Anyone remember Barker Saws?

[Bro. Noble]

Don,

We have the old patterns in a shed somewhere.  I don't know how many a guy would have to sell to pay to have a foundry make the parts.  I think the patterns are the expensive part.  The little 20 in model with an electric motor would sure beat the tar out of those big skill saws.  The blades might also be a problem,  but a guy could have a saw shop put carbide tips on one.

There ought to be some old saws laying around in the VanBuren area.  If you are serious about trying one, you might have your family there run an add or watch sale bills for one.  I can probably fix you up with a new cable as there were a whack of them left when the family sold out.  I've got what was left of the old stuff.

The last ones the company produced were for an Amish store in Penn.  That was in the 60's.  They were going to power them from the front of tractor engines.  They wanted 75 units.  Grandad had me scour the warehouse for all the old parts I could find.  I think we found enough parts to make about 25 cable drive saws.

Noble

[Jeff]

I got me one now!

Here is a good picture of Nobles Dads saw. Mine is just like it only yeller.

http://www.tomssaw.com/gallery/album03/Dsc00118

[Tom]

Is that blade on backwards?  It looks like it would run the operator down if it pinched.  "cours the sawdust goes the other way :D

Noble,  explain how the blade is driven.  I don't see any cogs.  ..........and how is it held in place so that it doesn't eat up the safety shield on top? :P

[Bro. Noble]

Tom,

Jeff has a picture of the other side  (it's on the shows and meeting place forum) that helps show how it's driven.  On the above picture,  notice the rollers in front of the engine.  That just backs up the friction drive roller on the opposite side of the blade.  The clutch lever on the handle pulls the engine over so the fiber drive roller engages the blade.  The clutch lever also opens up the throttle.  You can see the mounts in this photo where the engine swivils.

You notice the piece of metal inside the blade (except where the cutting is done.  There are rollers in this that the blade rides on and keep it in place.  

Jeff found a fellow with one of the cable drive saws while he was here.  The guy was willing to sell it but couldn't remember where it was.  He did remember he had taken it apart.

He called the day after Jeff and Tammy left saying that he found all the parts.  I told him Jeff was gone but I would give him $25 for it and keep it for myself if Jeff didn't want it.  He mulled it over for about 2 seconds and said he'd wait till that guy from Michigan (he was thinking rich yankee) came back :D

[Jeff]

Tell him I'll give him 20 and a jar of Pickled Baloney. That reminds me, I took noble a jar of that delicacy!

[Jeff]

Went over to Harolds tonight and took the Barker. We stood in the garage and watched the rain and drank a diet coke. Then we tackled the saw. Took about 2 minutes to get it running. ;D

Shes a wicked lookin little puppy. Cant wait till tomorrow. I think I'll cut some wood.

[Kevin]

You better give the ambulance a five minute head start.  :D

[Jeff]

I'm not sure if I will need chaps or a complete set of knights armour. :D

[Kevin]

In that case with all the sparks you better give the fire dept. a five minute head start too.  :D

[Jeff]

I'll have to take a video. I have showed the saw to a lot of folks up here and not one has ever seen one. They must have been one of those things they kept on the other side of the Mississippi.

[Kevin]

I hope it's good and sharp.

[Jeff]

I just did a google search, and this may be unrelated, but its at least a little bit eerie. Barker is the name of the Director of the Texas chainsaw massacre

[Kevin]

I know his mother De.   ;D

[Jeff]

g
r
o
a
n

[Jeff]

I am not a small engine guy so I need some pointers. When I rev the engine and start to cut, the engine dies out. Or if I simply try to hold the throttle open.  This is a westbend 2 cycle engine.

[Minnesota_boy]

I'd guess that the engine is running a little lean.  If it has been in storage for some time, expect a little gumming of the jets.  Soimetime just running them witrh fresh fuel cleans them out, sometimes it takes a good soak in carburetor cleaner.  Once in a while, it works to just close the adjustment needles and them open them again.  It seems to push the junk out of the jet and away you go.

[Kevin]

Is there a governor on it?
What make of carb?

[Tom]

Boy! That would really foul it up, Kevin,   'Specially if it was Florida's Governor : :D

[Jeff]

I'll have to look tomorrow. I really need to clean it up. THe carb is filthy on the outside. It has some sort of hard cardboard or paper air filter. I'll take pictures. I did get it to saw a little although its dull. Looks pretty cool throwing that rooster tail of sawdust up and away from you. 8)

[chet]

Did ya remember ta count yer toes and yer fingers when you were done.  ;)

[Jeff]

woodenta done no good. Not sure what uh started twit.

[Bro. Noble]

Jeff,

If the saw is running a little lean,  leaving the choke part on should cause it to run better.  This isn't a cure, of course,  only to help diagnose.  Maybe running it this way a little till it warms up or the carb cleans up would solve the problem.  You might need to adjust the needles------probably has a high and low speed needle.  It would have been set for beautiful Ozark weather.  You take it up there in damnyankee land and should expect to adjust the carb for cruddy weather :D

[Kevin]

Check the vent on the cap as well.

[Jeff]

Here are some pictures of my Barker. Can somebody give me a procedure for adjusting this sort of carb? I really have no idea. Not a small engine guy atall.

Kevin, the cap has a corg liner. The vent is not plugged as gas will run out if you tip the saw.

The Barker cut its own stand! 8)


Right side


Leftside



Carb

[Bro. Noble]

The way I usually adjust any carb that has an idle jet and a load jet is to start closing the idle jet while it's running.  When it starts to cut out,  I open it back a half turn.  Then I run it at full throttle and start opening up the high speed jet until it starts to bog down and then close it down a half turn.  Next I see if it accelerates from idle to full speed smoothly,  If not I try small adjustments first with the idle and then with the high speed.  After that is done I try it under a load and fine tune the high speed jet.

Make sure points & plug are in top shape before starting on the carb adjustment.

The way I do it is probably not right,  but that's the method I have come up with over the years.  Old gas tractors need to be adjusted with weather changes and I suspect small engines with the older carbs do too.