Just Picked up a Precision Model 18Bow Saw: PIC HEAVY

[SkippyKtm]

Does anyone Know about these? Thanks to GR40RCapri for posting this in the Ebay/Craigslist Thread! Couldn't find anything doing a Google search, Here's some photos:

<a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/?action=view&current=PICT3779.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/PICT3779.jpg" border="0" alt="Precision Bow Saw 6"></a>

<a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/?action=view&current=PICT3777.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/PICT3777.jpg" border="0" alt="Precision Bow Saw 4"></a>

<a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/?action=view&current=PICT3776.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/PICT3776.jpg" border="0" alt="Precision Bow Saw 3"></a>

<a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/?action=view&current=PICT3775.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/PICT3775.jpg" border="0" alt="Precision Bow Saw 2"></a>

<a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/?action=view&current=PICT3780.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/PICT3780.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/?action=view&current=PICT3781.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/PICT3781.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

What Kind of Chain is This?

<a href="http://s518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/?action=view&current=PICT3782.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u349/skippyktm/PICT3782.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Funky Old Carburetor! Too bad the flywheel and starter are missing, I'll probably never find those.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

That's called "scratcher" chain. One of the first kinds as far as I know.

Ian

 

[Jacob J.]

That is one cool find for sure. Mr. Bow Saw has one of those and could probably provide some info.

 

[Mr. Bow Saw]

Your model 18bow is not listed anywhere or known of untill now.

A little info at Acres site.
http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...f8f98b4eeef11be288256afb0020c45a?OpenDocument

http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...5ecb8dad6a6063cd88256c1e001adbb0?OpenDocument

This info was posted back in 2006.

By Tom Hawkins,

Precision was one of the worlds first manufacturers of one-man chainsaws, dating back to 1946. They started in Montreal, Quebec, and sometime later, opened a second plant in Danbury, Connecticut. We do have some papers that also lists Rouses Point, New York, but we believe that this site was just a parts depot and sales office, located in this border town, perhaps the point of entry for all Precision products. Precision primararly targeted these chainsaws for the pulp wood industry, which was mainly located in eastern Canada, and the northeastern region of the United States. All Precision chainsaws were equiped with a hand operated clutch, on the earliest (1946-1948) model the clutch was activated by means of a separate control lever. From 1948 to the end of production, the throttle and clutch actions were combined together into a single, motor cycle type twist lever. Precision's business closure in the mid fifties, appears to have come about due to the companies failure to upgrade their product in the face of fast growing global competition. In fact, only a few minor upgrades were made during the entire (appox. ten year) production period.

The Precision chainsaws were offered in three different types.

Type #1 The bow saw. Was first offered as a 18" size in 1946, a 14" unit was added in 1947 and a 24" saw joined the line up in 1948. A 1952? sales flyer offers only the 18" size, so we must assume that the 14 & 24 were dropped, and no longer offered after this date.

Type #2 The beaver tail (open ended) bar. First offered in a 22" only, from 1946 - 1952, a 19" and 27" only from 1952-1955.

Type #3 The straight bar saw with a helper handle, offered in three sizes 20", 26" and 32" This type appears to have been discontinued about 1950

With your help we have managed to pieced together this timeline for the Precision Chainsaws.

1946-1948 Model:1 ................................The original Precision saw has a casted metal fuel tank bolted on top of the casted fan shroud, with a brass oiler. This model also has a separate hand clutch lever. The bow type has casted-in handle, and embossed wording "Precision Parts Ltd" Color: Dark Gray

1948-1950 Model:2.............................Same as above, but now the saw has the twist type throttle/clutch control, the oiler has steel & brass components. Color: changed to Dark Red

1950-1952 Model:3.............................This model has a redesigned one piece fuel tank, fan shroud combination. The cylinder cover is now made of a composite material that breaks very easy on prevous saws this cover was made of casted metal.

1952-1953 Model:A.............................This model is the same as above, but has a recoil type starter has been added. Also the embossed lettering is of the script style. The bow no longer has a handle, lettering is also scripted.

1953-1955 Model:L1.............................By this time the Precision saw is really outdated and a new design is needed to compete in the now very "HOT" chainsaw market. But Precision was apparently unable to develope a new saw, so they tried to revamp the old machine one more time. The fan shroud was recasted as a two piece unit with the cylinder cover. A smaller, round, steel fuel tank was strapped between the engine frame. And a large number of holes were drilled into the saws bow frames in and effort to reduce overall weight. New color: orange

As a result, this last model of the Precision chainsaw turned out to be nothing more than a last ditch effort to boost sagging saw sales. But in the face of the fast growing tide of new chainsaw manufacturers then entering the market. It seams that this last fleading effort was just another case of "Too little!" "Too late" and the Precision Chainsaws just faded away, and became another part of our beloved "Chainsaw History"


This is my Bow saw. What we think is Type 1 Model 3.
You can see your saw is missing a few more parts.

 

[logging22]

Think i heard that chain called "briar tooth". That right?

 

[sawbones]

there are a few of those around for possible parts.
first off I would start lubing everything up and see if the motor is ok. Chain looks stiff too.

lots of parts in that bow unit. I had to dismantle one and ship it and
I spent a few hours getting the bar off.

the little screws holding the chain cover on the bow section can be a pain.

I think they had a straight bar model too which may also have matching parts for your powerhead.

 

[SkippyKtm]

Guys, Thanks for all your help, That made my day, I finally have something that is unique and to be proud of. It'll make a great conversation piece. Mr Bow saw, yours is very nice, and thank you as well for the information, I assume that yours is a runner, Did it take a lot to get it going?

 

[Mr. Bow Saw]

Guys, Thanks for all your help, That made my day, I finally have something that is unique and to be proud of. It'll make a great conversation piece. Mr Bow saw, yours is very nice, and thank you as well for the information, I assume that yours is a runner, Did it take a lot to get it going?

Thanks,
I have not started it up yet. I still need to clean out the carb and it
needs a new fuel line. It does have good compression and spark so
it should run when I can get to it.

 

[Bill G]

I was going to email that seller in the outside chance he still had it. Now I can save the time. Great saw to find

 

[NEP]

Great find.

 

[CM76]

Great find there Skippyktm. I hope you can get hold of the necessary parts to get the saw up and running again. Also to Mr Bow saw - really good knowledge and information on these saws - thanks.

to the both of you on these unique old bow saw models.

Regards,

Chris.

 

[Mr. Bow Saw]

Thanks Chris,

 

[Guido Salvage]

I would like the meet the fellow that cut 2,000 cords of firewood with this saw in 4 months as claimed in the ad.

 

[SkippyKtm]

I would like the meet the fellow that cut 2,000 cords of firewood with this saw in 4 months as claimed in the ad.

That would be 500 cords a month or over 16 cords per day, 7 days a week -Hoo-Boy! That Dude musta' been like Paul Bunyan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan
Thanks Mr. Bow saw, I always like reading those old ads!!

 

[metalspec]

Thanks Chris,

I love seeing those old ads!

 

[Jacob J.]

That would be 500 cords a month or over 16 cords per day, 7 days a week -Hoo-Boy! That Dude musta' been like Paul Bunyan:
Thanks Mr. Bow saw, I always like reading those old ads!!

It depends on how they're cutting those cords...

If a guy is cutting them as firewood, then yeah, forget it.

In the old days they'd cut pulp logs and it would be busheled as cords, but of course it's possible to cut way more wood as pulp logs in a day than as firewood, counting both in the cordwood volume.

I had a small contract once cutting 8 footers as pulp for a local IP mill on the coast. It was all the junky hardwoods and cedar left over from a large select cut on private ground. It was possible to average around 15mbf a day on that job.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Production correction

It depends on how they're cutting those cords...

I went back and looked at the ad again. It actually claims "One user reported cutting 2000 cords of firewood and 300,000 board feet of timber in four months". Paul Bunyan indeed!