What was your most interesting recent non solar project?

[robbob2112]

STIHL make 2 types of hardened chain, the PD3 which costs 3x that of a standard chain. These are being pushed hard by the dealers because of increased profits, but more importantly they can only be sharpend with a grinder with a diamond wheel - good money for the shops at 8–10 euros a go. They were originally designed for use in forestry for dirty, burnt or sandy timber near the coast but didn't really catch on. The second type as mentioned by Ken is the RDR for rescue saws, only available with the narrow 1.3mm drive link & in 72DL for a 20" bar. This is standard on the Stihl rescue saw a 462 with some add ons . Here, a 72DL micro or super chain costs the equivalent of about 35 USD. The RDR costs 480.
They won't cut concrete but will handle sheet metal & nails in wood. We have one at the fire station (Im a volunteer - full disclosure, ive never been to a fire, I live too far out, so I'm strictly B team) & the lads will smash the roofing tiles with a hammer before using the saw, I think its only been used 2 or 3 times. I use Micro chain for dirty timber & on stumps I just use old chains that are filed down to the wear mark & if they bet damaged I chuck em.

One point, a sharpener with a diamond wheel is only about $30usd here at harbor freight..... I have one and have used it to sharpen chains at least 100 time, but probably more than that.... I have 10 chains for my saw and two nails... one for sharp andone for dull... when dull gets full I do them all at once... take around 5 minutes a chain

 

[Crowz]

One point, a sharpener with a diamond wheel is only about $30usd here at harbor freight..... I have one and have used it to sharpen chains at least 100 time, but probably more than that.... I have 10 chains for my saw and two nails... one for sharp andone for dull... when dull gets full I do them all at once... take around 5 minutes a chain

Flat out fan of oregon saws with the built in sharpner (pull the tab and sparks fly). Their chains are designed to work with it.

 

[Chispas]

One point, a sharpener with a diamond wheel is only about $30usd here at harbor freight

Is that one of those little hand held 12V ones with a cylindrical stone ? or a bigger grinding wheel one ? If it works for you, happy days but some of them are terrible. I would go at least for an Oregon, from about 200 euros.

 

[green mountain boys]

I have found a "sharp" chain saw chain is a relative term. What one person calls a sharp chain saw chain another will call dull. Ask yourself, do I look forward to putting on that brand new chain because the old chain, you have filed many times, just never cuts as good as a new chain. OR are you the guy who will put on a brand new chain and immediately sharpen it by hand because after you sharpen the brand new chain it cuts MUCH better?

The fastest a chain will ever cut should be the last time you sharpen it, just before you throw it away.

I once spent a day with a guy who competes in the professional chain saw racing circuit. One of the many questions I asked him was, how long do you spend sharpening a chain for competition? He said about 40 hours just to touch up a chain for competition.

 

[455dan]

I have found a "sharp" chain saw chain is a relative term. What one person calls a sharp chain saw chain another will call dull. Ask yourself, do I look forward to putting on that brand new chain because the old chain, you have filed many times, just never cuts as good as a new chain. OR are you the guy who will put on a brand new chain and immediately sharpen it by hand because after you sharpen the brand new chain it cuts MUCH better?

The fastest a chain will ever cut should be the last time you sharpen it, just before you throw it away.

I once spent a day with a guy who competes in the professional chain saw racing circuit. One of the many questions I asked him was, how long do you spend sharpening a chain for competition? He said about 40 hours just to touch up a chain for competition.

Old chains some people sharpen and do nothing with the rakers, cutter sharpness can't do much if it can't bite into the wood. I sometimes take the rakers down a bit even on a new chain.
Don't like seeing a cut take forever and "Sawdust" as what should actually be good sized ejected chips. Almost funny watching some youtube vids using a chainsaw to create wood dust.

 

[skyking1]

I worked in the woods back in 1980, and still have the two Stihl saws from that era. My habit is ti hit the rakers every other sharpen with an 8" mill bastard file about 5 licks each. My big saw is an 045 Super II and it does not rev up as high as the 041AV, and if you get the rakers down it growls nice and covers you boots with big chips.

 

[Chispas]

The fastest a chain will ever cut should be the last time you sharpen it, just before you throw it away

+1. Show me your chips & I'll tell you how sharp your chain is. Or maybe not ? 10 degree top plate angle for milling.a lot of great content has been created on YouTube about sharpening bu a good 80 to 90% is B.S.

 

[robbob2112]

Is that one of those little hand held 12V ones with a cylindrical stone ? or a bigger grinding wheel one ? If it works for you, happy days but some of them are terrible. I would go at least for an Oregon, from about 200 euros.

4 inch diamond wheel and the base mounts to a bench to hold the chain guide.... then do half the teeth, reverse and do the rest...

 

[NC_hydro]

4 inch diamond wheel and the base mounts to a bench to hold the chain guide.... then do half the teeth, reverse and do the rest...

Yeah dad has one of those. They make chain sharpening a dream

 

[skyking1]

I had those little grandberg round stone grinders 12V. We never got to a bench sharpener.

 

[PreppenWolf]

Re-decking the work trailer this week.

 

[Crowz]

Re-decking the work trailer this week.

View attachment 310157

I inherited a mower trailer after my stepdad passed and I need to recover it soon. The wood rotted out. Then I need to get a local sawmill to cut some boards to redo my dozer trailer one day. Soo many projects so little time.

 

[wpns]

So of course the sound is set to 'cashregister'. Shelly Pro3EM plus mods to my older Shelly code.

 

[skyking1]

My wife and I will hang so much laundry we like how it does not wear the clothes out as much as the dryer. and that cha-ching thing as well
I re-decked the work trailers when I came back to this employer in 2020, using apitong. That wood is the trailer decking bomb-diddy.

See though 15 year old oak on the right, apitong on the left, and treated on the far left. I took any hooks out of the rough apitong with the Bailey #8 plane.

 

[teal95]

Turning pretzels from lumber yard into a deck.

Buying lumber from Menards?

I really like them but their lumber is horrible.

 

[teal95]

I missed out getting a pristine asteroids cabinet by 20 minutes one time at the habitat restore… I stopped for lunch first, THEN went to the store… if only…

I do have dozens of 80s and 90s consoles and computers I try to restore… my Amiga 3000 works great… still working on my 1200’s and 4000…

Need to break out the Commodore 64 and Amigas (600 and 1000), then figure out what to use for a monitor.

 

[skyking1]

the trucks and trailers looked rough and there was not a lot of jobs going on when I came back, so I freshened up everything.
The 2006 tool truck was all rusty nasty and nobody had polished the boxes, so I ground out and treated rust and put a fresh coat of white on it.




I got matching automotive paints and shot that 14k trailer too.


New tracks and rails and spockets for the 120.

 

[skyking1]

The metallic silver bed paint was a trick to do. First attempt it put so much over spray on those slanting surfaces, I came up with a plan. I started at the top and shot the underside and flat sides, then peeled the slant and shot it and worked my way down. That did the trick for this talentless painter.




I freshened up the black pump box and the white wheels, and the sides of the 20 ton tilt. Here it is picking up the brand new 2020 35G at the dealer.


It's all looking a bit nasty again 5 years later. I will freshen it up as I hand off the keys to the next guy. I still have enough of the paints.

 

[skyking1]

When I picked the big excavator up where it was left, I heard about it tossing a track twice and somebody getting hurt putting it back on. I took one look and told the boss it needed new tracks, period. They were slinkys.
I got ITR imports from the JD dealer, rails with new pads mounted and about half the bottom rollers, and new sprockets.
I did them myself one track a day, using my little tracked prybar as helper.



16 pound close quarters sprocket knocker, my Mjolnir. It rides in the excavator toolbox.



That's what shot pins and bushings look like. The pads were serviceable, but you can never get them to stay on the new rails worth a crap so I got factory mounted pads.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Re-decking the work trailer this week.

View attachment 310157

Wood or diamond plate?

 

[Nobodybusiness]

That's what shot pins and bushings look like. The pads were serviceable, but you can never get them to stay on the new rails worth a crap so I got factory mounted pads.

Can you replace the pins? Is it worth it?
Pads look good..

 

[SparkyJJO]

Dang it I'm at it again this week with another leaking window. Working on it in 90 degree heat in the direct sun a lot of the time sucks. Ran 1 piece of siding short tonight so tomorrow I'll tack the ladt piece on that a neighbor is giving me.

 

[skyking1]

EDIT: @Nobodybusiness
No. that whole trailer load of rail and pad and sprocket and some rollers was $6300
There is no money in there for that.
It is pins and bushings, you would need to take those pads off so now a new set of pad bolts. It would be backwards.

 

[Supervstech]

Need to break out the Commodore 64 and Amigas (600 and 1000), then figure out what to use for a monitor.

I hope you have recapped the 600, mine have lost the ide connector due to cap leakage…

 

[teal95]

I haven't opened the box in many years.