Wood Question - Chainsaw Cut OK?

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Daddy-O

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Hey I have a dumb question -

Someone gave me some cherry wood that he had cut up with a chain saw. Do I need to worry about the bar oil that may or may not be on the wood?

Dont wan't oily-tasting grub. But I also don't want to waste this opportunity if the wood would be OK....
 
I bet that the vast majority of wood for smoking is cut with a chain saw. Mine is and the thought never occurred to me. You are good to go IMO.
 
I know some people that cut the ends of the sticks with a chop saw after they're cut with a chain saw. I never worry about it myself. Many a people have eaten many a pounds of BBQ with wood cut with a chain saw that are perfectly healthy. I think that the amount of bar oil is minimal and never penetrates the wood.
 
That question is debated quite often. I just cut up some red oak this weekend and used canola oil instead. Didn't notice too much difference in the cutting action.

I've never worried about it before, and never noticed any bar oil on my wood. I'll probably keep using canola oil for now.
 
i bet 99% of fire and smoking wood is cut w/ chainsaws; i have never seen a concerning amount of bar oil on a chainsaw cut stick...did the batch cherry you got have a lot of oil on it?
 
The oil lubricates the chain and bar, the chain cuts the wood, the wood slivers carry away most of the oil....

OK, and I never thought of it was a problem. Although I have to admit, I did think about it once.

RMR
 
only if you cook it on galvannize metal (kidding) there will be Np
 
orangeblood said:
i bet 99% of fire and smoking wood is cut w/ chainsaws; i have never seen a concerning amount of bar oil on a chainsaw cut stick...did the batch cherry you got have a lot of oil on it?
Click to expand...

No, not at all. At least none that I noticed. I was just wondering. I have been smoking food much more lately & it just crossed my mind. I knew that people here would have an opinion, for sure.

THANKS
 
bigabyte said:
How the hell do people think the wood they have ALWAYS ordered got chopped up to begin with? Magic farkin' fairies?:loco:
Click to expand...

Never ordered or paid for smoking wood, so I have no idea....

however, there are lots of saws that cut without using oil to lubricate the cut. Thats all I was asking.
 
Just so's ya know, I said that tongue in cheek...:becky:
 
Saiko said:
That question is debated quite often. I just cut up some red oak this weekend and used canola oil instead. Didn't notice too much difference in the cutting action.

I've never worried about it before, and never noticed any bar oil on my wood. I'll probably keep using canola oil for now.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't cut too much wood with canola oil for a chain lube, you should be using what ever the manufacturer recommends. You do not need to lay on the oil every time you make a cut either.
If you see oil on the wood wipe it off:idea:
 
Chop saw warning

A word of caution about using a chop saw to chunk wood. I was doing this last year, and the blade jammed in a twisted piece of live oak about 3" thick. The whole saw began to buck and the blade pounded the wood into the guard, smashing my finger. At the ER they called my injury a degloving, and boy is that an apt term. The soft tissue grew back but I learned a painful lesson. Some saws are made cut lumber, and some are made to cut tree limbs. A chop saw is the former. I've been using a small electric chain saw ever since. I think the bar oil is so minimal as not to matter.
 
I always use a chainsaw to cut all of my wood. I never noticed the oil taste. The sweet taste of the diesel fuel I use to light my fires may overwhelm the fine oil aroma in the wood. :wacko: Maybe I should switch to gasoline. :thumb:
 
I cut firewood in college to pay the bills. If the chainsaw is well maintained, there isn't going to be much oil on the wood. It does not take a lot of oil for the saw to work, and having a saw that goes through a lot of oil doesn't save money. Plus, the chit flies all over the guy using the saw, which sucks.

That said, if I were cutting my own wood for cooking use, I would probably use a vegetable based oil.

Bottom line, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you can see significant oil stains on the wood. Then, just cut it off, or toss that chunk in the fireplace.

CD
 
All the chop saws I've ever used will automatically shut down if the blade stops.........

I've used a chop saw to cut down seasoned pecan, and it did jam once or twice, but it also shut down, so no personal damage to my limbs.
 
I wouldn't use canola oil in my saw that stuff leaves a stick film on everything if not cleaned of promptly. Nothing like have to tear apart the saw to clean the bar and chain so they will move freely since the canola oil gummed them up the last time it was used.
 
I've been using a $20 reciprocating saw from harbor freight with a 9" pruning blade to cut my stuff up. I cut up some large oak limbs (8-10") just today with it. Takes a little more time but the chain saw is not working right now.
 
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