Making a chainsaw saw horse for chopping firewood

[nomail]

I was researching how to make a saw horse to chop logs for firewood and came across this:

... hard to think of anythign simpler!

[newshound]

Quite cunning, but it relies on having a pretty heavy wheelbarrow already made heavier by being almost full of cuttings.

I can't help thinking it's not wonderfully safe, but not quite sure what I don't like (apart from the obvious ease of feeding a hand in together with a log).

[Huge]

That was my thought - surely that can't be safe, but I can't say why. Perhaps when you're using a chainsaw conventionally, both your hands are holding the saw and not waving around near the running chain.

[newshound]

Still, I suppose that would let you cut up modest sized branches single handed :-)

[T i m]

Till you fall onto it with the other hand. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Huge]

ROFL

[damduck-egg]

I bought one of these or a clone of it for the light stuff

It actually works better than I expected though I only use it with a small electric chainsaw from Lidl. One hand is needed to operate the switch and tilt the saw up and down the other will be feeding the timber, it would be possible to injure that hand if you were to get into contact with the chain by feeding in a too short piece of log but that is 50% better than than the odds when I used a belt driven from a tractor circular saw bench when young where both hands were at risk . and no way could that be stopped in an instant like the chainsaw chain.

G.Harman

[nomail]

:-)

[nomail]

Interesting! That's the sort of thing I was thinking of making - but at that price it's hardly worth bothering with a DIY solution. How is the chainsaw attached to the pivot? It looks like a single clamping bolt onto the bar, but there must be more than that ... ?

[damduck-egg]

That is about all it is, on mine the bolt squeezes a couple of metal pads onto the bar . I did expect it too need constant re tightening but surprisingly it works. As I said I only use it with a small electric saw, a large petrol may not work as well. There are quite a few suppliers and the design is much the same with minor variations of the clamp. Got mine from screwfix as I wanted a supplier I could easily return it to if it didn't work as described. Link to their page turned out too long which is why I used the one I did but the Screwfix no is (5256D)

G.Harman

[alan_m]

1 bolt, a couple of washers to space the chain away from the support and two nuts which can be tightened against each other so the lock.

[Jonathan]

Looks absolutely lethal to me! What happens when the plank with the saw falls off the wheelbarrow?

Jonathan

[nomail]

Yes, the set-up is a bit risky but the fundamental idea is interesting.

[Brian Gaff]

Probably good to chop off peoples arms as well, unfortunately. Brian

[Andy Burns]

see, who needs pictures?

[Des Watson]

Strongly agree - looks lethal.

Years ago I bought an Oregon saw horse. See, for example,

This has served me really well - easy to use, portable, and generates logs at a fast rate.

Best wishes

Des

[John Rumm]

That is one of the keys... normally when held correctly, they are designed to activate the chain break if something goes wrong, and that is defeated in this case. Also having free hands near the sharp end is less good. Lastly the log is not being cut against the palls on the saw

- if it did snag, its going to get launched at speed up that ramp and away.

[tabbypurr]

The log being launched is not the biggest problem. As the log is pushed it will twist, and considerable violence will occur between log & unsecured saw. The setup is filled with hazards. I daresay it could be done properly.

NT