Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[svk]

Also… I went to grab some oil and realize I was completely out of premix oil for saws… I wonder if I should poll the audience as far as what brand to buy lol

 

[MustangMike]

A sharp chain will reduce kickback (due to wood). If you hit a fence, etc. all bets are off!

A sharp chain that feeds well can increase push back. I always try to put my hip against the saw when I can.

 

[H-Ranch]

I was able to squeeze in one load when no one was looking this evening.

 

[MustangMike]

This is more typical of what Red Oak leaves look like around here.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

This is what I teach: ‘push-back’, ‘pull-in’, and ‘’kickback’.
View attachment 992468

Then, we talk about all the potential ‘binds’!

Philbert

Do you teach the fundamentals of running a power saw? I've been thinking about holding a few classes myself. I see a lot of week end warriors from town out on the logging roads near my rural community working old cull decks and attempting to fell standing dead. A lot of people without much skill or knowledge on the subject. It's fifty miles to the nearest hospital out here! I'd like to offer a few classes on the basic fundamentals and the safety concerns when running power saws. A lot of these weekenders need it I'll tell ya!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

A sharp chain will reduce kickback (due to wood). If you hit a fence, etc. all bets are off!

A sharp chain that feeds well can increase push back. I always try to put my hip against the saw when I can.

Agreed

 

[chipper1]

Do you teach the fundamentals of running a power saw? I've been thinking about holding a few classes myself. I see a lot of week end warriors from town out on the logging roads near my rural community working old cull decks and attempting to fell standing dead. A lot of people without much skill or knowledge on the subject. It's fifty miles to the nearest hospital out here! I'd like to offer a few classes on the basic fundamentals and the safety concerns when running power saws. A lot of these weekenders need it I'll tell ya!

Teaching them how to sharpen/tune a chain to their saw/conditions is a big deal.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

A sharp chain will reduce kickback (due to wood). If you hit a fence, etc. all bets are off!

A sharp chain that feeds well can increase push back. I always try to put my hip against the saw when I can.

I've always considered tip throw back and saw push back two different types of "kick back" but that's how I was taught. Sean D mentioned latter push? I was taught to never do any tree work from a latter but to use climbing gear. However, I'm no arborist. I can climb, piece out, and top a little bit, but I'm no professional climber or arborist by any means. 99% of my cutting knowledge. Has been all aqquiered from felling, limbing, and bucking entire tree lengths from the ground on all different grades of terrain.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Teaching them how to sharpen/tune a chain to their saw/conditions is a big deal.

What do you mean?

 

[sean donato]

Do you teach the fundamentals of running a power saw? I've been thinking about holding a few classes myself. I see a lot of week end warriors from town out on the logging roads near my rural community working old cull decks and attempting to fell standing dead. A lot of people without much skill or knowledge on the subject. It's fifty miles to the nearest hospital out here! I'd like to offer a few classes on the basic fundamentals and the safety concerns when running power saws. A lot of these weekenders need it I'll tell ya!

You should couple felling basics with a "stop the bleed" class. Make sure they show the all the bloody pictures. Often over looked next to having the proper felling gear is having the means to save yourself in the event of an accident.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

You should couple felling basics with a "stop the bleed" class. Make sure they show the all the bloody pictures. Often over looked next to having the proper felling gear is having the means to save yourself in the event of an accident.

Most definitely! I would cover all the basics on fundamentals, gear, safty, and first aid!

 

[501Maico]

I know a lot of guys want to use the "he-man" full chisel and skip tooth chains, myself included. But in all honestly, I personally have no problem with the safety chains. I'm cutting firewood on my own property, and at my own pace. I'm not cutting firewood for "production", it's just for my personal use. At 54 years old, I'm no speed demon anymore anyway. If it takes me 2 seconds longer to buck the next round off of a log, so be it. I don't have a problem with that. I've also found that the safety chains seem to hold their edge longer than the full chisel chains do when cutting in dirty wood.

Good thoughts! The only things I truly enjoy during the firewood process is running a saw and enjoying the heat from a stove, so a little extra saw time is a good thing. All of my saws are bone stock with whatever style chain they installed at the factory. No matter how many years I cut, I'll never get over the amazement of how much work a chainsaw can accomplish versus other cutting methods.

 

[501Maico]

Love the 41 FB!!! My dad had one and it was the first power saw he ever let me run! I was 16. He gave me about a one hour tutorial on the do's and don't then handed it to me and said "now clear out that brush for the new fence line!" Then he yelled, "and don't cut your leg off or your mom will cut my balls off!"

It's the heaviest saw that I own but it's fine for bucking. I feel lucky to have picked it up from an older non-chainsaw friend in 2014. He bought it new in the early 80's to cut some brush in his backyard but found it to be too heavy and it sat in his shed all of these years after less than a tank full of use. I only use it in good cutting conditions so it doesn't get scratched up.

 

[JustJeff]

Saw safety is so important. When I got my first saw, I didn't think of it beyond the same respect I'd give any power tool such as a circular saw. Ear and eye protection, a firm grip and be careful. It wasn't until I started hanging out on this site that I researched it more after seeing people on here talking about it. So kudos to you guys for talking about safety so often!

 

[WoodAbuser]

Saw safety is so important. When I got my first saw, I didn't think of it beyond the same respect I'd give any power tool such as a circular saw. Ear and eye protection, a firm grip and be careful. It wasn't until I started hanging out on this site that I researched it more after seeing people on here talking about it. So kudos to you guys for talking about safety so often!

Yes members here are a wealth of info.

 

[Jeffkrib]

Saw safety is so important. When I got my first saw, I didn't think of it beyond the same respect I'd give any power tool such as a circular saw. Ear and eye protection, a firm grip and be careful. It wasn't until I started hanging out on this site that I researched it more after seeing people on here talking about it. So kudos to you guys for talking about safety so often!

Agreed, grateful for people sharing their chainsaw near misses and mistakes.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

It's the heaviest saw that I own but it's fine for bucking. I feel lucky to have picked it up from an older non-chainsaw friend in 2014. He bought it new in the early 80's to cut some brush in his backyard but found it to be too heavy and it sat in his shed all of these years after less than a tank full of use. I only use it in good cutting conditions so it doesn't get scratched up.

Definitely a vintage classic! Wish It was mine!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Is this saw even worth picking up . Seamed to have compression since it kicked back on the recoil . View attachment 992380
There was also this large chain sharpener I can get if it’s worth it as I’m going back tomorrow for a wood lathe with about 50 different tools View attachment 992381View attachment 992382

Why are those saws called a Poulan? Is it because you gotta keep Poulan and Poulan and Poulan to get them started?

 

[chipper1]

I'm no professional climber or arborist by any means.

If you get paid to do any of it, you're a professional .

What do you mean?

That a properly sharpened and tuned chain can make a saw as safe as it can be, and an improperly "sharpened " one can make it an even more dangerous tool.
The chain on my jred 2260 is just tad aggressive because the rakers are a few thousandths low. It's fine for bucking, but I'd never let someone cut with it that wasn't experience without being right beside them and being sure there was nothing anywhere around that could cause kickback. Where it's set at right now I can bore cut, but you better be applying a lot of pressure to it to it and you should also be cutting down and thru(if bucking), once I touch up the cutters it will be perfect for cutting anything we have here in MI. A safety chain definitely reduces kickback of any sort except as Mike said, in the case of hitting a fence/wire or something similar, and I recommend it for beginners.
Maybe I'll make a video of it cutting today to show the difference between how it's currently cutting and where it should be(after I touch it up). If I knew I was going to be bore cutting a lot with this chain for felling and it had to plunge straight in, I would just hit the cutters with a slightly larger file to make the hook less aggressive.
Teaching people sharpening techniques/ theory I believe is very important in teaching them to properly run a saw. Kinda hard to run an properly run an improperly set up piece of equipment .

 

[Kodiak Kid]

If you get paid to do any of it, you're a professional .

That a properly sharpened and tuned chain can make a saw as safe as it can be, and an improperly "sharpened " one can make it an even more dangerous tool.
The chain on my jred 2260 is just tad aggressive because the rakers are a few thousandths low. It's fine for bucking, but I'd never let someone cut with it that wasn't experience without being right beside them and being sure there was nothing anywhere around that could cause kickback. Where it's set at right now I can bore cut, but you better be applying a lot of pressure to it to it and you should also be cutting down and thru(if bucking), once I touch up the cutters it will be perfect for cutting anything we have here in MI. A safety chain definitely reduces kickback of any sort except as Mike said, in the case of hitting a fence/wire or something similar, and I recommend it for beginners.
Maybe I'll make a video of it cutting today to show the difference between how it's currently cutting and where it should be(after I touch it up). If I knew I was going to be bore cutting a lot with this chain for felling and it had to plunge straight in, I would just hit the cutters with a slightly larger file to make the hook less aggressive.
Teaching people sharpening techniques/ theory I believe is very important in teaching them to properly run a saw. Kinda hard to run an properly run an improperly set up piece of equipment .

Well, I use to be a professional. I've dumped thousands and thousands of trees and put millions and millions of board feet to the ground in my day over the years of felling timber in the logging industry. On cutting crews and as a contract cutter. Now I just dump'em for fun as a hobby to supply myself and several of my neighbors with firewood. I also do freelance tree removal for people by word of mouth and reputation. I really miss cutting on an industrial scale!