A chainsaw (also spelled chain saw) is a portable mechanical, motorized saw. It is most commonly used in logging activities such as felling, delimbing, and bucking; by tree surgeons to fell trees and remove branches and foliage; to fell snags and assist in cutting firebreaks in wildland fire suppression, and to harvest firewood. Chainsaws with specially designed blades have been developed as tools for use in chainsaw art. Look up chainsaw in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Portable saw A saw is a tool for cutting wood or other material, consisting of a serrated blade (a blade with the cutting edge dentated or toothed) and worked either by hand or by steam, water, electric or other power. ... Logging is the process in which trees are cut down usually as part of a timber harvest which is good for the environment. ... Delimbing is the process of removing side branches from the stem of a felled tree. ... Bucking is the process of cutting a felled and delimbed tree into logs. ... An arborist (used to be called a tree surgeon) is a professional who maintains trees (generally in an urban environment). ... A firebreak is a usually-man-made gap in vegetation that is expected to slow or stop the progress of wildfires. ... The 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire was a large forest fire that took place in British Columbia, Canada in 2003. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The art of chainsaw carving is a fast growing form of art in the United States and in the rest of the world, that combines the modern technology of the chainsaw with the ancient Art of woodworking. ...

Gasoline-driven chain saw.

A petrol-driven chainsaw finishing off the felling of a eucalyptus tree in Yate, Bristol, England. ... A petrol-driven chainsaw finishing off the felling of a eucalyptus tree in Yate, Bristol, England. ...

Construction

Chainsaw chain.

Chainsaws consist of a small two-stroke gasoline (petrol) internal combustion engine (although smaller versions sometimes use electric motors), the "guide bar" (essentially a long metal frame of a very hard wearing alloy) and the cutting chain itself. Usually each segment in this chain (which is constructed from riveted metal sections similar to a bicycle chain, but without rollers) features a small sharp blade, called a "tooth." "Skip tooth" chain has a tooth only on every second link, and is used for reduced risk of the chain clogging when cutting very soft wood. In modern saws the teeth are not straight blades; they have a forward section that first chips a piece of wood from the bottom of the cut, then another section, at a right angle to the first, which chips a piece from the wall of the cut. There are left and right handed teeth, depending on which wall of the cut they will chip. Left and right teeth are alternated in the chain. Slightly oil chainsaw chain, photographed by me. ... Slightly oil chainsaw chain, photographed by me. ... The two-stroke cycle of an internal combustion engine differs from the more common four-stroke cycle by completing the same four processes (intake, compression, power, exhaust) in only two strokes of the piston rather than four. ... “Petrol” redirects here. ... Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol, in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of fuel and an oxidizer (typically air) occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. ... For other kinds of motors, see motor. ... An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. ... Roller chain and sprocket A bicycle chain is a chain that transfers power from the pedals to the drive-wheel of a bicycle thus propelling it. ... Roller chain and sprocket Roller chain or bush roller chain is the type of chain most commonly used for transmission of mechanical power on bicycles, motorcycles, and in industrial and agricultural machinery. ...

The underside of each link features a small metal finger that keeps the tooth centered between the rails of the bar, helps to carry lubricating oil around the bar, and engages with the engine's drive sprocket inside the body of the saw. The engine drives the chain around the track at a high speed, providing an effective (if rather rough) cutting action. Lubrication occurs when opposing surfaces are completely separated by a lubricant film. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

As chainsaws become more popular among home owners chainsaw manufacturers are introducing features to make them easier to use. Stihl has developed an Easy2Start, or ErgoStart in Europe, system that uses a spring to overcome the engine's compression^[1]. These saws usually start on one pull. Stihl MS 170 Andreas Stihl AG & Company is a manufacturer of chain saws and other handheld power equipment that is headquartered in Waiblingen, Germany. ...

Women are increasingly becoming loggers and foresters. Husqvarna has developed the 339XP as a small saw easy to use for felling and bucking small trees and marketing it towards female foresters^[2]. Stihl also sponsors and gives away saws to female chainsaw carvers to promote women in the forest industry^[3]. Masters of the Chainsaw has an all women carving demonstration team called the "Chainsaw Chix^[4]." Husqvarna is a manufacturer of power lawn equipment, sewing machines and formely mopeds. ...

As chainsaw carving becomes more common chainsaw manufacturings are making special short, narrow-tipped bars for carving. These are called "quarter tipped", "nickel tipped" or "dime tipped" bars, based on the size of the round tip. Echo also sponsors a carving series^[5] and carvers like former Runaways singer Cherie Currie^[6]. RedMax specifically built the G3200 CV chainsaw for carving applications^[7]. For other uses, see Runaways (disambiguation). ...

Maintenance

Logging near Apiary, Oregon

Chainsaws usually require two sources of lubrication. Like most two-stroke engines, the engine is lubricated by its fuel, which contains about 2 ~ 5% (depending on model) oil dissolved in the fuel. Since this mixture is highly flammable, a completely separate oil reservoir is used for the external lubrication of the blade and chain. This latter oil is depleted quickly because it tends to be thrown off the chain by centrifugal force. Failing to keep this reservoir topped up, or using an oil of incorrect viscosity, is a common source of damage to saws and tends to lead to the chain coming off of the bar. With some types of wood, the operator will need to occasionally stop and unplug the holes where the oil is dispensed to the chain and guide bar Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (3872 × 2592 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (3872 × 2592 pixel, file size: 2. ... Logging is the process in which trees are cut down usually as part of a timber harvest which is good for the environment. ... The unincorporated community of Apiary, Oregon takes its name from a Post Office established by that name by David M. Dorsey on August 28, 1889. ... Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum centre and fugere to flee) is a term which may refer to two different forces which are related to rotation. ... For other uses, see Viscosity (disambiguation). ...

The air intake filter tends to clog up with sawdust. This must be cleaned from time to time, but is not a problem during normal operation. Many saw operators clean it with petrol, although manufacturers recommend using compressed air to blow the dust off the filter mesh from the inside, or warm, soapy water, and then left to air dry. If these resources are not available, pure, clean gasoline should be used, otherwise the residual oil on the filter will make it clog up again faster.

Chains must be kept very sharp to perform well. This may be done with a round file or a jig (without removing the chain from the saw), or with a specialised electric sharpening jig with the chain removed from the saw. The jigs help ensure that each cutting face is kept at the correct angles, which are carefully balanced to maximise the saw's efficiency. Proper hand-sharpening may produce a better result, but electric sharpeners are faster, particularly when sharpening very dull chains (especially those which have been subjected to dirt, metal or rocks). Carbide chainsaw blades cannot be sharpened by conventional sharpeners and must be sharpened by a diamond sharpener. Detail of a double-cut flat file A file (or hand-file) is a hand tool used to shape material by cutting. ... The word jig may have different meanings: A jig is a type of folk dance. ...

Safety

Despite safety improvements, chainsaws can be dangerous, and injuries can arise from their use. The most common accident arises from "kickback," when a chain tooth at the upper quadrant of the the guide bar tip cuts into wood without cutting through it. The chain cannot continue moving, and the bar is driven in an upward arc toward the operator. Kickback can result in serious injuries or death. Another dangerous situation occurs when heavy timber begins to fall or shift when a cut is nearly complete - the chainsaw operator can be trapped or crushed. Operation of chainsaws can also cause vibration white finger, tinnitus or industrial deafness. The risks associated with chainsaw use mean that protective clothing and hearing protectors should be worn while operating them, and many jurisdictions require that operators be certified or licensed to work with chainsaws. Injury can also result if the chain breaks during operation due to poor maintenance or attempting to cut inappropriate materials. Vibration white finger (VWF) is a secondary form of Raynauds disease, an industrial injury triggered by continuous use of vibrating hand-held machinery. ... Tinnitus (IPA pronunciation: or ,[1] from the Latin word for ringing[2]) is the perception of sound in the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound(s). ... Traditionally, workplace noise has been a hazard linked to heavy industries such as ship-building and associated only with noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). ...

A more complete description of the design features built into chainsaws to enhance safety is given in the chainsaw safety features article. Personal protective equipment to be worn by chainsaw users is described at chainsaw safety clothing. Also see chainsaw safety procedures. Chainsaw manufacturers have invented numerous design features to improve safety. ... Regulations generally recommend that chainsaw users wear protective clothing, also known as Personal protective equipment or PPE, while operating chainsaws. ...

Accessories

Some saws can have the blade replaced by other attachments, using the saw's "power head" as their motor. Some common attachments are augers, circular saws, winches, hedge trimmers and capstans. Study of a man using an auger, for The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin, Albrecht Dürer, ca 1496 An auger is a device for moving material or liquid by means of a rotating helical flighting. ... Invented in England in 1780, the circular saw (also known as the buzz saw in the USA) is a metal disc or blade with saw teeth on the edge as well as the machine that causes the disk to spin. ... Modern self-tailing winch on a sailing boat. ... Garden hedges, which used to be cut with a knife or with pruning shears, can now be cut with a powered hedge trimmer. ... Nautical capstan A capstan is a rotating machine used to control or apply force to another element, usually linear. ...

There are other accessories available that give extended safety in special environments, fire fighting for instance. For example, Unifire, Inc. has developed a spring loaded depth gauge that keeps fire fighters from cutting through the rafters supporting a roof while also keeping the user safe by covering the chain after the cut.

History

The origin is debated, but the first chainsaw was probably made around 1830 by the German orthopaedist Bernard Heine. This instrument, the osteotome, had links of a chain carrying small cutting teeth with the edges set at an angle; the chain was moved around a guiding blade by turning the handle of a sprocket wheel. As the name implies, this was used to cut bone.

Two important contributors to the modern chainsaw are Joseph Buford Cox and Andreas Stihl; the latter patented and developed a chainsaw in 1926 and a gasoline-powered chainsaw in 1929, and founded a company to mass-produce them. In 1927, Emil Lerp, the founder of Dolmar, developed the world's first gasoline-powered chainsaw and mass-produced them. McCulloch and Industrial Equipment Corp in North America started to produce chainsaws. The early models were heavy, two-person devices with long bars. Often chainsaws were so heavy that they had wheels like dragsaws. Other outfits used driven lines from a wheeled power unit to drive the cutting bar. Joseph Buford Cox invented what is now known as the chipper type chain for chain saws. ... Andreas Stihl (b. ... Dolmar GmbH is the oldest manufacturer of portable gasoline chainsaws and is headquartered in Hamburg. ... See also McCulloch (disambiguation) McCulloch Motors, Inc. ... A dragsaw is an early powersaw using a six foot steel crosscut saw to buck logs to length. ...

After WW2, improvements in aluminum and engine design lightened chainsaws to the point where one person could carry them. In some areas the skidder / chainsaw crews have been largely replaced by the feller buncher and harvester. A slip tongue log skidder used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. ... Feller-buncher is a type of vehicle used in whole tree logging for cutting down trees and (optionally) accumulating them in piles suitable for skidders. ... Harvester in the Black Forest Harvester, type of heavy vehicle employed in cut-to-length logging operations for felling, delimbing and bucking trees. ...

Electric chainsaw

Chainsaws have almost entirely replaced simple man-powered saws in forestry. They come in many sizes, from small electric saws intended for home and garden use, to large "lumberjack" saws. Members of military engineer units are trained to use chainsaws. McCullough Electric Chainsaw. ... McCullough Electric Chainsaw. ... Polish military engineers at work in Pakistan A military engineer is primarily responsible for the design and construction of offensive, defensive and logistical structures for warfare. ...

See also

• chainsaw art
• chainsaw safety features
• chainsaw safety clothing
• band saw
• circular saw
• dragsaw
• Log bucking
• Logging

The art of chainsaw carving is a fast growing form of art in the United States and in the rest of the world, that combines the modern technology of the chainsaw with the ancient Art of woodworking. ... Chainsaw manufacturers have invented numerous design features to improve safety. ... Regulations generally recommend that chainsaw users wear protective clothing, also known as Personal protective equipment or PPE, while operating chainsaws. ... Large resaw blades used in a sawmill. ... Invented in England in 1780, the circular saw (also known as the buzz saw in the USA) is a metal disc or blade with saw teeth on the edge as well as the machine that causes the disk to spin. ... A dragsaw is an early power saw using a six foot steel crosscut saw to buck logs to length. ... Bucking is the process of cutting a felled and delimbed tree into logs. ... Logging is the process in which trees are cut down usually as part of a timber harvest which is good for the environment. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.stihlusa.com/pressoffice/mar04_easy2start.html
2. ^ http://international.husqvarna.com/
3. ^ http://www.thechainsawgirl.com/pint.gif
4. ^ http://www.mastersofthechainsaw.com/chainsaw_chix.htm
5. ^ http://www.echo-usa.com/carvingseries.asp?Year=2007
6. ^ http://www.chainsawchick.com/
7. ^ http://www.mastersofthechainsaw.com/RedMax.htm