Additional Safety Warnings - AEG ACS18B30 Original Instructions Manual

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should comply with EN381-5, be CE marked and provide

all-round protection.

Chainsaw safety boots

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should comply with EN ISO 20345:2004 and be marked

with a shield depicting a chainsaw to show compliance with

EN 381-3. (Occasional users may use steel toe-cap safety

boots with protective gaiters which conform to EN 381-9

if the ground is even and there is little risk of tripping or

catching on undergrowth)

Chainsaw jackets for upper body protection

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should comply with EN 381-11 and be CE marked

INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE PROPER TECHNIQUES

FOR BASIC FELLING, LIMBING, AND CROSS-CUTTING

Understanding the forces within the wood

When you understand the directional pressures and stresses inside

the wood you can reduce the "pinches" or at least expect them

during your cutting. Tension in the wood means the ﬁ bers are being

pulled apart and if you cut in this area, the "kerf" or cut will tend to

open as the saw goes through. If a log is being supported on a saw

horse and the end is hanging unsupported over the end, tension is

created on the upper surface due to the weight of the overhanging

log stretching the ﬁ bers. Likewise, the underside of the log will be

in compression and the ﬁ bers are being pushed together. If a cut is

made in this area, the kerf will have the tendency to close up during

the cut. This would pinch the blade.

Felling a tree

See figures 1 - 8.

When bucking and felling operations are being performed by two

or more persons at the same time, the felling operations should be

separated from the bucking operation by a distance of at least twice

the height of the tree being felled. Trees should not be felled in a

manner that would endanger any person, strike any utility line, or

cause any property damage. If the tree does make contact with any

utility line, the company should be notiﬁ ed immediately.

The chainsaw operator should keep on the uphill side of the terrain

as the tree is likely to roll or slide downhill after it is felled.

An escape path should be planned and cleared as necessary

before cuts are started. The escape path should extend back and

diagonally to the rear of the expected line of fall.

Before felling starts, consider the natural lean of the tree, the

location of larger branches, and the wind direction to judge which

way the tree will fall.

Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples, and wire from the

tree.

Do not attempt to fell trees which are rotten or have been damaged

by wind, ﬁ re, lightning, etc. This is extremely dangerous and should

only be completed by professional tree surgeons.

1. Notching undercut

See figures 1 - 6.

Make the notch 1/3 the diameter of the tree, perpendicular to

the direction of the fall. Make the lower horizontal notching cut

first. This will help to avoid pinching either the saw chain or the

guide bar when the second notch is being made.

2. Felling-back cut

See figures 1 - 6.

Make the felling-back cut at least 50 mm/2 in. higher than the

horizontal notching cut. Keep the felling-back cut parallel to the

horizontal notching cut. Make the felling back cut so enough

wood is left to act as a hinge. The hinge wood keeps the tree

from twisting and falling in the wrong direction. Do not cut

through the hinge.

As the felling gets close to the hinge, the tree should begin to

fall. If there is any chance that the tree may not fall in the desired

direction or it may rock back and bind the saw chain, stop

cutting before the felling-back cut is complete and use wedges

of wood, plastic or aluminium to open the cut and drop the tree

along the desired line of fall.

When the tree begins to fall remove the chainsaw from the cut,

stop the motor, put the chainsaw down, and use the retreat path

planned. Be alert for falling overhead limbs and watch your

footing.

Removing buttress roots

See figures 7 - 8.

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 ﬁ rst, followed by the

vertical cut. Remove the resulting loose section from the work area.

Follow the correct tree felling procedure after you have removed the

large buttress roots.

Bucking a log

See figures 9 - 11.

Bucking is cutting a log into lengths. It is important to make sure

your footing is ﬁ rm and your weight is evenly distributed on both

feet. When possible, the log should be raised and supported by the

use of limbs, logs or chocks. Follow the simple directions for easy

cutting. When the log is supported along its entire length, it is cut

from the top (overbuck).

When the log is supported on one end, cut 1/3 the diameter from the

underside (underbuck). Then make the ﬁ nished cut by overbucking

to meet the ﬁ rst cut.

When the log is supported on both ends, cut 1/3 the diameter from

the top (overbuck). Then make the ﬁ nished cut by underbucking the

lower 2/3 to meet the ﬁ rst cut.

When bucking on a slope always stand on the uphill side of the

log. To maintain control when "cutting through", release the cutting

pressure near the end of the cut without relaxing your grip on the

chainsaw handles. Don't let the chain contact the ground. After

completing the cut, wait for the saw chain to stop before you move

the chainsaw. Always stop the motor before moving from tree to

tree.

Limbing a tree

See figures 12 - 13.

Limbing is removing the branches from a fallen tree. When limbing,

leave larger lower limbs to support the log off the ground. Remove

the small limbs in one cut. Branches under tension should be cut

from the bottom up to avoid binding the chainsaw.

Springpoles

See figure 14.

A springpole is any log, branch, rooted stump, or sapling which is

bent under tension by other wood so that it springs back if the wood

holding it is cut or removed.

On a fallen tree, a rooted stump has a high potential of springing

back to the upright position during the bucking cut to separate the

log from the stump. Watch out for springpoles—they are dangerous.

WARNING! Springpoles are dangerous and could strike the

operator, causing the operator to lose control of the chainsaw.

This could result in severe or fatal injury to the operator. This

should be done by trained users.