OK - I understand that a wedge cut is needed before the back cut. I see different ways of making that wedge. One cut is flat into the tree. The other cut is angled. Do you put the angle cut above or below the flat cut? I see/read different ways of doing it, but no real explanation of the what way the angled cut is made, and why. Which way do you cut, and do you always do it that way?
I have learned and mainly use an open face cut. My back cut is as parallel as I can get to the middle of the wedge. I like to cut about 1" above the middle of the wedge. I am not a professional. If it is a hairy situation I call upon someone with more experience. There are many different cuts for different wood and situations. I wish I knew how to properly lay down timber.
Don't forget the back cut and hinge Almost all saw manufacturers show the basics in their saw manuals and have some fairly good how to vids on the tube . And then there's The Game of Logging .
Unless I'm missing something, I can see where the Humboldt cut would leave the angle on the stump and not on the felled tree. If felling for a logging concern, I can see where this would be an advantage, as there's no angled cuts being delivered to the processor.
The reason is to remove the wood that wood get in the way of the "hinge" working as the tree go's over. The hinge is all you have to control the direction of the fall. I think the "humboldt" is used in "high value" logs, so you don't loose the log length of the actual wedge. I usually use the conventional method because of gravity and I can be lazy, it's easier to saw down than up.
The other reason for a Humbolt or open face cut is the wedge drops out of the stem by gravity. Doesn't seem like a big deal to most of us but if you were working with the huge trees in Humbolt County......
With a Humbolt on a large tree, it is also easy to get that wedge out of the tree and on the ground. It was invented in Humbolt county in California for things like redwoods where a "standard" cut would have left a wedge of several hundred pounds that would have needed to be removed. Now it is used to conserve useful wood for a sawmill but back then it was all about being able to remove the wedge itself.
This should be required reading for any horder looking to drop their own trees. To Fell A Tree: Jeff Jepson: 9780975525296: Amazon.com: Books This is also a good video outlining how to use an open face cut to fell a tree safely.
Lots of good suggestions here. What REALLY matters is the dynamics of what happens when these different felling cuts are employed. Each one has a different effect on the fell. A standard notch (flat bottom cut, angled top) works well, but needs to be executed peoperly. Different species of wood react in different ways to a cut like that. My "go-to" cut most of the time is the Humboldt. It, when done correctly, is the safest felling cut you can make, IMHO. As the tree is falling, the Humboldt prevents the button of the log from being able to slide off the back of the stump in the event that the hinge breaks, and it even helps "jut" the log off and away from the stump when done properly. Don't forget, no matter which felling cut you choose, it's imperative that you make your back cut slightly above your face notch. An inch or so above is a rule of thumb in most situations. Leaning trees (especially with size to them) should be considered candidates for bore cutting your back cut. That's something that takes skill and practice to do. Also, you shouldn't cut your face notch deeper than 1/3 the diameter of the tree you're felling. That's very important.....
The Humboldt is, IMO, the safest felling cut that can be made. If the tree you're felling gets hung up in another, a standard notch can allow that tree to snap the hinge and pop off the back of the stump. The Humboldt more or less prevents that from happening.... Most logging outfits teach and use that method exclusively, for safety AND harvest benefits.
Regardless of which notch is used, it is very important for the feller to not get sloppy and under cut or over cut the notch. The cuts should meet exactly. I like to put the top cut in first, then when making the horizontal cut you can sight down the top cut and see exactly where the bar is relative to the top cut and get an accurate notch cut. Personally I am much more accurate on the felling cut if I don't move from the side I cut the notch on. Around here you are always on steep hills and keeping the cuts parallel is important.
As a lad of thirteen in Western Michigan I was taught to use a conventional face cut when I started summer logging work. And it made sense to use it in the relatively flat terrain. As a feller in Oregon the only face cut we were allowed to use was the humboldt. If an operation got caught not using it by the state forester it was a pretty healthy per stump fine. IIRC 5k per stump at the time. While I agree the Humboldt is safer than the conventional face cut because it impedes kick back off the stump, it's still allows the two faces of the notch to contact before the tree is down. When this happens the hinge is broken and allows for stump pull (fingers or stickers in some circles), side scaring, and potential for barber chair just like a conventional face cut. You will find that most organizations teaching forestry sciences like the International Society of Arboriculture, OSHA, game of Logging, etc. are recommending the open face cut in conjunction with a plunge or bore cut as the safest way to bring a tree down. It allows the feller to "set" the hinge easier and gives more control in directional felling. But the biggest benefit is the elimination of potential barber chair. Being a bit hard headed when I was introduced to this method in a continuing education workshop I was inclined to stick with a humboldt or conventional notch, but during the practical portion of the class in the woods I started to understand the method as superior. This is especially true for newbies. Now having said all that each tree presents a unique situation and no one method fits all situations. There is a nice PDF data-sheet called "Working the 5 step felling plan" that can help any would be feller assess the best plan of action with most trees they should encounter. I'd be happy to show anyone interested who might be attending the GTG at Backwoods Savage on the 22nd.
I believe the Humboldt was also started when felling in very steep terrain as it lets the tree slide off easier and therefore less chance of damage to the trunk of the tree. I use it at times but it is not my favorite but Scotty hits the high points of why it is good. For sure it is needed most times when cutting for lumber. One thing people tend to forget is that when most of the FHC crowd is felling a tree for firewood you do not have to do things that you would do if felling larger trees and felling for timber. It is okay to learn those other methods but I still hold that most times people just try to get too fancy and I've seen some bad things happen and that is perhaps the number one reason I do not recommend some of the felling methods to people on the forum. Simply put, most guys aren't pro fellers so KISS.
Good tips also remember a good straight 1" hinge is real important for direction Keep a wedge handy, as soon as you can tap it in every tree is different, take your time
All good info I knew this was the place to ask. Thanks! I'm sure others are learning, as am I. I've used the plunge cut with success, a couple of times. Interesting way to set the hinge and prepare for felling Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk
And yes, I have 3 felling wedges. And have used them felling as well as bucking logs into rounds Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk
