These are a nail biter when you’ve cut a bunch of them down over the years. It’s COMPLETELY not recommended that anyone try this at home. NOT a DIY type maneuver since the front tree could easily break off at any instant – so YES, I’m fully cognizant and on high alert at all times. Also not really recommended for guys that have felled timber for a pretty good stretch – See sentence #2 above.

Honorable mention to my 064. 3' Stihl lw bar & Oregon, skip, full chisel chain.
1:05 I’m starting the rip cut on the close side
2:53 Start ripping the far side. It’s purposefully the initial first line of offense as it allows the tree to set forward – if it’s going to – on it’s own from the leverage change of cutting the front tree off
6:05 I’m again surveying the trees wondering if the front on will hold on once I cut past it with the face
6:12 Survey the shot to get an idea on where the face will be
6:15 Start the deck
6:22 Revisit the shot with a couple looks up thinking about plowing the double through and needing it to roll 90º before it hits
6:40 Taking a closer look at the “look” of the bole and where the face will end up – think about how far I will be able to cut in before getting pinched out if the front tree settles
6:44 Look up contemplating how deep I can go while in the front/how much weight is in front
7:00 Look at shot contemplating
7:02 Look up tree reassessing tree alignment
7:10 Checking shot again now it’s a timing issue.
7:16 Raise the deck up about 4” so the snipe will be effective
7:20 Checking for level
7:57 Contemplating
8:16 Ax in deck for movement indicator
8:28 looking for movement as it seems to be getting tight
From ~ 8:28 to 9:30 watching the handle raise
10:03 Ax in face to watch for movement
10:38 is the tree separating yet
11:10 1st bore cut on face wedge – moveable
11:22 bore cut gets tight look for movement
11:39 start on close side of face – now it’s going to get dicey
11:50 another big survey of where they are grown together
13:12 2nd face bore cut – seems to be loose here
12:25 HUGE LOOK at the seam for crack expansion
13:27 knocking out face, senses heightened
15:00 deepening face
17:27 Chris gets the “Wait What” look because now we’re where it could separate without warning – everyone is a DangerCat…
19:38 I’d give it a wide birth hand maneuver
20:18 really getting “under it” watching like a hawk
20:32 Direct miss…
23:25 getting even further under it
30:28 Enjoying what could be my last drink in this world & expelling the dust build up
32:33/4 She’s getting tight now as we watch me almost getting stalled from the kerf closing up from the forward movement of the tree
33:58 Siting on the gun
34:30 Didn’t like the face, readjust
36:18 Enter my boss
37:59 start on the snipe.
39:31 ½ the snipe
40:00 Brutis saves the day
41:08 Admitting that after all this, it may not work & comparing sizes
40:40 Finishing touches on face gun
43:51 Symmetry comparison on the outside edges of the face
44:03 Start on backcut, trying not to saw leave trees
45:42 She takes off, running for my wife…
45:47 We watch them start to roll ~ 90º after passing the tall red out in front on the right
45:50 We watch the top start to break out of the bigger tree out there 100'
47:28 Check for cranium bonkers
48:27 Thumbs up!
50:16 Can see the huge post on the near side
The timeline is abbreviated while hitting on the more important points. Obviously, I spent more time looking up & checking the situation out.
I was intensely watching the front tree out of the corner of my eye at all times for it to break off. I spent minimal time with hand in face removing the face & stragglers. I did move the face back several times. The gist there is that if the tree takes off early, because sometimes they don’t hold, at least it has a chance to hit the lay. Check the “This One Was A Little Dangerous” video for what happens when a tree like this doesn’t hold on.
Some will say I took to long on the face. But, I didn’t get pinched in the face which is ALWAYS a possibility with a tree/s seen here. If a guy was to get pinched in the face as the front tree tears away from the back tree, well, he is completely hosed. Working the face back a little at a time will most often yield the tree/s end up in the lay. In the end, it did exactly what it needed to midflight and hit the shot – right….
One has to consider that the landowner was getting ~ 1000/1100 a thousand for this wood delivered to the mill. Chris yarded two chunks from the top that I did not scale. What we walked up, the two stems, and I bucked scaled 11,950 Scribner. They were not paying me to be in a hurry…..
I’m currently available for custom saw modifications. Please shoot me an email if you are interested.
[email protected]
Thanks for watching.