Wayne in BC
New member
I have long had a love/hate relationship with powersaws. Having an uncle who logged on BC's west coast for 60 years helped to get me started using the hungry monsters in a relatively safe fashion, of course that is all relative to the learnee paying attention and always keeping the lessons in mind. It is a lot like driving a vehicle, you can be very good at it when you are paying attention but get tired or impatient and your azz will probably get bit!
From the usual cutting of brush and firewood when in my teens, i progressed to hi tech stuff like building barns and chicken houses and other assorted things that a person with no talent with a skilsaw can do. I sure cut many miles of trail in the mountains while leading horses through a recent blowdown, some horses got used to it and just looked ticked off when you started it up
I always carried a small saw which had vegetable oil for chain lube when hunting, that way it was super useful for splitting a Moose or Elk lengthwise (no more sore arms and barked knuckles) as well as cleaning trail and getting firewood.
I suppose the most interesting situation i ever found myself in due to a chainsaw mishap (yep i clutzed up a time or two
) happened in Feb of 1984. I was cutting next years firewood about a half mile from my house. Two feet of snow, fair cold too at 20 below but thats the best time to get firewood. It warms you 3 times firewood does, while cutting, while splitting and stacking, and when in the stove. I had brought down several large Poplars and was limbing one before slicing it. I was being careful, had seen way too many awful wrecks by peeps who got careless and limbing is one of the most dangerous of jobs. Being careful that the saw did not get too close to my feet and legs i was backing up. I did not stop the saw as i stepped back, bad mistake! Unknown to me a branch lurked in the snow and as i put my right leg down it hooked in my pants right at calf height, with my weight coming down on that leg it threw me backward and forced the leg up sharply and into the spinning saw chain!
At first i thought the odd tickle meant that i had "dodged a bullet" so to speak and merely grazed the knee of my snowmobile suit. Getting to my feet though, my leg felt odd and i looked at the tattered and torn nylon on my knee. Wow! I sure was lucky, what a mess.......or was i? Sitting on the log now, i poked a bit at the mess of nylon where the blade had touched, it fell apart easily to reveal a red mess and i could see right into my knee just above the cap
The sight made me feel a bit woozy and i sternly told myself to not panic! I sat there for a bit, hmmmm, no blood to speak of, thats a good thing huh? Other side of brain says, hey dummy tearing wounds do not bleed much, you know that right? Shut up other side of brain! I am trying to make myself deal with this! Rising from my seat i put some weight on the leg, Such an odd feeling comprising both numbness and weakness, hmmmmmm....i think i will worry now.
I dropped the saw and it was maybe 50 ft to my snowmobile, that is a long way in a couple feet of snow whilst one is trying to use only one leg mostly and is seriously worried that one misstep and the leg falls apart, but i git there, fired it up and was home in a couple minutes. Stopping right at the door i hollered to my wife, no answer but i could hear loud music so i crept painfully slowly through the door and hollered again. She (my ex) shows up asking what i want? I pointed to my leg and said, chainsaw bit me! She had a look and agreed that i needed to go to the hospital, gosh she said, i can see right into your knee! I sez, fire up the car and lets go!
Now folks you can believe this or not but i tell you truly that she said......."maybe call the neighbor, i have bread in the oven and do not want to leave it". My response was not scripted, sorta kinda "knee jerk" i guess and i said some mighty nasty things which did not help my case i suspect. Does this give anyone a clue as to why that critter is my ex? That was her nature, along with having a split personality, (both were nasty) she had a way of astounding me with the depth of her indifference. Now i did not start this story to open up old wounds or get sympathy, but needed to put this in as it is a big part of the story and my embarrassment both for my stupidity and the gong show that was to follow.
I hopped over to the phone and called the nearest neighbor that i knew was home.......Hi Frank, can you do me a favor? I told him that i had an incident with my chainsaw and needed to go to the hospital (20 miles away). He responded by saying he was on his way. I sat there in the downstairs kitchen while i waited and felt kinda nauseous, then i remembered a bottle of Apricot brandy was in the fridge. I used it to add to hot tea when i was ice fishing and although not much of as drinker i grabbed it and took a long pull, then another and........when Frank showed up a few minutes later i felt somewhat better. He took one look and literally picked me up and mostly carried me to the car. He also looked puzzled when he saw "her" watching but was too much of a gentleman to make any observations and i was not going to air any dirty laundry but i knew the story would get out
The emergency room was not very busy and a nurse took a look at my leg right away, then started muttering about drunks and chainsaws. I said.......WHOA! First cut leg, then drink fricking booze!!!!! She shut up then. Had to tell the Doc the same thing, sheesh......I was very lucky indeed, it had nicked the tendoms just a tad and chewed up a fair bit of meat and hide but nothing 30 or so stitches wouldn't cure. Hmmm several lessons here, bad choices can kill you, both emotionally and literally.
Two years later, hunting camp, 3 weeks before season. I needed to get a few things ready, add another 14x16 tent and bulk up the firewood supply at base camp and took one of my guides with me to help.
We spent a couple fairly relaxing days hauling logs with the horses and.........
Continued...........
finished most of the firewood after a long day. I was cleaning up, limbing again
, one moments inattention and the saw came right across the top of my foot! Most of the time i would have had heavy boots on but had changed to sneakers
After some swearing and yelling we took a look. Lucky again, just a bloody furrow and barely through the sneakers. It tapped the tendons some and they were sore as heck. My guide said we need to take you out to a Doc, nah i sez, we got some Vodka for antiseptic and painkiller and i would rather be a tad miserable in this great place than at home!
I set a while and had begun to make us some dinner while the young guy finished the cleanup when i heard a string of curses and turned to see him hopping around........
He had done the same thing! Same foot, the right and he had not put his boots on like i told him to. It was so nearly identical to my injury that we ended up laughing at each other, washed it, poured on some Vodka, had dinner, then drank the rest of our antiseptic!
We both came home limping but never told anyone what happened, IIRC we blamed the horses
A couple weeks back while i was finishing up some firewood i almost made another mistake but caught myself and gave me a stern lecture. Too soon old and too late smart
From the usual cutting of brush and firewood when in my teens, i progressed to hi tech stuff like building barns and chicken houses and other assorted things that a person with no talent with a skilsaw can do. I sure cut many miles of trail in the mountains while leading horses through a recent blowdown, some horses got used to it and just looked ticked off when you started it up
I always carried a small saw which had vegetable oil for chain lube when hunting, that way it was super useful for splitting a Moose or Elk lengthwise (no more sore arms and barked knuckles) as well as cleaning trail and getting firewood. I suppose the most interesting situation i ever found myself in due to a chainsaw mishap (yep i clutzed up a time or two
) happened in Feb of 1984. I was cutting next years firewood about a half mile from my house. Two feet of snow, fair cold too at 20 below but thats the best time to get firewood. It warms you 3 times firewood does, while cutting, while splitting and stacking, and when in the stove. I had brought down several large Poplars and was limbing one before slicing it. I was being careful, had seen way too many awful wrecks by peeps who got careless and limbing is one of the most dangerous of jobs. Being careful that the saw did not get too close to my feet and legs i was backing up. I did not stop the saw as i stepped back, bad mistake! Unknown to me a branch lurked in the snow and as i put my right leg down it hooked in my pants right at calf height, with my weight coming down on that leg it threw me backward and forced the leg up sharply and into the spinning saw chain!At first i thought the odd tickle meant that i had "dodged a bullet" so to speak and merely grazed the knee of my snowmobile suit. Getting to my feet though, my leg felt odd and i looked at the tattered and torn nylon on my knee. Wow! I sure was lucky, what a mess.......or was i? Sitting on the log now, i poked a bit at the mess of nylon where the blade had touched, it fell apart easily to reveal a red mess and i could see right into my knee just above the cap
The sight made me feel a bit woozy and i sternly told myself to not panic! I sat there for a bit, hmmmm, no blood to speak of, thats a good thing huh? Other side of brain says, hey dummy tearing wounds do not bleed much, you know that right? Shut up other side of brain! I am trying to make myself deal with this! Rising from my seat i put some weight on the leg, Such an odd feeling comprising both numbness and weakness, hmmmmmm....i think i will worry now.I dropped the saw and it was maybe 50 ft to my snowmobile, that is a long way in a couple feet of snow whilst one is trying to use only one leg mostly and is seriously worried that one misstep and the leg falls apart, but i git there, fired it up and was home in a couple minutes. Stopping right at the door i hollered to my wife, no answer but i could hear loud music so i crept painfully slowly through the door and hollered again. She (my ex) shows up asking what i want? I pointed to my leg and said, chainsaw bit me! She had a look and agreed that i needed to go to the hospital, gosh she said, i can see right into your knee! I sez, fire up the car and lets go!
Now folks you can believe this or not but i tell you truly that she said......."maybe call the neighbor, i have bread in the oven and do not want to leave it". My response was not scripted, sorta kinda "knee jerk" i guess and i said some mighty nasty things which did not help my case i suspect. Does this give anyone a clue as to why that critter is my ex? That was her nature, along with having a split personality, (both were nasty) she had a way of astounding me with the depth of her indifference. Now i did not start this story to open up old wounds or get sympathy, but needed to put this in as it is a big part of the story and my embarrassment both for my stupidity and the gong show that was to follow.
I hopped over to the phone and called the nearest neighbor that i knew was home.......Hi Frank, can you do me a favor? I told him that i had an incident with my chainsaw and needed to go to the hospital (20 miles away). He responded by saying he was on his way. I sat there in the downstairs kitchen while i waited and felt kinda nauseous, then i remembered a bottle of Apricot brandy was in the fridge. I used it to add to hot tea when i was ice fishing and although not much of as drinker i grabbed it and took a long pull, then another and........when Frank showed up a few minutes later i felt somewhat better. He took one look and literally picked me up and mostly carried me to the car. He also looked puzzled when he saw "her" watching but was too much of a gentleman to make any observations and i was not going to air any dirty laundry but i knew the story would get out
The emergency room was not very busy and a nurse took a look at my leg right away, then started muttering about drunks and chainsaws. I said.......WHOA! First cut leg, then drink fricking booze!!!!! She shut up then. Had to tell the Doc the same thing, sheesh......I was very lucky indeed, it had nicked the tendoms just a tad and chewed up a fair bit of meat and hide but nothing 30 or so stitches wouldn't cure. Hmmm several lessons here, bad choices can kill you, both emotionally and literally.
Two years later, hunting camp, 3 weeks before season. I needed to get a few things ready, add another 14x16 tent and bulk up the firewood supply at base camp and took one of my guides with me to help.
We spent a couple fairly relaxing days hauling logs with the horses and.........
Continued...........
finished most of the firewood after a long day. I was cleaning up, limbing again
, one moments inattention and the saw came right across the top of my foot! Most of the time i would have had heavy boots on but had changed to sneakers After some swearing and yelling we took a look. Lucky again, just a bloody furrow and barely through the sneakers. It tapped the tendons some and they were sore as heck. My guide said we need to take you out to a Doc, nah i sez, we got some Vodka for antiseptic and painkiller and i would rather be a tad miserable in this great place than at home! I set a while and had begun to make us some dinner while the young guy finished the cleanup when i heard a string of curses and turned to see him hopping around........
He had done the same thing! Same foot, the right and he had not put his boots on like i told him to. It was so nearly identical to my injury that we ended up laughing at each other, washed it, poured on some Vodka, had dinner, then drank the rest of our antiseptic!
We both came home limping but never told anyone what happened, IIRC we blamed the horsesA couple weeks back while i was finishing up some firewood i almost made another mistake but caught myself and gave me a stern lecture. Too soon old and too late smart
