North East Tennessee MAC Report
Beautiful day in North East Tennessee yesterday with short sleeve temperatures, I wasn’t supposed to be cutting due to family obligations – but wood lot wanted wood
and some of the kids wanted to go shooting so off to the range I went. Found the ground too wet to get up the hill, just as well as the truck wouldn’t start as usual. I staged a few logs with the Deere and I then took on a MAC worthy dead ash I had been saving (about 28”). But as before, I pulled the trigger on the 800 and the linkage let go. Most of you will know where this is going, younger guys might not, but they will one day. Last week, Brian and I noted that the bar didn’t run parallel with the saw’s center line. We both thought the bar had a slight bend it – probably from the violent ride it took earlier in the season. Anyway, yesterday I thought to myself there has to be something going on that he and I missed. Finding a sunny spot, I could see that the trigger was intact but the linkage was just out of place with some side tension. Upon closer exam, I discovered that the rear a/v cushion was now on the wrong side. A few years back I had put machine screws in both A/Vs as they were both busted. This patch worked well until now. Despite both being screw-less and busted I was unable to twist the saw enough to fix it in the field so a tear down is in order together with a close inspection of the intake boot.
Among many things I don’t do well is sharpening chains, especially with a file. The many videos of the new off-brand Hexa chain have caught my attention as it seems like a filing method I can master. I haven’t been able to get my hands on any chains or files so down in the lab I have made a few of my own hex chains with a grinder. Dressing the wheel eats up a lot of the wheel as does the first grind. Ideally, the wheel should be dressed frequently. Nonetheless, as they say on
Forged in the Fire – the chain, “it will cut.” So far, I haven’t experienced the longevity claimed and have found it cuts great until it doesn’t – doesn’t in the sense it doesn’t cut – almost an on/off switch effect unlike other grinds that get dull but will still cut or at least chew. I will have to do some more work on the grind. Back to sharpening in general, surely I am not the only one to grind a bunch of chains in poor light that feel sharp but don’t cut well only to find in the light those little reflections that show the teeth needed just a bit more grinding to restore the corners. Eye-balling a chain for sharpness beats relying on touch. But dim eyes need light.
The MAC worth tree fell to an off-brand; it yielded a 35’ stem of solid wood just over bar length at the top cut (25” bar) with the rest of the top exploding upon impact.
I cleared a loading spot on the hill with the bulldozer while the kids were shooting. I emphasize to my daughters to shoot for consistency first and once consistent then work on getting on target. My oldest daughter proudly brought home her
100 shot group to show me how much she has progressed with a pistol. I pity any poor criminal that breaks in on her.
With the season ending and the PM 700 laid up, I am looking forward to some free time in the lab. Who knows what mothballed project I might revive.
Be safe,
Ron