Rebuilding an old Saw Bench

[windfall]

Hi All,

 

Very excited! My neighbour has finally relented and agreed to swap his two old saw benches for 3cubic meters of firewood, so this morning i took him round a cube of Ash and a cube of Sycamore. I will drop round a cube of Macrocarpa on Monday.

 

Anyway i have just been round with my trailer and winch to pick up the one thats for spares. The axle is so rusty, as we were winching it up to the trailer the wheel fell off. However it has various pulleys and guides on the cutting top that i am sure will be invaluable. I may also be able to free it up and adapt it for a 3 point tractor mount. They are fetching so much wedge on ebay that it may be worth some investment!

 

The other one is in much better condition, the engine turns over, the blade is nice and free and sharp! So i am hoping that with some fettling this weekend the engine will fire up and ill be away. However if the engine is knackered then i will be converting it to run with a Honda GX390 motor i have in the shed. Everything drive pulley wise seems to be 1inch the same as the honda.

 

I will post some pictures and more info on the machines tomorrow as it was too dark when i got home tonight.

 

Happy days, hopefully i have saved myself from flashing £1800 + vat on a powered rocking saw!!

[windfall]

Went and collected "the good one" today, liberally drenched all nuts and threads in WD40. Looks like a valve is sticking but the plug came out and it seems free.

 

Going to let the WD soak in and ill start stripping it tomorrow.

 

Anyone seen one before or know anything about it?

 

If a Moderator reads this thread could you move it to the Large Equipment section?

[windfall]

some more pics

[windfall]

Dropped the manky old oil, got the points freed up, removed the head, cleaned up the valves and got them moving freely. Only bugger was breaking a head stud, but managed to remove it so i will get a replacement on monday.

 

Going to put it back together tomorrow and see if i can get a spark from the magneto, if i cant then i am thinking about putting in a total loss electrical system, ie, coil, 12v battery & on off switch wired direct to the points. However i may even have spark from it yet so ill cross that bridge when i come to it.

 

Also still need to strip the carb and check in there and try and work out a way of turning it over effectively to start the bugger! ideas?

[john burgess]

I have one but mine had a single cylinder diesel engine which I replaced with a two cylinder Lister

[slack ma girdle]

It looks like an interesting project, and you might even get an useful piece of machinery to boot !

[John Russell]

If you're going to be running it somewhere with electricity available and intend to make good use of it, I'd seriously consider converting it with an electric motor. It's air-cooled and looks like a side valve, so it will be both noisy and rather in-efficient. I think going electric will cost you a lot less in the long run. Of course, if you plan to take it into the woods with you...

[windfall]

I do not have power at my chopping area so really need it to be self powered. Yes its a side valve and it has a very basic exhaust! The Jap Engines are supposed to be very good but as you say they are ancient so inefficient, it does however have a large flywheel which i think will help the saws ability.

 

If i can get it running i will graft on a silencer and see what happens.

 

John, how well does yours cut? have you had your disc sharpened yet?

[tommer9]

Lovely old saws mate.

Do you mind me asking where you are? You have a very interesting manx avatar?

[windfall]

I am on the isle of man, hence the manx avatar ;-)