Woodworking Chainsaw Video

How to work with a chainsaw How to properly cut trees at the root with a chainsaw and crosscut a sawn trunk. Safety precautions and personal protective equipment.

How to properly saw a tree into chocks

Sawing the trunk of a fallen tree is much easier than cutting down a tree at the root, but there is a certain risk here. For example, improper cutting of trees can lead to the fact that it squeezes into a tire in the trunk and then you have to use a jack or lift the trunk with crowbars, which will take a lot of time and effort. In order to avoid such situations, it is necessary to assess the position of the trunk in advance and first saw it in those places where there is tension.

It is better to cut the trunk from the top of the head, gradually moving towards the butt.

The cut can be either top or bottom. The upper cut is performed until the trunk begins to lower and compress the tire, after which, if possible, it is necessary to finish the trunk from below. If there is no possibility, then a few more are made next to the first cut, until the tire stops pressing.

After the trunk is cut into several large pieces that can be rolled, they are sawn into chocks with an upper cut.

Feller position

In order not to get injured when cutting a tree, the feller must always choose the correct position. The correct arrangement is such an arrangement in which the feller can get away from danger at any time. For this reason, before felling trees, the operator must clear all small growth that could trip or fall over. During felling, the saw should be held with both hands and be in the area opposite to the one where the tree is planned to fall.

How to use a chainsaw correctly

A chainsaw is a technically complex and dangerous tool, for this reason, when working with a saw, certain rules must be followed. Inexperienced users are often less attentive to working with a chainsaw and violate the rules, which leads to operator injury or tool breakage.

In this article, we will consider how to properly prepare a chainsaw for work, what are the rules and methods for felling and sawing trees, we will talk about how to saw correctly with a chainsaw, and we will focus on safety.

Safety precautions and personal protective equipment

A chain saw is source of increased danger; working with it requires compliance with certain rules.

The operator must be in good condition when working with the tool. It is forbidden to use the chainsaw in AL-KOHol or narcotic intoxication.
It is forbidden to touch the saw headset with your hands while the engine on the chainsaw is running.
To avoid getting sawdust in the eyes, the operator must wear safety goggles or use a face shield when sawing.
The chainsaw is loud, so care must be taken to protect your hearing. Use headphones or earplugs.
In the process of felling a tree, there is a risk of dry branches falling on the operator, therefore work must be done in a helmet or hard hat.
Shoes must be durable and non-slip, it is best to use special shoes with protective plates installed in the socks to prevent injury if the chain breaks and falls into the leg.
Clothing should fit snugly around the body to reduce the risk of it getting caught and wrapped around the chain. The material from which the clothing is made must be dense and durable.
Working with a chainsaw alone is not recommended.
Do not refuel the fuel indoors, as well as directly at the work site; after refueling, check the tightness of the tank filler cap.
Do not refuel the saw while the engine is running.
The assembled saw may only be transported with the protective tire cover on.

This is not the whole list of rules that must be remembered and followed in order not to get injured. Detailed instructions can be found in the manual that comes with all chainsaws.

Preparation for work

The first thing to start working with a chainsaw is to assemble it. The assembly scheme for various models is practically the same. A saw bar and a chain are installed on the saw, and the chain is tensioned.

Next, you need to check the sharpening of the chain; for this, the cutting edge of each working tooth is visually inspected. The edges should be even, without dents and notches.

The next stage is refueling the chainsaw. The fuel mixture is prepared in a certain proportion, which can be found out by reading the owner’s manual supplied with the saw. Basically, the fuel mixture is diluted in a ratio of 1:50, that is, for one liter of AI 92 gasoline, it is necessary to add 20 grams of oil for two-stroke engines.

Important: when pouring fuel and oil for lubricating the chain into the tanks, you must be extremely careful and not confuse. If you add oil to the fuel mixture tank, the chainsaw will not work. To restore performance, you will need to flush the fuel tank with gasoline, as well as clean the fuel line and carburetor, which is quite difficult.

How to properly cut a tree with a chainsaw

Now let’s figure out how to cut down a tree with a chainsaw. The first thing to start with is cleaning the small growth around the trunk. This is a necessary procedure, since small branches not only obstruct access to the tree, but can also cause the operator to fall, which is quite dangerous, given that the chainsaw is working.

Next, you need to decide on the direction of the roll. It is not difficult to determine the direction of felling a tree standing on a slope, since almost always it is laid in the direction in which the center of gravity is shifted.

This is interesting: in order to dump a tree in the direction opposite to the slope, professional fellers use special heavy equipment, or they tie a cable to the top of the tree, and use a winch to pull the trunk in the desired direction.

An upright tree can be felled in any direction, but the location of the branches should be considered. Dumping the trunk on the side with more branches is a little easier than on the opposite side.

At the next stage, a cut is made from the direction of the roll. The cut is performed in the form of a wedge. The depth of the cut should not exceed 1/3 of the diameter of the trunk, otherwise there is a risk that the tire will be pinched, since the trunk will weaken and tilt towards the cut. Correctly executed gash should not cause the tree to tilt.

Further, on the opposite side of the gash and 3-5 cm above it, a straight incision is made. The chainsaw must be directed so that the risk of winding the saw on the saw is directed towards the expected fall point. After that, using a wedge, fork or felling blade set in the cut, the tree is helped to start falling in the planned direction.

Below is how to cut down a tree.

What is carving?

In English, carving means carving. This term is used both in hairdressing and in landscape art, where it is necessary to decorate objects in a certain way. Carving, applied to wood carving, is a form of carving that uses a chainsaw. For this direction, you need to be fluent in this tool and constantly hone your skills. This will help you create beautiful wood sculptures that will decorate almost any interior.

It should be understood that carving can be carried out in two ways: geometric and volumetric. The first carving method is more suitable for novice carvers: it uses harder types of trees (apple, pear, maple or conifers to create massive objects). In this case, first it is better to depict the desired craft on paper, and then just start working on wood. The second method of carving requires some practice and is more used in the creation of decorative interior items (balusters on beds, carving on the legs of chairs and tables, etc.). This type of work involves such tree species as alder and linden.

Which chainsaw is best for carving

Engine power;
The size and shape of the chainsaw;
Tire and its shape;
Direct weight.

You need to understand that a more compact and lightweight tool will allow you to get to places that a large analogue cannot get to. For initial work, a chainsaw with the following characteristics is suitable: weight up to 5 kg, chain pitch up to half an inch, tire size up to 14 inches. This is enough for a beginner woodcarving specialist.

After obtaining the primary skills in carving, you can purchase narrower tires with a smaller size, this will make the contour, protruding parts, figured patterns of the object more beautiful and clear.

Pro tips

Professionals with sufficient experience to train novice carvers note some of the nuances of woodcarving. Every beginner in this interesting lesson should know them:

Large workpieces are cut with a chainsaw with more power and tire size. So, you can use a saw with a power of up to 2.5 kilowatts and a 50 cm bar. This will allow you to quickly remove a huge amount of unnecessary wood material.
It should be borne in mind that carving is by no means a quick process, so a chainsaw, like you, must withstand long-term work. This is helped by the anti-vibration system, found in almost all chainsaws, which allows you to protect yourself from vibration waves and make smoother, continuous movements.
Professionals note that the best species for carving wood are elm, oak, larch, maple.

Important! All species behave differently during use, so for best performance you need to try all types of wood to assess the maximum comfort for yourself.

Interesting

In this one you can see the progress of making a statue of a bear, and the whole process is shown quite clearly and interestingly. The actions show that a professional cutter works with a chainsaw, from whom you can learn a lot:

The process of creating an owl figure from wood using a chainsaw by carver Yevgeny Akimov in his master class is captured in this:

The result of the work of a person who perfectly owns a chainsaw is illustrated in the following:

Chainsaw wood carving all you need to know

Wood cutting using a chainsaw is a relatively new and promising direction for creating creative crafts. It has a number of features in performing work that a novice specialist needs to know in order to make truly beautiful objects.

What do you need to work and where to start?

If you are just learning to carve with a saw, then you should not take unthinkable and complex projects as your first creation. It is advisable to start with the simplest objects, for example, a geometric figure (cylinder, ball, cube, rectangle) or a mushroom (fly agaric, boletus, etc.). It is better to leave complex objects (animals, human figures) for later, when you get your hands on less sophisticated creations. You should always try to first make a sketch, and only then, with a finished idea and technical calculations, start carving.

You also need to take care of the availability of a professional chainsaw designed for wood carving in advance for more comfortable conditions of creation. The cost of the saw is rather big, but with its help it will be easier to make more complex threads. The saw chain must always be perfectly sharpened and firmly attached to the bar (tensioned). To do this, it is necessary each time to carefully inspect the state of the saw and promptly correct the detected shortcomings, since this will not only help when creating figures, but also protect its owner from unforeseen and unpleasant consequences.

It is also important that the chainsaw has an automatic lubrication system, which allows you to maintain the technical suitability of the tool longer. The presence of lubricant must be constantly monitored so as not to damage the saw attachment (bar and chain).

When cutting out products, it is better to create the most calm and creative conditions for yourself, when nothing will distract or irritate you. This will provide more pleasure in creating objects and prevent damage to the future masterpiece. Therefore, a place for woodcarving should be chosen remote from other people. For example, a summer cottage, an industrial zone, a private house, a garage or something similar.

What tools are useful for a beginner?

To start woodcarving, any person will need not only a set of tools, but also special clothing that meets safety requirements.

First of all, anyone and everyone in this business needs to purchase glasses. Take care of the safety of your own vision, because you cannot do without wood chips flying in different directions (including your face).

Chainsaw operation is quite noisy. Not all, but many craftsmen, in order to preserve their hearing, purchase special noise-isolating headphones, which, by the way, in addition to noise, will protect your ears from flying sharp fragments of wood.

Clothing should be tight and not restricting movements, so as not to interfere with work, not to cause inconvenience, but to protect the body from all the same flying off sharp chips. It is also worth getting comfortable cotton gloves and shoes with non-slip soles.

A properly selected chainsaw is already 50% of the success in your difficult hobby. However, it is not enough. Chainsaw can do a lot of the rough work. To fine-tune the sculpture and process small details, you will certainly need at least a minimum set of woodcarver with chisels, sharp knives, rasps, embossing and other tools.

Where to get started for beginners?

The most popular motives for carving on wood are totem poles, as well as the animal world. Creating birds or natural reliefs requires some skill, and experience in processing the smallest details, such as feathers. It is better to leave such jobs for the period when you gain experience.

The graphs below show the simplest schemes for carving a bear and a horse, which may help a beginner decide on the procedure and create his own first sculpture out of wood using a chainsaw.

Learning the basics of woodcarving with a chainsaw

But before you take up the chainsaw, think, maybe first you should practice and master simple wood carving using hand-made materials: chisels, needle files and more. Indeed, even after mastering the carving with a chainsaw, you still have to refine the details of your sculpture with this particular set.

Chainsaw wood carving as the fascinating art of creating beautiful sculptures from the trunks of cut trees

Wood carving is fascinating and intimidating when done with a chainsaw. Not every person could find the strength or desire to engage in such art. However, whether you are a master, an amateur, or just an outside observer, one cannot disagree. The solid sculptures created from the large trunk of the once mighty strong tree are eye-catching and admirable for the craftsman’s ability to work with such a crude technique as a chainsaw on such a fragile material.

If you found your inspiration in wooden sculptures and decided to start your own path of becoming in this beautiful ancient craft, then be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort studying the basics, as well as mastering the small details and tricks that come to each master exclusively with his own experience.