New video is out now...

Well it took somewhat longer than expected for reasons, but the new DriveLink video is now out for viewing. Find out more after the jump...

The DriveLink videos are proving to be pretty popular, having now been viewed more than 175,000 times; and I'm pleased to say that I can include a new video on to the list..

This five minute video looks at the split level cut, but I wanted to show more than that. If you're taking your NPTC felling assessment, then you know that you have to get a tree hung-up, and then deal with it. I thought that one of the worst things that could happen is to complete a split level cut... then get it really hung-up. This is perhaps more important now that the new assessment schedules are up and running, you'll be expected to use a winch if you need to.

So guess what's included in this video..?

Send me your comments about the video - I might just make a slightly longer version of this one, to cover winching in more detail; or should I just create a specific winching video for those of you about to undertake your CS32?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

- David -

Here's The New Video...

So here it is - the new video. Shot on a cold, but sunny morning at Sparsholt College, Hampshire (UK). This six and a half minute video covers the basics of how to start your chainsaw safely and is really aimed at those about to take their CS30 assessment. Find out more after the jump...

In the past I've found that breaking the starting procedure down in to steps, to make it easier, actually makes it more confusing! This video is really aimed to be used as a quick bit of revision if you are about to undertake your CS30 (chainsaw maintenance and crosscutting) assessment.

It covers cold and warm starting, ground starts and standing starts as well as the safety checks and the action to take if these checks reveal something is wrong.

I hope you find it useful and over the next few posts we'll be taking a look at some of the points raised in the video.

PS: No instructors were hurt in the making of this video! When you see the kickback bit, you'll know what I mean.

PPS: If you're an instructor and would like a better quality copy of this, then drop me a line via the comments and I'll send you out a copy on CD (it'll be in AVI format, MOV also available but I'm having trouble with the sound right at the start of the video in this format). You can also drop me a private message via the ArbTalk forum - see right hand side of the page.

Video Update...

Quick update on the new video - it's nearly done! My little Mac laptop is currently telling me that it's "Preprocessing Movie", and I guess that's a good thing. Find out more after the jump...

The video concentrates on the 'correct' ways to start a chainsaw - i.e. not drop starting it! It takes a look at the basic checks that you might want to get in the habit of doing and what to do if those checks don't quite work out the way you wanted.

It also takes a quick look at warm starts and starting the saw if you don't want to kneel on the ground (like when it's too boggy, or your knee has had it after all those years of climbing...). It finishes off with a short clip to highlight the danger of kickback.

I hope you like it and find it useful - if you're about to take your CS30 assessment, this could be a good bit of revision for you. You'll see it here first in the next couple of days all being well.

Creating Tension In A Video...

As promised in an earlier post, I thought I would try and create a short video about tensioning the chain, and here it is... after the jump...

Hopefully the following video will put across in a few short minutes what I was trying to get across on my earlier post.

Please, remember to wear gloves when you're handling the chain; lift the nose of the bar up when you adjust the tension; and tighten up those side plate nuts before you run the saw up!

Guide Bars...

Maintaining the guide bar is not difficult, but in the past I've found that many chainsaw users neglect to check certain aspects of their guide bar. Find out more about maintaining your guide bar after the jump...

How to set about removing your guide bar will depend on the make and model of your chainsaw - but you will need to slacken off the chain tension a little and then remove the side plate. You should now be able to get the chain and bar off of the saw.

With the bar off, let's take a quick look at it; at one end there will be a slot cut in it to allow for adjustment when tensioning the chain and at the other end should be a sprocket around which the chain runs. There will also be at least one small hole down near the slot too - one of these is to allow the chain and bar to be lubricated with oil. As well as the makers name emblazened on the side of the bar, you might also find a laser-etched information panel showing you the pitch, gauge, bar length and number of drive links required for this bar.

When it comes to maintaining the bar, you should be looking out for a number of things:

• Is the bar straight?


• Does the sprocket at the end of the bar turn?


• Are the sprocket teeth worn?


• Are there signs of wear on the bar?


• Have burrs formed on the bar rails?


• Is there signs of overheating ("blueing" around the edges)?


• What condition are the bar rails in?


• Does the sprocket need greasing?

There are other things that we need to bear in mind, but lets have a look at a video that I made, showing guide bar maintenance before delving in to each area in more detail:

Hopefully the video gave you an idea of what you should be looking for, in the next post we'll take a closer look at the bar and exactly what to check for.