I have been given a booklet issued in 1968 by McCulloch entitled “Rustic Woodwork ‘do-it-yourself’ with a chain saw 50 projects, 100 ideas”. Illustrations show happy Harry (my naming) always dressed in casuals and with pipe clenched between teeth clearing forests or sawing creations with loving wife , sometimes children, precariously perched on creations.
Not a single safety precaution in sight.
Are there out there any survivors, no matter how badly disabled, of those happy days? I won’t be taking advantage of the ideas so if anyone would like the book and pays the postage it’s yours.
Replies
A few months ago, I needed to do some chainsaw work (a dying bigtooth aspen had fallen during a windstorm and was hung up in some other trees), so I prepared myself: I had on my Kevlar chainsaw chaps and gloves, and my official Stihl hardhat with built-in earmuffs and face shield. I strode confidently to the work site, my chainsaw at my side, blade pointing to the rear, engine previously primed and warmed up, but not currently running. I then proceeded to step into a leaf-filled hole and fell flat on my face.
-Steve
That may be the best laugh I have all day -- no! all week!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I work for the local power utility in my town and whilst working one sunday could hear a chainsaw going, suddenly all the power has tripped off, so I go for a drive around the area to see if I can find the problem and find a bloke up a tree with a pair of shorts on, not a stitch more, no shoes, no glasses, nothin', he's turning his head to the side as he's cutting to stop the chips going in his eyes. Power lines are on the ground. I get his attention, tell him what's happened and he says, So! As in so what, who cares. When I told him it was 22000 volts he turned white and went and sat down. Takes all sorts.
I have a radial arm saw how-to book of similar vintage. It also shows practices that make your hair stand on end.
My favorite was the method for ripping plywood: The saw is pulled all the way out on the arm, rotated and locked in position so that the blade faces out, parallel to the ground. Sheets are ripped by dragging them on the floor, through the exposed blade. I can't imagine anyone actually trying to do this.
I should scan some of the illustrations.
Umberto Eco, The Island of the Day Before
I tried that once, used the manual that came with a radial-arm saw I inherited. Tried to rip a strip off a 2X8 - and sent it sailing through the garage window. Fortunately, my grandfather taught me to never stand behind a piece of wood while sawing, always stand to one side. After that, the only use that saw got was crosscutting firewood for the shop stove.
I had a 1960's RAS Craftsman.. It had a shaft with curved fingers that they said helped prevent kickback. I thought them fingers would ruin my wood if they hit the wood so I took it off!
I believe yours was newer than mine, After months of ruining wood, I bought a dial indicator. Don't remember the numbers, but it had a heck of a 'bow' in the carriage. I gave it to my brother (with appropriate warnings), I think he sold it to a building contractor that just wanted it to cut 2X4's If my memory hasn't totally failed me, I think about 8 inches was the max. it could cut before burning the wood. I now have a Makita SCMS and wouldn't have a RAS in my shop if I had room for a truckload of them.
Mufti, I'd love to see that book. Problem is, I'm in California.
If you're serious, though, my email is [email protected]
If you use paypal I can send you the postage easily.
thanks!
In the last catalogue from Woodworkers Book Club there was the featured book Old-School Workshop Accessories based on the Deltagram, a pamphlet/booklet published by Delta during the 30's to encourage (and sell) woodworking tools...on the cover of one issue they picture a young women in a dress (with a little bowtie) cutting a board on a small tablesaw...the caption reads "Mom takes a break from baking cookies to relax in the woodshop"....no safety glasses, no blade guard, no splitter or riving knife...AND she's standing right behind the workpiece!!...probably didn't wear her seatbelt either (yeah, I know they didn't have them back then)...it's a wonder anyone every made it out alive...
Neil
Scary book, Check out the rear view mirror (fig5) page 71. One of my favorites is his desire to be a skin graft donor on page 24.Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
I lived through it. My brother and I were given lead type (Linotype?) to play with and WE LOVED IT! I'm sure we chewed on it a few times and melted it in a pot on the stove to make other things. We made our own fireworks and 'cooked' some red oxide on the kitchen stove to make Mercury! Never ate any but we played with it all the time!
I'd bet our old tree house was 30 foot off the ground and made from scrap lumber with nails we straightened out to use!
The only BAD thing I remember is my brother and I made a boat in put it into our BIG lake (Chicago at the time) and we got lost out there!
If my children tried the stuff we did I'd have a heart attack!
EDIT: All I remember is my Mom would say why does it smell so funny in MY kitchen and how do you boys get so dirty?
Edited 9/24/2007 3:19 pm by WillGeorge
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