Handtools for Trail Work

Tools for Sawing, Continued

When carrying a saw, lay it flat across one shoulder with the teeth guarded and facing away from the neck. Carry the saw on the downhill shoulder. Grasp the front handle from under the blade. Remove the rear handle to prevent snagging on overhanging limbs. Transport saws at the rear of a line of workers. Use blade guards made of sections of rubber-lined firehose slit lengthwise with Velcro fasteners to facilitate removal. Saws need extra protection when they are transported in a vehicle. They should be secured between pieces of plywood cut to blade width, or otherwise protected. Store saws straight. Either hang them or lay them flat. Storing saws in a bent position can bow the saw. Before storing, the blade should be coated with a protectant to prevent corrosion. Never store a saw in a wet sheath.

A sharp crosscut is a pleasure to operate, but a dull or incorrectly filed saw is a source of endless frustration. Quality crosscut saw filers are increasingly difficult to find. Good instruction for crosscut saw filing is still available, however. We recommend The Crosscut Saw Manual by Warren Miller (Tech. Rep. 7771-2508-MTDC, rev. 2003). The manual discusses in detail how a saw works and offers experience-tested methods for choosing, using, and maintaining a saw. Copies are available from MTDC.

A crosscut saw sheathed with a piece of fire hose.

Tree sap may bind the crosscut blade in the cut. To prevent this, lightly lubricate the blade with a citrus-based solvent. If a flask is stoppered with a cork that has been grooved lengthwise, the blade can be evenly coated with a film of citrus-based solvent by inverting the flask and whisking the cork along the blade surface. An alternative would be a squirt bottle of citrus-based solvent that could spread a small stream of the fluid along the blade.

A leaning tree will have compressed fibers on its underside. In this case, a cut on that side could quickly bind a saw even after it has been undercut. If this happens, saw as much as possible, remove the saw, and chop away the severed wood. A down log can be under compression if it is only supported on the ends. A cut made in the middle will bind the saw as the weight of the log closes the kerf. Sometimes a cut can be continued by driving a wedge into the cut behind the saw. If the saw still binds, one sawyer should "underbuck" the log from the bottom. Remove one handle to reduce the chance of the blade "kinking" if the severed log carries it to the ground. Plant an ax in the log so the handle can support the back of the saw. Slightly notch the handle for a saw guide. Linseed oil in the notch allows the saw to run easily and minimizes handle wear. The flexible hickory holds the saw in the cut.

The cutting teeth of a crosscut saw sever the fibers on both sides of the kerf. The raker teeth cut like a plane, peel the fibers, and collect them in sawdust gullets between the teeth. From there they are carried out of the cut. A properly sharpened crosscut cuts deep and makes thick shavings.

Placement of the handles also determines how the saw cuts. For a vertical cut with the teeth pointing down and the handles up, the pull stroke will be easier the farther toward the end of the handle the hands are placed. Pointing the handles down reverses the situation. For saws that have two holes on each end, changing the handle position from the lower to the upper hole will have the same effect as moving the hands several inches up the handle.

Another good reference that presents time-tested techniques for using and maintaining crosscut saws is Saws That Sing: A Guide to Using Crosscut Saws (Tech. Rep. 0423-2822- MTDC), by David Michael. Copies are available from MTDC.

Hand Chain Saws

The hand chain saw weighs only 2 pounds compared to 11 to 16 pounds for a conventional crosscut saw. The saw showed promise during early testing, but over time, it has not proved to be a suitable replacement for a traditional crosscut saw. It may be appropriate for occasional or emergency use. It is safer to carry and easier to pack.

Bow Saws

Bow saws are useful for clearing small downfall and for limbing. Modern bow saws come in many sizes and consist of a tubular steel frame designed to accept replaceable blades. Blades detach by loosening a wing nut or releasing a throw clamp. The clamp-type saw does not require nuts and bolts that are easily lost. Unless spare nuts or bolts are carried along, the saw becomes useless. Blade lengths can vary from 16 inches to 36 inches. Saws weigh from 1 to 4 pounds. Let the saw do the work. Apply a little downward force with each stroke. When the bow saw is used for one sawyer, lean slightly over the frame and let your weight provide some downward pressure with each push of the blade. Forcing the blade into the cut may bind or break the blade. Use as much of the length of the blade as possible; the saw will cut smoother and stay sharp longer.

Although the bow saw is designed for one person, two people can saw large logs more effectively. Two people operate the bow saw like a crosscut--each works only on the pull stroke.

The teeth are needle-sharp, so wear gloves when sawing and keep hands clear of the cut and the blade. Carry bow saws by your side with the blade pointed down. Sheathe the blade with small-diameter fire hose and Velcro fasteners or plastic blade guards when not in use. Always carry spare parts and plenty of replacement blades on the trail.

Since worn blades are replaced rather than sharpened, maintenance consists of blade replacement, periodic checks to see that bolts are tight, and an occasional light oiling. Take care when oiling these and other trail tools. Too much oil can trap dirt in tool joints.

Examples:

The Sandvik all-purpose bow saw has a hardened
¾-inch by 36-inch blade, and a Swedish steel
frame with a knuckle guard. The blade changes easily
and has a tension lever. Its weight is 2¼ pounds.

The Sandvik Buckmaster is used for heavy-duty
bucking jobs. The precision ¾-inch blade never
needs refiling. The frame is Swedish oval tubing,
with a knuckle guard and a tension lever for quick
blade change. It weighs 3 to 3½ pounds.

The Sandvik Swifty is designed for light pruning
and landscape work. The tension-mounted blade
is ¾ inch wide and 21 inches long, and features
a peg-tooth design. The quick-action tension lever
facilitates blade changing. It has a Swedish steel
frame with a knuckle guard, and weighs 1¼ pounds.

A small bow saw is used for pruning, limbing,
landscaping, camping. The 21-inch raker tooth
blade is quickly and easily replaced using a
tension lever. The strong tubular steel frame
is designed to allow use of the entire cutting blade.
It weighs 1½ pounds.

The Portex self-storing Swedish bow saw features
a ¾- by 16-inch Swedish steel blade with raker
teeth for cutting firewood, limbs, or lumber. It has
an aluminum frame with a no-slip, plastic hand grip.
All parts disassemble and "nest" inside the handle,
and are easy to reassemble. Weight is 1¼ pounds.

Bow saws effectively clear trails.