How to use an electric chainsaw

How to operate an electric chainsaw

Electric chainsaws, like any tool, require certain rules of operation. Saw blades or sharp cutting discs and blades connected to electric power lines are not safe tools. Improper handling can cause serious injury to the operator. Because of this, electric chainsaws should be used with extreme caution and certain safety precautions should be followed.

Since this power tool is a highly injurious piece of equipment, certain safety precautions must be observed when working with the saw.

General safety requirements

Circular saws must be operated by persons at least 18 years old who have been instructed and trained in the use of these tools. Smoking in the work place is forbidden. Personnel should also be familiar with firefighting and first aid. The first aid kit and fire extinguisher should be easily accessible. In case of ill health the operator must refrain from work.

Safety requirements before starting work

There must not be any foreign objects in the workplace. Remove all objects from the machine’s work station (wrenches and Allen keys) and keep all accesses away from the machine. The floor at the workstation must be non-slip, clean and dry to prevent the operator from accidentally falling on the machine while it is in operation. The machine must be well earthed.

Operator clothing must be properly buttoned and tucked. Clothing must not be allowed near the machine. Long hair must be picked up and hidden behind a hat. The operator’s eyes must be protected with glasses and respiratory system with a respirator or a mask (you can buy one at a drugstore). It is also recommended to protect your hearing organs with special headphones.

Before starting the saw, you must first check

• Serviceability of the circular saw blade (no broken blades, contamination, quality of sharpening);
• reliability of its fastening;
• The riving knife and guide bar are properly installed;
• safety guard.

If you use a manual circular saw with a short electric cable, you will need an extension cord so that the operator can move freely within the working area. The electric hand saw must be equipped with a soft start system to eliminate the jerk of the tool when starting.

If the design of the unit does not provide it, you can connect the soft starter through an external module, made by your own hands or bought in China.

Safety rules for working

Let the machine idle before you start cutting with the circular saw. If irregularities are found in the operation of the machine, it should be turned off and the faults rectified. The following guidelines should be followed during the sawing process.

• When starting work, the operator must be on the left side of the machine, near the left (front) corner of the worktable, so as not to injure himself if he accidentally throws the workpiece.
• Before sawing workpieces must be carefully inspected to ensure there are no nails, ice, dried mud or concrete that could get caught in the cutting trimmer line.
• Never pass any objects over the rotating saw of the machine.
• If the board is cracked or knotted, slow down the feed of the workpiece as the saw approaches these areas.
• Do not bring the workpiece close to the saw with your hands. Special pushers are available for this purpose.
• Never use the circular saw with the riving knife and blade guard removed.
• To change the circular saw blade, first switch off the saw completely. Turning it off with a button will not be enough.

If the machine operator is assisted by his partner in accepting the board, he must also adhere to the rules:

• the board must not be tilted;
• the part can be removed from the table only after it has completely passed through the riving knife;
• After accepting the part, it should be put aside (stacking) and clean the workplace near the saw blade from the scraps, using a long stick;
• Never pull the workpiece toward you while sawing.
• the feed of the board on the saw should be only from the side of the machine operator, who controls the movement of the workpiece.

All you need to know about working with an electric chainsaw

What is the most important thing about sawing wood with a chain saw?? How to protect yourself? Why the durability of the tool depends on? What you need to know about its maintenance? Of course, you can find the answers to these questions in the instruction manual. But it takes a long time to learn it. And if you have not yet bought an electric saw and want to know in advance about all the nuances? We suggest that you get acquainted with the operation of the tool, so to speak, in absentia.

5 rules for using the tool

Rule 1: Make sure there is sufficient voltage on the mains

The power supply to which you connect the machine should be stable. If you lower the voltage by 15. 20%, the load on the motor will increase. Consequently the machine will not be able to deliver its advertised power. You might not feel this on smaller workpieces. But when you have to saw hard wood or a large log, the motor will be under more strain and may not have enough power. Note also that the motor can simply burn out. To avoid these problems, it is advisable to use a stabilizer for a power grid that is prone to power fluctuations.

Rule 2: Test the tool before you start work

Make sure the saw headset is properly secured, the oil tank is lubricated and the cover is tightly closed. Check that the chain brake, start button lock, lubrication system and fuel system are working properly. If all components are working properly, start cutting.

Rule 3: Sawing techniques must be followed

The general requirements are to hold the workpiece securely and to guide the tool without excessive pressure. Crosscut and rip sawing are quite different. When cross-cutting logs, the spiked bumper at the front of the body should touch the log. It serves as a fulcrum and helps to make a smoother cut. Lift the saw by the rear handle and pull it to the front. If a second cut must be made, the tool is pulled back, the spiked bumper is set slightly deeper in the log, and the rear lever is lifted up again. the guide bar then enters the material. The cutting part must be extracted from the wood while in operation. Cutting lengthwise is much more difficult. it requires special skills. You should not let the bar contact with wood so that it doesn’t kick off. The angle between the blade and the log should be as small as possible. Tooth stop is not used and sawing is done by the lower part of the blade.

Rule 4: Keep the chain well lubricated and tensioned

As a rule, one lubricant is enough for 40 to 50 minutes of work. Most electric saws have automatic chain lubrication. The chain is tensioned easily without tools. just twist the knob on the body.

Rule 5: Do not overload the saw

The machine should be used for 15 to 20 minutes. Then you need to let it rest and let the motor cool down. Sawing cycle should normally be 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off. Even if the tool is equipped with a thermal cutoff, you should not overdo it. in case of overheating the saw will shut down and you won’t get any productive work anyway. It is better to put it aside and let the motor cool down.

Tip: If you have not used a power saw before, try sawing unnecessary wood so you can learn the process better.

Keeping safety in mind!

An electric chainsaw, although very useful, can be very dangerous because it has a sharp chain with a length of 30 to 40 cm. It is frightening to imagine what will happen if such a tool slips out of your hands or gets out of control. By obeying important safety precautions, you can protect yourself and the people working nearby.

Wearing personal protective equipment

To avoid injuries and illnesses associated with long hours of chain saw use proper equipment. The tool’s engine generates noise during operation that can be as loud as 90 to 100 dB. Wear ear protectors to protect your ears. Wear gloves on hands to prevent accidental cutting. Face shield or goggles may be needed to protect face and eyes from flying sawdust. Wear a hard hat when working on a construction site. Read more about how to choose equipment in the article “Eye, Respiratory and Head Protection”.

Stay alert to electrical hazards

Like all power tools, chain saws should not be used in rain and wet weather. Avoid working near flammable objects. It is recommended that the appliance be plugged into a grounded outlet and that an extension cord be used which matches the manufacturer’s specifications. When moving with the tool, it is important to make sure that the cable is not kinked, stretched or caught on obstacles.

Proper posture

To reduce the risk of accidents when working with a power saw, it is important to take a stable position: do not climb on rickety supports, lean too far forward, or saw above shoulder level. Hold the tool firmly by the special handles. the right hand grips the back handle, the left hand grips the front handle. This gives you a good grip on the saw and prevents it from jumping out of your hands. When cutting wood, position yourself so that no part of your body is in the working area of the chain saw.

How to cut a power chain saw properly

Many people after the purchase of an electric saw and some time of operation encounter difficulties when cutting wood for firewood. These difficulties arise from the fact that the owner simply does not know how to use the saw correctly. And the secret is pretty simple. you need to have a good stop, keep an eye on the sharpening and proper chain tension. Regularly change the position of the working area from one side to the other so that the cutting is even. Always make sure the lubrication tank is full.

The sequence of operations is as follows:

• To put a chain saw to a tree;
• Start the saw;
• Sawing is done with straight movements, lifting the handle up and then lowering it down;
• If it becomes uncomfortable to cut, then the saw must be lowered and continue cutting.

In order to make the sawing process itself easier, the chain tensioning must be monitored at all times. If it is not properly tensioned, the guide bar may come off; if it is overstretched, the saw will overheat and break.

What problems can arise?

No problem with the saw if it is operated correctly. But if the basic rules are ignored, the saw can fail quickly, and the owner will think that he got a low-quality tool.

The main malfunctions are due to the following reasons

• Power surges. The most common problem that causes breakdowns is bad wiring and unstable mains voltage.
• Do not work with your power saw for extended periods of time without a break. The main problem of owners, this desire to “finish a little more”, which affects the overheating of the motor and, consequently, the failure of the tool. Follow the rule of thirty minutes on the job, fifteen minutes off.
• Lack of lubrication in the tank will cause the motor to malfunction. modern saws often have an automatic feed of lubrication, but if this is not available, you need to lubricate yourself after about 4 hours.
• Do not overload. This applies to cutting logs of the thickness that a particular model is designed for. And the desire to cut wood thicker than recommended in the manual leads to breakage of the saw.
• A common mistake made by the manufacturer is to hitch the gearbox hard to the armature. This can cause the gearbox to jam. If the wood is tough, the gears start to wear out faster/so avoid stress.

Types of hacksaw blades

The versatility of the sabre saw is ensured by a variety of hacksaw blades, each of which is used for a particular material.

Saw blades differ from each other by material, form and size of teeth, and pitch. Pay attention to the size of the teeth first of all. Bigger ones cut faster, but the quality of cut is better with blades with finer teeth.

Saw blades with a variable pitch are used for straight cuts in wood with nails.

The following markings are used to classify blades:

• HSS. used when sawing soft and non-ferrous metal;
• HCS. processing wood, chipboard, plastic;
• BIM. a bimetal saw, with great flexibility and strength, cuts wood and metal;
• HM. carbide, needed for cutting fiberglass, ceramics, steel.

Advantages and disadvantages of an electric chainsaw

But still the electric saw has many disadvantages, among them:

• Connected to a power source, which means working away from the socket
• You need to buy an expensive professional chainsaw if you need to constantly work with the tool for long periods of time
• Use power saws only for gardening. In the case of daily work, it is recommended to use a chainsaw
• Not as high as a chainsaw

Electric hacksaw

In circumstances where the use of a chainsaw or circular saw is not possible due to limited space, and an electric jigsaw will not give the desired result, an electric sabre saw is used. It can do the job of a hand-held wood sander well, but without the need for excessive force, as the forward motion of the cutting blade is exclusively due to the electric motor.

Advantages of electric wood saws are considered to be an even cut with smooth edges, which cannot be achieved with a chain saw, as well as the lack of restrictions on the thickness of the workpiece, inherent in a circular saw.

Structurally, the saw consists of a drive motor with a gearbox and a cutting blade that runs on guides. Important characteristic of this type of electric saw is the length of the blade. It can reach up to 40 cm and more.

What you can do with electric circular saws

Circular electric saws allow you to process wood and wood-based products in different ways, which depend on the type of tool chosen.

Types of work with a manual circular saw

The manual circular saw can perform the following types of work:

Working on a circular machine

The work of a circular saw (stationary) is slightly different from the work of a manual unit. With a circular machine you can do the following:

Types of work with a coping saw

You can do the following with a crosscut saw:

The cost of electric saws

You can buy a simple chainsaw for 3-5 thousand These machines generally have a transverse-motor arrangement, a tool chain tensioning mechanism, power up to 2,000 watts and a guide bar length of up to 40 cm. Low-priced products tend not to be highly reliable.

For 5-10 thousand sell quality electric saws of world famous brands. Their power also in most cases does not exceed 2 kW, equipped with both motors with longitudinal and transverse arrangement, tool-free chain tensioning mechanisms, thermal relay, soft start functions and inertial brake, as well as other options that increase user safety.

Models with built-in batteries cost from 8,000 to 20,000. In the same price category fall electric saws of well-known brands with a capacity of 1.8 kW and a cutting depth of up to 450 mm. Most models are lightweight and equipped with additional features that make it easier to work and extend its life.

If you are planning to buy a reliable electric saw for working in the countryside, which will last for 5 years with occasional use, pay attention to the tools in the price range of 5-8 thousand.