Chainsaws can be dangerous. Even when they aren't running. Just got done putting a brand new edge on the rancher. The tip of the saw was overhanging my bench. I bent down to pick my scrench off the floor and when I stood up, I proceeded to run the back of my arm across the freshly sharpened chain. My first thought was, "that's gonna suck" My second thought was "damm, I did a good job on that chain " I managed to carve a perfect groove in the back of my arm, about 1 inch long, curiously about .025 deep. I should've taken pictures, but my wife was too busy patching me up and telling me to be more careful. Sure glad the chain wasn't moving...
Wives are AWESOME - at that whole “be more careful” thing. All kidding aside, 99% of the time I regret it if I don’t listen to my wife. How she’s put up with me all these years I’ll never know. Sure am grateful though.
I just got done sharpening the teeth, was working on the rakers. When I went to move the chain, I guess I moved it faster then my finger... first thing I thought was man... I did a good job sharpening
What makes me laugh (kinda) is when I'm yelling from the bathroom with blood all over the place "I need your help!!" The response is "WHY?" I got that one as well when I ran the finger through the wood splitter a couple of years ago... "I need to go the emergency room!!!" WHY??? BECAUSE I'M DYING!!! See what kind of response THAT gets.... "its about time!" LOL
Once you get good at sharpening, you quickly learn to be very very careful with the chain. I usually wear gloves when working with saw chain, just so I don't get cut.
This exact thing happened to me when I sharpened my rakers a little while back. Right index finger. CORRECTION: filed down my rakers. Derp.
I've not yet been bit by one spinning, but have bled multiple times from ones that are not. We mostly treat them as blase blase because we use them so much. A chainsaw has to be one of the most danger capable tools ever invented by man, with slip joint pliers coming close second.
Back in the lean times of around 20 years old, I was putting myself through college by odd construction jobs and cutting and selling firewood. I had an immense and heavy McCullouch saw with a 39" solid bar. It was a retired Forest Service saw. I was way out in the ding weeds by myself, cutting in a jumble of spring loaded, jackstraw, Alder trees. As a cut finished the tree unloaded and whipped the still spinning saw out of my hands and into the air. I was thrown on my back with a leg in the air. The saw bar came down on me slicing about eight 6"-8" long grooves, an inch apart, on the inside and top of my thigh. Each was just a cutter deep and bled spectacularly. Any deeper and I may have bled out. I had a roll of duct tape and wrapped my thigh from knee to crotch to staunch the bleeding. The chain must have been almost stopped to have done so little damage. If one has a Guardian Angel, mine must have had fast reflexes to be stopping that chain! Hope he didn't hurt his hands. I have scars to this day!
I fell last year with a running saw in my hand. Made decision in the way down to abandon trying to manage the saw and to try to mitigate impact. When we settled (there were rocks), I had an idling 70cc saw head about 8 inches from my head. It was being carried at idle when I lost footing. Nasty blowdown mess I was trying to punch a hole through without any good place to step/stand. Another 'hey buddy...we're doing dangerous stuff here' moment for me.
It's thorns on briars that have been getting me lately. Not just quick pokes, good old ripping tears. Ripping as many out when it is colder and I'm wearing more clothes is on the to do list. Seems like they've come up too many paths I walk or ride the mower.
I have scars on my left elbow from 1994 left by a briar stem. Dirtbike, steep decent and couldn't let go of the bars. Drug about three foot of a stem through the crotch of my arm. One of the ones with the black thorns. A later girlfriend accused me of being a Cutter when she saw them.
Cant recall if ive ever sliced my finger while sharpening. I always have work gloves on when i sharpen.
Speaking of misshaps... Got done cutting wood today, had all 6 of my felling wedges out for a tree I fell that had a back lean. The misses was tossing them to me and I got 5 out of the 6 with my hands... 1 out of the 6 with my face, of course it was the one with the 1/2in metal butt plate. She feels really bad, I keep telling her not to worry, I'm already ugly
Ya definitely could have been worse, she feels horrible, but just one of those stupid mistakes, she had a good throw I didn't do good on the grab.
