Post your helpful chainsaw/cutting tips and tricks.

[WadePatton]

sweet. whole toolbox up on the straps eh. no need for plugs with the combo plastic helmet thing.

i hadda do some digging/re-rigging today after i went for the tuner and it was in my front pocket--under the chaps!

and yep, that spot is perfect. just realized i still had 'spenders on and eyeballed it.

who's next?

 

[macj]

Bar Stuffed

I have a couple of old husqvarna bars that came out of the factory at 058 guage and new 058 guage chain I found slopped around excessively. Different story though when I tried 063 guage chain, far less slop - sort of like new bar/chain combo!

 

[silverzuk]

Packing in, I wore an old army canteen belt with suspenders (LBE). I had one canteen full of water. I put saw gas in a 1 liter bottle in one cateen cover, and the bar oil in a 20 oz bottle in another.

I wore this when clearing brush and small trees on strip mines in the steep mountains in Fayette County WV working close to the truck, but the steep slopes made it so you didn't "run back to the truck". You start cutting at the truck and work your way out. You would work until you ran out of something (usually water). Go back to the truck, fill up, and go again. It was a whole lot easier to climb with that rig opposed to carrying the gas can and oil bottle.
You could also drop the rig and put it back on with ease when you got to a bench.

 

[GPETER]

The guy teaching my chainsaw cert course made a chainsaw tool box for the bush made out of a piece of 6in diameter PVC pipe with a screw cap glued to one end and a regular cap on the other.

The pipe is air and water tight because the screw cap has an O ring on it.

He just cut the legnth of pipe to fit the longest tools like a file and scrench.

 

[Philbert]

The guy teaching my chainsaw cert course made a chainsaw tool box for the bush made out of a piece of 6in diameter PVC pipe with a screw cap glued to one end and a regular cap on the other.

How does he carry it? Did he add a handle?

I have made a number of PVC tubes for holding things like hacksaw blades, jig saw blades, recip. blades, etc. out of smaller diameter pipes. But 6 inch pipe is kind of chunky for holding things that would fit into a small tool bag, tool box, pouch, etc.

Just curious.

Philbert

 

[firewoodman!]

Sometimes the simplest little technique makes life a lot easier when it comes to working on or cutting with chainsaws. If you "discovered" something simple that helps out, post it. Even if you think think its minor or if you think everybody else is already doing it, who cares, post it. I'm sure everybody had that why didn't I think of that earlier thought before. Whether its tools or techniques. A couple small things I do when I cut are, I use a plastic milk crate for my gas can, gallon of bar oil, and I save empty gear lube bottles for bar oil. They all fit in the crate nicely. The gear lube bottles are easy to fill at home from the gallon, and are great to use when filling the saw in the woods, no mess. When I cut I pull a 14' wood trailer with me. Where I cut there are a lot of cornfields and wood lots, so after the fields are picked I can usually get the truck and trailer close to where I'm working. I mounted a portable air tank on the tongue of the trailer with about 5 feet of hose and a blowgun on the end. This will reach the tailgate where I like to gas and oil. I use the blow gun to clean all the saw dust away from the filler caps before I open them. It does not take much air and will last all day. Yes, very minor things, but they help.

im sure most of u know but for those who dont if you need to rip blocks tip the block on its side so its laying flat you will get 3 inch shavings and a lot easier on the saw

 

[GPETER]

Philbert, I think that he puts it in a pack with his lunch and other stuff. Cant go into the woods without a ham sammy!

Maybe it was 5" I didint take a good look, but he had everything an instructor should have in there extra pull cord, bar nuts, wedges...

He also said that he has seen loggers make a tool kit with an old pair of jeans by cutting the legs off just below the crotch, then sew the bottom shut and put a drawstring through the belt loops to cinch it closed. Another idea I guess...

 

[2dogs]

When I was Falling Timber full time I always kept my "tuning fork" on my suspenders. I wear the heavy buckle suspenders and where the leather is sewn onto the elastic is a perfect place to stab the screwdriver into the leather. I have posted this pic before but it is the best one I have to display my screwdriver...you can see it on my right strap, by my whistle, and ear plug case.

Another thing is my ear plug case...saw an old prescription pill bottle in half; be sure that the top half is deep enough to fit your plugs; saw the bottom half about a 1/4" from bottom and insert it into the top half and black tape; Cut slits into lid and insert zip-tie for attaching to suspenders...they work great, and your plugs stay a lot cleaner.

I know this pic has been up awhile but... Cody are you wrong handed or do you have 2 wedge pouches?

 

[Greystoke]

I know this pic has been up awhile but... Cody are you wrong handed or do you have 2 wedge pouches?

No, just one pouch...I just never liked my wedge pouch on the other side...it seemed to always be bumpin my elbow, and buggin me, so I got used to runnin it this way. It keeps things balanced when you have one or two tapes on the other side too.

 

[Arrowhead]

I buy a box of 200 3oz. Dixie Cups at Walmart for a buck something. They work great for mixing oil, 3oz per gal gives a 42:1 mix. Quick, easy and cheap.

 

[sloweather]

--I do not have a decent first aid kit for out in the field. Worse, I am and EMT, so I KNOW I should have one... Even worser, I am first aid merit badge counselor, and one of the requirements is for the boys to make one. I do have one, but it is pretty simple and usually in my Scout pack. Will put that on this weeks todo list.

I know this is an old post, but instead of a "first aid kit" we carry a "trauma kit" with a more extensive array of equipment and supplies. We purchased the last one from practicaltrauma.com.

 

[Philbert]

I buy a box of 200 3oz. Dixie Cups at Walmart for a buck something. They work great for mixing oil, 3oz per gal gives a 42:1 mix. QUOTE]

I did something similar when I had some bulk 2-cycle mix. Took a Dixie cup and very carefully measured in 2.6 ounces of water with a syringe, then marked that height with a Sharpie marker. I used that cup to 'calibrate' a bunch of other cups that I stacked inthe garage next to the oil. Disposable mix cups.

One company I worked with took plastic, graduated cylinders and drilled a hole in each one at the right height. They had to add a specific volume of distilled water to a product and it was too hard to read the lines consistently. They just poured the water into the cylinder until it ran out the hole to get the same amount each time. Might get messy with 2-cycle oil.

Philbert

 

[sloweather]

MREs... Everything you need in a shelf stable bag good for 5 years. Some even include a pouch heater that uses water.

I keep a full emergency kit in my Avalanche at all times; food and water, cutlery, first aid kit, space blanket, toiletries, a lil snort of hooch, spare socks, a little cash, light sticks, some Sterno, matches, etc. I figure I could live in the truck for 2-3 days if I had do.

Nobody takes a LUNCH ?? Gotta have a lunch. I also keep a "care package" under the seat...sardines, beanie weinies, crackers, stuff that has a good shelf life for those days when things go wrong and you're out there longer than you planned. Or have to stay out there all night 'cause the road slid in. Beanie weinies are terrible but they're better than trying to make soup out of boiled bootlaces or trying to kill squirrels with a rock.

 

[sloweather]

Search "bobcat logsplitter" on you tube, it will ruin you everytime you split.

Years ago, I was working a Saturday as a wastewater plant operator. A co-worker showed up with a truck bed full of rounds. He got out the backhoe, set up on a flat dirt area, and used the hoe bucket teeth to scribe out an arc on the dirt.

Then he set the rounds up centered on the arc, and proceeded to use the bucket teeth to systematically split every round in half. After a quarter-rotation of the logs, he resplit them into quarters.

 

[Evanrude]

Here's my toolbox of goodies

Plus forestry helmet, gloves, hankerchief, safety glasses, and an axe.

 

[wudpirat]

Helpful Tips

As Erick stated backl on #52.
PULP HOOKS AND PICKEROONS are a time saver for handling wood.
A pulp hook stuck into a round is a built in handle, one in each end allows two people to handle a heavy piece.
My pickeroon has a 16" handle and is perfect for stacking/ unstacking splits. Just hook'em and put'em where you want them.
My biggest problem is leather gloves, I'm going broke buiying them. Cheap or expensive don't make a difference they wear quick.
I don't like the heavy duty foundry type, no feeling, I prefer the thinner driving type.
It's not firewood until it's cut, split and stacked. Until then it's just wood.


FREDM

 

[DFK]

I once had to cut a 50' tall, 2' throught the middle, dead pine in a customers yard.
The only way it would fall, with out hanging up, was right over the top of his water meter.

Not wanting to bust up is water meter I covered it with a 4' X 4' piece of plywood then placed an old truck tire on top of that.

The plywood spred the force out over a much wider area and the tire sofened the blow a lot.

I scored a direct hit on the tire and the water meter was fine.

David

 

[redoakneck]

Okay, since I've read a couple posts about Deet for ticks to prevent lyme disease I'll add one trick I learned years ago while working with biologists in the jungle.

I keep a bottle of Doxycycline (antibiotic) in the fridge. Whenever we find a tick on ourselves or our dog we take one of the pills (or in the dog's case give it to him). I was told that if taken within 12 to 24 hours of a tick bite it will prevent lyme disease (and rocky mountain spotted fever). Unfortunately I learned this after a nearly fatal bout of a form of tropical lyme disease.

Caveat emptor - I'm not a doctor so I'm not giving medical advice - just telling you what works for me.

Do not use tetracycline if it is out of date. Great stuff and has saved many lives, just watch the expiration date so you don't smoke your kidneys!!!

 

[joeymt33]

i don't have a picture to show for this right now but, i hate how the modern day fuel cans that don't have that air vent on the opposite side of the spout. it was really nice to be able to flip that cap and pour without the chugging that causes spilage. on these newer ventless cans, i've drilled a half inch hole and inserted a tire valve with the core removed. now when pouring fuel, i can remove the black cap and have a vent to pour easier and faster if needed. also, you can pour fuel from the tire valve if needed.

i welded a vise on a hitch ball mount, i can take the vise with me in the back of the truck and insert it into any two inch receiver to use the vise. i liked it so much that i welded some 2" square tube to my trailer at 40" high so i can insert the vise at that location for me or anyone to use.

if you haven't tried the "Ratio-Rite" cup, you need to. i love it. google it to see it. it has all ratios on the cup for mixing different quantities. 20:1 through 100:1 i think is on it.

the previous post about flipping the saw upside down to help with filing, i love it! makes me feel stupid since i've filed 10 miles of chain and never thought of it.

 

[MEATSAW]

You can use a scrench as an oil funnel. Its not ideal but on some saws the location/size of the oil fill is cumbersome -- and in a pinch the scrench does the job just fine. Wipe it off at the end of the day though.