How to Work with Chainsaws - Felling Trees

How to Work with Chainsaws - Felling Trees

Before felling any trees, find out which environmental regulations apply and make sure that you have the necessary permits. When you’ve decided to fell a tree you should think about what you can do to prevent accidents. Take note of everything that could affect safety: are there any roads, overhead lines or buildings nearby?

If so and you are a beginner, you should leave the job to someone with more experience. If you know that people often pass through the area, you should set out warning signs. Assess the tree and take notes of the various factors that could affect the felling:

Factors that can affect the felling.

• Is the tree leaning?
• Which way is the wind blowing?
• Considering the surroundings and ease of subsequent work, which direction should it be felled in?
• Make sure that there are no people within the safety radius, which is at least twice the length of the tree that you intend to fell.

Safety procedures.
Stand by the tree and decide exactly which direction you want it to fall in. Choose a feature from the surroundings as a guide. Clear obstructive undergrowth from around the tree; remove branches and other obstacles on the ground. On both sides of the tree you should be able to walk unobstructed and an angle away from the falling tree and remain there at a safe distance. The general idea of directional felling is that you first saw a directional notch, which determines which direction the tree will fall. The directional notch can be made in a variety of ways.

Felling a tree:  “The opened directional notch.”

• Firstly, you make a top cut into the stem at an angle of about 60 degrees. Saw to a depth of about 20 to 25 percent of the tree’s diameter, then make a horizontal undercut to meet the top cut.
• Next, you saw a horizontal felling cut slightly above the level of the undercut. It’s important that you stop sawing just before you reach the directional notch, leaving what is called the hinge.
• The hinge guides the tree as it falls.The hinge should be 10% of the tree’s diameter, or at least 2 centimeters wide.

How you use the saw when felling is decided in part by the thickness of the tree.

First, let’s look at what you do when the bar is longer than the diameter of the
tree. 

• Stand with your legs apart and lean against the tree trunk with your shoulder. To avoid an unnecessarily high stump, make the directional notch low.
  
• Hold the saw at the correct angle and side towards the physical feature in the surroundings that you selected. It should coincide with the felling size on top of the saw.
  
• Give the saw full throttle and start sawing.
  
• From time to time, check that you are keeping the correct angle and direction.
  
• Stay in the same position and make the undercut. Make sure that you meet the top cut exactly.

Making the felling cut.

• Use either a pushing or a pulling chain.
• Saw until you have enough room to push in a breaking bar.
• Make sure you don’t touch the breaking bar with the chain when you continue sawing.
• Leave a hinge that is as even in thickness as possible. Remove the saw and lift the bar until the tree starts to fall.
• The breaking bar is a felling tool for smaller trees; it prevents the tree from falling in the wrong direction and from pinching the blade while sawing.

Best practices when using a chainsaw.
If you are not used to using a chainsaw, we recommend that you first get acquainted with the saw by practicing a while on a suitable log. There are some basic rules for using a chainsaw:

•  Hold it firmly on both handles and hold your thumbs and fingers right around the handles, make sure you hold your left thumb under them front handle to reduce the force of a possible kickback. It’s good to have respect for the saw, but don’t be afraid of it.
  
• If you hold it close to your body it won’t feel as heavy and you will be more balanced and in better control of the saw.
  
• For the best balance, stand with your feet apart. You can saw with both the upper and the lower edge of the bar.
  
• When using the lower edge, you are sawing with the pulling chain, which means that the chain pulls the saw away from you.
  
• Using the upper edge of the chain, you are sawing with the pushing chain, and the chain pushes the chain towards you.
  
• Protect your back by not working in a bent over position; bend your knees
  instead if you are working at a low level. When moving, make sure the chain is
  not rotating by activating the chain break or turning off the engine. For longer
  distances, of course, use the bar guard.

Felling larger trees.
Now let’s look at what you do with a larger tree. Just like before you create a good working environment, you might need to remove some of the branches from the bottom of the trunk.

• The safest way to do this is with a pulling chain, moving from above downwards.
• Use the trunk as a protection between you and the saw.
• Never prune higher than the shoulder height.
• If the tree has buttress roots, it may be easier if you remove them. Here, the bar is shorter than the diameter of the trunk so a slightly more complicated felling technique is required.
• If you are not particularly experienced it’s wise that you have somebody with you who is.
• As the bar doesn’t reach through the trunk, you have to complete the directional notch from the other side, make sure that the new cuts meet up with the old ones as closely as possible.
• Don’t leave the tree unguarded if you have to call for help.

For more information on chainsaw safety and other ways of working with chainsaw, check OttawaChainSaws.com