I think the phrase you're looking for is "sawing things". If you talk about using a chain saw you don't "chain a tree", you still "saw a tree". Your usage seems contrived.
Hmm. I see your point, that it does seem like I was contriving to use the term "hack" in a situation that might lend it to a (non-nefarious) precursor of the "hacking" term in the topic at hand. But in this case it was actually unintentional, and what I had in my head was more of "hacking things to pieces" as a boy who's found his way into his grandfather's shed is likely to do.
I think the phrase you're looking for is "sawing things". If you talk about using a chain saw you don't "chain a tree", you still "saw a tree". Your usage seems contrived.