20.6 Ax and saw: safe use

Protective gear

The U.S. Forest Service recommends sturdy leather boots at least 8 in (20 cm) high, safety glasses, a hard hat if something could fall from above, and gloves for splitting wood and always for sharpening.

Ax safety zone

1. Clear the area. Before using the ax, turn around with it held at arm's length and remove branches, wires, hanging laundry, or anything within the swing, including above your head.
2. No one within reach. Other people and pets stay well outside the radius of the ax plus your arm, and never in front of or behind you. As a rule of thumb, leave at least double that distance.
3. Firm stance: feet shoulder-width apart, weight evenly distributed, ground clear of obstacles.
4. Correct distance: hold the handle by the end and stretch your arms out: the blade should touch the cutting point. Try gentle strokes before putting force into it.
5. Keep the edge sharp. A dull ax bounces and glances toward your legs.

Splitting firewood

1. Stand the log upright on a wide, firm stump (the “chopping block”), not on the ground: if you miss, the ax sinks into wood and not into your foot.
2. Strike on an existing crack, with your back straight, bending your knees as you swing down.
3. If the ax gets stuck, don't lift it with the log hanging above your head. Strike the whole assembly against the block or use a wedge.
4. Never use the ax as a wedge or strike steel wedges with the back of the ax: use a maul.
5. When cutting branches off a fallen trunk, stand on the opposite side from the branch, with the trunk between you and the ax.
6. Beware of branches trapped under tension: when cut, they can spring with force.

Carrying the ax

• Always with a sheath. Carry it at your side, gripping it near the head, with the edge pointing down and away.
• Never over your shoulder. If you trip, throw the ax away from you.
• The hatchet (one-handed) is more dangerous than it looks: the stroke easily glances toward your hand or leg. Don't use it for hard hammering.

Folding saw or bow saw

• Secure the piece: with your foot, against a log, or with a clamp. Keep your support hand away from the cutting line.
• Start the cut with two or three gentle strokes toward you to make a notch, and then work with long strokes without forcing it.
• If the blade binds (the wood “bites”), don't yank it: open the cut with a wedge or change the supported side.
• Cut large branches in two steps: a notch from below and then the cut from above, so the bark doesn't tear and the branch doesn't fall all at once.
• Close or cover the blade when you finish. Wear gloves to clean it.
• Don't cut branches above your head or near power lines.