Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Cowboy254]

I think I figured out my coal issue...last couple days I been pushing the big hot coals over to the right so I can get down to the powder on the bottom of the left side, then push the top layer back over to the left and get the powder out of the bottom of the right side, then even the coals back out. I still get to keep the fresh hot coals and gain room in the stove. Dump the hot stuff in the firepit outside and worry about it in the spring, which the last couple years in central Ohio spring starts in February.

Yep, your strategy of moving the coals around to remove ash when it has burned down a bit is good. There's plenty of heat value in the coals and they radiate plenty so you want to keep them in there but unless it is really hot they don't burn down fully themselves. Depends a bit on the species of wood I'm putting in there but if I load it fully every time the coals will accumulate to a significant extent. So now and then I'll rake the coals forward a bit (the air movement in my heater is down the front glass then towards the back then up and then towards the front - so stuff at the front burns fastest) and put a couple of small pieces in that burn faster and keep sucking plenty of air in - that helps the coals burn down well so you're maximising your heat out of your wood.

 

[LondonNeil]

Or just burn spruce* ..... You'll not have a coal problem.


*Other softwoods are available.

 

[rarefish383]

I forgot to take pics before we finished cutting it up. White Pine anyone? I split a couple pieces with an old ax that was laying around, popped like popcorn, Joe.

 

[rarefish383]

For perspective, that's my 660 with 25" bar on the stump, Joe.

 

[Jeffkrib]

Thanks for all the kind birthday wishes guys

 

[farmer steve]

I forgot to take pics before we finished cutting it up. White Pine anyone? I split a couple pieces with an old ax that was laying around, popped like popcorn, Joe.

looks like some other dead trees in them pics Joe. ash maybe?

 

[rarefish383]

When they built that McMansion in the background they back filled the whole front yard about 4' deep. All of the trees are dying, there are a bunch of BIG Tulip Poplars that are so dead they are falling apart. No Ash, a couple small Maples, Mulberry, the rest are Poplars, Joe.

 

[Just a Guy that cuts wood]

Wow .. I unplug for 2 days and you all left me behind..
So Happy birthday Jeff
Mike I wish you would hurry up and put the Asian saws in some wood I may have some milling to do
James 5 Cubes plus make a big saw lol but you can get by with 70cc
Joe life gets in the way but I don't know how that muscle car is not calling your name

I will catch up more later was only calling for a dusting of snow but I have 3 so I am going to start moving some I was hoping to broom the drive way

 

[svk]

And I got the 16" bar off the 445 and put on the 550. Man I hope that saw kicks as much ass as it looks like it will. Thats a serious lookin saw. Small, light, (and hopefully) powerfull. That saw may be my go-to saw for just about everything. I still have the t540 though for the higher smaller stuff, but when I get to the stuff that looks like its 550 time its on.

Question...Since I "overpower" my bars, can I file the depth guages (rakers) down farther than standard guage depth? Do they make a guage set that does like .030" rather than the standard .020/.025" depths? or even farther like .035/.040"?

Yes you can. Go slow when taking down the rakers though. You want the saw to self feed and stay in the powerband but not bog. I'm not sure if they make depth gauge tools that measure outside .025 but @Philbert might know.

I have one chain that came with a saw that "wouldn't cut". The corner of the tooth was messed up and they took the rakers down WAY too far because they thought that was the issue. Philbert ground the tooth past the damage and reshaped the front of the rakers with one of those fancy grinding wheels. After taking a lot of material off the tooth, the rakers were still about .040 down. I haven't tried it in hardwood but in softwood my 550 pulls it awesomely.

 

[MustangMike]

Those Asian saws look interesting. The cross kit, is it ported or just stock? Approximately how much $ do you have in one?
I have enough projects on the go but it looks like it could be fun to put one together.

With OEM piston pin bearing and piston clips, less than $300 each. The chain adjusters take some effort to get them to work. OEM adjusters are very expensive. It is nice to have "clean stuff" I can bring into the heated basement to work on.

I ordered them as a package with the Cross P+C. They are a MMWS design, but other than checking the bevels on the ports and correcting any obvious errors (the outside of the intake was not centered, I fixed that on both).

Other than that, I did not do any port work to the cylinders. The ports that come on them are larger than stock (I guess like a 1/2 ported saw).

W/O a base gasket I got .020 squish, and Ex 104, Trans 122, and Intake 83. Not perfect, but not bad.

I previously put a Cross P+C on a 066, and it is featured on the HL Supply website - youtube - Cross vs OEM. That saw is still running very well.

 

[svk]

Mike, is the "cross" cylinder designed with the Chinese saws in mind or does it work on a Stihl too?

 

[JustJeff]

I was wondering. I saw the cross kits on the MMWS site and they were pretty cheap. For that price I knew they didn’t have any time in them. Wasn’t sure if that was what you used or if they doctored one up. Also noticed the MustangMike 261 on that site as well. Look forward to seeing a video of those Asian 660’s eating (hint hint).

 

[woodchip rookie]

Or just burn spruce* ..... You'll not have a coal problem.


*Other softwoods are available.

Thats what I like about silver maple. Smells better than pine, no sap/resin to get stuck in the saws, and silver maples grow like dandelions here.

 

[JustJeff]

There’s the link. Mike looks just what you’d picture an accountant looking like.

 

[woodchip rookie]

Got the tiny little bit of sugar maple I been hiding from myself for 2yrs brought down by the stove. Now use it wisely....

 

[dancan]

10 F here and still summer so off to scrounge !

 

[James Miller]

@svk you've done a few of the small echo cat muffs. What do you think of leaving the deflector like this with the top piece out. and what works best for gutting the cat? Drill bit, hole saw, air chisel.

 

[James Miller]

Wow .. I unplug for 2 days and you all left me behind..
So Happy birthday Jeff
Mike I wish you would hurry up and put the Asian saws in some wood I may have some milling to do
James 5 Cubes plus make a big saw lol but you can get by with 70cc
Joe life gets in the way but I don't know how that muscle car is not calling your name

I will catch up more later was only calling for a dusting of snow but I have 3 so I am going to start moving some I was hoping to broom the drive way

When what they have is 30-40cc saws a pare of 60s with a 20 and 25 inch bar probly looked huge.

 

[MustangMike]

That vid shows the Cross P+C on my 066. They fit either Asian or OEM 066/660s. They run pretty darn good IMO, the original cylinder on that 066 was a strong one. I have seen a lot of 660s that are more anemic.

 

[Philbert]

I'm not sure if they make depth gauge tools that measure outside .025 but @Philbert might know.

Fixed offset depth gauge tools at 0.025" and 0.030" are pretty easy to find. Oregon also offers 0.050", 0.060", and 0.070" for harvester chains.
http://www.baileysonline.com/Chainsaw-Chain/Files-Filing-Accessories/Depth-Guage-Maintenance-Tools/

Through the years there have also been adjustable depth gauge tools, as well as the File-O-Plate / constant angle type tools.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/depth-gauge-tools-for-saw-chain.279374/

These are handier for measuring existing depth gauge offsets than for setting them.
https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...l-indicator-feedback-on-marketability.295188/

Or you can use a grinder or Granberg type tool, after setting the initial depth gauge with a feeler gauge.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/depth-gauges-on-a-grinder.200410/

Philbert