Kees, Gary . 2003. Hardwood Cuttings Saw and Clamping System. 0324 2317. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Technology and Development Program.
Describes modification of a power miter saw for cutting 6-inch lengths of hardwood whips for planting. The whips are about 3/16 to 3/4 inch in diameter and about 4 feet long. Nurseries use the cuttings to plant certain species of trees, such as cottonwood, willow, and poplar. Workers at the Forest Service's Bessey Nursery in Halsey, NE, formerly cut 3-inch bundles of whips with a table saw. This practice required setting the blade about 3 1/2 inches above the table. Workers held both ends of the whips to make sure they didn't swap the cuttings end for end. Otherwise, the cuttings could have been planted upside down. The Missoula Technology and Development Center designed a pneumatically controlled clamp to hold the bundles of whips. The clamp was mounted alongside a DeWALT DW705 miter saw with a 12-inch, 60-tooth carbide blade. The clamp allowed workers to secure one end of a bundle of whips without using their hand. The miter saw and clamp improved safety without reducing productivity, based on 2 weeks of testing during February 2003 at the Bessey Nursery.
Keywords: Bessey Nursery, clamps, custom-made equipment, nurseries, safety at work, tools
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