Introduction and History
– A chainsaw is a portable saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar.
– Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline, electric, or battery-powered.
– Chainsaws are used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pruning, and cutting firebreaks.
– They are also used for harvesting firewood.
– Chainsaws are commonly used in chainsaw art and chainsaw mills.
– The origin of chain saws in surgery is debated.
– A flexible saw with a fine serrated link chain was pioneered by Scottish doctors in the late 18th century.
– Chainsaws were used in surgery for symphysiotomy and excision of diseased bone.
– The Gigli twisted-wire saw replaced chainsaws in surgery in 1894.
– German orthopaedist Bernhard Heine developed the osteotome, a precursor to the chainsaw, for cutting bone.
– The earliest patent for an endless chain saw was granted in 1883 for producing boards.
– The first portable chainsaw was developed and patented in 1918 by Canadian millwright James Shand.
– Festool, formerly known as Festo, further developed Shand’s invention.
– Andreas Stihl patented and developed an electric chainsaw in 1926.
– Emil Lerp developed the world’s first gasoline-powered chainsaw in 1927.
Construction and Components
– A chainsaw consists of an engine, a drive mechanism, a guide bar, a cutting chain, a tensioning mechanism, and safety features.
– Chainsaw engines are traditionally two-stroke gasoline internal combustion engines or electric motors.
– The cutting chain features different styles of cutting blades, such as chipper-teeth.
– Chainsaws are made in various sizes, from small electric saws for home use to large lumberjack saws.
– There are three main types of chainsaw sharpeners: handheld file, electric chainsaw, and bar-mounted.
Market Trends and Applications
– Corded chainsaws became available in the 1960s but were less commercially successful than gas-powered chainsaws.
– Cordless lithium battery-powered chainsaws gained popularity from the late 2010s onwards.
– Husqvarna and Stihl began manufacturing full-size chainsaws for cutting logs in the early 2020s.
– Battery-powered chainsaws are expected to have increased market share in California due to state restrictions on gas-powered gardening equipment.
– Chainsaws have replaced simple man-powered saws in forestry and are also used by military engineer units and firefighters.
– Chainsaws are used for chainsaw art, chainsaw mills, cutting ice, and cutting concrete during construction developments.
Maintenance and Safety
– Two-stroke chainsaws require 2-5% oil in the fuel for engine lubrication.
– Electrical chainsaws are normally lubricated for life.
– Gasoline-operated saws require a fuel mix of 2% (1:50).
– Gasoline with ethanol can cause problems as it dissolves plastic and rubber.
– Running fresh fuel and running the saw dry at the end of work can mitigate ethanol-related issues.
– Protective clothing with synthetic fibers can prevent injuries from a moving chain.
– Kickback, when a chain tooth catches on wood without cutting through, can cause serious injury.
– Heavy timber falling or shifting before a cut is complete can trap or crush the operator.
– Timber falling in an unplanned direction can harm the operator or other workers.
– Chainsaw use can cause vibration white finger, tinnitus, and industrial deafness.
– Proper maintenance includes keeping chains sharp, cleaning air intake filters, and ensuring proper chain tension.
Working Techniques and Specialized Uses
– Sizeup involves scouting and planning safe cuts, considering tree lean, wind direction, obstacles, etc.
– Felling requires three main cuts to control the fall and ensure safe limbing and cross-cutting.
– Placing a wedge in the felling cut can prevent a sitback (tree moving back opposite the intended direction).
– Freeing involves working a trapped tree and releasing tension using cuts and possibly a winch.
– Limbing is the process of cutting branches off the log.
– Chainsaws can be used as portable sawmills to cut bulk wood into planks or boards.
– Chainsaws can be fastened into a special guide frame to be used as portable sawmills.
– Chainsaw mills are used to cut bulk wood into planks or boards.
– Special chainsaws can cut concrete, brick, and natural stone.
– These chainsaws use cutting edges embedded with diamond grit.
– Chainsaws for cutting stone, concrete, and brick may use gasoline or hydraulic power.
– The chain is lubricated with water to reduce friction and remove stone dust.
– Concrete chainsaws with electric motors have also been developed. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainsaw
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A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. Modern chainsaws are used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pruning, cutting firebreaks in wildland fire suppression, harvesting of firewood, for use in chainsaw art and chainsaw mills, for cutting concrete, and cutting ice. Precursors to modern chainsaws were first used in surgery, with patents for wood chainsaws beginning in the late 19th century.
A chainsaw comprises an engine, a drive mechanism, a guide bar, a cutting chain, a tensioning mechanism, and safety features. Various safety practices and working techniques are used with chainsaws.
