The simple pleasures

Sometimes the simple things in life are the best things. Or something to that effect (affect? I always choose the wrong one). Aaaanyhoo, Last trip out to Dutch creek, I stopped by the log pile on the way out of the area. There’s big pile of logs and once they are loaded on the big logging trucks, the ends have to be cut off to a certain length. These cutoffs are free for the taking (AFAIK).

So, I tossed about 20 cutoffs into the truck, and headed for home, secure in the knowledge that my chainsaw would suffice to get them into splitable size bits. The cutoffs are about 4 to 6 feet long.
My chainsaw can’t cut butter. I stole it from my dad, but we’ve had it since I was a kid…. Runs great, just can’t cut. I don’t think it was ever sharp! I can recall a few times trying to cut logs with this saw as a kid (teen/young adult I guess…) leaning on it with all my strength, swearing at it, trying to sharpen it, then ending up using a bow saw.

I went to Home Despot and bought the 16″ chain that had my Homelite 245 listed on the back. And lo, it didn’t fit. My old chain is 16″ but has 67 links (a very important thing to know if shopping for chains). The replacement I bought had 54 links. no where near!

I returned it. Then went to Canadian Wheel. I bought a random chain that somehow looked close to what I needed. (it was 18″ and 62 links.) No idea why I thought that would fit…. and it didn’t. suprise!

I resigned myself to sharpening the existing chain, but the teeth were just nubbins, and so badly sharpened in the past that the angles were all wrong. Gee, wonder how that happened. (Apparently there is an art to sharpening chain saw teeth… I have no patience for it) .

One last chance, Wife was going to Rona yesterday. “Check for me please… 16″, 67 link… and bar oil too”, I ask her. Sure enough, the first chain she picks up was the one I needed! And she grabbed the last quart of bar oil. Good Wife.

So I get home, hurridy change in yard clothes and test fit the chain…. like a glove (and not of the O.J. variety). I finish putting the bar and new chain on the saw, adjust the chain tension, top up the gas, and pour in some bar oil.

There is nothing like cutting with a fresh chain. The saw just sliced thru that first cut effortlessly, under it’s own weight, with only gentle guidance from me. All the years of fighting with that POS saw just melted away with that one cut. This saw was now the greatest thing ever. I couldn’t contain my euphoria, a barely audible “woohoo” escaped… Perhaps it was an “Oh, baby…” I can’t recall.

I cut up all the wood I brought home. I tried to tell myself to save a few for later… space out the pleasure… but I couldn’t stop myself. It was just that much fun.