Deep Thought?

[Keener]

What is it that seems to be built right in to our nature to want to run saws and cut wood?
As I type this today after running my saws all week I can hear my 93 year old neighbour running his Stihl 026 right at our fence line.
93, can hear very little and can hardly keep balance on the steeper parts of the property and he is sawing away almost every day( he owns 8 acres of our rapidly growing rain forest).
He gets up and down the terrain in a '78 Ford 4by4 with the tach pinned most of the time because he can't hear the motor.
On one level I think he is going to hurt himself or come flying through the fence in his truck one day.
On another level I think "good for him he is still going after all these years, I hope I will be too"
So this is my question to you saw folks out there, what sickness is it that causes us to get excited even at 93 to have saws and cut wood?
If you have this sickness you can tell by the adrenaline rush you get in;
- buying that new saw
- stepping up to a nice clean log with that saw
- making those chips fly like a snow storm
- feeling the power just gripping the saw (running or not)
- looking at the wood pile/shed with pride
- setting the just cleaned/polished/sharpened saw next
to all the others in a neat line on the shop floor

If you guys have answers or even other symptoms I've missed, let me know.

 

[treeclimber165]

ON the FLOOR??!! You put your saws ON the FLOOR??!! AAAAAAARRGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

 

[confused]

I know the feeling, today I just got my saw back out of the garage for the first time all year. It felt so good to hear her running again. Felt so good to dig into a nice piece of wood. Anyways my grandfather (85) still gets out and uses his Husky 55 every now and then. I know i have the sickness and i sure aint lookin for any cure .

 

[Keener]

Sorry Brian I forgot to mention that I like to use my wifes down filled duvet quilt to put on the floor first, then put the saws in a neat row all shined up and waiting to go.

 

[toolmaker]

I've got it too. I'm sick fellas, I'm sick. I keep buying new saws just because I love the moment of getting one. The anticipation is all I can bear. After I get a new one, I say that's it, but I am always looking in the shop after a week or so. My Stihl dealer laughs at me when I come in. He says he can tell by the glazed over look in my eyes. I clean my saw inside and out everytime I use it. Wax it every other. I'm sick, I need help! My wife agrees.

 

[eyolf]

Some of us know that chainsaws are a little like firearms...ya drool over them, fondle them, talk to them and about them...

Only thing is, in some places you can still use your chain saw all the time. I think it has to do with being able to go out and directly interact with the environment, act upon it, and see a quickly gratifying result.

Take the old blunderbuss and knock down some meat on the hoof; you know mama and the kiddies will be eatin' somethin' besides turnips and cornbread tonight. Knock down a tree, and you're part way to sleepin' inside, makin' mama comfortable. You're tha MAN, you're makin' it happen, and it feels good...

'Least that's what I think....

Work in the pattern shop's been slow, and next week I'll be thinning a tree plantation. Red pine and White spruce; all the poles go to a guy that makes log furniture. I'm just the assasin, the hatchet-man with a chain saw. Why is it that I don't think I'll feel like "the man" out there after a full day lugging a chain saw around?

 

[TonyM]

My great grandfather logged timber, my grandfather logged timber, my father and many of my uncles were/are wood cutters. I just love going out in the woods, taking what most people see as useless, and turning into firewood to heat my home and other's homes. Must be in the DNA. There's just something about not having to rely on anything but you and your saw to keep warm in the winter. I really think I couldn't get sick of cutting wood.

 

[stihltech]

The Fever

Happiness is being a saw tech and getting to run everybody's saw!

 

[Dennis]

My grandfather is 75 this year and I just had to build him a "tuned" saw a couple months ago...and now is talking like he wants the pipe off my 272...but he didnt try to run the Rotax..he still has enough sense....lol...saws have been in my life ever since I can remember being a little kid out in the shop with my grandfather....I think I did my first carb kit when I was 9...

-chainsaws, testosterone and sawdust...the stuff that makes the world go round.......

and I think JPS said it once...

"I love the smell of a chainsaw in the morning..."

 

[kdhotsaw]

Happiness

Hello stihltech and dennis,Happiness is spending a few days working on modifing the ports, carb and measuring and building a pipe and then cutting with that puppy. But it spoils you, you wont be happy with a stock saw again.
I told you dennis that louie was going to wind up with that pipe. Ha. Ha.
Of course uncle Arts chain helps
Ken

 

[Keener]

Excellent input guys, thanks for your feedback, maybe I'm more or less "normal"
I forgot one of the symptoms though;
- taking great pleasure in taking the brother-in-laws or neighbours crapped out,rocked out,exhaust plugged,bar burred/off square rails,plugged air filter hardly working, frustrating chunk-o-crap saw
and doing some saw magic( proper maintenance) then handing it back to him and watching the look on his face when he falls through the next cut like a hot knife through butter.
Less than an hour after I started this post this morning I had the same opportunity with one of the neighbours saws.
I could hear sawing for quite a while at full throttle which to me means real big wood or real dull chain, so I walk up back to check it out.
He's got 4" into a 16" red cedar and is totally fed up so I offer to see what I can do with it, 30 minutes later I take the saw back and tell him since I sharpened it I get first cut, I start her up and take 3 rounds off a small fir log( suspended at waist height) in competiton fashion, down cut,upcut,downcut in about 6 seconds.
I swear his eyes bugged out so far you could have knocked them off with a stick

 

[Methoss084]

I must whole heartedly agree with Stihltech and Ken. There is nothing like being able to fix and then play with the other guys saws. Nothing better than goin out back to the log pile with a customers 088 or 2095 and playin in some Red Oak.
You know you've got the sickness when the sound of a saw from a mile away can bring a smile to your face, or make you wish you were there to watch it cut.
You know you've got the sickness when you go out to the shop on a Saturday morning to take inventory of your collection. And ponder the next one of your wood cutting aquistions.
You know you've got the sickness when you've got seperate gas cans for 12:1, 16:1, 24:1, 32:1, 40:1 and 50:1 sitting in a neat row on the shelf.
Out of all the things you can get sick from, I never want to get rid of this cold.
Josh
:Monkey:

 

[Bogger]

looking at them

I just get a kick out of just looking at them all nice and shiny...i like putting that last cover back on right before you go show that tree who is boss!!
later
Luke

 

[JimL]

I like looking at the semi dull chain, paintless bar, covered in saw dust slightly, paint missing in spots, hand grips worn smoothe.
Why? Because it tells a story....