What $10 at a scrap metal yard got me today...

[BobL]

Thanks for posting the pics Brad.

Unfortunately that cross feed vice is not what I would a pro grade unit, but hey - I would have bought it for the $10. I have what looks to be the exact same vice (I think I paid US$30? for it) and it has lasted me about a year. It was a tad sloppy to begin with and a year later it it is really sloppy. The rest of the rotary table looks home made from a couple of car engine flywheels - not that there is anything wrong with that!

Good score on the saw too.

 

[Brimmstone]

Went back to the scrap yard today, and this time for $10 I walked away with a nearly-complete 280/380/480CD variant and a nearly-bare crankcase from the same. Included for that $10 I also scored a beautiful 12" rotary indexing table for a metal milling machine complete with a pro-grade 4" cross-slide vise. The main acme thread rod for the actual vise jaw is bent a bit, but it might hammer out and if not I think I have a spare. One of the handles for the cross-slide mechanism is also half-broken, but I have a cheapo Chinese 3-way vise that I'll rob parts off of if I have to.

The Husky I picked up there today will bring my collection up to 20 saws now... A year ago I had 5, I think. The top cover is busted beyond hope and it needs an oil cap and springs for the starter pawls on the flywheel, but other than that it looks complete. I haven't pulled the muffler yet, but I can barely turn the thing over by hand with the flywheel and it feels smooth with good compression. Should be good to go as long as it has spark. But I have two spare ignitions that fit it anyway, so one of them should work. FWIW the big Husky case I picked up two weeks ago is in fact a 2100 case - it has the manual oiler plunger. I have no use for it and will probably end up cleaning it up and putting it in the trading post for parts.

Brimmstone - I managed to get that Whizz Witch engine running last week. I actually had half a dozen parts carb units kicking around that fit it, so I tore a couple apart and rebuilt one good one that had both adjustable jets (the one on there had a fixed H jet). It had a slightly smaller venturi though, so I had to ream the center out a bit to make it +/- the same size as the original. It starts up in half a dozen pulls and runs really strong. The P/C were in perfect shape. I like the removable head on it too! How old are these engines anyway? The only other 2-stroke like it that I've worked on is my old 1957 Pioneer RA.

I do remember my grandfather telling me years ago that the first one he bought was from the late 50s and he bought it from Montgomery Ward. He bought the second one years later from Sears after the first one was straight gassed by my idiot uncle. I still have the second one and treasure it as even though I need to get new clutch shoes made it came from my grandfather and was used to clear the land where our family's cabin was built up in Emlenton PA.

 

[Brmorgan]

Bob - the vise may not be machinist grade but it's better than the average stuff I'm used to seeing. It's far and away better than the cheapo cross-slide vise I already had. It was sloppy from the get-go, this one at least feels nice and tight on the tracks. It does have adjustments to tighten up the track though, much like the ones on my jointer's outfeed table dovetail track (but much smaller).

The more I look at that table, it does look a bit homebrew. At the time, for $10 I just grabbed everything and and got out of there. But if that's the case, whoever made it knew what they were doing. I haven't put a micro gauge on it yet, but visually it seems to be extremely accurate through a full 360° rotation. It also rotates very smoothly, but not TOO smooth such that it would want to overturn or drift easily. It's entirely possible that the two parts are actually auto flywheels. I have seen commercial tables with a toothed edge though to allow the table to be turned via a crank or motor. I have a bunch of small random transmission gears in a box somewhere, if one of them fits well I might try to rig up a hand-crank turner for it. I also need to figure out a way of accurately marking degrees on the top table. I guess
pi x diameter / 360 should give me the distance between degrees. With that formula I get 2.66mm per degree, but it would be a terrible PITA to have to measure and mark that 360 times and do it accurately. Maybe a printing shop could make me a custom ruler sticker or something. This is just what I need, yet another saw and shop project to consume more of my time.

 

[Stihl Does It]

Good haul. Let us know when you get those saws running again.

 

[Brmorgan]

Saved some more saws today

Rescued a few more from the aluminum bin at the scrap yard for $20 today:

L to R bottom row:

PowerMac PM145-14 - in complete, barely-used condition but a little worse for wear from smashing around the scrap bin.

Husky 181SE - looks complete except for the three main covers,air filter, and the trigger assembly. The parts that are there are in better shape than the 181SE I already have, though I haven't pulled the muffler to check the piston out. Feels like it has good compression, so I have my fingers crossed. I'm pretty sure it's one of the last 181s made since it just doesn't have the same look as my other one, which is definitely an earlier one. Can't put my finger on it though.

Stihl 031AV (cast model # on top), and 031/032AV (nameplate on top) - The older one with the cast top is smashed up pretty bad. The model # on the other one is completely worn off the plate, so I'm not sure if it's an 031 or 032 yet. It is missing the clutch cover and muffler, which are actually two parts that are in good shape on the smashed up 031. It had a nice pop-pop-pop sound when I pull it over and had strong compression, so I pulled the plug and shot some mix down the hole. Fired right up for a couple seconds, but it won't pull from the tank. Shouldn't take too much work.I was really happy that both of these had the old logo on the tank/recoil. One is in almost mint shape.

On top of the Mac is a really badly busted up newer Stihl, looks like maybe an 044/046 to me but might be an 036. It's an 1128 series but I don't have time right now to check what that is. Piston is scored beyond use, but I don't know if the cylinder is a writeoff yet. One fin is broken off the top near the plug hole. I should be able to salvage some parts like the flywheel, coil, clutch & oiler parts, etc. But the case and rear handle are destroyed.

On top of the 181SE's handle (hard to see in the picture) is a complete topend from a Husky saw, right from carb intake boot to muffler. The cylinder isn't perfect but it looks usable still, I'll have to clean it up to know for sure. It measures out at 48mm - not sure what saw that is from, looks like probably a 61 though, eh?

On the top right is an old Husqvarna. I can't find a model plate or anything on it, but the serial number is 818941. It has a muffler much like my 480CD so I have a feeling it might be of similar size but a few years older. It has decent compression but I don't know the size or condition of the cylinder yet. Looks promising though. It needs a new clutch cover as this one has some pretty big pieces missing, and it also needs the air filter cover. The recoil mesh cover is pretty banged up but I think I can reshape it a bit with some patience. Also the muffler is caved in pretty badly. I'm wondering if I can put some spot welds on it and pull it out a bit. It also looks like someone has cut the full-wrap section of the handle over the bar nuts, but I can't be sure.

I also picked up two unknown Husky handles, and two Husky clutch covers, one of which looks like probably from a 372 or maybe a 288, not sure yet. The other is quite old and looks like from a 181, but is busted up really badly. I just took it to scavenge the chainbrake parts from it though the handle itself is missing.

 

[epicklein22]

What stihl is that in the first picture without plastics and a starter cover? 026? or something bigger?

Definitely 2 031's also...

 

[jockeydeuce]

Wow!!!..You've made some great scores, and practically in my back yard...lol


I imagine you want to hang onto the 181???

 

[Wildman1024]

Nice scores! Looks like im gonna have to call up the local scrap yard and see if they got anything they can part with! Looks like for minimal work you could have 2 nice stihl's

 

[parrisw]

That husky looks like a L65.

 

[jockeydeuce]

That husky looks like a L65.

I think that series of Huskies is the hardest to identify. Whenever someone posts a picture of one, there's a ton of guesses, but nobody knows for sure what they are. I have one, that I used to cut firewood with and even my local Husky dealer didn't know for sure what it was. I still have the carcass of the old girl, and all I can tell you for sure is that it was 52mm bore and older than a 380/480. It was a good old saw actually!!

I wish someone would start a thread that knows a way to identify the old girls!

 

[parrisw]

I think that series of Huskies is the hardest to identify. Whenever someone posts a picture of one, there's a ton of guesses, but nobody knows for sure what they are. I have one, that I used to cut firewood with and even my local Husky dealer didn't know for sure what it was. I still have the carcass of the old girl, and all I can tell you for sure is that it was 52mm bore and older than a 380/480. It was a good old saw actually!!

I wish someone would start a thread that knows a way to identify the old girls!

Its either a 65 or 77, they both look the same. 52mm would be the L77

 

[Brmorgan]

Epicklein, I looked into it a bit more and apparently the 1128 family of Stihls is the 044/046 chassis, as I had suspected. I'm going to tear it down and chuck anything broken, and probably try to sell the parts as I don't have anything to use them on. I need some kind of shredder to grind up broken magnesium saw parts to make some nice mag firestarter shavings... Better than just throwing them out.

Jockeydeuce - where ya at in my backyard? I took the muffler off the 181 this evening to see what I had. The piston isn't perfect - there are a few mild lines at the one edge of the port, maybe a 3/8" wide section of the piston. But I've seen worse run just fine. Cylinder should be okay but I'll have to pull it or the carb to be sure. Depending on how everything else looks when I really tear into it, I'll probably keep it for the time being. It's just that if I am going to sell it, I can get the parts pretty cheap locally if I don't need anything not apparent, and can make more money off of it as a complete runner than as a parts saw. But I do already have a 181 and 288, so one of the three will likely have to go eventually. A guy half a mile down the road from me had a 181 at a yard sale a few weeks ago, I did get his phone number as I was interested but didn't have any money for it at the time. It wasn't in spectacular shape cosmetically but I couldn't see anything broken. Not sure if it sold later that day though.

Wildman, I don't think there's any hope for the older of the 031s. It's smashed up pretty badly. The other one has no physical damage at all though, just a few missing parts that I can get off the busted one. It shouldn't take much work at all, just a good cleaning. I'll strip the other 031 down and keep whatever's not broken in a box for spare 031 stuff.

I keep asking the one guy who always recognizes me at the yard to put any saws he finds aside somewhere but I think he just likes to see me work my a$$ off digging thru the "dirty aluminum" truck. Today I got there and he told me that I "really missed out earlier" and that he had just thrown 6 saws into the truck and was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to get to them. Well, a bit of work wasn't going to stand between my CAD and some new projects, so I soon proved him wrong. Anything that has aluminum somewhere on it goes in there - even a big-block V8 just for the aluminum pistons. So if they've dumped a bunch of stuff in front of or on top of the saws, it can be a bit of a dumpster dive to get them. Lots of heavy lifting sometimes and I can come out looking like a pro grease-monkey, but worth it IMO! I think after today though I might have convinced buddy there to keep them separate; he jokingly said the price might go up but I said I wouldn't mind paying a bit more if they weren't smashed all to hell from being pushed up with the skid-steer loader.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I think that series of Huskies is the hardest to identify. Whenever someone posts a picture of one, there's a ton of guesses, but nobody knows for sure what they are. I have one, that I used to cut firewood with and even my local Husky dealer didn't know for sure what it was. I still have the carcass of the old girl, and all I can tell you for sure is that it was 52mm bore and older than a 380/480. It was a good old saw actually!!

I wish someone would start a thread that knows a way to identify the old girls!

One way to identify the older Husqvarna saws is to measure the bore size. The L65 is 48mm The L77 is 52 mm, both the L65 and the L77 have two piece top covers. The 380 and 480 are hard to tell apart by looks, they both had 52mm bores and the top covers are one piece, need the serial plate to tell them apart.
Pioneerguy600

 

[jockeydeuce]

Jockeydeuce - where ya at in my backyard? I took the muffler off the 181 this evening to see what I had. The piston isn't perfect - there are a few mild lines at the one edge of the port, maybe a 3/8" wide section of the piston. But I've seen worse run just fine. Cylinder should be okay but I'll have to pull it or the carb to be sure. Depending on how everything else looks when I really tear into it, I'll probably keep it for the time being. It's just that if I am going to sell it, I can get the parts pretty cheap locally if I don't need anything not apparent, and can make more money off of it as a complete runner than as a parts saw. But I do already have a 181 and 288, so one of the three will likely have to go eventually. A guy half a mile down the road from me had a 181 at a yard sale a few weeks ago, I did get his phone number as I was interested but didn't have any money for it at the time. It wasn't in spectacular shape cosmetically but I couldn't see anything broken. Not sure if it sold later that day though.

I'm in Quesnel.....(Almost your back yard in the big picture! )

That 181, 281 & 288 series of Huskies are great saws! I don't blame you for wanting to make it run again! I'm in about the same position as you with two 288's and a 181se. I think one 288 might have to go soon, if the 181 rebuild goes well.

 

[Brmorgan]

Picked up a couple more units at the scrap today:

Yet another Husky x80CD carcass, and a seized Sachs-Dolmar 133 with a lot of perfectly good parts. I don't know how bad the seizure is yet. The Husky will turn over, albeit very roughly. Feels like it could be a bearing.

I have NO idea what the geardrive parts are from. I figured I could probably scavenge a few parts off of it such as the gears and sprocket etc.; if not, no loss.

I paid $20 for those three, a usable small hydraulic pump, a one-gallon antique metal gas gan, and a few feet of steel tube and angle which would be worth well over the $20 at market prices anyway.

 

[heimannm]

The gear drive appears to be one of the early McCulloch one man saws, 3-25, 4-30, 47, 74, etc.

Check the bore and compare it to the saws on Acres sight and you should be able to figure out which one it was. All of those early saws were rotary valve design.

Mark

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I went to a local scrap yard today looking for an engine to drive the bandmill I'm working on. Came up empty on that front, but found these instead:

The thing on the far left is called a "Whizz Witch" by Hoffco. I have no idea what it is, looks like an old-school brush saw or post auger engine. But it's an 85cc two-stroke engine that isn't seized, so I took it. From L to R the remainders are: A terribly smashed up 051/075/076 variant, what looks like a Husky 280CD or 2100CD, and some huge Homelite. The label says XL- and then it's half rubbed off but there's an 8 in there for sure. I have yet to measure any of these pistons to know for sure what models they are.

The piston on the Stihl looks great, but the cylinder is broken around the intake port where the carb mounts up. Looks like it took a good hit to the top and the carb mount bolt broke the side of the port off. Disappointing indeed, since the piston is fine. Sure has some compression to it though, I thought it was seized at first.

The Husky's P/C are in great shape too (from looking thru the exhaust port anyway). Flywheel and clutch look OK, and the clutch side case half should be fine but the flywheel side has some breaks. Other than that there isn't much salvageable on this one. FWIW the serial number is 244639 (couldn't find a model plate) and the cylinder has "Mahle" cast right into the side of it near the base on the clutch side.


The Homelite is the only really promising one of the bunch. Nothing appears broken and only the clutch cover is missing. The P/C look great inside, and BIG too. Not sure what model this is but it must be in the 90cc+ range. And talk about compression! It's all I can do to turn it over without giving it a real strong pull as if I were trying to start it. I'm hoping that this one will run with just a fuel system overhaul. I should be able to find a clutch cover from my friend locally, but we'll see. He has a bunch of old Homies in pieces in boxes. BTW is that just an auxiliary oiler plunger above the muffler? Seems like an incredibly inconvenient place to put a manual oiler pump.

So, nothing pretty to look at, but I should be able to more than recoup my $10 investment, and possibly have a running big Homie out of the deal. I'll most likely part out the Stihl and Husky to salvage whatever I can and either offer it up here or eBay, so if anyone sees something they need/want let me know and we can work something out. I told the scrapyard owner to keep his eye out for any chainsaws that come in, running or not, complete or not, and set them to the side and I'd check in every couple weeks to see what he had.

That Homelite looks a little like my VI944. I think it's on the metal tag if it's still there.

 

[little possum]

You must have the greatest scrapyard ever!

Nice hauls!

 

[a. palmer jr.]

You must have the greatest scrapyard ever!

Nice hauls!

I went to my scrapyard last week and asked them if they had any old chainsaws. They said to look into their scrapbox. It was empty.

 

[Brmorgan]

Had some interesting luck at the scrapyard this week. Found a big ol' 161cc McCulloch 7-55 one/two man saw for $10 on Wednesday, which I posted in the Mac thread already:

It's locked up, I think just from water, but is pretty much complete. There's so much I don't know about on those old beasts though, so I don't know when I'll get around to actually working on it.

And today I made a couple interesting discoveries for $5:

In front is a Mac Super Pro 81 carcass with what looks to be a usable but less-than-perfect topend if nothing else. I'm wondering if I can "upgrade" my 10-10 saw-in-a-box with it... I know a lot of the parts are the same.

The other parts in the photo are all Skil 1690 parts. MASSIVE ~68mm bore on that cylinder! It's in good shape too. The cases don't appear to be busted up or anything, but it's hard to tell under all that gunk. I've wanted a complete 1690 for a long time, but if I have to start part by part I'm OK with that too! I don't know where the rest of the parts are; these ones were just stuffed into a 5-gallon bucket off to the side for me. I should dig through their aluminum bin though to see if a piston is kicking around in there.