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Across the hill!
This video is a companion to the crosscut saw portion of
the chain saw and crosscut saw training program.
This program is intended for A and B Sawyer certification.
My name is Don Jastad and I'm here to discuss the crosscut saw.
It played an important part of my life.
I learned to fall timber with grandfather,
on springboards, a crosscut saw, and an ax.
Everybody in my era of kids, we all had
to cut firewood with a crosscut saw.
The chain saws weren't around.
So I've got a pretty good background in it.
It played an important part in history.
It is part of the reason that we have a country.
I used a crosscut saw and the ax to fall the trees to make the lumber.
The golden era was between 1880s and 1930s and that's
when the crosscut saw and the ax really shone.
Clearing trails is really important in the back country.
In a lot of the areas, like the wilderness areas,
you can't use a chain saw so this solves the problem.
They're a great tool. Everybody should have one.
A home shouldn't be without one, really.
The focus of this program is how to use a crosscut saw safely and effectively.
It's a supplement to classroom instruction and
fieldwork, and it's very important to be certified.
This is a bucking saw.
It's important to understand how it cuts.
They have two rakers and four cutters.
This particular one is a perforated lance tooth.
It has a reinforcement between two of these cutters.
What happens is the teeth are offset slightly and sharpened
so when they go down the cut of the log, they score the
wood and the rakers come back. They're chisel-like.
They chisel out a nice ribbon. We call them noodles.
When you're sawing with a good saw, it's really quite a thrill.
They're just like saws that sing.
It has two holes in each end, a straight back, and it's heavier.
It still has the same type of arc on the teeth as the
felling saw, but they are designed
specifically for bucking. That's why they're heavy.
The straight back is designed to add more weight to the saw.
It makes it easier for the bucker when you're bucking
logs to get more control of it. They're stiffer.
Let's compare the one-person bucking saw to the two-person
bucking saw.
The one person bucking saw has a D-handle on one end
along with a supplemental handle.
Or you can use a supplemental handle on the other end to
make it basically a temporary two-man bucking saw.
The two-person bucking saw has two holes on each end for
the handles.
It also has a symmetrical curve to the teeth,
and it's very very very beneficial to
controlling the saw in the wood.
This is a felling saw.
It has one hole on each end, it has an arc to the back,
it's lighter, and it's a lot easier to carry in the woods.
It's designed specifically for falling timber.
Because of the arc in the back, you can drive wedges in
without worrying about hitting the back and damaging it.
The field crew would choose a bucking saw over a felling
saw because it's stiffer and heavier and can be used by
two people or one person.
Select the right tool for the job.
While I'm heading out in the woods, I've got a bunch of
limbing, brushing, bucking and felling to do, so I'm
going to choose a crosscut saw and an ax.
Those are the best tools.
Narrator : Ensure your safety and the safety of
your coworkers by being prepared.
Before heading out to do crosscut work you will need
a job hazard analysis, an emergency evacuation plan,
an approved First Aid kit,
and personal protective equipment and clothing.
While long-sleeved shirts and chaps are required for chain
saw work, they are optional for crosscut saw work.
A crosscut saw is always used in conjunction with other tools.
Axes and Pulaski's, wedges, bucking aids,
lubricants and solvents, and shovels.
Good work techniques involve safety,
planning and physical ability.
Be sure to take what you need.
When transporting saws, sheathe them to protect them
from being damaged or causing injury.
You've got Guinevere. You can hand her to me. Okay.
Narrator: Use care when passing a saw to another person.
Got it. What else can I take, Jeff?
Narrator: "Bucking" is cutting logs. Every log
is different, and every log has something to teach you.
Whether you use a chain saw or crosscut saw,
the same principles apply.
Situational awareness of the hazards associated with
bucking is critical.
Before you start cutting, look up, look down, look all around.
As we approach this worksite, this looks like a fairly
straight forward operation. We're just going to try
and drop this tree down into the drainage.
Really important not to get too focused on that fact.
What we need to do first is take a good look overhead and
make sure everything looks okay.
From where I'm standing, this looks like a good site.
I'm not seeing any problems overhead but it's really
important to make sure that you walk all around the
worksite so that you don't miss anything.
So I'm going to come in here a little farther,
take another look around, and look up here-
we have an incredible widow-maker.
So maybe at the road we thought it was a
good idea to work on this end of the log,
there's no way we're going to work under this.
We'll either work on the other end of the log
or we'll just leave this one because
this is such an incredible safety hazard.
Narrator: Analyze each cut carefully before you start.
Each bucking situation is different but they all have inherent risks.
Only begin bucking procedures after mitigating hazards in
the immediate area, such as spring poles.
Begin each cut by positioning your body correctly.
Stay clear of the offside, where the log might move when you cut it.
There are three basic cuts: the straight cut,
the compound cut, and the offset cut.
Removing bark will help keep the saw sharp.
What I'm going to do is center my saw exactly where I want it to be.
I want it to be in a nice straight up and down plane.
I'm just going to guide it, and then I want to try to use
all of the blade that I can. It's a waste of energy
just to be using a little piece in the center.
Sometimes it's a little bit harder to see from the side
if the saw is perfectly vertical, but you're a lot
better off to be sawing from the side, because you can use
a good rocking motion from the hips.
This is a beautiful cutting saw.
You can see really nice chips coming out with it.
The objective to this is just to have a slow, easy rhythm.
We're not killing snakes.
I'm going to keep lubricating this as I go along, just
because I can feel the pitch in this tree.
This is one of those saws where all you have to do is
sort of put it in the kerf and it does the sawing.
Narrator: Binds are directional pressures exerted
in different areas of logs. There are top binds,
bottom binds,
side binds,
and end binds.
Often, a log has more than one kind of bind.
Your safety depends on knowing how to read binds.
Do not expect to always read binds correctly.
Here's our next project.
Looks like we've got a little top bind on this.
It's suspended off the ground, and it looks like
we're going to need to do a compound cut on this.
We're going to need to move the log away.
I think if we do one cut right about here, trying to
avoid these big knots that will really slow us down.
So if we can cut between these knots, and then another
cut up in here, to avoid the knots, then we can roll this
log out, pivot it on that bush and it will be out of our way.
It's already been prepped for us, so we're ready to go.
Let's go ahead and start right in.
I'm pretty good right there. I'm clear of knots underneath here.
I look good here. Let's go ahead and give it a start.
Pretty *** log.
It's going to be hard to start with all this rotten wood in there.
That kerf's opening up nice.
Let's go ahead and put some bark underneath so that our
teeth don't hit the ground when things close up here.
Got it.
You clear? I'm clear.
I'm going to go ahead and roll this on this bush.
Clear below!
It looks like we need to cut a few sections out of this one.
Okay.
The first thing I do whenever I'm going to cut a tree is I
walk the whole length of it.
When I walked down to that end, I saw a root *** lodged
in the ground pretty well.
I don't think it's going to spring back up on us.
When I walked down to that end, I see that it's
suspended on the bank, and it's leaned against this green tree.
That could cause some side bind.
We won't really know until we watch the kerf as we cut.
But I think we'll make our first cut in here and as we
get in a little ways, that top bind is going to cause
the kerf to pinch our saw a little bit.
What else do you see here?
I guess we just need to talk about our escape routes.
We've already looked around and made sure we don't have
any aerial hazards.
What do you think about escape routes?
I like how we've cleared this out so we can move our feet freely.
We'll only have one person nearby when the cut goes
through, and I want to be able to take a few steps
backward without tripping on stuff.
I think we're ready to start sawing then.
Sounds like it to me. You want to get on that side?
You're the tall guy. Everything's relevant, right?
I'm clear of knots underneath here.
Okay. There are no knots under here.
What would your choice be?
Maybe fifteen degrees off if you could get away with it? Yeah.
But since it's going to drop so far, I'd go on and cut
this straight and put our angle in the other side.
This is going to drop enough it shouldn't cause us any trouble.
Let's do a little air saw to get it started. Whoops.
It looks like you're pulling straight.
How do I look? Looks good. Good.
Do you want a little lube? That sounds good.
I usually just lube it right in the cut.
Do we want to be taking as long a stroke as possible?
We sure do. I want to use the whole saw.
I like standing beside the saw and pulling
it across the front of my body.
If you stand behind it, you can't use your legs.
It looks like we can get a wedge started. Okay.
So why do you put the first one in the very center, in the top?
Well, I've got the most clearance from the saw that
way, and the most leverage to hold the kerf open.
Once we get a little farther in, I'm going to put them at
ten and two o'clock just in case the side bind wants to
move the log this way or that and pinch the saw.
Sounds good. Good.
I'm hearing a little creaking.
I'm hearing a little creaking, too.
Always got to watch that kerf and keep your ears open.
Let's go on and tighten that wedge and put in a couple more.
I have the saw. Alright.
I'd sure hate to pinch it.
That takes the fun out of the day.
It looks like we've got a little side bind
because the kerf opening up.
I didn't expect that but that's what you learn as you
watch the kerf while you're cutting.
I'm going to put in these hanging wedges to try to hold
things a little bit still while we cut.
Is your kerf opening up too, or is it just pushing this way?
No, mine's opening up also. Alright.
What we'll want to watch is to make sure there's not a
lot of movement and decide which one of us should get
out of the way so the other can finish the cut.
It almost looks like your kerf might be a little bit
wider than mine.
That's what I'd expect, that tree is pushing it this way.
I'm going to let you finish this one.
I don't really want to stand here with this side bind
popping this thing towards me.
I feel comfortable here because if anything
this end is going to swing out towards you,
and this end's going to be steady.
Okay. The saw is yours!
How much of the saw is coming through?
About eighteen inches.
It's really cracking and opening up, but those hanging
wedges you put in are really keeping it from rotating.
Good. Sometimes when I don't have them I'll just swing an ax
and set the blade across the kerf.
Let's cut here so we can roll this piece out of the way downhill.
I want it to be able to roll freely that direction,
and I want it to be able to drop out.
We'll have to cut a compound angle.
Let's put the saw across and line up that compound angle.
This would be straight across, so first let's orient
our angle this way, about like that.
And then the second angle we're looking for is this way,
so we'll tilt it like that.
It's unnatural to hold the handles of a saw angled like
that, but we'll just have to remember to do it.
I always put in a wedge for good luck.
That kerf's starting to open.
I think I should probably finish it.
I've probably got about seven inches on my side.
You want to stop for just one second?
Hey, thanks. Okay.
All clear.
Let's see if we can pivot this a little bit
and roll it down the hill.
Narrator: Make sure no one is down below and shout out a
warning before the log rolls.
In some cases, you might use a stump as a pivot point to
redirect the cut section off a trail.
John, let's take care of this one. Okay.
I want to cut here, but maybe let's just do this one-person style.
I hate to have anybody downhill from this. Okay.
I don't think I'd want to be downhill when you were sawing.
No. I'm going to move the handle up to the other end of the saw.
This log just has a little bit of bottom bind because
it's hanging out in the air.
The compression is on the bottom.
There's going to be tension on the top, as I saw, so the
cut's going to open up, shouldn't even need a wedge.
I'm just going to go on and saw right through it.
The cut's opening up a little bit.
Narrator: Before the log rolls down the hill,
be sure and shout a warning.
Okay, John, we've got this tree here we have to get rid of.
This looks like a pretty complicated one.
We've got a couple of different binds on it, it
looks like, from being wedged between these two trees and
this whole trunk length here.
Looks like it's got some side bind, which looks like it
wants to go your way.
These are some of the most dangerous to deal with, I
think, because they're pretty unpredictable and they can
release faster than we expect.
So we'd have a lot of compression on this side,
a lot of tension over here. Yes.
So we're going to have to relieve that tension and try
to get it to lay down on the ground pretty flat.
We also have a lot of top bind on it, so we might have
to finish up with an underbuck.
But to start this off, we're going to need to cut here
first to relieve this, and then come in, then probably
underbuck, and it's going to want to push your way.
It might change as we get farther into the log,
but let's make sure we watch that really close.
We're going to have to watch our kerfs really close,
make sure we don't pinch on this.
A couple of other things, when I was cleaning this log up,
I noticed we've got a spring pole here.
We're going to have to get rid of that,
it could really come back and hurt us.
Got another one right here.
This one's bent over; it's got a lot of tension on it.
We can take one out with an ax and take one out with a
saw just for practice.
What are we going to do about escape routes here?
Escape routes, you got a nice clear zone behind you-
So I'll move straight out that way.
Make sure you get far enough in case this rolls, that any
of these branches over here don't come over and get you.
My escape route will be right behind me here.
I've got a good clean zone behind me. I'll get into that.
If you want to work on this one, take this spring pole out,
I'll get the saw out and we can take this one out with a saw.
I'm just making a bunch of cuts on this underside to
relieve this tension, relieve this compression.
Spaces cuts about every six inches.
I can finish it up with the ax.
Let's go ahead and take a few swipes
and see what the tree wants to do.
It doesn't look like the kerf's moving at all.
Let's go ahead and roll it up over the top.
Let's just go slow and see how the kerf's working.
Let's go ahead and take the saw out.
Let's underbuck it. Okay.
I'll take the saw my way. Let's do an offset cut here-
Which side are we going to make our offset into?
Let's go to your left.
I'll go ahead and put a couple wedges in here.
So let's go about an inch off to the side there.
You ready? Yes.
I'm about even. I have a ways to go.
Okay. At least three inches.
Narrator: Typically a log with end bind is lying flat
on the ground on a slope.
It will be less likely to roll when it is cut.
Escape routes still need to be identified.
A compound cut will be needed.
Usually, the first cut is high on the log to reduce weight.
This reduces compression on the lower part of the log.
But each situation should be assessed carefully.
Use wedges as necessary to keep the saw from binding.
Axes can also be used to keep the kerf open.
Even experienced sawyers can misread binds.
They were expecting end bind, but notice the wedges
dropping as the kerf opens.
This indicates this was, in fact, bottom bind.
Clear below!
Narrator: Safety considerations for felling
are the same for chain saws and crosscut saws.
Stand back and examine the area.
Look at more than the tree you will be felling.
Situational awareness is critical for felling.
Crosscut saws are quiet, so hearing protection is not required.
You can hear what the tree is doing.
This is an added safety bonus.
Solid trees sound different from rotten trees.
Felling requires special training.
Certification is based on skill and ability.
Sawyers are certified as A, B, or C level.
If felling a particular tree looks dangerous, don't cut it.
Experienced sawyers know their limits.
First, size up the tree. What species of tree is it?
Each species has unique characteristics.
Some trees may look healthy on the outside,
but are rotten on the inside.
It's dropping a little piece.
This is really rotten. Sounds kind of squishy.
I think this tree's too rotten to bring down.
What would be the biggest problem, Jeff?
Just that we don't have any good hinge wood
so we just couldn't direct the fall?
Once we cut through, it's just going to do
whatever it wants to do? Right.
The wood's not solid enough to control the tree as it falls.
I just think it's too dangerous to take down right now.
And do we really need to take this tree down.
I don't think under these circumstances we should.
I think this tree's too dangerous, flag it off, we'll
tell our supervisor what we found and walk away from it.
Here's our next project, this ponderosa right here.
This one with the forked top, it's got three tops on it.
I don't see any widow makers up there.
Doesn't look like these branches are intertwined with
this tree next to it.
Would you call that a spike top or a pitchfork or is
there any special name for that?
I'd call that a pitchfork or a three top.
A spike top is generally when the top's dead
and standing up there by itself.
This one here, you can see where there's a dead branch
coming out in between. Gotta watch for that.
All those dead branches look like they're holding on there pretty good.
Let's take a look at the lean on this.
Step back, plumb it up.
It's pretty straight up and down from here.
Narrator: At a distance, plumb the tree at least twice
from different locations.
It shows that bow in the trunk, but the top's pretty
much straight over the stump. Sitting right over the stump -
so we've determined the primary lean on this tree.
Secondary lean, it's looking like it still wants to go uphill.
From here, it's showing a little bit of sidehill lean.
From here, it's looking back this way.
From here-so primary lean is putting it up here.
Secondary's putting it through here.
I think we could just lay it right down through here,
between these two trees.
One concern I have here, this is a pretty tall tree.
It's going to have a lot of speed coming through these
trees, if we get too close to either of these trees, we're
going to have a lot of debris flying.
Strip a lot of stuff off, there's a lot of dead on that one.
Yeah, there's a lot of dead branches up there.
This one has a lot of dead branches on it.
It's not something we have to be concerned about.
Do you feel comfortable doing that? Sounds good.
You're good. You're good.
No sign of any vibration or
anything coming out of it, Jeff. Tree sounds pretty solid.
Let's go ahead and take the bark off it
and get our face cut figured out.
Do you want me to clean out the lay a little bit
and work on the escape routes?
Yeah, why don't you walk out the lay? Okay.
We've got one stump here; I think we're going to be down
to the side of it a bit. There's another stump here.
There's a pretty good berm of dirt here,
which may catch it and flip stuff up.
Beyond that, there's just a little bit of slash out here.
I might clear a little bit of this out.
I'm going to go ahead and work on the escape routes.
Narrator: Locate safety zones at least 20 feet away,
preferably behind large, healthy trees or rocks that
will provide protection.
Escape routes and safety zones must not be directly
behind the tree you will cut.
Looks like a good spot, nice and safe behind this tree here.
Go ahead and start removing this bark here.
I'm going to take this bark off because it holds a lot of
dirt and with these saws, you want to keep them as sharp as
possible as long as possible. So when we take the bark off,
that takes all that dirt away.
You've got nice, clean wood, easier to work with.
We'll also be able to see the actual wood, see how firm it
is, make sure there's no bugs or anything in it.
Narrator: The horizontal and sloping cuts create the undercut.
The direction the tree will fall depends on where you
make the first cut, the horizontal one.
This cut should be about one-third of the tree's diameter.
I'm right on my mark. Let's go ahead and gun it. Pull it out.
I'm not sure that we're a third of the way through.
We're looking like we need to go off your way a little bit.
We need to take more on your side.
Narrator: The sloping cut is the second part of the undercut.
This cut needs to be at about a 45-degree angle.
You don't want the undercut to close until the tree is
fully committed to your planned direction of fall.
While some sawyers use a crosscut saw,
more experienced sawyers choose an ax,
especially when a tree is extremely pitchy.
Also, sometimes space is restricted: the saw handles
can't be vertical, or there's no standing room for another
sawyer, or for the end of the saw.
It looks to me like maybe we need to clean that,
maybe a little more on this side,
where we've got a Dutchman going.
Oh, we left the Dutchman there?
Narrator: The holding wood is immediately behind the undercut.
The sloping cut and the horizontal cut must line up and not cross.
When the horizontal and sloping cuts overlap, a Dutchman is formed.
The sloping cut must be fixed to remove the Dutchman.
If a tree is felled with a Dutchman, the wood can split
vertically creating a hazard called a barber chair when
the back cut is made. Felling control will be lost.
So what's happened here is I haven't cleaned this face out enough.
This is called a Dutchman.
If we do our back cut and as the tree starts to tip, this
will close up and actually pinch on here, which will
raise this side of the tree, and then our holding wood
will probably fail and we'll lose control of the tree.
So what we need to do is get this nice and clean,
cut this out so these corners meet really nicely right here,
so that doesn't happen.
I'll get on this side of the tree and finish chopping it out.
You got to be careful at this portion.
If you cut too far deep into here, you're cutting your
holding wood, so you have to be really careful when you
get close here so you don't severe those fibers, because
that will change the dynamics of the tree as you fall it.
Just clean up this.
Let's make sure we're still on line here.
Looks like it's aimed right exactly where you wanted it to go, Jeff.
Narrator: The final cut needed to fell the tree is the back cut.
This cut is important for tree positioning, and
therefore, essential for the safety of sawyers.
Both sawyers should envision an imaginary rectangle.
I'm going to go ahead and draw a box here for you, so
we know where we're at as we're cutting this over.
That will give us our holding wood and
our height for our back cut.
My safety zone is down here behind this tree.
Okay. I'm heading up behind that one.
Who's going to take the saw?
If you would, take the saw, because I've got this
little stump I've got to negotiate around.
So if you could, take the saw and head your way.
Once we start the back cut, let's not get behind the tree.
I'll do all the wedging from this side.
So we're starting the back cut!
Let's get a wedge in there.
You ready? Yes.
About three-quarters of an inch. Yes, right on.
Half an inch. Quarter. I'm right on my line. We're good.
I'll take my handle off, do you want to take the saw.
Okay.
Sitting pretty steady.
TREE'S COMING DOWN!! WATCH THE HILL!!
We were expecting we might get a barber chair because of
the heavy lean and the small face cut, you can see that
half of our holding wood was under compression and half
was under tension, an incredible tension.
You look at these splinters, and these have been pulled
out from the middle of the tree under the tension of
this tree wanting to fall.
It didn't barber chair, though.
It fell over, just like we wanted, but it left quite a
bit of holding wood. What do you think, Jeff?
Do you suppose the tree is split up here in the
beginning of a barber chair?
I bet it was really trying hard.
If we remove this bark here, I bet you see a crack that
comes quite a ways up this trunk.
It took a lot of force to pull this out.
We can see that it's split, there's a piece of wood
that's split off the side.
It was definitely trying to barber chair on us, but it
just didn't have the chance.
In a barber chair, the tree splits off up high and the
butt can shoot back or fall unpredictably from the tower
of splinters that are left.
That's why that's so dangerous.
We brought this down safely because we understood what
dangers there were and were anticipating them.
So this is the fun part, looking at how it all worked.
It would be a waste to just walk away from it and not know.
That's about where the split ends.
Narrator: Someday, even you, as a Class C Faller, could cut down this one.