Can you lend me some experience on this dead ash I'm about to drop?

We had mostly ash on our property and the EAB has kicked our butts. Because many of the biggest trees were already dead when we bought the place, I've left it to mother nature to bring them down just for the safety on not having to touch them. I've felled a fair number of small and mid-size trees myself that were close enough to the used areas of the property to cause a risk to structures or to places we frequently work. I started with the smallest and "live-est" trees and gradually moved up to larger and deader ones. I've been felling trees each year, leaving some of it where it fell but harvesting most of the trunks to heat the house all winter. Anyway, I've got one tree left that I really need to fish or cut bait on and I'm thinking this is the weekend to do it.

The reason I've put it off is that it's bigger DBH (probably right around 20"), taller (best guess is 75-85 feet), and deader than I've cut before and it's one I think I need to take seriously. The bark is still on but while I was doing some recon, brushing out, and clearing an escape path today, I noticed that the bark isn't actually well attached to the trunk. It's like it's stuck in a few places but bubbled out over most of the tree. The tree tends to loose one or two large limbs (6" plus diameter) each time we get a storm that brings in 50+ mph winds. Not having seen it in it's prime, I can only guess but I'd say it has about half its crown limbs still remaining up there. It's right on the edge of a steep ridge, so I only have access to one side of the tree and only have an escape route to that same side. The ridge runs steeply downhill and our barn is at the bottom. If the tree falls more than 60* off to the right from where I want to drop it, it'll flatten the barn. There are potentially some trees in the way that are perfectly healthy and beefy enough to stop this one from falling all the way over to the barn but that's not something I want to rely on, you know?

So that's the bad news. The good news is that it has about a 5* lean in the direction I want it to fall. The remaining crown limbs are about 70% on the side I want it to fall towards, giving it a substantial crown weight bias in the direction I want it to go. Eyeballing it, that bias does probably point 10* closer to the barn than the exact direction I'd prefer it to fall, but that still means it's at least 50* away from the barn.

I was up there today and brushed out and cleared an escape route, as I said. I also chalked on the tree where I want the notch, hinge, and back-cut. I have a plan for where I want to put it and how to get it there, but that's all based off book learning. Ideally, I'm planing on cutting the hinge, then starting the back cut from the back of the tree (no plunged back-cut) and wedging as soon as the bar is in far enough to clear the tip of the wedge. I'm operating under the plan that the wedges plus the lean and crown weight in the direction I want it to fall are going to be enough to take the tree over once I cut the back cut in far enough to allow the wedge+weight to take over.


Is there anything I haven't thought of? Anything I need to be especially careful of given what I've described?

Intellectually, I think I've got this but I'm also aware that it's the biggest and most dangerous tree I've tried yet by a fair margin so my self preservation instincts are kicking in a bit.

 

Deadest - any chance that the core is hollow/rotted/carpenter ants? If it is, you may not be able to wedge.

As mentioned by Eric VW, a rope attached would be helpful.

Good luck. Stay safe.

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You should be wearing your PPE for this job. A helper who can act as a spotter would be good. With a dead tree it may not take much to break off limbs which makes a good helmet a must.

 

My experience with very dead Ash is falling branches while wedging and as the tree finally falls, with good sized upper parts of the tree doing things quite unexpected. Also the hinge tends to fail before the ‘notch’ closes and then momentum and gravity do as they wish.

Like recommended above, PPE, second person as a spotter from a safe distance, cleared path to get away quickly...

 

ash on a good day does not hinge well they tend to snap hinge as everywone else mentioned a rope throwbagged up high gives you the safest bet it will go where you need it also make sure you use a 70* face cut to help the hinge stay together best of luck be safe

 

I think those widowmakers up top would be one of my big concerns for sure!
I had been procrastinating felling a dead Oak that has been dropping limbs for some time, finally a big gust of wind took the whole top of the tree off...made it easy

 

As stated, Ash is brittle in the best of circumstances = weak hinge. Lay the face cut a bit more away from the building than you think you need, leave the hinge thicker in the direction you want it to fall. At 20" dbh I would go for the plunge cut method, plenty of trunk for that. That tree will likely let go all at once which is always more dangerous, dead limbs snap off & fall hard from that height. Best bet is rope & pull if possible that way no one needs to under the tree. Plunge cut will tell you what the heart looks like. Pay attention to what comes off the chain as you plunge & you'll have a good idea of what's in the middle. Be safe!

 

Licking County.....we be neighbors, I am in Licking County too, Hebron

 

I’m not sure if this is the right way or not but I cut my dead ash 18-24” higher off the ground than normal. I have found to many that have blown over to be rotten close to the ground. Higher up I find better wood to control the tree falling. Be careful!


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We're in the southwest corner of Etna Township, which is the southwest corner of Licking county. I can throw a stone and hit Licking, Franklin, and Fairfield counties as well as Etna Township, City of Reynoldsburg, City of Pataskala, and City of Columbus. Just depends on which property line I throw the stone over.

 

Can I get a picture?

 

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow but you're not going to see as much as you hope. Now that everything's fully leafed out, you can't see any of the tree above the lower canopy of all the smaller trees. From far enough away to see the dead crown poking out the top of the canopy, it just looks small.

We discussed the tree again today and we're learning towards just leaving it alone or hiring a logger to fell it. Loggers are crazy expensive but way cheaper than the ER.

 

I have about a handful of trees that are within reach that are just calling to have the final cut made, ( I apologize if I'm missing some of your detail, it was a lot to read so I skipped some), that I feel tempted to make educated guesses on. But it's not worth the risk. If your situation is dangerous now to your family or home, get a pro. Noted above, Ash is brittle and snaps where it wants to and shatters like glass when it lands.
Safety first!

 

If it's safely on the ground, then it's certainly not the wrong way.

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Barberchairing is another issue with ash. I agree with Amateur Cutter a bore cut would be a safer way to drop it. Watching what comes out of your bore cut will tell you a lot about what the inside of the tree looks like. I’m am certainly no expert but I have seen more than one ash split up the middle during a back cut. Especially if they have any lean to them. I have seen some who weren’t confident doing a bore cut put a chain & binder or ratchet strap around a tree before falling to prevent it from splitting during the back cut but I’ve never tried it myself. Please be safe and take your time. I’m assuming you own a hard hat? That’s a must!

 

The rope and extra help are the best recommendations pull it over where you want it to go. Be Safe!

 

Cut a large 32" dead Ash years ago, cut a large notch as soon as I started the back cut it broke off and fell. I had a rope in it with a little tension on it good thing because the guy in the truck never had a chance to pull. The whole inside was rotten only about 3" of good wood holding. That was over 30 years ago a memorable experience.