# Drag Saw



## putputman (Apr 15, 2010)

Well I finally got the drag saw to the point where it will saw logs. All of the hardware is rough finished but functional. Eventually I will disassemble everything and finish & paint it. My brother is cutting and planing some Red Oak for the frame. The final version should be somewhat shorter than this unit as I want to eliminate the large wooden box that contains the old Ford buzz coil. I'll be using a small CDI unit that can be hidden under the engine.

The size and speed is built around the large bicycle sprocket. It is the largest one I could find. 52 teeth. The drive sprocket is a 9 tooth that I made. It combination seems to give me a pretty fair speed and enough power so the engine will still hit & miss.






I went round & round on the clutch mechanism. Had many good suggestions from HMEM members. What I ended up with is kind of a combination of several ideas. It is more of a cog than a clutch. I felt I needed something positive that wouldn't slip under load. It engaged very well with the engine running but is a problem to disengage with any little load on it. I can live with that by stopping the engine after every cut.





The saw has about a 6" stroke which will allow me to cut a 5" log and still clear the teeth. Most of the information on the lever arm and eccentric was scaled off photos I got off the Internet. I also had some good help from "steamdave".





The blade is not what I want to end up with. It is very rusted & pitted. The tooth profile isn't quite what I want either. I have been watching Ebay and putting the word out in our tractor club for what I am looking for. I'll eventually get something better.





The full size unit sometimes have enough weight so they don't need anything to secure the log. This small unit required a log locking device. I made a small locking ratchet and mounted it to a frame that would secure the log in place.





Now a short video of it working. This is only the second cut, so anything can happen. 




I was real happy with the performance of the Red Wing engine.
Thanks for watching


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## mklotz (Apr 15, 2010)

I love it!

I've never seen such a beast but it looks like the sort of thing the old-timers would drag out to the forest to process firewood, etc..

One of the things I enjoy most is seeing these engines actually performing the tasks they were built to perform.

Great job.


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## Brian Rupnow (Apr 15, 2010)

Nice job Putput!!! Is there any mechanism to lift the blade on the backstroke or is it full pressure both directions? ----Brian


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## 4156df (Apr 15, 2010)

Putput,
Fantastic. I've seen some the old originals in museums, but never one operating. What a great project.
Dennis


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## putputman (Apr 15, 2010)

Thank you for the comments. 

Marv, this was used long before the chain saw. Here is a photo of one in use. 
http://www.historicphotoarchive.com/capsmonner/monner4335.htm

Brian, it does not lift the whole blade on the return stroke. There is an eccentric on the lever that tends to lift the rear of the blade on the return stroke and pushes down on the forward stroke. Very similar as you would do using a hand saw, whether or not you realize it.

Dennis, I have seen a few of them at old farm shows. I never payed that much attention to them until I started this project.


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## te_gui (Apr 16, 2010)

The air cooled were very common in the northwest, the hopper cooled ones are much less common. Many of them were 2 cycle so you have to be careful when you start them that they are running the right direction. Since they cut on the pull stroke, running backwards tends to throw the blade back at you when you drop them into the log. They also made steam powered ones to cut wood for logging donkeys

Brian


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## Noitoen (Apr 16, 2010)

The engine has a nice PutPut sound Man :big: :big: :big: :big: Cool


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## m_kilde (Apr 16, 2010)

I love it too

Really a put put - great show

Thank you for sharing


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## Diy89 (Apr 16, 2010)

Very sweet runner! My father talked about these types of saws long ago.


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## putputman (Apr 16, 2010)

Thank you for your comments.

Brian, you sound like you have some experience with drag saws. I have only seen a few in operation at farm shows. They are somewhat slow but are steady. They beat the heck out of cutting by hand.

Diy89, did your father use the drag saw? Maybe you have some photos you could share with us.


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## Diy89 (Apr 17, 2010)

PutPutMan-
I don't know if i have any pictures or not. I know he worked at the sawmill in Loyalton Ca, for years. That would have been the mid 40's just after WWII. He told me that they would use the drag saws in the falling areas so the mules and ox could pull them out. I do have an old Pop Mech that has plans for one if you would like a scan of it.


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## Noitoen (Apr 17, 2010)

You don't have to scan the Popular Mechanics magazine since you can read it on-line. Just have to say in which issue it is.


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## Brian Rupnow (Apr 17, 2010)

Thats strange!!! I posted an answer to Putputs question on here an hour ago, and now its gone???? No. I don't have any knowledge of drag saws, When I grew up around logging camps (1946 to 1965) everything was cut with chainsaws. The reason I asked about a lift device on the backstroke to lift the blade is because a lot of old power hacksaws had a device like that to avoid wear on the teeth. Actually, they cut on the backstroke and lifted the blade as it was extending.---Brian


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## skeeter (Apr 17, 2010)

Thats a nice looking model, :bow: Put Put. I have seen these working at some engine shows I've been to. I don't recall the lift device tho. I also like seeing model engines doing work of some sort too. it gives more realism I think. Do a search on a model hay bailer, model threshing machine, model corn sheller, model saw mill. I have seen these at several steam shows I went to. these were coupled to some spectacular model traction engines. These models I mentioned were built from plans that were made by the builders. I don't know if still available.
Skeeter ;D


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## rake60 (Apr 17, 2010)

Beautiful set up Arv! :bow:

It's great to see a model hit and miss engine actually working.
I expected the engine to hit on almost every stroke under load and it does.
Excellent!!! Thm:

Rick


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## Maryak (Apr 17, 2010)

Arv,

That's fantastic. :bow: :bow: It's fascinating how the number of hits increases as the diameter of the log increases.

Best Regards
Bob


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## putputman (Apr 17, 2010)

Thank you for the comments.

The eccentric doesn't actually lift the blade on the return stroke like a power hacksaw. The down pressure is from the weight of the blade and mechanism and is the same on both strokes. The saw is designed to cut on both strokes just like a two man log saw would cut. As far a the eccentric goes, every drag saw I have seen has that action. Maybe it is designed to clear the chips.

I located a new blade for the saw. It is a much more aggressive blade so I am not sure how the Red Wing will handle it. The ole hit & miss might be hitting on every stroke. ??? I'll let you know in a day or two. ;D


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