And all these years I have been doing it wrong. Copied off a 'home repair' forum in answer to a question "why is my saw cutting crooked".
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In order to cut perfect logs, do as I say, not as I do, as I, too come up
with some pretty gruesome cuts ................
Simple answer: use the teeth, explained below.
1. Make or build a jack. Something that lets you get the log up to waist
high. Think X shaped sawhorse cradle. Make it strong, and I suggest tube
steel. You can't get a straight angle of attack if the thing is on the
ground, and besides, you'll hit the dirt and smoke a chain in two seconds.
2. Center your off hand on the brake bar, cuz if it is one way or the
other, this can cause drift.
3. Hold with firm but even pressure with your trigger hand.
4. Come down as vertically as you can eyeball it to start your cut, and cut
about two or three inches deep AND WITH THE NOSE OF THE SAW AT AN UPWARD TEN
TO TWENTY DEGREE ANGLE.
5. Now, and importantly, let the saw blade go all the way into the wood
until the teeth engage the wood. Even if you are at an angle, this will
help get at least a straight cut from there and not a curved one.
5. With a repeated up and down motion, saw for a while, lift the handle of
the saw, push down lightly with the brake hand, let it cut, then pull it
back about a foot in started cut groove and let the saw pull itself into the
teeth again. Keep see-sawing. Let off the gas as you move the saw around.
6. The teeth are put there for a couple of reasons. One is to lessen
kickback, and the other is to give you a leverage point where you can
fulcrum the blade into the work instead of pushing with two hands that you
can never perfectly push evenly with.
7. Use all safety gear, and precautions so that when you cut off some log,
your buck doesn't have a lot of weight hanging in space and go flying up.
Support the end of the log each time. Watch your drops, or you will soon
have a pile, and have them rolling into your shin or onto your toes.
8. Of course, have a sharp blade, a good bar, plenty of bar oil in
reservoir, and know the proper tension of the chain. When held up, the
chain should hang 1/8" or a little more under the bar. (The actual space
between the low spot on the chain and the bar.) See your manual for exact.
9. Watch for marks on the bar that come from high heat, such as
discoloration. If you see that, something's not right, and stop and find
out before you start again.
10. Lastly, let the saw cut. Don't force it. It will chew through some
sections faster than others, and if you are gnawing on a knot, it will go
slower, so there's no need to apply more pressure and smoke a chain or a
bar. If you ever see sparks, it's probably from something metal. STOP!
instantly and see if there is a nail or some grown in barbed wire, or where
the sparks are coming from. Anything metal will eat a chain in less than
two seconds.
Anyway, that's how I do it, and I have to go outside soon and cut about five
cords for the coming winter. Making good perpendicular cuts sure makes it
nice when you put it on the splitter. Also, pay attention, and cut the logs
at just the right length for the stove they are to go in.
HTH
Steve
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I answered suggesting he sharpen his chain and avoid all the monkey motion.
He does have some valid points about safety, etc., but the 'hold the brake bar' set me off.
Harry K
---------------------------------------------
In order to cut perfect logs, do as I say, not as I do, as I, too come up
with some pretty gruesome cuts ................
Simple answer: use the teeth, explained below.
1. Make or build a jack. Something that lets you get the log up to waist
high. Think X shaped sawhorse cradle. Make it strong, and I suggest tube
steel. You can't get a straight angle of attack if the thing is on the
ground, and besides, you'll hit the dirt and smoke a chain in two seconds.
2. Center your off hand on the brake bar, cuz if it is one way or the
other, this can cause drift.
3. Hold with firm but even pressure with your trigger hand.
4. Come down as vertically as you can eyeball it to start your cut, and cut
about two or three inches deep AND WITH THE NOSE OF THE SAW AT AN UPWARD TEN
TO TWENTY DEGREE ANGLE.
5. Now, and importantly, let the saw blade go all the way into the wood
until the teeth engage the wood. Even if you are at an angle, this will
help get at least a straight cut from there and not a curved one.
5. With a repeated up and down motion, saw for a while, lift the handle of
the saw, push down lightly with the brake hand, let it cut, then pull it
back about a foot in started cut groove and let the saw pull itself into the
teeth again. Keep see-sawing. Let off the gas as you move the saw around.
6. The teeth are put there for a couple of reasons. One is to lessen
kickback, and the other is to give you a leverage point where you can
fulcrum the blade into the work instead of pushing with two hands that you
can never perfectly push evenly with.
7. Use all safety gear, and precautions so that when you cut off some log,
your buck doesn't have a lot of weight hanging in space and go flying up.
Support the end of the log each time. Watch your drops, or you will soon
have a pile, and have them rolling into your shin or onto your toes.
8. Of course, have a sharp blade, a good bar, plenty of bar oil in
reservoir, and know the proper tension of the chain. When held up, the
chain should hang 1/8" or a little more under the bar. (The actual space
between the low spot on the chain and the bar.) See your manual for exact.
9. Watch for marks on the bar that come from high heat, such as
discoloration. If you see that, something's not right, and stop and find
out before you start again.
10. Lastly, let the saw cut. Don't force it. It will chew through some
sections faster than others, and if you are gnawing on a knot, it will go
slower, so there's no need to apply more pressure and smoke a chain or a
bar. If you ever see sparks, it's probably from something metal. STOP!
instantly and see if there is a nail or some grown in barbed wire, or where
the sparks are coming from. Anything metal will eat a chain in less than
two seconds.
Anyway, that's how I do it, and I have to go outside soon and cut about five
cords for the coming winter. Making good perpendicular cuts sure makes it
nice when you put it on the splitter. Also, pay attention, and cut the logs
at just the right length for the stove they are to go in.
HTH
Steve
------------------------------------------
I answered suggesting he sharpen his chain and avoid all the monkey motion.
He does have some valid points about safety, etc., but the 'hold the brake bar' set me off.
Harry K
opcorn:
