Muddy42

Have you checked the other elements of fuel delivery? I've found before that another issue could be compounding the problem, that is just marginal enough to be fixable by opening the fuel cap. clogged fuel filter? Old soggy fuel line or even leaking. Is the fuel line routed smoothly not kinked? Have you sprayed out the sawdust from the fuel pump end of the carb, removed and cleaned out the jets?

An 880 would feel totally lost on Uist anyway, not enough trees and everyone burning peat.

Sorry Andy , I misunderstood thinking the OP meant a handheld circular saw not a Lucas. Some of these handheld saws struggle to get through 2 inches of oak so would be pretty ineffective on greenheart. I mill with two big saws, an alaskan mill and a full sized Manitou to lift wood, but even then the thought of milling enough structural wood for a house is pretty daunting.

- the idea you could make beams with a circular saw - the idea you could chainsaw mill enough wood of the right length and quality to build a house - compounded by the fact that the intention is to reuse greenheart.

This whole thread is a wind up, right?

Thank you, this is very useful. I need to go in there again (and best to do it when everything is clean) so I might as well test for leaks again more thoroughly.

How was I to know the cheap ones only pumped vacuum?!

Thanks, yes it definitely held a vacuum with the Mityvac. For pressure, I epoxy-ed up the holes in my cr@ppy ebay pressure tester (lesson learned, refund requested, negative feedback pending) well enough for it to hold 7psi for a few minutes. Fingers crossed.

Thanks, that's reassuring. Yes it has seen a lot of use, but everything seems sound enough.

So I have just got hold of and fixed up a 2011 Stihl MS460 with a badly scored piston. I disassembled the saw and pressure/vac checked the crankcase. I gave it a pass eventually, after a few dramas with a serious leak in the decompression value (hissing air so I replaced it) and then realizing my pressure tester had a leak. So I removed the cylinder and piston and cleaned everything up. This saw has been well used. The cylinder might have been salvageable, but it was already not genuine so I opted for a replacement Meteor cylinder and piston. The fuel and impulse lines are a bit hard but hold pressure fine, the intake boot doesn't have any signs of holes or cracks. The spark seems OK, I only did a basic carb clean (metering side). The carb holds pressure through the fuel line I got the saw reassembled and it started up fine last night, idles and revs OK, although I was pretty gentle on it and it needs tuning. So for £140 and my time, I'll hopefully have a working saw. But I still have this niggling feeling that I might have missed the cause of the piston scoring? Why is the saw now on its third cylinder? Could it simply be the decomp value? Before I go spending more money on sprocket, bar and chain and using the saw properly, is there anywhere else I should check? Its the first time I have replaced a cylinder, hence the question. Thanks in advance.

the problem looks very localised for a cols spot on a ceiling? I would have expected it to fan out more

I have a husky 135, its great, light and low vibes but after 9 years of quite heavy use it is showing its age, I suspect piston issues. I have used a stihl MS 170. as above, no complaints. Both are light disposable saws around 35cc, but with sharp chains you don't need anything else. Of find an older 45cc or 50cc saw and stick a short light bar on, go for low profile chain and get some decent anti vibe gloves - the experience wouldn't be that different from the saws above.

I think its always worth having spare saws, particularly at the smaller end. Its really handy if one is put out of action during the day (you hit something really bad, need to cut out a stuck bar, damage a bar, lose a nut, needs retuning - anything can happen). Or simply you get tired or need to cut in an awkward spot. But if I was given a boxfresh saw, I would probably sell it and buy second hand!

Yes safety first and bar off. But I always wonder....normally the reason I look at the piston is because I have just yanked the starter cord 40 times and turned the air blue with obscenities. If a two stroke won't start with full yanks, would it really start with the weak tickle required to inspect the piston??

Or run 1/2 a tank of alkylate through before long term storage? I am also a big fan of carb disassembly, cleaning and carb kits.

Its a tricky one. Modern living (e.g. running water, showers and frequent washing clothes) makes more airborne moisture than old houses were ever designed for. These houses have often then been insulated badly, I hate cavity wall insulation. Then modern houses are basically sealed tin cans which don't let water out. Powerful extractor fans help (often an upgrade as the standard ones are less powerful and wear out) but a big hot wood stove run on free dry wood every night irons out a lot of water issues.

I thought the above video explained the issue quite well. Clearly having good extraction will help where you have sources of moisture (showering, washing machine and cooking). Otherwise if you have an old home, a good blast of heat in the evenings helps, easier if you have a stove and free wood.

Yes ideal. If you can get a manitou or tractor in there is makes a huge difference to how much fun you'll have. A quad and trailer is OK, but I quickly reach capacity on the trailer. With a loader you can move round sections of trunk into the best position and basically tip the finished slabs straight onto a pallet

I'm guessing you held up the tape measure and eye-balled the diameter as 2 foot? I really like that type of 'pippy' oak, the grain is really attractive, plus the trunk looks relatively straight. In my experience that is an ideal diameter to mill as a beginner. With the odd lump and some of the bar getting used up by the mill, you'll probably be OK with a 3 foot bar which is a common and handy size. A vertical mill might help too. Have a think about what you want to use the wood for and don't be too ambitious. 10x2footx3 inches of oak is too heavy to manhandle, 4 or 5 ft is plenty ! Do you have mechanical help? There is a lot of wood there. Good luck.

From recent experience, for about £1500 you could buy a big second hand chainsaw (90-125cc) and a cheap eco mill and have a crack at it yourself. Because the chainsaw is contained/protected in the mill, you don't strictly need a saw with a chainbrake (which the older saws don't have making them less desirable).

Unscrew the muffler and take a look in the exhaust port with a headtorch whilst pulling the starter cord. Clamping the saw to a workbench helps. You'll easily be able to see what the piston and rings look like. Post a photo or video here if you want?

It probably feels a bit more 'natural' when cutting high up like this, especially as a right hander and you can use both hands on the saw. Granted I have only cut smaller wood where hitting the ground would quickly be an issue. I try and keep the whole rig set up the same always so I get used to the feel and balance of it. Did you have an auxiliary oiler?

It depends how handy you are but if it were me I'd try and remove the stove and backing boards myself and then sweep the chimney. Maybe you can borrow rods and brushes, but even if you buy then it'll be cheaper than a sweep. I'd maybe wait until warmer weather in case you let in a draft. Watch out for new ecodesign stoves. They are designed to be very fuel efficient to burn and re-burn the smoke so what exits the chimney is very clean. However they achieve this by having a small exit that is close to the door. In the real world this leads to lighting difficulties and smoking into the room. They need to have the perfect flue and conditions with a very high draft, I suspect an unlined flue won't cut it. I have had mine for a few months and it takes all my boyscout skills to get it lit - open the window a crack, small hot fire at first etc. Whereas I have an older non-ecodesign stove (identical flue, same stack) that you can light with your eyes closed.

Everyone I know who has one says they are excellent - light but with heaps of power and crucially they start very easily every time. I have put a tank of fuel through one and certainly that was my experience. I am a little bit skeptical about not being able to adjust the carb and all the electronics, but maybe that's just me being stubborn.