How to Cut Down a Tree to Save the Trunk for Wood Planks

Planks made from carefully cut trees are clean and straight.

Trees are cut down for many reasons. Sometimes a tree has become unsafe, its roots are causing problems, it is a potential power line hazard or it may be preventing sunlight from reaching a home. Whatever the reason for cutting down a tree, if the wood is not rotten and care is taken when the tree is cut, most trees can be saved and used to make planks and other lumber.

Things You'll Need

• Hard hat
• Eye protection
• Gloves
• Chainsaw

Instructions

1. Check the direction the tree is leaning, to see which way it is most likely to fall. If it is not leaning, determine which side has the most or the largest branches. This is the side toward which the tree will most likely fall.

2. Clear as many obstructions from the tree's anticipated drop spot as possible. If the tree does not hit anything as it falls, the trunk is more likely to remain intact.

3. Remove a wedge-shaped notch from the tree on the side facing the area where it will fall. This notch will help to ensure that the tree falls in the desired direction. The cut of the wedge should not go more than one-third of the way into the trunk or it may cause the tree to fall in the opposite direction.

4. Cut into the tree from the side opposite the notch. Make the cut a couple of inches above the bottom of the wedge. Do not cut all the way through the trunk. Cutting too much can cause the tree to kick back toward you as it falls.

5. Go to a safe area well away from the tree as it falls. Do not stand directly in front of or behind the tree, but instead move off at an angle from it. Don't return to the area until the tree and any nearby branches have stopped falling. Cutting in the manner described here should help the trunk to stay intact, preserving it for use in making planks.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure that any trees you want to use for planks are a type of wood suited to making planks. Hard woods such as oak and walnut are valuable for lumber, but pine and other soft woods are not as desirable.

• Be sure the tree you cut is not dead or rotten. Brittle or decayed trees may break before they fall, and sections of the trunk or large limbs may fall on you during the process and can cause serious injury. Always wear protective gear and do not allow other people or animals in the area where you are cutting. Be sure any vehicles are parked well away from the work area, to prevent the possibility of a tree crashing down and destroying your car.

References

• Field and Stream: How to Safely Cut Down a Large Tree; Keith McCafferty; April 30, 2006
• Samurai Woodworks: Cutting Wood
• The Mother Earth News: Make Your Own Lumber; John Pitt; July/August 1980