How to make a level cut with a Chainsaw - creating outdoor workspace 

Two potential improvements to this great idea... 1) Use metal shims instead of wood ones, as it will decrease friction. (Use double sided carpet tape to attach them instead of glue.) 2) If your saw has DOG SPIKES and you need to place the shims somewhere more towards the center of the bar, make black marker lines on the opposite side of the bar so that you know where the shims are, so that you don't accidentally ride the shims off the wooden jig. Best wishes from Ontario Canada!

a complete and far reaching bundle i am so excited with what i have in the bundle ru-vid.comUgkxpCNxqmAkyjN6NPx1fyB7QiEFWyO5mUWL . I could utilize this for quite a while to come. This is the most finish manual i've ever seen i'm very grateful.

Thanks for another great production. I also want to say thank you for not 'rushing' US through the video. Some tubers say their view count goes down when the video exceeds 'X' minutes in length. You keep them short, but I NEVER feel like you rush them. True fans would watch a 30 minute video if it was interesting to them. Keep up the great film making! I appreciate your obvious hard work, and admire you as a woodworker tremendously!

Wow you really helped me figure out how to straight cut my logs for crafting. Thank you very much

This is a really useful video, and also is very well organized. I like the way the whole project is summarized in the beginning with a few clips. The idea is very clever. The trick of using wood glued to the bar to prevent cutting into the jig is brilliant. I will use what I learned in this video to build my own projects. Well Done!

this was great. I could tell you were excited about seeing your idea work. sometimes the little things are very rewarding.

Okay! THANK YOU. I've been sitting on some really gnarly, thick trunks of Locus Ive been wanting to use to make a table and showcase that crazy woodgrain for over 3 years now. But the stump is so big and lopsided I've not been able to make even vaguely symmetrical slices from. This gives me a lot of hope now that I'll be able to figure something out now. Thank you!!!!

Hey Jon, love this video on cutting that post level. It's helped me cut a tree stump le level in my yard to clean 🦌 deer and 🐟 fish

Had to eat my words when the contact cement fix actually worked! Awesome idea. This technique will work great for single round cutting boards.

Thank you so much for making this video. This will help me when I go to cut a log flat to make a bench and a small coffee table.

Very useful tips & excellent result. Thanks for sharing this video

I did this with a 24" still but I made holes and drilled thru the bar and place an aluminium runner along the bar. I could remove and install it easily. worked like a charm

Thanks for sharing your idea on this. I’ve been pondering how to do this basic job. Cheers!

Great idea. Just utilised it to make a guide fence for cutting landscaping sleepers to length. Nice n square. Thanks !

perfect, this is just what I needed to see right now. I'm trying to cut a table top cookie off of a large oak trunk I just got, and was trying to think of a way to cut it as straight as possible, with my chainsaw. And your video showed me how, thanks for sharing.

That was really fun. nice job great idea!

Ok. I’ve watch a few tutorials on how to do this. So far this is the one that will work for me. Thanks,

I had just ordered an anvil and was looking for a way to cut a log I'd had for a long time to bolt the nvil to. Your video was exactly what I was looking for and for the exactly same purpose. I had done a Google search for "How to cut a round log, square." Thanks so much.

I have a similar stump that I need to level off. I was looking into some options, so this was great. I'm always a bit apprehensive when using my chainsaw, and tend to avoid it if at all possible. Gotta' get over that since it would make quick work of it!

Good idea! I also have couple of tele-poles, I will use your idea to cut the corner posts on my loading ramp project, thanks!

I really like the 'grownup sandbox' idea as an outdoor work space. Any plans to erect a shelter over it to make it usable when it's raining, or to provide some shade?

Great idea Jon, thank you for sharing.

I have a wood factory in dubai ... and I have a small space to myself to work some handmade wood and to creat things out of wood and your videos are really helping me thank you very much keep it up master

Wow. Ive been searching for this info for days. Thnx heaps.

Nice that was improvising at its best . Thanks for the tip

Just saved me a huge headache! We have about 80 cedar upright 8x8 to cut. Thanks, great idea!

Pretty sharp thinking. Thanks for posting.

I've tried many times to freehand those cuts, after about three attempts I just cut it off at ground level. Lol! Now you show me how easy it really is. Thank you! Great video.

cool idea and it worked really well

very nice liked the idea I am thinking to do one like that for my vice thank you for explaining

Bella idea Jon.. veramente grande.. pensa che debbo fare la stessa cosa e non ci avevo pensato.. Grazie 👏👏

very neat it worked perfectly. one tip with the level is to lay it flat where you can see the bubble without bending over.

This is so simple and genius!

Nicely done! Great idea!

Your a genus. I have been searching for a method for making a level cut on a large stump. I want to slab cut a very special stump I have and make coffee tables. From a tree that grew at the church my wife and I were married. Her grandfather and his buddies cut the tree down about 50 years ago. The stump sat in his garage for many years. He gave it to me shortly before he passed away.

Love this idea.

Great video! You could extend that concept and use your chainsaw to mill cants and planks. One safety note. It's much safer to start your chainsaw with the chain-brake engaged. It also allows you to safely move the saw around while it's idling or warming up. Release the chain-brake when you're ready to begin cutting, and re-engage the brake between cuts, or if you need to move or adjust your body positioning.

man works for me just what I was looking for thanks

Great idea. many thanks .. from the UK ..!

Dude this is a great idea Thank you

Nice job! Worked perfectly! Chris

Just what I needed. Thanks

that was a sweet solution to my problem I've got some fantastic Timber to cut into small circles in and that's awesome tell you tomorrow if it works or not

Such a simple fix...but one which escaped me for years. Thanks for sharing!

Great idea. Thanks for sharing.

Great tips, Thank You!

This is a very genius way of getting relatively level cut. I have tried a few other methods with no avail. Definitely will try this an every step you took makes so much sense except for changing the chain on the saw, I just don't understand why a stock chain would no work.

Really enjoying the channel. Keep up the great work.

Good job. Well thought out!

im an arborist and thats excellent !

Very good idea - and very simple I was looking a lot for a way to cut regular circles Greetings to you from Egypt - Mustafa Muslim - I love peace

Thanks for da vid. First time viewer. Just subscribed. Looking forward to another vid you may post. Enjoy ur weekend sir!

Thanks! I've been looking for a way to cut even slices from a piece of log with a hand saw (the diameter is about 23" by 26", and I only have a sawzall, jigsaw, and small circular saw; no chainsaw on hand). I think this type of jig could work very well for that. Going to give it a try this weekend

You just got another subscriber great idea Jon

wow! that worked remarkably well! congratulations!!! =)

Great idea with this gravel area.👍

Woodworking, painting, welding, chain sawing ..... Is there anything you can't do Jon ? Thanks for another great video.

Pretty good for a city slicker!

I wanted to see you get that contact cement off of your chain bar!

I wonder if using neodymium magnets sandwiching the guide (maybe housed in wood spacers) would avoid applying glue on your chainsaw.

Nice tip👍👍👏

Thanks for the video!

Awesome trick!

Great info! One small suggestion is maybe add 2 longer lengths of 2 X 4 and drill multiple incremental holes to reuse your jig. Nice job tho!

Great idea!

Jon! Great video! Thank You! You can also level a top that is already cut by taking the same fence, mounting it slightly over the top and mounting your router to a saw big enough to float on the fence and running your router over the top to level it off. Again, Thank You for the video! Dave

nice idea, best regards from mexico city

Maybe I missed it but how did you square and level the other end first?

Clever! Nice job too. Well done.

Subbed on the first stroke on the guitar

Great idea

Genius! Thanks.

Nice job good tip Bro ThankX

very cool Mr. Peters!

Hi. How did you remove the spacers from the bar of the chainsaw after you finished the job

Great job well done ! ,Its a good idea to invest in a pair of Chainsaw Chaps, I have seen even professionals slip up using a chainsaw Thank God they were wearing Chaps Stihl makes great Chaps they show people testing them on RU-vid .

great idea! be bless

Brilliant!

Hey Jon, I want to start off by saying thank you for all of your awesome wood working tips and projects. Say I have a question about cutting Mesquite wood. I live in Tucson, Arizona and I stated making Mesquite lamps out of sliced rounds about 4 inches thick and around 14 inches across. I been using a chainsaw with carbide chains, but I'm only getting about 3 to 4 cuts out of each new chain. Do you have any suggestions or efficient ways? Thank you and God Bless, Rene

How did you get those wood guides off your chainsaw bar?

Nice problem solve. I might have gone on to use the jig to attach to the base of the pole to provide more stability to the anvil stand.

Simple and so smart

Good Idea....you could use double faced tape to add your spacer...

A great idea. Glad I thought of it...:))

smart and simple solution

Nice!

The caption explains it all brilliant idea

6 year old video and what a GREAT IDEA!!!

neat trick!

I need to ask a question would it be possible to use a chainsaw to power a table saw ?

thanks for the idea. Im making clocks out of black walnut from trees on my property . I will try this when I cut my next slab..again thanks

Awesome Bro!!! So how did you mount the anvil to the top? Thx!

Hi loving your videos as i am a beginner woodworker i was just wondering if you could make them longer. maybe show how to make different joints and things thanks . Reece

Hi, Great idea the blocks of wood though if you want several things like that with a level cut, regarding to the bits on the side, it will give you a little more leeway to make the blocks a little larger. Having said that I have never used a chain saw so what do I know eh ha ha! I have just found your channel so look forward to viewing some videos and maybe more in the future, thanks for the upload! Good luck and take care mrbluenun

well done

Hi, Nice result. Did you say "new " chain. Sorry I couldn't make it out. Wondering if a 'ripping chain would leave a clean edge. Thanks.

So this is predicated on the first base cut being square, in order to get 2nd cut level?

Excellent idea and execution. I have been looking for a method to cut in half these very large slabs I have, upwards of 30" wide. Probable is I don't have a chainsaw. Anyone have any suggestions. They are too big to cut on those small mills, and apparently too small to have cut at a big commercial mill.

Thank you.👍😎

I cut post years ago using something like this , I just used a block of 1by 2 and clamped it to the chainsaw with a 2by 4 guide