Open Face Notch & Sight Line. The function of the notch is
to allow the tree to fall without breaking the hinge prematurely
. Typically, most notches today are less than 45 degrees. These small notches close up before the tree has fallen even half-way to the ground.
Why does a tree fall towards the notch?
All the cuts are crucial, but it’s the back cut that will finally drop the tree. As the back cut progresses toward the notch of the face cut,
a section of uncut wood between the two forms a sort of hinge
. It is this hinge that helps control the tree’s fall.
What is a Humboldt notch used for?
Humboldt cut or inverse notch
This is a
safe and efficient way to fell a tree that is on a steep slope or prone to splitting
. Well suited for thicker trees on steep slopes. Opening angle of at least 45°. Horizontal cut has the same angle as the felling cut.
What is a Dutchman in tree felling?
Dutchman.
The seat that interferes with the smooth closing of the notch
. Caused when one of the notch cuts is made too deep and extends beyond the endpoint of the other notch cut, known as “Bypass”.
Do you cut above or below the notch?
Stop cutting a few inches before you reach the directional notch
. This will create a hinge on which the tree will fall in a controlled way. The width of the hinge should be about 10% of the diameter of the tree trunk. Use a felling wedge as a lever to make the tree begin to fall.
What is a Humboldt notch?
The Humboldt notch is
another common notch when cutting trees
. In this notch, the top cut is made horizontally, while the base goes in at an upward point. In this type of notch, the kickback over the stump may be bigger, so it is not perfect for inclining trees.
What is a Dutchman in logging?
A dutchman is
used to swing a tree perpendicular to its lean
. There’s variations, but basically what you’re doing is cutting off a corner of the hinge wood to allow the tree to swing toward the uncut part of the hinge.
How deep should the Notch be when felling a tree?
6 The depth of the notch should be
1/3 of the tree diameter
. The face opening of a notch “A” should be equal to the depth of “B”. An open face notch is safest and requires an opening of 70% or more to prevent premature closing of the notch. Open face notches require the hinge length to be 80% or more of the DBH.
What is a Dutchman patch?
In construction and woodworking, a dutchman can refer to
an inset wood patch used to repair wood
. Typically a square inset is cut into the damaged area and a new piece of wood is glued into the inset.
What is a Dutchman notch?
A Dutchman is
a secondary notch that lets a tree start falling into its lean then jams transferring the momentum into the
primary notch’s line of fall (so it starts falling then kicks sideways toward the desired lay.)
What is the meaning of Dutchman?
1 capitalized. a archaic : a member of any of the Germanic peoples of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries. b : a native or inhabitant of the Netherlands. c :
a person of Dutch descent
.
How do you make sure a tree falls in the right direction?
Create a hinge in the trunk to steer the tree as it falls to the ground to ensure the tree falls the right way. To ensure your tree falls in the right direction,
create a directional cut on the same side as you want the tree to fall
. Next, make the felling cut by creating a horizontal cut from the opposite side.
How do you fell a leaning tree in the opposite direction?
A tree leaning away from the intended direction of fall has “
back lean
.” By using wedges and shims to lift the trunk off the stump, you can compensate for the back lean and bring the tree up and over in the intended direction.
