Best Way to Hold a Saw While Tuning?

[Philbert]

OK, you got a big saw with a long bar that you need to tune. Running it at full throttle. Chain is moving. Have to hold the saw steady. Have to keep one hand on the throttle. Have to hold the tach (if you are using one). Have to manipulate the little screwdriver. Only have 2 hands.

What do guys here do? Good ideas? Best practices?

Thanks.

Philbert

 

[Joe Kidd]

On the ground or a stump. I just manage to keep the bar off the dirt or grass.

 

[RedFir Down]

I have a thin piece of ply wood (18"X24") that i set on concrete right out side my shop and set the saw on it. The ply wood just keeps MOST of the oil off the concrete minus the little bit of oil slinging off the chain at WOT.
I run the throttle with my right hand and my tach and screw driver with my left. (Its safe to, the saw isn't going anywhere) Its not as comfortable as setting your saw over a log because you are on your knees though.

 

[AKDoug]

If I'm worried about a tach, I will often tape it to the top of the saw or to the handle. That leaves my hands free to tune. Also a good way to check tune while in the wood.

 

[rocketnorton]

rubber mat on floor or in vise for me...

 

[sawfun9]

The best way to tune is in the wood. If you have a big saw with a long bar, you must have big wood to use it on so tune it then.

I tuned my 090 with 96" bar in 7 ft. of old growth stump. That was fun, and it worked quite well. Its a lot easier than you think as the wood holds the saw for you.

 

[CTYank]

What sawfun said. The business of running unloaded @WOT as pointed out here, is unneccesarily dangerous. Puts a lot of stress on engine internals too.

Not to mention, as done by some dealer "geniuses", you can end up with a really putzed-up adjustment.

What really matters is how the engine runs @WOT under normal load, anyhow.

 

[leeha]

Tune them in the wood. Especially older saws that
don't have tack spec's.







Lee

 

[Joe Kidd]

Tune them in the wood. Especially older saws that
don't have tack spec's.







Lee

+1. I think the OP was wanting to get the saw close, then fine tune in the wood perhaps.

 

[paccity]

Tune them in the wood. Especially older saws that
don't have tack spec's.







Lee

+1. I think the OP was wanting to get the saw close, then fine tune in the wood perhaps.

i just throw it on the test log get it close then tune while it eats. i tune even modern saws this way. " at least as modern as my saws are" :msp_wink:

 

[Philbert]

The best way to tune is in the wood.

What sawfun said. The business of running unloaded @WOT as pointed out here, is unneccesarily dangerous.

Tune them in the wood.

I get the style of tuning described in Madsen's article, with four-barreling and all. But I also want to keep a modern saw within it's specs.
So if the STIHL manual saws not to exceed a top speed of 13,500, how do I verify that in under load in the wood?

Philbert

 

[paccity]

if the saw is tuned under load properly and ran under load , max rpm should not be a factor. that's the way i look at it.

 

[KenJax Tree]

I use a tach and tune 3k-5k below max RPM in 16 years of tree work i've never fouled a plug or smoked a piston.

 

[Philbert]

I rebuilt a saw that had either been straight gassed or lean seized. New piston and cylinder (aftermarket) were running waaaaaay too fast, and I did not want to start all over again. Had to pull the limiter caps (even without a mod) and wanted to make sure that I was within specs.

I have been led to believe that a tach is important for modern saws, so I figure that I will use it. I plan to make some type of device to hold it on the saw, but have not gotten to that yet.

I was wondering if anyone had developed a fixture to strap a saw down, or that slid through the handle, etc. to hold it in place. Maybe a shop that does this a lot? I tried using a stump vise type tool today, but did not feel that it was secure enough. So I thought I would ask what others did.

Thanks guys!

Philbert

 

[zogger]

I just get it close by doing the "oops, little rich, ooops, getting too lean" method by sound, put it in the middle between those two settings, then go cut wood. After a couple cuts and it is warnmed up better I adjust as appropriate. Usually it is close enough.

I have no idea what anything I have runs at with RPMs, no tach...Most likely I am conservative and wind up running too rich.

 

[Tree Sling'r]

I lift the saw up over my head with my good arm with the saw wide open. Since my right arm is useless I stick the screw driver in my teeth and tune by turning my neck left or right.