Cutting ice for spearing

[sleevefullofaces]

Thinking of getting into dark house spearing this winter. Using one of my power saws would save me the $150 that an ice saw would cost. I’ve read a little about cutting ice with a power saw but figured I’d check in with this forum to get the real info.
Anybody using their chainsaws for cutting ice? What do I need to do to not kill my saw? Is running no bar oil going to burn up my pump?
Thanks.

 

[sleevefullofaces]

Considering using my 440/046 hybrid or my ps421.

 

[Bwildered]

Use bio bar oil

 

[sleevefullofaces]

Never heard of that. I’ll look into it. Thanks.

 

[Lionsfan]

Dump the bar oil out and fill it with dish soap. Cut with the topnof the bar so you don't get soaked. Dry everything out real good when you're done and spray your bar and chain down with some penetrating oil, especially the sprocket.

 

[Bwildered]

Putting detergents in waterways is a definite no no, whereas bio chain oil can be

 

[Lionsfan]

For one hole in the ice, I will take the risk.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Up here in Igloo Land they use cooking oil, Mazola is a favorite.

 

[Old2stroke]

The land of the frozen north is the place, other than the west coast, where you find serious saws with LONG bars for cutting holes in the ice and putting up ice blocks, since these saws are committed to winter use, I believe many just remove the oil pump.

 

[Canyon Angler]

Do the chains/teeth get brittle cutting ice? Sawing up lake ice must take them down to some pretty Godawful cold temperatures.

 

[sleevefullofaces]

Any truth to dedicating a chain to ice cutting and filing the rakers way down?

 

[stikine]

Don't overthink it...just use a normal chain and go for it.

 

[U&A]

The land of the frozen north is the place, other than the west coast, where you find serious saws with LONG bars for cutting holes in the ice and putting up ice blocks, since these saws are committed to winter use, I believe many just remove the oil pump.

Seriously...? No lube of any kind? I dont know about you but in my experience water is a poor lubricant [emoji1787]


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Seriously...? No lube of any kind? I dont know about you but in my experience water is a poor lubricant [emoji1787]


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

The people I know that cut big ice with saws don't use any bar/chain lube at all. Water keeps things spinning just fine. They don't go through bars. One guy is still using the Homelite his dad bought in the early 80's or so, same bar.

These people also grind the depth gauges completely off the chain for ice cutting, but that's all they do is cut ice with those saws. They have different saws for cutting wood.

 

[KASH]

Just cut the hole i have cut many holes with a chain saw .It is different when you use your saw to cut up your moose then you drain your oil tank and run your saw threw a dry chunk of wood.when I was younger we cut ice for our fishing resort with a circular saw with an 8 hp Briggs.My dad used his Pioneer RA chain saw to cut some of the blocks to start the block float.I knew a couple of guys who commercial fish netted in the winter under the ice they put up their ice with chain saws with special ice chains.
You arent going to do your saw any damage it doesnt take long to cut a hole threw 20 inches of ice.
One thing you can take to the bank You will never overheat your bar.
Kash

 

[4CornersPuddle]

44 years ago I cut some holes through the ice on a lake in northern Utah with my felling saw, a Homelite 925. Easey peasey. Easey Peasey that is, until I cut right above an underwater hump. We were out quite a ways from shore, but the water was only about a foot deep. Yes, I plunged that bar and chain right into the bottom gravel. Oh, did that suck.
Several years ago I used a nearly trashed Husky 141 To cut some holes in the ice on my pond. The oiler was shot, so I didn't care about wrecking it without bar oil. The ice and water lubricate the chain just fine.
As Lionsfan suggested in Post #5 above, cut with the top of the bar. Stand to the side of the powerhead. Expect to get a little wet. Enjoy. You will be smiling.

 

[sleevefullofaces]

Thanks guys.

 

[Cfaller]

A few things I've learned is don't mix bar oil and vegetable oil it will turn into a glue like substance taking out oil pumps and making chains really stiff. The best luck I've had is no bar oil and take the saw apart to down to clutch if an inboard to dry. Also if the ice is thick cut just the ice the first cuts then come back and cut into the water the second time around. It takes more power to pull the water threw the cut then it does to cut the ice.

 

[KASH]

I was just down stairs poking up the wood stove and thinking about putting up ice for our ice house and I remembered a very special ice story.
Back in the early nineties when the bride and I were first together. She came up to the trapping cabin with me to spend new years together.
Picture this its 35 below zero 3 feet of snow on the ground.Her and I are sitting in the cabin after having a meal of steak barbequed on willow wood coals shrimp appetizers and lobster tails with the meal.The cabin is nice and warm Stompin Tom Connors is playing on the 12 volt player.we each shared a couple of wine and man she sure looks beautiful in the glow of the coleman lantern just the two of us snug as a bug in a rug.Well I am drinking my warm beer which Is how I like it and she is having a mixed vodka. Then she says it sure would be nice to have some ice.It is 50 miles to the closest store the closest human is 35 miles away.Well its a beautiful moon lit night the stars are overhead you swear you can see forever. I tell her Ill be back in a bit I grab the Husky 162 and ice chisel start the Elan and go out on the ice.I cut her a 16x16 inch block of ice.I brought the block in the cabin put it on the counter stuck the vodka bottle on top and said happy new year my love.She had put the radio on and Guy Lombardo was starting his new years kick off .She had tears in her eyes and the windows in the cabin got pretty steamy that night.
It is a good memory I still have a half dozen sets of ice tongs I use them to load the snow mobile slieghs with wood and to stand up wood blocks to be split I also pull long longs with then It saves bending so much.
Tie tongs that the section men on the railroad used are really good as they are longer and are aluminium with replaceable steel points.

 

[kevin j]

Do the chains/teeth get brittle cutting ice? Sawing up lake ice must take them down to some pretty Godawful cold temperatures.

Not really. Water still minimum 32F.
Air temp That’s a different story, and wet clothing and cold air I have a lot if respect for what pioneer’s went through