I cut down a tree~standing dead~firewood

[valley ranch]

it was scary if it went the wrong way~I would be on television~ it would have reached the street taking out the power lines.

Standing dead but very wet` maybe stacked in the wood rack behind the stove~it will dry enough to burn```

 

[valley ranch]

In the first picture you can see the stump some 12' down the hill~what looks like the stump is part of a round I cut off before taking the pictures```I had to split off pieces small enough to handle down to the splitter~ if a round got away from me on the hill it would take out anything it hit on the way to the river``` There's more than 150' of tree laying uphill```

 

[valley ranch]

The stump is over 5' across I've already taken a couple cords off

 

[thistlebloom]

That's huge! Glad you weren't on the news!
Is it a red fir?

 

[valley ranch]

It's dug fir```I think```

Hoviv was told to get up on the stump and smile to give an idea of size~but he was more interested in a squirrel```

 

[Nyboy]

wow I taken down pencils compared to that tree !!!!!

 

[journey11]

Wow, that thing is a monster. My FIL always heated with wood, but refused to cut up anything that hadn't already fallen of its own accord.

I have seen two nearly fatal occurrences myself. Once after an ice storm, a hired man cutting up a tree that had fallen across our little bridge did not account for the smaller tree the big one had smashed and when he made a cut toward the end, an approximately 5'x18" piece of log was slingshot into the air and almost came down on his head.

My dad, DH, brother and BIL cut down a standing dead oak on the farm a few years back. The tree was broadly branched and spread and after the felling cut, it did a pirouette and fell the wrong direction. It was like watching in slow motion. They all ran and made it to safety just in time.

There is a man on YouTube who has videos demonstrating how to use certain cuts and ropes with pulleys to make a tree fall exactly where you want it. I wonder if it would apply to a tree that size though. It was very fascinating, the geometry he used to put the tree down exactly where he wanted it. I will have to look for it. You would like it.

I cannot imagine the thud that tree of yours must have made when it hit the ground! Looks like you have firewood for a whole winter there. Is it dry enough to burn now, or will it need to sit and season?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Douglas fir. You probably already know this but that can leave some residue in your chimney that can build up to a fire hazard. I imagine you know to keep it cleaned out.

A couple of years back I helped my city-raised brother-in-law cut down some trees right next to his house. There were not anywhere near that size but some of them were big enough to cause damage if they hit his house. All of them could hit his house, that's why we were taking them out. They'd been either killed or damaged in an ice storm.

As long as the tree is not leaning, doesn't have too many branches on one side to mess up the balance, or the wind doesn't cause problems, I can usually fell one about where I want to. We still had ropes on all of them, tightened with a come-along, so they couldn't hit his house. I'm glad we did, one of them twisted when it went down due to a rotten spot. That rope was all that kept it off his deck.

On a tree that size a rope wouldn't do much. You'd need a marine hawser a few inches thick or a heavy chain. And a big winch well anchored of course. You done good.

 

[thistlebloom]

Now I'm curious, what kind and how big is the bar on your chainsaw?
Or did you fell it with an ax, haha.

 

[valley ranch]

I have a few saws~ the little on I'm using on the tree as it gets thinner is 24"~ I have an Old McCulloch with a 3' bar```Cut a vee slot in the final cut side and put a 12 ton bottle Jack in~ started cranking as the cut got deeper~ had a steel plate on top of the jack so the ram didn't sink into the tree instead of lifting``` Couldn't us a rope~ how high could you place the rope or cable without climbing it```

A lumber jack I know says: Most injuries and death of Jacks are from branches flying back at the guy who cut the tree down```