Chainsaw Manual for Homeowners E-Book

Brian J. Ruth

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 223

Beschreibung

Taking the fear out of chainsaws by emphasizing safe handling practices, this resource aims to put raw power in the hands of everyday yardworkers. With step-by-step color photographs throughout, 12 of the most common household chainsaw operations—such as grooming hedges, trimming branches, felling trees, bucking trees, and cutting firewood—are tackled with expert advice and sure-handed guidance. With an additional section devoted to chainsaw types, potential buyers can also assess which size and type of chainsaw best meets their needs. Also included is an appendix that has useful technical information and identifies the parts of a chainsaw and how each functions.

Leseprobe

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO READERS!

Because working with chainsaws, sharp tools, trees and brush, and other materials shown in this book inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that following procedures in this book will be safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all chainsaw operators to thoroughly review each project and procedure and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project or procedure.

© 2018 by Brian J. Ruth and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Chainsaw Manual for Homeowners is a revised edition of Homeowner’s Complete Guide to the Chainsaw (2009), originally published by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. This version published in 2018 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., and includes new photos and text.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Fox Chapel Publishing, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

Photos by Scott Kriner, John Kelsey, Daniel Clarke, and Troy Thorne, except as noted below.

Photos 40, 110–11, 113, 115–18, 188–91 by Collin Kleest.

Drawings courtesy Skills Institute Press.

The safety information in this book was reviewed by Dale J. Cagwin, P.E.

ISBN 978-1-56523-927-2

e-ISBN 9781607655350

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Introduction

What if you didn’t grow up with a chainsaw, or don’t have a friend to teach you, what do you do then?

That is what this book is all about. It is meant to introduce you to the chainsaw. I’ll spell out the differences among the various saws so you can choose the one that is right for you. I’ll help you understand how it works and what happens when its chain contacts what you’re cutting. I will walk you through various projects and the methods of using the saw to complete those projects. I will show you essential safety gear, and how to maintain your saw. Most of all, I’ll show you safe methods of working so that if you choose to run a chainsaw you can do it safely and effectively.

I’ve been running a chainsaw for so long I hardly remember how I learned. I remember standing by the saw buck as my father and grandfather placed the logs up on it for me to cut. I think I was about thirteen the first time. My grandfather bought that saw from a preacher. My father gave it to me as a keepsake and I still have that saw. It’s an old M all electric with a rear pistol grip and a short front handle grip. It was very heavy, and the wiser of the group were more than happy to let me have my fun and tire myself out by running the saw—which I did, every chance I got. I would relish the thought of having to cut more firewood.

In high school I got a job with a small tree service. My job was to feed the chipper and cut up anything that was downed by one of the climbers. It was a dream job: good pay, outdoors, and most important, I got to run a chainsaw. It didn’t take long until I was asking if I could do some climbing. My workmate Joe was an excellent climber. He instructed me on notches and roping down limbs and staying alive running a chainsaw a hundred feet up a tree.

I did tree work all through my college years and I consider that time as my chainsaw survival training. By the time I started chainsaw carving I had a great feel for the bite of a chainsaw and it was only the art aspect that I had to learn. I have been lucky in more ways than one. I practically grew up with a chainsaw, I had the world’s best teachers, and in all the years of working with the world’s most dangerous power tool, I haven’t needed more than a band aid.

This antique monster saw weighs a ton and you have to pivot the engine in its housing to keep the carburetor upright, or else it floods and stalls. This wasn’t my first saw, but it sure does illustrate how far we’ve come from the professional-only saws of yesterday to homeowner-friendly saws today.

Bucking your own firewood becomes easy and safe when you choose a saw with an antikickback nose guard, and take the time to build a constructionlumber sawbuck.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT THIS BOOK WILL TEACH YOU

CHAPTER 1: Read This Chapter! (Safety Is Important)

CHAPTER 2: Buying a Chainsaw: Which Is the Best One for You?

CHAPTER 3: At the Store: A Shopping List

CHAPTER 4: Getting Started: Step-by-Step

CHAPTER 5: Projects

Project 1: Cutting Firewood (Bucking)

Project 2: Making and Using a Sawbuck

Project 3: Splitting and Stacking Firewood

Project 4: Trimming Overhead Branches

Project 5: Trimming a Hedge

Project 6: Felling a Small Tree

Project 7: Felling a Large Tree with Wedges

Project 8: Limbing a Downed Tree

Project 9: Bucking a Downed Tree

Project 10: Cutting Down a Stump

Project 11: Milling Lumber from Logs

Project 12: When to Bring in a Professional

CHAPTER 6: Maintenance, Service, and Sharpening

APPENDIXES

How a Chainsaw Works

Glossary

Resources

What This Book Will Teach You:

Safely operating a chainsaw in your backyard

Potential problems and real solutions

Purchasing the chainsaw that will best meet your needs

Picking supplies and equipment you will need to safely operate your chainsaw

Safely starting your chainsaw

Cutting Firewood (Bucking)

Making and Using a Sawbuck

Splitting and Stacking Firewood

Trimming Overhead Branches

Trimming a Hedge

Felling a Small Tree

Felling a Large Tree with Wedges

Limbing a Downed Tree

Bucking a Downed Tree

Cutting Down a Stump

Milling Lumber From Logs

When to Bring in a Professional

Maintenance, Servicing, and Sharpening

CHAPTER 1

READ THIS CHAPTER!

(Safety Is Important)

Most power tool owner’s manuals, like most how-to books, start with a section about safety. The problem is, it’s a boring list that many readers skip right over. They want to start using their new machine and do not want to waste time reading the same old safety rules.

The chainsaw, however, is not like other power tools. It is an extremely effective tree-cutting and branch-cutting machine. It works because it is an engine driving a sharp-toothed chain around a long, exposed guide bar. The fast-moving cutters can’t be guarded, and consequently, the chainsaw is the most dangerous hand-held power tool in the world. Because of how the machine works, a chainsaw injury is liable to be a deep and ragged cut requiring many stitches and taking a long time to heal. You absolutely do not want to have a chainsaw accident.

That’s why I must discuss safety right up front in this book, so you can avoid an accident while you learn to use your saw. (Please see reader advisory here.)

Danger Zone

Along with the saw itself, successful chainsaw operators must also purchase and use personal protective equipment. It’s not optional and can’t be postponed until later. Personal protective equipment includes a hard hat, a face shield and goggles for eye protection, hearing protection, leather work gloves, Kevlar-reinforced chaps for leg protection, and steel-toed boots. Yes, you do need all of it. No kidding around.

The Risks

The risk of an accident or injury is always present, but actually having the mishap is entirely avoidable. It’s entirely up to you. Your attitude is key to not ever having a serious chainsaw accident. You have to decide to take seriously this business of learning how to use your chainsaw safely and well. You must put safety uppermost. In this chapter, I’ll tell you more about what that means.

With a new chainsaw in your hands, it’s very tempting to jump right over the obligatory pages of safety rules and exhortations and to get right into the “Assembly” or “Operating Your New Tool” sections of the owner’s manual.

Let me say right now that is not a good idea with a chainsaw. It’s OK if you don’t want to read the safety information first. Maybe you are itching to assemble your new tool, and read about how to operate it. OK good, but do not plug in the chainsaw (if it is electric) or put any fuel into it (if it is gas-powered) until you have gone back and completely read all of the safety information in the owner’s manual.

Accident Location and Frequency

Here’s why:

■The chain in a chainsaw can move up to 68 mph. That is incredibly fast and you are holding that speed in your hands.

■At full speed, more than 600 teeth will pass a given point per second. You cannot possibly react fast enough to get a hand, arm, leg, or your head out of the way.

■Eighty-five percent of chainsaw injuries come from contact with a moving chain.

■There are more than 100,000 chainsaw-related injuries every year in the United States. In 2007, the U.S. Product Safety Commission estimated that more than 26,000 chainsaw injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms.

■The average number of stitches from a chainsaw accident is 110.

■A chainsaw is one of the world’s most dangerous handheld power tools—especially in the hands of a new user.

■There are good reasons why the chainsaw is a prop in many horror movies.

Had enough? Me too.

Rather than giving you a long list of safety rules at this point, I’m going to discuss the problem more broadly, to help you understand the risks involved as well as your strategies for minimizing each risk.

LEARNING SAFETY

If you are a new chainsaw user or even if you have used one a few times before, here is my recommendation for the best way to learn about chainsaw safety. First, read this book cover to cover to get an understanding of how a chainsaw works and how to use one safely. Then, read the owner’s manual for your particular chainsaw, because it should make more sense after reading this book and will have additional information that will apply to your particular saw. Next, read the “Important Safety Rules” in your owner’s manual, because by then you will understand why they are important. And finally, think about safety and ask about safety while you learn how to use your chainsaw. Make it a habit to put on your safety gear, and think about safety, every time you use the saw. Take personal responsibility for not hurting yourself or anyone else while you work. Make it a point of personal pride.

Danger Points

I would like to mention right up front that I think there are three danger points when using a chainsaw.

■Danger No. 1: The Saw.

■Danger No. 2: The Tree.

■Danger No. 3: You.

We have already discussed the frequency and seriousness of chainsaw accidents, that in a recent year more than 26,000 chainsaw injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms, and the fact that it takes 110 stitches to close the typical chainsaw wound. There is no question that the chainsaw is a dangerous tool. However, you might be surprised to learn that although eighty-five percent of injuries come from contact with the moving chain, ninety percent of deaths related to chainsaw accidents are caused by trees or branches falling on the chainsaw operator or on bystanders.

Trees and parts of trees are large, heavy, and unpredictably springy. A large limb weighs several hundred pounds and a tree trunk might weigh several tons. A limb that is bent under the weight of the fallen tree can spring free with deadly force. For this reason it’s important that you learn to tell when a tree is leaning (here), what is a widow-maker (it’s any chunk of tree that might break loose while you’re standing underneath), how to read the tension in a limb, how to plan an escape route (here), and what is the correct sequence to follow when you want to fell a tree (here).

As for you, a casual attitude about chainsaw safety is perhaps your biggest risk. By this I mean you deciding for whatever reason that you can do without your personal protective equipment. You deciding that you are fit enough to hoist a heavy saw all day long, without stopping to rest. You deciding you can continue working even when the daylight has faded into dusk, and even though you’re tired, hot, and thirsty. You deciding that you are immune to the risks, and exempt from safe practices. You forgetting even for a moment that you yourself are responsible for not hurting yourself or anyone else with your chainsaw.

As for me, I find that taking the time to put on my safety gear helps me anchor my attitude in the safety zone and focus on what I’m doing.

A widowmaker is any large, broken limb high up in a tree, so-called because when you start to work on the tree, the limb is liable to bust loose and fall. The wind blew this one down just two days after the first photo was taken. Anyone underneath would have been severely injured, if not killed. More here.

CAUTION

It’s physically demanding to work with a chainsaw, so you need to take breaks often and stop when you are tired. With the physical work of sawing while wearing a full kit of safety gear, heat stress may also become a risk. Drink plenty of liquids, stop to cool down, and plan your work for the coolest part of the day.

Sawing Overhead

It’s very tempting to reach overhead to cut low limbs and branches from the tree trunk. There are two problems. The first problem is, the branch may suddenly break free and fall on you. If you are on a ladder, it will knock you off. The other problem is, the end of the branch may start dropping well before you sever it completely. When the tips of the branches hit the ground, the supple young growth may behave like a spring, propelling the whole limb back toward the tree trunk. And that is where you are standing—or perched up on your ladder. Down you go, with a running chainsaw in your hand. Not good!

To remove low branches, use a hand-powered bow saw. For overhead work, try a pole saw or a long-handled pair of loppers (see Chapter 5, Project 4, here).

THE RULES

I have a few safety rules that I always follow. There are only five of them. I agree that lists of rules are tedious and boring, but this is a chainsaw we’re talking about. Please read and think about these five rules.

■Rule No. 1: It’s smart, not wussy, to know your own limits and know when to call in a professional. The cost of the pro will always be less than the cost of an accident. A lot less.

■Rule No. 2: Do not work without personal protective equipment. Just don’t. Take the time to put it on especially when it is only a few cuts. If the weather is too hot for safety gear, it’s too hot for you to work. Maybe start again in the cool of the early morning.

■Rule No. 3: Do not attempt anything that you aren’t sure about. You can always shut off the saw to plan the sequence of cuts and rehearse the moves. Make sure you understand when and where that heavy limb is liable to fall, and how you won’t be in its path.

■Rule No. 4: Keep two hands on the handles of the running saw. If you need to use one hand for something else, first shut the saw off and put it down on the ground. You can’t cut your hands when they’re wrapped around the saw’s handle, and you’re much less likely to lose control of the saw.

■Rule No. 5. Don’t climb in a tree if you can avoid it. If you do climb in a tree, do not take the chainsaw with you. A corollary to this rule is, do not use a chainsaw to cut over your head or while standing on a ladder.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

The greatest percentage of injuries is to the left leg and left hand. Chainsaw-proof gloves and leg protection will cut your risk by more than half. Even if you never cut your chaps, they can pay for themselves in the oily dirt and wear-and-tear they will save on your pants. A helmet with visor and faceshield will help protect your face and head from the most disfiguring injuries and gives me a sense of security. Quality steel-toed chainsaw boots can last a lifetime.

The total cost of a safety package ($300–$400) can be more than the chainsaw, but it is cheap insurance: the medical costs of an average chainsaw accident, based on a 2000 study of insurance claims, was $12,000.

■Hardhat/hearing protection/mesh visor: $50

■Safety glasses: $5

■Leg protection: $60

■Work boots: $100

■Kevlar-padded work gloves: $25

■Upper-body protection (optional, but recommended): $100

These protective items dramatically reduce your risk of injury. Would you drive your car without wearing your seatbelt? The same can be said of operating a chainsaw without the proper protective gear.

Have you ever seen a neighbor using a chainsaw in the backyard without chaps, helmet, or foot protection? It would be interesting to know how many emergency room visits were by chainsaw users wearing shorts and tennis shoes.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is one area homeowners seem to ignore. Even if you follow all of the recommendations for safe cutting, and take every precaution, accidents do happen. Good equipment can protect you.

Brian plans to fell, limb, and buck a large tree with an 18-inch saw. He’s wearing standard protective equipment, plus a chainsaw jacket (sometimes called a forestry jacket) for upper body protection. The orange yoke is reinforced with Kevlar. A jacket like this is hot in summer, but vests offering similar protection are available for about the same price, $100. Compare this to the medical costs of an average chainsaw accident: $12,000, based on a 2000 study of insurance claims.

Controlling the Chainsaw

To learn how to control the chainsaw, consider the forces involved.

■ The chain on the top of the bar races away from the operator.

■ The chain on the bottom of the bar speeds toward the operator.

■ The chain travels downward as it changes direction around the nose of the saw bar.

Remembering high-school physics, for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. As a result:

■ When you are cutting downward using the chain on the bottom of the guide bar, the forces pull the saw in toward the wood, and/or the wood toward the operator.

■ When you are cutting upward using the chain on the top of the bar, the forces push the wood and the saw engine away from one another.

■ You don’t cut with the nose of the bar. If you did, the forces would tend to rotate the saw upward—that’s kickback.

Controlling the chainsaw requires planting both feet on the ground in a sturdy marching stance and keeping both hands on the saw handles. Whether cutting downward or upward, keeping the saw engine close to the wood helps you control the forces of pull-in and push-back.

As the chain rounds the nose of the guide bar, its motion suddenly acquires a downward component. As a result, when the upper quadrant of the bar nose contacts the wood, it’s liable to be thrown upward. The saw abruptly pivots in your hands in a direction you weren’t braced to resist—that’s kickback as well.

Reading the Tree

Because of gravity, heavy stuff—like trees and tree limbs—tends to fall down. A leaning tree tends to fall in the direction of the lean, and a log lying on a slope tends to roll downhill. Common sense informs you and guides you to be out of the tree’s path.

The energy in living wood is another thing. Wood is supple, and it will bend a long way before it breaks. A limb that is bent under the weight of a fallen tree may pack a tremendous amount of force. The chainsaw operator must learn how to read these forces to predict the behavior of a sprung limb when it’s suddenly cut free. There are three different situations to look out for:

■Free limb. When you cut into the limb, is it free to fall? Will the falling limb close up on the chainsaw bar, trapping it in the wood? Or will the sawn limb fall easily away? Where will you be—underneath the falling limb, or safely out of the way?

■Sprung limb. Is the limb trapped and bent (sprung) between the weight of the tree trunk and the ground? When you cut into the limb, is it liable to recoil violently? Which way will it go? Where will you be—in the path of the flying wood, or safely on the other side of the tree trunk?

■When you remove a limb from a downed tree, what’s left to hold the heavy trunk up off the ground? Is it going to drop straight down, or is it going to pivot unpredictably on the remaining limbs? Where will you be—in the path of the dropping or rolling wood, or safely out of the way?

FREE LIMB

When the tree limb is not sprung and has a clear path to fall to the ground, it’s best to sever it with two cuts. This is true whether the tree is standing or lying on the ground. Make the first cut upward and go a third of the way into the wood. Make the second cut downward, aiming for the first cut. If you were to cut downward in the first place, the limb likely would splinter and fall without being severed. If you were to try and sever it with the upward cut, the limb’s weight likely would trap the saw bar in the cut.

Cut upward...

...cut downward...

... the limb falls to the ground.

TRAPPED LIMB

The bent limbs in this photo are holding the tree trunk up off the ground. If I were to cut into these limbs, they would spring. So I don’t cut them yet. Instead, I remove the unsprung limbs from the top side, then buck the trunk from the small end back toward the butt. When I return to the sprung limbs, there’s not much trunk left. The less weight, the less springing force when you do release the supporting limbs.

Bent limbs support trunk.

Cut the unsprung limbs.

Buck the log.

Kickback

Kickback causes many chainsaw accidents. Kickback can occur whenever the upper part (quadrant) of the tip of the guide bar has contact with, but does not cut through, an obstacle while the chain is moving. The chain is moving away from the operator at that point, so contact transfers the power to the bar, which quickly propels the guide bar upward and backward in an uncontrolled arc—often right toward the operator.

Kickback can happen with lightning speed. With a saw at full throttle, the chain can reach speeds upwards of seventy miles per hour. This speed, transformed to the saw’s rotation, means the tip of the bar can reach the operator in 15/100 of a second. No one can react that quickly and an accident is very likely to happen.

The chain brake was designed to prevent such accidents from happening. An inertial chain brake (sometimes called an “automatic chain brake”) can stop the chain in 6/100 of a second. A manual chain brake that must be pushed forward with the left hand can stop the chain in 11/100 of a second. It is easy to see the importance of these safety features.

Avoiding kickback

Most chainsaw accidents result from kickback: when the upper part of the guide bar tip—known as the kickback danger zone—contacts any solid object, the guide bar will jump back toward the operator.

Although some chainsaws have safety features to prevent kickback, handling the saw correctly is the best insurance. Always be aware of the guide bar tip’s location, and never cut with the tip. Watch for objects behind the one you are cutting; such hazards may be obscured by branches or leaves.

Three (staged) photos show how kickback happens:

After touching the upper tip of the guide bar, the kickback motion has started.

The downward motion of the chain around the saw nose starts the saw rotating clockwise.

The speeding chain may strike the operator in the head or shoulder. The saw in this photo is turned off.

KICKBACK PROBLEM:

Kickback occurs if there is an unexpected or sudden contact with wood in the upper quadrant of the bar nose.

This saw is liable to kick back when the upper part of the tip meets the wood.

KICKBACK SOLUTION:

Pay attention to where the bar nose is. The upper quadrant of the tip should not be touching the wood. And cut with full throttle in a slow, steady, controlled motion.

Kickback Danger Zone

KICKBACK PROBLEM:

If you stand directly in line with the guide bar, and your saw does kick back, you are almost guaranteeing an accident.

KICKBACK SOLUTION:

Always position yourself so you are not in line with the guide bar, as shown at left below. If the saw does kick back for whatever reason (center photo), it will bypass your head and shoulders (right).

Stand off slightly to the side of the cut.

A saw can kick back so quickly that you will not have time to react.

If you are standing to the side, the saw will bypass your head and shoulders. The saw in this photo is turned off.

KICKBACK PROBLEM:

Kickback can occur when the cutters of the chain bite too much wood and cannot cut it. Two things can cause this:

■ The depth gauges in the chain are too low, exposing too much cutter. (See the sharpening information in Chapter 6, here.)

■ The depth gauges are not rounded, causing them to bite.

KICKBACK SOLUTION:

■ Use a depth-setting gauge to file the depth gauges (see Chapter 6).

■ Round off the depth gauges.