Post your helpful chainsaw/cutting tips and tricks.

[Gologit]

I use electric blue (light blue) paint on all my woods tools. Red and orange blend too well with fall leaf colors on the ground. I have never seen a light blue leaf.

If I'm ever cutting in your part of the country I'll try to remember to repaint everything before I show up.

 

[madhatte]

if i'm ever cutting in your part of the country i'll try to remember to repaint everything before i show up.

agreed

 

[slowp]

We use blue to mark our timber sale stuff. Blue where I didn't put it = me lookin' for why.

Yup. Then some of us have to get our Junior Chemistry set out and do the super secret test to see if it is super secret paint or not. Gologit might not like super secret hazardous chemicals on his tools.

 

[gwiley]

I just got a vision of someone taking a saw to my blue handled cant hook and hickory handled mauls!!! For timber sale?

I guess I could excuse someone mistaking my tools for timber sale material if they are running one of the monster saws - I have experienced the temporary insanity that comes from running the 372 where you just end up cutting anything that resembles wood that is within reach. (keep that old station wagon with the veneer sides away from the unit for crying out loud).

 

[Gologit]

Yup. Then some of us have to get our Junior Chemistry set out and do the super secret test to see if it is super secret paint or not. Gologit might not like super secret hazardous chemicals on his tools.

LOL...that wouldn't be good. You and Madhatte are right about all of us knuckle draggers carrying a couple of cans of blue paint...thats a big no-no these days.

Ruud makes a color that's pretty close, though.

 

[BigE]

I always throw in a can of mosquito repellent. The 40% DEET kind. I'm allergic to mosquitoes, so they really bug me. (sorry for the pun). As a bonus, I found that it keeps the other little critters away, even the bees.

If I'm running the splitter, chipper, or just using the axe I'll put on the worktunes earmuffs. Running the saw, though, I don't have them turned on normally, unless I'm just bucking up some little stuff.

The cloth gloves that have the blue rubber over them work very well when using the chainsaw, but keep them away from gas as it will eat through them quick. After a day's work, throw them in the wash with the jeans and they come out nice and clean.

Bucking to length for firewood, use the Mingo Marker. Best method I've used thus far, and I've used a lot of them.

I've got a little lawn tractor I drive up into the woods and use it to haul firewood, especially if I'm using the bigger tractor to move the chipper around. For better traction, I had the rear tires filled with Rimguard. Cost was about $30 at the American Tire Factory. HUGE increase in traction. I also have chains, but rarely have to use those.

 

[gwiley]

The mention of bugspray reminds me, the best way to keep ticks off is to spray your boots and lower portion of pants legs with DEET before you go into the woods. Keeps the ticks from crawling onto your pants.

 

[Philbert]

I always throw in a can of mosquito repellent.

The cloth gloves that have the blue rubber over them work very well when using the chainsaw, but keep them away from gas as it will eat through them quick.

Bug spray is a good idea, especially with the risk of Lymes disease (ticks) in some areas, aside from the flying bugs.

Don't know where you buy your gloves, but these cloth 'dipped' gloves are available with a wide variety of coatings (latex, neoprene, nitrile, PVC, etc) as well as in different fabrics (cotton, polyester, kevlar, etc.) they all kind of look the same.

But if you work through a safety or industrial supply house, or contact one of the manufacturers via their website, you can probably find a suitable pair that is resistant to fuel. You might have to buy a few more pair at a time, but the cost is sometimes better than buying a pair or 2 at a time at a hardware store, so it will balance out.

Philbert

 

[BigE]

the manufacturers via their website, you can probably find a suitable pair that is resistant to fuel. You might have to buy a few more pair at a time, but the cost is sometimes better than buying a pair or 2 at a time at a hardware store, so it will balance out.
Philbert

I'll have to check that out. Right now I'm going through the ones my brother got for me. He worked at a lumber mill and they got a 12 pack for $22. I bought a couple of the 12 packs 3-4 years ago, and then he gave me more later, so I still have 12 or so new pairs left, plus another 5-6 pairs here and there. I keep a pair in each vehicle, and 3-4 pairs in the shop.

 

[Philbert]

Sounds like you are set for a while!

Philbert

 

[Positrack]

For those of you using bug spray (particularly the stiffer varieties that actually work), keep in mind that the stuff will attack some plastics. If it does, it'll make one heck of a sticky mess. When I use it, I usually use either the "Woodsman" 40% Deet (IIRC) or if I'm space/weight limited I'll carry a little pump bottle of the 100% Deet. I always keep a little bottle of that in the pickup and another with my camping gear. Just a dab'll do ya' with that stuff but it's the worst about melting plastic in my experience. You also do NOT want to get it on your lips.

 

[madhatte]

Just a dab'll do ya' with that stuff but it's the worst about melting plastic in my experience. You also do NOT want to get it on your lips.

Correct on both counts.

 

[slowp]

I used to clean my metal tapes off with the army surplus jungle juice bug stuff
It took pitch right off them.

 

[teacherman]

More of a wood burning tip, but here is a coal saver I made for my wife. She saw one in the Lehman's catalog but it was like 17 bucks plus shipping. I bought a cheapo ash shovel for 4 bucks, cut out most of the bottom and welded in a piece of expanded metal. Works good, seeing how little ash I am getting, I must have been throwing quite a few coals on the garden.

I made one out of hardware cloth and copper pipe to clean out the ash and leave the coals when it is too cold to let the stove burn itself out completely. I like yours better.

 

[pyromaniac guy]

i know this thread is 5 days dead, but now is the first time i have had to add to it...

we can usually drive almost right up to the wood we are cutting, but in the instances we can't, we hand carry everything. my father-in-law takes limbs down to about 1" in diameter. i bought a few canvas totes (the open kind with handles) and load those up to carry the wood in to the truck. saves many trips...

 

[Philbert]

. . . my father-in-law takes limbs down to about 1" in diameter. i bought a few canvas totes (the open kind with handles) and load those up to carry the wood in to the truck. saves many trips...

For little stuff, throw down one of those cheap blue tarps, load it up, and drag it to the truck/trailer, etc. Lasts several trips, although, it will not longer be waterproof. You could use a better tarp, but why ruin it?

Philbert

 

[7oaks]

Okay, since I've read a couple posts about Deet for ticks to prevent lyme disease I'll add one trick I learned years ago while working with biologists in the jungle.

I keep a bottle of Doxycycline (antibiotic) in the fridge. Whenever we find a tick on ourselves or our dog we take one of the pills (or in the dog's case give it to him). I was told that if taken within 12 to 24 hours of a tick bite it will prevent lyme disease (and rocky mountain spotted fever). Unfortunately I learned this after a nearly fatal bout of a form of tropical lyme disease.

Caveat emptor - I'm not a doctor so I'm not giving medical advice - just telling you what works for me.

 

[Kogafortwo]

couple of things from today's cutting session

Went out to get some free wood today and a couple of things occured to me that y'all would find useful. They might already be on here somewhere but I didn't read through 12 pages of posts. And Axe Men has a double header on starting in 24 minutes, can't miss that.

1. I measure firewood length with my bar: 18" fireplace length is my 16" bar plus out to the first or second bar nut. Just eyeball it with your bar, mark the spot with your eye, and cut.

2. I line my trailer bed with old OSB, so I can flush cut short pieces right on the trailer and not worry about scarring anything up. I think I can afford a $10 OSB panel when this one wears through.

3. I planned my trip home from cutting today to drive by Northern Tool. Spent $12.86 on a gallon of bar oil, a cheap tarp, and 2 pair of $0.99 gloves. I passed on the $29 timberjack altough I have been wanting one.

 

[HuskyMurph]

probably been said already

for bar oil i use my old tide detergent bottles the big ones will hold a gallon of bar oil and have a nice pour spout. and any run off goes back into bottle and not all over outside.. use to use aunt Jemima syrup but seem like always refilling them.

 

[Rowan Gliori]

Okay, since I've read a couple posts about Deet for ticks to prevent lyme disease I'll add one trick I learned years ago while working with biologists in the jungle.

I keep a bottle of Doxycycline (antibiotic) in the fridge. Whenever we find a tick on ourselves or our dog we take one of the pills (or in the dog's case give it to him). I was told that if taken within 12 to 24 hours of a tick bite it will prevent lyme disease (and rocky mountain spotted fever). Unfortunately I learned this after a nearly fatal bout of a form of tropical lyme disease.

Caveat emptor - I'm not a doctor so I'm not giving medical advice - just telling you what works for me.

Doxycycline's pretty effective at stopping malaria infection too... It's just a very broad spectrun antibiotic, but needs to be taken regularly for a week or so before arriving in a malarial zone.
Deet's just nasty... There are alternatives, certain essential oil combinations work pretty well, and have the added bonus of not dissolving plastic on contact!