Saw case

[firediver125]

So do we, the only one not in a case is the 088 w/42 in bar. The cases protect the saws, from weather, flipping over and leaking all over. We love them and wish they made them for all the saws!!

 

[s219]

I love it. I have to build one for myself.

A couple details I can add:

1) I bought some ribbed rubber mat at the hardware store to line the bottom. It's black and about 1/16-1/8 inch thick or so. That provides a little bit of cushion against rattles and should stop stuff from sliding around, and will also keep bar oil from soaking into the wood over time (only an issue for plywood really, since it will cause it to delaminate).

2) I mounted a few 1 x 3 blocks on the sides and bottom to loosely keep the saw powerhead in position. Two sandwich the rear handle, and one is up by the front of the powerhead, below the muffler and next to the dogs. I though about adding a strap, but it's really not needed with all the other crap stacked in the box.

3) if you use 19/32" plywood (or thicker -- but watch out for weight), there's enough meat that you can use narrow drywall screws, or trim screws as I did, in conjunction with a bead of construction adhesive (ie, liquid nails) to hold it all together without any framing or corner braces. Once dry, the construction adhesive is the main fastener. You can get a pack of trim screws at Lowes for about $7 -- they are like a drywall screw, but with a much smaller 'square drive' head. I had them laying around from a kitchen project. Definitely pre-drill for any screw holes going into an edge.

4) I filed and sanded the edges of the plywood once the box was assembled. Sawed plywood edges are sharp and prone to snags/splinters. Sanded over, they are pretty tough.

I feel a bit ridiculous passing out details on what is essentially a $15 wood box, but hey, it was a good project. I really find it hard to believe all of the new commercial saw cases don't have accommodations for spare bars. Well, that and the fact that most good saws don't come with a case anymore unless you wrangle it into the deal. Spending $30-45 for a small plastic case didn't make sense to me.

 

[SteveH]

I take my saws up in the pickup cab, I also secure them with the seat belt or something should I be going out in traffic rather than the quarter mile or so up my one-lane dirt road, as usual. Easy to secure them thus in the back of the wife's SUV or wherever. If the roll-over accident is so severe that they still come loose, you got more problems than the saw(s) anyway.

You could even use an inexpensive cargo net tossed over them, secured at the sides. Quick and easy.

 

[o8f150]

you can see what i have in my signiture,, all of them are in echo cases, i figure no one would steal them thinking they are echos

 

[s219]

you can see what i have in my signiture,, all of them are in echo cases, i figure no one would steal them thinking they are echos

As someone with an Echo in a ghetto plywood box, I take that as a compliment.