Homemade firewood saw project

[francky78]

Hello,

I discovered a nice idea on youtube, perhaps this guy is on arboristite.com (?) :

[video=youtube;sUXLfSiHhmg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUXLfSiHhmg&feature=channel&list=UL[/video]

So I want to make this type of saw to cut my firewood.

I'm starting with a stihl 041 because I think this saw has some advantages :
- it's easy to use the antivibrating system of the saw
- fuel and oil caps are on vertical position and it's not necessary to take off the saw to refuel
- exhaust is on the rear side so this avoids to take exhaust gas in the head !

I have started the project and I'm going to post some pictures.

Feel free to post your comments or advice, I accept with pleasure

 

[francky78]

The "table" :

The 041 without the handle to connect on the antivibrating system :

More to come...

 

[cnice_37]

Looks pretty dead simple. An excuse to buy another chainsaw!

 

[francky78]

Ok, I'm not a great "welder man" :msp_rolleyes:

 

[avalancher]

If I was going to build something like that, i think I would mount that handle a little higher up above the bar to make it easier to get a file in there. The way he had it, it would make it rough to get anything but a bare file in there between the chain and the handle.

 

[Jredsjeep]

Very cool idea, all my wood is either way to big to grab like that or not straight for my use unfortunately.

 

[beelsr]

2 things.

1. +1 on the give yourself more room to file if you file chain on the bar.

2. I'd mount the measuring tube to the axle so that it would swivel down out of the way when cutting the wood. Might even make it adjustable - weld some stubs and have the tube slide into that or make it wrap-around style and wingbolt it in from the rear.

 

[dave_dj1]

The way I see it, unless you have two children to help you are going to need a conveyor to take the wood away or you will spend a lot of time moving the wood out from under foot. This means more toys, um tools to build.

 

[woodman6666]

A couple of quick things that come to mind for me are: in feed table with downward slope, you could load up a bunch at a time and just roll them in to your table eliminating the back and forth motion, make the whole thing higher up in the air so either more can pile up under your table or a conveyor could slip under it ( I would prefer the conveyor) Also if that chain ever broke wouldnt you literally eat it, always standing right in front of it? anyway to operate from the correct side of saw? Maybe there is a gaurd in there I missed in my 3 second glance. Good Luck I love home made stuff!

 

[zogger]

Cool project! In the vid, the throttle cable connection looks awkward, maybe on the other side or make it bow up out of the way.

I also...if all the cutting was being done in the backyard, would consider an electric saw over a gasser. Especially if it is just one guy running it, because then when you are going to get the next log or branch, the saw is off, not idling away burning fuel for nothing.

Besides that, big fun!

 

[Mntn Man]

Looks like the nickname "Stub" may be in his future.:hmm3grin2orange:

I do like the idea, but you better make sure you are paying attention.

 

[oldmanriver]

I like it. A cool idea that one can improve on.

 

[nvrs]

Looks like a cool idea but seems like a safety issue there... If the chain were to come apart or off the saw it seems that you are in direct line of flight for the debris. Could be alleviated with some sort of PPE and or static guard though...


EDIT;

On another note... why not just turn the saw around the opposite way and rig some sort of handle contraption to utilize the same idea... Then that ppe and guard idea is not necessary...

 

[francky78]

Thanks for all your posts I don't think that my little project give all these answers.

This saw is only for my own firewood and that of my friends, so I don't really need a conveyor, my wife will make the conveyor !!

So, I took in account your remark concerning the handle is too near of the blade . It must be possible to sharpen the blade without take off the saw.
I'm going to think about safety, it's an important point.

To nvrs, I already use a system with the chainsaw on the opposite side but I find it not practical.

Today, I don't work on it and I must find the old bicycle handle in my garage !!

 

[nvrs]

Thanks for all your posts I don't think that my little project give all these answers.

This saw is only for my own firewood and that of my friends, so I don't really need a conveyor, my wife will make the conveyor !!

So, I took in account your remark concerning the handle is too near of the blade . It must be possible to sharpen the blade without take off the saw.
I'm going to think about safety, it's an important point.

To nvrs, I already use a system with the chainsaw on the opposite side but I find it not practical.

Today, I don't work on it and I must find the old bicycle handle in my garage !!

So you don't worry about this saw losing the chain and hitting you in the chest/face? I do think that turning it around the other way would be impractical also, but just thought of safety for a moment for all the "what if's"...

 

[robfromaz1977]

So you don't worry about this saw losing the chain and hitting you in the chest/face? I do think that turning it around the other way would be impractical also, but just thought of safety for a moment for all the "what if's"...

In my experience a chain coming off has always ended up back under the fuel tank and clutch cover never coming completely off the saw. So by looking at the video the OP posted, a chain coming off of a saw positioned that way would lead me to believe that it would be thrown away from the user. Maybe someone else has had a chain go the other way but I never have.

 

[zogger]

In my experience a chain coming off has always ended up back under the fuel tank and clutch cover never coming completely off the saw. So by looking at the video the OP posted, a chain coming off of a saw positioned that way would lead me to believe that it would be thrown away from the user. Maybe someone else has had a chain go the other way but I never have.

ya, just an offset handle so you could stand to the side and not directly inline would alleviate any potential chain mishaps. and yep again, never had a chain thrown forward, of course, I have only thrown a chain I think...twice?? hmmm...I remember two times, that's it.

 

[francky78]

The user is not directly in front of the blade, but he's not really far away !
I'll think how I can add protection.

Thank you for your ideas and experiences !

I will add another "foot" on my table because the saw is heavy. It must be removable (as all others) to put the table in my car.

 

[francky78]

Today, I continued my project

I have made the "min" and "max" open/close of the saw :

I prepared the handle part :

Then I found an throttle system which was mounted on a old tiller. I made a new steel rod to connect it to the carburetor :

To finish (for today) I have found my bicycle handle and mount it on the saw. I need to put a spring because it doesn't go back to the initial position.

To be continued....:msp_rolleyes:

 

[dave_dj1]

A stout piece of lexan screwed to the handle would certainly offer some great protection.
Also you could put a piece of lexan under your top bar for added protection. Thinking about this I would build some sort of sliding cover like on a steel cut off saw/chop saw. That would be fairly easy to do, even with lexan.
ps. looks good so far!