How to Chainsaw Wood

Chainsaw Safety

• 1

  Wear protective clothing including a helmet with face shield, long pants, a heavy shirt, steel-toed boots and gloves. All clothing should be close fitting and never loose. Secure long hair inside clothing. Wear hearing protection when using gasoline-powered chainsaws.

• 2

  Read and understand your chainsaw owners' manual for handling, starting and stopping the saw. Keep the saw tuned up and use the correct gasoline and oil. Always start and stop the saw near the wood you will be cutting. Don't carry a running saw while walking.

• 3

  Cut wood standing on firm, even ground whenever possible. Support the tree trunk so the end you are cutting is above the ground, to prevent cutting into the ground. Support the trunk from only one side, so the cut piece falls away.

• 4

  Run the saw at full speed when cutting wood, but never when there is no resistance on the chain. The saw is made to run fast while cutting and idle while not cutting.

• 5

  Cut with the portion of the chain and bar closest to the engine. Don't try to cut using the tip, as cutting with the tip may cause the saw to kick backwards.

Cutting With a Chainsaw

• 6

  Start the saw according to the manufacturer's instructions. Grip the top handle firmly with your left hand and the rear handle with your right hand so you can squeeze the throttle as you work.

• 7

  Place the chainsaw over the top of the tree trunk where you want to cut it. Bring the bar down so the middle of the chain and bar meet the wood at about the center of the bar.

• 8

  Squeeze the throttle with your right index finger just before the chain makes contact with the wood. Contacting the wood before the engine reaches full speed may cause the engine to stall or the chain to bind in the wood. Keep the saw running at full speed until the cut is completed.

• 9

  Let the chain and engine do the work. Don't try to force the saw through the wood. Apply moderate pressure that doesn't cause the engine to slow down dramatically.

• 10

  Remove the saw from the wood if the cut starts to close. Gravity is working against you and will bind the saw in the wood and make it difficult and possibly dangerous to remove if it closes all the way.

• 11

  Cut wood starting below the trunk if the log is supported on both ends. This makes gravity work for you instead of against you. The cut will open as the log sags and prevent the cut from binding on the chain and bar. Conversely, cut the log starting on top if it is supported on only one end.