Laundering Saw Chaps

[Philbert]

Usually, they say that the heat will shrink the protective fibers.

Philbert

 

[Catbuster]

I’ve always used Dawn and a scrub brush… Cutting trees that are on fire wearing hydrocarbon and sawdust covered chaps is no bueno. The FR part of the chaps may not catch fire, but the oil in them will. So I keep mine fairly clean and I definitely make sure I don’t get mixed gas on them.

We have an extractor at the fire station, that I have never thought about using. Until this thread. It will probably do a better job of getting them clean, too.

Thank you, Philbert.

 

[Wilhelm]

Any tips on laundering $$$ ?

Asking for a friend...

 

[chipper1]

I’ve always used Dawn and a scrub brush… Cutting trees that are on fire wearing hydrocarbon and sawdust covered chaps is no bueno. The FR part of the chaps may not catch fire, but the oil in them will. So I keep mine fairly clean and I definitely make sure I don’t get mixed gas on them.

We have an extractor at the fire station, that I have never thought about using. Until this thread. It will probably do a better job of getting them clean, too.

Thank you, Philbert.

Mine are definitely a fire hazard.
Good thing I don't cut trees on fire!
Good friend of mine did concrete work, one of the guys was cutting rebar with a cutoff saw and the fuel cap fell off(stihl ), the guy ended up getting a ride in a ambulance. Not cool getting lit on fire.

 

[Catbuster]

Mine are definitely a fire hazard.
Good thing I don't cut trees on fire!
Good friend of mine did concrete work, one of the guys was cutting rebar with a cutoff saw and the fuel cap fell off(stihl ), the guy ended up getting a ride in a ambulance. Not cool getting lit on fire.

Oddly enough, there are some outfits now that require the use of chaps with any gas powered saw, including gas-powered rotary saws. I don’t know exactly what they do against a 14” diamond blade given that they’re meant for chainsaws, but I suppose it’s at least another layer of something between you and the saw, that will open a pair of dungarees up in an instant.

 

[Bill G]

You all wear chaps? I must just be young and stupid.

There are many shows that require them. If you do not want to were chaps then you cannot run a saw. I used to take a tote of extra pairs for guys to wear that did not have any. One of the fastest ways to bleed out is cutting the femoral artery.

This is a picture from years ago at a show in Iowa. The damage to the chaps was not even caused by chain contact. The recoil/fan shroud came off as I was making my upcut. I was very lucky as all I had was a helluva sore knee. I will say the three hour drive home was a bit rough.

 

[SawAddictedFarmer]

There are many shows that require them. If you do not want to were chaps then you cannot run a saw. I used to take a tote of extra pairs for guys to wear that did not have any. One of the fastest ways to bleed out is cutting the femoral artery.

This is a picture from years ago at a show in Iowa. The damage to the chaps was not even caused by chain contact. The recoil/fan shroud came off as I was making my upcut. I was very lucky as all I had was a helluva sore knee. I will say the three hour drive home was a bit rough.


View attachment 489431

Ouch! The Midwest heat and humidity during most of the time I'm cutting makes them unbearable. I always have a cell phone on me and first aid kit in the car and I'm always super aware of how I'm handling the saw. Maybe I need to think about it a little harder though.

 

[Philbert]

Ouch! The Midwest heat and humidity during most of the time I'm cutting makes them unbearable.

Guys who make similar comments, and cut all day, often choose chainsaw, protective pants instead. Such as the Clogger ‘Zeros’.

Expensive, but not as expensive as one ER visit.

A mistake that I made when purchasing my first pair of chaps, was buying the most protective (thickest) wraparound style. Heavy. Hot.

Later, I acquired a basic pair of Husqvarna, ‘homeowner-grade’ chaps, that were much lighter; I was more inclined to wear those, especially for small, casual jobs, on hot days.

Philbert

 

[Catbuster]

Ouch! The Midwest heat and humidity during most of the time I'm cutting makes them unbearable. I always have a cell phone on me and first aid kit in the car and I'm always super aware of how I'm handling the saw. Maybe I need to think about it a little harder though.

If you nick your femoral artery you probably won’t make it back to your car, much less have time you get yourself fixed before you lose consciousness and bleed to death.

I live sorta in the midwest (top of the mid-south/bottom of the midwest depending on who you talk to, and work in states that I would say belong to both), and I wear a pair of Labonvilles when I cut. Partly because the rules say I have to, and partly because I don’t want to die in a rural part of the state. I think the key to chaps in weather like where we live is to wear the apron style and not the wrap around style.

I also carry a CAT or RAT tourniquet on my falling gear in case of a freak thing with my chaps.

 

[IffykidMn]

Ouch! The Midwest heat and humidity during most of the time I'm cutting makes them unbearable. I always have a cell phone on me and first aid kit in the car and I'm always super aware of how I'm handling the saw. Maybe I need to think about it a little harder though.

First aid kit in the car is a good start, can you get to it before bleeding out? femoral artery is about 60sec before losing consciousness and 3minutes to bleed out going from memory , belt worn emergency first aid kits are available.

911 15 years or so since I made a medical run used to be 5-10minutes avg response time depending on city longer if rural.

Best thing I found to beat the Midwest heat is expensive lightweight chaps/pants, I believe the last I heard is the average chainsaw cut is right around 100 stitches and 2-4weeks initial recovery if infection is not involved. $2500-5000 copay plus lost time from work are even $500 pants really that expensive? YMMV

 

[IffykidMn]

If you nick your femoral artery you probably won’t make it back to your car, much less have time you get yourself fixed before you lose consciousness and bleed to death.

I live sorta in the midwest (top of the mid-south/bottom of the midwest depending on who you talk to, and work in states that I would say belong to both), and I wear a pair of Labonvilles when I cut. Partly because the rules say I have to, and partly because I don’t want to die in a rural part of the state. I think the key to chaps in weather like where we live is to wear the apron style and not the wrap around style.

I also carry a CAT or RAT tourniquet on my falling gear in case of a freak thing with my chaps.

I should have just waited for your post instead of one fingered typing my post.

 

[SawAddictedFarmer]

First aid kit in the car is a good start, can you get to it before bleeding out? femoral artery is about 60sec before losing consciousness and 3minutes to bleed out going from memory , belt worn emergency first aid kits are available.

911 15 years or so since I made a medical run used to be 5-10minutes avg response time depending on city longer if rural.

Best thing I found to beat the Midwest heat is expensive lightweight chaps/pants, I believe the last I heard is the average chainsaw cut is right around 100 stitches and 2-4weeks initial recovery if infection is not involved. $2500-5000 copay plus lost time from work are even $500 pants really that expensive? YMMV

Yeah I should probably look into those clogger pants. I wonder how much time a belt cinched down as tight as possible would buy you?

 

[SawAddictedFarmer]

I wonder how much time a belt cinched down as tight as possible would buy you?

Just out of curiosity. I don't plan on needing to find out.

 

[IffykidMn]

Yeah I should probably look into those clogger pants. I wonder how much time a belt cinched down as tight as possible would buy you?

Depends on the belt and if you had the forethought on how to utilize it if need be instead of waiting to figure it out when needed.

Even with a proper tourniquet waiting until it is needed is the wrong time to be figuring out how to use it same for any of your first aid kit.


Not pimping for CLogger just my own findings YMMV I did not try any other high-end chaps or pants.
Zero pants are perhaps the lightest coolest of those I have tried, seat of pants a little light if prone to accidently backing into blackberry brush.

Denim little thicker pant material still relatively cool better if prone to backing into blackberry brush.

Zero chaps light weight, straps more prone to snagging on brush vs pants usually wear these when I am not cutting all day and do not want the bother of changing pants for an hour or two of cutting.

I did recently order a pair of cheap Forester brand chainsaw pants for the purpose of testing less expensive alternatives , it will be a couple of weeks before I receive them and able to evaluate even though average temps are expected to be in the low70s at the time.

 

[Catbuster]

Yeah I should probably look into those clogger pants. I wonder how much time a belt cinched down as tight as possible would buy you?

As long as you can hold it tight, I suppose. Chances are there’s not a hole where you need it, and the band’s probably wider than you want for a tourniquet. It’s not something I want to try out.

 

[sawmikaze]

Yeah I should probably look into those clogger pants. I wonder how much time a belt cinched down as tight as possible would buy you?

I spent thousands finding out what I didn't like, arbortec makes the most comfortable/functional ones in my informed opinion. I have 5 pairs I rotate.

 

[Philbert]

If you nick your femoral artery you probably won’t make it back to your car, much less have time you get yourself fixed before you lose consciousness and bleed to death.

Just to be clear, most chaps and pants do not protect the femoral artery (near your crotch).

The protective fibers in each do not necessarily cover the same areas that the outer fabric does.

I once read a USFS incident report, where a sawyer‘s helper, who was wearing chaps, died from a bleed out: he was walking over brush to hold the branches clear (with his legs) while his partner cut through the main stems at the base.

They were on a slope.

You can guess what happened.

A brush cutter would have been a better option.

“PPE without good work practices does not make you safe. But PPE is part of working safely.”

Philbert.

 

[Bill G]

Ouch! The Midwest heat and humidity during most of the time I'm cutting makes them unbearable. I always have a cell phone on me and first aid kit in the car and I'm always super aware of how I'm handling the saw. Maybe I need to think about it a little harder though.

Out of curiosity, have you ever had to dial 911? I hope the answer is no but if it is yes what was it for?

 

[SawAddictedFarmer]

Out of curiosity, have you ever had to dial 911? I hope the answer is no but if it is yes what was it for?

Twice. Once because the neighbor lit his yard on fire and it was getting out of control fast and the second time was because someone in Saint Louis was going all over the place on the interstate. We also had the fire department out 3 years ago when we woke up to stuff in the machine shed exploding because it was on fire, there were 6 different departments out for that. Then just recently the big propane tank was leaking pretty bad last Saturday evening and the gas company wasn't answering so we called the fire department and they came out and then dispatch was finally able to get ahold of somebody. For the barn and propane tank I wasn't the one calling though.

 

[Bill G]

When the shed was on fire you had 6 departments dispatched. I assume most if not all were unmanned volunteer departments. Think about the response time. That is in no way a criticism of anyone, just the reality of the situation.