Hinge cutting pictures

After you have started your cut, plunge the tip of the bar perpendicular to the direction you want the tree to fall thru the center of the trunk stopping before you break out the other side (hinged side), this weakens the tree and also gives a place for the end of your wedge to go as you drive it into the trees trunk to fall it.

 

So we didn't do as much cutting as I would have liked this weekend. The snow made it a ***** to drive the ATV on our property and walking in the deep stuff wasn't fun. We cut two smaller areas and will get back in there in early April to do some more. One thing I did learn is that the frozen Maple trees didn't hinge as well. The smaller ones were alright, but the larger ones would break off. This is another reason we didn't cut as much as I wanted to and are waiting until it warms up. I didn't take any pictures, as I didn't feel like lugging my camera in with me. I'll get some pics once the snow melts some.

 

Oh yeah, we used wedges to get the trees to fall where we want and it worked great.

 

Yeah, the bigger ones are tricky and will always hinge better in slightly warmer weather (hovering around 32 degrees is good, but we've done them in zero before...but I'd be lying if we didn't lose a couple. Even when the hinge didn't hang on the fallen trees were doing for more for us on their side then standing tall.

 

I cut for a couple hours yesterday.

 

Another idea for some of you guys getter started, pick up every old steel wedge you see at garage sales or flea markets, they are way cheaper than the plastic ones .
Take them home and spray paint them orange so you can find them later, then when you come across those large trees that are not easy or safe to fall, notch them a bit deeper than you normally would, then make your cut to a depth your comfortable with and them beat a couple steel wedges in as far as you can, the weakened tree will fall on its own when the wind or a wet snow builds up on it. When it does, go find your wedges, and your good to go.

 

We use an old steel wedge ourselves...like you said much cheaper and the same end result

 

I left three good plastic ones in the woods last night, with luck two of the trees fell, if not a couple well place 12 gauge slugs should do the trick.

 

This would make an epic how to video (albeit a joke)...hinging with a 12-gauge....oh man I might have to do this!

 

It can some times be the safest way to get unwanted trees to the ground, of course a good back stop is mandatory.