Chainsaw

New chainsaw or secondhand, if it chips the wood your ok when it starts to produce sawdust then resharpen.

 

What colour flowers you want

 

Or if it has not cut your head off in under 20ms, sharpen it..

 

Every time you hit a nail

 

Depends how much you use it

I tend to buy a new chain every couple of years and sharpen it myself when it starts making dust instead of wood chips but I don't use it much

 

Simple answer really, when it stops cutting effectively. It should throw out some decent sized chips and cut happily for ages as long you don't hit a nail or similar. You can hear the pitch change note as well when they get blunt. Revving its head off but not cutting efficiently. You'll know.

 

round file, flat file, angle, rakers, etc, it's easy hay!

this site has all the experts.

get a lesson if I were you, if you don't know you need one IMO.

 

straight after you hit a nail or stone.

 

Let someone else do the sharpening - it's not difficult to do, but it's boring as hell... And it's not expensive. Top tip though - never use a chainsaw without the correct PPE - proper chainsaw-proof trousers, ear duffs, eye protection, boots, gloves etc. The numpty who works next door to our place was using one late last year in trainers, jeans and a sweatshirt - no ear protection, no eyes protection... Just a serious accident waiting to happen. And always check the chain-brake as soon as you start it. "Good judgement comes from experience, but unfortunately most experience comes from bad judgement" - however, when it comes to chainsaws you don't tend to be around to get it wrong a second time...

 

^^^Wot he said - I bought my ppe years ago and fell through the floor at being charged £120 for a pair of boots. No ordinary boots mind. Kevlar lined steel toe caps and as serious as a heart attack, they double up as an offensive weapon if you're having a bad day.

Get the gear and get some training - motorcycles are tame in comparison to a pissed off chainsaw.

http://www.radmoretucker.co.uk/cate...rtec_Fellhunter_Xpert_Chainsaw_Boots_Class_3/

Looks like they've gone up a tad

 

I don't like chainsaws.

My father in law cut his foot off with one (beam dropped on his head when he was oiling it and knocked him out).

Then there's that sequence in Scarface...

I might have to end up getting one, but if I need to buy the chainsaw, the trousers, the boots, earmuff, goggles, it's going to be cheaper to just ask my neighbour to saw up the odd bit of tree and bung him a bottle of single malt. Everyone's happy.

 

I take it you'll only be using it for making firewood, not taking up de-forestation

 

That's very funny!

 

+1 on all of that. My 1st job many moons ago was working for a tool hire company. We used to hate hiring out chainsaws and routinely told numptys that we had none in stock if they looked like a danger to themselves. I still saw one bloke return one with less fingers than he had when he hired it.

Always use the gauntlets, helmet c/w visor, trousers, ear protectors etc. The gauntlets and trousers are very good, if the chainsaw hits them, the material inside starts to unravel in the chain, stopping the saw.

I've sharpened many a chain and it takes 10 mins with the correct equipment. Your local friendly hire shop will do it for peanuts.

The absolute top tip for using a chainsaw. NEVER be tempted to use the tip of the saw to cut (always use the bottom edge). If you use the tip, it'll bounce up and cause serious harm. it sounds like common sense, but i've seen it done more than once.

 

As above , take note of how well it cuts when you 1st get it , and as soon as you notice a drop in cutting ease sharpen it ( bearing in mind hard woods are harder to cut . Get the correct dia file and also a cheap guide to help get the right angles ( 30 deg to the bar and 10 deg off level ). Note also that the cutter slopes back from the edge so as you remove metal to sharpen the cutting height goes down and you will eventually have to lower the depth gauge ( the little hump immediately before the cutter ) , if this is to high you can have the sharpest chain in the world and it still wont cut. Lay a straight edge along a straight part of the chain and you will see that the straight edge sits on the cutter edges , there should be about .5mm between the bottom of the straight edge and the top of the depth gauge , this is the thickness of the chip of wood it will slice out. With soft woods you could increase this to 1mm . Whatever you do its important to keep both sides the same or else the thing will try to cut round corners . Use proper bar oil ( NOT old sump oil ) even a quick poke into the dirt ( under the log ) will usually dull the chain fairly quickly . there are different types of chain .... a super chisel ( square tooth profile ) is a fast cutter but is very easily blunted , where as chipper ( round tooth profile ) is not as efficient cutter but will stand a lot more dirt and nails before needing sharpened . I usually replace the 1st chain when it still has a bit of life left and then use that chain for dirty work .... like digging round tree roots.
These are unbelievably (potentially ) dangerous things , if the chain contacts skin they "pull in " and there is no such thing as a small nick from a chain saw ... they usually cut to the bone..... or even further ............so think before you do.
If you want some pix of a chain being sharpened ... sing out and it will be done . FFS be careful ..... if you have a knowledgable friend , or even the guy at the shop may spend a bit of time giving you some tips
Hamish

 

no man is complete with out a chainsaw.

 

I eat my words, some good advice!

Oil and gas, crap, that's a mans game

 

Don't lean over a chainsaw when using it and always keep the left arm straight and rigid.......That way, if it kicks, it can't get close to the body or the head.......

I have a Stihl with a 'handle lock', so that if it kicks, the handle is flipped off by the hand and wrist, which stops the chain from running......