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Subscribers—read this article now in your digital edition!The widowmaker: cutting down a tree.
From the column Heirloom Technology
By Tim Anderson
Photos by Moana Minton
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- This article leaves out some important steps
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I was moved to send a letter to the editor for the first time over this article, which I believe is more dangerous than useful. While the method described may certainly work, it's needlessly dangerous, and most definitely not the way someone from an earlier era would have done it (or at least not for long).
For one, cutting more than halfway through the tree on the first cut isn't a great idea. You want the hinge of the cut to be in the middle, not towards the back.
More importantly, the cut on the back side of the tree, away from the direction you want it to fall, should be a few inches above the back of the first cut. This creates a shelf for the tree to push against as it falls, and lessens the chance of it kicking back. With a back cut that's level with the face cut, you have no such protection.
(It's probably also not such a hot idea to cut down a tree wearing clogs and shorts, as seen in the photos, but I don't think that's as likely to kill you. Maim, maybe.)
If you're going to cut down a tree, I encourage you to check out other directions than these. There's a wealth of information to be found in The Ax Book, and a good writeup at Cottage Life.Posted by RJL20 on November 14, 2007 at 09:24:11 Pacific Time
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