How did you get started on working on saws

[pioneerguy600]

I grew up in a family that worked the woods and lived on a small farm so there was a big need for mechanics and very few of them and they lived miles from us so I grew into it naturally as the need was greater than the supply. One of my uncles was real good with Mac chainsaws and a pretty good car mechanic.I worked with him sometimes and watched him a little and thought I can do that and I just started in and could do it naturally. I swear my toys were cast off machinery and I stripped a Techumseh lawn mower completely when I was 10 and rebuilt it, mowed lawns for 2 years with it and made enough money to buy a new one. Just kept on doing engine work from then on, self taught read a lot and then put it to use. Started with small engines and went on to build 850 horse big block chevy`s and most things in between.
Pioneerguy600

 

[stevejr33]

I have been told wen I was 3 weeks old my grandfather who happened to on the local steal dealership put me in a bucket of bolts to get me out of the way. been hooked ever sense, Fromm cars to chain saws to industrial waste grinders I have worked on just about Any thing.

 

[stipes]

Learned alot on here....

I am a journey man tool and die maker ,,,and mech. craftsman for a company here in Ky....Machine alot of steel over the years...But to tear a motor apart,,I always had second thoughts.. I know how things work,,but the specs. torque on bolts,,special tools you need..Ect..ect...This is the best site I ever found for searching ,, asking and to learn things........
Next thing I knew I got into millin and still alot to learn ,,but so far what my good friends on AS have been teachin me,,,YOU CAN DO IT!!!! All ya gotta do is ask.........

 

[fourfivefour]

I'm a mechanic. Boats, Cars, trucks, and heavy equipment mostly.
I started working on saws a few months ago when I joined this site and contracted CAD.
I find it very rewarding to make an old broke down saw run again.:greenchainsaw:

 

[GASoline71]

I started by filin' chains in my grandpas shop... then moved up to tearin' clutches off and rebuildin' carbs... next thing I knew I was tearin' the topends off of them, and slappin' new pistons, and new jugs when needed... all by the age of 14.

We had dirtbikes and hot rods all the time too while I was growin' up... so workin' on saws just fit right in...

Gary

 

[cjcocn]

I always say that I want to learn about fixing things because I am either too broke or too cheap - just checked my wallet and it's mighty flat.

I didn't want to keep mowing our lawn with that old push mower so I grabbed an abandoned lawn mower, cleaned it up, and fiddled with the carb (that's where I first heard of 1 turn out). Finally got it to run and I used it for quite a few years after that.

Also messed with bicycles quite a bit around that time and tried to hang around folks who worked on machines.

Later on I started helping people that I knew service their trucks, skidders, outboards, etc. and took a 1-year mechanics course when I was 16. After that I started fixing cars when I could - mostly changing out parts, engines, etc. Never fully tore down an engine until recently when I started messing with chainsaws.

I like machines and equipment, but not only can I not afford to pay $60-$90 per hour to have someone fix things for me, I would also rather do it myself.

In 2006 I toasted a piston and cylinder while clearing trees on my land and jumped on the internet to find out what I could do about it. AS showed up as one of the search results and I started reading. Almost 2 years later I started posting, and just recently got into rebuilding saws.

Still only have about one ounce of knowledge where there are tons of it to learn, but I keep reading and fixing my saws so I figure that I'll be good at it in a few years.

 

[Jacob J.]

There's a lot of good saw mechanics here. I'm just wonder how some of you got started.
I'm hoping to be able to do my own work soon.

When I was 12, dad said he'd give me $3 for doing the basic cleaning on his big timber falling saws- removing the clutch drum, cleaning the bearing, scraping the crud out of the drum, wire brushing the clutch, cleaning the sprocket area- etc. Blowing out air filters, re-oiling if they were the oil type, cleaning the starters. After I got good at the saw cleaning, then I got trained on hand filing chains, first round ground and then a few years later- square ground.

I also got $2 to disassemble, clean, and install new fillers in Spencer tapes.

At the time comic books were $0.20 so I could get a couple comics, a soda pop, and some jerky.

 

[BobL]

When I was 12, dad said he'd give me $3 for doing the basic cleaning on his big timber falling saws- removing the clutch drum, cleaning the bearing, scraping the crud out of the drum, wire brushing the clutch, cleaning the sprocket area- etc. Blowing out air filters, re-oiling if they were the oil type, cleaning the starters. After I got good at the saw cleaning, then I got trained on hand filing chains, first round ground and then a few years later- square ground.

I also got $2 to disassemble, clean, and install new fillers in Spencer tapes.

At the time comic books were $0.20 so I could get a couple comics, a soda pop, and some jerky.

Sounds a bit like my story except I never got paid. My Dad was a faller from when I was 4 , till I was 13. From when I was ~6 I used to go bush with him on saturdays and holidays he used to get me cleaning and eventually sharpening etc. He was pretty ham fisted with most things and although he never had many tools he knew saws. When I was 13 my carpenter uncle went traveling and let me use his carpentry and mechanical tool kit while he was away. He never came back and I started making and fixing things on my own, woodwork, metal work, electrical and electronics, bit of everything. Then I got into motorcycles and cars and eventually into sophisticated research grade stuff that had vacuum pumps, high voltage, serious electronics and computer control. Mostly I like woodwork and metal work and couple of years back decided to make a chainsaw mill, for my little mac 10-10. I have a small home shop and access to a real nice metal shop at work plus a talented BIL who can hold my hand on difficult stuff. Now I have 3 CS mills and 8 saws. I like making and fixing things using simple low cost solutions that work effectively and generally don't care how long things take. Still need to learn a lot on saws and everything else really, . . .

 

[sloch24]

Ninjas raided my house when I was only 6. I ran and hid in the woodshed until they were gone. When I thought it was safe, I grabbed paw's 028 and ventured out to find the house in flames and my family dead. I ran into the forest and didn't stop running until morning.

DUDE! You should write childrens stories!!!!

 

[Cole90]

I started by making chains and grinding chains in the shop, then tune ups and carbs and looking over the techs. shoulder until i got the hang of it. Now i have a few project saws im working on right now.

 

[lovetheoutdoors]

my grandpa was a small engine mechanic, i helped him when i was a little fella all the way up until 2003 when he passed away. i got it from him, he enjoyed it and so do i. i like making anything run and run better.

 

[teacherman]

I don't consider myself an expert at all, but it all started last February when I was replacing the air filter on my 026. The generous air filter mfg. folks decided I needed an extra brads cotter key, which they so thoughtfully placed inside the filter, and of course it ended up inside the engine. I came here for advice, and the rest is CAD history.........

 

[willsaw4beer]

With the economy how it is I can't find a real job so I just keep cutting wood, and when you're always cutting wood with old beat saws and can't afford to have a dealer fix them you have to do it yourself.

 

[johncinco]

"I wonder what that screw does".......

and it was all over.

 

[Brian S]

What is it that they say, Necessity is the mother of Invention? Well Necessity has a real old mean bi#ch of a mother named Poverty.

I learned to fix my stuff because I can't afford not to. Started with lawnmowers as a teen and grew my skills from there.

 

[landyboy]

Ever since i was small i have had the urge to take things apart. As a toddler i had a box of clocks/watches/mechanical items where other kids had toys.
I work on my cars, motorcycles, mowers, even our domestic boiler. If i cant fix something i think i`ve failed in some way.

Then i discovered saws....perfect: small package which i can work on at waist height on my workbench. Biggest project so far has been an 026, built from the ground up, and what a sense of achevement. Got a couple of homies to collect from a mates farm shortly and i`m looking for an 044 rebuild.
A new saw just doesnt have the same apeal as bringing something unloved back to life.

 

[partimer55]

Ive built car engines and fixed motors since I was young in my fathers shop. But its hard to build a nice hot rod these days for under $10,000.00. (although I still have my high school hot rod 72 cutlass S). Any way this december I had my 455 rancher and my 018 stolen. I found a 272 xp at my friends that was hit by a brush hog. They told me i couldnt make it run.... is that a challenge. Any way looking for parts on ebay and researching I found this site. I had no idea you could do this much to chainsaws. So now I have aquired a 272, 61 I put a new ring in, 350 and a 55 rancher that I need to put a piston and cylinder in. And now I am hooked. By the way that 272 just cut some wood today.

 

[cjcocn]

Ive built car engines and fixed motors since I was young in my fathers shop. But its hard to build a nice hot rod these days for under $10,000.00. (although I still have my high school hot rod 72 cutlass S). Any way this december I had my 455 rancher and my 018 stolen. I found a 272 xp at my friends that was hit by a brush hog. They told me i couldnt make it run.... is that a challenge. Any way looking for parts on ebay and researching I found this site. I had no idea you could do this much to chainsaws. So now I have aquired a 272, 61 I put a new ring in, 350 and a 55 rancher that I need to put a piston and cylinder in. And now I am hooked. By the way that 272 just cut some wood today.

Welcome to AS!

Sounds like you'll have a lot to post about considering the number of saws that you already have!

 

[partimer55]

Im hoping to . There is a lot of Knowledge on here and Im always up for learning and I hope to share some as well..... I forgot to mention my favorite saw that actually didnt get stolen is a husky 136 that has never given any probs.

 

[PatrickIreland]

I just love engines. I remember about age 11 my dad had "refurbished" an old WW2 Onan 12v generator. I was messing with it and he said "Don't bother with that thing, it'll never run anyway, and it always boiled batteries"
So I messed with it for the whole weekend, and eventually got it to start.
My mum never let him forget that until the day he died.
64 years after it was born, I'm doing it up again. No parts available, etc.
I just love engines...