“barber chaired” stump

It is gorgeous where you live. I am here in South Dakota, the land of flatness and wind…

-- "That Government is Best that Governs The Least."-Jefferson

I agree,this is very dangerous,and very common in Alder and heavy leaning trees.
The problem here is that the face cut is too shallow,which did not allow the tree to hinge(bend over) enough before the two faces touched.Not good!
As a professional timber faller,I learned to cut out a shallow face on leaners( front to back) but deep (top to bottom )which gives it lots of hinge room before it closes up.And instead of just cutting straight in for the back cut,try boring in just behind your hinge,and cutting backwards,stopping just a few inches from exiting out the back.This leaves a “strap” which you then snip off with the tip of the bar.Another safe way to cut a heavy leaner is to not face the tree under the lean,but off to the side,which takes the stress off.I find this the safest method to fall Alders.This cant always be done because the tree may need to be felled in the direction it leans.Jacks can often be used on a larger tree and tipped where you want.
If you dont have experience cutting these types of trees..Then dont! These types of trees can kill you.
Get a professional.

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon

Andy, you’d get a kick out of my wife’s cousin. He has a falling business in Oregon. He sends a guy out with 5 gallons of gas and 5 gallons of oil. They empty the cans falling timber in a day! He will set up a fall of 100 or 200 trees. When he gets to the key tree, it will knock the whole hillside down :-)

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

The very reason I buy my timber from the mill. Definiatly a pro,s job this one.

-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand

Christopher. My catapult is bigger than your catapult and you can’t have my money. :LOL.
Bob, love the area you have chosen to live in.,.
Kiwi how’s the P.I. Still lovely like it was when I was there in the 70’s

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

Thanks for the warning Bob and Andy. I’ll be sticking to the smaller trees. We have a lot of alder here in Norway. It is very nice wood, but underused, I don’t know why. Maybe it doesn’t lend itself to manufacturing processes. It’s a shame more hobby woodworkers don’t use it more. I get a hunk of it once in a while and find it particularly nice to carve in. It carves like hot butter compared to Birch.

-- Mike, American in Norway

I didn’t know alder was so easy to carve. I have some big blocks, but haven’t gotten around to trying it yet. My daddy-in-law taught me to fall. The barber chair issue was a constant warning. He’d been a logger. He dropped 80-100’ firs right by his cabin and along a power line. Every one fell right where he wanted it.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Good comments all. My pet peeve is that some folks who buy a chain saw is automatically an expert feller. I see that in the logs I saw for people. Some of the butt cuts are splintered so bad the whole log is almost ruined.

I grew up helping my dad cut pulpwood here in Georgia, loading by hand before the cable loaders. Nothing like the pine aroma of a freshly cut tree.

-- Fred, Georgia