Bulk spark arresting screen

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John from Cle Elum

At some point a decision will have to be made.
Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Messages
134
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Location
Washington State
Does anyone know of a source for bulk spark arresting screen material? If you have a spec for it, mesh density and wire thickness, I can probably find some on Amazon. Best price I could find was $9 for a Stihl 4137 141 9000 and I would like to cut my own. I have lost a couple off my saws and that is awful high for a 1/2"x 1-1/2" peice of stainless steel screen. Is there something that I am missing? Is it made from pure unobtainium?
 
This should shed a little light:
"Screen-Type Spark Arresters as defined by USDA Forest Service Standard 5100-lb fall into a special category. They are intended for use on small engine applications. All exhaust products must pass through the screen, which has openings of 0.023-inch or less. the effective exhaust area of the screen (total area of all screen openings) shall not be less than 200 percent of the engine exhaust port area at its smallest cross-section. Screen material shall be heat and corrosion resistant, and shall provide at least 100 hours of service life."
 
I was able to find some 30 mesh 304 stainless which fits the hole size for a reasonable price on Amazon. Its still kind of expensive for screen but it will make about 100 pieces. Looked at the screen McMaster Carr sells. They don't sell inconel but they had ni-chrome, although not in the mesh size that I need. McNichols had 304 in huge rolls, nothing I can't get on Amazon. If the stainless does not work I will search for something more exotic. It's still pretty damp, so sparks are yet a real issue. It will be a problem when things dry out.
 
I purchased the stainless screen mesh from eBay. I’m thinking about replacing the baffle with a few holes to a wall of mesh. That should act as a muffler mod. I just ordered a muffler with the output hole made larger for my 181se.
 
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