Ryobi RCS4246B Operator's Manual page 19

from its natural line of fall.
3. Cut a notch about 1/3 the diameter of the trunk in the
side of the tree. Make the notch cuts so they intersect
at a right angle to the line of fall. This notch should be
cleaned out to leave a straight line. To keep the weight
of the wood off the saw, always make the lower cut of
the notch before the upper cut.
4. Make the back cut level and horizontal, and at a
minimum of 2 in. above the horizontal cut of the notch.
Note: Never cut through to the notch. Always leave
a band of wood between the notch and back cut
(approximately 2 in. or 1/10 the diameter of the tree).
This is called a "hinge" or "hinge wood." It controls
the fall of the tree and prevents slipping or twisting or
shooting back of the tree off the stump.
5. On large diameter trees, stop the back cut before it is
deep enough for the tree to either fall or settle back on
the stump. Then insert soft wooden or plastic wedges
into the cut so they do not touch the chain. Drive
wedges in, little by little, to help jack the tree over.
6. As the tree starts to fall, stop the chainsaw and put
it down immediately. Retreat along the cleared path,
but watch the action in case something falls your way.
WARNING
never cut through to the notch when making a
back cut. the hinge controls the fall of the tree,
this is the section of wood between the notch and
back cut.
REMOVING BUTTRESS ROOTS
See Figure 27.
a buttress root is a large root extending from the trunk of
the tree above the ground. remove large buttress roots
prior to felling. make the horizontal cut into the buttress
first, followed by the vertical cut. remove the resulting
loose section from the work area. Follow the correct tree
felling procedure as stated in Proper procedure for tree
felling after you have removed the large buttress roots.
BUCkING
See Figure 28.
Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen tree to the
desired log length.
n Cut only one log at a time.
n support small logs on a saw horse or another log
while bucking.
n Keep a clear cutting area. make sure that no objects
can contact the guide bar nose and chain during
cutting, this can cause kickback. refer to Kickback
in the specific safety rules section of this manual for
more information.
n During bucking operations, stand on the uphill side so
that the cut-off section of the log cannot roll over you.
English
n sometimes it is impossible to avoid pinching (with
just standard cutting techniques) or difficult to predict
which way a log will settle when cut.
BUCkING WITH A WEDGE
See Figure 29.
If the wood diameter is large enough for you to insert
a soft bucking wedge without touching the chain, you
should use the wedge to hold the cut open to prevent
pinching.
BUCkING LOGS UNDER STRESS
See Figure 30.
make the first bucking cut 1/3 of the way through the log
and finish with a 2/3 cut on the opposite side. as you cut
the log, it will tend to bend. the saw can become pinched
or hung in the log if you make the first cut deeper than
1/3 of the diameter of the log.
Give special attention to logs under stress to prevent the
bar and chain from pinching.
OVERBUCkING
See Figure 31.
Begin from the top side of the log with the bottom of the
saw against the log; exert light pressure downward. note
that the saw will tend to pull away from you.
UNDERBUCkING
See Figure 32.
Begin from the underside of the log with the top of the
saw against the log; exert light pressure upward. During
underbucking, the saw will tend to push back at you.
Be prepared for this reaction and hold the saw firmly to
maintain control.
BRANCH TRIMMING AND PRUNING
See Figures 33 - 34.
n Work slowly, keeping both hands on the saw with a
firm grip. Maintain secure footing and balance.
n Keep the tree between you and the chain while limbing.
n Do not cut from a ladder. This is extremely dangerous.
Leave this operation for professionals.
n Do not cut above chest height. A saw held higher than
chest height is difficult to control against kickback.
WARNING
never climb into a tree to limb or prune. Do
not stand on ladders, platforms, a log, or in
any position which can cause you to lose your
balance or control of the saw.
n When pruning trees it is important not to make the
flush cut next to the main limb or trunk until you have
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