Blade Runner

Even though I've been cutting wood for a reasonably long time, I seem to learn something new every year. I just found out that you're supposed to replace the blade of your saw every now and then, or something like every few years. I've had my saw for probably 6 years and never did this, but now I know. I did notice that the saw was acting strangely, and as anyone who's used a chainsaw knows, you don't want that. One of the biggest issues was that the chain would jam with wood chips on a regular basis, forcing me to dismantle it and clean it up. It's tedious work and it's a bummer when your rhythm gets broken, and I'm rhythmic kind of guy. It's enough of a pain that when it happens I usually call it a day.

When I was cleaning the blade I noticed that there was uneven wear on it, with the bottom being more warped than the top, which makes sense since that's the part that is in contact with the wood. I took the blade into Joe's and they said it was time for a new one. They also recommended flipping the blade over every time you change the chain so the top and bottom get even wear. What's amusing is that I'd seen people with upside down blades and thought it was kind of funny, but now it makes perfect sense.

The blade was a little expensive, but you can't be too cheap when it comes to things like chainsaws, which scare the heck out of me. Besides, not only do we get a lot of use out of the saw, but it fulfills an important role in helping me to be a real man, or at least act like one. Oh yeah, it also helps keep us warm over the winter.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Josh Maine for the pic.