chainsaw carving....

I am currently building a Husky 353 saw with a 12" carving bar to try carving some stuff.
The saw was a burned up junker and the bar was wrecked, so my chainsaw guy is procuring all the necessary parts to rebuild it for a great price (I just have to do the assembly).

Just got the bar & sprocket etc in the mail today. Uses a dime tip and a narrow chain. Crazy looking little thing compared to a standard bar.

Anyone out there dabble in this kind of carving?
 I've done some rough tikis and such with a standard saw, but this will be my first time using an actual "carving" setup.
Any tips, advice would be appreciated.

My advice is make sure you have 2 arms, 2 legs, 10 fingers and 10 toes at the end of the day.  Everything else will grow back with time

Cool Sean! That's pretty exciting. I can totally see you carving up th'doon! What kind of wood is ideal?

Have you checked out this sight for parts bars and chains.
http://www.baileysonline.com/Chainsaws/Chainsaws/

My advice is make sure you have 2 arms, 2 legs, 10 fingers and 10 toes at the end of the day.  Everything else will grow back with time

Yeah, I'm set with the chaps, boots, gloves, helmet & carhartts. I'll be using the 460 for the rough cuts and then the 353 for the detail work. Just gotta learn what the new tool can do

Cool Sean! That's pretty exciting. I can totally see you carving up th'doon! What kind of wood is ideal?

I'm going to start with some pine or cedar, softwoods should be easier to carve I think. I have a chunk of madrone but it is very seasoned and would probably dull the saw chain in seconds so it will wait for a while.
I may start with just texturing some planks and slabs for relief work....Not sure yet.
Stay tuned

Have you checked out this sight for parts bars and chains.
http://www.baileysonline.com/Chainsaws/Chainsaws/

Yep, I get my saw parts & such from baileys. One day shipping time from their warehouse. My saw guru also uses them for new stuff. Getting their catalog is like getting a cabela's catalog

I have a friend who got into it for fun.
He did some amazing pieces.
I emailed him in hopes he will send me a few pics so I can post.
One of my favorite was a 6 or 7 foot rainbow trout.
A good angle grinder was a critical part of the work too. So was a Dremel for the intricate work (eyes, fins etc.)

I have a friend who got into it for fun.
He did some amazing pieces.
I emailed him in hopes he will send me a few pics so I can post.
One of my favorite was a 6 or 7 foot rainbow trout.
A good angle grinder was a critical part of the work too. So was a Dremel for the intricate work (eyes, fins etc.)

Yep, looks like an angle grinder is the next tool purchase I should have one for other stuff anyway.
I've got a good Dremel setup, and put the old Husky 353 together yesterday. My saw guru put a new motor & cover plate on it, and left the internals stock for a more subtle powerband. The poor saw had been pretty beat on, and the stock bar & chain were trashed.
I put a 12" Cannon dime tip bar on it with a .250 chain, and I think it will be a nice companion to the bigger 460 saw. Due to the rain 7 a couple of beers I did not test out the carving setup yet, but I'll have it out on the next dry weekend to see what it can do.

I have found angle grinders to be a VERY useful tool for various carving & shaping applications.  When combined with the right disc, the uses are plentiful.  I believe I have even seen a disc that has chainsaw teeth on the perimeter for just this type of application.  I highly suggest keeping the disc guard on it   I say this from personal experience with grinding discs & a 4-1/2" grinder.  I have also found that an angle grinder is an angle grinder.  Assige from what feels best "in-hand" and possibly the shaft diameter vs. the discs you plan on useing, the cheap ones die just as fast as the expensive ones.  I have a drawer full of dead makitas & a few Chicago(Harbor Freight specials) & Hitachi (love this one) that are still going strong.

As far as the angle grinders go the 4 1/2" size is very affordable. Hitachi, makita, dewalt, are all decent grinders. The metabo is a better tool but costs twice as much also.

I would recomend the Arbortek for use with the grinder. It has three carbide cups and is much more versatile and controlled than the Lancelot with the chainsaw chain. It also will hold an edge way longer in dense/dry material.

Hard to do much with the gaurd attached but probably good to start with it on untill you get the feel of it. Just hang on tight and don't let go!

-Eliot

Here's a couple pics I told you about.

Wow, that is a really cool piece! Thanks for the inspiration there Tote.

Maybe I'll try a rockfish like that. It is similar to some design sketches I had for a slightly different project, but I can now see it may morph into something along these lines. I've got plenty of redwood branches for the spines

Might have to change your screen name! "Rough Cut" Now that is a screen name!

 

  Wow, that's a cool trout carving! There's some talent there!