Al Smith
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Everything posted by Al Smith
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Here I sit in somewhat amazement.You folks in the UK have been proven to build the fastest 2 cycle motorcycles in the world but darned few tinker with saws.Now why is that??? I have learned more about porting 2 cycle engines on British motorcycle web sites than all the reading I've ever done.You guys are going to have to get with the program now.
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Oh a good axeman can,for about 10 or15 minutes. The man gets tired,the machine doesn't.
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I have not one clue what is used in the UK for utility poles nor what is used as a preservative but they don't make great firewood. On this side of the pond they are either southern yellow pine or western red ceder.Usually the pine is either penta-treated or creosoted,both nasty.Most of the time the ceder is not treated as it has a built in rot prevention by it's nature of being ceder. Railroad cross ties,sleepers,aren't a geat choice to burn in a woodstove either.
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I split wood by hand for years,still do a little just to maintain some strength and flexability. Most of the oaks,hickory, ash split rather easily especially at about 10 degrees F.The stuff is frozen and just falls apart.The exception is pin oak,a zillion limbs thusly knots to go with it.My 27 ton splitter makes short work of them. Undoubtedly the worst is American elm.Although it's nearly extinct you still find some.That stuff is the stingiest stuff in the world.It doesn't split,it tears into.
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Most of the big old classics such as the 125 Mac and 2100 Homelite had both an auto oiler in addition to a thumb button.Stihl,when they still had good sense put a thumb oiler on the 084 in addition to the auto oiler.Many prefer the 084 to the 088 or MS 880.Nice saw,plenty of power.
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Well,first of all if that semi chisel is guard[anti kickback] chain it's nearly impossible to bore with it. It all depends on how you set the rakers or depth gauges.You have to span across a couple of teeth or cutters to really get a good setting not just those little gauges that Oregon sells.Generally speaking as the tooth gets shorter the depth setting must be deeper.If you run the chain as tight as a bango string it cannot rock in and out of the cut correctly.
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I analized a faulty Zama carb that was shipped to me from Australia.In the area around the fuel shut off was a tiny little crack that allowed the fuel to bypass or in some way not be distributed correctly through out the carb. Evidently there has been many issues on these Zama carbs but of course the almighty Stihl will not fess up to the fact.I gathered the info about this problem by feedback from about 4 different forums from input the world wide. If anybody suspects this to be the problem you will likely need a magnifying glass to see the crack as it looks just like a parting line in the main carb body .There is no repair,it must be replaced.
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I live in a climate a tad more harsh than you folks,it gets rather cold.That said I have a glass front Lopi stove that will heat the entire 1800 square foot house .It will consume from November to first of April about 4 to 5 cords of hardwood. The easest way to push heat around in a house is simpley use some small portable fans.Easy and cheap. I don't know what the exchange rate is but it saves me about $1000 to $1200 per year.
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There have been a lot of carb issues on the Zama carbs used on the 200's.They get little cracks internally in the carbs which draw air and cause a lean run condition.I did a thread on the TH a couple of years back on this subject . Andy [Lakeside] in the PNW has found many bad carbs as well on 200's. As far as long life ,I've worked on few that were 5 or 6 years old and still ran pretty well,just needed minor repairs.I think more meet their demise from falls than die from being worn out.
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Let me further advise that a certain number of Zama carbs developed cracks internally on these models.The hairline crack is in the proximity of the fuel shut off lever .
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Official "Yank'" Picture Thread
Al Smith replied to GASoline71's topic in International Arborist Forum
I must have went under this one at least 3 dozen or more times.This is the Gold Star memorial bridge on I-95 in New London Connecticut.It crosses the Thames river,pronunced with the H not Tims like in England. -
A thought on the matter and a question.Is there a specific type of tree that is unique to the British Isles?If so,I would tend to think that is what I would use.I doubt it would be a coconut palm. Being from the central U.S. it would be a red oak or sugar maple in these parts.The southern states would likely be a live oak with the Douglas fir on the west coast.
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It may sound hard to believe but I've only operated two Huskys in my life time,a 281 and a souped up 346.They are almost non existant in these parts. About the only modern saws I can really say much about are Stihls.Of course I have my shed full of McCullochs but that falls under a different catagory.
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No that's not D.C.'s Honda but I think it is some other guy's on the west coast. I had forgot that you folks are under a kind watchdog thing concerning saws,engines etc.That kind of sucks.We on this side of the lake can put a Huey helecopter engine on a saw if we so choose to,which of course is an exageration. We of course like the rest of world are not supposed to alter the anti pollution equipment on automobiles etc.Then again,discreation is the better part of valor,or so said the bard of the Avon.
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Here I sit several thousand miles away,scatching my head.It seems odd to me that a country known for being able to crank half again as much power out of a 25 year old 2 cycle motorcycle could certainly have a saw tweaker or two. Somebody is going to have to take up the cause I guess.
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Official "Yank'" Picture Thread
Al Smith replied to GASoline71's topic in International Arborist Forum
Pitures eh.This was a few years back,stumping a plump soft maple
