Uh oh. wizer's got a chainsaw..... !

[big soft moose]

the chainsaws probably got a dead mans handle / trigger throttle anyway so nvr shouldnt really be necesary - though if you want one, you can buy plug in ones from axminster if you dont want to faff about with the wiring.

 

[wizer]

It's got the safety switch on the top that I was flicking off with my wrist after each cut. Missus and Baby were not present and baby will be brought up to know not to enter the workshop (or garden) when the machines are running. I had the cable trailing behind me at all times and fitted to an rcd as well as an rcd on the circuit. I actually expected the saw to kick around a lot but it's quite tame. As I said above, despite my reputation, I'm quite cautious of safety. Both since my accident and since being a Dad.

I thought it a bit weird that the saw comes with just a 4 inch cable. That means you have to use a trailing extension. All I had was a coiled flex one, but I'll get a straight lead at the weekend (or make one up).

I've just read up on sharpening (on here and google), so will get a file when the man pays me.

 

[big soft moose]

get a couple of spare chains too

a) because if you are in the middle of a session you might want to justswap chains and press on ,

and

b) because if you hit a big lump of embedded metal or similar it can really pipper the chain up ( I once hit an embedded musket barel of all things and snapped my chain, that was exciting)

 

[Jonzjob]

Moose, this bloke came with all of the recomendations and the insurance as the trees that needed dropping were right by both our swimming pool and summer kitchen (don't ask, it's a French thingy and very usefull).

The trees were both 40 foot plus parasol pines and big!

I will also say that I have owned a chainsaw for about 30 years now and am on my second Stihl saw. I burnt the piston out of the first after about 25 years and it was out of warranty!

I was helping an English friend a few of weeks back after he had had several very large pines drop after a big storm we had. The temps were in the high 20s. I was in my kit and he was in shorts and sandles! I tried to tell him to get the hell away and get some proper kit on, but he carried on!

I found out that he had a near miss 2 days ago and only nicked his thumb! I just hope to hell that he has learned something by it!

When ever I am using anything that cuts wood I just compair two things and they are the hardness of the wood being cut and the hardness of my arm/leg/stomatch and think to myself that if that thing can cut wood that quick then I am 'easy meat' by comparison! Just not worth it in my opinion!

Just a quick off thread!! I am now the proud owner of a PowerCap Light mask. Courtesy of Peter at Tool Post!! I'm just looking forward to my first job where I am going to use it!

Just read your post Moose. If your saw is a goodun it should have a chain catcher that stops the chain doing any harm, but it is quite exciting init! A bit like the blade on my band saw when it breaks. I use a 1/4" 6 skip and it don't arf go bang, but no danger apart from a quick trouser change?

 

[wizer]

This looks like a handy implement


http://www.woodartbydan.com/projects/sawhorse.pdf

 

[big soft moose]

Just read your post Moose. If your saw is a goodun it should have a chain catcher that stops the chain doing any harm, but it is quite exciting init! A bit like the blade on my band saw when it breaks. I use a 1/4" 6 skip and it don't arf go bang, but no danger apart from a quick trouser change?

oh yeah my saws have all got chaincatchers - at the time i was using an 024 woodboss - but my principal saw now is a MS361.

this was doing a felling job on some really old coppice hazel - like several hundred years old - and it seemed that at some point someone had put a smoothbore musket in the bole and it had got grown in - I ran the woodboss chain into it a maximum revs and got a ruddy great bang and bits of chain all over the place - more than one link broke and it went all over the place like shrapnel - no harm done apart from in my trousers

we did the rest of the felling on that particular tree with an axe and evenyually the trunk went over leaving the barrel standing out of the stump.

 

[wizer]

Pete do you have a prefered chain brand? There's an Oregon blade on eBay for £17 or a Carlton for £14

 

[Blister]

I treat my saw with the up most respect :shock:

One slip or catch at full throttle and its A&E ,

after you pick up the missing bits :shock:

 

[Gitface]

Hi All

While on the subject of protection, I am looking for some trousers and noticed that the sizes all seem small for my big boned frame

Anyway I get the idea that you tend to wear them over your clothes, so are the measurements for your normal trousers or with clothing on?

Mark..............

 

[Bodrighy]

Hi All

While on the subject of protection, I am looking for some trousers and noticed that the sizes all seem small for my big boned frame

Anyway I get the idea that you tend to wear them over your clothes, so are the measurements for your normal trousers or with clothing on?

Mark..............

I've always worn them over jeans...don't know if that's right but as they hang of the shoulders on straps it seemed the sensible thing to do...ruddy hot as well

Pete

 

[gtwilkins]

Wizer,

Have found Oregon to be excellent bars and chains, that's all most of us use here, I don't use cheap chain.

I have found that leccy saws need to be sharpened more than big gas saws as they just don't have the umph when the chain starts to get dull and the guts are plastic not metal and running with a dull chain is hard on them.

I sharpen by hand every time before I use the saw, just a couple of strokes with the file unless I have nicked a tooth and if the saw starts to produce dust instead of shavings give the teeth a couple of strokes.

It is important to use a good quality file (I use Stihl) and to make sure you file each tooth on the chain equally, just count the number of strokes, and don't use old worn files.

The other important things to watch are the chain tension (not too slack) and that the oiler is oiling the chain enough.

Trevor