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Developing Chainsaw Sense Can Prevent Injuries and Make Wood Cutting Easier

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Developing Chainsaw Sense Can Prevent Injuries and Make Wood Cutting Easier 1 2 3 4 Developing chainsaw sense can prevent By Bill Kohlbrand and falling wedges are a grasps the front handlebar Use pivot points when If you’re an inexperi- necessity, and a special fall- with the thumb wrapped limbing, and use bucking enced woodcutter, these ing tool can make the job around the handlebar se- teeth, which attach to the tips can help you get a job easier. The felling tool (see curely! Many saw injuries front of the saw that helps done more easily yet more photograph page 25) has a occur when the left hand stabilize the saw as you safely. Always read your steel lever for lifting the tree slips off of the handlebar cut (many saws have these owner’s manual, which has over and a cant hook for into the chain. Running as standard equipment) if critical information to keep rolling a tree while bucking a saw left-handed is ex- available. Let the saw do you safe and make the saw or for rolling a tree hung up tremely hazardous. It puts the work. A properly main- last longer. If you know an in another tree. For safety’s the chain perilously close tained saw will feed itself experienced woodcutter, try sake, “partnerup” when fell- to your thigh. Left-handers into the wood – don’t try to to get them to mentor you. ing trees and have a first aid need to run the throttle with push it through the wood. This article can’t begin to kit and cell phone in case of their right hand, and hold Accelerate the saw as you teach you to be a great cut- emergency. For tips on fell- the front handle with their enter the wood. Sharp, fast ter, but these tips will has- ing trees, see story page 24. left hand, just like righties! chains are safer than dull or ten the learning process. Footing is important. slow ones. Saw Technique Maintaining good balance When felling a tree, Safety Gear and a solid base help pre- Leveling the Saw Before starting a saw establish a safety circle, Learn to level the saw by 2 vent over-reaching, which and when cutting firewood, typically twice the height feel. Balance a plastic foam 1 stresses the back and inhib- 3 always wear personal pro- of the tree. Keep anyone cup full of water on the tip of its escape if necessary. Use tective equipment. They and anything out of the area the bar. Hold the saw level, your thumb to run the throt- include hardhat, ear protec- not supposed to be there. and remove the cup. Let the tle when the saw is on its tion, eye protection, leather Always keep both hands on rear handle go, and note side. The saw has multiple gloves, long-sleeve shirt, the saw. The right hand runs how much you have to raise pivot points. It saves wear long pants, saw chaps, the throttle at the rear of or lower the rear and where and tear on your back if you and leather boots. An axe the saw, and the left hand to hold the front handlebar can use the log as a table. 22 BARNYARDS & BACKYARDS 5 6 7 injuries and make wood cutting easier to keep the saw level. A few watch the saw kerf (the go from the other way. If slabbing (when gravity pulls minutes doing this will pay opening made as the saw pinched, don’t try to yank a log apart faster than the huge dividends in the field. cuts). If it keeps opening, the saw out. Open the kerf saw can cut it) of the wood Modern saws have good keep cutting. If it starts to by lifting the log with a pole by making a small kerf cut balance, but they are all dif- close, draw the saw out or falling tool, or by putting on the lower (compression) ferent, and you have to find and cut from the other side. downward pressure to open side and then cutting down it for your saw. Do not cut Always try to estimate how the kerf. You can damage from the top. This will form with the upper top quad- the tree will react to the your saw by pulling too hard a hinge of wood. If the log rant of the bar tip because cuts you make, but be ready on it. It’s best to limb from is supported at both ends, it exposes you to danger- to do something different if the uphill side of the tree, cut from the bottom up (top ous kickback. Avoid cutting you guess wrong. even better if the log is on bind). Again, you can prevent with the engine above your your right side. slabbing by making a small shoulders. Limbing kerf cut on the top (compres- Once the tree is on the Cutting wood is about Bucking sion) side and finishing from ground, you need to cut Once the limbs are off, compression and tension. 4, 5 the bottom up. Always watch the limbs off. Generally, buck the log into usable In most cases, one side 6, 7 the kerf as you cut in case limbs that hang unsup- pieces. Start from the top of a tree, log, or limb has you guessed the bind wrong. ported should be cut from of the tree down to simplify a force trying to tear the There are other binds, such the top down, and limbs the process. Cutting from wood open and the other as side bind and end bind, putting pressure on the the uphill side of the tree is side is trying to compress that will affect logs. Adjust ground should be cut from usually better. If the end of the wood. When limbing or your cuts to keep from being the bottom up. Watch the the log is unsupported, cut bucking (cutting the main pinched and, more impor- saw kerf, and, if you see it from the top down (bot- bole or trunk of the tree into tantly, from being injured by start to close, pull out and tom bind). You can prevent pieces of a desired length), shifting logs. Bill Kohlbrand is a district forester with the Wyoming State Forestry Division. He can be reached by calling (307) 746-4261 or by e-mail at [email protected]. fall 2008 23 .
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