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What stops a chain saw?

7K views 60 replies 39 participants last post by  swamppapa 
#1 ·
Wondering what is the smallest size wire that will stop a chainsaw. Something that could be nailed up on a door or a wall.
 
#2 ·
Look at the chaps its Kevlar fibers in layers
They gum up the chain and drive sprocket fast enough to save a leg (ask me I know)
A standard chain will chew through a cable given enough time and tension on the cable.
I SUSPECT that the insulation in the walls will eventually clog the drive gear.
Remember the saws and chains used by the FD and probably LE are designed to cut through a house wires, pipes, nails and all.
 
#3 ·
Years ago I was a part time firefighter. We had special chains and drive gears on the chainsaws so they didn't clog and bog down when cutting into houses. Wire, plumbing, insulation etc it went through it all and fast. The saws were all over 65cc. The nice thing is that if you're prepping against a chainsaw breech, those parts are special order and most saw shops don't even know they can get them and unless a person is a pro tree guy or logger, most people have smaller saws. You could add kapok life jackets to your wall and roof insulation and keep most chainsaws out.
 
#7 ·
I just completed clearing the site for my new house.
The area had been covered by trees and I had to remove many tree stumps.
One tree stump was too large to simply pull with the backhoe and I mistakenly tried to cut it with my chainsaw.
But as the tree grew, the roots had intertwined with many rocks.
Trust me on this, a nasty hardwood root ball containing soil, clay, and rocks will stop any chainsaw.
 
#15 ·
Ethanol.:D:
Hilarious mostly because it is true.


I use a chainsaw enough to know they are easily stopped or clogged.

Simple wire or heavy rope would stop most chainsaws.

Metal of any sort, rock, concrete will also stop the saw or damage the teeth enough to make the saw generally ineffective.

Chainsaws, as in, non LEO fire dept kind, can be finicky.
 
#14 ·
Solid masonry construction.

For doors I like the kevlar idea. Perhaps combined with expanded metal, (steel). Hooked to a hot-wire charger maybe?

Modern frame construction is so weak that you can practically kick your way through a wall. Reinforcing a door will do nothing for you unless the intruder is extremely stupid. Many years ago my no-good brother-in-law, who was a homebuilder in Littleton, Colorado, showed me where somebody had gone through a wall of one of his houses using a box cutter. (Thereby avoiding the door and window alarms.)
 
#59 ·
Modern frame construction is so weak that you can practically kick your way through a wall. Reinforcing a door will do nothing for you unless the intruder is extremely stupid. Many years ago my no-good brother-in-law, who was a homebuilder in Littleton, Colorado, showed me where somebody had gone through a wall of one of his houses using a box cutter. (Thereby avoiding the door and window alarms.)
Yup. When I delivered lumber to construction sites, I saw that a lot of new home exterior walls were built thusly;

1.) 2x4 stud frame wall goes up.

2.) exterior sheathing is usually no longer CDX ply, or OSB, but quite often exterior sheetrock, (good) or this stuff that is essentially cardboard that is like a 1/8" thick version of the same type used to back legal pads and such but wrapped in mylar, or some type of PVC.

3.) Vinyl siding over the top, and that's basically it.

I remarked to one of the construction workers about how cheap and tacky it was, and he basically shrugged, and said, 'hey, it's rated.'

No insult to the people chargedd with putting it up, but the people who design this stuff should have horrible things done to them.
 
#19 ·
Some of these discussions are just ****ing stupid.

Who is going to cut through your wall with a ****ing chainsaw? Are you insane or just stupid?

I guess - for an intellectual masturbation I can imagine some dumb ass trying that.

1. It makes noise
2. It makes noise I don't like
3. I get annoyed at the noise.
4. I shoot the bastard making the noise.

Problem solved and I go back to bed. ****ing DUHH. How stupid is this????

Cables in the walls? Really??? How many of you have a castle like that?

.00 buck followed with slugs will work through most framed walls. .556 or .308 definitely will.

Really???? Your worried about a chain saw??? Lmao.
 
#22 ·
Some darned good ideas here! Site must be populated with engineering types.
The door in question is a 2nd story apartment, stairs leading up to a small patio and then doors to two apartments. I was picrturing a SHTF situation and a gang with the chain saw going from door to door, breaking in.

OP
Original Poster
 
#32 · (Edited)
Upgrade the door or adding a steel screen/ornamental security door with hardware beefed up( longer heavier weight wood screws) on screen and main doors to reduce chance of kick in or cut through is an option. If you get a nice door it doesn't scream hardened door. Price definitely vary depending on style 1st is about $100 2nd is about $400. Anything to slow someone down to because someone can always get through with time
 

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#23 ·
When we start using words like "kevlar", remember that kevlar comes in many grades and weights. Some are not available to civilians. Some are useful and some are not and ALL are expensive. Very expensive in a grade that will stop a chainsaw.

Chains will stop a chainsaw. If installed correctly, they will stop an abrasive wheel. Hanging loose where they bounce around a bit.

None of this will truly "stop" a person with a chainsaw. It will only slow them down. If nothing else they'll move to another spot and you can likely not harden your entire exterior shell.

DS
 
#25 ·
Chain or cable could stop a downward stroke but the perp could switch to horizontal, so to be thorough you are probably looking at a lot of $ hardware, especially if you add hook swivels and/or roll pins. So I'm thinking Coach's chain link fence (but a roll of that is not something people want to store in their apartments).

After a few holes get cut into the door is there a mechanism to spray a gallon of gasoline through it? something quick, like in 2-3 seconds, for sure.

I was looking at the demos of chain saw chaps and how it worked. Is there a cheaper material that would be work the same way, like a mattress, manila rope, shag carpet....?

Next time I visit I will look at the stairway, maybe in a situation I could saw through some bolts and pull the whole thing down with a truck hitch. With no stairs maybe they just will pass on by.
 
#27 ·
Usually chains or anything with thick metal can stop chainsaws. An axe blade in the tree can stop a blade from going through. I've seen people get really hurt when metal gets hit by a chainsaw and flies around like live rounds.

The best thing to do is check the tree for anything including wildlife.
 
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