Don't Let This Happen To You...

[WVKayaker]

My buddy Randy has a cabin in WV on the Cacapon River. Last year in January only a week after I obtained my new to me '99 'Stro, we went up for a weekend of RNR. We noticed a nearby tree leaning badly. So we decided to take it down. We guessed it to be 80 feet tall and paced out 80 feet and figured...no problem let's do it. Well it came down and ripped the power lines off the pole and off the house and took the siding, insulation and stud with it. Yikes. Luckily the power company had 'er all fixed on the power pole side two hours or so after we called them. My buddy Craig is a carpenter by trade, had his tools with him and did all the repairs.

Are you sure we should be doing this?

Let it rip!


Power Line on the ground

Power Company repair man. Solo, no help...Crazy!

My buddy Craig gettin' 'er done

Later my buddy Craig the "Energizer Bunny" cuttin' a log for a bench seat

Testing out the bench...Not bad...Beer Time!

The final touches on Sunday

[phr1$k37]

OMG! Glad people were not hurt.
That is sad to see that the tree was chopped like that. Or the photo was part of the propose of lumbering it down? Either way glad you guys were ok. We get fined up here if we cut a tree - even if a is striked by storm we are NOT allowed to remove / cut - we are by-law required to call in the government to do it and PAY them :(

[WVKayaker]

It looked like the wind blew this one partially over. Crazy you have to call the govt to get a tree cut down and pay them too...
On a side note my AWD astro dragged about a 50 foot section of this log 40 feet down the driveway to move it out of the way nuthin' to it.

[blacknome]

brings back warm memories. Did that last year to the next door neighbors clothesline at my dads house.

[lockdoc]

OMG! Glad people were not hurt.
That is sad to see that the tree was chopped like that. Or the photo was part of the propose of lumbering it down? Either way glad you guys were ok. We get fined up here if we cut a tree - even if a is striked by storm we are NOT allowed to remove / cut - we are by-law required to call in the government to do it and PAY them :(

You mean to tell me that if you live out in the woods where you are at you can't cut a tree down in your yard? What BS. I can see in the cities where they have tree lawns but not in the hicks. Around here if it looks like a tree will interfere with utilitiy lines you can call them and they will trim\remove it for free.

[phr1$k37]

Hi Lockdoc ... I am in the city, sorry should have disclosed that hehe. in the woods, I would hate to see weak tall trees around me ... I think I be wetting my pants when the wind blows or fear I run over the one root that will tip the tree on to us.

[GEJ]

OMG! Glad people were not hurt.
That is sad to see that the tree was chopped like that. Or the photo was part of the propose of lumbering it down? Either way glad you guys were ok. We get fined up here if we cut a tree - even if a is striked by storm we are NOT allowed to remove / cut - we are by-law required to call in the government to do it and PAY them :(

You mean to tell me that if you live out in the woods where you are at you can't cut a tree down in your yard? What BS. I can see in the cities where they have tree lawns but not in the hicks. Around here if it looks like a tree will interfere with utilitiy lines you can call them and they will trim\remove it for free.

I worked in construction under ground utilities and we had to call the forestry service to cut any trees.The power companies have a blanket ok to cut down trees or trim them.Just not everyone follows the laws.

[potskie]

OMG! Glad people were not hurt.
That is sad to see that the tree was chopped like that. Or the photo was part of the propose of lumbering it down? Either way glad you guys were ok. We get fined up here if we cut a tree - even if a is striked by storm we are NOT allowed to remove / cut - we are by-law required to call in the government to do it and PAY them :(

You mean to tell me that if you live out in the woods where you are at you can't cut a tree down in your yard? What BS. I can see in the cities where they have tree lawns but not in the hicks. Around here if it looks like a tree will interfere with utilitiy lines you can call them and they will trim\remove it for free.

I worked in construction under ground utilities and we had to call the forestry service to cut any trees.The power companies have a blanket ok to cut down trees or trim them.Just not everyone follows the laws.

Ya around here mid summer ontario hydro hydro goes on a tree trimming / removal spree they do it so often they have their own fleet of tow behind chippers. not little ones either but the ones that are larger than a mid sized car.

[phr1$k37]

Hey Pots! That is what happens here, after all their power outage from storms and tree branches = unhappy customers ... not that we have much of a choice but it does not score points with them. Sadly for my house, my darn neighbors wont listen to me. They are home all the time (almost) and leave one of their vehicles parked in harms way when Hydro cuts branches. They WONT answer the damn door when Workers politely ask them to move the vehicle which happens so to be uninsured and parked for storage on the side road. I dont understand them. Yet they have the nerve to keep bugging us to pay half the bill to get it cut later just because the tree is between us and them. Makes me mad. They are the same people who will sweep their leaves and junk RIGHT INFRONT of our house just because we have the drain which they are not to dump things in. blah. /rant off.

[T.Low]

It looked like the wind blew this one partially over. Crazy you have to call the govt to get a tree cut down and pay them too...
On a side note my AWD astro dragged about a 50 foot section of this log 40 feet down the driveway to move it out of the way nuthin' to it.

When are you gonna haul your canoe and your buddy Craig with the tools out west to see me. We got some great rivers to paddle, then we can turn your buddy Craig and his tools loose on my house, then we'll head north to meet up with the BC contingent and paddle Callaghan Creek!=D>

[WVKayaker]

We're there dude! I've cruised from Seattle to Whistler/Blackcomb and back and am familiar with the BEAUTIFUL country out that way!

[dunedog]

Must have missed this post back when,but.............
anytime you have a tree leaning with that much tension, throw a chain around the diameter about2 to 3' above your cut depending on the diameter.. That way if it splits (barberchair) it won't KILL YOU.
and as far as gauging the height,you need to be back at least 75 yds and have a sight stick.Anything long enough to use as a measure at arms length.Holding your arm straight out, sight from your eye to the top of the stick to the top of the tree and then rotate down 90* to get a rough idea of where the top of that tree will land !
The woods have their own set of rules!

[Moreforles]

Been there, done that..... similar circumstances, had a silver maple, with a large branch,leaning towards, my house. it wasn't as tall as yours, maybe 40' - 50' but about the same thickness, tied it off to control it.. (yeah right) notched it (with circular saw - large antique with lots of power and larger blade than on most newer ones)

started my back cut and as it started to fall.... rope got a little slack in it and it changed direction on me.... pulled the power line off neighbors house.... (dont like him anyway....) luckily it just pulled the I bolt out of the siding..... trimmed the branches, pulled remainder of tree back into my yard, and used some liquid nails, shoved the I bolt back into the hole and as far as he know, it never happened....

used the saw to cut the wood, about 18" long and then split it and stacked it along the back fence (thought I would use it for camping) that was about 4 years ago, maybe longer....

It wasn't pretty, but it's done (sounds like a slogan to me - might describe my van, my house and eventually my life, unless they perfect that cloning process, then there will be a bunch of me, forever