chainsaw scabbards

[SkwerI]

I'm getting ready to rebuild yet another chainsaw scabbard. I've done a few out of plywood and they just don't hold up for very long (6 months or less). There are two styles available for purchase, fiberglass or plastic. The fiberglass backed are more expensive but the plastic backed type are kind of flimsy and can bend and fall off the lip of the bucket in hot weather.

They are both available with or without 'wear pads' which are nothing more than hard plastic cut to size and riveted to the insides of the pocket. The inserts help a LOT, but they aren't available for sale separately. Well, call me dumb but I just realized that the inserts are the same plastic that cutting boards are made out of. So I'm off to Wal Mart to buy the biggest cutting board I can find so I can cut it up and make my own inserts for my saw scabbards.

New scabbards are $150-$200 each, a cutting board from Wal Mart shouldn't be over $20. I can cut it with a skil saw or sawzall.

I know DTW902 Dave makes them out of a piece of cut pvc pipe heated up in the oven and bent into shape, but this will allow me to reuse/ rebuild the high dollar scabbards I've already bought and get a few more years out of them.

Here's pictures of the plastic and fiberglass styles. I just bought one of the plastic ones and it's ok but I think I'd prefer rebuilding the old fiberglass one I have. The top lip on the plastic one is too soft and flexible.

 

[Jonseredbred]

I have a pile of 20 scabbards that need to be fixed.

When you get good at them I will send them down to you.

 

[stehansen]

Mine started lasting a lot longer when I made sure the chain was stopped before I put the chainsaw in it. The cutting board idea is a good one. That plastic can be worked just like wood I'm thinkin'. The smilie is not me being confused but me thinking... In case you we're wondering... I'm thinking... Some more.

 

[Mr. Sir]

Yup, that does make a difference.

 

[Jonseredbred]

Mine started lasting a lot longer when I made sure the chain was stopped before I put the chainsaw in it.

Well thats a dumb idea Steve, do you know how long it will take me to unravel the black tape on the throttle everytime I want to stow it??

 

[SkwerI]

Andrew, send 'em on! It will give me something to work on while treework is slow. Maybe figure somewhere around $25-$40 per scabbard or so, I can't see it being any more than that.

That gives me another idea. Maybe I'll call or visit some of the bigger tree companies I know around here and see if I can collect some old rebuildable scabbards. Fix 'em and sell 'em back to them for $75-$100 each. hmmm...

 

[sotc]

haha good idea, that material is UHMW, just be sure the cutting boards are flexable, if not the may shatter when you cut them.

 

[MasterBlaster]

My favorite scabbard is when the bucket liner wears from being cut and gives me a slot to slide the bar in.

 

[sotc]

ive heard of guys making a wedge of wood to drop in the scabbard with a slot cut in the top slide the bar in but never seen it

 

[Al Smith]

If a person could locate some 1/4" nylon sheeting and have a bandsaw I imagine you could make one tough scabbard . The plywood home builts I've seen don't hold up too well . Then too the fiberglass of the buckets don't do well after a period time by being assaulted by a running saw .Not good for them .

 

[Cobleskill]

Plastic deck material is a lot thicker than 1/4 inch, but you could get cut-offs for free.

 

[SkwerI]

What kind of deck? cut-offs?

 

[JIML]

The ones we have at work are all fiberglass. I would imagine they are the same ones that they put in the trucks 5 years ago. One in my buckets still in decent shape. 200t is always in it..

 

[NeTree]

Just buy the plastic as 1/2" sheets.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[SkwerI]

Not sure what I'm looking for there, Erik. A 2'x4' sheet of 1/2" nylon was over $200. Too expensive and I don't know if that's the right stuff anyway.

 

[squisher]

Brian any chance of sending me one of Jonseredbred's when you get them?

 

[Cobleskill]

Don't you have plastic decks going in in the area. Some are made of recycled plastic and some are all new. It is probably 3/4" but I think the facing boards [ for covering up the wood framing are probaby 1/2 "] It isn't cheap to buy but you could probably find cutoffs for free if you see one going in.

 

[SkwerI]

What kind of 'deck' are you talking about? I'm drawing a blank here.

 

[squisher]

He's talking about the composite decking, just like what you were working on in your backyard awhile ago I think. To thick.

 

[SkwerI]

Ohhh, that didn't register. No, the material used in the scabbards is like a cutting board. It's also used in the cradle that holds my truck boom when it's folded up, it's used as wear pads on the outriggers where they slide in and out, etc.

 

[stehansen]

Yup, that does make a difference.

Do I detect a note of sarcasm there?

 

[sotc]

search this in his link brian "UHMW Polyethylene Plates"

 

[NeTree]

search this in his link brian "UHMW Polyethylene Plates"

Thanks... kinda what I had in mind!

Part # 9721K83.... 6" by 24" by 1/2" thick plate.

Withstands abrasion pretty good, and is impervious to oils and acids.

 

[JIML]

composite decking is made from cell core pvc.. Not that good for this application I don't think. Same stuff as pvc pipe.

Delrin is another plastic that would be a good choice to use.. Not sure if its cheaper or not.

 

[Al Smith]

You can buy all that stuff ,Delron ,nylon ,teflon whatever though Mac Master -Carr but it won't be cheap .

I wouldn't be suprised though that if a person "Googled " it you might be able to find it from some type of a scrapper or liquidator more reasonabley priced . It might even be on E-Bay for that matter .