Making Little Splits Out of Big Ones

[BrotherBart]

A while back there was a post about the best way to cut large splits for use in smaller stoves. Last week I got my ChainsawBuddy in the mail. Of course it broke during the installation but the new piece arrived today.

I am not big on gadgets, and especially anything attached to my chainsaw bar, but I tried it out today and it is the answer to limbing on the ground and cutting up splits. The darn thing slips right under them, the saw draws them to the stops and bingo little one from big one. And it will not let the chain touch the ground. If I have any negative experiences with it I will post them. In the meantime I will be making twelve inch wood for the Jotuls out of the 24 inchers I cut for the T-4600. And with this pup it ain't gonna take long. If it keeps on keeping on it will be a permenant attachment on one of my baby Poulan limbing saws.

I am not shilling for them but there is a video of the thing at:

http://www.chainsawbuddy.com

 

[Willhound]

Hey Brother Bart
Neat looking device. I watched the video and it was impressive, but the only thing I don't understand is how does it keep the tip of the blade from hitting the ground? It looks to me like if you go far enough through the cut, the tip will eventually swing down and through the device? Or is there a stopper of some kind that I couldn't see? Does this hit the chain? Or is it because of the multiple mounting screws ?

This looks exactly like what I need for brushing blowdowns out of my hunting trails to keep the blade out of the mud.

Willhound

 

[BrotherBart]

There are stops on the mounting block. When the arms hit the ground they contact the stops on the block and since the chain is a half inch or so above that point it can't touch the ground.

I got the thing to cure two problems. One was so I could cut limbs on the ground without consantly having to pick them back up and move them up on a larger piece to cut them up with a running saw hanging in my other hand. Two was bacause I have a stupid habit of coming out of a cut and swinging the saw to the left. If my left my left leg is up on a limb holding it down, guess where that chain is headed. It is an unconsious habit I can't seem to break.

I also like the idea of my feet being under me, where they belong.

 

[Willhound]

I hear ya on all counts. Because I'm right handed I have a bad habit of holding the saw in my left hand by the top grip while I lift and clear cut brush with my right. I've got a few pairs of pants with teeth marks in the left leg, but luckily no skin damage. This is with an idling saw, but still dangerous I realize. I'll usually sit the saw down first, but we've got a lot of swampy areas where your're standing in water while cutting. I've got a great pair of Husqvarna kevlar cutting pants, but I'm ashamed to say that I don't always wear them, particularly in hot weather. You know, the old "I'm only making a few cuts" excuse.

In defense of my own stupidity though, most times when felling or bucking, I've got the pants, hard hat with eye screens and hearing protection as well as steel toed boots and gloves.

I'm sure that Eric Johnson could weigh in here and beat me up pretty good.....;-)

Willhound

 

[BrotherBart]

My next goal is to become rich enough to sit in the pickup with a cold one and yell "Hey Manual. Be sure and put on all the safety gear before you buck out that tree."

That would be a REAL chainsaw buddy.

 

[Willhound]

Ha! You've just reminded me of piling wood with my Dad years ago when I was a kid. Didn't like it much as I recall, although I find a strange comforting reminiscence about it now.

Anyway, he used to always tell me that me and my two buddies, Percy and Manual were going to pile wood.

Manual Labour and Percy Verence....

 

[Eric Johnson]

I don't want to beat anybody up.

Using personal protective gear in hot weather is a challenge, though. One thing I would recommend is to take a tip from hikers and skiers, who swear by synthetic clothing, such as nylon pants. I didn't believe it at first, but the stuff won't soak up sweat, which means it won't chafe your skin or weigh you down with sweaty fabric. And when it does get wet, it dries a lot more quickly. Football jerseys are great for woodcutting shirts (get 'em at Goodwill), and you can buy nylon pants through outdoor outfitters like LL Bean. Polypropolyne socks are nice, too. Just don't try a nylon sweatband.

 

[BrotherBart]

I leave home all the time without an American Express card but that saw does not go into the woods without the Husky chaps.

Of course I hear loggers won't go into the woods without a deck of cards. If they get lost they can sit down and start playing solitaire and some jerk will come along to kibitz and he can show them the way out of the woods.