Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Help! first time chain saw use
ken chase
>Bought a 16"Remington elect.chain saw at Lowes.
Here's the problem. Because I want to trim away the bark and crosscut the ends of parts of a tree truck that are not perfectly round how do I secure the log so I can use both hands on the saw? I triec clamping to a table edge and that didn't work. I tried using one foot to hold a piece steady and that didn't work. Please tell me how you do it.
Thanks
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Hawaii Turner
>Ken,
First, You need to make an X type of stand where the log would lay in the top V of the X. I hope that is clear enough.
Second, is that when using a chainsaw, you don't cut the log using the middle of the bar,which would result with the chain pulling the log towards you or the saw towards the log, but rather at the back of the bar with the pawls, or dogs, or saw body firmly against the log so that the log is not pulled towards the saw as you cut.
Also, even though it's an electric saw, don't forget to add bar oil. Some people forget.
Good luck, I hope that I was of some help.
Doug
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
ken chase
>Thanks. I can visualize the stand you suggest. However, what about when I want to cut away the bark. I guess I would stand the log on end, or would it still reside in the stand and be cut horizontally?
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Harvey Bernstein (Philly)
>You would leave the log on the stand (sawbuck) and slice the log, as you say, horizontally.
One thing I learned from the College of Hard Knocks is that the sawbuck shouldn't be too high.
I didn't want to have to bend over at all and made my sawbuck high. The end result was the saw kept pulling the log towards me w/ the sawbuck in hot pursuit.
Have fun and be cautious,
Harvey
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Jim King
>The best saw buck I have had. No nails, just the weight holds it together and the "V" is good for the round peices and the flat part for the flat blanks.
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Carole in VA
>If you do a search you wil find several threads that cover this. If you make a buck, be carefull where you put screws or nails...they will do a number on you chain if you hit them. I used dowels (loose) on my portable field buck. They allow the rails to swivel so the support is appropriate for the size of log and if part of it gets chewed up (which it will) it's no hassle to slip the "dead" part off and a new one on. Plus it is easily disassembled for storage. I sure don't recommend using your foot to hold anything you are cutting with a chainsaw! Check out some of the recent threads on chainsaw use. And be careful...IMHO that is the most dangerous tool a turner uses.
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Jim King
>Dont know why the photo did not complete.
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
ken chase
>Jim:Thanks so much. This is terriffic. Looks like you 45'd two 2X8's and glued them together. Are the bottom supports separate or attached? Is the plat piece on top fixed or does it move. Looks like it is there as a backstop.
I'm grateful for the help.
Ken
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Harvey Bernstein (Philly)
>By the way, when you said horizontally, you did mean length-wise along the side didn't you?
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
ken chase
>Thanks Carol:
Does your portable field buck look anything like the one pictured in the previous post. I'm having a hard time visualizing what you have.
Ken
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Carole in VA
>Nope. Mine is just enough to stabilize the log and keep me from cutting into dirt. Just four 2x4s. Doesn't help your back at all. As I said, it is a field buck. Let me see if I can find the pic.
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Dick Hines
>If you are not careful one foot is all you have. Make a saw buck, use it and keep your feet and hands as far away from the bar as you can.
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Jim Pugh, Ohio
>Ken, I'm not sure why you are attempting to use your chain saw to take bark off. Either turn it off (wear a face shield) or take a hammer and a large screwdriver and peel it off.
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Jorge Castaneda ~ Downeast Maine
>Ken,
That wood is a lot heavier than 2x8"" something like 5"x12", just look at the bar of the chainsaw...
Re: Help! first time chain saw use *LINK*
John K Jordan
>>how do I secure the log so I can use
>both hands on the saw?
Don't you DARE take one hand off the saw and try to hold the wood or you'll soon be typing with one hand instead of two. I have not yet built a sawbuck so I use the chock method that Bill Grumbine shows so nicely on his web site (link below).
JKJ in East TN
Grumbine sawing
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
Jim King
>Ken: Everything is pure gravity. No fasteners at all. Just use heavy peices, in my case I used bad quality reject bloodwood but any heavy wood will do.
REJECT BLOODWOOD ! MAN! .
Fred in NC
>
Re: Help! first time chain saw use
ken chase
>yes.
