Hinge cutting bedding areas

[bat man]

That's why my less than half cut technique is the only way to do it. Wind is needed to move the tree, and adequately connected wood is needed to keep the tree intact.

I have been playing with your half cuts on larger trees and it seems a good tool. It scared me at first having those big trees picking when they fell, but it seems so far so good. I get far fewer trees hung up.

Domino can take what used to be an impossible area for me to attack an easy project when you line them up and let the right wind put them where you want them. Talk about some wicked barber chairs though. You never know where the butt end will be thrown when it hits another tree. Don't be standing around those big trees when they go. I have seen 20 inch DBH bottoms move 25 feet sideways way faster than a guy could get out of the way

The bad can be I like cutting big first and then smaller and once I go in to an area I like to bang it out and move on. Those bigger trees can flatten the smaller hinges.

Please be careful. Chainsaws are unforgiving.

 

[dipper]

there isn't anything safer than a tree that's falls when your not in the woods. I've hung up huge oaks on huge oaks, and just left them. Some 30mph winds later, everything's on the ground.
It's the same thing with less than half cut hinge trees.

 

[NWWI]

Yup, sometimes you have to play dominos with trees to overpower hang ups. Note the speed these trees are falling, and the weight; that's why mature trees are impossible to hinge if not done properly.
Trees need to fall slowly to successfully hinge. That's why my less than half cut technique is the only way to do it. Wind is needed to move the tree, and adequately connected wood is needed to keep the tree intact.

So is it best to hinge the big trees first with a cut less than half through, wait a week or two and hope the wind finishes the job and come back to hinge the smaller ones? I screwed up with my first tries and dropped a few big ones on my smaller all ready hinged trees and busted them off. My favorites where the little trees that got halfway pinned under the big ones that I did not have to cut. It's nice being able to pin the top of a small tree under a big one. They grow sideways and fill in fast. Has any one tried to tie trees over so they are parallel to the ground with out having to cut into them?

 

[dipper]

True. And there's not much more dangerous thing to work around than a partially sawed tree waiting to fall. I'm in the woods at least 4-5 days a week. If the wind doesn't get the job done in a timely manner, it can be a long waiting game before its safe to go back into an area with half cut trees.

Guys pay experts to tell them to stay out of their woods. Hahaha it's what they call a sanctuary hahaha
NWwi-I have some trees standing tall from 3 years ago. I'll give the tree another little cut and wait. Perfection takes time. I'm still waiting to bag my first trespasser. Hahahaha nobody will step foot in my woods once I bag my first one. I tell everyone my property is boobie trapped, and it's working. I love it!

 

[NWWI]

If I have to big of trees I just girdle them and leave the dead tree stand for the other wildlife to have at it. There are enough other trees I can kill myself by, so I don't need to monkey with the big ones!

How deep of a girdling cut do you make? I ask because I tried it on a sickly looking maple and the thing made it 3 years with two inch deep cuts all the way around!

 

[j-bird]

I big trees I tend to simply fell them like a logger. I then cut and drag the log away for firewood - leave the top and then hinge my smaller trees on to the larger tree top. I have seen trees intentional pushed or pulled over and tied down with rope before as well on the smaller stuff. Lots of different ways. Try a few different ones and see what works best for you.

 

[Greta&Gus]

That sounds like success to me. Do you have any pictures? What species did you hinge?

Mainly poplars and basswood but also maple, some scrub oaks, and others. We have loggers starting next week to get rid of a lot of the old red and white oak before the the wilt sets in. After they are done we are going to follow up with more hinging.