Making it thrugh another year, '24-'25

[SwampDonkey]

When dad retired, mother thought she would ask him if he would like to volunteer his time for something to do. He said, he volunteered all his life and that ended the day he retired. 

[Old Greenhorn]

SD, those were my words exactly. I volunteered in Scouting pretty much all my life, until I joined the fire department. Both of those 'jobs' consumed between 20 and 50 hours a week of my time for decades. When I retired it was 'me time'. Now I only volunteer for short term events that have a high enjoyment factor or a good return on the 'investment'.

 Ted, you're right. When I was 35 I never had time to do it right, but always made time to do it twice...because I was in a hurry to get to the next thing.  Now I just poke along and try to get it right the first time and find that is a lot more enjoyable.

 Speaking of which, @Spike60 gave me a trash bucket Jonsered 2050 a week or more ago and I have been plucking along on it as mentioned previously. Today I got down to pulling the carb and cleaning under that area. Really this saw is just packed solid with oily sawdust and grass or something like it. Lots of tedious cleaning. Then I ran to town and got some fuel line, I had a filter on hand, as well as some bar nuts that fit right. SO this is one of the tougher saws I've had to get the carb out... and back in and I replaced the fuel line and filter with some difficulty. I started putting it all together. I don't have any replacement parts just yet, haven't ordered them, but I wanted to see where I stood and if I wanted to spend money on more parts. Got it all back together and shot some fuel mix in the card and it fired right up. So I put everything back together, air filters, covers, and found a Carlton bar that fit (I have no idea how I came by that, but it was pretty used and I had to redress it). I fueled and oiled it up and it started and ran. I made a couple of test cuts in the wood pile, but it needs tuning and I don't have a tach yet. Also, because of the damaged handle mount, I can't get a tool in there to make the adjustments anyway.
 SO round two will be collecting parts and re-doing it the right way to make it 'as new' in so far as is possible. The parts cost is pushing the limit on how much I want to spend on a 'resurrection' saw, but it is a Jonsered, so...   I'd also like to put a 16" bar on this one because I have 18, 20, 24, and 32" bars on other saws and I think this one will balance better with a 16" and give me another option for the woodpile work and I don't have a short bar.

 Not a bad days work for a solid rainy day. Puts a smile on my face anyway and right now, that's good enough for me. Tomorrow is another day and I'll find another project.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well I try to 'accomplish' something every day. It's tougher, but more important to me on rainy days or else I just sit around and waste my day. After 4 days in a row of rain I run low on satisfying jobs and have to work at it.
  So this morning I went out in the shop and wandered around looking for a mission. The Jonsered saw is running, but waiting for parts until I do the final sweep over it. The clown saw has a new clutch sitting there, but I could not get the old one off with improvised tools so I am waiting for the clutch removal tool I ordered to arrive. Yet again today, it did not show up. So I decided to give it one more shot and this time I got it! As  bonus, I didn't break anything else! So I put the new clutch in (used, but OEM) after cleaning the area and the new bearing I bought, then got it all put back together and NOW the saw finally works correctly, then chain stops when it should, chain brake works fine. all good to go. I hung it up on the rack of running saws. Seems like a small thing, but it made me smile and the only saw I have left to work on the the Jonsered. I have a new clutch drum and ring sprocket on the way. I'll let that sit until parts show up...I think. Still looking for other parts.
 Guess I'll head out for round #2 and find something else.

OH, and Trimguy and Doc were right, I need another hook, so I improvised. I think 7 saws is enough. That is unless I come across a 30 or 40CC saw that is worth rebuilding.

[trimguy]

I went most of my life with just one chainsaw, good , bad or different. In the last few years something has changed, I don't know, maybe got a little more sense, but now I own 7. All in working order  except 1 that needs the carburetor adjusted. 🤷�♂️

[SwampDonkey]

I have 3 working clearing saws, you need at least two or you're not going to make much money some weeks. Lost cutting time is lost money, there's no compensation. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Funny how the collection kind of sneaks up on you.   But yeah, you need to have a reliable backup. I'm not sure you need 5 backups.  Still I have convinced myself that each saw fills a different niche. Obviously I am not using a 372 with a 32" bar for taking down mushroom log trees that run 8-10" diameters, but when you need a bigger saw for a large tree, using a 350 with an 18" bar is kind of folly also. So I try to have a nice range of variety in my saws, bar sizes, and chain combinations. At least that's what I tell myself and so far it's working.

[SawyerTed]

We find our justification wherever we can!  I'm guilty too!

My FIL heated his house with wood for decades.  He owned 2 chainsaws ever.  I still have his last Homelite chainsaw.  It still gets cranked and run a little while every so often. 

For years I had one saw, then 2 and currently own 3.  All are Husqvarna- 445. 455 and 372.   The 372 was purchased as a CSM saw.  My everyday saw is the 455, it's just the right size for most of what I do.   The 372 is a "big wood saw" and the 445 is for light work.  

I don't need 3 saws.  I could get along just fine with the 455.  But I really want a good battery powered saw. 

[Wlmedley]

I've heated with wood ever since I got married and I always just had one chainsaw and considered myself lucky to have one. A few times I had to remove the power head from the bar because it was stuck in a tree and finish the cut with a axe. Even then I never considered owning two saws. I feel pretty prosperous now. I own four that run and my axe doesn't get used much.

[Old Greenhorn]

Same here, heated with wood in some part since around 1982 or so. One saw did me fine, but I was only bucking up logs. When I started harvesting mushroom logs (and trees) an hour from home I only owned (working) 2 saws, my trusty 450 and that 372 clown saw that I still trusted at the time. Not wanting to get in a bind and hour from home and parts, I took the 372 with me every cutting day, never needed it, but it was in the truck and I could get it in a few minutes. I had a few pinches I used my ax on for relief, but never needed the 372....until one day. The day they sent a videographer up with me to do an interview of me and get video of the process. That one day I had a pinch on my bar and it was bad enough to close up the sides on the bar and also around the tip sprocket. Try as I might, I could not fix it in the field and I have this camera guy wanting to get footage. So I went and got the 372. The few times I watched the resulting produced video, there are clips with me cutting down 8" trees with a Chinese saw with a 28" bar on it and it makes me cringe every time. I felt like an idiot, but that's what I had and I kept working. A few weeks later I was given a Ryobi battery saw and that went in the Mule everyday as a backup. 3 or 4 times, it saved my butt.
 Now I use a refurbished 350 as my mushroom saw, with the 450 as a backup. That whole experience, and finding new ways to have saws fail me in every circumstance mostly due to my own fault, have taught me to have backups ready at hand and keep working.
 Beyond the '2 saw theory' I just like having a little harem of saws all working and ready to go, hanging in that rack to see which one I want that day. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

[aigheadish]

I'm on my second 455 (turns out they really do need oil mixed with the gas) but would like to get something bigger for a CSM, though by my history it seems like a waste of a thousand bucks. I find it tough to get the motivation to CSM anything. I've got interesting logs just rotting away and it seems as though I find other more fun things to do, even though a nice slab of fresh wood is pretty dang satisfying. 

[SawyerTed]

I've said it before, funny how certain tools don't fit my hands like they used to!  

This is 1 of 17 post holes, 16 got dug with a 3 point PHD.   

I think I'd rather run a CSM!  Nope, I'd rather go fishing!

[doc henderson]

I was in school for years.  I always wanted to cut wood and have a woodstove/fireplace growing up.  I had a fireplace in an apartment in KC, so got a big box Poulon and used it till it would not start.  I did not know much about saws so a few years later, got a Mccollough and used it.  In Albany, I had a wood fireplace also and lived at twin oak apartments.  they were putting in a twin oaks office complex, and taking down trees.  they were 2-to-3-foot diameter oaks.  I got a homelight with a 24 inch bar.  I could only haul two logs in the back of my Bronco 2.  I got about 20 of these home and spent hours on days off splitting them.  After I arrived in Hays Ks, I got my first Stihl.  the home light still ran well, and I sold it to my office managers husband, and it was the biggest, nicest saw he had ever had.  The 046 mag was the only saw I had in hays and when I got to Hutchinson, I started filling in some gaps.  blower, pole saw, weedwhacker ect.  then I got a Stihl for my son with EZ start and a 250.  I had a 2 foot and 3 foot bar for the 046.  I later got a 271 farm boos as my son got older.  He has never got the bug as he was never deprived of the joy of cutting and burning wood.  I have now started adding the battery stuff.   the batt blower and weedwhacker start every time.  I got a hedge trimer as the tools are cheap after you already have the batteries and charger.  I have 3 batteries that fit all the tools.  I even got the cut off saw and can use metal and cement cutting blades 9 inch.  I think I am at about 20 tools from Stihl including the chain sharpener, and rivet spinner.  I was poor for a long time and now enjoy buying quality stuff.  I enjoy owning an 880 with a 3 and 5 foot bar, but it has to be a special day to use it.  I have nearly every saw I could need but am tempted to add a 500i.  been thinking about it for a few years.  first saw bought in 1985.

[SwampDonkey]

I'm a one chainsaw man. Oh, I have had probably 3 of my own, but not all functioning.  A new saw for firewood every once in awhile is a good investment anyway. Thousands of $$ saved in my pocket, so I don't deny myself a new chainsaw now and again. This one now I've had for 8 years. I don't have that great of an attachment to a saw, it's just a tool. 

[SawyerTed]

A chainsaw is a tool.  The reason I have Husqvarna equipment is the local hardware store is a dealer,  service and repair shop. 

I would likely own whatever the hardware store sells and services.  I do like the Husqvarna saws well enough.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Agreed, it's a tool, just like a rifle. But also like a rifle, they can be fun to work on and tweak. I derive a fair amount of satisfaction in looking at that rack of saws and knowing I can grab any one of them and they are ready to go. (PHD's are tools too, but not so much fun to work with or work on.)

 I have all Husky's and now a Jonsered because I had a great local dealer. Yes we also had a Stihl local dealer, but their service was a lot more spotty and not very important to them. I had one Stihl in my hands years ago for use and I found it extremely hard to start with VERY high compression. That turned me off to them. Now I am just so used to working on Huskies that it comes pretty easy, except for tuning which never came easy. I am always afraid of blowing up the saw.

 I have a bunch of parts on order that should arrive Saturday, when I am out of town. This time I ordered a tach, so maybe I can tune things better. By the time I am done with this 2050 I'll have just under 100 bucks in it for the rim sprocket assembly, new (OEM) bar and X-cut chain and some other odds and ends. For me, I think it's worth it. Hopefully on Sunday I'll be messing with the tuning. The B&C show up next week.

[NE Woodburner]

A few times I had to remove the power head from the bar because it was stuck in a tree and finish the cut with a axe.

When I had only one chainsaw (an old '80's Husky 266) I always carried an old bar and chain with my tools in the woods. If I got the saw pinched I would remove the power head and put on the old bar and chain to cut the good bar free. Only had to do it a few times, but was always glad I had them with me...

I now have 3 saws and one battery saw (the battery saw is not good and I would like to upgrade).

[Old Greenhorn]

Well I have just been piddling in the shop all week because of the rain, working on saws and such. I was wailing for parts to arrive after raiding Bob's stash for that elusive AV spring I needed for the 2050 J'Red. Was still waiting for the clutch drum/rim sprocket assembly and tach to arrive. The new B&C will arrive next week.
 We had to drive to VT today for a Memorial service for my first cousin. 5 hours round trip and an hour and a half there. I would have rather visited with all my cousins for a while longer, but the drive was in front of me. We got home around 5:30 and I saw that the clutch drum arrived as well as a box of fuel filters for stock, the tach arrived yesterday. Seems like my stock on things is dwindling quicker these days. I had used up my spare spark plugs 2 weeks ago and my fuel filters this week, so this time I ordered 4 more plugs. I only have one left already. I also ordered 10 fuel filters, that should last a while.

 SO back out in the shop at 6pm and I put the new clutch drum on. @Spike60 was dubious it would fit and told me so, but this part# was listed in the Jonsered IPL so I went for it. I always prefer a rim sprocket to the spur drive. Anyway, it fit fine and I set the B&C on and got it snug, then pulled the chain over by hand as I always do and something was wrong. It would move a few inches then bind hard. SO I loosened the bar a bit and it would move a little more then still bind. I loosened it to full slack and pulled it around. Now this is where it gets weird. as I pulled the chain around it would go from full slack (hanging) to snug (tight on top and bottom) then back to full slack again. I kept pulling it over and watching this happen, over and over. Then (As Jake says) I stepped back and scratched my watch and wound my head. What would cause this? I am not talking about going from sort of tight to a little loose. What I was seeing was a fully tight condition changing to a full 1/4" of daylight between the driver link tips and the bar groove. Totally unsafe and unusable.
 My machinist brain kicked in. I took it all apart. I won't bore you with how I figured this out and checked it, but the bottom line is between the ID on the clutch drum and the OD where the rim sprocket rides is over .018" of runout. On the rim sprocket there is .009" of runout, plus, the tooth pockets in the rim sprocket are not consistent, some are small and some are larger. In short, this is horrible manufacturing practice in front of my face. I looked at the box: "Made in China". There's your sign.

 Now it also occurred to me that this might be workable. If I aligned the high side of the rim, with the low side of the drum, I might get close to concentric. So I kept checking and changing until I got it as close as I could to actual concentricity. I put it all back together and it is actually what I would call workable. But who wants a 'one way only' setup? Not me. But that's where it sits right now. I will fire it up and test it tomorrow and see if I can tune the beast with the new tach that came yesterday. In the meantime I sent the seller a polite nasty gram and told him/her what I found. I would prefer he just gives me a refund and I buy another from a better supplier. I don't have any .325 rim sprockets around for spares, only 3/8, otherwise I would try a new (better) rim sprocket. Guess I will have to order some of those now. I have thought of converting my 450 over also, wonder if I could do the 350?

 Anyway, it's been a long day. I will pick it up again tomorrow.

[Old Greenhorn]

Ah, this saw project continues to challenge my simple mind.
 Sunday I tried running it a bit and taking a stab at tuning it. I thought I was getting close when something went awry with the throttle cable and I had no ability to throttle it up at all. Seemed like the cable broke, but it didn't. I got involved in other things helping a young neighbor sanding down a slab for a counter top, Mothers day stuff and what not.
 In the afternoon I got back on it and it took a while to see that I had the cable routing wrong, or it had slipped out of place. It also took a while to figure out what was correct. Then it took more time to actually make that happen. Eventually I got it correctly setup and it worked as it should.
 Yesterday's plan was to straighten out that handle because it was driving me nuts and I couldn't get the tuning tool through the access holes to the screws. It took a while, but again I figured it out, put a small corrective bend in the handle and also assembled the main AV spring correctly this time. Everything lines up nearly as good as factory. SO I ran the saw through 2x 18" cookies to warm it up. it cut well but was bubbling on the low end. Before I could get a tool in to increase the low speed it stalled.
 That was it, I couldn't get it re-started. It tried and would blubber a couple of times, but I just could not get it to run, I kept messing with the jets but no joy at all. I let it cool and did other things, then tried again throughout the day into the evening. No soap.
 I got frustrated and walked away. I think there is a carb issue (I cleaned it but did not open it up) and getting that carb in and out is a real bear of a job. Otherwise it would have been out after 10 minutes of non-start. I guess I am resigned to take it all apart again and figure out which carb it is and get a kit for it. I think it may be flooding.
 The new bar and scabbard showed up yesterday. I got an OEM NOS Jonsered 16" bar for it, but waiting on the chain today or tomorrow. I have no 66DL chains in my inventory.

---------------------------------
The woman that came and interviewed me last month sent me the draft of her article yesterday. I's a very nice article but somewhat embarrassing to read her impressions of me. I am certainly not used to that kind of stuff. She asked, so I sent her a marked up copy back with some typo and technical corrections. I may do some more today, I am re-reading and thinking it over. It's just a fluff piece to fill space and few will read it or pay attention to it, but I do like things to be accurate. It is hard to be objective when looking in the mirror. It's also weird.

 I also got a note forwarded to me from the woman who bought the stool I donated to the auction. She is very pleased with it and using it as a plant stand. She sent a photo and had some questions. So I sent her a nice reply and thank you note.

 Well today is another day and I will give that saw some more effort. I am also trying to get the TiPi into the canvas shop for repair of last year's storm damage. Time is getting short, but it seems difficult to arrange an appointment to bring this thing in and get it going. I'll try again today. I know that shop will be slammed with sail and boat work in the next few weeks.

[aigheadish]

I'd be interested in reading the article, if it's something that can be shared once published, Tom. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I think it will be available online once published, but this is, I believe, a quarterly paper so it mat not be for several months. The truth is I find it a bit embarrassing to have something just focused on me and I think it's a first for me. Only meeting me once and talking for an hour or two, she homed in on the high points as she saw them. Here's one line from one the opening paragraphs:
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" Tom was in the drive, tall, resolute, with that "woodsy" look many men spend big bucks to achieve, but, oh, not quite this authentic. White goatee, green felt hat, cigarette in one hand, and a firm welcome-grip with the other, he pointed to one of the stacks of logs. I judged each log to be about 7" in diameter and three feet long. Bark covered, stacked neatly on skids."
-------------------

After a first read through and some minor corrections I read it again this morning and I noticed some things that are a little bit factually mis-leading. As much as I dislike editing another's work (because I HATE having people edit mine), I may send her some clarifications. This is an odd thing to deal with and I find myself a bit out of sorts regarding it.
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I have nearly reached my limit with that 2050. Yesterday I tried it again cold and I could not start it. So I took the carb out and opened it up. Pulled all the little parts out that would come out cleaned everything, blew out the passages, found nothing obvious and put it back together. Now that I know how it goes in the right way I only had to do it 3 times.  The first time I forgot about the throttle cable routing issue and had to pull it all apart to get that right, then I had the choke linkage connected, but it came off while manipulating everything to get it lined up. I didn't notice until the bolts were snugged. Third time I got it right, but it took a while. Worst carb setup I have ever worked on in a saw.
 I took it outside and it started after several pulls but would not stay running. I adjust the L screw and eventually got it to stay running until it warmed up. Then I grabbed the tach and tried to see where the H jet stood. I revved it up high and when it came back down, it stalled. I could not start it again.
 I checked for air leaks, but this saw has no boot, the carb bolts right up to the cylinder. Compression is good too. It's possible that the is a leak in one of the carb diaphragm's that I can't see. There is no impulse hose, it gets that directly off the cylinder also. The gasket is clean and good and tight. I looked for a rebuild kit but didn't really find one I am sure is correct. It's a Zama EL1 53P, or that's the marking on the carb anyway. I don't find that exact number anywhere. I think I've hit the end of my skills yet again. If anybody has suggestions, pass them along. It's a nice little saw and I would really love to have this thing run reliably. 
----------------------------

As one of my diversions yesterday I finally managed to hook up with the Canvas Shop and bring in the tipi for repair. I had a hard time finding the shop at the marina as the boatyard is chock full of pleasure sailing yachts getting their spring refits underway. It's a small job for them and they will do it on a rainy day soon (they say). I am sure they don't want that huge hunk of canvas clogging up their work space for very long. I'm excited to have that fixed and ready for another year.

 Today is a solid overcast, damp, and cool day. It will rain or drizzle all day. Perfect day to work on saws, but I'm so frustrated now, I may let that sit for a bit until I can look it in the eye again.  Maybe I'll find something else worthwhile to occupy my mind and get me a little ahead on something.

[aigheadish]

Great quote Tom and I can see why you may feel a bit embarrassed! You should start marketing/selling your look!

[Old Greenhorn]

Well we each have our own perceptions and for each of us, our perceptions are our own reality. SO I won't make any comments about that. It's just embarrassing for me is all. I did re-read it yesterday and emailed her some more broad technical corrections about what I do. We will see what the final cut looks like. Won't be published until sept-Oct timeframe. It will be forgotten in a few weeks, I'm sure.

------------------------
 So immediately after yesterday's post there began a series of texts with the one client I am still waiting on to pick up his order of 150. It's getting annoying now because the logs are jamming me up for other work. I've been sitting on them for a month now after rushing to meet his 'deadline'. He ran into money/job issues and has been delaying every week. There are actually two farmers who go in together for one order. The one guy wants his 50 log cut and has the cash, the other guy was trying to bail on his order (100). This is the 3rd year they have bought from me. He explained how this was out of his control, etc. I sympathized with him, but also told him he was now making his problems become my problems. He wasted 4 days of my hard labor and about 12-14 trees, not to mention my lost income, changing this into firewood after all that handling.

 In 4 years, this is the first time I have been stiffed. Since I have been thinking about ending this part of the business, it might be the nail in the coffin. The hard work and back pain is one thing, but the wood allergy seems to be getting worse every year and this time took several weeks to fully clear. He finally called me and we talked through some options. They will come on Monday with truck and trailer and take what they can fit. The one guy will pay cash on the barrel head for his 50 and the other guy will work out a payment plan with me over time. Not the best option, but it's my choice. It would make me sick to hack these logs up into firewood and I don't want to invest a lot of time and cost into inoculating them and stressing over where to sell them. I need my driveway clear and my trailer empty so I can get things setup for firewood and summer operations.

 I think I have pretty much decided that if I do this at all next year, I will not take orders over 50 logs, preferring the 20-40 log orders. If these guys want to order next year, I'll need a deposit if I take their order at all. I guess 4 years and only getting stiffed once isn't so bad. If they had done this early in the season, it would be no big deal and I could have used those logs for other buyers, but since they waited until long after everyone else had their logs, I got screwed.

 Lesson learned, now it's another day so let's move on.

[WV Sawmiller]

Tom,

   Sorry about the hassle. If your other customers have been good I might continue for them but just require cash up front for this one guy. The smaller orders might be a good idea to keep the lot cleaned and the cash flow going. If somebody needs a couple hundred logs they might have to do 4 orders or such.

    I hope it all works out.

    Getting close to Constitution Day isn't it?

[Old Greenhorn]

Yes, that is this Saturday and I will be up at the farm where we hold GreyFox in July. This is the spring senior staff meeting on site. I still don't know why they invite me and I won't go for the whole weekend, but will spend Saturday up there doing some networking.

 My thoughts on the order size being smaller is that I can do a 40 log order in 2 work sessions with little stress. The larger orders can take me weeks working around the weather and conditions and I wind up pushing myself too hard, requiring recovery time.

[Peter Drouin]

I hope it works out for you/

A little off-topic, but I remember you or someone talking about leg cramps on this post and what was done to fix them. Or I could be wrong, and it's on a different post.
I'm not sure. If not here, I'm sorry I brought it up. Thanks for your time.