Cautionary Note

[Hilel Salomon]

Not infrequently a turner will ask for advice on chainsaws. Properly used, they are invaluable tools, not just for turners but for anyone with wooded property. They can, however, be deadly!
A close friend of one of my fellow club (VA) turners (himself a turner) recently died while using a chainsaw. He was on a ladder sawing off a limb when the limb fell and upset the ladder. The gentleman fell, hit his head and died. This illustrates two sobering facts:
Falling off ladders is probably the number one cause of serious injuries to homeowners in the U.S.;
chainsaws cause more injuries and deaths than any other motorized tool.
Whatever chainsaw you use, please always wear eye protection and a hard hat. Kickback isn't fun. If you will be using the saw in anything but very protected circumstances, chainsaw chaps and boots are also a very good idea. I'm not paranoid and have over a dozen chainsaws, but nowadays, if I'm going to be out in the woods or in the mountains, I prefer to use my saws while there is someone around who can help in the event of an emergency. At age 70, the number and types of emergencies tends to multiply.
Regards, Hilel

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks for the heads-up Hilel! Now that summer is here (at least in some parts of the country) this is the time where I really put the hours on the chainsaw cutting up blanks for hollow forms and bowls! Chainsaws have earned my respect and I always try to be as careful as possible. The idea of combining a chainsaw and ladder is really scary and not something I would want to do!

Thanks for the warning!

[Rasmus Petersen]

If you have a ferrari do you let the milkman change gearbox ?? NO!! if you have a difficult high tree that needs tending hire someone to do it for you, dont try your self..

I always use boots and chaps.. ALWASY i have seen how bad a chainsaw accident looks when the saw slips and you hit your leg...

be careful trust me it´s not worth it not to...

[Cyril Griesbach]

Heavy boots, chaps, gloves and helmet with ear protection and someone else around at the time. That's my procedure and it's applied at all times no matter how minor the cut will be.

[Norm Zax]

When climbing up a ladder to cut off a branch I always secure the ladder to the limb it is leaning on with a few turns of a chain secured at the end with a snap-link. Then I climb up again with the saw. Some also secure themselves to the ladder.

[Richard Madison]

Good reminder Hilel. I tried one of the inexpensive electric saws on a pole for pruning, since working from ladders is less fun than it once was. It works fairly well, but must remember that if you have an 8 foot pole and try to cut an 8 foot high limb, you will be standing directly under the limb.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks for the reminder Hilel. I always wear boots with steel toes, chaps, gloves, eye protection, and hearing protection. Most accidents I see around here are people taking short cuts or not wearing protection cause they are just making one cut. Comes back to bite ya every time.

[David Walser]

Thanks for the warning. We are remarkably fragile creatures; yet it always seems surprising that we are able to be injured or killed doing normal, everyday, things -- usually when we choose to forgo normal, everyday, precautions.

[Gary Herrmann]

I've got a limb about 25' up to trim. If my manual polesaw doesn't reach it, I think I'll let it go, until we hire someone to deadwood.

A few years back, I saw my neighbor (not a tree trimmer by trade) climibing one of his trees, with a chainsaw slung over his back. Shudder.

[Jeff Nicol]

Hilel, It is sad that a friend has passed on from something that could have been avoided. We all have at times done things that we knew were not the correct way and survived. This then may lead to other misguided efforts to accomplish the task at hand. More often than not youth is the driving force to attempt things that are inhierently dangerous! Most of us grow out of the "I know what I am doing, so don't worry" stage quite quickly, say early 20's, but some continue into there remaining life and get lucky many more times. So what it boils down to is that it takes a wise man or woman to step back and admit to there abilities and inabilities, and call a professional or get some education and assistance in the project. Saftey is always #1 for everything we do, and ladders are dangerous no matter what you are doing on them. I have been cutting and felling trees for about 35 years and I am still nervous when I start, because it is not the same with every tree or limb. If I am in the tree I have a full saftey harness and it is hooked to the tree and the ladder is secured most every time, if the limb is small (2"-4") and not high up I don't worry to much but I have the expierence behind me to do the right thing.

So never tackle a job you are not suited to do or able to do, asking or paying for help is what a smart man does.

Thanks, and everyone stay safe.

Jeff

[Jim Underwood]

A buddy of mine who owned a professional tree service, always wore chaps and protective gear as well as a harness - but that doesn't save you from quirky stuff happening. He nearly became a quadrapalegic, or worse, when a rotten limb broke off and hit him in the neck. It fractured several vertebrae in his neck and he had to wear a brace for several months.

He's quit climbing trees and sawing for a living.

He told me once that he asked an employee if they'd wear the chaps if he bought 'em. The fellow said "no", and then cut his leg the next day. The protective gear became mandatory from that day forward.

Be careful out there!

[David Walser]

Hilel, ...More often than not youth is the driving force to attempt things that are inhierently dangerous! Most of us grow out of the "I know what I am doing, so don't worry" stage quite quickly, say early 20's...

I don't think it's just our age, but our perspective, that changes. I rode a motorcycle before and after I was married. I enjoyed the freedom and the thrill of riding a bike and thought I'd never give it up. Then, our first child was born. My perspective changed. I viewed a lot of things differently than I had. One of those was life insurance. Another was motorcycles. I just had too much to live for and the fun associated with riding a bike were no longer worth the risks to me. (I want to stress the "to me" part of that sentence.) So, I willingly gave up riding a bike.

Our children are now either graduated from college or will graduate in the next couple of years (knock on wood). Biking riding is becoming more attractive to me. Who knows? I might spend the last 10 years or so of my career commuting on a Harley. (One of the very nice things about living in Arizona is it rains so seldom that riding a bike to work is a definite possibility.) Then, again, if my kids were to ever marry and have kids of their own, my perspective might change again.

[Rusty Smith]

Then, again, if my kids were to ever marry and have kids of their own, my perspective might change again.

I found that when the grandkids were born that my perspective changed even more dramatically than when the kids were born. I stopped building race cars just after my daughter was born when a client was killed in a non-racing car accident. The call from his attorney caused me to become sick to my stomach. Finished up the three cars I had contracts on and sold everything off. Only thing I miss is my TIG welder. Sure could have used that several times since.

[Jim Kountz]

Hilel, sorry to hear about this poor guy, what a way to go. Its posts like this however that keeps us all thinking and I guarantee the next time anyone who read this runs their chainsaw they will think about this post.
Stay safe!!

[alex carey]

It is always good to be given another cautionary tale. Many of us have already had accidents that could have been much worse. It is sad to hear when someone does not get as lucky as us. It's usually the simple things that put us i danger, I know it was for me.