Echo Gloves: not that Safe?

[Hermio]

No way you're getting out clean lol; I was splitting some wood the other day- perfectly harmless mostly dry black locust and damn if a section didn't spall off and smack me in the shins hard enough to draw blood. I guess the move is to adjust the odds as much as possible in your favor.

I once was rolling rounds of black locust about 18" diameter up onto a pickup truck with a ramp when the bark slipped off, letting the log escape my grip, whereby it rolled down the ramp and knocked my legs out from under me, resulting in a faceplant and a busted lip.

 

[irhunter]

You can release the brake with either hand.

There is a school-of-thought which wants the brake activated only by the back of the left hand (not the palm) and released, also, with the left hand wile the thumb is hooked on the top handle.

Of course, "You can release" any way you wish...as long as you are not working for someone with demands on such issues.

When I first brought up the brake subject, several posts earlier, I should have written "releasing the brake with the palm of the left hand."

Roy

 

[Hermio]

There is a school-of-thought which wants the brake activated only by the back of the left hand (not the palm) and released, also, with the left hand wile the thumb is hooked on the top handle.

Of course, "You can release" any way you wish...as long as you are not working for someone with demands on such issues.

When I first brought up the brake subject, several posts earlier, I should have written "releasing the brake with the palm of the left hand."

Roy

I think we are using different terminology. To me, releasing the brake means to unlock it so the chain is free to move. This can be done with either hand. I would say "activate the brake" to describe the action which causes the brake to stop the chain. This is normally done with the back of the left hand in the event of a kickback, though it can be done deliberately by either hand, such as when sharpening a chain in the field.

 

[diver64]

All I can say is wow! I am glad you were able to get to the hospital fast enough to save the fingers. And I am sure the cut was raggedy and full of oil and sawdust, making the surgery more difficult.

Kinda sucked. Drove myself 30 miles to get there but to be honest didn't hurt as no nerves. Much less suck than getting shot.

 

[diver64]

There is a school-of-thought which wants the brake activated only by the back of the left hand (not the palm) and released, also, with the left hand wile the thumb is hooked on the top handle.

Of course, "You can release" any way you wish...as long as you are not working for someone with demands on such issues.

When I first brought up the brake subject, several posts earlier, I should have written "releasing the brake with the palm of the left hand."

Roy

In my view activation by the back of the left hand is exactly what you want with a brake. In a kickback the saw suddenly rotates straight back braking your grip. The rotation snaps it into the back of your hand stopping the chain. You might get a nasty smack and cut but nothing like a chain rotating into your body parts

 

[BeatCJ]

I always set and release my chain brake with my saw idling. I wouldn't think there would be much of a chance of injury.

Of course, I just rid of a big scob on my forehead. I was cutting up a couple of logs, finished up, shut off the saw and took a step back onto a 6" round. It rolled, and I fell over backwards. I kept my saw from making contact with (#1) the ground or (#2) me, but I scraped my head on the edge of a cut round in the pile. No matter how safe you try to be, it's always something.

You work on protecting yourself the best you can, and like was said above, think and don't become complacent, you will be fine. Kevlar gloves are an advantage. May as well stack the deck where you can.

Safety Third!

 

[Paul Bunions]

I have a big mill, a huge lathe, a band saw, a Powermatic 66 5-HP table saw, a pedestal buffer, a pedestal bench grinder, belt grinders, a 2-HP drill press, and welding stuff, and it is amazing to me how much harder it is to understand a chainsaw than all of these products. The safety stuff is much more complicated.

You can learn everything there is to know about setting up and running a big table saw in 20 minutes.

 

[Hermio]

I have a big mill, a huge lathe, a band saw, a Powermatic 66 5-HP table saw, a pedestal buffer, a pedestal bench grinder, belt grinders, a 2-HP drill press, and welding stuff, and it is amazing to me how much harder it is to understand a chainsaw than all of these products. The safety stuff is much more complicated.

You can learn everything there is to know about setting up and running a big table saw in 20 minutes.

Shop tools operate in a much more controlled environment than chainsaw work. Still, there are thousands of people injured with shop tools, especially table saws and radial arm saws, every year. Use all your guards when possible, and be especially careful when you cannot.
As for me, it took me a bit longer than 20 minutes to learn to use a table saw for making my own cabinets. There are a lot of fancy cuts that are not obvious to make. One thing I learned but did not use is that it is possible to make raised panels with a tablesaw, but it requires a lot of sanding afterwards. I opted to use a home-built router table with a 2.5 Hp router and panel raising bits. Much cleaner results! But it is a bit scary running a 4" bit at 12000 rpm! I took thin cuts to minimize chunking.