Tool Hero - Ken Carpenter, Firefighter Mechanic

!±8± Tool Hero - Ken Carpenter, Firefighter Mechanic

Unlike buying a Dodge off the lot, purchasing a Fire Engine requires a committee designated to the design process because each truck is hand built to specifications. The committee designs the truck around what equipment will be placed on the truck.

The Fire Truck Committee needs to know what the truck is utilized for, ie: a rescue truck, engine pumper, ladder truck, wildland truck, where the tools should be placed to be effective and efficient, the right size pumps, what types of gauges are needed and where the gauges need to be placed. It requires working with the manufacturers throughout the entire process to see it through. The design of the fire truck needs to be made to meet the specific needs of that fire department.

Ken Carpenter, Fire Engineer, in Boulder Colorado, works with the folks at Sutphen Fire Trucks, Pierce and other fire truck manufacturers to design the trucks for Rocky Mountain Fire. Through years of experience working on the engines as a mechanic with the City of Boulder, Ken knows what it takes to design a good fire engine. "By engine, I don't just mean the motor itself" says Ken. The Fire Engine consists of pumps to spray water, gauges to run the pumps, different nozzles and adapters to attach hoses, tools for breaking apart cars to save people who've been in accidents and breaking into burning houses to put out the fire. All of these are organized in such a manner so that they are quickly accessible because to a firefighter, time is not money, it is someone's life.

"The most satisfying aspect of my job is helping people, says Ken. I like to take what is out of control and help get it back into control." Ken began his fire career as a volunteer in January of 1995. At the time, he was employed as a mechanic for the City of Boulder . He enjoyed his volunteer work so much that in August of 1999, he was hired on as a full-time firefighter. He quickly was promoted to Engineer and is currently in charge of maintaining the fire trucks. With 15 engines, that is no small job.

Ken has always been mechanically inclined. He took apart his bicycles as a kid. He then moved on to taking apart cars and motorcycles. His process now originates in his head, with mechanical ideas. He then moves onto paper and working with the manufacturer, implements the designs to work on the Fire Engines. This process is what he likes most about his job.

The most challenging part of Ken's job is keeping up with all the younger guys. At 45 years young, he is considered one of the older firefighters. It requires high physical stamina to fight a fire. While in a fire, firefighters work at their peak Level of performance, under high stress for many hours. Good physical and mental health is essential to deal with the stress because you often get a call in the middle of the night, taking you from sleeping to emergency mode in 60 seconds. This makes firefighting one of the top five most stressful jobs. In addition to being one of the top ten most dangerous jobs, it puts firefighters at a high risk for heart attack.

The most frustrating part of Ken's job is dealing with the public who are not involved in the accident and who don't move out of the way for the fire truck to get through. Personal vehicles are now manufactured with improved sound sealing which, in addition to people talking on cell phones, listening to loud stereos and/or their kids, they don't notice that you are running "emergent" and they simply keep driving.

Fire tools are basically used to rescue people who have been in an accident. Just ask Tools of the Trade Editor, Rick Schwolsky what that is like.

Ken's favorite tool is the Fire Truck itself but here is a list to show you just what's on it:

1. Jaws of Life - Hydraulic Spreader by Hurst - this is used to pry doors off of a vehicle that has been crushed in an accident - to extricate victims.

2. Hydraulic Ram - used to take off the steering wheel or floor of a vehicle

3. Hydraulic Cutters - used to cut the frame of a car or remove the roof.

4. Stihl Utility Chain Saw

5. Stihl Gas-powered Circular saw

6. Stihl Gas-powered Rescue Saw for cutting through roofs.

7. Various Axes, Pike poles and prying and Cutting Tools - Ken's idea was to put it on a swing out rack

8. SCBA's - Self contained breathing apparatus

9. Nozzles, adaptors - tools to spray large amounts of water

10. Pump - 1500 gpm 'Waterous' from St. Paul, Minnesota

11. Intake pump to get water from ponds

12. Ice and Water rescue equipment including climbing helmets and a boogie board for water rescue.

13. Station tools include battery operated Makita drills, Craftsman air compressor and various hand tools.

and of course: Ladders

Tool Hero - Ken Carpenter, Firefighter Mechanic

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Chain Saw Sharpeners For the Handy Man

!±8± Chain Saw Sharpeners For the Handy Man

A handyman chain saw sharpener typically sharpens the chain while it is still on the chain saw. This is different than a professional chain saw sharpener that is typically bench mounted or wall mounted.

One advantage of a handyman chain saw sharpener is that it's usually more portable. You will be able to carry this handy device to the job site and pull it out any time for quick touch ups to your chain. Remember, if you're doing any kind of productive work with your chain saw you need a razor sharp chain, and the only way to maintain that sharpness is with frequent sharpening during the job.

You will still get fast, efficient results with a handyman chain saw sharpener. This type of sharpener is surprisingly affordable today, and the benefits of a properly sharpened chain far outweigh the minimal cost involved. Besides, one of the most unsafe aspects of any chain saw is trying to cut when it's dull. Since the chain saw doesn't cut easily when it's dull the operator tries to force it too much and the saw kicks back easier.

In many cases a battery is used for the power source in a home handyman chain saw sharpener. This allows you to bring the sharpener almost anywhere, including a remote jobsite in the woods.

You should still be able to grind any type of chain and size, including 1/4 inch, 0.325 inch, 3/8 inch, and 0.404 inch pitches. However, this level of sharpener will require more manual adjustments and won't be quite as precise. The quality of work will still be excellent, and this type of sharpener should be capable of doing both round and chisel chain styles.

The grinding head will usually be spring loaded, but it is still easily adjusted for different cutting angles. Again, you should expect anywhere from 0 degrees to 35 degrees adjustment.

A portable chain saw sharpener should also have an adjustable chain stop for different depths, as well as a transparent safety guard. The grinding wheels on handyman chain saw sharpeners are typically in the 4 inch to 5 inch diameter range, with motor speeds of 4,000 to 5,000 rpm.

The important factor is that even these portable chain saw sharpeners provide a consistent filing of every tooth on the chain. The guide that is mounted onto the bar ensures consistent sharpening angles for every tooth. The same quality and consistency of sharpening cannot be achieved with a hand held round file and hand guide.

Chain Saw Sharpeners For the Handy Man

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!±8± STIHL 7010 884 0800 32-Inch Black Protective Chain Saw Chaps

Brand : Stihl | Rate : | Price : $105.00
Post Date : Nov 22, 2011 11:11:13 | Usually ships in 24 hours

STIHL 7010 884 0800 32-Inch Black Protective Chain Saw Chaps

• 32-Inch
• Black
• Made of black 400 denier nylon
• Ulf classified
• 6 Layers of sewn-in Engtex cut-retardant material

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STIHL 7010 884 0800 32-Inch Black Protective Chain Saw Chaps

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The Grass is Always Greener In Your Yard

!±8± The Grass is Always Greener In Your Yard

Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but luckily, you can make that your side of the fence. All it takes is the right outdoor power equipment to get your lawn as luscious as you want and to make all your neighbors green with envy.

Getting the perfect lawn takes much more maintenance than a weekly mowing. However, mowing your lawn is necessary. It is extremely important to aerate your lawn. This can be done is many different ways, but essentially it is just putting small holes all over your lawn. This allows for water and air to circulate. Before you run outside with a spoon and start digging small holes in your lawn, there are tools that can do this with much less damage and much higher impact on your lawn.

The best lawns are treated with care and regular maintenance. This means owning the correct outdoor power equipment to accomplish these tasks. The right lawnmower is essential, just as it is essential to know how to use that lawnmower! Ideally, you will set your lawnmower to cut the grass between 3cm and 5cm. However, it is important to not let your lawn get too long in between mowing. Then, you are ripping the grass more so than cutting it to a desired length.

Nobody likes weeds. Very few of them can be misleading and look somewhat pretty, but they are only going to wreak havoc on your lawn. Some people will resort to chemicals to kill weeds, but it may be kinder to the environment to use a little bit of manpower and pull the weeds yourself.

It is important to also take care of the many smaller details of lawn maintenance. There are different outdoor power equipment tools to handle these jobs as well. An edger will help you to keep the edges of your lawn tidy as well as those spots around trees, near fences, and anywhere else that is difficult to reach with your lawnmower. You will also want hedge trimmers for bushes. A lawn may look beautiful on its own, but it will look awful without taking care of the details.

In addition to a pretty lawn, you will also want to make sure that you are taking proper care of flowers, trees, and other foliage. The right outdoor power equipment can help you to accomplish this more easily. A chainsaw is not only a fun tool to use, but it is effective. You will want to make sure that you know how to use it properly, before any unfortunate accidents occur. It is much nicer to be able to chop down small, dead trees before affect your beautiful lawn.

Outdoor power equipment is going to make your job much easier. And you will have a lawn to be proud of. The grass will never be greener than it is in your yard.

The Grass is Always Greener In Your Yard

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!±8± Oregon Sure Sharp Chain Grinder (12 Volt)

Brand : Oregon | Rate : | Price :
Post Date : Nov 14, 2011 12:57:29 | Usually ships in 2-3 business days

Oregon Sure Sharp Chain Grinder (12 Volt)

• Longer Power Cord
• 5/32'' , 3/16'' , and 7/32'' Sharpening Stones Included
• Shank Lock for Easier Stone Replacement
• New Automobile Power Adapter
• Powerful motor runs at 17,500 RPM

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Oregon Sure Sharp Chain Grinder (12 Volt)

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What Makes Stihl Chain Saws So Good?

!±8± What Makes Stihl Chain Saws So Good?

Stihl is one of the biggest, most well known and highest quality manufacturer of chain saws on the market today. They offer 31 models and have a web page listing over 31 special features of their chain saws.

If you want a quick, simple, summary of these features, please read on to learn of the improvements and features made to the Stihl chain saws (for further details please visit http://www.stihl.com):

Stihl Chain Saw Engine Features

Carburetor Modifications

* The carburetor has been modified to keep the saw humming along at a fixed RPM. This helps it to run smoother and cleaner. Stihl also makes it very easy to adjust the carburetor - if need be.

Engine Modifications

* The engine now uses a 2 ring piston (rather than a 1 pin piston). This 2 ring piston provides for a more efficient engine which runs cooler, helping it to last longer.

Start Up Modifications

* By using a combination of a special decompression valve and electronic ignition, the engine starts much easier - meaning less strong arm pulling of the starting cord. Many independent Stihl chain saw reviews are high on praise for their easy start.

Miscellaneous Engine Modifications

Stihl has also worked to provide the following improvements on their chain saw engines:

* Reduced vibration to help reduce operator fatigue. * Improved clutch to reduce slippage. * Longer life cylinders to give better wear, cooling, and lubrication which equates to more output power * Improved pump primer control to eliminate flooding.
Stihl Chain Saw Casing / Housing Improvements

* "Smoothed out" the casing by eliminating sharp or rough edges thus

allowing less snagging.

* Toughened the polymer housings to make it more durable while keeping it light.

* Increased the size of the handle to make holding easier.

* Streamlined the sprocket cover to reduce clogging and help clean easier.

Stihl Chain Saw Safety Improvements

* Designed a dual braking system to stop the chain in an emergency. This can be activated manually or by inertia if the kickback is strong enough.

* Designed the rear hand guard to help reduce injury. This design also allows for a wider area to put your foot when starting the chain saw.

* Ergonomically designed the front handle for comfort and reduced risk of injury, while giving a more secure grip. (A few models even have heated handles.)

* Designed a chain catcher to reduce the risk of contact with the chain if an accident were to happen.

Stihl Chain Saw Maintenance Improvements

* Developed an automatic bar and chain oiler to ensure proper lubrication while using less oil.

* Developed an inboard chain brake which requires less maintenance yet makes sprocket easier to remove.

* Designed a unique chain adjuster system which allows tool-free adjustment of the chain tension.

Stihl Chain Saw: The Little Things

* Reduced the number of knobs and switches to one lever that operates the choke, throttle and on-off switch.

* Designed a replaceable "in tank" fuel filter to lower cost and keep it easy to maintain.

* Protected the spark plug, yet still allows it to be easily changed.

* Designed the fuel, oil and air filter covers for easy opening/closing with no tools.

* Added large baffles to help reduce noise level.

This concludes the summary of the main features which give Stihl their good reputation. As you would expect, not all Stihl chain saws models will have all these features.

However, by knowing what they offer, you can now compare to other manufacturers or select the one chain saw that perfectly fits your needs.

What Makes Stihl Chain Saws So Good?

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