Waaaaaay back in March of this year something happened that hearkened me back to a few years ago....well, more than a few years ago....when that same Stihl 440 Magnum chainsaw shown in the photo below and I had a fight. Guess who won?
Yup. The Stihl definitely won that go-round by slicing a gash approximately 6" long diagonally just above and across my left kneecap that could have been catastrophic had it gone into ligaments or bone or struck a vein or artery. Thankfully, it didn't, but it did require 61 stitches inside the gash and out in order to close it up.
I won't show the scar. Nor will I go into any of the gory details of what transpired as Katherine forcefully...very forcefully...tried to convince me I needed to load my ass into the car to get me to the clinic in order to get that gash all sewn up. Thing is, I was wandering around in shock fretting about getting all the gear loaded up first, and she knew I sometimes feinted at the site of my own blood. So, if I did go down, she knew she'd never be able to lift me into the car. So, yeah, I got yelled at repeatedly to GET YOUR ASS INTO THE CAR!!!! She did finally get through to me even with my muddled senses. I finally GOT MY ASS INTO THE CAR, and off we went.
There's much more to this story than I'm sharing here, but all's well that ends well in the final analysis. The wound healed, and the scar is a constant reminder to put safety first whenever and wherever a chainsaw is about to be put to use.
Now fast forward to firing up that old reliable 440 to try and do some trim work on the fireplace mantel I'm still working on for Alan and Mendon.
The biggest lesson I learned from my previous fiasco is to immediately don protective gear before doing anything else with a chainsaw just in case. It doesn't matter how big or small a project is to be worked on. In fact, when I lost the first fight with this chainsaw, I was taking down a 3-4" diameter dead aspen tree when it bucked and caused the saw to do its dirty deed on my knee. Learning the hard way that a chainsaw can buck no matter what's being worked on isn't something I ever want to revisit again....EVER!
Protective gear includes chainsaw chaps that are supposed to stop a chain, broken or not, in its tracks by gumming it up. While I've never had the gory pleasure of actually testing this supposed safety feature....yeah, I wasn't wearing them the first go round, and that's the reason why I have the scar on my knee....what happened this day came about as close as I ever want to actually having to rely on those chaps to protect me from harm.
Hence, my own personal safety checklist:
- Chaps on and clips fastened...check.
- Protective shoes on...check.
- Helmet with ear muffs for hearing protection and face mask for eye protection on and in place...check.
- Protective eye wear on in addition to the helmet face mask because the face mask is a mesh which allows some sawdust through which also poses a risk to the eyes...check.
Should be ready to rock and roll, right?
Oh, and a few more items on the safety checklist menu:
- Chain has been snugged up so the tension is just right...check.
- Lug nuts have been tightened to keep chain tension at optimum...check.
- Correct fuel mixture has been added...check.
- Bar oil reservoir has been filled...check.
- All pieces and parts have been checked and passed inspection...check.
Start her up, and BAM!!! Chain flies off the bar.
What the.....?
Yes, indeed. Even with all the safety checks, the best laid plans can, and oftentimes do, go astray.
Even though the chain did not do damage to me or to my protective gear, this was scary! In fact, this incident convinced me to walk away for the day to settle some very rattled nerves.
The saw got put away and conspired to fight with me another day, and I still haven't figured out what caused that chain to do what it did.
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