Baymule’s Journal

Baymule

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Is sharpening the chain hard to do? I have a small pile of dull chains I was going to take to sharpener in town.
Time consuming. You don’t have much of that. What will the guy in town charge? Compare that to your time. Now it might be handy to have a file, but for you, your time is more valuable.
 

Baymule

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I’m tired. Been cleaning fence row. Neighbor Chase has used his two days off to help me and I’m so grateful. He wants a small flock of sheep and our joke is, I’ll pay him in sheep. I need to get in the truck and take the rolled up rusty barb wire to the dumpster. Must get motivated.
 

canesisters

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How far is the dumpster? We have a couple of days of rain coming, that's when I use up time making feed runs, dump runs, cleaning house....
Sounds like you also have amazing neighbors! He will be blessed to not only have sheep but a wealth of knowledge nearby to help him learn to care for them.
 

Baymule

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It’s a slow drizzling rain, it will stop shortly. Low winds today, 3-8 MPH, gusts up to 17 MPH. Perfect day for a big burn pile. I have lots of brush to pick up and toss on the fire too. I’m fortified with coffee, a pork chop, and vitamins. LOL Got tea steeping, will make it just half sweet, syrup tea is not needed. By the end of the day, I’ll be dirty, tired, Smokey and ready for shower and recliner.
 

Baymule

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Setting H braces today on property line between me and Bennett. My mule is down, radiator on order. Got my 23 HP Kubota tractor home yesterday, it felt good to be back in the saddle again! Huge burn pile gone. Walked 7.3 miles yesterday. Will use Marigold (tractor) today to carry tools in the bucket. I NEED BJ’s MULE!
 

Bruce

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Is sharpening the chain hard to do? I have a small pile of dull chains I was going to take to sharpener in town.
Not at all. Google youtube videos on it. You need the right size file for the teeth on the chain. I have 3 saws (10 years ago I had zero):
  • "homeowner" size Stihl 31.8cc (the first)
  • Echo Timberwolf 59.8cc - this sucker is way too powerful for bucking smaller diameter pieces into cordwood lengths
  • A small DeWalt battery (the newest)
and 3 different size files. Mount the saw on a bench vise clamped to the bar. Mark the first tooth you file (the Stihl has a green link, no marking necessary), do that one and the others you can reach then move the chain to get to the next set. Repeat until all the teeth going that direction are done. Reverse the saw and repeat. Sometimes I do all the teeth I can reach but being right handed I don't think I'm as smooth on the "left to right" stroke so mostly do the saw reversing thing. It only takes maybe 10 minutes per chain.

If you sharpen your own chains they will always be sharp, no more "I gotta get this done" smoking the wood with a dull chain until you take it somewhere to get sharpened (for about half the cost of a new chain last time I did that). When you start getting more sawdust than chips flying off the chain, sharpen it. You'll get done faster than if you "power through" because you don't have the ability to do so yourself.

My mule is down, radiator on order.
Didn't it JUST get fixed for another problem??
 
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