Proper (safe) way to buck logs thicker than bar length?

[nittany_tim]

This weekend I'll be breaking in a new MS290 I got yesterday by bucking a bunch of about 5-foot sweet gum logs sitting in my back yard. A good number of these are thicker in diameter than the 20" length of my bar (the biggest ones range from 24" - 27"). For several years I've cut up my own firewood from neighbors' trees with my old, smaller 16" Poulan, but all of those have been smaller trees that the bar has been able to span. What's the proper & safe technique for approaching these monsters? Specifically, I'm worried about kickback since the bar won't be clear through on the other side as I'm cutting through and the bar tip will always be close to touching the rest of the log as I'm cutting down through. Also, since these things are way too heavy to lift up onto anything, how can I buck these without inevitably touching the bar into the ground? Thanks for any advice! -- Tim

 

[clearance]

Avoiding kickback=always stand to one side of the saw, never over it, looking down on the bar. Always, even if this means using the saw lefthanded. I assume the logs are on flat ground, if they are on a slope always stand on the high side to finish your cut. Nice to have a couple of bucking wedges, get some. There is usually bind in any log, wedges prevent getting pinched. Its good to dog the saw at the top and pivot down almost to the ground, then come back towards you with the head, pound in a wedge and keep cutting. Don't try to cut all the way though if you cannot see under where the cut is, the logs are short, you can rock them with a peavey or if you don't have one, use a long pipe or board. Good luck, don't hurry.

 

[rbtree]

Hey, clearance, think we should ask the resident "expert" to give us his sage and sappy advice

 

[LarryTheCableGuy]

Why, you take yer Wild Thang...

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:

 

[Gypo Logger]

Here's my sappy advice, lol.
When cutting firewood that is tight to the ground, cut at least 3/4 of the way thru all pieces. Then either roll the log or find a place in the log that is clear of the ground and saw all the way thru, rolling the rest or finding the ideal spot to cut thru. Also, leaving a limb attached to the main trunk, it can be used as a peavey like tool to apply leverage to roll.
It all becomes automatic after sawing 4 or 5 hundred cords.
John

 

[Patrick62]

What me worry?

To quote Alferd E. Newman.

There is little chance of severe kickback. Keep the cuts straight as you will be cutting from both sides. Rolling the log to finish the cut is great as it keeps the bar away from the ground.

-Pat

 

[buckwheat]

It deserves to be mentioned again: wedges.

Also, does your new MS290 have the safety links on it that usually come with these saws? That could make cutting with the bar buried a hassle because the safety links will prevent the cutters from grabbing around the tip.

 

[smokechase II]

beating a dead horse

A longer bar, if there is enough work that it can be justified, is also a safety item when bucking. You can move your feet back when finishing the cut and it may allow you to do all of your cutting on the uphill side.
OK, so with a MS290 that will take only a 20" bar, this is not relevant.

Do what Clearance says. Stand over the log, to the side and place your saw top center and cut the off side as far as you can go down without getting the tip involved in anything, (dirt or other wood that might sponsor a kick-back). Bring the saw back, while keeping it in the kerf, and after you get a few inches in coming down from the top snug a wedge in.

Hopefully what you've done is cut half the log 20" down, then used that kerf as a guide and not strayed off by pulling the bar out, and you'll match cut just fine.

What can be a real help is when you limb, cut a few 4 ft long bigger limbs to place under the tree before bucking. While a wedge will lift a log during the bucking, this can still make it easier to finish a match cut.

If you make a couple of those limbs strong 10 footers and have a buddy or just cut short. They can work for rolling the log over to finish the cuts in-between. While this doesn't apply to your delivered logs. Thought it was worthwhile to mention for someone else. You probably can just roll yours to finish bucking cuts with an armstrong motor.

All the best

 

[eguinn]

What I have done many times on some 4-5 ft white ash and maple that I have been cutting is to cut from both sides of the log all the way to within about an inch of the bottom of the log or just into the bark. It all depends on how good or even the ground is under the log. Then what I have done is to drive a plastic falling wedge into the cut. After that I stick in a 6 ft digging bar and pry side to side with the digging bar, usually that will pop that little section of uncut wood or bark and your slab will roll off to one side or fall flat. That keeps me from having to roll the log. Also keep in mind that my saw is an 046 with a 32 inch bar.

 

[upandcommer]

here is how I attacked this situation yesterday witht he same saw and a 30" poplar that I bucked. Set the 290 dead center on top of the log and set your bottom most bucking spike. Then roll the saw till it is withtin and inch of the ground. thus burrying the saw about 10-12 inches into the log. Now unset your spike and move the cut backwards by applying gentle (it is only a 56.5 cc saw) pressure tot he head and working your cut around the log. once your powerhead is sitting on the ground with the bar level with the head let off the throttle and retrieve your bar from the curf. Move down the log repeat every 16" till you reach the end of your cut. We then grabbed three logs 6-8" and 6-8' long and with three of us rolled the whole 20' trunk then reinsert your bar into each cut and do a finishing cut upwards. the upwards cut are slow but it is only 2" of wood at maybe 14" across at the widest point then find someone very very very young and strong to lift the rounds onto the splitter (in our oporation this happens to be me). We got the whole trunk onto the 8'x 4' trailer and unloaded at the house and split within an hour of entering the woodlot. Good luck to ya.

 

[turnkey4099]

My method of cutting logs with short bars is similar to all the others.

I start all limbing/bucking from the small end of a tree log if at all possible. That way any tensions come out a bit at a time as opposed to all at once if you start from the other end.

Start on top, rotate saw near verticle (don't let the tip hit the ground) then rotate it back toward you. Unless you are cutting some really big stuff you probably shouldn't need to change sides.

Depending on the size of a log tight to the ground I will section 3 or 4 rounds almost all the way through or until the bar begins to pinch. On the last cut I will use a wedge to open it enough to finish the cut by "babying" the throttle to just nibble the last little bit. I can then roll the 3 or 4 block secion over to finish off the rest of the cuts.

Kick-back while cutting with the nose buried - not too hazardous. Just maintain a firm hold on the front handle. Most kickbacks occur just when the the tip contacts something suddenly, rare when it is buried.

As in all cutting, keep your chain SHARP. It makes a great difference and the work a lot easier. If you find you need to put pressure on the saw, your chain needs to be sharpened.

Harry K

 

[HickoryNick]

And be darn careful when you get to the last part of the cut when the logs seperate from each other. Wedges or not, they can still roll together and pinch the bar causing the saw to jump or kick back on ya. It's a good idea to use scotches on both sides of both pieces of log to keep this from happening.

Hollering from tha hills,
HickoryNick

 

[turnkey4099]

And be darn careful when you get to the last part of the cut when the logs seperate from each other. Wedges or not, they can still roll together and pinch the bar causing the saw to jump or kick back on ya. It's a good idea to use scotches on both sides of both pieces of log to keep this from happening.

Hollering from tha hills,
HickoryNick

Ah yes, the fun of cutting big stuff that is clear of the ground by a foot or more. Amazing how far they can chase you when they fall. I make sure that the spot they will hit first is clear for them. I do NOT want them hitting the previous round.

Harry K

 

[HickoryNick]

Ah yes, the fun of cutting big stuff that is clear of the ground by a foot or more. Amazing how far they can chase you when they fall. I make sure that the spot they will hit first is clear for them. I do NOT want them hitting the previous round.

Harry K

You got that right.