Chapter three
Below is a tree that I have decided to cut down and you can see it is next to my shed. As soon as the yard gets dry enough so I can back my trailer into the yard I plan to cut major limb groups off the tree without damage to the shed.
Monday Morning was a morning like many other mornings at the Ford estate, Mr. Ford (me) bounces out of bed several minutes prior to the alarm going off. After a quick trip to the little boy’s room I started my morning stretching routine. I feel it is wise to stretch before I begin working out. Today instead of a routing of pushups and sit ups followed by a two mile run I decided to have a bowl of cereal and some coffee while checking to see if I had any email. You do know that my comment about exercise each morning is a trivial exaggeration.
It had not rained this past weekend so my plan for the day was to attempt to cut a limb croup from the tree next to the shed. I call it a limb group because it is one big limb approx. 12 inched in diameter, coming off the stump of the tree that turns into to two other 8 inch limbs. Less experienced wood butchers may have cut one of the 8 inch limbs at a time and in hind sight possibly I should have followed that path.
David and I had moved the swing set the night before so I had a clear area to drop the limb/s in. I got my chain saw and went over the safety precautions along with the starting instruction since I had not use the saw in the last 6 months.
The last time I had started the chain saw I had it and my gas powered pole saw with some other tools in the yard ready to butcher a different tree. The gas power pole saw will allow me to reach about 6 feet and still be able to cut limbs of about 6 inches or less.
As I was getting ready to use the pole saw when I noticed the bar and chain area needed to be cleaned. The saw dust was blocking the chain oiler and that would not be good for the chain. To thoroughly clean this area one had to remove the chain and bar which I did. After about 10 minutes of through professional type cleaning (yes I am also an expert at cleaning since my lovely wife forces me to clear the table and wash dishes) I was ready to reassemble the unit and adjust the chain tension.
All the parts back together, chain adjusted I am ready to start cutting. I start the pole saw to get the motor warmed up. A warm motor is easier to start and when you are on top of an 8 foot step ladder. I shut the motor off and climbed the ladder. Once positioned on the ladder I started the motor on the first pull. I picked the limb to be cut and applied the saw to the chosen limb.
The saw was running but not cutting. I thought, “Now what is going on”. I shut the saw off, climbed down the ladder and I took a close look at the chain. Yes you guessed it, the chain was on backwards.
I had a short kind of laugh at myself and took the chain off the bar. I put the chain back on and readjusted the tension.
Once I was safely at the top of the ladder (which wasn’t too safe because you are not supposed to work from a sitting position on the top of the ladder) I gave the motor one pull on the rope and the saw buzzed to life (it is a small saw so it did not roar to life). I move the saw into position at the same limb and begin the cut. The chain moved but it would not cut.
I stopped the saw motor and sit there for a minute. I could not have been that dumb. An expert such as me could not have put the chain on backwards twice. So, what was wrong?
I carefully climbed down from the ladder I checked the chain. Yep it was on backwards again. At this point the “nonexistent Ford temper” was about to come in play.
I calmly removed the chain and put it back on the saw. I check it several times to be sure it was on correctly. Having installed it properly this time, I took it to the shed and put it away. I then put the regular chain saw, other tools and ladder away.
I have found it is better to have a cooling off period if I become upset. That was six months ago and I had not used the chain saw since, although I had use the pole saw.
Back to present day, I decided on the exact angle of the first cut and where the second cut would be. If all goes well the tree limb will fall forward away from the shed and the stump portion of the limb will not kick back against the shed.
I made the first cut about 5 inches deep. I removed the wedge of wood leaving the open cut that will direct the tree to fall forward. I went to the back side of the tree and made the second cut, which should have been the final cut. The limb cracked, I shut the saw off and stepped away.
The massive limb began to move forward slowly, but the smaller limbs in the top of the tree were against other small limbs eventually stopping the forward motion. I waited a couple minutes and nothing.
I walked around the shed and on the opposite side of the tree I leaned against the fence. It was at this point I realized the limb was taller than I had thought. It was actually tall enough that if it fell south, toward where I was standing instead of east it could hit the electrical lines going to my house.
I felt a sinking feeling come over me. What can I do? The limb is not moving but if it does move and falls to the south I am in trouble. I decided to get the pole saw and attempt to make another cut that I hope would cause the limb/s to start to fall again.
Moving back around to the north side of the limb I begin to cut the limb above the “Y” in hopes the cut would shift the weight of the limb and bring it down. I completed the cut and nothing. I had cut as deep as I could with the 6 inch pole saw blade.
Suddenly there was a loud crack as the limb gave way. It was like a slow motion movie as the limb fell.
I am not sure whether it was “the luck of the Irish” or if I was “Bless by God”, possibly both. The limb fell exactly where I had planned and a couple hours later it was cut up and most loaded on a trailer.
No more tree cutting stories for a while.
From the Blessed Irish mind of Don Ford
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