Rare Bow Chainsaw [Restoration]

Video Description

This restoration is on the first gasoline-powered one-man bow chainsaw ever produced. It was made by Precision Part Ltd. of Montreal, Canada in the 1940s. It took me 5 years to find 3 separate dilapidated chainsaw motors, 2 bow bars, 1 straight bar, and 2 chains just to source all the parts to restore one function chainsaw. Unfortunately, the most complete motor happened to also be completely seized, but that is just the way it goes sometimes. Adding further to the complications, the body of the chainsaw is rumoured to be made of out of a magnesium alloy that is so high in nickel and iron that it cannot be welded, so any major repairs that require welding, cannot be made. Furthermore, the massive chain that is used on this type of chainsaw is not made anymore and all available options potentially used to the point of being unsafe. This saw is so rare that I actually stopped trying to take it apart when I got deep inside the crankcase. I became worried that the risk of trying to hammer out shafts and bearings would put too much stress on an unweldable casting that it would crack, and then I would crack and throw myself in the garbage, never to be restored. The bow itself is quite unique, with its patented "self-tensioning" mechanism, which can be seen here: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/71/cd/8d/09fe8fc70b33d0/US2487322A.pdf The restoration process took so long that you can see how long my facial hair grew by the end of the video. In the end, this insane chainsaw design is just too much fun to use and I am definitely keeping this one for myself. I'd like to thank CRC for sponsoring this video. I've switched to a food-grade penetrating oil from them as a more safe alternative, and it as worked just as well as the usual penetrating oils I've used. You can check out the products from them used in this video in the links below: www.evapo-rust.com www.crcindustries.com/evapo-rust/ www.crcindustries.com/smartwasher/ www.crcindustries.com/food-grade-penetrating-oil-11-wt-oz/ Help secure more tools for future videos (if you want): https://www.patreon.com/handtoolrescue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtoolrescue Facebook Group - Share your restorations https://www.facebook.com/groups/handtoolrescue https://www.facebook.com/handtoolrescue/ Reddit - Share your restorations https://www.reddit.com/r/HandToolRescue/ Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - https://anchor.fm/fitzall