Dangerous things - chainsaws

Rocker

This: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/golf/29196593

thisisguitar

You'd have thought with his money he could have paid someone to give him a hand...

Hootsmon

he would not be able tae drive a car with one hand so he'd need tae use one of his drivers

axisus

I remember a story a couple of years ago when some old guy accidentally dropped his chainsaw on the wife and killed her. Dangerous things!

Sambostar

Yeah, but he was being a man about it and hey, tree surgery is easy, it's not rocket science. 

Top handle saw and idiot who sees it as a lightweight alternative to safety and uses it on everything he cuts, rather than one handed limbing, whilst roped up a tree, which it was designed for. 

If he really was a real man and not a golfer ponce he would have used and been able to operate a much heavier saw that needed two hands to use or at least used the chain break and held his top handle thing with two hands, but no, he is an idiot, hence why he nearly chopped his hand off.

Sambostar

Golfing ponces have no idea on how to operate a chainsaw.  This is how it SHOULD be done.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8G3t87jpSo

 

equalsql

The only power tool I stay away from. 

I'd only use one after attending a proper training course and then made sure I had all the necessary safety gear. They are so dangerous with the damage that can cause in an instance that you really need to know what you're doing.

I read a story abut a chap, a pro-logger, who caught a kick-back across the chest. The doctor who saved his life, was ex-military and reckoned the damage was right up there with a critical battlefield wound.

Hootsmon

axisus said:

I remember a story a couple of years ago when some old guy accidentally dropped his chainsaw on the wife and killed her. handy things!

sorted

Sambostar

They are really not dangerous if treated with respect, although cheap saws are pretty shocking, average bloke is not going to get a massive CC saw with a huge blade.  Remember you can fell twice the width of the blade anyway.  As soon as you experience kick back you get a handle on how to use them, it's really pretty safe these days if you use common sense and err on the side of caution, never work tired are aware where the top of your bar is if you haven't any pressure on it and keep you head out of the line of the bar and know your limits it's safe. 

Good way to teach yourself proper chainsaw sharpening is slotting chestnut posts for post and rail fences.  You know what kickback is if you have done a bad job on the rakers or the teeth of the chain, but it gives you a feel of the saw, but as I say using two hands and out of the line of fire, they are not dangerous, even with ludicrous kickback. 

Idiot new landowners I have seen with new saws, always select a blade that is way too big for the power of the saw and bogs it down and is way excessive for normal cross cutting and limbing and on wind blown trees they always cut the stump first, just where the tension is greatest, I sit and watch quietly whilst they are thrown 10 feet on their face with a broken nose.  Other things they do is put their head about 10  inches directly over the blade whilst cutting, so if the blade jams, it can throw the saw directly at their face.  Still can't criticise, they have money. obviously it can't buy sense.

Most accidents are from the branch surgeons are tied to snapping due to the tree whipping, usually ash trees. 

Heard a story about a guy up tall pine or something, not making a backcut when cutting the top off, just beginning to work down after limbing it.  He cut way too big a section off the top, the bark on the missing back cut tore past his rope and the rope tore him in half and he was left there disembowled with a broken spine.

My cheap, hand held circular saw is far scarier. you have to hold it down with both hands and it kicks back something crazy.  The 2 inch bearing router bit on my router table is far scarier, my cheap router in said table with a wobbly 1/2 inch collet is far scarier.  DIY tools are far scarier.

Chainsaws have a bad press, mostly because of idiots like this golfer fella.

Sambostar

Polesaws are better anyway, with a 15' reach, you get less spatter on you.

VimFuego

yup, chain saws are not that dangerous if used properly. I've worked with guys who've been using them professionally for 20+ years and never had an accident. Biggest danger of something like a chainsaw is hearing loss.

Emp_Fab

equalsql said:

The only power tool I stay away from. 

Likewise.  Also Bandsaws...  Mrs Fab could really use a bandsaw for the stuff she makes, but she's a bit accident-prone and like chainsaws, bandsaws aren't forgiving of the clumsy.  I know she'd slice through a finger / hand / entire arm within a week, so she's not having one.  It's bad enough that she's got a chopsaw - every time I hear it power up I automatically check where the phone is in case I need to dial 999 !

equalsql

VimFuego said:

yup, chain saws are not that dangerous if used properly. I've worked with guys who've been using them professionally for 20+ years and never had an accident. Biggest danger of something like a chainsaw is hearing loss.

Yep, that's the key: "been using them professionally". He probably had proper 1:1 training when he started out. 
That video of the red-neck swinging the chainsaw was insane
:-O

frankus

He is very lucky, a chainsaw will go through a leg in about 3 seconds.

ICBM

A dentist I used to go to was also a qualified chainsaw operator and had his certificate framed on the wall next to the chair.

As sambostar and others have said, a professional quality chainsaw used by a trained operator who is following the rules is not that dangerous. Take away one of those things and you can be in trouble.

I'm not trained, I have no need for and can't afford a proper quality chainsaw, so if I need anything chainsawing I would prefer to pay someone who knows what they're doing...

frankus

I know I guy who was trained and wearing a set of the chainsaw proof trousers... meant to ensnare the blade and stop it very quickly ... it did but it made a mess.

RobDavies

Why does my chainsaw chain go blunt really quickly?

A couple of slices of an old cherry log and it needs sharpening again. It's an Oregon chain, so I thought it would be pretty good?

VimFuego

mud in the bark? Basically like a grinding paste, makes a chain go blunt in no time.

lasermonkey

A school friend of mine was killed using a chainsaw. Can't bear to be around the things now. Don't ever let your kid use a chainsaw, no matter how much they beg you.

equalsql

chillidoggy

VimFuego said:

mud in the bark? Basically like a grinding paste, makes a chain go blunt in no time.

It's not the bone that does it, then?