NEW WIRE-SAW

[islandpiper]

I have been looking at the coiled up wire saws in the camping depts of some stores and bought one today. Not too expensive really, just a spring steel wire with a spiral groove cut into it. So, at home i thought I'd try it on a downed branch in the yard. Slung it under and off to the races....back and forth with my fingers hooked in the rings at each end. Fine sawdust drifted down from the cut. Zowie!! Then, the wire got really good and hot. And then it snapped. And the remaining spring temper in the wire let it curl back into it's original shape. One broken end flew back at lightning speed and buried itself in my left index finger....deeply. The up side to this is that the dang thing was so freaking hot that it cauterized the wound on the way in, virtually eliminating any bleeding.

Talk about HURT!! My finger hurt...my hand hurt, all the way to my wrist! Must have been the hydrostatic shock when it hit me. It felt about like slamming my hand in a tailgate ( and don't ask how i know that). I had to go into the house and sit down, where my big Siamese cat joined me and emitted sleeping-rays at me till i dropped off into a Monday afternoon nap.

Advice? stay away from these wire saws. That is, unless there's somebody you don't like having a birthday and you feel obligated to buy them something.

piper

 

[Wannabe]

Piper,
I am deeply sorry for your wasted funds, disapointment in your purchace, and the resulting pain. Fortunately it did make for a very interesting story. :mrgreen: And I will take your advice. Thanks.
Bob

 

[Kayak Jack]

Wire saws, like wine, come in variations of quality. I have a couple that have worked a few times. (Brand names are no longer o them, sorry.) Easier on the hands if you put a rope loop in those steel rings, and loop them over your wrist or hand.

BEST saws I find for camp work, are the folding pruning saw. The handle has a slot full length, and the blade folds back into the handle.

 

[islandpiper]

I need to cut a branch off my pecan tree, about 25 feet in the air. Being a tight-wad i'm having trouble making myself call the tree guy. piper

 

[oldsparkey]

On some of the survival shows they tried to use the saw like you purchased. Every time it broke when being used. The one that I remembered was with Les Stroud ( survivor-man ) and I think they had to edit that section when it broke on him , judging from the look on his face. :lol:

 

[mike]

i bought one for the same reason, Keith. It heated up and broke before finishing the first cut which was only 2"-3". Junk, I say.

Mike

 

[bcwetcoast]

I need to cut a branch off my pecan tree, about 25 feet in the air. Being a tight-wad i'm having trouble making myself call the tree guy. piper

As a tree guy, please call a pro. Geezers don't bounce like they used to when they fall.

Just a hint, if the guy you call advertises that he will top your tree, then he isn't a pro and should be avoided.

 

[catfish]

glad someone feild tested it but piper sorry it had to be you. :lol: :roll: i have always wondered about one of them now i know.

 

[gbinga]

I have a saw in an emergency kit that is basically like a section of chain saw chain with a length of cord on each end and a wood handle at the end of each cord. I remember packing it away years ago but honestly don't remember if I ever tried it .

It would be easy enough to make such a thing out of an old chain saw chain... the question is whether it would work well enough to be worth having.

I'll see if I can find it and try it.

George

 

[Kayak Jack]

If you make a hand powered chain saw from a partial chain from a real chain saw. you will probably want to resharpen it down to where the rakers have very little clearance. As I remember, high speed chains (not geared down like 3:1) had 0.030" to 0.035" clearances below the line of the cutting teeth. Powering by hand would not be able to pull that through. I don't know what setting to have, but would start out with something very small, say, 0.002". And then lower the rakers if you feel OK with it. It's cheaper to lower rakers to add clearance, than to have to sharpen teeth away to reduce excess clearance.

There appears to be large differences in wire saws. I have one that is purported to be the kind carried by Navy SEALS, and it seems pretty darned robust in use.

 

[islandpiper]

I have thought about just taking a Navy Seal along. He could probably swim faster than I paddle, so if he knew where we were going he could have camp all set up when we get there, kill a gator and have the gator steaks cooking. If he wanted to bring a wire saw that would be OK, but I think, based on all the press reports most any Seal can just bite off trees up to about six inches in diameter.

piper

 

[Kayak Jack]

Whatever this fellow is drinking, I'll have a double!

 

[john the pom]

Don't s'pose anyone over there has ever thought of training one of them beavers to take care of all your woody issues. I might have to come over to Merica and train some of your local beavers. I have a reputation as something of a beaver whisperer. As a starting out point if you try beaver whispering and get an echo, try another beaver.
8)
Cheers John.
Wonders if this will be a short lived wooden post..

 

[Kayak Jack]

<SNIP> As a starting out point if you try beaver whispering and get an echo, try another beaver. <SNIP>

Yodeling up the canyon, are you?

 

[catfish]

i was in wally world the other day and guess what i seen. it was someone new wire saw? i will plead the 5th on this name withheld to protect the inocense.i just couldn,t keep from thing of them and their first feild test. :wink: :lol: :mrgreen:

 

[john the pom]

Jus came across this and thought it might be the sort of thing that belonged in this ancient topic
http://www.fusiongear.com.au/pocket-cha ... p-317.html
Bloke on a local fishing site swears by them
Cheers John.

 

[mike]

Thanks, John. I just ordered one.

Mike

 

[Kayak Jack]

These look like a good piece of equipment. Sharpening any saw is critical. If you look in the photos, it appears the very tips of each tooth is dull and rounded. To cut well, they will have to be filed to a very, sharp point, and kept that way. Rounded tips will tend to slide along the wood rather than gouging it out.

Many camp stores and hardwares sell folding pruning saws. These have a blade of 10"-12", handle of wood or plastic, blade folds inside a slot in the handle, sells for about $15-20. Very handy.

 

[bcwetcoast]

These look like a good piece of equipment. Sharpening any saw is critical. If you look in the photos, it appears the very tips of each tooth is dull and rounded. To cut well, they will have to be filed to a very, sharp point, and kept that way. Rounded tips will tend to slide along the wood rather than gouging it out.

Many camp stores and hardwares sell folding pruning saws. These have a blade of 10"-12", handle of wood or plastic, blade folds inside a slot in the handle, sells for about $15-20. Very handy.

If you are taking a boat, therefore have a bit of storage room, I would suggest getting a Silky Sugoi. They're a little pricey at $80, but they come with a scabbard. We use them at work and they are as fast as a chainsaw on wood up to about 4". They would be a bit of a chore to backpack, although they would fit in most packs that have straps for an ice axe.

http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Cur ... 0-XL-teeth

 

[Kayak Jack]

<SNIP> Silky Sugoi. They're a little pricey at $80, but they come with a scabbard.<SNIP> http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Cur ... 0-XL-teeth

That's a big brother to what I use.