Making the felling notch (Fig. 17)
Cut a notch (A) at right angles to the fall direction to a
depth of 1/3 of the tree diameter as shown in Fig. 17.
First make the lower horizontal felling notch (1). This
prevents the saw chain or the guide rail from
becoming trapped when the second felling notch is
made.
Making the felling cut (Fig. 17)
The felling cut should be positioned at least 50 mm
above the horizontal felling notch. Make the felling cut
(B) parallel to the horizontal felling notch. The felling
cut should be cut to a depth which leaves a thin strip
(felling hinge strip) (D) which can act as a hinge. This
strip prevents the tree from rotating and falling in the
wrong direction. Do not cut through the strip. When
the felling cut gets close to the strip the tree should
start to fall. If it becomes clear that the tree may well
fall in a different direction to the desired fall direction
(C) or it starts to lean back and traps the saw chain,
interrupt the felling cut and insert wedges made of
wood, plastic or aluminum to open out the cut and
control the lean of the tree until it leans in the required
direction.
When the tree starts to fall, remove the chainsaw from
the cut, switch it off, place it on the ground and exit
the danger zone via the planned escape route. Watch
out for falling branches and take care not to trip.
Removing branches
Here we are talking about removing branches from
the felled tree. When removing branches, leave any
downward facing branches which are supporting the
tree until the trunk of the tree has been cut up. Smaller
branches should be removed as shown in Fig. 18 (A=
cutting direction when removing branches, B= keep
away from the ground! Supporting branches should
be left until the trunk is cut up) in a single cut from the
bottom to the top. Any branches which are under
tension should be cut from the bottom to the top to
prevent the saw from becoming trapped.
Cutting the tree trunk into lengths
Here we are looking at the process of cutting the
felled tree into sections. Make sure you have a sure
footing and distribute your body weight evenly onto
both feet. If possible the trunk should be underlaid
and supported with branches, beams or wedges. For
easy cutting follow the simple instructions below.
If the full length of the tree trunk is evenly supported
as shown in Fig. 19 then proceed by cutting from the
top down. Take care not to cut into the ground in the
process.
If the weight of the tree trunk is resting on one end as
shown in Fig. 20, first cut through 1/3 of the trunk
diameter from the underside (A) in order to prevent it
from splintering. Make the second cut from the top
(2/3 of the diameter) to the height of the first cut (B)
(this prevents the chainsaw from being trapped).
If the weight of the tree trunk is resting on both ends
as shown in Fig. 21, first cut through 1/3 of the trunk
diameter from the top (A) in order to prevent it from
splintering. Make the second cut from underneath
(2/3 of the diameter) to the height of the first cut (B)
(this prevents the chainsaw from being trapped).
When working with the saw on a slope, always
position yourself at a higher point on the slope above
the tree as shown in Fig. 15. In order to retain full
control at the moment when the cut goes through,
reduce pressure towards the end of the cut without
releasing your firm grip on the handles of the
chainsaw. Take care to ensure that the chainsaw does
not touch the ground.
After completing the cut, wait for the chain saw to
come to a standstill before removing the chainsaw.
Always switch off the motor of the chainsaw before
moving from tree to tree.
6.3 Kickback
The term “kickback” describes what happens when
the running chainsaw suddenly kicks upward and
backward. Usually, this is caused by contact between
the tip of the cutter rail and the workpiece or the saw
chain becoming trapped.
In the event of kickback, large forces occur suddenly
and violently. As a result, the chainsaw usually reacts
uncontrollably. This can often result in very serious
injuries to the worker or persons in the vicinity. The
risk of kickback is particularly great when performing
cross cuts, angled cuts and longitudinal cuts, as it is
not possible to use the claw stop on these cuts. You
should therefore avoid these cuts as far as possible
and take particular care when they are unavoidable.
The risk of kickback is at its greatest when the saw is
positioned for a cut in the region of the tip of the cutter
rail, as the leverage effect is greatest there (Fig. 22). It
is therefore safest to position the saw flat and as close
as possible to the claw stop before making the cut
(Fig. 23).
Caution:
앬 Make sure that the chain tension is always
correctly adjusted.
앬 Only use a chainsaw if it is in perfect working
order.
앬 Only work with a saw chain that has been
properly sharpened in accordance with the
instructions.
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