Laying off refers the process of defining and measuring the cut-off points of a felled and delimbed tree, and finally bucking it into logs. The quality and measuring requirements must be taken into account.
From the point of view of carpenters, a suitable measure for a log is approximately 3 metres, because logs are very sturdy and heavy to handle. Short bucking also makes the quality better, as curves in the trunk and the points where the branches grow can be avoided.