Safety Brief...

B

Bisley

Active Member
Got to the last of my wood this afternoon...
Last Wood.jpg
I stopped right here, after cutting up and splitting two of three chopping blocks. The large log in the back (22"-24")took several minutes with the chainsaw spitting chips and 1 to 1-1/2 inch shavings along with dust from the cut. That wood is either ash, or maple. It's heavier than oak, and causes the Eswing wedge to bounce out of the starter notch. But this left two old bi-fold doors, and the half rotten pallet I had used to stack wood outside until it died. The pallet cut and broke up into trash-can sized pieces for city utilities. That left the bi-folds I had leaned against the woodpile.

So I revved up the chainsaw and went to work.
Chainbreak 1.jpg Chainbreak 2.jpg Chainbreak 3.jpg

Let's remember that safety glasses and headset hearing muffs are not just for the range; gloves are not just for casting. I was doing fine until I brought the saw down on one of the bifold hinges. The chain runs off the top of the bar away from the operator, and toward the operator along the base. When the chain broke, it simply ran off the bar and fell down into the cut. I packed up the tools, put the tarps back onto the woodpile, and called it a day, with thanks to God for His safety and protection. I'm not sure how, but I'm certain this could have been a lot worse.
 
C

creosote

Well-Known Member
Glad your ok.

I've been glad the safety glasses were on while using the hydraulic splitter too.
When it separates that dead tree carcass at the joints (knots) it can create a pretty good explosion.
 
Last edited:
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
woah.
it could have caught and flipped around, all it needs is one good half circle flip to tear some people-meat up.
 
Rick

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
That was quite close to a real oopsie, Yep could have had a far worse outcome.

I've never broken a chain knock on wood. Kick back is always a major concern and always seem to happen when ya least expect it.
 
3

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine had a bad habit of leaning over to low when using a bow saw type chain saw. I told him once if it ever kicked back on him he would’nt have time to move his head out of the way.
Was’nt too long after that day that I heard it had kicked back and eliminated his sinus cavity for him.

Could have been far worse, but it was bad enough.
Took a bit of surgery to fix it all back for him.
 
Cherokee

Cherokee

Medina, Ohio
Chainsaws can be dangerous, got a scar above my knee to prove it. Now I have a small trimmer size and call someone else for the big stuff.
 
RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
Ruined a good pair of pants with a chain saw , took 21 stitches to close the hole above my knee . I was topping out a downed tree and a limb broke well down from me . No place to go and no way to move fast enough , thankfully the chain break worked and all I got was a sex appeal scar and ruined pants .

I can't count the spit chains . From age 15-19 I and a crew of 3-6 cut something north of 500 cord of pinion pine and Utah Juniper firewood . So that makes it harder to count them . That stud on the bottom front of the case works extremely well catching the dropped chain .
 
oscarflytyer

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Have run a saw a lot for tornado relief stuff. Never know what you are going to get into. Been lucky so far, and try to be as safe as I can. Had some crazy stuff, but some things you just can't see. Was cutting in a town, a little off the main street. Never woulda guessed. But, I hit a piece of electric fence wire. Threw the chain. Snapped the wire (sounds was load and crazy scary, even over two chain saws! - My buddy heard it 50' away!), saw sucked it up and wrapped who knows how many feet of it around the clutch. In the process, after the wire broke and whipped around, it had made a wrap around my front arm. Scared the S*** out of me - I originally thought the chain broke and cut me up. Was real surprised I wasn't bleeding like a stuck pig. But all it did was give me a long surface cut on my arm. The jerking around did strain my elbows and give me fits for months, but finally cleared up. Considered myself VERY lucky! And, no real damage to the saw.
 

Attachments

  • chainsaw wire1.JPG
    chainsaw wire1.JPG
    107 KB · Views: 16
  • chainsaw wire3.JPG
    chainsaw wire3.JPG
    97.6 KB · Views: 16
B

Bisley

Active Member
I keep saying this, but I am done with the chainsaw (knock on wood) for the foreseeable future. At least the next couple of years, as I intend to be overseas after the next winter. I think it's gonna be a cool summer and a cold winter. The idea of chaps to wear while casting intrigues me, as I pulled a couple of lead spatters off my work pants the other day.
 
B

Bisley

Active Member
fiver said:
woah.
it could have caught and flipped around, all it needs is one good half circle flip to tear some people-meat up.
Click to expand...
I am given to think some material might be too light to handle with a chainsaw. I cut the last bifold set with a handsaw from my mitre kit...
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
I dunno I once built a dog house [with covered food section] with a chainsaw and a hammer as my only tools.
I did borrow a set of tin snips to cut the metal for the roof, I couldn't figure out a way to cut that with the chain saw.
but I cut the 2x4's, 4x4's, and plywood no problem.

wish I had that dog run here now that I think about it.

but I can see how those bi-fold doors could be a bit troublesome, you'd just zip right through them with no resistance.
 
Tomme boy

Tomme boy

Well-Known Member
Stay away from the chain saw chain grinder disc that are out there. They will catch and spin the grinder out of your hands. MANY people have lost their hands and more because of them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.