Workshop Wednesday-Hot Topic

 Today I want to share with you some simple advice. If your equipment gets loud, as in an exhaust leak, stop and investigate. I've seen guys running saws that were loud and they just kept going. It sounds cool. Well that cool sound should be a warning that hot exhaust gases are escaping from places they shouldn't be and could be melting parts of the equipment.

 In this case we have a saw that ran just fine. It needed an exhaust gasket and was making a terrible racket but the operator ignored it. That's too bad because now this saw is junk. Oh it still runs but it's not safe to use. You see saws these days are made of plastic. These hot exhaust blew a hole through the plastic case and ruined the mount for the chain brake. Repair costs would exceed the value of the saw.

 And while we're discussing saw maintenance, do yourself a favor and just take a peek at your air filter every so often. Just because the saw is running good now doesn't mean there isn't a problem.

 The owner of this saw had no idea the filter wasn't sealed. The saw came in for a "check up" and sharpening and this is how it looked under the filter. I get that not everybody running a saw has mechanical ability. If they did I would be out of a job. The owner of this saw did the right thing. They don't understand how to work on saws and brought it in for service. For the rest of you out there that do your own work, check things out after each use so the saw is ready to go when needed.