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Seen at a recent trade show: This ‘visible’ guide bar shows the routes that cooling water travels in an ICS concrete cutting guide bar. On a more traditional, wood cutting guide bar, bar & chain oil follows similar channels along the bar top and bottom, and around the sprocket (not through...

One of These Things is Not Like the Other Of course, I’d heard that the Made in the USA ‘V’ series sockets were no more. Happy to get a ‘no questions asked’ exchange at a local ACE Hardware store (also Lowe’s, as I understand). But will keep an eye out at garage sales, etc., for a ‘real’...

Free, Rigid-style, pipe wrench at garage sale. Cleaned up nice! Don’t laugh: the bent handle actually helps, if you are right handed! And it works with both metric and SAE pipes! Hardest part was reinstalling the springs behind the jaws. After screwing around for half an hour, I looked on...

Guide Bar Straightener Another ‘NLA’ item to keep an eye out for at garage / estate sales. Hydraulic presses are used for some harvester bars. Solid guide bars are said to be easier to straighten than laminated bars, where spot welds can shear, and laminations bend differently (like multiple...

General Sawchain Knowledge and Terminology - or, How to Become a Chain Nerd. These references have likely been posted here before, but are worth repeating, especially, for newer folks. They contain valuable and authoritative, technical information that applies to ALL brands of saw chain. As...

Several people ask how to maintain consistent filing angles, when the chain cutters don’t have ‘witness marks’. Some file holders have these marks. These magnetic angle gides are another way, that has been around for a number of years. Pretty simple: strong magnets, clear lines...

Not a problem if you run just one chain, or one brand of chain, on one or two saws. But if you deal with different brands, with different identification codes; and different chain sizes; or work wih other people’s chains; these help to sort chains out quickly. The Oregon and Husqvarna...

This thread is for members to compare different chain sharpening grinders: - what they like about specfic brands or models; - what they don’t like; - differences between models; - questions for current users; - accessories and modifications; - etc. @Wilhelm can say what he likes about...

I like chain filing vises. They let users sharpen precisely, indoors, without them having to be mounted on the saw. Saw this on a Facebook forum, and sharing it here. Low tech. Easy to make with basic tools. The poster (Paul Codner) directed folks to a YouTube video (by Herrick Kimball)...

Anyone make or use a crooked knife for carving? I see ‘hoof knives’ for sale, for under $20. ‘Crooked knives’ seem to go for $100+ (!). Was thinking of making one out of an old kitchen knife, but would prefer to find a decent, basic one for a reasonable price. Advice and experience welcomed...

Saw this in another forum. Thought other square filing folks might be interested: https://www.printables.com/make/2724457 Philbert

I work with some volunteer groups, where we share PPE, such as helmets. The sweat bands can get gross, even if it’s just your own, but when shared . . . A STIHL dealer quoted me an outrageous price on replacement sweat bands for their helmets. So, I got 5, different types of less expensive...

I have a few of the Remington electric chainsaw / pole saw things. One, I bought on purpose. A few others were just very cheap at garage sales. One, I think, was free, partially, because it was missing the bar oil cap. Anyway, some replacement caps showed up in the mail today, which made it...

I see lots of confused people trying to select their saw chain at home centers, so I really liked this helpful display. Panel #1 has metal slots to ID chain gauge. Panel #2 has raised, plastic, fingers, where they can place a chain to ID pitch. Panel #3 tells them how to count drive...

Anyone have, or use, a Tormek, wet sharpener? Or the JET, or one of the other versions? Interested in your experiences; comparisons between the different makes and models; and which guides are most useful (knives, chisels, plane blades, etc.). Also, any advice on what to watch out for, if...

From Leslie Hill - Team Rubicon Chainsaw Operators (edited for length) For sawyers who stow their scrench in (pack) webbing, here's a simple way to make the attachment a bit more secure. Slice off a 1/4" wide piece of an old wheelbarrow inner tube, and then replicate what you see in the pics...

Interesting idea in PPE: a Class II vest made out of chaps style protective material. Philbert

I am new to Sous Vide cooking, so interested to hear others’ thoughts and experiences with it. I found some comments scattered around in a few different threads, and wanted to pull them into a single thread. I bought an ANOVA Precision Cooker 3.0, 1100 watt, model over the holidays. I...

Got to try on a Festool, 18 volt, exoskeleton today at Acme tools. Perfect for holding the pole saw up high? Fits like a backpack. Adjustable fit and lift assistance. About 15 pounds. $3,500. Philbert

“The Power Tool Institute has released a new video demonstrating how to properly handle a battery that’s in thermal runaway. ‘A lithium-ion battery that is too hot to touch, melting, smoking, or on fire may be in thermal runaway, which can be caused by misusing or abusing the battery, such as...