Teaching Chainsaw

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Funny, I couldn't wait for my boy to be old enough to run a saw, he is now 13 but has a career in wrestling in front of him so I think I'll wait. I ask him if he wants to run one but he doesn't seem to have interest, if he ever ask I will let him but as of now no rush.
 
I agree 100% with you Ironworker. Running a saw or doing anything of that sort has to be something they show a interest in doing. Then you have to have figure out if they have the aptitude and understanding to be able to do it safely. If the answer is no to either than you have to decline.
 
I think I started taking over splitting duties around the same age or maybe a little later than when I started running a saw. Got me out of stacking duties. I think I'd swap duties in my old age LOL
 
I have never tried to introduce my children to tree falling or chain saws. I started to learn it myself, self taught, at around 45 years old. Now that I understand more, I am surprised that I didn't kill myself in those early days. All I knew was that there was such a thing as a wedge cut and a back cut involved but I had no idea how to do things right. After endless time spent with Google searching out reputable instruction like the BC faller series and the Husqvarna series I am far more comfortable with what I do, but I am no expert. My SIL is quite comfortable with a small chain saw but he has never dropped a tree or bucked one. Instead he is a carver that uses a chain saw with a very narrow bar tip to do his art work.
 
I was 16 when I first started running a chainsaw a husqvarna135 then quickly moved up to a stihl 029
 
Took my great nephew back to knock down some poplar trees. His mother freaked when she seen the pictures.
Safety 1st, No glasses -- check, Flip flops ---check, Eye on the target --- nope --- check.
He was actually scared sheetless of the saw and cutting down trees. I've cut logs into rounds at their house before but he was well out of the way then. I did the pictures in stages and had him move far away each time I did a cut. He would never stay where I told him to stand, he would always run farther away as soon as I turned my back. Then I had to find him before I could do the cut. Kept telling him I need to be able to see him while I cut. He was afraid the tree would fall on him. He's lead a bit of a sheltered life.
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Typical kid, cut through his hinge.
 
Zale, I usually try to cut through the hinge. On poplars I like to leave clean stumps and logs and in the bush if it goes wrong it really doesn't matter. On ash I cut a little higher and then have to trim if it looks messy. I usually cut my stumps real low because we ride 4 wheelers there.
 

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