First chainsaw... accessories?

[Alan Zenreich]

I bought a Stihl 029 Super 18" chainsaw via Craigslist yesterday (functionally the same as the MS290, different fuel and oil caps).

It was recently serviced, and has a new Arbormax bar and chain.

I'll be using this to cut turning blanks of black walnut, mulberry, maple, etc.

So, being a safety minded kind of guy... what are the suggestions for accessories:


Chaps: Prefered brand... how many layers?
Helmet/visor: Brand, mesh or plastic visor? Would a Trend Airshield Pro or 3m BreathEasy helmet with built in ear muffs suffice? (I already have these)
Gloves: Anything special?
I have steel toe boots, and various styles of hearing protection (in-ear, and circum-aural).

Anything I'm missing? Any good tutorials around? I intend to cut in my driveway or backyard, and will likely always have someone else in attendance.

[Jason Roehl]

I've never been a chaps-wearer, though I really should. Just in case you don't know, modern chaps aren't intended to be a type of armor--they are intended to snag the chain with Kevlar fibers and jam in the clutch so that the chain stops.

I used to wear a plastic face shield and ear muffs, until I got the Husqy helmet in my avatar pic. Mesh face shield is the way to go. No fogging, and if your chain is sharp, you should only get chips, and almost no dust. I think your Trend Airshield may work, but I'd be leery of using something with an external battery pack and wire--those seem to be asking for trouble. The helmet I have also has a vinyl neck flap that helps keep the sun off my neck in the summer, and helps keep me warm in the winter, along with keeping junk off my neck while sawing.

For gloves, I prefer the stiff leather ones (smooth-ish texture, not the soft leather, and not the suede texture). If it's really cold out (10-15ºF or less), I might wear some lined leather gloves or jersey gloves underneath the leather ones.

[John Pratt]

Just hit your local Lowes or HD. The Husky chaps and helmets should be adequate for what you are doing. Any comfortable set of leather gloves should work fine as well. Gloves are more of a personal choice. Some like the thicker gloves, while I prefer thinner cowhide. I never used to wear chaps, but I wear them all the time now. I was wearing them on a whim one day and sure enough I lost my train of thought and the chain hit my thigh. Left a nice cut in the chaps, but sure saved my leg. Besides, it sets a good example for my son who goes out with me to cut. Read the manual and follow the safety tips for holding the saw, know and understand kickback, and use proper stance etc... If your technique is good, you will hopefully never find out how good the chaps are

[Alan Zenreich]

I know that the mesh screens don't fog, but some reading indicated that they're not rated for impact protection. So in any event, it looks like dedicated eyewear is a good thing under any visor.

The advantage of the Trend or 3m PAPR is that there is no fogging, and no dust inhaled... and ** I already have them **. The Trend is self contained, there is no wire going to the 3m helmet (only the plastic air tube that goes into the rear of the helmet), the battery attaches to the waist pack, worn around back.

So I'm trying to decide if a dedicated chainsaw helmet is any improvement over what I already have. Keep in mind, that I'm not likely to do any all day sawing in blazing heat... this is recreational blank sawing when it's convenient, or when/if I come across a gloatworthy piece of wood.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Accessories? In addition to the safety items. Plastic wedges, or home made ones. A chain file of the proper size. Learn to hand sharpen your blade.

Scan the web for safety. Never use the tip of the saw to cut, until you are comfortable with the saw and what it does. Yes, people do it, but for a newbie saw owner, don't do it.

Good score on the saw.....

[Alan Zenreich]

Yup, I'll get some wedges. Was thinking about the chainsaw sharpener attachment for my Dremels. Hand filing would work too... but ooooh power filing <vbg>

[Jason Roehl]

For sharpening, I've never liked the Dremel stuff. I got something like this years ago and never looked back. I can't speak to this particular model, as I spent twice as much before HF went to a Chinese knock-off:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93213

The best part about this style of sharpener is that you can get all the teeth to consistent length/depth easily. This is very important for a good cut, and you won't do that by hand. Sharpen as soon as you notice a drop-off in performance, don't wait, you'll only take a lot of life off your chain, and make sharpening very difficult if you keep going. Don't forget a depth gauge so that you can file your rakers to the appropriate height (recommended cut depth is probably 0.025" for your chain and saw) after you sharpen the chain.

If you're mainly cutting turning blanks, you MIGHT consider a skip-tooth chain for ripsawing. You don't want to cut across endgrain (makes a lot of fine dust and dulls your chain quickly), and ripping creates a lot of long shavings that can clog the chip port on the bottom of the saw, particularly if the log is close to the ground when you cut it.

[Charlie Reals]

+1 on the above. I have for years used the same style sharpener, not that model though. All my friends who hand sharpen end up coming to me to straighten their chains.

[Alan Zenreich]

Yes, the HF sharpener is on my short list too <vbg>

[Robert McGowen]

I guess no one really thinks about this as safety equipment, but I don't go out into the shop without a cell phone and almost always tell someone that I will be out there. (We are a ways out of town.) After looking around the house for the wife with 4.75 fingers on my left hand one time, I thought that it would be much easier to just call her from the shop. :rolleyes: To carry it one step further, it is really difficult trying to unhook a trailer and drive your car from the fenced-in backyard to the driveway with 4.75 fingers on your left hand, if your wife can't drive to the hospital with a trailer attached. You might want to have a way to get somewhere fast if you needed to.
DAMHIKT :o

[Alan Zenreich]

Robert,

You're absolutely right... cell phone is also good for first responders. At a first aid course we were taught to call it in before applying any rescue techniques.

I ride a motorcycle, and I have my cell phone attached to a thigh pack (the pack straps on like a holster and contains my wallet, glasses, earplugs, flashlight, etc.). The thinking is that if I get thrown from the bike, I want to be able to call for help... not have to get into a saddle bag to retrieve the phone. I also didn't want the phone in a jacket pocket where it could easily break a rib if I landed on it.

[Scott Crumpton]

If you're going to use your trend while chainsawing, get a second set of filters for it. Otherwise, you'll be smelling chainsaw exhaust for a few days when your back at the lathe. I noticed this effect with a normal respirator. Unfortunately, those trend filters are expensive.

[Nathan Hawkes]

As with the first suggestion, I can't emphasize enough to practice chainsaw safety. I have a pair of labonville.com "extreme chaps" that are the only UL class "A" rated chaps that will stand up to an alcohol modified "hotsaw". I figure if they'll stop one of those, they'll stop my 100cc husqvarna.

I had a major accident with a tablesaw on new year's day, and am very lucky to have all 10 fingers. I cut lengthwise up my right index finger through two bones the long way, and nearly cut off the pad of my thumb. General anesthesia, a hand surgeon, screws and pins later I'm well on the mend. I'm not a careless woodworker; I follow safety rules and use push blocks. Sometimes the one you don't see coming is the one that will get you. I hope I never "test out" my chaps, but I've been sawing since I was a teenager. Do yourself a favor, and get a pair. Less than $100 and they could save your life. If my accident had been with my chainsaw, I likely wouldn't be writing this message. If you're like me, then you spend hours by yourself out cutting up logs into manageable blanks, and a fair part of it kneeling or crouching low down around pieces on or near the ground. I've had two friends this season who have also had accidents--one friday with a tablesaw and one a few weeks ago in the last snow, with a chainsaw. Be careful!

[Ryan Baker]

I'd recomment the 6-ply Labonville wrap-around chaps. The Husky chaps from Lowes are decent too, but don't provide as much protection. I'd also pick up one of the helmets from either of those sources. They are really nice for the $30-40 they cost. Note that you still need safety glasses under them for protection.

The Trend will work if you want to do it that way, but I expect you will find it inconvenient, as it is somewhat bulky, top-heavy, and restricting -- it doesn't work too well if you tip your head down a lot. I wouldn't want to use mine for that.

You don't need any power grinding bits. Chains are very simple and quick to sharpen with a file, and if you do it properly it will be sharpened better and more evenly than with a machine.

[Jason Roehl]

You don't need any power grinding bits. Chains are very simple and quick to sharpen with a file, and if you do it properly it will be sharpened better and more evenly than with a machine.

I hate to belabor a point, but it is simply impossible to sharpen a chain freehand as well as a machine with a jig on it. We're talking tolerances in the thousandths of an inch here--those chains are moving fast. If you're two thou off on a few teeth, you're putting pressure on the teeth in different directions as you cut. Not to mention you have to totally switch your technique to sharpen the two orientations of teeth if you're doing it by hand.

I don't think anyone here would hand-file their tablesaw blade. Just because a chainsaw makes a rough cut doesn't mean it's not a precision instrument.

Two or three strokes per tooth with a hand file is great for a touch-up in the field, but that can't be your only method of sharpening. You'll be leaving a lot of chainsaw on the table if you do it that way.

[Jeff Willard]

An axe. The first time you get the bar stuck, you'll know why. And a Peavey.

Don't ask me how I know:eek:.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Another vote for Labonville chaps; better quality, cheaper price.

And I have to disagree with Jason on sharpening. Get the Husky roller guide and you can sharpen more than adequately. Get a couple spares and if a tooth or a few get rocked take several chains to a shop and have them professionally sharpened for a few dollars each.

It would take a lot of sharpenings to pay for a decent power sharpener, and a cheap one isn't going to give you an accurate and repeatable grind.

[Alan Zenreich]

I'll be ordering the Labonville chaps tomorrow... just have to decide which style... wrap around or competition.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Alan I sharpen all my chainsaw chains by hand. I have the attachment from Bailey's (can't remember the name but it is accurate) and find it is no problem to get them sharpened properly. They last as long or longer that the ones my BIL sharpens with his HF powered sharpener. Not arguing just my $1.298.

[Nathan Hawkes]

I'll be ordering the Labonville chaps tomorrow... just have to decide which style... wrap around or competition.


Whichever you decide, order a few inches longer than your inseam. If you wear them at your belt level, every pair that I've seen comes up short at the ankle. I want as much protection as possible! I try and drape them over the lace tie of my boot, protecting at least to the top of your foot anyway. I wish someone made a decent pair of steel toed safety boots that you can lace up. Everything I've seen is mud-boot style, no laces, or kalked--the spikes all over the soles that loggers need for traction when walking around over top of logs--not climbing spikes mind you, but for traction. Anyone know where to buy some that are steel toed (not nylon toed like some), and have real honest to goodness laces, with no spikes???

[Nathan Hawkes]

An axe. The first time you get the bar stuck, you'll know why. And a Peavey.

Don't ask me how I know:eek:.


+1 on both; and some felling wedges if you're going to be dropping the trees yourself. Don't try and use them without some advice first--you can't correct a huge lean.

[Jon Lanier]

Alan I sharpen all my chainsaw chains by hand. I have the attachment from Bailey's (can't remember the name but it is accurate) and find it is no problem to get them sharpened properly. They last as long or longer that the ones my BIL sharpens with his HF powered sharpener. Not arguing just my $1.298.

Bernie, I sharpen mine with the Stihl hand sharpener. What is this attachment from Baily's?

[Ryan Baker]

Whichever you decide, order a few inches longer than your inseam. If you wear them at your belt level, every pair that I've seen comes up short at the ankle. I want as much protection as possible! I try and drape them over the lace tie of my boot, protecting at least to the top of your foot anyway. I wish someone made a decent pair of steel toed safety boots that you can lace up. Everything I've seen is mud-boot style, no laces, or kalked--the spikes all over the soles that loggers need for traction when walking around over top of logs--not climbing spikes mind you, but for traction. Anyone know where to buy some that are steel toed (not nylon toed like some), and have real honest to goodness laces, with no spikes???

Note that the Labonville measurements are from top(waist) to bottom of the chaps, NOT your inseam measurement. If you buy your inseam measurement, you will be quite short in length. Their sizes jump in 4" increments -- I really wish there were in-between sizes. Most people recommend rounding up, and I would generally agree. I rounded mine down and would like them a bit longer, but don't go too long or you will have them in the way of your feet.