Anybody interested in getting a helpful tips thread going?

[fossil]

We all learn some little things that help make repairing and working on saws from assembly to cleaning to keeping them running well.

Anyone interested in sharing those tips where they could be posted as a general helpful tips thread?

[lesorubcheek]

I think it's a great idea. With all the experience on this site, it could be really useful.

Dan

[lesorubcheek]

The memory ain't what it used to be, but here's something I just did so I'll post it. To install a new bearing, put the bearing in the freezer (I use a zip-lock bag) at least an hour before ready to install. Use a heat gun and heat the housing well. I've never used a thermometer so can't give a temperature value, but I heat in a circle around the housing's opening until it's hot to the touch. Have a driver ready just in case, but many times the bearing will just drop in. Find either an old bearing (cleaned of course) if you can't find a driver, anything that will fit the outside race of the bearing. You don't want to drive it from the inside and put impact on the balls with a hammer (that hurts ). Take out the bearing and quickly try to drop it into the housing. If it doesn't go, quickly take the old bearing or driver and tap it into place. If it's very hard to drive, it may require a press, but most chainsaw bearings in a magnesium backing go in using this method.

Dan

[lesorubcheek]

If you're making a gasket from a sheet, many are rolled, and won't lie flat after you roll it out. Take it to the ironing board and use a hot iron to flatten the sheet. A little steam doesn't hurt either. With it laying flat, you can mark it, hole punch, cut, and you're done.

Dan

[sweepleader]

Dan's method works with installing bearings on cranks too, when they are a press fit. Heat the bearing in an oven, I use a toaster oven I paid $10 for. I "adjusted" the thermostat and use and oven thermometer to get the temperature to 200 degrees F. 15 minutes is normally enough to expand them so they drop right on, tight against the shoulder. Give it an hour to cool before you move it to be sure it is tight and will not shift. As he said, never press or hammer in a way that will put stress on the balls, they are certain to be damaged.

[fossil]

Something I find a pain is keeping the carb adaptor to carb gasket in place when putting the carb in. Especially when working in tight air boxes.

Now I put the bolts through the carb, put the gasket on the carb bolts and put a thin elastic band around the gasket and carb.

That keeps the gasket in place when fiddling around getting the linkage, fuel line and carb in place.

Start the bolts, pull the carb back, snip the elastic band and slowly pull it out.

[fossil]

I think quite a few guys dump the bar oil put of their saws when cutting is over. Especially on the oil leakers which can make quite a mess.

Instead of pouring it straight back into a bottle I filter it through a nylon stocking (Go Dollar store!).

I dump the oil into an old margarine container.

Take a smaller plastic container, cut the bottom out and slip a piece of stocking over the hole and up the container and hold it in place with an elastic band.

Put that in a funnel, The funnel into the container neck and pour in the bar oil.

When done, I leave the filter container in the funnel and place in the container the oil was poured from.

Clean bar oil back into your oil storage or fill bottle (I use old gear oil squeeze bottles).

[fossil]

One thing I find handy on those pesky Husky chain tension screws when they want to back out. Same deal if the nut on one gets misplaced.

Slip a piece of tygon fuel line over the end of the screw to keep it in place.

[lesorubcheek]

Imagine most people know this one, but fishing line really helps feeding fuel lines through tanks and other openings, especially if you need to start it from inside the tank. Run the fishing line (I usually have 10-12# line laying around) through the hole from the outside, then grab the line on the inside with hemostats, pliers, fingers, or whatever is convenient, pull the line out so you have plenty to play with, cut an end of fuel tubing at 45 degree or steeper angle so it'll feed through easily, tie the fishing line near the end of the sloped cut fuel tubing, and then start pulling from the other end. Once the tubing has started through the opening from the inside, pull enough to get pliers or hemostats on it, and then you can pull it on through as long as needed. I usually pull through all the way, then cut the tubing (usually still being fed from a tank filler opening) to length that's needed in the tank. Stick on a filter and drop it in, and on the sloped cut side, cut even to attach to the carb. There's many scenarios this works... pulling oil lines, impulse.... same idea.

Dan

[lesorubcheek]

and, then starter rope in the spark plug hole as a piston stop. Just make sure you don't get the rope in a port when the piston is coming up to bind. Works for removing the flywheel pulley nut or a clutch. Another little thing is if removing the clutch, it usually helps to remove the starter pulley also. There are exceptions, but most clutches are left hand thread, so as you turn clockwise from the clutch side, the starter pawls will be engaged on the starter pulley and the starter rope will bind with the pull handle. You can break the rope or the pull handle if not careful. You can pull slack rope out before starting to turn the crank, but the recoil spring will try to pull it back if you don't hold it. There are also exceptions like a FM type starter where this won't be a problem, but most saws these days have pawls that will grab as you turn the clutch.

Dan

[longpork]

Yes please start a helpful hints thread. I could use a lot of help.
That way I can just look first before I ask a question.

[dynodave]

Similar to fossil dumping the bar oil, I frequently dump the mix into a dedicated/marked "residue" gallon container. After I gather a quantity, I pour it back in my mix container after filtering through a larger funnel with a coffee filter. I have been surprised on the amount of residue (wood dust?) seen on the filter media.
Can't hurt!!!

[sawnami]

Mar 30, 2018 7:19:04 GMT -5 sweepleader said:

Dan's method works with installing bearings on cranks too, when they are a press fit. Heat the bearing in an oven, I use a toaster oven I paid $10 for. I "adjusted" the thermostat and use and oven thermometer to get the temperature to 200 degrees F. 15 minutes is normally enough to expand them so they drop right on, tight against the shoulder. Give it an hour to cool before you move it to be sure it is tight and will not shift. As he said, never press or hammer in a way that will put stress on the balls, they are certain to be damaged.

Here's an illustration of the toaster oven method. I bought the largest toaster oven that I could find on Craigslist for $15. I heat the case to 300° then drop in the bearing. The bearing literally falls to bottom of the bore. Done dozens of them in that old toaster oven.
It also works great to get a fast cure on painted items.
youtu.be/jgKJ-Rdd3aI