Craftsman 138.98946 Operator's Manual page 16

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.
See figure 14.
[] Felling Backcut. The backcut is always made
level and horizontal, and at a minimum of 2
in. above the horizontal cut of the notch.
[] Never cut through to the notch. Always
leave a band of wood between the notch
and backcut (approximately 2 in. or 1/10 the
diameter of the tree). This is called "hinge" or
"hingewood." It controls the fall of the tree
and prevents slipping or twisting or shoot-
back of the tree off the stump.
[] 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. The wedges can
be driven in, little by little, to help jack the tree
over.
[] As tree starts to fall, stop the chain saw
and put it down immediately. Retreat along
the cleared path, but watch the action in
case something falls your way. Be alert for
overhead limbs or branches that may fall and
watch your footing.
BUCKING
See figure 17-18.
Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen tree
to the desired log length.
[] Always make sure your footing is secure and
your weight is distributed evenly on both feet.
[] Cut only one log at a time.
[] Support small logs on a saw horse or another
log while bucking.
[] 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 Precautions Against Kickback
earlier in this manual.
,_ WARNING: Never cut through to the notch
when making a backcut. The hinge con-
trois the fall of the tree, this is the section of
wood between the notch and backcut.
16 - English