Can you saw wet wood

While that might cause a tight fit or even a potential split, in some wood projects and in wood floors it can also cause crowning or buckling. Overly dry wood can be more brittle, meaning nailing, sawing, or other aspects of installing or woodworking can lead to splits, cracks, knot loss and other damage, particularly if working across the grain.

Trying to carve or turn overly dry wood can also lead to more splintering on the surface. Chisels, saw blades, drill bits, and other tools can also dull tools faster than wood that is at the correct MC for its area and species. Ultimately, there is a variety of reasons to monitor wood MC, as both levels that are too high and too low can be problematic.

How can you tell which is which? After that, though, any rule of thumb will be no more than an estimate. While there are many guides or tables available to help identify the correct MC for a wood species or a geographic region, ultimately MC is best monitored with an accurate wood moisture meter.

Even within one geographic region, temperatures and ambient humidity can vary. Once wood or wood flooring is delivered to its job site, a pinless meter lets you easily monitor the changing MC of the wood.

The target, really, is to identify the point when the wood has reached a balance with its environment, a state referred to as equilibrium moisture content or EMC.

The natural give and take in wood with the moisture of ambient humidity will eventually come to a resting state, and that will be the best time to move ahead with the woodworking or the wood flooring installation. And knowing that your wood has reached its EMC will give you the confidence to move ahead with less risk of a project damaged by an MC level that is too high or too low for conditions.

Tony Morgan is a senior technician for Wagner Meters, where he serves on a team for product testing, development, and also customer service and training for moisture measurement products. For those who live in a temperate climate with plenty of rainfall all through the year, one question keeps cropping up. For the majority of modern and high-quality chainsaws, a standard saw chain will typically perform well on wet wood.

There is no need to rush out and purchase a specialist wet wood chain for your chainsaw. If the wet wood is of a particularly dense species, a micro chisel chain could prove to be more effective. To simplify things, tackle the wet wood as if it were dry. The main things to think about are the age of the wood and its density. A dense wood tree in the prime of its life is going to be as laborious to cut wet as it would be dry. One thing that you will want to do is make sure that your chain is well-lubricated and oiled with a mineral chain oil when working with wet wood.

While the additional moisture on the wood will act as a natural lubricant, a well-oiled chain is one that will resist rust and corrosion over time.

This will primarily depend on the sort of chainsaw that you are using. If you are using an electric chainsaw with power provided via a cable, you will want to avoid any standing water or excessive moisture. Water and electricity are not a good mix. So, if the area contains long and wet grass, avoid using extension cords and power cables.

A battery chainsaw is fine to use in these conditions. Petrol powered chainsaws can be used in all types of weather. Be it blazing sun or a dull and rainy day. While you may be worried about using your chainsaw in wet conditions, the chainsaw is not the main issue.

Sodden ground and wet wood can be exceptionally slippery. This heightens the risk of losing your balance or going head over heels with the chainsaw in motion. You should always try to use the correct PPE when handling a chainsaw. But more so when inclement weather conditions create a less than safe working environment.

At the very least, your PPE should include protective eye wear, protective boots, a suitable pair of work gloves along with water-resistant, anti-cut clothing. If you fall and remove the wrong piece of wood, it's not a problem.

The same cannot be said if you fall and cut through your leg. It may come as an eye-opener to some. But wet wood is actually much easier to cut than dry wood. With dry wood lacking moisture content, more friction is created as the chainsaw chain comes into contact with the wood fibers. This friction results in the chain slowing down. Wet wood, on the other hand, contains sufficient moisture to act as a natural lubricant.

This stops the chainsaw chain from catching on excessively dry knots. As a matter of fact, dry wood that is wet on the outside will be easier to cut through than dry wood that is not. Be that as it may, the main thing to repeat at this point is that the wood density and age is what really counts.

Dense wood is going to require more cutting power to get through. As is a reasonably young tree when compared to one that is old and diseased. Using your chainsaw to cut through wet wood will not dull the chain any faster than using it for other types of wood.

When you think about it, your chainsaw chain is already wet. True, it is not wet with water. But it is wet with a lubricating mineral oil. The lubricating mineral oil is applied to the chain to prevent it from overheating.

It also helps the chain glide effortlessly through the wood with minimal friction. Using your chainsaw to cut through wet wood will not change the efficiency of your chainsaw. In the simplest terms, there will be no difference whatsoever. This will depend on how much wood you intend to cut and the density of it.

If you are looking for a lightweight chainsaw for occasional pruning tasks around the home and cutting small branches, something like the Husqvarna i is going to be ideal.

This cord free battery chainsaw provides you with all of the power of a petrol chainsaw minus the additional weight, noise and exhaust fumes. The ergonomic design makes it easy to handle while providing fewer vibrations. For larger jobs, an all-round saw such as the Husqvarna E-series II will provide you with all of the power needed to tackle larger pieces of wet wood on a more regular basis.

It is also ideal for cutting firewood during the cooler and wetter months. Lastly, if you are looking for a chainsaw for shaping, pruning and limb removal then a lightweight tree care saw such as the TiXP is a great choice. Using a cross-cutting technique when felling trees not only increases safety but also prevents your chainsaw from becoming stuck. Using an incorrect cutting technique can cause the guide bar to become pinched or the trunk to split when you don't want it to.

Often owners of a new chainsaw become concerned that their new pride and joy is leaking bar and chain oil because they see a pool of oil underneath the saw where it has been stored. Unlike a four-stroke engine, a unique feature of a two-stroke engine is that they do not have an internal oil reservoir.

Instead, two-stroke engines require the owner to mix oil into the fuel at a predetermined ratio in order to ensure the engine receives adequate lubrication during operation. With over years of innovation and passion, Husqvarna provides professionals with forest, park and garden products.

Can you split wood with chainsaw? While some forestry experts advise against doing this, splitting firewood with a chainsaw is safe as long as you follow proper procedures. Should Wood be split green or dry? Some wood splits easiest when green live oak and some split much easier when dry and brittle some pines. Stack firewood where air and sun can dry it thoroughly by the time you will burn it. Twenty-percent moisture content is supposedly ideal.

How often should you sharpen a chainsaw? Old saws on sharpening chainsaws If your saw pulls to the side when cutting, it's because the cutters on that side are sharper than those on the other side. Cutters can be sharpened up to 10 times or more before the chain needs replacing. Do tree cutters work in the rain? If the weather is damp but not raining — or raining lightly with a chance of clearing up — then work will go ahead as planned.

If the downpours are continuous and there is little chance of the weather clearing then most tree surgeons will postpone any work. How do you remove moisture from wood? Place a dehumidifier in the center of the room once all of the standing water is removed.

Set it to the highest extraction setting possible. Turn it on and leave it running for at least 24 hours to pull moisture from the boards. Place fans blowing across the surface to further aid in drying the wood out. How long does wet wood take to dry? Firewood drying time, after its been rained on, depends on a lot of factors: The length of time it got rained on, the severity of it, as well as what kind of weather there is at the moment, location.

I'd say on average it takes about 2 days of warm and windy weather to dry out a properly built stack. Should you drill into wet wood? Boring Holes in Wet Wood.

If you are unsure of the moisture content deep inside a thick timber a moisture meter won't really help you.