I was working on a big oak in Springfield last fall and the hinge wood just gave out

It was a removal job for a big old white oak, maybe 30 inches across. I had my notch cut, my back cut started, and I was feeling good. Then the whole thing just cracked and sat back on my bar before I could even get a wedge in. My ground guy yelled, and I jumped back. The tree went the opposite way I planned, right over a fence. It missed the neighbor's shed by maybe two feet. I stood there for a solid minute just staring. I realized I got lazy and didn't check for internal rot on the side facing away from me. Now I always drill a small pilot hole on the back side to check, even if the bark looks fine. Has anyone else had a tree sit back like that from hidden decay?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea_bell6d ago

Tbh that sound absolutely terrifying.

mason.drew6d ago

What helped me was just focusing on the next small step. It gets easier once you start moving.

skyler2176d ago

Ugh, I totally get why that feels scary. Sometimes even a small step feels like way too much to handle. It's like your brain just freezes up and won't let you start anything.