Got a saw stuck...noodling.

[Dalmatian90]

We adjusted the carb so well in class last Thursday my MS-360 didn't want to start on Saturday. Grabbed the 039 to do what I needed.

Today at lunch I went out and tweaked the 360 so it starts and idles nicely. Hit the throttle and she goes right up to speed.

Went to noodle a chunk of red maple to test it...darn saw pulled the dog into the wood enough it got jammed up. One tooth went right above the bark, one tooth dug into the wood, and the bar was jammed down in the cut. Tried as I might I couldn't get enough leverage on the loose chunk to dislodge the saw. Maybe if I had chained it down to something I could have.

It was cut enough I was able to use a couple felling wedges to split the chunk and then I was able to recover my saw.

I'll add "Getting saw stuck noodling" to the list of things I didn't think were possible until I achieved it.

 

[kgip2k]

First time I have heard of that one...

 

[Ayatollah]

Might be due to the manner in which it was sharpened. Some angles will produce a tendency to pull and/or cut into more of a bite than the motor can support

 

[Dalmatian90]

Might be due to the manner in which it was sharpened. Some angles will produce a tendency to pull and/or cut into more of a bite than the motor can support

Good point.

It was a freshly sharpened (by hand, by me) chain and it was grabby. The chain was also pretty rough when I sharpened it since I cut a fair amount of brush with it over the summer...once I get it into some good wood I'll have a better idea if I need to touch it up by hand some more or if it's time to go for a mid-life machine sharpening.

 

[kodiakyardboy]

I've stuck my share of bars but never noodling- good work!:msp_wink:

 

[Blazin]

Power out!

 

[XrussellX11]

That's funny well good thing you had the wedges and where able to get it out... lord knows i've stuck my fare share

 

[BrokenToys]

I've pinched a bar or two myself; when noodling now i always keep them plastic wedges around and jam one or two in when i get a real gnarly piece.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Elm Will Do It...

... quite commonly. Elm has internal stresses that unleash when the round is noodled. I keep a couple of wood felling wedges handy and pound them in at the top when the coast is clear. That prevents the pinch, just like bucking.

The wedges also force the two halves apart when the cut is completed. Elm is not the only species that can pinch during a noodle cut, but for me, it is by far the most common.

 

[unclemoustache]

Noodling a lot of oak the other day. I was surprised to see the crack closing a bit and the saw running rough through it. Did use a wedge a couple times, but getting it stuck in there - yes, I wouldn't have believed it possible either. Congrats!

 

[PEKS]

Good Rescue Mission..
Never leave a saw behind..

 

[blades]

Also sounds like your chain tension was abit on the loose side?

 

[rmount]

You need a reverse gear on that saw

 

[Dalmatian90]

Also sounds like your chain tension was abit on the loose side?

Nope, tension was good -- had just adjusted it a smidge tighter because it was occasionally lurching forward at idle, so I tightened it about 1/8th of a turn to stop that...much more of a turn it felt too darn tight to me.

 

[turnkey4099]

Good Rescue Mission..
Never leave a saw behind..

That's one of the bennies about inboard clutches - no matter how bad the pinch you can drop the power head and only leave the bar/chain. Had to do that a couple times back in the 'one saw' days.

Harry K

 

[Dalmatian90]

That's one of the bennies about inboard clutches - no matter how bad the pinch you can drop the power head and only leave the bar/chain. Had to do that a couple times back in the 'one saw' days.

Harry K

Had a tree fall funny and both badly snagged itself AND pinched my bar one day deep in my woodlot were I wasn't concerned about public safety. For someone just working with hand tools and small equipment it just had "no good option" written all over it.

Knew there was a good storm headed in with high winds expected. Figured it would either knock the snag loose, or let me know it was time for heavy equipment.

Took the power head home, left the bar and chain.

Went up a couple days later after the storm had passed and picked up my bar from the ground (no damage thankfully) and bucked up the tree that was now conveniently on the forest floor

 

[Wood Doctor]

Free it up with a wedge

That's one of the bennies about inboard clutches - no matter how bad the pinch you can drop the power head and only leave the bar/chain. Had to do that a couple times back in the 'one saw' days.

Harry K

I've done this also--remove power head and leave the bar and chain in the pinch. However, as I look back, most of the time I could have saved everything by using a wedge to (1) stop the kerf's closing by pounding in one or two wedges or (2) free the saw up altogether after the pinch by using wedges or a lever underneath (if on the ground) to lift up the long log and pop the bar loose.

 

[NDtreehugger]