Vintage Craftsman 2.3 16 Chainsaw

So I've been on the lookout for older chainsaws that are 70's and 80's.  The old all metal ones that they "don't make like they the use to" kind of thing.  Now I'm in an area that was never logging so they have not been plentiful.  Either too beat up or someone thinks there worth a lot of money, regardless of condition.  So anyways I finally got a decent one that is the basic hasn't ran in years and just getting rid of it.  It's a Craftsman 2.3.  My research shows it was probably made by Poulan in the early 70s.  It's a 38cc saw with a 14" bar and chain, though the plate says 16, so it's original bar was probably a 16".  But this actually fills a niche for me as I don't have a smaller saw and it is one of those one handers for limbing jobs, etc.  So kind of neat to me. 

So here it is as it came.  Pretty good condition really, just dirty.





drained the awful gas and sprayed out the tank some with carb cleaner.  Did this s few times.  To give an idea how bad it is the filter is stuck to the bottom of the tank.



back to the bench and will start cleaning it out



cleaning up really nice.  I just used some gas and toothbrush and a wipe cloth







carburetor is done.  The diaphragm and fuel pump are toast so I ordered a set to replace it. 








First is running a new fuel line.  Here you can get a sense for the hard curve it has.



The old fuel filter finally released from the tank bottom after having some gas in it for a few days...



Just for my own amusement I wanted to see if I could get this new line routed without having to take the flywheel off.  So I got some 50lb. braided fishing line and a hook and double it up and ran through the old line and pulled it up through that tight curve.

















So I tied off the knot and started trying to coax it through.  I wish I could tell you it worked but the turn was too hard and it wasn't a continuous tube.  One ended and then it had to go into another opening while making that 90 degree turn and up.  It didn't happen and I decided just to see if I could pull it through with force and the knot pulled through the tube.  A better know maybe would have been better.  I do think this idea would work if you have a simpler routing path. 

So had to take the flywheel off.  I used an impact driver for this.





while blowing out the area first I got really lucky as a I forgot to grab the flywheel key before I started blowing.  After I got done I realized it was gone and looked down and it was right by my foot.  That was fortunate cause it's little and could have gone anywhere never to be found..





So routing the line was easy at this point.  Hemostat pliers really make grabbing and pulling on the fuel lines easy. 





Now for the carburetor.  I cleaned it out and then replaced the diaphragm, fuel pump, and gaskets.  All these were old and cracking.







Alright got her all put back together.  Got it fired up and tuned the carb and it's running pretty good.  I took it out by the wood pile to run it through a log.





Not a bad deal for a total cost of about $22

Thanks for looking folks!

Craftsman 25cc Bushwhacker Hedge Trimmer Save!

Well I found this hedge trimmer as a garage sale leftover on craigslist. Story is it hasn't ran in a couple years as the fuel line broke off in the tank and the guy drained the gas and it's just been sitting since. After looking it over pretty good his story checked out so I picked it up for $12. I have been wanting to find a gas one cheap like this so it worked out. I spent $2 on a new spark plug, about $1.50 on fuel lines, and about $3 on a fuel filter. Got it all changed out and tuned the carburetor and it's running really good. So for less than $19 I have a running gas hedge trimmer so that's a good day in my book. Here's a few pics.





Wiped it down with some degreaser and it looks alright






thanks for looking

Sons' first hammer

Well Jack needed a hammer of his own.  He's close to losing dads so I thought it would be fun to make him one and let mine stay where I put it!  HA!  So we found a good oldie and made it happen.  Turned out pretty good.

Vintage Craftsman hammer - $1
New octagonal handle - $3.99





Getting the old handle off, Made Jack do most of the work.  What do you know?  It came with two wedges too!





now we're sanding the lacquer off and taking off the rust while trying to leave the patina, like using sandpaper and water for rust removal.  Keeps the dust down and let's you see your work better









now we're getting it fitted all the way down nice and tight.  Curling all around











we carved his name in and used some coal to fill it in and put some boiled linseed oil on it and she's done!  He likes it!  We'll see if he can hang on to it.  He is pretty proud it's the same size as dads!







thanks for lookin!

Council Tool Velvicut Hudson Bay Belt Hatchet

Hey folks I have another Council Tool Velvicut offering for you to have a look at!  It's the Hudson Bay Belt Hatchet. 



Specs:
Head              1.25lb(5160 Steel, RC 52-56)
Length            14 inches
Edge Length    3.5 inches

First thing to note is this Hudson Bay head is not a smaller version of their 2lb Hudson Bay.  It has had some changes to prevent loosening of the head, which is the most common problem associated with Hudson Bay patterns.  It has a tall eye with interior eye ridges and is hung proud.  I really beat this pretty good by driving into rounds a little bigger than you would use it on and it did not come loose.  I did not soak in linseed oil either, I'm using it in out of the box condition.  It is good practice though to give any axe/hatchet a few coating of linseed oil though.  It will be part of your regular maintenance to maintain it so you might as well start it off right.  This really is a good looking and feeling hatchet.  The handle ergonomics are great all round.  Good weight and feel all over.  Nice end swell to fill your hand and just thick enough towards the head to choke up on and do finer work. 









The sheath has two options to pick from.  You have a full sheath and a mask version.  Both seem very well made and had a nice snug fit to them.  The full sheath has belt loops and a D-ring attachment as well.











Here's a profile look, this was hung very well and was hung straight, metal wedge was set perfectly as well.  Good grain too!



This hatchet did a fine job splitting down kindling.  That is an expected chore of any hatchet and I think anyone will be pleased with it's chopping and splitting performance when using it on wood appropriate for its size.  I really found this hatchet to be a nice carver.  I had been needing get my 5 year old son a smaller paddle for our canoe trips so I thought it would be fun to carve out one with the hatchet. 

Getting started I found about a 5-6" wide branch and sawed it off.  It has a nice curve to it that I incorporated into the handle motion that I think should work nicely for him.



This hatchet has nice bite and it is a high centerline hatchet so it just peels wood naturally in carving















getting closer















here's that curve I am working into the shape







This is pretty close for the rough out.  I'll need to thin the paddle a little more and then refine it a bit with a draw knife and I plan to round the end of the handle.  But it's coming a long.  This was probably done in about 30-40 minutes or so.









I think this hatchet would be a great option for anyone wanting that light weight packable option.  I myself prefer a smaller hatchet in my hunting pack just to cut the weight down but still have a formidable tool in the bag when needed.  Most backpackers would appreciate its size and weight as well.  It should be comfortable for new comers to the axe/hatchet market and a very non-intimidating option.  This hatchet's quality is top notch.  I like the deep stamping of the makers mark and USA on each side.  This is heirloom quality and would be an awesome first axe.  I think it would be cool to see the BSA start using a high quality USA made hatchet like this again.  This size is pretty much the same as the old high quality offerings they would use.  Those are still around and have been passed down and this could be as well.  If you find yourself in the market for a hatchet of this size it would be a terrific choice. 

Pricing from Council Tool's website at this time is:

$107.05 with the mask cover
$119.52 with the full sheath

Thanks for looking and I will do my best to answer questions!