Saws that Sing: A Guide to Using Crosscut Saws

Preparation for Bucking and Felling

Safety Considerations

Great care needs to be taken when bucking or felling. The same principles apply whether a crosscut saw or a chain saw is used, but the sawyer is exposed to risks longer during crosscut saw operations. However, the crosscut sawyer can better bear the forces acting on the wood than a chain saw operator.

Personal Protective Equipment

Less personal protective equipment is required to use a crosscut saw than is required to operate a chain saw. Although chaps and ear protection are needed to operate a chain saw, they generally are not required to use a crosscut saw.

You should wear leather or cut-resistant fabric gloves. Handling a hot saw left in the sun, placing and removing sheaths, and other hazardous activities all require gloves. Cotton gloves are not acceptable. Like many sawyers, I do not wear gloves while actually using the saw. Gloves are optional when sawing.

Boots are required when using a crosscut saw. Boots are defined in the USDA Forest Service's Health and Safety Code Handbook ( FSH 6709.11) as: Heavy-duty, cut resistant or leather, waterproof or water-repellent, 8-inch high laced boots with nonskid soles (hard toes are optional).

A first aid kit must be available at the worksite. Other safety considerations such as a medical evacuation plan, provisions for radio use, and local policies (such as restrictions on working alone) must be followed by crosscut sawyers and need to be documented in the job hazard analysis.

Determining the Forces on the Log

When cutting a log, three main forces need to be considered: wood under compression, wood under tension, and gravity (figure 45).

Figure 45--The log is being pulled apart by
tension force and pushed together by compression
force. Areas of tension and compression occur on
opposite sides of the log.

Wood under compression wants to push together when it is severed. Compression wood causes crosscut saws to bind. Chain saws often can cut out minor compression, but crosscut saws cannot. Compression wood will completely bind the saw. Using wedges properly is more critical with crosscut saws than with chain saws. Crosscut sawyers should develop wedging skills to a high level.

Wood under tension wants to separate when it is severed. Tension, especially when combined with gravity, can be very powerful. Whenever wood is under tension in one part of a log, wood will be under compression somewhere else.

Understanding gravity helps the sawyer to work safely. Unlike the forces of tension and compression, the force of gravity is constant.

Situational Awareness

Plan the bucking cut carefully after considering:

• The escape route
• Slope
• Tension
• Compression
• Rocks and foreign objects on the log
• Pivot points
• Adequate saw clearance
• Overhead hazards
• The limits of your ability
• The length of the saw in relation to the log being bucked
• People and property in the cutting zone
• Spring poles
• Proper tool placement
• Falling or rolling root wads
• The log's tendency to roll, slide, or bind
• Broken-off limbs underneath the log that can hook the sawyer if the log rolls
• Safe footing

Bucking Sizeup

Sizing up the bucking situation means that the sawyer must visualize the hazards and consequences of each cutting action. This step is very important.

Overhead Hazards

Visually scan all adjacent trees. A fallen tree blocking the trail may have left broken limbs hanging in adjacent trees as it fell. These hanging limbs or trees are called widow makers for good reason. They can become dislodged and fall at any time.

Do not work beneath any hazard that could come down on you or cause a chain reaction that may strike you. Winds can be a legitimate reason to suspend bucking when hazards are overhead.

Side Slopes

Assess the position of a fallen tree in relation to the slope. If the log lies straight up and down the fall line, end bind will be a concern. The safe uphill side of the log is easy to identify if the log lies parallel to the slope. If the log lies at a different angle, the safe uphill side will not be so easy to identify. Slope, pivot points, gravity, soil hardness and other factors all need to be considered.

Having good footing is extremely important. Take time to kick out a solid footing before beginning to buck.

On steep slopes it's sometimes a good idea to put a block of wood under the downhill side of the log to prevent it from rolling. The log may damage the saw and the trail if it rolls. The block of wood should be about a foot long with a sound limb on it. I remove the bark on the block to reduce friction and leave the limb up so I can pull the block out later.

When the log is severed, the wedges should allow it to settle against the block. While standing in a safe location, I remove the wedges and use the limb to wiggle the block out. Never finish a cut on the downhill side of a log.

Spring Poles

Spring poles (figure 46) are limbs or saplings that are bent beneath a fallen tree. A spring pole can store a tremendous amount of energy. Spring poles can be dangerous if they are cut accidentally, or without careful planning. Cut a spring pole only when necessary.

Figure 46--Look out for spring poles
(trees or limbs that are being held
down by other trees). Spring poles can
release with great force, causing
serious injuries. Make a series of small
cuts on the inside of the bend when
severing a spring pole.

Before cutting a spring pole, select the best spot to make the cut. One way to do so is to determine a point where two projected lines intersect. The first line extends vertically from the base of the spring pole. The second line projects horizontally from the extreme top of the pole's bend. From the intersection of these lines, a 45 degree angle projected back to the spring pole marks the preferred place to make a series of release cuts. This technique is also used when determining where to cut bent limbs. In those cases, horizontal and vertical become relative terms.

If other safety factors do not prevent you from severing the spring pole at the calculated spot, make a series of small cuts on the side under compression. This is always the inside of the bend. Your cutting position and escape routes need to be carefully considered. You must understand the direction the cut ends will travel when planning a safe escape route.

Never use two sawyers when cutting spring poles.

Do not use a crosscut saw to release a spring pole unless the pole is very large. If a crosscut saw is used, a one-person saw with smaller teeth on the front is preferred. Regular crosscut saw tooth patterns usually do not allow the carefully controlled cuts needed to release spring poles.

Some sawyers prefer to use the small teeth on the extreme end of a crosscut saw because the teeth are finer and because doing so provides more distance from the cut material. My experience has taught me that being closer and in absolute control of my carefully placed cuts is safer than being farther back.

I prefer to use the small folding pruning saw that I carry in my day pack. It provides me the most control over the amount of wood fiber being severed. I do not use a crosscut saw for cutting spring poles except in rare situations, usually associated with limbing, where physical barriers prevent me from using the small saw. An ax or Pulaski also may be used, but be careful to limit the depth of each cut. Releasing compression with an ax requires light hacking or nicking rather than actual chopping.

When using a saw, I cut into the compression wood until the sapling moves or the saw starts to bind. I cut no farther and remove the saw quickly. I place an identical cut about one to one-and-one-half times the sapling's diameter away. When this cut binds, I remove the saw and place a third cut between the first two cuts but closer to the first cut than the second. Usually I can cut a little deeper than I did with the first cut. I continue alternating back and forth, working toward the center between these cuts, always vigilant for the Preparation for Bucking and Felling tension side to rip apart and the spring pole ends to fly away from me. By the time I have made a number of cuts, some of the energy stored in the wood fibers has been removed, making the final break less violent.

The most common form of spring poles encountered by crosscut sawyers during trail clearing are the limbs on the underside of a green tree that has fallen across a trail. If the spring poles are directly under the tree, the limb usually strikes the dirt directly beneath it when the limb is severed. The more hazardous limbs are those located along the sides of the log. These limbs can fly outward when severed.

Avoid making the common mistake of severing bent limbs at the bole of the tree. Always cut at the spot indicated by the intersection of the projected lines, even if it means making a second cut flush with the bole later so the log can be rolled off the trail. Cutting limbs under great pressure at the bole of the tree rather than at the spot indicated by the intersection of the projected lines exposes the sawyer to much greater risk. Be especially careful to clean out a safe working area before cutting these spring pole limbs. I save them for last, after I have removed all other vegetation and have secured a safe working area with escape routes.

Suspended Logs

Cutting a suspended log is a single-buck (one person) operation. Often only one side is safe or has adequate footing for you to make the cut.

If you are standing on blowdown where several trees are jackstrawed in different directions, carefully evaluate the sequence in which trees should be removed. Resist the temptation to dive in and cut the first log you come across. Generally, the bottom logs should be cut and removed first. This practice reduces the chance that logs or other material on top will move.

Be sure there is a safe path for any cut log to follow. This is the reason I remove the bottom logs first. If you cut from the top down, the top logs can fall between bottom logs, making the bottom logs impossible to cut.

Proper use of skid logs makes dealing with jackstrawed blowdown safer and easier. Skid logs are placed underneath the log you are cutting to make it easier to move. Calculate the results of your planned sequence of cuts, so that you will have skid logs properly positioned to help move the log where you want it to go. Sometimes those logs support the log as it is being cut.

It might not be possible to remove all suspended trees with a saw. Take out only the ones that can be removed safely. Other suspended trees could be removed with winches or explosives, if necessary.

Often, suspended logs roll when they are released. Be sure the log has a safe path to travel. Logs may ricochet off other objects, making their paths unpredictable. Be sure no snags or other weak trees are in the log's path. They could snap if the log strikes them. Fell snags or weak trees first, if they can be felled safely.

Pivot Points

Pivot points are high points on the ground, or a rock, stump, log, or even limbs on the lower side of a log, that catch part of a moving log and cause it to pivot unexpectedly. Pivot points can be very dangerous and may not be easy to detect. The pivot point acts as a lever in either the vertical or horizontal plane. A log lying on an undetected rock can shift violently upward when the log is bucked. A rolling log caught at its midpoint can swing back uphill or sideways toward the unsuspecting sawyer.

Side Binds

Side binds occur when one side of the log is under compression and the other is under tension. Side bind usually occurs when a log has fallen and is resting between a couple of trees or other obstructions. Cut the compression side first and finish by cutting the side under tension. This cut can be difficult, because it may require sawing from a vertical position. Instead of sawing out side binds, I usually chop them out if they are not too large. Chopping is safer.

Rootwad Movement

Take a close look at logs still attached to their upended rootwads. Are the rootwads going to move when they are severed from the rest of the tree? Where will they move? If Preparation for Bucking and Felling the tree is green or the ground is very wet, the roots may be bent over and under a lot of pressure. Try to dig under the rootwad to evaluate any major roots you may not see. These are similar to spring poles, but are more difficult to detect. Spring pole roots also may act as pivot points, causing the tree to swing when the bole is severed.

Rootwads that have no firm attachment to the ground can roll easily, especially on steep slopes, or if the bole is severed near the rootwad. I sometimes secure rootwads by attaching a winch cable to them so I can apply direct holding pressure. This technique also helps to reduce end bind. A rope works just as well. The idea is to keep the rootwad in place.

Unsound Wood

Rotten wood can crack or break without warning. Logs may be sound in one part and rotten in another. Examine the ends of logs and look for indications of rot. Observe the color of shavings the saw is producing. Dark shavings indicate rot. Rotten wood doesn't hold wedges well, making them ineffective. Because rotten logs may hold more moisture, saws tend to load up with shavings, increasing the need for wedges to keep the kerf open.

Test for soundness by thumping the log with the poll of a single-bit ax. The ax will rebound from the sound wood and the thump will produce a high-pitch noise. Rotten wood has a hollow, low-pitch sound. Loose bark can be a problem to the crosscut saw bucker, although loose bark is not as hazardous on a fallen tree as on a standing tree. Remove loose bark before bucking. Vertical or spiral cracks may indicate weakness and can cause a log to spiral open, especially when it is bucked on steep side hills. Fire-weakened trees need to be sized up carefully as well.

Log Movement

Assume that most logs will move when bucked. Not all log movement is hazardous, but even the slightest movement can pinch a crosscut saw, bend it, or damage the saw's set. Larger logs present more potential risk because their center of gravity is higher and they are heavier.

Planning the Cut

Think the cut through. Make sure that you have the correct saw, the right complement of wedges, and an ax or single-jack hammer to drive them. Know exactly where each cut will go, the types of cuts you will need, and the sequence of the cuts.

Figure out what the severed log is likely to do, and what you would like it to do. You can sometimes control the log by managing the energy that is released when the log is severed. You can retard energy release with wedges or with blocks that prevent the log from rolling. You can accelerate energy release by using ramped skid logs. Expert crosscut saw users apply the principles of force and movement to get the log to its final resting place.

Shattered logs are especially troublesome, because each splintered section may have its own bind. The sawyer may have to cut first from one side, then move to the other. Chopping out a V-notch with an ax is another good alternative to cutting it with a saw.

Types of Cuts

The three basic types of cuts are: the straight, compound, and offset. Each type of cut and its usual application (figure 47) is described.

Figure 47--Three basic cuts:
straight, compound, and offset.

It can also be cut continuously from underneath the log by a single sawyer using an underbuck.

The forces on the log allow the saw to cut through the log only with the help of wedges. Unfortunately, inexperienced buckers sometimes try to use a straight cut when a compound or offset cut is needed. When a saw is bound tight in a log, the bucker probably used a straight cut inappropriately.

A compound cut is placed at an angle that is narrower than perpendicular to the log and angled so that the bottom of the cut slopes toward the part of the log that is being removed. This cut typically is used when clearing a large log that is across a trail. Two cuts need to be made and the severed chunk of the log has to be removed.

By placing a compound cut so that the severed log is longer on the downhill side, the bottom of the cut log is narrower than the top of the cut log. This reduces the chance that the log will bind when it is rolled out of the way. This cut is performed either as a straight cut or as a combination of top cut and undercut.

The offset cut is placed so that the bottom underbucking cut does not match up exactly with the top cut.

This kind of underbucking operation is used when a log is suspended and will drop free when severed. Once the top cut has been made, a single sawyer selects a groove (about ½ inch toward the ax head from the top kerf) from the grooves cut into the saw handle or installs a mechanical underbuck. The ax head is always secured to the side of the log that won't move when the log is cut.

In underbucking, offset wood prevents the severed log from damaging the saw or causing injury when the log drops. This small amount of offset wood acts like the holding wood left when trees are felled. In felling, the holding wood keeps the tree from kicking back.

Determining the Safe Working Side of the Log

Whether you are sawing alone or in tandem, you need to determine the safe working side of the log. This is the side where the final cut will be made.

Planning and Clearing Escape Routes

Escape routes when bucking need to be thought of differently than escape routes when felling, but the principle is the same. Determine danger zones and plan an escape route that avoids them. Clear debris along the route. Although you may not have to use your escape route, your life may depend on it if a log pivots or another problem arises.

Establishing a Work Platform

Because crosscut sawing requires good balance, you need a fairly level platform under your feet. Remove logs, branches, brush, and other vegetation. Use a digging tool to create footholds on steep ground.

Saw blades work best when they are operated perpendicular to the force of gravity. Keeping saws level often requires cutting from a kneeling or crouching position. Kneeling or half-kneeling is better than crouching, both for ergonomic reasons and to maintain control over the cut. Too often a sawyer working from a crouch allows the saw to hit the dirt on the offside of the log, or the saw pinches because the sawyer left too much holding wood on the near side of the log.

Providing Adequate Saw Clearance

Remove rocks and dirt under the log that could dull the saw. I try to dig under the log and place bark or other soft material there to protect the saw when it finishes the cut. Remove all vegetation from the path of the saw.

Bark Removal

The bark on logs often contains sand, dirt, and small rocks that can dull the saw. Fire-charred logs also dull saws. Most crosscut sawyers remove the bark with an ax before starting to cut. In addition, bark is spongy and can reduce the effectiveness of wedges. Remove enough of the bark so that wedges will contact firm wood.

Tool Placement

I usually place wedges and axes on top of a large log where either the uphill or downhill sawyer can reach them. Do not place tools on top of the log if they can fall on the downhill sawyer. The sawyer at the uphill position will set the top- and near-side wedges and ensure the safety of the lower sawyer. The lower sawyer sets the hanging wedge on his or her side of the log, if it is needed.

I often place skids under the log so it won't drop into a hole or trench. Long steel rock bars work as skids; so do native poles. Leave branch stubs about 2 to 3 inches long on the bottom of the skid to help anchor it. If extremely heavy log segments need to be skidded, I use a green tree with the bark removed for a skid. I can make the peeled log slide more easily by pouring water on it.

Crew Communication

Clear communication among all crew members is vital for safety and efficiency. Be sure everyone knows the planned sequence of events. Know where the severed log is going to roll. If a portion of the trail is below the path of the log, post a trail guard in a safe place to warn unsuspecting visitors of the hazard. Be sure everyone knows who will give the all clear signal.

Determining Binds

Understanding directional forces, or binds, is important. Binds determine bucking techniques and procedures. Landforms, stumps, blowdown, and other obstacles that prevent a log from lying flat cause binds. The four types of bind are: top, bottom, side, and end (figure 48). It is possible for logs to have no bind. Normally, logs have a combination of two or more binds:

• Top Bind--The tension is on the bottom of the log. The compression is on the top.
• Bottom Bind--The tension is on the top of the log. The compression is on the bottom.
• Side Bind--Pressure is exerted sideways on the log.
• End Bind--Weight compresses the log's entire cross section.
• No Bind--This log could be cut without a wedge and it would not move. It is difficult to predict binds, so a safe practice is to wedge logs even though you don't think they have binds.

Figure 48--There are four types of binds.
A log can have a combination of two or more binds.