If you are a newbie or have little experience in using a chainsaw, then you should learn how to cut wood slices with a chainsaw. The chainsaw has several usages like trimming, buckling, felling, and firewood chopping and so on. Typically, the chainsaw is used to cut trees, branches, and woods.
Using a chainsaw can be both helpful and dangerous depending on your way of dealing with it. If you know the standard procedure of using a chainsaw and follow the safety measures, then a chainsaw will be your triumph card for your cutting jobs. On the other hand, it will be lethal and dangerous if you don’t know how to handle a chainsaw during your wood cutting.
In this article, we will discuss how to cut wood slices with the chainsaw and it will be a step by step and easy procedure to follow.
Steps of cutting wood slices with a chainsaw
Step1: Wear protective Attire
Safety is paramount when you operate any machine be it a chainsaw or an airplane! When you gamble with the safety you are surely taking a risk on your life. So, it is a very common issue that you need to follow some safety precautions before using a chainsaw.
First of all, wear thick gloves to protect your hand and fingers from the chainsaw, wood splinters, and flying wood chips. Wear a long sleeve shirt and if possible a thick one so that your body and chest can be protected from wood splinters.
Wear goggles to save your eyes from unwanted dust and splinters. If you are planning to cut in the direct sunshine, then you should buy the goggles that protect the eyes from sun rays as well. In case you are going to use the chainsaw for a long time, you should buy a protective helmet that has a super-protective visor.
You should wear a dust mask for clean breathe and foot protective boot for avoiding foot injury.
Step2: Prepare the wood you want to cut
Prop the end of the wood up at least 5 to 6 inches off the ground to clear it from the ground. This will save your chainsaw from hitting the ground. If your chainsaw hit the ground, it will affect the chainsaw chain and may provide unwanted kickback.
To prop up the wood you need to cut, you can use log jack or other wood scraps. Log jack works great to do this job but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Any solid piece of wood scrap can do the exact thing. Just place the wood scrap underneath the wood that needs to be cut and lift the wood.
Propping up the end of the wood not only helps you in safety measures but also provides ground for a smooth and exact cut. You need to cut the wood at the exact point, don’t you?
Step3: Find the knots on the trunk
In most cases, cutting through the knot of wood is dangerous and tiresome. Furthermore, if you cut through the knot, you may not get a sharp and smooth cut since the knot prevents that. Typically, knots are the strongest portions of any wood. When you cut through these knots your chainsaw may produce extra and uneven kickbacks that can be lethal.
So, how can you detect a knot on the wood? Well, it is pretty simple, just observe and figure out the circular area of a wood where the wood is condensed. Sometimes, a knot can be visible from a far distance because of its circular and thick appearance. You just need to figure out the knot and avoid them as much as you can.
Step4: Measure and Mark the wood
Now it is time to measure and mark the wood according to your needs. To get the perfect size and shape, it is very important to measure the wood and mark them accordingly. When you mark the wood and make the cut following the mark, you will get precise cuts.
You can measure the thickness of the wood if you are dealing with a little guide bar chainsaw. Thickness doesn’t play that much role if you know the ways to cut the way you need to cut. Anyway, still, you can measure the thickness of the wood with a tape measure.
Try to mark the wood in multiple places; do not forget to mark the places you need to cut. This marking will provide you the guidelines during your cut and thus ensure precise cuts. You can use a permanent marker or masking tape to mark the points you need to cut through.
The permanent marker sometimes doesn’t work where the barks are darker. You can use masking tape on those places. Just wrap up the pieces of masking tape around the darker barks. Now, you need to follow these markings during your cutting to get the exact cut you want to.
Step5: Hold the Chainsaw Firmly and Turn it On
Hold the chainsaw 4 to 5 inches above the trunk and place it in-line with the marks you have made during the marking step. Don’t try to touch the wood with the chainsaw before you turn it on.
Now, wrap the left thumb around the front handle of your chainsaw. Turn the saw On and gradually lower it down to the wood you need to cut. This will provide you with extra safety measure in case any kickback happens.
It is recommended that you hold the chainsaw firmly with both hands to get enough energy. This will provide you adequate control over the saw and use the saw keeping perfect balance.
Step6: Glide the Saw Blade slowly through the wood
Just apply a small amount of pressure to push down the chainsaw blade through the wood. To cut smooth and clean, glide the saw blade slowly and hold the saw as firm as you can.
Don’t apply extra force on your chainsaw to go down faster. You just need to guide the saw blade to your desired direction and let the saw do the cutting job for you. If you apply extra force on the saw, you may experience uneven and sudden kickback. Be patient during your cutting jobs and watch out for any unexpected happenings.
Don’t be fooled by the sound of your chainsaw; every chainsaw makes sound be it gas-driven chainsaw or electrical-powered one. Sometimes you may feel that your chainsaw’s weight is too much to hold up. It happens due to overworking at a stretch. You just need to take a break to rest your hands and body.
Step7: Move the Slices you have already cut
In the case of multiple slices cutting, you need to move the slices those you have already cut. This will help you operate the chainsaw in a hazard-free environment. Furthermore, those slices you have cut need to be placed separately to prevent them from being damaged or dent.
If you need to cut multiple slices or want to use the chainsaw for several cuts, just repeat the procedure. Well, don’t forget to give your saw some rest.
Conclusion
Using a chainsaw is easy if you know the procedures and maintain safety precautions. All you need is to wear protective clothing and to concentrate on your cutting jobs carefully. Hopefully, this article on “how to cut wood slices with a chainsaw” was a bit helpful for your cutting job. If you still have any queries, please feel free to let us know via our comment box.
