A close-up of the tip of the bar with the “no” and “go” quadrants illustrated.
perform bore cutting well. In particular, saws in need of carburetor adjustment that “bog”or die when put in different positions will not be able to generate the chain speed needed to carry out a plunge cut. Chains on which operators have removed or excessively filed down all the depth gauges will certainly chatter or “bark” during bore cutting, making any degree of precision difficult. Non- professional chains, often called anti-kickback chains, with a large ramp in front of the cutting tooth, can make bore cutting a challenge.
These few basic principles provide a general introduction to the technique of bore or plunge cutting, a method that can be quite helpful in the wide variety of situations and scenarios that tree crews find themselves confronted with on a daily basis. Once understood and practiced, this technique will hold a prominent place in any climbing arborist’s mental toolbox, helping them to get wood on the ground safely, efficiently, and with a measure of control they would not have had otherwise.
Michael “House” Tain is a contract climber, splicer, educator and writer associated with North
www.northamericantrainingsolutions.com and Arbor Canada Training and Education www.arborcanada.com. He is currently located in Lancaster,Ky., and can be reached via e-mail at house@houseoftain.com.
www.arborage.com Arbor Age / March 2011 13 American Training Solutions
