Ripsaw is dialed in/039 muffler mod!

[BIG JAKE]

I spent the afternoon working on the Ripsaw/039. Several things I wanted to accomplish. Biggest thing that bugged me was that the muffler pointed straight at the Ripsaw. Just like hitting a wall, the exhaust had no where to go. This created a cloud of exhaust right in my face. So I modded the muffler to let the saw breathe better but mainly to redirect the exhaust. These pics illustrate the problem.

 

[BIG JAKE]

So I took the muffler apart and opened it up to 5/8"s and made a new cover.
I wanted to direct the fumes down and behind/away from me. I used 1/4" stainless plate for the cover and 3/4" stainless tubing I had laying around-no need to paint.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Muffler cover, installed

The 5/8" hole opened up things quite a bit. I got the hole size from a post Andy(Lakeside) made on an 036 muffler mod thread. The hole is a straight shot thru to the exhaust port inside and the original screen is installed under the cover. No desire to burn the forest up.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Now I have a problem

So now that the muffler mod is done I have a problem. I need to be able to richen the mixture up, but I can't do that because of the 3/4 turn limit plugs in the Hi/Lo speed mixture screws. I was worried before even with the carb set as rich as it could go. Now with the muffler mod there's no way I was going to run it until I pulled the stop plugs out. So I pulled the carb and removed the Hi and Lo speed mixture screws. Then I inserted a screw into the plastic limiter plugs and pulled them out.

 

[BIG JAKE]

All done. Here is the result!

I reinstalled the carb and buttoned it up. Went 1/4 turn richer on the high speed mixture screw and fired it up. Surprisingly, it wasn't that much louder. I ended up another 1/2 turn richer after I warmed it up before I was satisfied-just to where full rpm is inhibited slightly(rich) at WOT. The extra fuel will help cool the saw and keep it at a lower rpm while milling so easier on the bearings, etc. Time to mill.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Results

The saw really livened up quite a bit and breathes alot better now. Also, instead of the exhaust fumes bouncing off the bandmill and getting sucked back into the intake, they are directed away towards the rear along with all the heat and away from me. The air I breathe now is fresh and clean. I don't see how the boards could come out any straighter. Again, I was a little giddy and having fun! Ready to hit the hills

 

[dallasm1]

Good post. Have you used an alaskan chainsaw mill? If so, how would you compare it to the ripsaw? How many blades do you keep in reserve and how often do you change them? I am curious as I am in that transition zone that we all reach when the wood pile increase and the time decreases and we start looking for more efficient way to mill the wood. Working our way up the mountain to a full size band saw mill!

 

[BIG JAKE]

Good post. Have you used an alaskan chainsaw mill? If so, how would you compare it to the ripsaw? How many blades do you keep in reserve and how often do you change them? I am curious as I am in that transition zone that we all reach when the wood pile increase and the time decreases and we start looking for more efficient way to mill the wood. Working our way up the mountain to a full size band saw mill!

I have a 48" Granberg mill. It is indespensable for several reasons such as milling big curved logs, milling logs into cants, or slabbing huge trees. I intend to slab off the bark on logs with the alaskan also as bark has dirt/sand in it. New blades are pricey for the Ripsaw around 18 to 20.00 a piece.
As far as a comparison I should have taken a pic of the ground when I was done-almost no visible sawdust and I got 16-18 boards off that cant. With my chainsaw mill I'd have had two 5 gallon buckets full of sawdust. Speed? I sliced off the boards in last pic in(guessing), 30-45 seconds. The cant was just under 7' long. I didn't time it but that's what it seemed like. I had a brand new blade on and it really walked thru the soft pine. Those were 6" wide boards. The 8" wides seemed to take about a minut per slice.
I have no intent on ever getting a stationary band mill or one on wheels as I've moved logs before-no need to with this rig just jack them up to comfortable height and mill. But for where I mill also a loader isn't practical as for some around here-just depends on what you want to do. Easy for me to move the wood in planks which is important now that I'm pushing 50 etc. I'm new to this Ripsaw, but I love it already. Between the Alaskan and Ripsaw I have the portability that's required for where I'll mill.
On the blades, I'm hoping to get a minimum of 600bd feet in clean, wet pine, for a new blade and 400 + for re-sharps. Those figures are purely supposition and solely based on what I've read here, but I think reasonable. I haven't milled in any quantity with the Ripsaw yet-:greenchainsaw:

 

[Al Weber]

Nice job on the muffler mod. The exhaust in the face has always been an issue but I arrange my cutting area so the breeze blows it away from me because I don't have the metal skills to fabricate the mod.

Good to hear your favorable view of the RipSaw. I agree with you on moving the band mill and not the logs. Much easier on my back (I'm 67 and this is likely my last year for milling as the property is getting to be too much to manage.). Besides I have several thousand board feet of cherry, maple and yellow birch drying. More than enough for my woodworking needs. I have to finish milling a couple of cherry logs and a large spalted maple this spring and then work to clean up the property to sell it.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Nice job on the muffler mod. The exhaust in the face has always been an issue but I arrange my cutting area so the breeze blows it away from me because I don't have the metal skills to fabricate the mod.

Good to hear your favorable view of the RipSaw. I agree with you on moving the band mill and not the logs. Much easier on my back (I'm 67 and this is likely my last year for milling as the property is getting to be too much to manage.). Besides I have several thousand board feet of cherry, maple and yellow birch drying. More than enough for my woodworking needs. I have to finish milling a couple of cherry logs and a large spalted maeeple this spring and then work to clean up the property to sell it.

Thanks Al. Necessity is the mother of invention as the saying goes. Sorry to hear that on the property. I can see that happening for me down the road as I've already thought of it a few times. Maybe it's just that I'm more persnickety in what I want to spend my time on these days. Are you going to sell the mill too or keep it for the occasional foray?

 

[Al Weber]

Big Jake

Don't know yet where we are headed for certain so the question of what to do with the mill is open. It will likely have to go as I'm looking for a much smaller place and I won't take the tractor and other heavy equipment. This hobby is too addicting. I walked the dog at noon today and kept looking at the ash and soft maples that were downed by the December ice storm and thinking they should be lumber and not firewood. But I'm out of drying and storage room and then I would have to move the lumber as there is no way I'm leaving it here. It is a b**** to get old. I'm still having fun but I'm done with 6 months of winter, 10 days without electrical power in the ice storm, plowing 100 yards of driveway on an open tractor-snowthrower at 11 pm with the temp at 0 and the winds blowing from the north, etc. It is now time to take it a bit more easy.

 

[BIG JAKE]

Big Jake

Don't know yet where we are headed for certain so the question of what to do with the mill is open. It will likely have to go as I'm looking for a much smaller place and I won't take the tractor and other heavy equipment. This hobby is too addicting. I walked the dog at noon today and kept looking at the ash and soft maples that were downed by the December ice storm and thinking they should be lumber and not firewood. But I'm out of drying and storage room and then I would have to move the lumber as there is no way I'm leaving it here. It is a b**** to get old. I'm still having fun but I'm done with 6 months of winter, 10 days without electrical power in the ice storm, plowing 100 yards of driveway on an open tractor-snowthrower at 11 pm with the temp at 0 and the winds blowing from the north, etc. It is now time to take it a bit more easy.

Al where do you get your new Ripsaw bands? I have three and two need sharpening but was thinking of a bulk order from Ripsaw-just curious what you have tried.

 

[Al Weber]

Big Jake

I've only bought bands from the RipSaw people. I had thought about trying Suffolk Machinery who market the Timberwolf brand but although I've asked for other options in this forum, no one has ever responded with an alternative. I sharpen mine with a Dremel tool and a diamond bit I've bought from Lee Valley. Apparently the teeth are hardened somehow as I go through the diamond bits pretty quick. I can always get one sharpening out of them but the last ones I go from Southeast Industries seem to take 2 or 3 sharpenings before I break them. Either they are marketing a better blade or I'm getting more experienced in sharpening and use of the mill. Let us know if you find another source that works well. Southeast is reliable but a bit costly but as long as they are high quality I'll not complain too loudly.

 

[stihlman390]

nice muffler mod there jake

 

[smithie55]

Good post Jake,
Nice looking boards.