Chain Saw Tune-Up

by "functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
Published 03/21/2017 at 21:53

Tags: chain saw-lopnik
STARS: 2

My saw needed a tune-up. Not the engine so much, but the moving parts - there aren’t very many, so this is little more than a chain swap. Tools required? Strictly speaking, only one: the Chain Saw Tool: a flat-blade screwdriver with opposing sockets for a handle - one for the chain cover and one for the spark plug (which I’m not changing). You can carry this tool, a spare chain, and spare plug, all easily in your pocket when you’re out in the woods with this little beast.

Since I was in my basement and not the woods, I used a few other tools to help in the cleaning process. A wire brush, an old toothbrush, a long, thin flat screwdriver.

The machine? An early 70's Jonsereds 52e, 49cc little gem of a saw, made from 1971 to 1982. This thing isn’t much heavier than a modern saw, and yet has almost no plastic parts. So it just keeps working. I take pretty good care of it, I don’t use it that often, and the only time it let me down was when - you guessed it - a plastic part failed.

I’ve changed a chain so many times on various saws, it’s too easy not to do it when you ding a rock or something and your saw starts pulling to one side, or making teeny sawdust and taking forever to get through a cut. I have four chains for this, so I keep swapping them out until I have three that need sharpening. Yeah, you can sharpen in the field, or on a bench if you want. But my local hardware store does it beautifully for about $5/chain.

You can see that you would have to be totally blind not to clean this thing out when you take off the chain cover to swap out a chain. Perfection is NOT the name of the game here; getting 95% of the junk out will do just fine.

Yay, moving parts are free to move again! Don’t forget to lube the tip:

I’ve had the same bar for 10 years and I’m only on my second Push ‘n Lube. Five bucks and a few seconds every fuel up well spent.

Now onto the “new” chain:

Oddly, these things can be a little annoying to untangle because, duh, they’re SHARP.

Take a second to make sure it’s on the right way. On this saw at least, it will go on backwards just fine. You find out when you try to cut with your shiny new chain, and it just grinds into the wood... oops. No harm just annoying.

Yikes, too loose!

This is one of those classic “by feel” things like belt tension on an older car. You should be able to pull the teeth of the chain clear of the bar but only with a “reasonable effort” and it should certainly rest with no clearance.

Snapped back when I let it go? Perfect! Tighten the chain cover nuts and ship it. Ready to cut a few hundred more crappy little tree-poles that are blocking the mountain view from my favorite spot on the deck.

See all those little jerks at the bottom of the frame? That picture was taken from the second floor of my house. When you’re down on the lawn, some of them are high enough to cross the horizon from your view point. At that time, a tree’s fate is sealed. Thou shalt not cross my horizon. It’s a never-ending battle, but at least as I cut them I’m thinning the horrendously dense clumps of trees that grew up after an early 80's clearcut. I leave a few of the nicest trees, so the regrowth should be healthier and not as stupidly tall. I seriously have 50-60 foot tall trees with almost no branches.

Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy seeing an old machine being used and cared for. Now it’s bedtime, my back is sore from chainsawing.

Replies (9)

"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
03/21/2017 at 22:04, STARS: 1

Those old Jonsered and Homelite saws from the this era are absolute beasts of saws.

"vicali" (vicali)
03/21/2017 at 22:09, STARS: 2

Nice, the old stuff just works and works..

Be safe.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/21/2017 at 22:25, STARS: 0

Yep on both counts. My wife doesn’t like chainsaws. I think if I got some minor injury even walking in the woods with a saw not running she’d still hesitate to let me keep using it. I am quite safe with one though. You should see me aim a tree into a drop area! But seriously...

"vicali" (vicali)
03/21/2017 at 23:28, STARS: 1

I’ve lost an uncle to a saw, and known a few others who have been hurt pretty bad, they don’t fool around.. I use them when I have to but pretty religious with the PPE.

"Birddog" (maintmgt)
03/22/2017 at 02:31, STARS: 1

That thing has seen some action for certain!

I love those “grandpaw” saws. The Poulan I picked up at Menards died after 2 years even with meticulous maintenance. My neighbor’s 1970s Homelite? The thing fell in a lake and was ready for more after drying out.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/22/2017 at 07:36, STARS: 0

This thing was my father’s before it was mine, he gave it to me when he got a new, lighter one. I think I got the better deal!

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/22/2017 at 09:22, STARS: 0

Part of the reason I try to do more cutting in spring and fall is that it’s colder, so I don’t absolutely sweat to death in my kevlar chaps. I still sweat in my gear even at 30 degrees, but I’m less likely to want to go without. I also try to wear a heavy jacket or at least sweatshirt; gloves, and of course the helmet with face shield. I did some cutting mid-summer last year dressed like that and I could do about 1/2 hour at a time.

I think I’m actually more afraid of my steel-bladed brush cutter. Something about a 10k RPM blade on the end of a pole somehow is worse to me. Of course, small brush isn’t going to hurt me while clearly trees pose a danger of their own, aside from the saw.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/22/2017 at 09:26, STARS: 1

My father put this saw to a lot of good use before he finally got a newer, lighter one and gave me this one. It’s a veteran, but it works great.

I’m afraid that one day it will be disabled by some cheesy little part that I can’t get anymore. When the cooling fan broke a few years ago I was lucky to find a local small engine shop that had one around for parts. But that could have been it! 3D printer to the rescue maybe?

"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
03/22/2017 at 11:19, STARS: 0

A plethora of spares would probably the best bet. If you’re not already aware, Husqvarna owns Jonsered, so their dealers would be likely place to get any parts.