saw snatchers

Maui Palm & Tree Care

Maui Palm & Tree Care

Location
Pukalani, Hawaii
lets talk about saw snatching snap cuts. i have had this happen to me a few times and im scared shirtless when it happens. i have tried matching up the 2 kerfs and still the same results sometimes. seems to only happen in larger wood when the face cut or lower kerf is in only 1/3 of the diameter of the branch.
has anyone developed a way to prevent this from happening or is it one of those freak things im just gonna have to suck it up and deal with?
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Guarantee you're making your top cut past your under cut. If you cut an inch or two behind the undercut, it will not grab your saw.

Probably you think you're lining that cut up exactly but the corners aren't aligned and the chain is getting pulled into the cut.

jp
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On leaning stuff and lateral limbs, make your cuts on the sides instead of top and bottom. The wood will stay in place until you deliberately break the piece off. Takes practice and getting very familiar with the wood types and diameters you're cutting. Depending on what im cutting, ill vary the depth of my first cut and how far back I make the second cut.

My. 02
 
If this is happening because the closeness of your two bypass cuts allows the wood to sit down on the bar, you may want to leave more space so that you then park your saw and then snap the cut using both hands.

If you want the wood to sit down, then just be ready for it.

Finally you may want to carefully examine your chain, link by link, both sides. A deforming rivet or cracked strap link always seem to choose a critical moment to play silly buggers with you.

Northwind
 
[ QUOTE ]
Guarantee you're making your top cut past your under cut. If you cut an inch or two behind the undercut, it will not grab your saw.

Probably you think you're lining that cut up exactly but the corners aren't aligned and the chain is getting pulled into the cut.

jp
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[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly.

Pay attention to these words, this person has it CORRECT.

When i first started climbing, i tried to line up the cuts or cut slightly past on the top cut, this was WRONG and I learned quickly to try other things.

Cutting an inch or two behind (as in toward the trunk) for your top cut and you won't get the falling peice EVER to try and take your chainsaw again.
 
oh so the chain cuts through to the piece before the split takes place thus taking the saw with it?
im sorry i dont look at the piece. it happens so fast that i usually dont have the time to stop and look at the falling piece when its taking my saw.
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its all been chipped up before i get out of the tree too.

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Totally misread first post, thought we were talking chucking down spar wood.

My bad.

Worst BRANCH wood I run into for twisting and fibres on both sides battling for control of my saw has got to be Monterey Cypress.

I've heard what we use called a "Hoop cut" or a "Horseshoe cut".

You climb and position your lanyard so that the cut is below shoulder level. You start the relief cut with the saw nearly vertical on the backside of the branch and bring it around under the branch, finishing with the tip. One smooth motion that "collars the branch" anywhere from a foot out to near the branch collar depending on wood type and intended outcome.

Then, at max power, hammer down 2 inches inside the hoop cut.

That's if you just want them to drop flat.

If you're putting in wee facecuts for direction, keep in mind you can only get so much swing, then let it go, fast.

In my head, I only see a chainsaw operating at full throttle, at least while aloft. If I think a cut needs me to "burp" a chainsaw bit by bit, handsaw time.

Northwind
 
"so what exactly causes this phenomenon? "

I'm going to try to explain the best I can. Sometimes when your top cut is made in front of your under cut the bottom of your bar passes the spot where the top of your under cut was made, then when the snap cut does what it does and snaps off it breaks above the bottom of your top cut. This leaves wood on both sides of your saw bar as the piece falls. Does that make any sense? Sorry if I just confused the hell out of you
 
Sherrill Tree Branch Removal Illustration:

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jp has got it spot on as mentioned before... Also mentioned is chainspeed. When I'm cutting soft, snappy wood like williow, I've learned that keeping chainspeed up at all times reduces the risk of getting pinched and having the saw stuck in the cut. Knowing the wood you're cutting also has big implications. When I cut large juniper limbs, I 'ream' my saw in the bottom kerf, it allows a slightly deeper kerf and the wood pops off with ease.

Always a nice, 'whoa' moment when that happens, huh?
 
Break away lanyards and saws are much cheaper than doc bills. I have had a few saws become snatched but it didn't break the saw. It bent the bar to my big saw but I just hammered it back and it works fine.
 
Was mentioned saw going int cut at full throttle. Pull saw out of cut the same way - full throttle. No problems! Some of these limbs will tend to split before saw has completed cut amount desired. Simple rope trick can keep limb from splitting before cut is copleted. Be Safe...
 
I finish the cut with bottom tip corner of the bar and doesn't seem to matter if it is behind or forward or inline.
Jump,hinge, or hold/balance, shave the the finish cut with the bottom tip of the bar.
Knocked the top off a big dead white oak and didn't expect to be snatched but it happened and it kinked the chain.
I am sure if I used the handsaw or shaved with the tip, it would not have happened.
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Another one is to shave/file down the trigger so it is not as long/pronounced so if your hand or glove is jammed in the full throttle position there will be more wiggle room to release or slow the throttle trigger.
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This is as scarey or worse then saw snatch but if the two are combined it could be fatal.

Something to think about! "Snatch with stuck hand in throttle."
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i had one a couple of months ago,,, i hockey sticked / TACOed a 14 inch stihl bar,, i chocked it to poor work positioning .cutting at my full reach, the limb went the saw went my wrist went and the saw stayed attached to me the funny thing about wood in mid air is i am always ready to throw a saw,, and my break away lanyard, is attached to my saddle with a 50 cent key chain beaner
 
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