LIMBING
See Figure 23, page vii
Limbing is removing branches from a fallen
tree.
■ Work slowly, keeping both hands on the
chainsaw with a firm grip. Always make sure
your footing is secure and your weight is
distributed evenly on both feet.
■ Leave the larger support limbs under the
tree to keep the tree off the ground while
cutting.
■ Limbs should be cut one at a time. Remove
the cut limbs from the work area often to help
keep the work area clean and safe.
■ Support limbs are under tension.
Underbuck (cut from bottom up) support
limbs to avoid binding the saw blade.
■ WARNING! While limbing, stand on the
other side of the tree from the limb you are
cutting (Fig. 23) to stay out of the way of the
falling cut limb.
PRUNING
See Figure 22, page vii
Pruning is trimming limbs from a live tree.
■ Work slowly, keeping both hands on the
chainsaw with a firm grip. Always make sure
your footing is secure and your weight is
distributed evenly on both feet.
■ WARNING! Do not cut from a ladder. This
is extremely dangerous. Leave this operation
for professionals.
■ WARNING! Do not cut above chest height,
because a saw held higher is difficult to
control against kickback.
■ When pruning trees, it is important not to
make the finishing cut next to the main limb
or trunk until you have cut off the limb further
out to reduce the weight. This prevents
stripping the bark from the main member.
■ Underbuck the branch 1/3 through for your
first cut.
OPERATION
■ Your second cut should overbuck to drop
the branch off.
■ Now make your finishing cut smoothly and
neatly against the main member so the bark
will grow back to seal the wound.
CUTTING SPRINGPOLES
See Figure 24, page vii
A springpole is any log, branch, rooted
stump, or sapling that 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!
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.
19 ― English
Springpoles are