I have to ask, Why no saftey glasses??

[HILLBILLYREDNEC]

Safety glasses

Grew up not using them and being young and ignorant thought they were a goofy thing. Have a hard time finding glasses the work with my brain bucket. Stihl safety glasses are fairly comfortable to wear. Me it is old habit to not to wear chaps or eye protection, Got the hearing plugs tied to my brain bucket. I still get dust in my eyes, so just carry a bottle of eye wash with me.

 

[pgg]

Goggles are bloody useless, it takes a gale blowing to stop them fogging and they're always blurry and scratch-prone and they're a PITA to wear with your helmet because they dig into your ears and just generally feel ratsh!t to wear for any period of time. Fly-eyes are no better, in fact they're even worse than goggles, they're too dark under the canopy, suffer from bad sun-strike, you can't see jack thru them in wet conditions, you can't flip them up or down at your own leisure and again they're totally uncomfortable to wear. Helmet, earmuffs and mesh screen is the most comfortable and practical setup by far

 

[Terry Syd]

The helmet with ear muffs and screen is for me the most practical approach to safety - its all there in one piece to put on my head.

I sweat a lot (the wife says it keeps my youthful appearance!) and glasses and goggles just don't work with me. The screen works, even when I bend down and the sweat drips all over it. It also keeps the flies off my face.

I'm 63 and I can't count how many times over the years I've had some PPE save me from a serious injury.

 

[WillBrayJr]

I picked up a couple saws for a friend last night. The guy at the shop stuck a "noobie" bar and chain on one (a Dolmar 420) and went out to test the saw in some wood. I couldn't believe how well that little saw cut with the safety chain on it. No race winner, but no slouch either. I'll stick to my 91VX, but I won't tell anyone ever again that safety chain won't cut, 'cuz it does.

Not saying that a "safety" Chain won't cut because it does. It's just doesn't make the big chips like a "non-safety" Chain.

 

[Terry Syd]

The big chips are a function of the cutting angle. If a safety chain has a cutting angle of 6 degrees and a non-safety chain has a cutting angle of 4 degrees - the safety chain will make bigger chips.

I suppose much of the issue about safety chain not cutting well is that many people don't lower the bumper link as the chain wears. If the bumper link is allowed to get as high as the cutter - the chain won't cut at all. However, as long as the cutter can make contact and pivot into the wood, then it will be the cutting angle (raker depth) that will determine the chip and the bumper link will have nothing to do with the cutting action.

 

[Dennis Gauge]

Philosophical question here:

Which is safer?

1. Minimal eye protection, and the ability to see so you don't cut your own leg off with the saw.
2. Proper eye protection, being blinded by fog, dust, scratches, and sweat.

With #1 you run the risk of losing an eye.
With #2 you run the risk of losing a limb.

At least you can watch yourself bleed to death with #2 I guess.

I sweat like a pig when I work. It's a genetic thing from my mother's side. Doesn't matter how much I spend on the eyewear, after 10 minutes it's completely covered with sweat and I simply can't see where I'm putting the saw!

I put up with it, and wear the eye protection, but I am wondering how long it's going to be before I jam the tip of the bar into my foot.

 

[Battenkiller]

Not saying that a "safety" Chain won't cut because it does. It's just doesn't make the big chips like a "non-safety" Chain.

I'm not an expert on chain design, but what my one remaining good eye sees, my heart must believe. No "dust" coming out of that factory new safety chain on that 420, just big old chips coming out in a nice stream. Looked as good as anybody's cookie cutting video on YouTube... minus the posted cut times.

The big chips are a function of the cutting angle. If a safety chain has a cutting angle of 6 degrees and a non-safety chain has a cutting angle of 4 degrees - the safety chain will make bigger chips.

Interesting. I suppose much of the issue about safety chain not cutting well is that many people don't lower the bumper link as the chain wears. If the bumper link is allowed to get as high as the cutter - the chain won't cut at all. However, as long as the cutter can make contact and pivot into the wood, then it will be the cutting angle (raker depth) that will determine the chip and the bumper link will have nothing to do with the cutting action.

Back in my safety chain days, I never complained about a new chain, but they seemed to get duller every time I had them sharpened. The shop failing to knock down those bumper links makes a lot of sense to me as to why that was so.

I think at least some of the slower cut time with safety chain comes from the gullet being filled with sawdust faster. That may not be as much of an issue on a homeowner's saw with a 14" bar cutting small limbs and the occasional small tree.

I know from band saw design that the deeper the cut, the bigger the gullet you need. You have to carry the chips from the top all the way to the bottom of the cut. The only way to accomplish this in similar width bands is to decrease the tooth count per inch and/or go to a skip-tooth design.

In a chainsaw, the chips have to travel from the back of the bar to the tip, same basic idea. Maybe that's why the safety chain seems to cut a lot faster if you rock the saw as you progress through the cut. Shortens up the amount of bar actually in contact with the wood at any given instant, increasing the efficiency of chip removal.

 

[Battenkiller]

Which is safer?

1. Minimal eye protection, and the ability to see so you don't cut your own leg off with the saw.
2. Proper eye protection, being blinded by fog, dust, scratches, and sweat.

Ditch the clear shields and all those problems are solved, plus breathing feels so much better.

Not a lot gets through that screen. Guys write here about spark screens causing lots of exhaust restriction. Same in a face screen, only more so since we are talking about particulate matter, not a fluid. Only stuff that gets through has to be small enough in size to fit through the mesh openings, and it really has to be coming in a direct line through the openings to not be deflected.

Plus, the fine sawdust that does get through is very low in mass, so it has virtually no momentum, particularly after having been slowed considerably by passing through a few feet of air. Really can't hurt you, at least directly.

I can tell by how much bar oil and dust ends up on my safety glasses. A small amount of bar oil and maybe a little dust. With no shield at all, they would get as spattered and dust covered as a polycarbonate faceshield or goggles get.

At first all you see is the damn screen, then you get used to focusing beyond it and onto the surroundings. I wouldn't use anything else now, except for metal grinding, where even a small, dense chip coming off a 4 1/2" grinder wheel traveling at 180 MPH can imbed in the eye pretty damn easily.

 

[GASoline71]

I know cats that use these...

Bailey's - Bugz-Eye Mesh Goggles

...and luv 'em.

Gary

 

[CTYank]

When you have a Pro Chain on you Saw Safety Glasses are an excellent investment. However when you have a Newbie Chain Safety Glasses aren't really necessary. Never wore any kind of hearing protection and wouldn't unless I was running a Saw like a Stihl Magnum or one of the older Beasts.

Sorry, but you're wrong on both counts.

Safety Chain serves to counter kickbacks, period.

Even the quietest saw will do damage after a few minutes; just might not be painful or leave your ears ringing.

In either case, damage is permanent; where's the payback?

 

[Philbert]

I sweat like a pig when I work. It's a genetic thing from my mother's side. Doesn't matter how much I spend on the eyewear, after 10 minutes it's completely covered with sweat

We might need to get you these:

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

Or One of These

RACAL filtering helmet. Has a battery pack on the belt that blows fresh, filtered air past the worker's face. Used as an alternative to standard respirators.

Fogging glasses/goggles/visors is a big deal. In some industries, such as welding, foundries, hazardous waste, etc., they have systems like this that blow cooled air through the helmet and suit to keep workers from overheating, heat stroke, etc. Probably not very practical for the average firewood cutter.

Philbert

 

[WillBrayJr]

Sorry, but you're wrong on both counts.

Safety Chain serves to counter kickbacks, period.

Even the quietest saw will do damage after a few minutes; just might not be painful or leave your ears ringing.

In either case, damage is permanent; where's the payback?

Say whatever you wish Sunshine but I'm not believing you:msp_wink:

 

[gink595]

I know cats that use these...

Bailey's - Bugz-Eye Mesh Goggles

...and luv 'em.

Gary

How do they get them on with no thumbs?

 

[jus2fat]

I know cats that use these...

Bailey's - Bugz-Eye Mesh Goggles

...and luv 'em.

Gary

+1...for the Bailey's Bugz-Eye mesh goggles...only $18...
Very comfortable...and keeps the gnats out of my eyes...
I hate those damn gnats in summer when there's no breeze...
I must have the best smelling eyes in the world to these worthless bastards..

J2F

 

[belgian]

Last thing I take off at night and first thing I put on in the morning.

Could not find a tree without them.

Same here, but they ain't safety glasses, so the risk is always there.
I would wear safety glasses more (I only wear them on grinding jobs), but it's difficult to find comfortable ones that allow you to keep regular glasses on.

When I started up an oldie Stihl BL today, something hit my thumb real hard and I ended up with a nice little cut. Turned out that a big circlip holding the cooling fins gave way and went ballistic. I am just thankful it hit my thumb and not my eye. Bad luck hangs in the air all the time and will eventually land on somebody. Safety gear is a pain to wear, but with fast running stuff, we should not take chances.

 

[GASoline71]

How do they get them on with no thumbs?

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Gary

 

[Philbert]

I would wear safety glasses more . . .but it's difficult to find comfortable ones that allow you to keep regular glasses on.

It's hard to find comfortable over-the-glasses ('OTG') safety glasses, unless you are wearing splash goggles or a face shield. The double thickness really fogs up and can cause distortion.

Prescription safety glasses are the best choice for general use if you wear regular glasses.

Philbert

 

[cpr]

Hate the mesh, gives me a headache.

In a previous life I had to wear safety glasses everyday. Everyone's different so it took quite a few pairs to find out what was comfortable for me. In my case, the $4 MSA ones from HD were the ticket and when they got scratched up or broke (after 30 days, the bridge always would), I wasn't particularly out anyting.

Little tip on the fogging. Put a drop of dishsoap on the lens and buff it in with a hanky until the lens is clear. Lasts a couple of days.

 

[ChrisF]

Tried several different kinds of safety glasses and goggles. They ALL fog up. I sweat like a pig when I work and the best kind of goggles I tried gave me 20 minutes without fog before they were rendered freaking unusable. Not tried Bug-Eyez yet.

Use my visor shield thingie on my forestry helmet almost constantly, but I've had chips flung into my eyes more times than I can count nonetheless.

I'd love to hear suggestions. (Also, are Bugz-eye goggles all they're cracked up to be? If so, I'm gonna get me some.)