CNC Muffler mod.

[howellhandmade]

quote from howellhandmade:Agreed, anybody but Stihl making money from the Stihl trademark is going to have legal problems. But the possibilities are endless.

yeah but couldn't sell the machining service instead of the logo to get around the legal BS. Just a thought. I would sure like to have my 660 cover done like that

Heh, I like it, but Stihl would probably say that he's using their name to sell his machine work (and void the saw's warranty), cease and desist. I doubt they could bother him for doing it to his own saws, or doing it to a friend's saw for free. Given what I read about their views on modded mufflers I doubt it's worth pursuing some sort of licensing agreement. It really does look cool, and you could probably come up with a zillion different designs, and it would be a great machining service. Might even be more fun and creative with the ports more personalized. Everybody already knows it's a Stihl, how about a growly jack o'lantern face, or one of those mudflap girl silhouettes?

Jack

 

[Slamm]

If Stihl cries about their own name being milled into their own muffler cover then I and many a machinist will be sued by Chevy for milling the Chevy Bowtie into anything that would hold the shape, LOL.

Sam

 

[Slamm]

How about changing the logo to Snellerized?

LOL, if you milled that long word on any muffler, you would loose any and all back pressure, LOL.

Sam

 

[Brownpot Deaton]

like it!!!

think you could do one of these????

 

[BuddhaKat]

Heh, I like it, but Stihl would probably say that he's using their name to sell his machine work (and void the saw's warranty), cease and desist. I doubt they could bother him for doing it to his own saws, or doing it to a friend's saw for free. Given what I read about their views on modded mufflers I doubt it's worth pursuing some sort of licensing agreement. It really does look cool, and you could probably come up with a zillion different designs, and it would be a great machining service. Might even be more fun and creative with the ports more personalized. Everybody already knows it's a Stihl, how about a growly jack o'lantern face, or one of those mudflap girl silhouettes?

Jack

Yeah, the whole key is whether you're selling it and making money. If you're not selling it you're not really harming their profits. although that just means they would have a hard time collecting damages. In this instance, they wouldn't have much to stand on because they technically sold the original muffler. That's all the profits they could reasonably expect as long as there was no 'sale' after the one they made. Now if he starts selling them, Stihl will say that the addition of their mark added value to the product. That gives them the right to load up the legal cannons and blaze away. We might think it's much ado about nothing, but they will see it as fiercely protecting their mark. Which they have to do by the way. Our law says that once they become aware of an infringement they must take action to protect their mark. If they allow the infringement, it would invalidate the mark. I don't think Stihl's gonna let that happen.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Would be neat to do one up with the owner's name or last 4 of SS number. Think a thief would steal a saw and then replace the muffler so he could fence it?

Ian

 

[Paul001]

Yeah, the whole key is whether you're selling it and making money. If you're not selling it you're not really harming their profits. although that just means they would have a hard time collecting damages. In this instance, they wouldn't have much to stand on because they technically sold the original muffler. That's all the profits they could reasonably expect as long as there was no 'sale' after the one they made. Now if he starts selling them, Stihl will say that the addition of their mark added value to the product. That gives them the right to load up the legal cannons and blaze away. We might think it's much ado about nothing, but they will see it as fiercely protecting their mark. Which they have to do by the way. Our law says that once they become aware of an infringement they must take action to protect their mark. If they allow the infringement, it would invalidate the mark. I don't think Stihl's gonna let that happen.

Many have a difficult time understanding that. Their thinking is "I'm just a small guy". Truth is, the law states they must defend their copy/patent against all or none.

 

[JJay03]

That awesome man want to work on a 361 muffler .

 

[cord arrow]

think you could do one of these????

Yes. I could do that and anything else you can think of.

Understand...we just draw it...the software tells the machine what to do...

You still have the hassles of machining sheet metal and such, but as far as the graphics go...the only limit is your imagination.

Been doing this for a LONG time....hard to believe the buzz it's generating here.

 

[pastryguyhawaii]

I told you guys that Nic had an awesome mod up his sleave! I couldn't wait to see this cover and got to see it in person this afternoon. It is killer!

Nic just got this 026 so we went to tune it with a stock cover for a baseline. The saw wouldn't hardly run. I pulled a compression check and it was struggling to make 120 PSI. I had already looked at the P&C and they looked great. I pulled the jug since we wanted to clean the carbon out anyway. The rings are SHOT. The top ring had a gap of .037" and the bottom a gap of .027". No wonder it ran like crap! We're going to put a new piston in it and a carb kit. Should be good as new. Can't wait to get that new muffler cover on there and tuned in.

So what's a mod like this worth? We talked about me selling these as an option on my ported saws. What do you think?

I pay for quality work that I couldn't do myself. How long does it take and how long has he been developing his skill? You have to take that into consideration. People don't realize that with other muffler modders. I think that looks fantastic. I would definitely want one.

 

[blackoak]

The best way to keep Stihl out of your a$$ would to to cut Husky in the cover.:greenchainsaw:

 

[blsnelling]

I pay for quality work that I couldn't do myself. How long does it take and how long has he been developing his skill? You have to take that into consideration. People don't realize that with other muffler modders. I think that looks fantastic. I would definitely want one.

Hey, Nic. I'll let you answer this one. I will tell you though that he is a machinist by trade.

 

[cord arrow]

I do this kind of thing on a regular basis for guys....like the flying eagle on a Harley part or a skull & crossbones on most anything...LOL.

Thing is...you want to leave it with me for God knows how long...you'll eventually get it back and you'll like it...I'll find the time while I'm doing some intricate logo or graphic and I'm tied up at the computer anyway.

Then...between set ups I find another little piece of time to do the machining...maybe weeks.

However...you walk in say "I need this"...well, you're on shop time now as opposed to a little time I can wiggle in here and there, and it ain't cheap.

So before you ask someone to do this kinda' thing for you...understand that we'd love to do it for you..but it is a logistical nightmare if not done in real shop rate time.

I rarely charge anything doing these little things...unless I need to buy tooling or the like.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

How much to machine me a 660 case out of billet titanium? :greenchainsaw:

Ian

 

[cord arrow]

How much to machine me a 660 case out of billet titanium?

Roughly? Twelve-five and that's a steal...but we're well versed in reverse engineering. And we can do this.

If you want duplicate ribbing and such....double that.

 

[Taxmantoo]

IMO, if you're branding a genuine Stihl part with the genuine Stihl logo, their lawyers would get laughed out of court if they actually sued you. Wouldn't stop them from mailing you a nastygram if they decided they didn't like it and thought they could scare you.

If you made your own cover and engraved the logo or even the word "Stihl" in it, you'd be counterfeiting. (but I bet there are a lot of aftermarket Chevy and Ford valve covers out there that abuse the logos and nobody cares, as long as they aren't being put on Daewoo engines)

 

[blsnelling]

....hard to believe the buzz it's generating here.

Because it hasn't been done before and it's way cool.

This isn't just a hack job that Nic threw together. He first machined part of the heat deflector off. He then jigged up the cover level and square. Also the combined area of the cut out is calculated based on exhaust port area. There's not room for larger font though. If you want to go larger, all you have to do is enlarge the factory hole.

 

[cord arrow]

Yeah Brad, that's how it's done. The part doesn't hang out there in space asking you to machine it....

This isn't just a hack job that Nic threw together.

....no kidding....no one believes you "throw" this kinda' thing together...

However...in my world...the combined cubic space encompassed by the graphic is a button push. It must be, or my life sucks.

You tell me what you need...I adjust font size or maybe underline it for you....whatever it takes....

I realize this must seem like a road map to Mars for a lot of folks...but day in and day out it's nothing short of monotonous...

 

[Tzed250]

Yeah Brad, that's how it's done. The part doesn't hang out there in space asking you to machine it....

I have had parts come out of a chuck, or vise, and hang out in space...





.

 

[cord arrow]

Let me add...I'd love to be able to "snellerize" a chainsaw, but I don't know how.

I'll leave that to the man that does.

It all boils down to what we know and how we do it.

When you're talking port timing and the like...well...that seems like a road map to Mars to me......