cutting logs that are larger than your bar
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England14
ArboristSite Operative
BuddhaKat, Very good visual clarification.
danrclem
Addicted to ArboristSite
Excellent illiustration! Of course it is done not in two separate cuts but one continuous one, i.e., when the position in Nr 1 is reached the powerhead rotates back and down while the chain continues the cut. My saw will not reach the level position until the cut (#2) is near the ground.
Harry K
Harry K
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Something else to remember when bucking and using a wedge. The wedge will kick back at you if the saw comes up out of the cut. It happened to me one time and ruined my helmet face sheild. Had to go buy another one :censored:, but didn't have to go to get any body parts repaired though. PPE works.
Guarddog1
ArboristSite Guru
what can I expect to happen when the tip of the bar begins to submerge into the log? sorry if it's a stupid question, just makes sense for me to think about these things ahead of time
Hey at least you come on here and ask rather than just jumping in and injuring yourself. It is a great group oh guys here and someone will always help. The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.
Good luck and have fun
Ummm, there is no ONE way to buck. Nobody has mentioned compression and tension. I suggest buying or borrowing the book, Professional Timber Falling, A Procedural Approach by Douglas Dent. Although it is mostly on falling, it does get into bucking.
You basically buck bigger wood the same way as smaller wood. Before you start your cut, look at how the log lays. Is the compression on the top? Side? Bottom? That determines where you place your cuts. Is your wood on a hill? On the side of a pile? Will it roll while cutting? That determines which side you cut from. Stay on the uphill side if on a hill. Work it from there.
Buy some plastic wedges and keep them handy. You will get your bar stuck if you cut much. That's how we learn and we keep on pinching and getting stuck because nobody can always predict what the wood is going to do. If you are really stuck, take the bar off, usually it will come out and leave the chain. Put another chain on and cut your other chain out. I carry an extra bar--it is cheaper than an extra saw. Hopefully, you'll use the wedge before the kerf closes, and you will have prevented getting stuck.
For me, the worry about the log rolling or popping up (horizontal barber chair) is greater than the fear of kickback. That's why I'll stress looking before cutting. I've had wood spring up in the air, hitting the saw on the way up, and almost knocking me over.
This is the PNW answer-If your saw will handle it, get a longer bar. That way you can be farther away when bucking. Had I been leaning over, or standing close to some of the cuts I've done, I wouldn't be typing this.
Another thing, cutting into the ground is not the end of the world. Just put on another chain, or hand file the one on the saw. It takes a while to get up to speed on hand filing, but it sure is a nice skill to have once you learn. The only way to learn is by doing.
And, my number one rule for bucking? STABILIZE THE LOG FIRST THING. I do blowdown, and that is the first cut I'll make, the one that will keep the tree from doing bad things to me.
I hope your logs are unloaded in a nice way so you don't have to worry too much. But I worry at the advice given, that all you have to do is cut the far side first... it all depends on how the logs are set on the ground, in the deck, or hanging in the air, bowed at the bottom...
Happy cutting.
You basically buck bigger wood the same way as smaller wood. Before you start your cut, look at how the log lays. Is the compression on the top? Side? Bottom? That determines where you place your cuts. Is your wood on a hill? On the side of a pile? Will it roll while cutting? That determines which side you cut from. Stay on the uphill side if on a hill. Work it from there.
Buy some plastic wedges and keep them handy. You will get your bar stuck if you cut much. That's how we learn and we keep on pinching and getting stuck because nobody can always predict what the wood is going to do. If you are really stuck, take the bar off, usually it will come out and leave the chain. Put another chain on and cut your other chain out. I carry an extra bar--it is cheaper than an extra saw. Hopefully, you'll use the wedge before the kerf closes, and you will have prevented getting stuck.
For me, the worry about the log rolling or popping up (horizontal barber chair) is greater than the fear of kickback. That's why I'll stress looking before cutting. I've had wood spring up in the air, hitting the saw on the way up, and almost knocking me over.
This is the PNW answer-If your saw will handle it, get a longer bar. That way you can be farther away when bucking. Had I been leaning over, or standing close to some of the cuts I've done, I wouldn't be typing this.
Another thing, cutting into the ground is not the end of the world. Just put on another chain, or hand file the one on the saw. It takes a while to get up to speed on hand filing, but it sure is a nice skill to have once you learn. The only way to learn is by doing.
And, my number one rule for bucking? STABILIZE THE LOG FIRST THING. I do blowdown, and that is the first cut I'll make, the one that will keep the tree from doing bad things to me.
I hope your logs are unloaded in a nice way so you don't have to worry too much. But I worry at the advice given, that all you have to do is cut the far side first... it all depends on how the logs are set on the ground, in the deck, or hanging in the air, bowed at the bottom...
Happy cutting.
Snowchief
ArboristSite Member
Great suggestions on this thread!
the only thing I can think of that wasn't mentioned was bar chatter (or whatever the correct term is). This seems to happen more when running longer bars and aggressive chains on smaller saws - once you plunge the tip the bar can chatter pretty violently in the cut. I guess the more aggressive the chain and the thinner the bar the less forgiving it is to an uneven sharpening, usually if I touch up the chain this goes away.
When this has happened in the field I usually finish those cuts by only cutting tip higher than powerhead which tends to keep the chatter down. The real fix is to change chains if you have a spare, or take the time to service the chain that's on the saw.
the only thing I can think of that wasn't mentioned was bar chatter (or whatever the correct term is). This seems to happen more when running longer bars and aggressive chains on smaller saws - once you plunge the tip the bar can chatter pretty violently in the cut. I guess the more aggressive the chain and the thinner the bar the less forgiving it is to an uneven sharpening, usually if I touch up the chain this goes away.
When this has happened in the field I usually finish those cuts by only cutting tip higher than powerhead which tends to keep the chatter down. The real fix is to change chains if you have a spare, or take the time to service the chain that's on the saw.
Maybe a Skip Tooth Chain
If you have a full bar buried in the log, you may feel your saw bogging down - the motor is working hard, all of the teeth are digging in at the same time, and you have a lot of chips to clear.
You might want to spend $20 and try a 'skip-tooth' chain (has 2 connecting links between each cutter instead of one). This has only 2/3 as many cutters as a 'standard' or 'full complement' chain, so it loads down the saw less and clears chips better.
If you don't feel a big difference, you still have an extra chain to cut with.
Philbert
If you have a full bar buried in the log, you may feel your saw bogging down - the motor is working hard, all of the teeth are digging in at the same time, and you have a lot of chips to clear.
You might want to spend $20 and try a 'skip-tooth' chain (has 2 connecting links between each cutter instead of one). This has only 2/3 as many cutters as a 'standard' or 'full complement' chain, so it loads down the saw less and clears chips better.
If you don't feel a big difference, you still have an extra chain to cut with.
Philbert
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