rooster

I use multiple grinders/ sanders / dremels and sometimes chisels but I try to do as much with the saw as I can because it saves me time and gives me more satisfaction when I can do small details with the saw.

Personally I would not buy a laminated bar.

I am just questioning whether anybody has used it and had any opinion.

Thanks

I should have included the part numbers

587394460

HUS 10" CARVING BAR 1/4, .050

501844060

HUS 10" CARVING CHN 1/4, .050

I have also seen somebody on ebay.uk selling an MS170 with teh Husqvarna bar mounted. Comparing image profiles it appears that the mount holes would not line up properly and the bar would have to be shortened?

Husqvarna is listing a 10" and 12" carving bar that appears to be available in Europe and soon in the US.

It is a laminated bar and I assume has a welded hard nose tip.

Has anybody been using this bar had the tip fall off (as does the Stihl laminated bar)?

I believe it is intended for use with the Li series Husqvarna saws but will fit the 240e and 543XP (and a few others that are higher power than the AP chain is rated for.

ROOSTER

Several Husqvarna XP saws have rim drive and can be converted.

The T536Li is very front heavy and my forearm tired quickly.

Love the 536Li with a .043 dime cannon bar.

The charger can keep up with detailing if you have two batteries.

Not a hobby to pinch pennies with.

Safety gear should be your first investment.

Second hand is fine for occasional use but will it be reliable?

My 24 inch saw is so old that it does not have a brake on it.

It has been reliable and strong but I only use it for ripping and only on big logs less than 24 inches so that the tip is not in the wood.

You will get many different opinions but remember that you only intend to be an occasional carver and not a pro!

We have been offering a chainsaw carving camp for beginners for nine years now and we require that participants have two saws and an angle grinder with a "flap sanding disk", safety boots, safety pants, eye and ear protection.

Bailey's in California ran a camp for a number of years and included a chainsaw in the price. Students were expected to change bars between blocking, shaping and detailing.

I always recommend a small cc saw for beginners, mainly because of weight.

I also recommend a maximum 0f 12" logs so that a 14" bar can work safely when ripping.

If the Echo CS281 saw was available in Canada (or US) I would highly recommend them. Sugiuhara or Cannon bars (Canadian Eh!)

ROOSTER

chainsaw carving beginner basics simple chainsaw carving patterns projects 101 quick carve whiteshell clear lake winnipeg manitoba canada hackensack competition agassiz chainsaw sculptors

It appears that you may be correct. Rim drive.

I found this parts diagram for the CS420

https://www.partstree.com/parts/echo/saws-chainsaw/cs-420es-echo-chainsaw-sn-20001001-20999999/clutch-auto-oiler/

Just saw the NEW Turbo "SHAFT" and it is not the same thing I have.

Mine is the "Mini-Turbo" mounted on a shaft.

The Turboshaft only came out in the middle of last year so I think you might be thinking of a different tool

Bought it at a wood working show where Arbortech USA had a booth and was demonstrating it. Bought it at a special show price.

I bought this several years ago and never really found a use for it in my chainsaw carving.

I bought a second Arbortech Mini-carver and mounted the wheel on that and now I have a "mini-power gouge"!

Stihl is now making a .043 dime tip bar for its electric saws (1/4 pitch)

The narrow kerf compensates for the slower chain speed and lower power of the electrics.

I have done a conversion of a Makita electric (Dolmar) but it is tricky.

Since this is a chainsaw carving forum this is about the first cuts in a log that set the proportions and shape for a chainsaw carving.

Assuming that I do not exceed a 24 inch diameter x 6ft tall log,

I need a saw that will have the power and bar length to "rip" with the grain without bogging down or clogging.

Assuming that the MS 362 (70cc) saw is a good choice,

What chain is best to use for ripping with the grain across the whole log?

My missus would love that cockerel carving in our garden

One of my earliest carvings and first patterns

http://chainsawcarve.ca/PATTERNS/ROOSTER/PATTERN%20Rooster.pdf

I just noticed that my avatar is a "burned" finish.

Did you use a pattern for the Maori Tiki?

BURN IT!

Literally use a torch to char the wood and then power brush it to remove the char and you will have a rich brown raised grain finish.

Add a deck sealer

I do this to many of my carvings to enhance the grain.

If you start carving you will quickly realize you will need them both.

Put a dime tip carving bar on the 171 and you are in business.

What do you want to be your first carving?

About the "Yank" forums.

There are two "yellow" forums.

One is "moderated".

Carving Post Forum

The other was started by a carver that was "banned" for inappropriate comments. He then started his own "uncensored" version.

The recent "rant" on the "other" forum is by another carver also banned for inappropriate comments.

I apologize for these carvers as they are not representative of the many American carvers that I have associated with over the years.

I am a Canadian living seasonally in the US and I am "sorry".

Jordan Luebben has uploaded several chainsaw carving demonstrations including a "morel quickcarve".

We have collaborated on a pattern to accompany his "morel" demo.

this pattern is available for FREE on

chainsawcarve.ca/patterns

Interesting thread on the yellow forum right now on different carving wood and their properties.

Radial cracks can appear in the "sap wood layer" due to loss of moisture more quickly than the "heart wood" The outer wood is shrinking and the inner wood is not, causing stress on the outer layer.

Using a "sealer" to control the drying will reduce the "checking" but needs to be maintained. Old school rule of thumb is oil every day for a week, every week for a year and every year forever!

Relief cuts may reduce the stress in the outer layer at the back but does not eliminate stress in the front. Hollowing out will eliminate the stress between inner and outer but is a lot of work.

Some carvers use "half logs" and "quarter logs" to reduce and even eliminate the problem.

Good advice splinters!

A log builder friend of mine will twist his (cannon) bar to the extreme when cutting a curve. I prefer what I call a "sawing" technique.

1. select a bar that is at least four inches longer then the log diameter.

(12" log / 14" bar). This will reduce the danger of kick-back.

2. While cutting move the bar back and forth slightly and you will be able to follow a curved line easily.

4. Use a 14 inch "toonie bar" for tighter curves.

ROOSTER

chainsawcarve.ca

(FREE chainsaw patterns)

I have always wanted to post a video on YouTube but it had to be chainsaw carving oriented.

I wrote a song for carvers and performed it in the style of Elvis Presley.

Listen for the chainsaw "solo".

chainsaw carver blues - YouTube

Thanks JLA for recommending my patterns.

I have been referring to the primary cuts as "blocking"

secondary cuts as "shaping"

and the rest is "detailing"

The primary cuts set the proportions of the sculpture and are the most important.

ROOSTER

chainsawcarve.ca

I love your little tree video.

I believe it is the first of its kind (for that style tree).

Thanks

Thanks Alex for recommending my patterns.

Funny how the links show up on this forum

My website (and free patterns) is

chainsawcarve.ca