BULLETIN 711, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Here, as in the case of undercutting, springboards are 

 generally used. 



Fif 



-Buck- 



ing saw, 



In bucldng, the men work singly with bucking saws 

 (fig. 5), the size of the trees and the way they lie mak- 

 ing this, as a rule, the cheapest and most practical 

 method. This crew cuts no limbs from the trees other 

 than those that hinder the work' of bucking. The 

 limbing is left to a man called a swamper, knotter, or 

 limber, who works with the initial transportation or 

 yarding crew. A swamping ax (fig. 6) is used for this 

 purpose. 



In this region, where the timber is large and the 

 ground steep and badly broken, bucking is difficult and 

 dangerous work, requiring a high degree of skill. 



The buckers are usually confronted with one of 

 four situations, depending on the position of the felled 

 tree: 



(1) When the bole is lying flat on the ground, the 

 bucker's work is simple, for after removing the bark, 

 earth, etc., from the line of cut, he can easily saw 

 through from the upper side, or if need be, from the 

 lower. Before the saw begins to bind, bucking wedges 

 (fig. 7) are driven into the kerf. 



(2) When the bole is su^^ported at both ends, the cut 

 is started on the upper side and continued for about 

 one-third of the distance through the log, or as far as 

 the bind will permit. A cut is then started on the 

 under side and continued until the log is severed'. The 

 bole, as a rule, is supported by heavy props placed 

 under one or both sides of the cut. If the tree is not 

 hung badly, the cut may be made from the upper side 

 by using side wedges; that is, ordinary wedges driven 

 in with the grain across the cut to prevent the log from 

 rolling, binding, slabbing, or splitting. 



(3) When the tree is supported at one end, care must 

 be exercised to avoid splitting slabs from the under 

 side. This is avoided by sawing on the under side of 

 the bole until the saw starts to bind. In addition, the 

 log, as a rule, has its free end supported by a heavy 

 prop. The cut is continued, on the upper side, until 

 the log breaks off from its own weight. 



(4) AVhen the bole is sprung between stumps, or 

 side bound, it will spring back when sawed; and the 

 general practice is to chop a deep kerf on the concave 



