Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Clearing Trees As If You Are A Lumberjack

By George Dodson


One of the favorite stories parents used to tell their children was about a famous lumberjack named Paul Bunyan. Of course, Paul had a big blue ox named Babe. So popular was this tale that people designed restaurants around this theme in the Pacific Northwest.

Paul was about 20 feet tall. One of the things Paul was very good at was chopping down trees. Using your imagination, you can see how easy a task it was for Paul. Of course those who chop down trees these days are not 20 feet tall and they do not create lakes to water their livestock.

There is a technique that comes in when you are felling trees. You don't grab the axe and head for the forest. Trees come in all sizes. You don't want to be chopping on a giant fir tree with an axe. You're going to be there for a long time and you're not going to be very effective at bringing down that tree. What is the proper way to chop down a tree?

You need to know that trees are dangerous when you are doing something more than sight seeing them. The reason behind loggers wearing special boots is that trees depending on their sizes can become wet and slippery.

Many of the trees that you might want to bring down surely weight a lot and are very large. When they come down they can cause great injury if you don't bring them down properly.

It is required that you have the correct gear not forgetting a helmet. Your day can be ruined with a tree limb falling from 30 or 40 feet high.

Ensure that you use the proper axe as you need a chopping axe instead of a splitting axe. If you don't know the difference find out.

Decide on the direction where you want the tree to fall ensuring that it does not fall on people or property.

Begin by making a wedge on the side of the tree of the direction you want tree to fall. Begin by chipping out the tree in a wedge shaped design until you get a vee cut on the tree side. Afterwards, move to the other side of the tree and cut it above the vee. Carry on cutting out the pieces while watching the tree. You want it to fall in the direction of the cut. That isn't always the case. If it begins to fall in your direction, ensure that you move out of the way. This is simply to say that you move off the tree stump once the tree starts falling. As the tree falls, it might kick up on the end causing you injury while doing so.

As you chop down the tree, be keen on the groaning sound as this marks the weakening of the tree. Just as the tree is falling, steer clear of the stump until it comes completely down.




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