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#Post#: 49587--------------------------------------------------
Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
By: 660magnum Date: November 21, 2014, 11:51 pm
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Plunge Type Bow Bars are generally the thin loop type bars you
sometimes see on old chainsaws.
They were more common in the 1950's-60's commercial pulp wood
areas of the USA and more specifically in the loblolly pine
"tree farm" areas. For a complete description of the species . .
.
(HTM) http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/pinus/taeda.htm<br
/> with a 21-29 yr harvest turn around.
They were well suited to "Bucking" a under 20" DBH tree trunk
laying out across the ground particularly the tall thin loblolly
pines with just a few limbs at the very top. The trunks were cut
up into somewhere around 8' lengths down to 3" diameter without
the bark. So there was more bucking than with lumber but less
than firewood.
www.fs.fed.us/pnw/olympia/silv/publications/opt/6_WorthingtonTwe
rdal1950.pdf
Though the bow bar is not considered at it's best as a felling
device, they weren't difficult to use to fell the small loblolly
pines.
These "tree farm" pines were cut at a smaller size as their most
dynamic period of growth was in the early years.
One big aspect of the bar was that the work could be done from
the standing position.
When bucking wood on the ground, a bow bar doesn't get pinched
by the cut closing up like a regular chainsaw bar does.
Another aspect was that the weight of the chainsaw was used to
advantage to help the bar through the wood for the saw was
typically used vertically above the wood with the bar down
against the wood.
This type of wood production is rarely seen now days for these
trees are now cut with a harvester that cuts the tree off the
stump, strips the limbs and loads the whole tree on a trailer.
The tree is taken to a saw mill where it will yield a couple 2 X
4's and the remainder is chipped before being sent to the paper
or OSB plywood mill. The lumber yield is typically used in the
"treated" lumber trade.
In the uploaded picture is a old rusty Mac 650 with a bow bar.
The picture is from Ebay. This example was from more towards the
end of the bow bar era. The chain would be your typical 3/8"
much like today and was commonly .50" gauge. This bar would
measure 20" from the front of the slot to the outside of a chain
tooth on the front of the bar. Cross ways, to measure in front
of the stop or dawg to the other side of the bar is 14" chain
tooth outside to chain tooth outside. It takes a 4 cube saw!
Upon close scrutiny of the rusty bar, you will take notice of a
shiny rim along the whole front edge of the bar that is not
rusty. This is a Stellite hard face of a hard cobalt/chrome and
other alloy metal that was applied to the front edge of the bar
for wear resistance. If you are buying a bar, you want to look
for this "hard face" and make sure it is not worn away. This
hard face can be rebuilt. It is typically done with a welding
rod but has to be finished by grinding. The most worn area would
likely be nearer the "Stop" or "Spur"?
Now that you have read this, enlarge the picture so you can see
what I was talking about.
#Post#: 49588--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars
By: 660magnum Date: November 22, 2014, 12:11 am
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Watch the technique in the 2nd video. How he starts the cut,
then lets the spur or spike slip down low on the log, then he
rotates the saw over the top. Later on, ignore him running the
chain in the dirt on every cut. The yellowish orange and
greenish saws are beasts. The yellowish orange saw is a Poulan
Pro 655 reed valve chainsaw that is made by Poineer/Partner as a
P65 98cc 1988. The greenish Poulan is a Countervibe 4400 70cc
mid 80's reed valve engine. They both have the same size bar 14"
X 20". They cut real good.
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLy5USqXXjE
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf-XSqHz148
This next one is more of a parody on how not to use a bow. You
are to use the end . . .
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l_6rwbTkyw
Stink Bait and Dean after they get the old Poulan going about
halfway into the video . . .
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNQew7hSps0
Brad Snelling
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzHFSgT5rio
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4GmuWzlkf4
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUmA12ApozE
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G80EXLg7DtE
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocxHS6BxFAk
#Post#: 49589--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars
By: 660magnum Date: November 22, 2014, 1:15 am
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A little clearing/brush bow on a SD25.
A setup using the clearing/brush plunge type bow bar and under
50cc power head is a common sight at a Christmas tree farm over
much of the USA and Canada. The Christmas tree is small and the
typical felling operation is to reach under the limbs with the
20" long bar and make a single plunge cut. Ideal for a small bow
type bar. These bars are often 20" long but are only some 8"
across the radius on the front where the cutting is done. You
can run either .325" or 3/8" chain on the bar as there is no
nose sprocket tooth pitch to worry about. They might be .050"
or .058 gauge depending on what area of the country they are
from.
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QfZwLM0reQ
#Post#: 49590--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars
By: 660magnum Date: November 22, 2014, 1:56 am
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To give you and idea of how the bow bars are made . . . .
The first picture is of a rim part of a bow blade. This
particular example the guy is trying to sell on Ebay without the
saw adapter. He says he has the adapter but doesn't present it
or tell which saw it is for. You can see where the adapter for
the saw bolts on. But most of the newer bars are made from this
rim with a piece of 1/4" steel plate welded at the throat to
adapt the bar to the mount on the chainsaw. The bars as shown in
picture #1 were used on some of the old Homelite gear drive
chainsaws and there was a clamp mechanism on the saw that held
these bars in place. When you removed the bar, all you had was
what is in the picture, the attachment mechanism stayed on the
Homelite.
The 2nd picture is of a complete bar and if you enlarge and look
closely you can see where the saw adapter was welded in and the
slot and hole for the tensioner are. There's typically a oil
hole and there is a drilled hole down through from the slot of
the bar to the oil hole. With the picture enlarged you can see
the hard facing on this bar also. I count 85 driver links.
I'm telling you this as there are bars that come up on Ebay all
the time for old chainsaws. Many of these have never been used.
I have one like this that was for a Mac and you can see where
someone welded up the holes and reworked the slot and holes for
a D009 big Husky mount.
#Post#: 49591--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars Good For Firewood?
By: 660magnum Date: November 22, 2014, 2:24 am
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If you need reworking done and are looking for a repair source .
. . .
(HTM) http://chainsawrepair.createaforum.com/husqvarna/bow-repair/msg28187/#msg28187
(HTM) http://chainsawrepair.createaforum.com/used-chainsaw-parts-online/new-bow-or-specialty-bars-or-bar-repair/msg10280/#msg10280
#Post#: 49592--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars Good For Firewood?
By: 660magnum Date: November 22, 2014, 3:56 am
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Felling a 14" DBH diseased tree with a bow saw.
(HTM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS1CYN6K72s
#Post#: 49593--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars Good For Firewood?
By: snoozeys Date: November 22, 2014, 4:21 am
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Wonder what is involved in adapting a bar saw to run as a bow
saw
#Post#: 49594--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars Good For Firewood?
By: 660magnum Date: November 22, 2014, 5:57 am
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The things that usually happen is first that the bow bars that
are 14" high across the front need a 60cc chainsaw or larger.
I don't know of any new bars being made except the little 8"
high brush clearing bars used on the smaller saws?
So most of the available bars were originally made for the
McCulluch, Homelite, and Poulan saws. If your chainsaw is
different from this, you will likely have to change the old bar
or get one that someone else changed? These old bars are still
out there that were never used.
You will have to get a chain made up or make it yourself for the
bar as it is unusual for one to be 84 DL.
More typical than not, the top front of your clutch cover will
have to have a notch cut into it to clear the bar.
These bars are what is called hard nosed bars and there are no
sprockets in them. So the chain will need to be run a little
loose and your oiler will have to work well.
This is Just South of Chesterfield, VA.
[URL=
(HTM) http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jamesirl/media/Bow%20Poulan%204000.jpg.html][img<br
/>width=600
height=450]
(HTM) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/jamesirl/Bow%20Poulan%204000.jpg[/img][/URL]
#Post#: 49595--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars Good For Firewood?
By: 660magnum Date: November 22, 2014, 6:07 am
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These bow bars that are all rebuilt or unused and set up for
your late model chainsaw will likely cost more than $100 dollars
without the chain. I saw some for $225.
The $60 bar will likely need some work?
The bars have different groove widths. They are .050", .058", or
.063". You will need the correct gauge chain for your bar.
The only correlation of the clutch sprocket with respect to the
bow type bar is that the pitch of the sprocket must match the
pitch of your chain. In other words if you are running regular
3/8" pitch chain, your sprocket or rim on your clutch must also
be 3/8".
The guards in the picture are made of 16 gauge aluminum and are
painted silver for some unknown reason? They come in different
gauge thicknesses and are manufactured as an extruded 10' or 20'
length of aluminum that is cut off to the proper length.
#Post#: 49642--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bow Bars Good For Firewood?
By: 3000 FPS Date: November 22, 2014, 8:23 pm
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Good thread on bow saws. I have always wanted at least one bow
saw but have not found one yet at a reasonable price.
Some good information and you never know I might find one yet.
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