Bigger Than Normal Notches - For Me.

All through this discussion I've advocated having spares, and that means chain as well.

But if one didn't have spare sharp chains, I still say it's time worth spending to sharpen. With all due respect...if I worked as a sawyer for someone whose head exploded if I took the time to sharpen rather than cut with a dull saw, even if the crane has to wait 5 minutes...well, I'd find another boss :). I'm worth more than that.
 
The man that taught me to climb forbid sharpening on the job. We kept a half dozen chains of.each size with us on jobs. I came in early each day to sharpen chains. On my jobs, we sharpen chains or replace them. If a crane is involved, id reach for another saw. No swapping chains or sharpening. Id like someone else to swap the chain when they have a free moment, or even me if I had a few minutes if down time.
 
Sounds about right to me, though I must say that a blanket prohibition like that reveals an inflexible mind :)....anyway, however one manages it, just don't be frickin around with a dull saw.
 
I didn't like the prohibition B. This was the same man that absolutely refused to climb with a top handle saw. Skilled man, hard worker, but set in his ways and closed to new ideas.
 
Anyone that doesn't want you to take five minutes to touch up a dull saw, probably doesn't want you to relieve your bladder either. A few minutes to do something useful when a short length of free time...or almost free time shows up, is that so much of a self indulgent thing to ask for?
 
Nope.

Actually, having a sharp saw is so integral to the work I consider it as important as putting fuel in when the tank is low. Take that attitude just a little over the top and the guy would have you locking the chain brake and continue cutting by push and pull rather than waste time fueling up.
:D
 
Toms' yahoos will run the chains dull if he isn't on the job watching them like a hawk . There isn't a one of them that can file a chain and they're too damned lazy to change to a sharp one of which he always has several in the trucks .

One worse than that is Toms' brother in law who also has a tree service and couldn't file chain if his life depended on it .Sends every one out to the shop to get ground .Good grief .
 
woodworkingboy said:
Anyone that doesn't want you to take five minutes to touch up a dull saw, probably doesn't want you to relieve your bladder either. A few minutes to do something useful when a short length of free time...or almost free time shows up, is that so much of a self indulgent thing to ask for?
Click to expand...


Heh, if ya gotta go, ya gotta go!
 
I will shut down production to sharpen if be needed. Of course Id rather be well enough prepared that I didnt have to do so but if needed I would. Even with a crane on site charging 400 per hour. 5- 10 minutes to sharpen is nothing compared to the extra time it takes to struggle with a dull saw, not to mention how unsafe, and fatiguing it is to use a dull saw.
 
That is a general theme with all woodwork cutting tools, you increase the risk factor with dull, generally people try to compensate by adding force, not good.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #38
I use my own saws on the job most of the time, which I keep sharp and keep extra chains (my biggest is a 460 which I run a 25" bar on, so that would have certainly been too short). The boss however doesnt like taking the time to sharpen on the job.

In this case we did not have an extra chain or a big enough bar. Had I had a bigger bar I could have easily cleaned up the inside of the notch. I dont think that the dull chain was a factor in not being able to clear it out. IMHO the bottom cut was made to wide and the bar was to short.

As was said before I was lucky it was rotten as it crushed it as opposed to making it a pivot point that could have broken the hinge early.

Thanks for all the tips guys, appreciate your responses.

We run full comp. I would like to try some skip chain.
 
I dont think it really matters if you are an employee or the owner.

Im an employee, and often overlooked by my superiors. But its MY show out there, I run it my way. Im always open to suggestions, but I still run it my way. If I say I need to sit down and sharpen, then I sit down and sharpen. If someone wants to micro-manage me they may just find them selves finishing the job without me. My track record speaks for itself, I get er dun, and bring in profit, and do it safely.
 
I feel the same way as top and Stephen, when on someone else's job, whether I want to stop and sharpen a bit is not something open to discussion. It's not just efficiency, but safety too.
 
One customer tried to tell me she was not going to pay me for cleaning an air filter that had become clogged due to cutting all her dead rotten wood in her yard. I fired her.
Saw chains also apply ...............
 
:lol:

Good one Stephen! After reading this thread, I took a good solemn oath to never ever cut with a dull saw again.

I just realized that every single time I do--for whatever reason--I always am thinking "Why the heck am I doing this?" :lol::|:
 
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