Chainsaws

I have just bought an electric chainsaw as the firewood I bought is too long for the new woodheater I have just installed :doh:. I have put it together and am about to give it a run in to lubricate the chain, but am not too sure how to stablise the wood so I can cut it safely. I could clamp it to the saw horse but since I have 6 tons of the stuff that might be a bit of a slow process. The wood is between 14 and 18 inches long and needs to be closer to 9 inches. So I need to cut it in half.

Any solutions out there that might work for me? I am happy to cut say a week's supply at a time, rather than cut and stack the entire 6 tons in one go :U.

BTW I have in some distant lifetime learned chainsaw safety so don't plan to use the tip or cut from underneath or balance it across two surfaces so I jam the blade, but putting my foot on one end and cutting what hangs over the edge seems a fairly dodgy approach...
OK, I admit. I am afraid of the saw ...:-

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Originally Posted by Black Cat

OK, I admit. I am afraid of the saw ...:-

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And that is a good attitude to have. While you are afraid of it, you will respect it, and that should help keep you safe.

There is only one thing I respect more than SWMBO, and that is my chainsaw. :D

Triton super jaws if you can find one.

Superjaws is the best idea, but for 6 ton :o

Interesting though, 9" is an extremely small hearth :?. I've seen small doors, but the hearth is normally then longer to suit the timber, so the timber is placed end on.

Yep it's end on that I plan to add it given that I have to cut the wood in half. It's a Bakers Oven. They have a reasonable opening (about 14 inch) but the firebricks at the back make it quite a shallow hearth. Other than that they are the ants pants as you can cook on them as well as keep the place warm. The good news is that since the house is a work in progress, I am currently doing my chainsawing in the lounge where it is dry and warm ...

ETA will look on Ebay for some superjaws then ...

In the mean time cramping to the end of the saw horse seems to work, even if it is a right pain in the bottom.

Why not make yourself a cradle out of some ply such as this.

Attachment 107946

That way you can load it up with say 4 or 5 pieces at a time and cut them all in one go. If you find that the bits move a bit too much for your liking, you can always put a couple of straps or tie downs on each end.

I had one at the farm made from steel pipe where I could load 20 or 30 branches of 3 to 4 inches x 10 feet in it and then cut them into firewood lengths, then tip it over so that all the bits fell into the trailer.

trying to work that image out DJ. Do I assume that there are four partitions, that the wood lies across all four of them and you are cutting in the middle between the two close-together panels? If so I assume that the end panels have a slightly lower throat to avoid the chain jamming?? Is that a reasonable interpretation? I just happen to have some sheets of composite that I picked up yesterday (to make a base for the table saw and the compound mitre saw, but they can wait until I am confidently warm). So could throw something together with those bits. I think I would want a stiffener along the back of the uprights (the height of the lower edge of the recessed bits and a bit lower still where the bar comes down between the middle ones) just to keep things right and tight, but that should work for me I think. And a lot cheaper than a Trident superwhatty thingo I suspect!

If you are really unlucky I might even post a pic once it is built (this may take a while as I am still very much a beginner in these things)

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Originally Posted by Black Cat

Do I assume that there are four partitions, that the wood lies across all four of them and you are cutting in the middle between the two close-together panels?

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Yes

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Originally Posted by Black Cat

If so I assume that the end panels have a slightly lower throat to avoid the chain jamming?? Is that a reasonable interpretation?

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That would be how I'd tackle it.

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Originally Posted by Black Cat

I think I would want a stiffener along the back of the uprights

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Drawing was just a quick sketch to get the idea there, should have said to make it with ply and some 4 by 2 or similar

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Originally Posted by Black Cat

If you are really unlucky I might even post a pic once it is built (this may take a while as I am still very much a beginner in these things)

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Please do so, that way others can see how to go about it.

you have yet to see the standard of my workwomanship lol

can i ask what sort of bakers oven the (nectre ? ) as i have been looking at one of them for my self and would be interested in how you find it

Black cat,
you have many responses re holding the timber in place so I won't touch on that, but please do the following:-

Wear stout gloves (reasonably thick leather type gardening gloves will do)

Do wear safety glasses

Do wear ear muffs

Keep the tension on the chain within specifications.

Keep up the oil supply.

If you have to remove the chain for cleaning, take note of how it came off the guides so that it goes back on the correct way- will not cut if it is back to front!.
:)
Flipflop

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Originally Posted by dzcook

can i ask what sort of bakers oven the (nectre ? ) as i have been looking at one of them for my self and would be interested in how you find it

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To be fair, I have only had it in for one week. It really chucks out a lot of heat once it gets going, but is slow to warm up in the mornings. As I am living in a caravan it goes right out though as it is in the house and I generally stop work around 4 and don't feed it any more. The house has only one power point so lighting is difficult after that. I imagine that once I am in the house on a more permanent basis and running it until late at night and lighting it first thing it will retain the heat very well. The back is very well insulated (I had it placed against the single brick layer between that fire place and the one in my bedroom so that the heat transfers through the bricks and maintains a good temp in the bedroom - and I can trace the shape of the heater on the brickwork in the bedroom as the actual spot where it is stays cool to the touch!)

The damper control is to the rear of the unit which is a bit awkward when you have it in a fire place as I do. Particularly as it is stiff to operate when the oven is cool. It also only does 'open' or 'closed', so controlling oven temperature is clearly going to be a challenge when I get around to such advanced activities as cooking in the oven (I used to have an old wood-burning stove in an earlier cottage that I did up and that was rather more subtle in its operation.

The temperature gauge is unreliable - they admit that themselves. When it reads 100 it is actually 180 in the oven. It reads 100 fairly soon after you light it, so clearly cakes are going to be a challenge, lol.

The glass stays clean with the burning action. The door controls - the upper one to the fire box is bent a little too close to the metal so I wear leather gloves when opening it if it is stiff in case my hand hits the hot surface, the oven door is rather more sensibly angled.

Cooking on the top is great - good temperature and having a kettle ready to serve is a major advance for me.

The other challenge is the one I have posted about - wood size. It takes about 14 inches lengthways and about 9-10 inches endways. Endways is a safer way to load as there is less risk of the logs rolling out when you open the door.

It seems pretty fuel efficient - I have been going through about four or five logs a day (bearing in mind that these are now cut in half so amount to 8-10 logs). I light it around 7:30 when it is just getting light then retreat back to the caravan to give it a chance to heat up a bit before I go in to start the day's work at around 8:30.

Despite the absence of an upper sash in the room I am working in, and an open back door, the place develops a rather nice fug by about noonish. The climate here is bitter frosty mornings followed by mist and sunshine by around lunchtime, and the house has more drafts than you can poke a stick at at present due to floors that have rotted bearers etc. In fact the chimneys are the only sound thing about it at present, thanks to the work of the brickie who has rebuilt the chimneys and fireplaces for me.

Flipflop, thanks for the safety tips, I will bear them in mind. Fortunately the saw came in several pieces so I had to work out how to load and tension the chain before I could start it. The oil that came with it was sufficient to fill the reservoir only to the minimum level so I went to the local servo and bought some more which has now been added. I ran it for some time before starting to cut so as to ensure the chain was adequately lubricated. And I check it at intervals (unplugged) to ensure that the chain has not gone slack. I actually am only cutting four or five logs at a time at present as I have other priorities (like working out where to put stuff so my furniture can be loaded into the shipping container when it arrives and building a table for my tablesaw), so am just keeping up with my consumption rate. Each log is split before cutting to reduce the depth I have to cut and also the risk of the blade getting too deep into the wood (which probably is not a problem but it would worry me).

I think I am feeling a bit more confident with the thing now that I have used it a bit - I am letting the weight of the saw cut the wood and not applying any pressure, so when it comes through on the other side it does not drop suddenly, but retains its position. So far I still have both my legs, lol.

But you are right, I should dash out and buy ear protection (I have the rest) as I will need that for several of the things I will be doing in the near future. Thanks for reminding me.:2tsup:

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But you are right, I should dash out and buy ear protection (I have the rest) as I will need that for several of the things I will be doing in the near future. Thanks for reminding me.:2tsup:

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Getting married, are we?:D

Careful... female woody speaking here, lol

Another good idea is to buy a set of chainsaw chaps.

Especially if you'll be using the chainsaw on a regular basis. They tend to be expensive... but they only have to do their job once to pay for themselves.

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Originally Posted by Black Cat

Careful... female woody speaking here, lol

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Oops. :-

I prefer autumn tones lol, but yes, a sound idea - one I will pursue locally. Thanks!

lol @ !!

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Originally Posted by

Oops. :-

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:rofl:

Oh now that's just plain mean!!! lol

Getting back to DZCook's enquiry re the oven - yes it is Nectre - forgot to say that. And I emailed them with my little list of complaints and comments and they have just responded.

Apparently the door handles are both supposed to be at the same angle but sometimes get bumped in transit. I gather a little elbowgrease will get the upper handle back where it belongs as the steel will bend even when cold.

ditto the damper - seems it might have been knocked in transit, but since it works fine once the oven is hot, I won't be too fussed about that one.

The temperature gauge issue is one they are currently working on. Apparently the back of the oven heats up faster than the front (makes sense as that is where the flue is) so the temp at the front, where is it measured is accurate, but not at the back. They are reviewing this and considering two options - one to have a simple hi/medium/low measure like on the old ovens. The other is to provide a separate thermometer that sits inside the oven like we used to use in the good old days.

They are very helpful and prompt in responding - always a good sign and most unusual these days so they have my full recommendation any day.:2tsup:

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Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Another good idea is to buy a set of chainsaw chaps.

Especially if you'll be using the chainsaw on a regular basis. They tend to be expensive... but they only have to do their job once to pay for themselves.

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Save your money, chaps do not work against electric chainsaws. They have too much low speed torque.

BC, you are right to be wary of your saw. I operate some of the biggest chainsaws you can buy and I reckon that electric chainsaws can be more dangerous.

A bit hard in the lounge room but i have used 4, 6 or even 8 steel posts driven in the ground, stacked mill ends/off cuts up then cut right through the lot in one go.

You could do the same thing, drive 4 posts in the ground (in pairs, a distance apart that the chainsaw will reach across) so that they catch the ends of the logs then fill with wood and cut straight through to the ground doing a few blocks at a time. Just be careful not to hit the posts or the ground with the saw.

Cheers

get a saw bench have the whole 6t done i a couple of hours!:)

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Originally Posted by hammeredmoore

get a saw bench have the whole 6t done i a couple of hours!:)

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Sorry cant agree on this one - with peices of wood 18 inches long to be cut in half I think a saw bench would be extremely dangerous - even to an experienced used let alone a novice.

NO dont get a saw bench unless you get an operator. For longer logs they are quicker and a lot safer but not short stuff.

Cheers

does no one realise how short they already are safety first:2tsup:

i am no novice i have been cutting fire wood for the last 25 years all blocks cut at 11" thank you!!

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Originally Posted by Black Cat

....................... The wood is between 14 and 18 inches long and needs to be closer to 9 inches. So I need to cut it in half.

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Read the length of the log

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Originally Posted by hammeredmoore

i am no novice i have been cutting fire wood for the last 25 years all blocks cut at 11" thank you!!

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I am not disputing your credentials, i am saying for a novice to hold a 14 to 18 inch log and cut it in half with a saw bench is extremely dangerous and i have no doubt that before the first ton is done there will be an injury.

As i stated for logs 6 or 8 feet long pick them cut into 9 inch peices with only the last cut to be a "short hold" cut is nowhere as dangerous.

Remeber you are giving advice/your opinion to someone you have never met and have no idea of their ability or experience. Also as a woman one could assume her experience with a sawbench is probably less than with a chainsaw. SO i maiontain my orignal line

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Originally Posted by Calm

Sorry cant agree on this one - with peices of wood 18 inches long to be cut in half I think a saw bench would be extremely dangerous - even to an experienced used let alone a novice.

NO dont get a saw bench unless you get an operator. For longer logs they are quicker and a lot safer but not short stuff.

Cheers

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Cheers

Goodness, I seem to have stirred up a bit of a hornets nest. OK, I think that for me if I were to do the whole 6 ton in one go the process would become quite mesmerising and that would lead to carelessness and danger, so I am doing it in bitesized pieces and will continue to do that rather than spend say, a morning, cutting wood.

The chainsaw balances quite well and I get that I should not allow it to contact anything other than the wood it is cutting. I will also not be using it on recycled timber (I don't use any of my power tools on recycled timber).

I have considered using my compound mitre saw for the job, but concluded that a) with a 10 inch blade I would have to split the wood a bit thinner than I would want it to be for maximum burning efficiency and b) the mitre-saw is more of a precision tool and one I would want to keep away from excessively large knotty bits of wood until I become more familiar with this particular saw's capabilities. Similarly the table saw seems a bit of overkill and with such short logs, potentially dangerous even with a pushstick and fence.

I am rather more familiar with workshop saws than I am with chainsaws, the one I have used for making various bits of furniture from scratch or restoring others, the other (the chainsaw) is a new experience.

I consider all power tools (including my drill) to be armed and dangerous at all times and approach them with caution, but not timidity. And I always observe appropriate safety measures - it drives most men mad at how long it takes me to get started. But my hands, arms and legs are the most important tools I have and i prefer to keep them where they are.

Having said that, I am fully aware that despite all precautions accidents can happen.

So thanks guys for the help and the various suggestions. I will post on this thread once more when I have worked up a solution based on my interpretation of all these great ideas.

I think most state forestry or Depts. of Primary industry run chainsaw certification courses BC. Might pay to check this out and enroll in such a course.

I know some here may think that's a bit woosy but for a complete novice I think it is a sensible start. I've been handling chainsaws since I was about 15 and despite all my experience I wouldn't mind doing such a course.

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Originally Posted by artme

I think most state forestry or Depts. of Primary industry run chainsaw certification courses BC. Might pay to check this out and enroll in such a course.

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In WA these are mainly run by private providers. But the forestry services know who they all are.

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I know some here may think that's a bit woosy but for a complete novice I think it is a sensible start.

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I agree.

[/QUOTE] I've been handling chainsaws since I was about 15 and despite all my experience I wouldn't mind doing such a course.[/QUOTE]
I'm in the same boat as you, but I still went and did a course about 3 years ago. I didn't really learn much and could have probably given the course myself with a bit of reading of the latest "approved methods". But it was good fun, it kept SWMBO happy, and I got to flog the pants off a couple of small husky's

Thanks for that tip Artme, I will chase it up. I have done such a course while being a volunteer firefighter (but my male colleagues hogged the saw so I never got practical experience) but a refresher never goes astray. I will chase up the local options.