SECTION 5-TECHNIQUES OF CUTTING
When you
are
going
to
cut
wood--DO
IT
RIGHT!
BUCKING, LlMBlNG AND PRUNING
For your first cutting experience, set upa small log so that
one end is off the ground. Practice your overbucking tech-
nique by cuttina firewood lenath sections off the raised
CUTTING VARIATIONS ACCORDING
TO THE STRESS FACTORS
-A
SAW BLADE PINCHED
end. (see illustration.)
-
When the piece to be cut issupported on theends, but not
along the point where you want to cut, it will bend as you
make your cut. If you are overbucking a log that will bend
downward at the cut, your saw will be pinched if you cut
more than 1/3 the log diameter. So
overbuck 1/3, then re-
move the saw and finish with an underbucking cut from
the bottom of the log. This
1/3-2/3 cutting technique helps
to avoid pinching of the saw and splitting of wood that is
1. Position yourself and the saw for cutting. Hold the saw
under stress.
with small diameterwood, you can make the
whole cut by underbucking as long as you don't care if the
near the log and throttle
UP
to full speed just before let-
wood
splits,
The
reverse
of
the
above
is
true
when
the
lie
is
ting
the
touch
the
wood'
Then
exert
moderate
such that the log will bend upward at the cut. In this case,
feed pressure to help
thechain cut the wood.Thechain
underbuck 1/3 through, and then overbuck so that thecut
must always be running at full throttle speed when it is
will
open
up
instead
of
closing
on
the
saw
blade,
contacting the wood, or you will burn out the clutch.
2.
If desired you can pivot the saw blade back and forth
FINISHING CUT
STRESS
during cutting. This often helpstospeed up thecutting
a bit.
PIVOT ACTION MAY BE USED
IN CUTTING
1
1st
CUT
1/3
dia.
3.
You will notice a slight amount of
pull
reaction during
cutting. So be ready for the moment the saw breaks
through the wood and
pull
ceases. You must be ready
to stop pushing down on the saw and hold the saw nose
up. The moment the chain breaks clear, release the
throttle trigger so the engine will not overspeed.
OVERBUCK UNDERBUCK
4.
When you have mastered the overbucking technique,
try underbucking to see what it feels like.
Place the saw blade under the log. Throttle up and ex-
ert upward pressure to cut clear through. Now you are
ready to learn when to
overbuck and when to under-
buck in order to avoid pinching the chain in the wood.
FINISHING CUT
WEDGE INSERTED TO
HOLD CUT OPEN
Sometimes it is impossible to avoid pinching (with just
standard cutting techniques) or difficult to predict which
way a log will bend when cut. You can do this to prevent
pinching: If the wood diameter is large enough for you to
insert a soft bucking wedge without touching the chain,
you should use the wedge to hold the cut open. Some-
times a pocket in the ground will allow the cut section of
log to settle, resulting in a pinch. The wedge
isalso useful
here, but in
thiscase you can cut on a slight angle (as illus-
trated) so that any settling of the log will result in increas-
ing the gap between the cut log sections.
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