How To Cut Logs With A Chainsaw
Cutting a log with a chainsaw seems like cutting a piece of butter with a bread knife. It looks amazing. However, it looks simple, but the task is not easy at all. There was a proverb that, log or firewood warm you twice. Once when you cut it and when you burn it. Yes, it’s true. Cutting a log is an incredible approach to work up a sweat. But after the invention of the chainsaw, it is easier to cut logs or firewood by using chainsaw than a handsaw. However people can buy their firewood at the low price, but many people want to save some cost usually. Sometimes the high rate of firewood, they want to cut logs to keep their home warm in winter. This article is intended to guide a landlord, homeowner or any new chainsaw user. The beginners who want to cut logs for firewood, to clear debris after a tempest or for other needs.
Gathered tools and prepare
To start cutting, firstly you need to select cutting tools and an accurate place. Obviously, you should choose a suitable cutting tool like a gasoline chainsaw or an electric chainsaw. Your choice will depend on the size of the log or tree you have planned to cut. Generally, gas chainsaws are designed for the heavy task of cutting. So, it will be better if you choice such a chainsaw with a 16-inch bar length. After selecting the main cutting tool, you have to gather a few other tools. These tools would be an iron wedge, a plastic wedge, a splitting maul, a hammer, etc. These extra tools will help you to split the log into a usable piece. Select such a place where cutting will be safe and have enough free space.
Safety precautions
Cutting a log or tree with a chainsaw is one of the dangerous tasks. In that case, you have to be conscious about your safety. Before you start up your saw and start to cut it is critical to consider a few safety precautions that can save your life or limbs. You should follow the following list. It provides some basic safety rules-
- First follow the safety rules of the user manual of your own operator
- Wear ear protection
- Wear safety glasses
- Use hand gloves
- Ensure safety clothing such as hats, pants, boots, etc
- Take a cell phone with you if there should be an occurrence of mischance
- Keep someone with you while cutting with chainsaw
- Keep hands and other body parts far from the running chainsaw
How to cut logs
Make sure that all of your needed tools and safety rules are available then start to cut. Cutting logs or firewood is a combination of craftsmanship with material science.
So You have to follow some important rules and regulation to cut with a chainsaw. These rules are applied to anyone. Now, let’s start.
1. Take position
You should ensure that you are standing in a decent position when you are operating a chainsaw. It helps you to keep up a decent stance at all times. You have to take a position in an away that prevents fatigue and provides upper-body supports. Your feet ought to be spread extensively than your shoulder length. In that capacity, a position will empower your upper-body support the device easily. You should be careful about your loose footing. Make sure that there is nothing around the zone where you are standing such branches, cut pieces of wood, creature holes, etc. that could make loose footing.
2. Cutting strategy
There are two strategies of cutting logs with a chainsaw. You can either cut upwards or downwards. Downwards cut means placing the chainsaw over the woods and slicing through it. The upwards cut means putting the saw bellow the wood and cutting upwards through it. Generally, people follow the downwards technique to cut a tree or log. It is helpful to cut as gravity for the maximum part pulls the cut wood downwards. But in some cases when the tree or log is under a lot of pressure, cutting from the top will bring out the wood to pinch causing the saw to become stuck inside the cut. In this situation, you may need to cut upwards. To prevent larger logs from squeezing the saw chain, a plastic wedge can be used.
3. Cut branches first
It is the best ways to start cutting at the branch first before moving the trunk of the tree. Start by cutting the small branches of the tree which are too small for firewood. Put the saw at the base of these branches and cut them smoothly. Place the blade of the saw at the part of the log or limb where they are attached to the main tree.
4. Adjust/ balance
Find bigger and stronger branches fro the cut limbs to hold the tree trunk over the ground. Use them as a reliable support when you are cutting the log. Build up an arrangement for cutting the tree. It will elevate the trunk for easier cutting. It will also ensure you that your chainsaw won’t interact with dust, debris or dirt. Otherwise, this dirt and dust can dull your saw very quickly.
5. Trunks
Now come to the trunk cutting process. The diameter of the tree will gradually thicken as you progress your cutting from the top of the tree towards the trunk. Continue your cutting upwards or downwards. In that case just follow one thing; it’s important to work the saw at the different angle. Cut the wood at 45-degree angle or as an A-confined house. When both sides of the logs are equally cut, you have to finish cutting. It will be easier to cut a heavy log. http://www.ehow.com/how_4882207_cut-firewood-chainsaw.html
Half-Cut System
Sometimes the trunk can be too substantial to lift off the ground. If a trunk is too heavy to lift from the ground, it is very tough to cut the trunk into smaller pieces. It is also difficult to keep the saw chain from cutting trough soil and debris. For this situation, you should apply the Half-Cut technique.
- Pre-cut each section of the tree to the size of firewood you want or any other manageable length.
- Leave about 2-3 inches of each cut finished.
- Roll the trunk over until you can get the uncut side.
- Last cut through the trunk carefully until the cuts meet.
Now, finish the cut.
Cutting logs with a chainsaw is not a rocket science. Chainsaw is one of the riskiest hand-tools ever which must be handled with care. Learning to cut your own firewood will spare you many dollars in yearly warming expense. Also, you should choose the best cutting chainsaw that matches with your requirements. Cutting firewood is one kind of physical exercise which gives you much pleasure. But keep in mind, it’s a risky task. If you are a beginner and feel something uncomfortable, call someone experienced. He can help you perfectly.
5 Tips for Chainsaw Maintenance
Chainsaw is a handy tool for cutting, chopping, felling, climbing and so on. It is easy to use if you have proper knowledge about it. It runs on AC/DC power or gasoline. It has two main part. One is chainsaw blade which is attached to its body, and another is the engine which is fixed with gasoline tank. When chainsaw blade reaches wood, the moving chain tears down the surface of the wood.
Chainsaw is pretty much heavy to carry.Chainsaw needs maintenance once a year, and it needs to be cleaned after work. Your saw requires very little maintenance for the amount of work you do. There are some few things you can do for your chainsaw to increase the performance and lifetime.
Here are 5 tips to make your chainsaw better:
1. Basic Maintenance-Every time after work you need to clean out the inside of chain break cover. It is placed under the chainsaw blade and beside the chainsaw body. Open the two bolts which are attached to the chain break cover. You can see the plenty amount of saw dust which is stuck with the chain breaker. Remove the bar and chain to access sprocket area. Apply carburetor cleaner on the sawdust, so the carburetor will break down the dust and then scrape away the dust. Remove the dust from the body too.
2. Replacing Spark Plug-Remove the top cover to access the spark plug. Open the spark plug boot and unscrew the spark plug of the chainsaw. You can buy a new spark plug from your local shop. Put the new plug in and tighten the plug. Then close it with the spark plug boot.
3. Replacing Air Filter- Each chainsaw may have a different air filter. But no need to worry because the mechanism and process are same. Open the air filter by tightening the screw with the screwdriver. Some of it may have a couple of screws, and some of it may have an only clip. Be careful when you remove the filter and be sure that there is no dust on the intake. You can buy new air filter from the shop. Now attach the new air filter on the chainsaw and tight up to the screw. Now place the cover on the top of the chainsaw. Tight up to the screw of the body.
4. Replacing Fuel Filter- To get access to the fuel filter you need to open the fuel plug. It is located on the side of the chainsaw body. Open the cover of the fuel tank by using a wrench. The fuel filter is in deep down of the tank. Use thin pincer to fish out of the tank. You can have the filter on the local shop. Now replace the filter with the new one, put it inside of the body and close the fuel plug.
5. Sharpen The Tooth of Chain- After a long-term work, the blades of chainsaw gets smooth or broken. So if you don’t want to replace the blade then attach the chainsaw body to a place where it will not move. Then mark the teeth which are not sharp. Use chainsaw sharpening file to sharp the blades. Rub one or 2 times until you are satisfied.
Conclusion-Chainsaw is a heavy duty tool but still it needs proper maintenance. If you follow these 5 steps, I believe your chainsaw will work much better than before. You need to do it once in a year. Every electrical gadget needs proper maintenance so do chainsaw. And be careful about merging up all the components you opened.
