Poulan 1975 - Manual (Page 11)

CUTTING METHODS
IMPORTANT POINTS
• Check chain tension before first use and
after 1 minute of operation. See CHAIN
TENSION in the ASSEMBLY section.
• Cut wood oniy. Do not cut metal, pSastics,
masonry, non-wood building materials, etc.
• Stop the saw if the chain strikes a foreign
object. Inspect the saw and repair or re­
place parts as necessary.
• Keep the chain out of dirt and sand. Even a
small amount of dirt will quickly dull a chain
and thus increase the possibility of kickback.
• Practice cutting a few small logs using the
following techniques to get the “feel” of us­
ing your saw before you begin a major
sawing operation.
• Squeeze the throttle trigger and allow
the engine to reach full speed before
cutting.
• Begin cutting with the saw frame
against the log.
• Keep the engine at full speed the enti re
time you are cutting.
• Allow the chain to cut for you. Exert only
light downward pressure. If you force
the cut, damage to the bar, chain, or en­
gine can result.
• Release the throttle trigger as soon as
the cut is completed, allowing the en­
gine to idie. If you run the saw at full
throttle without a cutting load, unneces­
sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,
and engine.
• To avoid losing contro! when cut is com­
plete, do not put pressure on saw at end
of cut.
• Stop the engine before setting the saw
down after cutting.
TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES
^WARNING: Check for broken or
dead branches which can fall while cutting
causing serious injury. Do not cut near build­
ings or electrical wires if you do not know the
direction of tree fall, nor cut at night since you
will not be ale to see well, nor during bad
weather such as rain, snow, or strong winds,
etc. If the tree makes contact with any utility
line, the utility company should be notified
immediately.
• Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad­
vance.
• Ciearthe work area. You need a clear area
all around the tree so you can have secure
footing.
• The chain saw operator should keep on
the uphill side of the terrain as the tree is
likely to roll or slide downhill after it is felied.
• Study the natural conditions that can cause
the tree to fai in a particular direction.
Natural conditions that can cause a free to
fali in a particular direction include:
• The wind direction and speed.
• The lean of the tree. The lean of a tree
might not be apparent due to uneven or
sloping terrain. Useaplumbor level to de­
termine the direction of tree lean.
• Weight and branches on one side.
• Surrounding trees and obstacies.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted,
it can snap and fall toward the operator.
Check for broken or dead branches which
can fall on you while cutting.
Make sure there is enough room for the tree
to fall. Maintain a distance of 2-1/2 tree
lengths from the nearest person or other ob­
jects. Engine noise can drown out a warning
oail. Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails,
staples, and wire from the tree where cuts
are to be made. Plan a clear retreat path to
the rear and diagonal to the line of fall.
Plan a clear retreat path
- Direction of Fali
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches (15 cm) in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used tofeli large trees.
A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the de­
sired direction of fait. Ater a feiling cut is
made on the opposite side of tree, the tree
will tend to fall into the notch.
NOTE; If the tree has large buttress roots,
remove them before making the notch. If us­
ing saw to remove buttress roots, keep saw
chain from contacting ground to prevent dull­
ing of the chatn.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE
TREE
• Make notch cut by cutting the top of the
notch first. Cut through 1/3 of the diameter
of the tree. Next complete the notch by cut­
ting the bottom of the notch. See illustra­
tion. Once the notch is cut remove the
notch of wood from the tree.
Final (felling) cut here, 2 inches
(5 cm) above center of notch.
make the feiing cut on the opposite side of
the notch. This is done by making a cut about
two inches (5 cm) higher than die center of
die notch. This will leave enough uncut wood
between the felling out and the notch to form
a hinge. This hinge will help prevent the tree
from falling in the wrong direction.
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