Mumble, mutter, curse!

[turnkey4099]

Was out Saturday. Had to get a big, half-rotten log (24" diameter) that was laying in a big bow up off the ground out of the way for the truck. Undercut as far as I could then went from the top. Carefully whittling away making v-notch clearance as I went. Not careful enough. Trapped the nose of the bar as the log cracked. Had to use the limbing saw to cut my way out (again). Of course with very careful planning and skill I hit the stuck bar. Nothing like the sound of a chain teeth scratching at steel to tell you 'ya screwed up'. Got around to examining the saw yesterday. Badly rocked out chain. Will be on the bench today first filing back then on the grinder to even the teeth up. I don't want to grind it back that far for fear of overheating teeth. Was a new chain too, not even needing sharping yet.

Harry K

 

[SawTroll]

I would have cut from the top first, and made the main cut from the bottom....:greenchainsaw:

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Which side had the tension?

 

[clearance]

Which side had the tension?

Big bow tells you the pressure was from the top. ST is right, basic bucking technique is to cut the top first, maybe a small wedge in the top, bottom cut last. There is more to it if its a money log, you don't want it to slab out, boring and side cutting may be needed. You can recut away from the stuck saw, everyone has got a saw stuck, at least the log didn't snap and crush the saw. I had a log I was bucking roll, I jumped off and it squished a 288, tragedy.

 

[SawTroll]

Which side had the tension?

That should be pretty obvious, from the description....:greenchainsaw:

 

[GASoline71]

One of the pics I posted in the PNW thread was exactly what I was doing. Before the wood could pinch my bar I was setting a wedge in the top. I was cutting through a big co-dom maple that had some tension on it. Not a lot but enough that it would have pinched my bar hard enough to not be able to pull it out.

Gary

 

[Sprig]

Was out Saturday. Had to get a big, half-rotten log (24" diameter) that was laying in a big bow up off the ground out of the way for the truck. Undercut as far as I could then went from the top. Carefully whittling away making v-notch clearance as I went. Not careful enough. Trapped the nose of the bar as the log cracked. Had to use the limbing saw to cut my way out (again). Of course with very careful planning and skill I hit the stuck bar. Nothing like the sound of a chain teeth scratching at steel to tell you 'ya screwed up'. Got around to examining the saw yesterday. Badly rocked out chain. Will be on the bench today first filing back then on the grinder to even the teeth up. I don't want to grind it back that far for fear of overheating teeth. Was a new chain too, not even needing sharping yet.

Harry K

Man that sucks Harry and as stated above most have had days like that (tho I think sawin's 'bad week' still has people scrambling for their worst weeks just to make him feel better ) , was it your main saw that had the new chain? If so and you only whacked a few teeth with the limber maybe an idea to pop those links out and replace them rather than filing everything back.
Just a thought before I heads to town for my new alternator (been limping around with a cooked one all month thanks to helpin' a bud start his little truck, his alt. had way more amps than mine apparently, gah!)



Serge

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Big bow tells you the pressure was from the top.

That should be pretty obvious, from the description....:greenchainsaw:

Okay, clearly I'm missing something here. You see "bow" and know which direction it's going, I see "bow" and wonder which direction it's going. As below (clilck to enlarge):








So, please 'splain it to me!

(Yeah, I know, they're bent quite a bit. Don't sweat it - it's a rubber tree! )

 

[clearance]

The bar was pinched when cutting from the top. A bow across the road, that would be like your first picture. He just made the cuts in the wrong order, thats all.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

The bar was pinched when cutting from the top. ... He just made the cuts in the wrong order, thats all.

Got that part. Cut compression first, then tension, or it will try to eat your bar. BTDT!


I just didn't understand how you knew which way the bow was, but after re-reading a few times, I get it.


Experience makes the difference.

 

[turnkey4099]

Yeah top first, then bottom is standard practice. This one was known to be rotten and I didn't dare have my bar buried. Even with a wedge on top side, everything cut clear through on my side an only about 4" holding on the back it still trapped me.

The bar that was stuck was the MS310 (don't I wish I had spring for a 361) with used chain. The Husky 51 had the new chain and is the one that was munged. Hit it today 8 licks per tooth with a file and a pass through the grinder...no go. Will take almost that much more. Reflexes must be slow, a good third of the chain is bad. I must have hooked the chain on the 310 or maybe even a tooth, but I haven't spotted any problem with 310 chain and it was still cutting fine after freeing it.

Just one of those things to start the season with.

Harry K