What did you do today?

[8ntruck 7,980]

Thursday, I got out my 25 year old Craftsman 18" chain saw and cut a sizeable limb that has been laying behind the tractor shed for 3 or 4 years.  It is in the way and time came for it to go.  This spring, when I last used this saw, I noted that the dome in the primer pump had a small split in it.  Not enough to leak, but enough so i did not trust taking the saw into the woods for serious work.  Worked fine to cut that limb into firewood sized pieces, though.

 

I bought a new dome, but discovered that this primer pump is not rebuildable.  New pump is on order.  The bottom of the saw case was covered in bar oil.  Guess I forgot to empty the bar oil tank before I put it away last time.  I suppose I'd ought to chase that leak down someday.  Then again, draining the oil tank after use is easier.....

 

Today, I split the wood.  I put Pack Rat, the Allis Chalmers B110, to work hauling the resulting cart load of split firewood down to the lake house wood pile.  Treated Pack Rat to a new air filter element, too.

[ebinmaine 73,472]

9 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

The bottom of the saw case was covered in bar oil.  Guess I forgot to empty the bar oil tank before I put it away last time.  I suppose I'd ought to chase that leak down someday.  Then again, draining the oil tank after use is easier.....

 

I have 3 gas powered saws and Trina has a battery powered one. ALL of them leak bar oil over time. Some have a much shorter leakdown period than others. 

For her battery saw and at least one of my gas saws, laying them on their right side - fill cap UP - prevents or dramatically slows the leakage. I find that counterintuitive considering the now down-facing side is the actual side the oil should come from ... but it works.  🤔 

 

[lynnmor 7,913]

My chainsaws, all 7 of them, leak very little or no chain oil and I never drain them.  Of course there is always some residual oil slowly draining from any chainsaw so I keep bed pads under them.

[19richie66 17,693]

Got all my rafters painted and ready for metal. Hopefully in the next couple weeks it will finally be covered. 

[Sparky-(Admin) 23,460]

  Pedaled about 60 miles this weekend, including the 22 miles I did with my 81 year old mom today.
  And No… we aren’t on E-bikes. Pure people power 

 

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 73,472]

@Sparky

 

VERY IMPRESSIVE 

[WHX?? 52,127]

Your a real hero Sparky I wouldn't make out of the driveway. Well now if I had some captains n coke in that there bottle I might make it 1/2 mile to the end of the road. Then have to turn around  back home for a refill... 

 

Got my bell rung... 

Picked it for free off a scrap pile. Who would throw stuff like that out Sylvia?

[wallfish 18,365]

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

Pure people power

 

 

That's awesome she can still do that

il_600x600.1796234518_jyek.webp il_600x600.1796234518_jyek.webp

[SylvanLakeWH 28,890]

2 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Picked it for free off a scrap pile. Who would throw stuff like that out Sylvia?

 Always gets my blood going...

 

That would be a perfect "Gottanother Wheel Horse" bell!!! Kinda like tip bells in bars... 

 

Ya know, let Cindaaaaaay prepare for a new  or three... 

[adsm08 3,442]

Getting closer with the Escape:

 

 

I did a little more fitting and trimming after this was taken. I still probably need to trim the edges a bit, and then I'll start welding it in. I drilled the top flange for rosettes, and then once I get the top welded in place I'll have to stick a jack under the bottom and push it into place because the bend isn't quite the same angle as the original piece. This one is a tad taller overall.

[8ntruck 7,980]

As @Pullstart pointed out in his pool project thread, it rained in this neck of the woods today.  Probably my fault.  I slopped a coat of Thompsons Water Seal on the deck of my utility trailer yesterday afternoon.  Today's rain sure beaded up nicely on the trailer.

 

I've got a 10" Black & Decker chainsaw that is handy for taking care of 3 or 4 inch limbs the wind brings down from time to time.  I've come to recognize that it is the wrong tool to try to do the work of a gas saw even for a job of 4 or 5 cuts.  The kind of small job where it is not worth getting the gas saw out and messing fuel and chain oil.

 

Yesterday, I noticed a display of Milwaukee M18 chain saws at the local hardware store.  These things will go head to head with a gas saw.  The light came on - I NEED ONE!  The Milwaukee saws are attractive me because I already have tools on the same battery system.  They are using Oregon bars and chains on these, so a replacement or length change won't  be a hassle.

 

Now, which one?   The 8" one hander they call the Hatchet, a 12" or 14" top handle saw, or a 14" or 16" back handle saw?  For some reason, the top handle saws are $70 more expensive.  Right now, i'm leaning towards the back handle saws.

 

 

[adsm08 3,442]

 

 

I still need to clean up and inspect the front bead, and probably go over the top one once more, but I'm sitting right on the floor, cross-legged, in a space about the width of a creeper, and I'd been at it an hour and a half already.

[Wayne0 1,295]

23 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

As @Pullstart pointed out in his pool project thread, it rained in this neck of the woods today.  Probably my fault.  I slopped a coat of Thompsons Water Seal on the deck of my utility trailer yesterday afternoon.  Today's rain sure beaded up nicely on the trailer.

 

I've got a 10" Black & Decker chainsaw that is handy for taking care of 3 or 4 inch limbs the wind brings down from time to time.  I've come to recognize that it is the wrong tool to try to do the work of a gas saw even for a job of 4 or 5 cuts.  The kind of small job where it is not worth getting the gas saw out and messing fuel and chain oil.

 

Yesterday, I noticed a display of Milwaukee M18 chain saws at the local hardware store.  These things will go head to head with a gas saw.  The light came on - I NEED ONE!  The Milwaukee saws are attractive me because I already have tools on the same battery system.  They are using Oregon bars and chains on these, so a replacement or length change won't  be a hassle.

 

Now, which one?   The 8" one hander they call the Hatchet, a 12" or 14" top handle saw, or a 14" or 16" back handle saw?  For some reason, the top handle saws are $70 more expensive.  Right now, i'm leaning towards the back handle saws.

 

 

I picked up a cheap China 40 volt 16" saw on the jungle. $100 on sale. I just wanted something I could cut a branch or something.

For what I paid, it's awesome. It won't replace my Stile, but for little jobs, it works.

Edited September 4 by Wayne0

[ebinmaine 73,472]

23 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Now, which one?   The 8" one hander they call the Hatchet, a 12" or 14" top handle saw, or a 14" or 16" back handle saw?  For some reason, the top handle saws are $70 more expensive.  Right now, i'm leaning towards the back handle saws

 

1 minute ago, Wayne0 said:

I picked up a cheap China 16" saw on the jungle. $100 on sale. I just wanted something I could cut a branch or something.

For what I paid, it's awesome. It won't replace my Stile, but for little jobs, it's great.

 

 

Trina has a Kobalt battery powered saw with a 14" bar. 

It'll run one battery charge to a tank of gas in my Echo 33cc or Stihl MS180C. 

You're limited to the battery discharge/ recharge time. 

Multiple batteries would be handy. 

Power is good. 

Chain cut is good. 

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 28,890]

I have the 20v dewalt saw and pole saw. Outstanding performance. 

[Sparky-(Admin) 23,460]

  Short ride this morning, but it puts me just over 300 miles this summer (with plenty of riding days left)

 

 

 

[adsm08 3,442]

Spent about 4 hours on the Escape today:

 

 

The welds aren't pretty, but they are solid, and I am very much concerned with function over form here. I still have to drill a series of holes for the pins to attach the rocker trim, but I haven't measured for them yet.

Edited September 6 by adsm08

[19richie66 17,693]

Ditched Facebook. Im free 

[Sparky-(Admin) 23,460]

9 minutes ago, 19richie66 said:

Ditched Facebook. Im free 

I saw your final FB post…congrats! 

[8ntruck 7,980]

I ate too much. 

 

The neighbor had their annual friends and family hot dog roast/pot luck today.  Was cloudy, in the 50's, and windy.  Never the less, a good time was had by all.

 

Just to feel like I did something useful today, I installed the new primer pump I got on the 18" Craftsman saw.  Checked the air cleaner while I had the saw open, too.

[adsm08 3,442]

11 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Just to feel like I did something useful today, I installed the new primer pump I got on the 18" Craftsman saw.  Checked the air cleaner while I had the saw open, too.

 

That reminds me, one of the wires came off the kill switch on my saw again.

[ebinmaine 73,472]

We spent a couple hours cleaning and organizing in the barn again this morning. Got a LOT done. We're within a short amount of work to being able to park in there when needed.  

 

WOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[8ntruck 7,980]

On 8/31/2025 at 8:00 AM, ebinmaine said:

 

I have 3 gas powered saws and Trina has a battery powered one. ALL of them leak bar oil over time. Some have a much shorter leakdown period than others. 

For her battery saw and at least one of my gas saws, laying them on their right side - fill cap UP - prevents or dramatically slows the leakage. I find that counterintuitive considering the now down-facing side is the actual side the oil should come from ... but it works.  🤔 

 

I'd guess that your filler caps leak.  Seems that most of the newer saws have the fill caps for fuel and oil located on the side.

 

You could always clean the outside of the saw, then set it on a rag to see where the leak is.  There will always be some oil drips out from around the drive sprocket.

[lynnmor 7,913]

2 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

I'd guess that your filler caps leak.  Seems that most of the newer saws have the fill caps for fuel and oil located on the side.

 

You could always clean the outside of the saw, then set it on a rag to see where the leak is.  There will always be some oil drips out from around the drive sprocket.

Oil tanks on chainsaws need to have some sort of vent.  Some use rubber duckbill valves and they can degrade over time while others use a small wad of foam that of course will leak if the oil level reaches it.  A parts diagram should show a vent, if there is one, or the vent may simply be a feature of the fill cap.

[ebinmaine 73,472]

We got the garden area tractor access bridge put together this morning. 

 

I started planning out and cut the timbers several months ago. I had applied colored stain on them and was awaiting a good day for assembly. ...

Then we had to interrupt our scheduled programming to move the momma over here. 

Now that she's happy and comfy we can start getting back to the other projects.  

This bridge will need one more coat of paint before installation. 

No rush there as we may not do that til spring. 

 

Measurements are 48" front to back and approximately 51" wide.