Felling Ponderosa Pine Help

[pendoreille]

I have tripped lots of P pine. This one concerns me just a tad bit, and this time I am listening to my self. The tree on the left is dead but sound broken top snag approximately 70 feet tall and 24 inches in diameter. The tree on the right is a healthy P pine 34 inches in diameter. My first thought was to under cut it, back cut it and a couple of wedges and watch it fall. I can also duck behind the healthy p-pine. no problem. The voice in my head is saying barber chairing and smacking me in the head. I have had alder and birch barber chair but never a ponderosa. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[85Hokie]

with that situation, I think I would cut it a little higher than "typical" - I take it that it can be fell to the left 90 degrees to the good tree? I would wedge it on left side of (picture) and then back cut to the point where you can get two wedge sets, one on either side of the "good" tree. Hammer away, and listen, then move like you said to the other side of the good pine.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I kinda, agree with 85Hokie, if you can go right or left of the good tree and cut it and waist height you should be good.
But with it already trying to go down parallel to the good tree, I would not fight forces, and drop it that way. Simple notch waist height (makes it faster to move) and then a slight downward back cut to help it from kicking back at the good tree.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Big wedge, half way through tree.
Angle back cut. If it can go the way its leaning the go with it.
If branches are intertwined you will likely need to tie a rope and pull it over.
Dry trees dont want to lean until almost cut right through,think cutting off a piece of dry lumber. Pulling it is even tricky as it wont lean.

 

[bearskinner]

One thing I've done while clearing jumbled trees in Alaska is get some heavy rope or 10K automobile ratchet straps and get on a ladder up high in two close trees. I created pressure high above where I was going to cut, in the direction I wanted it to fall, and use wedges and cuts to fall it in the correct direction. It takes a lot of time, and it's a PITA, but it has always worked for me

 

[skeets]

One inch drill bit,, modeling clay, 6 feet of cannon fuse and a pound of black powder yup that should do it

 

[Lil Foot]

I hear Primacord works pretty well.

 

[pendoreille]

When I was a kid most rural folks had dynamite. You could buy it at the local western auto store. A local neighbor logger also stocked it along with fuse and caps. My uncle use to dig ditches with primacord. He also salvaged houses by hanging a 1/4 stick down a couple of feet from the ceiling in each room. Did not blow it down but the concussion would loosen all then nails. Even now you here of people around here finding an old box of sawdust and a gooey mess.

and thanks for all the good advise folks...appreciate it. dropping it today and if you don't here back from me it has been good.

 

[pendoreille]

Everything worked like it should have. Had to pull it off lean by a couple of feet to keep from becoming a hanger. Undercut it more to the pull side, drove a wedge in and down it came on the mark. More next years firewood, hate burning ponderosa pine but that is what I have a lot of. It is shoulder season firewood and I save the Doug fir and tamerak for those sub zero times.

Thanks for the input

 

[skeets]

Glad you got it down with out crashing something,, pine dont seem to work to well inthe air tight stoves but not bad inthe fire place

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

Glad you were able to get it down safely and with no harm to the other trees