My Second XL Automatic Is Complete

[james64]

Tonight I finished assembly of my second XL Automatic. The first one was put together with parts but this one started and finished with all of its original major parts. I have been looking at lots of paint for one as close as I could get to the original Homelite red-orange and what I came up with is VHT Engine Enamel SP119 Chevy Red-Orange. It's pretty darn close. A tad darker than the original Homelite color but darn close. The engine was in amaculate condition. I replaced the clutch hub, crank seals, and points. I also rewound the pull start with new rope. I picked up a couple of the 12" homelite chain bars and put one on this one along with a new chain. Leon was kind enough to rebuild the carb so I'm expecting it run like a champ. 

I had picked up some pristine original NOS OEM labels off Ebay and I took them to my local sticker shop and had them reproduced on the foil material the originals were printed on and I'm very happy with how they came out so if you guys need the XL Automatic labels for your projects let me know. I had 25 of each printed up. The only issue I have is the text for the UT and serial numbers. I have no idea how they were printing the labels or what font they were using so the best I could come up with is print the UT and serial numbers with my label maker on 1/4" black on clear label tape and applying the labels to the UT/Serial label. Its not exact but it will do.

If you look at the pictures, see if you can tell which one is painted and which one is original finish. I've got five more saws to refurbish so I have enough to keep me busy this winter.

[blythkd]

Those certainly look nice. Is the short handle one the one that's painted?

There's some paint information on here somewhere where guys had researched and settled on some paint shades. Homelite changed shades a bit over the years.

That little short handle version is just like one of my first saws. When I got married in 1989, I needed a saw to cut firewood so I rounded up a couple of old crappers and fixed up. I found that little 12" XL and a 16" SXL. They were both rough and nobody at work cared about them. They're both around here somewhere and probably wouldn't take much to have them running, if anything.

You're kinda hooked on this resto thing now, aren't you?

[james64]

Yes the short handle is painted and I know its hard to distinguish color variations on a computer screen and even in person under different lighting conditions. I have read through those posts and nothing definitive was said about the XL Automatics red-orange saws I'm working on and a substitute color choice. I recall Leon was aiming more for the red saws but I may have missed a thread relating to these saws. If these cases were metal I would certainly have more color options if I were to powder coat and perhaps in the future I may pick up a metal case saw but who knows. For the past 20 years I've been hard in to the old Honda three wheelers and doing frame off restorations on about 25 machines and it is so much work and mess. These saws are nothing more than a diversion from three wheelers and I find these simple saws fun to work on so that's why I am sticking to these models. Lord knows there are tons of Homelite saws out there waiting to be rescued but having limited space keeps me from branching out to other models. I'm a little anal when I get a machine in to my shop for restoration. I strive to make them as new as possible but not necessarly factory new. I always have to make them a bit personalized if you know what I mean.