IMPORTANT NOTICE TO READERS!
Because working with chainsaws, sharp tools, trees and brush, and other materials shown in this book inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that following procedures in this book will be safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all chainsaw operators to thoroughly review each project and procedure and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project or procedure.
© 2018 by Brian J. Ruth and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.
Chainsaw Manual for Homeowners is a revised edition of Homeowner’s Complete Guide to the Chainsaw (2009), originally published by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. This version published in 2018 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., and includes new photos and text.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Fox Chapel Publishing, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.
Photos by Scott Kriner, John Kelsey, Daniel Clarke, and Troy Thorne, except as noted below.
Photos 40, 110–11, 113, 115–18, 188–91 by Collin Kleest.
Drawings courtesy Skills Institute Press.
The safety information in this book was reviewed by Dale J. Cagwin, P.E.
ISBN 978-1-56523-927-2
e-ISBN 9781607655350
The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.
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Introduction
What if you didn’t grow up with a chainsaw, or don’t have a friend to teach you, what do you do then?
That is what this book is all about. It is meant to introduce you to the chainsaw. I’ll spell out the differences among the various saws so you can choose the one that is right for you. I’ll help you understand how it works and what happens when its chain contacts what you’re cutting. I will walk you through various projects and the methods of using the saw to complete those projects. I will show you essential safety gear, and how to maintain your saw. Most of all, I’ll show you safe methods of working so that if you choose to run a chainsaw you can do it safely and effectively.
I’ve been running a chainsaw for so long I hardly remember how I learned. I remember standing by the saw buck as my father and grandfather placed the logs up on it for me to cut. I think I was about thirteen the first time. My grandfather bought that saw from a preacher. My father gave it to me as a keepsake and I still have that saw. It’s an old M all electric with a rear pistol grip and a short front handle grip. It was very heavy, and the wiser of the group were more than happy to let me have my fun and tire myself out by running the saw—which I did, every chance I got. I would relish the thought of having to cut more firewood.
In high school I got a job with a small tree service. My job was to feed the chipper and cut up anything that was downed by one of the climbers. It was a dream job: good pay, outdoors, and most important, I got to run a chainsaw. It didn’t take long until I was asking if I could do some climbing. My workmate Joe was an excellent climber. He instructed me on notches and roping down limbs and staying alive running a chainsaw a hundred feet up a tree.
I did tree work all through my college years and I consider that time as my chainsaw survival training. By the time I started chainsaw carving I had a great feel for the bite of a chainsaw and it was only the art aspect that I had to learn. I have been lucky in more ways than one. I practically grew up with a chainsaw, I had the world’s best teachers, and in all the years of working with the world’s most dangerous power tool, I haven’t needed more than a band aid.
This antique monster saw weighs a ton and you have to pivot the engine in its housing to keep the carburetor upright, or else it floods and stalls. This wasn’t my first saw, but it sure does illustrate how far we’ve come from the professional-only saws of yesterday to homeowner-friendly saws today.
Bucking your own firewood becomes easy and safe when you choose a saw with an antikickback nose guard, and take the time to build a constructionlumber sawbuck.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: Read This Chapter! (Safety Is Important)
CHAPTER 2: Buying a Chainsaw: Which Is the Best One for You?
CHAPTER 3: At the Store: A Shopping List
CHAPTER 4: Getting Started: Step-by-Step
Project 1: Cutting Firewood (Bucking)
Project 2: Making and Using a Sawbuck
Project 3: Splitting and Stacking Firewood
Project 4: Trimming Overhead Branches
Project 5: Trimming a Hedge
Project 6: Felling a Small Tree
Project 7: Felling a Large Tree with Wedges
Project 8: Limbing a Downed Tree
Project 9: Bucking a Downed Tree
Project 10: Cutting Down a Stump
Project 11: Milling Lumber from Logs
Project 12: When to Bring in a Professional
CHAPTER 6: Maintenance, Service, and Sharpening