Chainsaw_Maniac
ArboristSite Operative
Everything has already been said, but the bottom line is, no matter what you should never deliberatly hit the ground with the running saw ever. To avaid this there's...
There. I told you all my secrets.
Another thing is in certain situation maybe you should cut the tree up after falling it rather than leaving it so that it settles in the dirt and when you lift it or roll it over there's dirt sticking to it and all that yucky stuff.
pecker:
(Nice name by the way)
If you have that problem with the chain stopping again them remove the bar and chain and clean out the bar grove with whatever tool you have or can buy that will fit in there. I use an old dinner fork. You might as well always clean out the oil hole while you're in there.
Roll the sprocket with your finger. If it doesn't roll it's siezed up and that's pretty unusual. (Unless the chain brake came on without you noticing, so check that). Examine it for string or whatever might have gotten wrapped around there.
Roll the sprocket nose of the bar with your finger. If it wont go them examine it for string or dirt in there. Then force it to go by rolling it over a piece of wood (aggressivly).
If you ahve to take your saw into a mechanic because the chain has been stopped and wont go around than it's wierd. I bet my way will fix it though, if it ever happens to you again.
- The wedge method (explained by others). Hammer the wedge with a piece of wood or a hammer. If the wedge is being damaged by hammering you didn't get a good wedge.
- The cut half way the roll over the log method (explained by others) Use a cant hook, peavy, just a crow bar or a strong stick or by hand. You should be able to roll over a log by hand if you try. But get a cant hook. If you can't roll it maybe you can roll half of it if you use another method to cut it in half.
- My all time favorite......skid the tree onto a pile of wood that you've already cut and just keep making it higher and higher. Problem with this is you need a skidder or a tractor or a logging winch. And you have to watch your balance cutting up there. But it makes for really productive cutting if you are well equiped and you have a lot of trees close by, such as in an area that's been logged with only the tops left over.
- Place a piece of wood beside the log and lift it onto it so that one side of the log is sticking up for easy cutting. This works nice with small diamiter wood. But don't take your back out. (I gotta have those disclaimers for some reason.
I dunno why. I don't wanna sound like a know-it-all).
- Lift the whole log up with the forks of a loader tractor or skidsteer if you have one. That works nice if I have a huge pile of logs that have been delivered to me.
- If I do have to make a cut where I think you might hit the ground than I put my hand under it to feel for rocks and if there is at least an inch of space between the log and the ground. Most trees will have places like this because most trees are perfectly staraight and neither is the ground. You've got to look for these spots.
There wont be any spots though (maybe) if you falled the tree onto muddy ground or if you left the tree and it settled into the ground leaving no suck spaces.
- If all other possibilities are exaused you can cut the tree 95% through, being very careful not to hit the ground. Then use a steel splitting wedge and a sledge hammer to break the reaming wood in half. You really should try and cut with the saw like you would with a plastic wedge do to the damger of hitting a steel wedge which will destroy the chain and possible injure you with flying metal, but if you want to try that at your own risk and be extra careful doing it then go for it.
- If it's too hard then you can always just leave it right where it is and let it rot. A few pieces of wood aren't worth ruining a chain over. (I guess in most peoples situations it isn't out in a forest where nobody will see it though).
- If the wood is very dirty you might want to switch from chisel chain (square corner, super fast cutting if sharp) to semi-chisel chain (Cutters have a rounded corner. It's fast cutting if sharp, but not as fast as chisel. It is more resistant to getting dull if you hit mud and dirt. It's easiert o get semi-chisel sharpened by hand for a novice sharpener). Still no reason to cut into the ground though. A rock or a nail will ruin it.
There. I told you all my secrets.
Another thing is in certain situation maybe you should cut the tree up after falling it rather than leaving it so that it settles in the dirt and when you lift it or roll it over there's dirt sticking to it and all that yucky stuff.
pecker:
(Nice name by the way)
If you have that problem with the chain stopping again them remove the bar and chain and clean out the bar grove with whatever tool you have or can buy that will fit in there. I use an old dinner fork. You might as well always clean out the oil hole while you're in there.
Roll the sprocket with your finger. If it doesn't roll it's siezed up and that's pretty unusual. (Unless the chain brake came on without you noticing, so check that). Examine it for string or whatever might have gotten wrapped around there.
Roll the sprocket nose of the bar with your finger. If it wont go them examine it for string or dirt in there. Then force it to go by rolling it over a piece of wood (aggressivly).
If you ahve to take your saw into a mechanic because the chain has been stopped and wont go around than it's wierd. I bet my way will fix it though, if it ever happens to you again.
