Chainsaw safety device

LTA-team · February 13, 2017, 01:19:28 PM

Hello, I am coming to this forum looking for some input on an engineering project I am working on with my team for my high school engineering class.

The project we are working on would be a device that mounts to your chainsaw and allows you to cut a tree or branch from a distance, to insure safety. The mounting device on the bottom of the saw would be sleek enough where it would not interfere with normal use of the saw.

https://goo.gl/forms/bZOqjBKJRKhGoGDr2

Kbeitz · February 13, 2017, 02:46:44 PM

I would want to be at my saw to control it.
You can already buy chainsaws on a stick
but I sure would not want to cut down
a tree with it. Can you tell us more ?

coppice · February 13, 2017, 05:09:41 PM

Maybe something like the firefighter vent saws, that expose only the tip of the bar, would work for your project.

For real use, I would far prefer to have my saw up on what I'm cutting, where I can see it, feel it, and control it.

Chainsaw10 · February 13, 2017, 07:41:36 PM

Chainsaw attached to a drone. Cut down a tree from 20 miles away with a remote control ;). An RC flying chainsaw with FPV camera FTW!

Ianab · February 13, 2017, 08:18:34 PM

The problem I can see is the felling a tree (safely) relies on making several precision cuts, from different directions and angles, that form the right situation for the tree to fall. That's 3 to 5, and occasionally more. Being 10ft away on the end of a stick makes that difficult, and is probably not much safer. In fact if you mis-cut, you loose control of where the tree is going to fall.

About the only practical remote control chainsaw I've seen is this one.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/82469164/Taking-remote-control-of-NZs-forestry-future

But in that case the remote device is a radio controlled 38ton JD Feller Buncher, fitted with cameras in the cab.
https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/feller_bunchers/tracked_feller_bunchers/909m/909m.page#viewTabs

Probably a bit more elaborate than you are planning. But, don't let that put you off. What sort of operation are you thinking of?

Kbeitz · February 13, 2017, 08:37:25 PM

I don't think I want to be running away from a falling tree with
a 10 foot pole...

HolmenTree · February 13, 2017, 08:47:24 PM

I have a funny feeling about this LTA-team original poster :D

pabst79 · February 13, 2017, 09:10:01 PM

Marketing Department I think... The last sentence doesn't seem to add up? Attach to the bottom and still use the bar as normal, Hmmmm

btulloh · February 14, 2017, 08:30:38 AM

I don't think anybody that ever felled a tree could come up with this idea.

LTA-team · February 14, 2017, 01:15:40 PM

Quote from: Ianab on February 13, 2017, 08:18:34 PM
The problem I can see is the felling a tree (safely) relies on making several precision cuts, from different directions and angles, that form the right situation for the tree to fall. That's 3 to 5, and occasionally more. Being 10ft away on the end of a stick makes that difficult, and is probably not much safer. In fact if you mis-cut, you loose control of where the tree is going to fall.

About the only practical remote control chainsaw I've seen is this one.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/82469164/Taking-remote-control-of-NZs-forestry-future

But in that case the remote device is a radio controlled 38ton JD Feller Buncher, fitted with cameras in the cab.
https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/feller_bunchers/tracked_feller_bunchers/909m/909m.page#viewTabs

Probably a bit more elaborate than you are planning. But, don't let that put you off. What sort of operation are you thinking of?

This is not an industry grade tool we are designing, this is aimed at the homeowner.

Basically this is to be used on smaller trees you would see in a homeowners property. This product could also be used on larger branches in harder to reach spots. I dont think anyone here on this forum really is understanding what I am saying.

The device will have a mounting device that will fit without interfering with normal use of the saw. It will attach to a clamp that will secure the device to the piece that needs to be cut. You will then be able to use the saw as usual or use the pole to use it from a distance.

This is better than a pole saw because this will not put the strain on your back that a pole saw does.

At the end of the day you have a saw that you can use just as you normally would or if you wanted to cut something that you did not want to be so close to you could simply attach the clamping mechanism and cut it safely from a distance.

LTA-team · February 14, 2017, 01:22:19 PM

Quote from: pabst79 on February 13, 2017, 09:10:01 PM
Marketing Department I think... The last sentence doesn't seem to add up? Attach to the bottom and still use the bar as normal, Hmmmm

You must have missed the part where I said this was for an engineering class, so no, this was not written by a marketing department. Also we only have $200 so I dont think we would have a marketing department at this budget.

DelawhereJoe · February 14, 2017, 01:25:33 PM

Are you thinking of some sort of an attachment that would to any chainsaw and make it into something like a jawsaw ? Something that protect the user from the chain.

LTA-team · February 14, 2017, 01:35:25 PM

Quote from: DelawhereJoe on February 14, 2017, 01:25:33 PM
Are you thinking of some sort of an attachment that would to any chainsaw and make it into something like a jawsaw ? Something that protect the user from the chain.

No, It would have a mount on the bottom of the chainsaw that would not interfere with normal use.
If you wanted to use the device then you would attach the clamp to the mount and this would allow you to secure the saw to the tree or branch.

DelawhereJoe · February 14, 2017, 01:48:10 PM

Personally I can't see a reason to ever want to attach a saw to a branch or tree. There's way to many things that could go wrong and damage the saw. If you could give a "for instance" that would be most helpful

Babylon519 · February 14, 2017, 02:22:04 PM

Can you draw us a picture? We like visuals...

-Jason

btulloh · February 14, 2017, 04:53:58 PM

this might be a cure for which there is no known disease.

If someone needs a device like that, they really need to call a professional. A feller-buncher does this already but it's a little outside a homeowner's budget I tbink.

Good !uck with your project though. I'll be interested to see how it turns out.

btulloh · February 14, 2017, 05:15:52 PM

I'm not trying to throw cold water on your project. Hopefully it will be a successful design.

Don't discount the value of the marketing department though. They would be the ones to identify a need, determine the size of the potential market and spec a design to fit the need and the market. Then engineering would design it, turn it over to manufacturing, and then the sales department could get it out to all the customers. Success.

Kbeitz · February 14, 2017, 05:23:52 PM

I actually tried it when I did not have a pole saw.
It was way to heavy to lift even a small saw up in
a tree to cut off a limb. Then the saw wanted to
come crashing down. A pole saw only has the head
of the saw at the end of the pole and it's still heavy.

JohnW · February 14, 2017, 09:40:54 PM

Right Ianab, I'd be more interested in some kind laser device or something to help with making those precision felling cuts, or accurately measuring the height of my tree, and the surrounding trees, and the clearance. Although, there may not be much of a market. Most videos of pros felling trees show them making perfect cuts.

RPowers · February 14, 2017, 10:06:57 PM

Quote from: LTA-team on February 14, 2017, 01:15:40 PM

This is not an industry grade tool we are designing, this is aimed at the homeowner.

Basically this is to be used on smaller trees you would see in a homeowners property. This product could also be used on larger branches in harder to reach spots. I dont think anyone here on this forum really is understanding what I am saying.

The device will have a mounting device that will fit without interfering with normal use of the saw. It will attach to a clamp that will secure the device to the piece that needs to be cut. You will then be able to use the saw as usual or use the pole to use it from a distance.

This is better than a pole saw because this will not put the strain on your back that a pole saw does.

At the end of the day you have a saw that you can use just as you normally would or if you wanted to cut something that you did not want to be so close to you could simply attach the clamping mechanism and cut it safely from a distance.

your idea is nice, but it is obvious that you havent spent much time on a chainsaw. Even a smaller "homeowner" sized saw is way too heavy and torque-prone to clamp it to a pole and run the thing at all, much less safely. A small chainsaw has a 14-16" bar, most commercial pole-saws, which are built to do what you are trying to accomplish, have 10-12" bars and are still heavy and fatiguing to operate as another reply mentioned. Also they are being operated in a more vertical manner which eases the strain on the user, I couldn't imagine trying to routinely cut down trees 8-10' away horizontally with a saw on a long pole. Crazy heavy! Advice: go back to the drawing board and work up a more functional idea for the project. A

HolmenTree · February 14, 2017, 10:19:57 PM

I was going to say something myself but I didn't want to insult the young kids.

If this LTA-team want any advice from the veterans on here they need to show a little more respect. Plus clearly try to better explain what their trying to design and not leave everyone out of the loop. Sound to me like a junior high school science project at the best :D

All I can understand what they or "he" are saying is a extension saw mounted to the bottom of a regular chainsaw with the saw's business end clamping to a branch.

snowstorm · February 15, 2017, 12:33:32 PM

the answer to a question nobody asked

LTA-team · February 16, 2017, 11:59:05 AM

Quote from: RPowers on February 14, 2017, 10:06:57 PM
Quote from: LTA-team on February 14, 2017, 01:15:40 PM

This is not an industry grade tool we are designing, this is aimed at the homeowner.

Basically this is to be used on smaller trees you would see in a homeowners property. This product could also be used on larger branches in harder to reach spots. I dont think anyone here on this forum really is understanding what I am saying.

The device will have a mounting device that will fit without interfering with normal use of the saw. It will attach to a clamp that will secure the device to the piece that needs to be cut. You will then be able to use the saw as usual or use the pole to use it from a distance.

This is better than a pole saw because this will not put the strain on your back that a pole saw does.

At the end of the day you have a saw that you can use just as you normally would or if you wanted to cut something that you did not want to be so close to you could simply attach the clamping mechanism and cut it safely from a distance.

your idea is nice, but it is obvious that you havent spent much time on a chainsaw. Even a smaller "homeowner" sized saw is way too heavy and torque-prone to clamp it to a pole and run the thing at all, much less safely. A small chainsaw has a 14-16" bar, most commercial pole-saws, which are built to do what you are trying to accomplish, have 10-12" bars and are still heavy and fatiguing to operate as another reply mentioned. Also they are being operated in a more vertical manner which eases the strain on the user, I couldn't imagine trying to routinely cut down trees 8-10' away horizontally with a saw on a long pole. Crazy heavy! Advice: go back to the drawing board and work up a more functional idea for the project. A

Listen, i believe we did not clarify our idea enough originally. The device would allow the chainsaw to clamp onto the tree, and not require a person to hold it, only a person to move the bar which would push the blade toward the wood. And we would set up the clamping system so that you could make cuts at different angles using this same contraption(saw clamped to tree, user controls the cut without the weight of the saw being put on his or her back.) Hope this helps clarify our idea, as we really want to make this work. Thanks for all the input everyone, and any further input or ideas are greatly appreciated.

Jeff · February 16, 2017, 12:20:03 PM

Quote from: HolmenTree on February 14, 2017, 10:19:57 PM
I was going to say something myself but I didn't want to insult the young kids.

If this LTA-team want any advice from the veterans on here they need to show a little more respect. Plus clearly try to better explain what their trying to design and not leave everyone out of the loop. Sound to me like a junior high school science project at the best :D

All I can understand what they or "he" are saying is a extension saw mounted to the bottom of a regular chainsaw with the saw's business end clamping to a branch.

LTA-team, since you decided to report this to moderator, I'm going to address it. I'm a bit more than a moderator for your info. He is completely right. You started out by showing up on my website for what appears to be for more than normal research. You chose to engage the membership that has a combined knowledge that your team can never realize. If you want input, you need to realize that you are going to get it. Appreciate it and respect it or look elsewhere. If you were anything other than what you say you are, you would not even be allowed to use the forum for what you want to use it for. Market research, focus groups, that sort of thing in industry is not free, and it aint free here either. Because of your youth, the only price I demand here, is respect for the members that even try to help you out.

mad murdock · February 16, 2017, 02:30:22 PM

to the OP, the practical application of such a device is self defeating as a properly sharpened saw will self feed into the wood, and only need a little guidance as it cuts through the wood, which from my experience, (and I have cut down thousands of trees, literally, like many of the highly esteemed members on here), is too hard to safely do from a distance, unless you are strapped to a machine that is heavier than the tree that you are trying to remove, allowing almost complete control of the process from the time you grab the tee, to the time you set it where you want on the ground, which as previously stated, is a machine well outside the range, scope and ability to operate safely by the average homeowner. Most average home owners do not know enough about a "homeowner" chainsaw to operate it safely, which is a whole "nother" topic entirely. That said, necessity is the "mother of invention", so if there is a need, maybe you will be able to put a twist on the process that maybe even us "old dogs" can learn something from. I wish you the best on the project, but seems like a difficult one to solve, on any budget, unless you maybe can incorporate some sort of high power megajewel lazer cutter onto 8) now that would be cool