Preparing to saw your own firewood with a chainsaw - Helpful tips on what you’ll need to safely cut your own logs

Protection

It’s extremely important to wear the appropriate clothing whilst working with a chainsaw. Cutting wood creates flying debris and twigs, protect the eyes with safety goggles or even better use a forestry helmet which includes visor and ear defenders.
If not using a helmet with ear defenders, a form of ear protection is important as prolonged exposure noise levels above 85dBA can cause hearing loss. Petrol chainsaws produce 115 dBA and above, we would recommend using ear defenders rather than earplugs as they will be more effective. If you are using a cordless chainsaw, these produce less noise than a petrol, but we would still recommend using a form of ear protection.  
For the body, using a pair of high-quality work trousers or protective chaps will protect against cuts, and oil and water leaks, plus they usually have handy pockets too. Sturdy or steel toe boots will protect your feet from falling logs or knocks whilst working.
A pair of good quality gloves with help you get a good grip on the tool as well as protecting against cuts and cold weather. A premium chainsaw glove should dampen down vibration levels and reduce the risk of HAVS (hand-arm vibration syndrome). Gel gloves can give enhanced comfort when using a saw for long periods.   
We recommend
Handy Chain Saw Safety Kit – £89.99
Stihl Function Basic Helmet – £36
Stihl Protect MS Function Chainsaw Gloves – £39.60
Garden Power Partial Gel Filled Gloves – £23.99
Garden Power Clear Visor with Muff – £22.42

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Preparing to saw

Just as with most jobs around the garden, preparation is key – make sure you have everything you need before you start.
If cutting tree trunks, it’s best to cut them into manageable lengths before you start to log. Trunks under one metre are easy to move and keep stable. Mark the trunk where you want to cut with chalk or marking spray.
Using a sawhorse or support will stop you from cutting through into the ground and blunting or damaging the chain. The sawhorse will also allow you to cut the wood at a comfortable height and give better accessibility whilst sawing.
Using lifting tongs can help when moving heavier trunks and make sure the wood is tightly in place before cutting, use a wedge or small pieces of wood to secure it if necessary. Protect your feet from falling sawn-off pieces of wood.
If you are cutting the wood on the ground, use wedges to hold the trunk in place so it cannot roll away from you. Cut through to the three-quarter point, as sawing all the way through will increase the chance of cutting into the ground. You can use a lever or breaking bar to turn heavier logs, but make sure they are securely wedged again before completing the cut on the other side of the log.
Always measure the size of your fireplace or wood burner; it’s a lot of effort to have to trim off logs if they are too big for purpose. Smaller logs are easier to stack and dry out quicker. Wide diameter logs will need to be split with an axe or log splitter to acquire a suitable size for burning.

We recommend

27cm Plastic Felling Wedge – £14.48
Husqvarna Lifting Tongs 20cm – £33.05
Budget Saw Horse – £26.99
Mitox Saw Horse with Chainsaw Holder – £78.98
Portek Charger Quiksplit Electric Log Splitter – £599

Storing Firewood

Once you have successfully sawed your firewood it is important to store it away from rain and moisture. Wood can benefit from being stacked on pallets to reduce absorbing moisture from the ground. Sunlight and wind play an important role in drying out wood, leaving enough space around each log will help the firewood dry out more effectively. Wet logs should be stacked as loosely as possible without risk of the pile collapsing, this will allow the wind to reach as much of the surface of the log as possible.