The term âbuck upâ can be referred to the cutting up of a tree that has fallen and its branches into shorter parts. You can start by placing a log of wood that you want to cut on top of other logs, the idea to elevate the log so that your chainsaw wonât have any contact with the floor as this can blunt the teeth of the chainsaw.
Examples of Bucking Up Trees
As a matter of relevance, an example that would have the most is for individuals who heat with woods is gotten from the preparation of firewood for both burning and curing. You could buck up a treeâs wood to a desirable size (about 16 inches in a common length but some like to burn longer lengths), cut it and stack it outside to dry in neat rows. The shorter lengths are just about the right size when the time comes to take the firewood inside and insert it into a wooden stove for burning.
You might as well buck up trees that just felled if you are clearing land to prepare for maybe launching a new garden. The wood that has been bucked-up could be dragged away to a brush pile or brought to the garden and used to build natural shrub shelters.
Staying Safe and Avoiding Kickback
It is vital to let yourself know several relevant safety tips each time you intend on carrying out any outdoor endeavor. Just as in using chainsaws to fell trees or buck up portions of a tree that has already fallen. Though a lot of upgrades has been made to chainsaws to improve your safety while using them, still you have to be able to foresee possible things that could go awry. In this scenario you can say that been paranoia is quite healthy.
A âkickback’ which is the unexpected movement of the bar of a chainsaw backward in the direction of the user while in use. This is the main thing any chainsaw user should always have great caution about. Kickback occurs when the tip of a chainsaw comes in a touch with an object in a rather abnormal way, so this causes the tip of the chainsaw to bounce off the object rather than doing what is normally supposed to do which is to cut it. Hence, it is recommended that amateurs should always try to cut with the part of the chainsaw bar that is close to the engine.
Alternatively, kickback can be prevented by locking the elbow of your lead arm stretched out (not bent) while using a chainsaw. Provided you are a righty, then your right arm would be your trailing arm, while your index finger of your right hand will be used to control the chainsaw’s trigger. Your lead arm will be your left arm which would do the job of holding the handle of the chainsaw and with your lead arm locked as earlier stated any resulting kickback will only lift your lead arm up and back and the chainsaw bar wouldnât come in contact with your body.
Dressing Properly
Putting on the right type of gear is a huge step forward in ensuring your safety will working with a chainsaw.
Here are few things to ensure youâre putting on before working with a chainsaw;
- Protective eyewear (Goggles)
- Steel-toed boots
- Hard hats
- Protective earmuffs
- Heavy work gloves
- Do not put on any loose jewelry as they may get caught up with the chainsaw.
âBuck upâ can mean other things too
In Forestry âbuck upâ has a meaning that is quite technical and not a lot of people knows what it means. But it has other known common meanings in different contexts other than when talking about trees, such as;
- To become encouraged or to cheer up (here it is serving as an intransitive verb)
- To raise the morale of someone ( here it is serving as a transitive verb)