Testing chainsaw chaps

[smokinj]

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All 4 injury's I have see have been two torso and 2 knees. Two where from 039 and two where 361's. All done with throttle lifted and chain spinning freely .

 

[Danno77]

if you don't read the numbers you'd think the feet get it just about worse than anywhere else!

 

[Battenkiller]

if you don't read the numbers you'd think the feet get it just about worse than anywhere else!

Yeah, and look at the numbers on hand injuries. :wow:

 

[Osage]

Thanks for posting, Rob!
Sooooo, how hard was it to clean that out of the saw? (or have you even tried?)

Bet it was a whole lot easier than cleaning his shorts

 

[wannabegreener]

I think he will throw away the shorts with the Chaps.

Good to hear they worked and you didn't get hurt.

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

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The hands or the legs, each get twice as many injuries as the head torso and feet combined. Chaps and kevlar gloves a real necessity. The injury isn't the problem. The real problem is that the doctor is likely not able to fix you up like new. Once injured you will never be the same again. Ever!! Cause chainsaw injuries are nothin' like paper cuts.

 

[Adabiviak]

@48rob - Maybe I missed it; what brand of chaps are you using? I would be mortified if the chain ever snagged any unprotected part of my body. Watching those 'chainsaw accident' videos available online is like watching Red Asphalt when you're in high school - scared straight!

@everyone else - I take it that the hand that's taking these hits is the "front" hand (on the bar, not the throttle)? What happens that causes that hand to get cut? I bought some kevlar-based gloves some time ago, based on information like this, but I'm still not sure how the chain would get to that hand (unless the hand slips off? Yikes!)

 

[shmodaddy]

I'm willing to bet left hand injuries occur while trying to hold something ie a beach or brush and trying to cut but just my guess.

 

[48rob]

@48rob - Maybe I missed it; what brand of chaps are you using?

Aba,

Husqvarna model WC 5KM1C

I had to look hard on the tag to see the model number.
To my surprise, there is also a date of manufacture, August of 2007.
Interesting, or maybe scary since I bought them new last year...

I ordered a set of the 10 ply chaps from Labonville, in hopes that they will offer even more protection...

For the gloves, I have been using regular good quality leather, but decided to order some Forrester chain saw gloves.
Don't know if they're any better, but they have material on the back of both hands, and back of the fingers.

I'd guess those with cuts to the hand are holding brush with one hand, and cutting with the other?

Rob

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

@48rob - Maybe I missed it; what brand of chaps are you using? I would be mortified if the chain ever snagged any unprotected part of my body. Watching those 'chainsaw accident' videos available online is like watching Red Asphalt when you're in high school - scared straight!

@everyone else - I take it that the hand that's taking these hits is the "front" hand (on the bar, not the throttle)? What happens that causes that hand to get cut? I bought some kevlar-based gloves some time ago, based on information like this, but I'm still not sure how the chain would get to that hand (unless the hand slips off? Yikes!)

VERY good freakin' question!!

If you are right handed, how DO you bring a spinning chain itno contact with your left hand? 90% of the time I carry one-anded, it is with the left hand! How the hell are people cutting the left hand???

 

[Danno77]

top handled saws. too many people grab wood with the left, cut with the right.

 

[btuser]

About a month ago I went over to my friends house to cut up a tree. I got razzed for the helmet/chaps/gloves/suspenders+belt setup so I pulled up a couple of my favorite chainsaw videos online....

"Yeah, that's what the inside looks like"

But to be honest I'd wear it just for the fashion.

 

[thewoodlands]

[quote author="48rob" date="1323630559"]Over the 30 some years I've been cutting, twice I've nicked my jeans with the saw.
I've never drawn blood, just put a hole or small tear in the jeans.

Rob, I'm glad your ok, the extra cost for safety equipment is well worth it.


zap

 

[Danno77]

But to be honest I'd wear it just for the fashion.

I like the equipment. Makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

But to be honest I'd wear it just for the fashion.

I like the equipment. Makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

Um . . . Danno? Sorry, but it don't. It makes you look like Dennis. But a really cheap knock-off

 

[smokinj]

@48rob - Maybe I missed it; what brand of chaps are you using? I would be mortified if the chain ever snagged any unprotected part of my body. Watching those 'chainsaw accident' videos available online is like watching Red Asphalt when you're in high school - scared straight!

@everyone else - I take it that the hand that's taking these hits is the "front" hand (on the bar, not the throttle)? What happens that causes that hand to get cut? I bought some kevlar-based gloves some time ago, based on information like this, but I'm still not sure how the chain would get to that hand (unless the hand slips off? Yikes!)

VERY good freakin' question!!

If you are right handed, how DO you bring a spinning chain itno contact with your left hand? 90% of the time I carry one-anded, it is with the left hand! How the hell are people cutting the left hand???

Chains breaks or flys off.

 

[Danno77]

But to be honest I'd wear it just for the fashion.

I like the equipment. Makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

Um . . . Danno? Sorry, but it don't. It makes you look like Dennis. But a really cheap knock-off

lololol. When I was posting that, I was looking over at my avatar thinking about how having the equipment is only half the battle cause apparently you can use it wrong and look like an idiot.

 

[smokinj]

But to be honest I'd wear it just for the fashion.

I like the equipment. Makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

Um . . . Danno? Sorry, but it don't. It makes you look like Dennis. But a really cheap knock-off

lololol. When I was posting that, I was looking over at my avatar thinking about how having the equipment is only half the battle cause apparently you can use it wrong and look like an idiot.

You can have the best equiment and the job still hard as hell..I been hammering Creatine for a couple weeks now. First day I have not woke up feeling like a mac truck just ran me over. :cheese:

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

No idea how we got here, but . . . drink LOTS of water with that, or that sh|t will wreck your kidneys! If the tylenol, diet pepsi, and/or sour mash hasn't already :grrr:

Back on topic. . . . maybe I should fix my poor idle, which causes me to subconsciously blip the throttle while carrying, sometimes one handed? :red:

 

[smokinj]

No idea how we got here, but . . . drink LOTS of water with that, or that sh|t will wreck your kidneys! If the tylenol, diet pepsi, and/or sour mash hasn't already :grrr:

Back on topic. . . . maybe I should fix my poor idle, which causes me to subconsciously blip the throttle while carrying, sometimes one handed? :red:

I still see this when cutting and scream at the OP. Glad the 460 pretty much stops almost instant....oh (5lbs has lasted over 7 years) Just use it at the start of each cutting season.

 

[Danno77]

chain running outside the cut is the biggest danger there is. I've seen idles that need adjusting, but 9 times out of 10 the saw is running the chain because of a dirty air filter leaning it out and sending the revs up and thereby engaging the clutch.

How'd you like to loose a leg because your air filter was dirty?

Dirty Air Filters are Deadly--->This was PSA #1 of the day from your friendly neighborhood Danno.

 

[Battenkiller]

But to be honest I'd wear it just for the fashion.

Me, too. I think they look dapper on me, and I find I don't get hit on by men any more frequently than I do with my leather dress chaps.

 

[Flatbedford]

There is no doubt in my mind that those chaps saved you from a major injury. I have been wearing chaps for since 1996. I got some grief from the guys in my neighborhood when I came over in full PPE to cut some trees for them. I told them that it would be very hard for me to go to work on Monday with one less leg.

 

[48rob]

Finally got some time to take the old chaps apart to see what they're made of, and how they look.

I'm surprised by how few strands there are, and how far apart they are spaced.

Even more surprising, is how few strands it took to stop the saw; 7 total.
Each strand runs from top to bottom of the chaps.
Each strand caught by the chain was completely removed from the fabric.

The biggest surprise is that there were two layers of fabric, with yellow strands left

Here are the pictures, in order of dis assembly. There are 5 individual layers of material, each containing 15 (yellow) strands of Kevlar(?).

EDIT!

I looked a little closer (with my glasses on this time...) and found that there are actually 6 strands of white fibers between each yellow strand.


Front showing the small cut.
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Back showing that the cut did not come through.
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Outer cover cut away around hole.
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Outer cover removed to show fabric and scale of damage.
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Damage to layer 1 of 5. Three yellow strands missing, and 13 white ones missing.
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Damage to layer 2 of 5. Three yellow strands missing, and 18 white.
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Damage to layer 3 of 5. 1 yellow strand missing, and 9 white ones.
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Layers 4 and 5 showing no damage.
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My new Labonville 10 layer chaps came in the mail.
I hope to not be reporting on how they handle a chainsaw cut...

Rob

 

[Flatbedford]

Thanks for those pictures. Pretty cool to see what's inside them and how much was left after they did the job. Looks like they would have survived a much harder hit if need be.

Anybody who runs a chainsaw should see this thread.