Bucking ? for the pro's

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

Everything has already been said, but the bottom line is, no matter what you should never deliberatly hit the ground with the running saw ever. To avaid this there's...

• The wedge method (explained by others). Hammer the wedge with a piece of wood or a hammer. If the wedge is being damaged by hammering you didn't get a good wedge.
  
• The cut half way the roll over the log method (explained by others) Use a cant hook, peavy, just a crow bar or a strong stick or by hand. You should be able to roll over a log by hand if you try. But get a cant hook. If you can't roll it maybe you can roll half of it if you use another method to cut it in half.
  
• My all time favorite......skid the tree onto a pile of wood that you've already cut and just keep making it higher and higher. Problem with this is you need a skidder or a tractor or a logging winch. And you have to watch your balance cutting up there. But it makes for really productive cutting if you are well equiped and you have a lot of trees close by, such as in an area that's been logged with only the tops left over.
  
• Place a piece of wood beside the log and lift it onto it so that one side of the log is sticking up for easy cutting. This works nice with small diamiter wood. But don't take your back out. (I gotta have those disclaimers for some reason. I dunno why. I don't wanna sound like a know-it-all).
  
• Lift the whole log up with the forks of a loader tractor or skidsteer if you have one. That works nice if I have a huge pile of logs that have been delivered to me.
  
• If I do have to make a cut where I think you might hit the ground than I put my hand under it to feel for rocks and if there is at least an inch of space between the log and the ground. Most trees will have places like this because most trees are perfectly staraight and neither is the ground. You've got to look for these spots.
  
  There wont be any spots though (maybe) if you falled the tree onto muddy ground or if you left the tree and it settled into the ground leaving no suck spaces.
  
• If all other possibilities are exaused you can cut the tree 95% through, being very careful not to hit the ground. Then use a steel splitting wedge and a sledge hammer to break the reaming wood in half. You really should try and cut with the saw like you would with a plastic wedge do to the damger of hitting a steel wedge which will destroy the chain and possible injure you with flying metal, but if you want to try that at your own risk and be extra careful doing it then go for it.
  
• If it's too hard then you can always just leave it right where it is and let it rot. A few pieces of wood aren't worth ruining a chain over. (I guess in most peoples situations it isn't out in a forest where nobody will see it though).
  
• If the wood is very dirty you might want to switch from chisel chain (square corner, super fast cutting if sharp) to semi-chisel chain (Cutters have a rounded corner. It's fast cutting if sharp, but not as fast as chisel. It is more resistant to getting dull if you hit mud and dirt. It's easiert o get semi-chisel sharpened by hand for a novice sharpener). Still no reason to cut into the ground though. A rock or a nail will ruin it.

There. I told you all my secrets.

Another thing is in certain situation maybe you should cut the tree up after falling it rather than leaving it so that it settles in the dirt and when you lift it or roll it over there's dirt sticking to it and all that yucky stuff.

pecker:

(Nice name by the way)

If you have that problem with the chain stopping again them remove the bar and chain and clean out the bar grove with whatever tool you have or can buy that will fit in there. I use an old dinner fork. You might as well always clean out the oil hole while you're in there.

Roll the sprocket with your finger. If it doesn't roll it's siezed up and that's pretty unusual. (Unless the chain brake came on without you noticing, so check that). Examine it for string or whatever might have gotten wrapped around there.

Roll the sprocket nose of the bar with your finger. If it wont go them examine it for string or dirt in there. Then force it to go by rolling it over a piece of wood (aggressivly).

If you ahve to take your saw into a mechanic because the chain has been stopped and wont go around than it's wierd. I bet my way will fix it though, if it ever happens to you again.

 

[Van]

Everybody keep your chain out of the dirt! And watch your pecker too!!!!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Great post, Hermann.

 

[pecker]

Originally posted by Chainsaw_Maniac


Roll the sprocket with your finger. If it doesn't roll it's siezed up and that's pretty unusual. (Unless the chain brake came on without you noticing, so check that). Examine it for string or whatever might have gotten wrapped around there.

Roll the sprocket nose of the bar with your finger. If it wont go them examine it for string or dirt in there. Then force it to go by rolling it over a piece of wood (aggressivly).

If you ahve to take your saw into a mechanic because the chain has been stopped and wont go around than it's wierd. I bet my way will fix it though, if it ever happens to you again.

Chainsaw Maniac,
Thank you for the insight. This was exaclty what happened several times. The mechanic fixed the problem the exact way you described.

The good news is that when I wised up and stopped hitting dirt, the saw works flawlessly.

Thanks again.

 

[pecker]

Originally posted by Van
Everybody keep your chain out of the dirt! And watch your pecker too!!!!

That's hilarious! Its good to see someone with a sense of humor once in a while. You would've believe how much fun my name has brought through the years.

 

[FSburt]

Well been reading the replies about bucking on flat ground. Here's what I do when the ground is soil is soft and easy moved. I use the top 1/4 of the bar and saw from the side across the log which causes the chain to force the chips down into the soil and gouge out a small channel and fill it with saw chips so the if the cutter hits anything it will be wood chips instead of dirt. This does not work on rock or any area that is hard. It also takes alot of practice to judge how much tip to commit without going to deep and dirting the chain. when I am bucking over ground I cannot do this I usually look for a section that i can see underneath or just cut till I see bark dust and stop. I am bucking precommercial thinning slash into 8 ft lengths for piling with a dozer.

 

[BewtifulTreeMan]

pecker, I had a similar problem when my 390 was new, after i bought it, i checked the chain tension and started cutting away, bout half hour later, the chain wouldn't budge. there was all kinds of crap in the bar groove. the bar tip was really difficult to move. so i cleaned it out, lubed it up real good, havent had that problem since.

my 390 was a pain in the ass when it was new, but now its a pleasure to operate!

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Look for intermittent ground contact and capitialize on it, cut to portions not touching ground, setting parts that are setting on ground as helpful pivots to make next cut easier.

If laying flat on ground, cut so that remaining holding wood is narrow and longer, rather than shorter and wider at the uncut, remaining/holding wood (cut in from sides, to reduce ressitant fiber to straight in line and width of the wedge), schedule this so that the wedge force is as far from this point as possible for more leverage.

Now you can sometimes get the base to lift out of ground, or outrightly split (as mentioned, giving less risk to cutting contaminated wood) from the increased focused force of the wedge from the maximizing strategy.

:alien:

 

[Erick]

Hey all this is my first post on this site and it seemed like the right time to chime in. I use the jack method someone else said earlier. I have and old bumper jack that I've welded a piece of steel too. I make a horizontal cut in the end of the log, insert the jack, crank it up, and put a log under the trunk. Good to go for a few more logs. Its cheap and easy to use just the way I like it. Just make sure you don't use it on a hill or the jack will roll with the tree.

 

[Crofter]

Hi Erick;
Where there is a will, there is a way. Whatever it takes the main thing is to realize that you can't cut dirt with a chainsaw if you also want it to cut wood! not even a little bit. That is the thing that gives the casual owner so much trouble; not knowing or accepting that you should not cut with anything but an absolutely sharp chain. I guess the importance of sharpening is brushed by in the instruction manuals lest it scare off prospective users. Sharpening too often could waste a bit of chain, but it is by far the lesser evil than not sharpening enough!

 

[Al Smith]

Spare the file,spoil the chain

If ye olde chain is not pulling big chips,stop and see why.Running a dull chain,will only round the cutting edge of the cutter,and put strain on the saw,as well as the user.Remember,a sharp tool ,is a happy tool.

 

[Erick]

It takes alot less time and effort and removes alot less chain if you sharpen your chain before it gets "dull". Cant remember who said it but I also touch up the chain after every other tank of fuel. Its alot easier on me and the saw. I keep a file in my pocket any time I have a saw in my hand. If you do hit something stop and file even if you dont think its dulled the chain. It only takes a few minutes and a sharp chain will get you the time back pretty quick. My advise is learn to file, but if not, change the chain when it STARTS to dull and pay someone else to sharpen it later. A sharp chain is easier and safer for the opperator and easier on the saw as well.

 

[Al Smith]

second tank

That was me,Erick.That is just my own "rule of thumb",which I have used for over 30 yrs.Everyone has a method,just so it works,is the main thing.Some use a file guide,some don't.I know one guy who places the saw in front of him,and files both sides at once.Darned if he doesn't get them sharper than me.The key to it all,is the timely use of the file.