(Login wayneguyer) Forum Owner from IP address 68.16.40.156
I was asked several questions in the Candy Cane post but that post seemed to get a little too big.
In the above pic Lynn and I are sitting out front our studio. The Indian, Totum and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are at the very edge of the covered slab. We designed our studio with the walk thru and roll up door recessed 15 feet from the edge of the roof and slab but that 15 feet is walled. We have a ceiling fan installed for ventilation and the large fan to blow the sawdust away and also for cooling. We have floresent lighting and regular bulbs. I find carving under floresent lighting very unplesent on the eyes.
Yes, we used to use Sthils but sold most of them and now use Shindaiwa's.
Joe, the only Christmas stuff that we sold was at that Elementary School auction. We thought would be able to sell a few snow men but I guess we were asking too much for them. We were asking $65. for the small two ball ones and $95. for the larger 3 ball guys. We are going to have to sell something soon as the studio/fittness room/Dale Earnhardt Memorial is really getting full. We were asking $395. for the painted Santa and $250. for the unpainted Santa and people looked at us as if we were trying to rob them. Our sales are down 98% from 2001.
I don't really know what this mini gator has to do with this post but I have been really working hard on the mini stuff lately, these new Shindaiwa's are sooooo smoooooth they have really made mini's easy.
Steve, you asked about the Candy Cane's cracking at the top.
This is Pecan wood, really tough stuff, we haven't had any cracking yet and have carved hundreds of things from this one tree.
Some of the above are carved from my favorite carving wood, Red Cedar, the rest are from Naomi, the 300 year old Pecan Tree.
Just curious if Shindaiwa is sponsoring you or are you pushing their saws because you honestly find them to be a superior saw? I notice a few people pushing different equipment on the forums, then after further info comes forth it is because they are either sponsored by that particular company or they sell that product. I think it is fine either way, I would just like to know if there is any other reason someone would be pushing certain brands or if it is that the item they are pitching is honest to goodness a superior product. I wouldn't have asked except that you went Shindaiwa all the way, t-shirts and all with lots of pics of the saws. Most carvers use a variety of different saws. If someone ever wanted to sponsor me though, I would go about it just like you are. Thanks for all the Christmas pics. You guys make a great team, it's fun to see what you are going to come up with next. Cindy
i've heard pros here talk on an on about them and the guy i saw carving in the redwood forest of california at the grandfather tree (larry anderson i think) said they were the best and outlasted his other saws 5 to 1, were better and more powerful for their size and weight, and that they were expensive. i looked at the prices on the net and they start at about 3 times what a small stihl does, but you know the dealio..you get watcha pay for..someday when i am worthy (when my art has paid for it) i will own one of them with a carving bar...right now i just got little stihl with regular bar (factory) that seems to be okay start...actually from this forum and the other one i learned that people used tools other than saws and its up to you to do what you want so i got a dremel also and am trying to round up other useful tools as well. i'd like to see a toolshed review under resources at a website where folks could discuss and rate different tools and their experiences with them...think that would be very neat...okay better close before i ramble on and talk to much..lol
I was first intruduced to the Shindaiwa line of products around 7 years ago as I was looking for dependable, easy starting lawn tools. We first purchased an edger, the thing that keeps grass off sidewalks. We enjoyed that so much that we shortly purchased a hedge trimmer, then a string trimmer, then the back pack blower, two more hedge trimmers and then finally, the three chainsaws.
The Shindaiwa's are the easiest starting small engines that I have ever used.
I am extremely pleased with the very low viberation from the 377's.
As for the T-Shirts, we get a little help with them from our local dealer.
I have been selling off the Stihl saws as buyers express interest. Last Friday a neighbor stopped by and asked about one of our 025's. I had allready removed the 1/4 sprocket and carving bar and re-installed the new factory bar, sprocket and chain. The guy asked, just why are you selling these saws. My answer was, just watch. I crancked up the 025 and set it down on our polished concrete floor, grabbed a 377, started it and set it down right beside the 025. The 025 viberated itself around doing two doughnuts on the floor, the 377 moved about 4 inches. I then explained to the guy that as a carver I'm required to hold onto the saw for extended periods of time and the viberation was killing my nerves so I went to the low viberation saws. He is happy with his almost new 025 and I am happy he is happy.
Later
waynecancarve
If anyone is interested in trying a Shindaiwa saw, don't get anything smaller that the 377 as 1/4 sprockets are not available for the smaller saws at this time. The 377 uses the same rim sprocket that we used on the Stihl 025.
Does that mean that Shindawa stopped making that 1/4 inch sproket? Before the 377 came out, west coast carvers ALL ran 360's. But since the lack of the high speed screw/EPA crap shindawa has suffered. Soon as I knew they would not be available with a high speed screw... I bought every new older model 360 I could find. But as time marched on they all wore out or were hauled off by whineing beginners. (" but THAT'S the only saw I like!") Good balance, good handles, usually good starters, I'll miss 'em. No one on the west coast liked the bigger ones, but hopefully they are better saws now. A J
Yes AJ, Shindaiwa still has the 1/4" sprocket and the same sprocket fits the 300, 360, and 377. And of course the same rim and drum system will fit all 3. I really don't want to sound argumenative with you Wayne but they will all take the same.
Thanks,
Stevie Songer
Hey Stevie,
I just got our first Shindaiwa chainsaws on Halloween day so I sure don't know all the ins and outs on them. The two smaller saws have drum sprockets and GB told me that they didn't carry them and the dealer has no idea why anyone would want a 1/4 inch sprocket.
Thanks for the input.
later
waynecancarve
dude you do nice work and your prices aren't as high as others i've seen...i think people don't understand the task involved in creating nice carvings and compare them to plastic stuff sold at wally world sometimes. i had a friend's mom ask me about a bear for bathroom that would hold toliet paper (you've all seen em) and i guessed 70 to 100 bucks for me to make something like that and told her i don't take orders but since she is friend's mom i'd do it if she wanted. she told me a week later don't worry about it cuz she got one for half that much mail order..okay...so she got hers (very little) and showed it to me and asked if it was a good carving. i had to explain that it was made of resin poured in a cast and that they made probably 10000 of them just the same in some factory in mexico. but then i added so she would feel okay (friend's mom and all) that it was still pretty nice and she should enjoy..i mean its in the bathroom with a roll of tp on it..lol..its not like she got taken on fine art reproduction or whatever...she said she wished she would have hired me. i might be doing something for her porch this summer though. she's a fun lady and throws a lot of partys...anyways just saying that its not your prices, its that some folks just don't realize...hope this makes you feel better and both of you have a merry merry christmas...i hope santa brings you what you wished for most..lol
