short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2006-09-03
websurfing
It's been quite a long time since I shared places that I've wandered to and found of interest. My interests, as those who have stopped by before can discern, are wont to go all over, so here are a few sites in no particular order.
environment
• The United Nations Food + Agriculture Ministry's Corporate Document Repository houses FAO documents and publications, as well as selected non-FAO publications, in electronic format. It enables users to easily access the accumulated knowledge and information produced by FAO directly on the Internet. You can get items such as Simple technologies for charcoal making. This may not seem important when out going to buy trinkets at the Mall, but it is more important when considering how those trinkets get produced.
• Vannatta Brothers Logging Links. Some fascinating logging history connections to Northwest North America.
trucks
• Cars.com. I'm in the market for a new pick-up truck and this is a good way to start the search. After reading the come-ons in the local newspaper [you know the ones. The dealer offers a fully loaded 2007 if (1) you qualify for their loan plan, (2) buy it before the end of the day and (3) if the one selected has not already been whisked off the lot before you arrived] I thought it better to get a range of prices online. Already saw one truck I was looking at on a lot for $4,000 less than what the salesman offered, and from the same dealership.
• Billy Joe Jim Bob's Truck and Tractor Links
• Brockway Truck Museum. The first time I'd ever been in a Brockway, it was an ancient beast, run by two bachelor farmers outside of Farmersville Station, NY. They had hired me on to stack hay in their barn. The gears of the truck were stripped and the ride was rough and bumpy but I enjoyed every minute of it.
history + culture
• Winston Churchill. "Democracy is the worstform of government except for all those other forms of governmentthat have been tried from time to time." A brilliant statesman. Dubya should read him.
• The United Nations' Food + Agriculture Ministry World Hunger Map. If you are one of those comfortable discontented sorts who thinks those with the most toys wins at death, here's a hint at what your social obligations are. Part of a larger food security systems link.
• Milford Plaines' African American Holocaust. Not for the faint of heart; important that we never forget that lynchings of mostly innocent black men were conducted as Sunday afternoon entertainments for white folk. With photographs. Found while perusing an exhaustive links list at African Americans.com
hunting
• Game + Fish Magazine getting ready for bow hunting season. No matter how much you practice, you are not completely ready to head afield until you change from practice mode to hunt mode.
• National Wild Turkey Federation. While chaniging from practice to hunt, remember the prey. The site is pleasing to the eye and offers practical tips. Worthy organization as well.
visual arts
• Contemporary Artists' Center, North Adams MA. Stumbled upon after a visit to Mass MoCA
• Real Art Ways. Some of what MASS MoCA offers but in Hartford, and on a much smaller scale.
personal sites
• Wood's Lot. This ever fascinating site crafted by a Canadian thinker and reader, continues to provide consolation for the mind.
• Mosaic Dreams. A "...Southern Catholic midlifer interested in expressing myself through art, music, and technology. I have a wonderfully large Southern family who have the usual problems". Alright, so she also gave a plug to this weblog, I find her perspective fresh and stimulating.
• John Strain's Online Journal. A year later, he provides his thoughts on Katrina's wake across New Orleans.
It's been quite a long time since I shared places that I've wandered to and found of interest. My interests, as those who have stopped by before can discern, are wont to go all over, so here are a few sites in no particular order. environment
• The United Nations Food + Agriculture Ministry's Corporate Document Repository houses FAO documents and publications, as well as selected non-FAO publications, in electronic format. It enables users to easily access the accumulated knowledge and information produced by FAO directly on the Internet. You can get items such as Simple technologies for charcoal making. This may not seem important when out going to buy trinkets at the Mall, but it is more important when considering how those trinkets get produced.
• Vannatta Brothers Logging Links. Some fascinating logging history connections to Northwest North America.
trucks
• Cars.com. I'm in the market for a new pick-up truck and this is a good way to start the search. After reading the come-ons in the local newspaper [you know the ones. The dealer offers a fully loaded 2007 if (1) you qualify for their loan plan, (2) buy it before the end of the day and (3) if the one selected has not already been whisked off the lot before you arrived] I thought it better to get a range of prices online. Already saw one truck I was looking at on a lot for $4,000 less than what the salesman offered, and from the same dealership.• Billy Joe Jim Bob's Truck and Tractor Links
• Brockway Truck Museum. The first time I'd ever been in a Brockway, it was an ancient beast, run by two bachelor farmers outside of Farmersville Station, NY. They had hired me on to stack hay in their barn. The gears of the truck were stripped and the ride was rough and bumpy but I enjoyed every minute of it. history + culture
• Winston Churchill. "Democracy is the worstform of government except for all those other forms of governmentthat have been tried from time to time." A brilliant statesman. Dubya should read him.• The United Nations' Food + Agriculture Ministry World Hunger Map. If you are one of those comfortable discontented sorts who thinks those with the most toys wins at death, here's a hint at what your social obligations are. Part of a larger food security systems link.
• Milford Plaines' African American Holocaust. Not for the faint of heart; important that we never forget that lynchings of mostly innocent black men were conducted as Sunday afternoon entertainments for white folk. With photographs. Found while perusing an exhaustive links list at African Americans.com
hunting
• Game + Fish Magazine getting ready for bow hunting season. No matter how much you practice, you are not completely ready to head afield until you change from practice mode to hunt mode.
• National Wild Turkey Federation. While chaniging from practice to hunt, remember the prey. The site is pleasing to the eye and offers practical tips. Worthy organization as well.
visual arts
• Contemporary Artists' Center, North Adams MA. Stumbled upon after a visit to Mass MoCA
• Real Art Ways. Some of what MASS MoCA offers but in Hartford, and on a much smaller scale.
personal sites
• Wood's Lot. This ever fascinating site crafted by a Canadian thinker and reader, continues to provide consolation for the mind.
• Mosaic Dreams. A "...Southern Catholic midlifer interested in expressing myself through art, music, and technology. I have a wonderfully large Southern family who have the usual problems". Alright, so she also gave a plug to this weblog, I find her perspective fresh and stimulating.
• John Strain's Online Journal. A year later, he provides his thoughts on Katrina's wake across New Orleans.
Labels: documents, forestry, United Nations, weblogs
¶ 15:28 0 comments
2006-09-02
chain saw savvy
Without seeing what has occurred, and without knowing what make of chain saw you own, it may be something as simple as the bolts that hold the guide bar [some folks refer to this as the blade arm] to the saw coming loose. The saw chain should fit into the groove in the middle of the guide bar and shall have notches that fit into the groove. You have to be careful to put the blades to they face
in the proper direction of how the saw cuts [generally clockwise] otherwise you'll have even greater problems that arise.
I have included two pictures, the first shows the saw chain the second the guide bar. The saw side of the chain is at the top of the picture and faces the direction most likely to be on the top of the guide bar when properly attached.
The second picture is the guide bar. There are two holes to the left side of the picture which is where it gets fitted on to two screwbolts. They have to be tightened and the guidebar has to be held taut while tightening them. Wear a pair of thick leather gloves to accomplish this since when pulling the guide arm taut, there is likely to be some contact with the blade.
You ought to be able to find at least some maintenance manuals online through a google search; although many have them available only as pdf format files.
Personally, I own two Stihls [they tend to burn oil but otherwise work
just fine], one Poulan [works nice and clean and a small one can be handy for turning out ice sculptures] and a Sears Cratfsman [My first chainsaw. I'll never do that again. Hard to get parts for if you don't live near 'em and since the only people you can get to maintain them are Sears folks ...breaks the warranty anyway] But my true logger buddies generally swear by the Swedish Husqvarnas as the best that you can get.
Here's a link to one non-pdf site with maintenace tips [no pictures, unfortunately] Well Grounded Grounds page about On Chainsaw Maintenance.
Oregon Chain also has a good guidebook that, while certainly promoting their own products, provides general information that applies to many makes and models, especially for the information you seek.
I don't doubt you may already know this but you may want to locate your closest dealer and get in touch with them for some pointers. Don't worry about asking what you think might be "stupid" questions. I realize that there will be some guys actually stupid enough to give you attitude since a woman may be asking the question, but not all maintenance guys are like that. And the serious chain saw dealers and [more importantly] chain saw USERS take the tool seriously and most of us are not shy about giving pointers to a novice user.
Safety, after all, is more important than attitude.
Here's some other useful sites that offer tips on chain saws
• About's How to fell a tree. This has links to a beginner's book course and other links that can help educate a character about chainsaws and using them.
• The Timber Buyer's Network offers a well written online Chain Saw Basics Course put together by veteran logger Carl Smith.
• Laymar Crafts chainsaw links
• Finally, a connect to sculptor Mike Burns chainsaw collection.
DISCLAIMER: As with anyone else these days, the suggestions offered here are not meant ot be a substitute for actual training. No promise of getting the saw working again is implied or intended. I've also got no idea how much you know about chainsaws so I'm trying to be as basic as possible. Having said that...Someone sent me a question about chain saws. Don't know why they couldn't have gone to any number of commercial sites. Maybe because the writer is a woman and didn't want to deal with attitude from sales clerks at the chain saw retailer. Dunno. Anyway, I wrote her back with the following, plus the pictures included here:
Without seeing what has occurred, and without knowing what make of chain saw you own, it may be something as simple as the bolts that hold the guide bar [some folks refer to this as the blade arm] to the saw coming loose. The saw chain should fit into the groove in the middle of the guide bar and shall have notches that fit into the groove. You have to be careful to put the blades to they face
in the proper direction of how the saw cuts [generally clockwise] otherwise you'll have even greater problems that arise.I have included two pictures, the first shows the saw chain the second the guide bar. The saw side of the chain is at the top of the picture and faces the direction most likely to be on the top of the guide bar when properly attached.
The second picture is the guide bar. There are two holes to the left side of the picture which is where it gets fitted on to two screwbolts. They have to be tightened and the guidebar has to be held taut while tightening them. Wear a pair of thick leather gloves to accomplish this since when pulling the guide arm taut, there is likely to be some contact with the blade.
You ought to be able to find at least some maintenance manuals online through a google search; although many have them available only as pdf format files.
Personally, I own two Stihls [they tend to burn oil but otherwise work
just fine], one Poulan [works nice and clean and a small one can be handy for turning out ice sculptures] and a Sears Cratfsman [My first chainsaw. I'll never do that again. Hard to get parts for if you don't live near 'em and since the only people you can get to maintain them are Sears folks ...breaks the warranty anyway] But my true logger buddies generally swear by the Swedish Husqvarnas as the best that you can get.Here's a link to one non-pdf site with maintenace tips [no pictures, unfortunately] Well Grounded Grounds page about On Chainsaw Maintenance.
Oregon Chain also has a good guidebook that, while certainly promoting their own products, provides general information that applies to many makes and models, especially for the information you seek.
I don't doubt you may already know this but you may want to locate your closest dealer and get in touch with them for some pointers. Don't worry about asking what you think might be "stupid" questions. I realize that there will be some guys actually stupid enough to give you attitude since a woman may be asking the question, but not all maintenance guys are like that. And the serious chain saw dealers and [more importantly] chain saw USERS take the tool seriously and most of us are not shy about giving pointers to a novice user.
Safety, after all, is more important than attitude.
Here's some other useful sites that offer tips on chain saws
• About's How to fell a tree. This has links to a beginner's book course and other links that can help educate a character about chainsaws and using them.
• The Timber Buyer's Network offers a well written online Chain Saw Basics Course put together by veteran logger Carl Smith.
• Laymar Crafts chainsaw links
• Finally, a connect to sculptor Mike Burns chainsaw collection.
Labels: chain saws, firewood, forestry, self-help, tools
¶ 10:02 0 comments
