DD93-4ACC-8C19-E7BCAFACD325.jpeg
Getting the weight off didn’t free my saw so I wanted to use a hatchet as a wedge and needed a mallet so I stopped and made one and that was the thing that worked.
45C0FEAD-390B-4021-A904-7E57AF4DFB9E.jpeg
So I resumed work with the bow saw, down toward the original wedge, but it was binding so I did the hatchet as a wedge trick and just hit the top with a sledge until it broke.
Felling trees with bow saws can be difficult. Easily stuck, as you discovered. I find them more useful for removing limbs.
Hard to be sure from a picture but I think you could have saved some grief & done it much faster if you would have made the initial cut about where the arrow is. It looks like the weight of the leaning tree would have brought it down without needing a wedge cut or pinching the saw.
bow-saw-tree.jpeg
Argue for your limitations and they are yours forever.
Christopher Weeks
master gardener
Posts: 3948
Location: Carlton County, Minnesota, USA: 3b; Dfb; sandy loam; in the woods
I own that bow saw because I had to cut limbs (<3") right up against a fence at our old house and didn't want to just zip through the limb and into the fence with a chainsaw. So I agree that they have their place.
And I'm not sure if it was clear from my photos, but the wedge was basically where that arrow you drew would come out the other side and then I did start cutting along your arrow. When it bound, I thought the weight of the tree was causing it to close up and there wasn't enough cut through that I could just shove it into falling. Maybe I had the right placement of my cut but the wrong angle or something. Anyway, I'll pick straight trees for my next couple drops!
What are you saying? I thought you said that Santa gave you that. And this tiny ad: