Mother's Cordwood Cutoff Saw
(Page 2 of 3)
May/June 1982
By the Mother Earth News editors
We also did a bit of scrounging when putting together the length stop. A section of 1-1/4" box tubing (left over from the welding table described on page 130) made an excellent sleeve for a longer piece of 3/4" Schedule 40 pipe. But as it happens, the 3/4" material will also slide snugly inside a 1" Schedule 40 pipe. Whichever you decide to use, do be sure to include the bent 3/8" X 3-1/2" carriage bolt that serves as a setscrew.
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There's a temptation to employ the length stop's make-do bushing arrangement when assembling the saw's pivot . . . but after trying that approach, as well as the pillow-block setup shown in the illustrations, we opted for the latter. The ball bearings help the saw to move smoothly through its arc and keep the blade rigidly square to the log.
Of course, when you first bolt your saw's handle to the pivot arm assembly, you may find that the bar isn't vertically square to the table. In order to get our Stihl 048 running perfectly true, we sandwiched a 3/16" X 3" X 12" piece of steel between the pivot arm and the handle (both to provide extra rigidity and to compensate for irregularities on the saw's underside) and then shimmed the pillow blocks as needed.
STAFF PHOTOS
Finally, it might also be tempting to dispense with our cable-and-pulley counter-weighting system. The arrangement does, however, have several important functions. First, it insures that the chain saw will remain in whatever attitude you set it. Thus, you can raise the tool and leave it up for log loading (please see the following notes on safety before attempting this procedure). Furthermore, the counterbalancing prevents the saw's weight from carrying it down into the wood . . . instead, you control the speed of the cut by applying pressure to the handle.
OPERATING THE CUTOFF SAW . . . SAFELY
Several of the features incorporated in our table's design are specifically intended to increase operator safety. Because the saw pivots from the handle (rather than from the bar tip, as is the case on some otherwise similar units we've seen), wood chips are thrown at the ground rather than into the user's face. Also, in the event of a chain failure, the cutting links would be directed away from the operator's body.
In addition, the direction of chain travel pulls the wood in against the backboard . . . to prevent skipping and lessen vibration. Still, it's a good idea to have an assistant brace the far end of the log (as shown in the accompanying photos) to prevent it from twisting.
