bigbisont
Well-Known Member
I have been working on this nearly 2 full months and finally got it just about where I want it. Figured I would recap the build in case it helps future builders.
-First up, the $25 local Craigslist find! Turns out the posting was from a company that sells and rebuilds all types of chainsaw, so it was one stop shopping for the saw, a used 20” bar, and cheap chain. For about $45 I had the foundation. (FYI, if you ever buy these off professionals, be ready for a “warning”/speech from the seller about how the bar wont fit that saw and you will ruin it! I told them straight up that I didn’t need it to work and just wanted it to look good. This confused them even more.)
-I picked this up about 2 weeks before the Calgary Expo. I was already flying up primarily for the Aliens cast, but low and behold, also in attendance would be Bruce Campbell! Too perfect. I would never finished the saw in time (nor would I ever get it on a plane…or even in the Con for that matter due to rules about metal props) so I slapped a quick coat of blood on the left side of the housing. Then I took just that panel with me in my carry-on and away I went.
Success! Now all I need to do is build the entire rest of the saw…
Step 1 was finish the gutting of engine parts.
Then I had to modify the bar bracket so that it maintained its ability to secure the bar, but have room for a hand.
Not much room, so I got a little creative in rigging up the chain retention system. Used wood, screws and bolts to try to keep everything where they were supposed to be. The bracket is aluminum, so its easily cut and drilled. When in doubt, drill a hole and/or zip tie it!
Below is the final “bar” assembly. It bolts to the housing using the original 4 bolts in the same unmodified spots. Fairly secure and pretty simple, but not much room. I could kick out the bottom leg and get more space, but then I lose stability. A 20” bar and chain is pretty heavy so I decided against it.
For the overall body, I went with more of a “Army of Darkness” build. I feel it was a better constructed and sturdier saw around the wrist bracket and muffler.
From the screen grabs I took, the muffler is obviously the back side of the stock muffler with a slit cut into the front. It was then just mounted to a block of wood. Hardly elegant, but hell, its screen accurate I guess.
The vent was much harder. What I did was cut a cap to a can of spray paint in half. I filled the top with fiberglass resin. The bottom ring I filled with bondo. I then cut the slits by hand with a dremel/hacksaw/file combination. I figured I would build 2 then use whichever I liked best. The other one is probably off to ebay to see if anyone wants it. Of course the one I liked best was the one I did second (I learned from the mistakes of the first one)
The wrist bracket looked complicated, but was pretty simple. Sheet steel cut to size and a “T-Bolt” from the local auto parts store. I bought some ½” aluminum strips from home depot to use as the strapping because the aluminum is softer and much easier to work with than cutting my own strips from steel. A few bolts and I was rolling.
Now the top panel was something else entirely. It was the biggest PITA of the whole build. As most know, the later parts of ED2 and the saw from AoD had a raised top center panel. It is not flat steel like in the “workshed” scene. I wanted that, so I set out to building it the hard way…
I considered doing it in card stock and ‘pep’ing it, but eventually caved and just committed to steel and fiberglass. First I curved and offset the steel to the arc I wanted.
Then I laid it down on some sticker-paper backing (wax paper may work?) and build fiberglass side walls. When it dried I trimmed it to fit.
Then on to the carry handle. I used 1” aluminum. I also build two of these with the plan to use the best one. The second one is also probably on ebay by now. Again, I liked the second one better. The counter-sink effect was down with a ½” spade bit on both ends, then widened on the top with a dremel tool so the 1” lag bolts would fit more snug. FYI, The same 1” oak dowel rod was used for the pull handle (replaced plastic one).
I didn’t see the need to go as crazy cutting up the housing. I just cut off the front pillar of the original carry handle, then cut an arc in top to make room for a hand to enter. I had to trim up the very back to get rid of some curves so the block of wood for the muffler would fit properly and of course trimmed the opening all over in general. I think keeping much of the plastic intact helps with the overall durability.
Then it came down to a ton of ¼” bolts (flat heads are far more screen accurate to phillips), a lot of drilling and a lot of finagling to get everything attached.
Finally paint. Here I got a little carried away I fear. I was going for AoD but ended up with a hybrid blood job. In ED2, you have “dirty” (pre combat) and “absolutely soaked in blood” looks. In AoD your two looks are “dried blood and sand” (falling from sky) and “Soaked in black blood of deadites” (climbing out of pit). I thin I ended up with something in the middle of all 4 looks. Dark almost black blood in some spots, coated in others, and dirty in most. I am not happy with the chain links, but everything else is OK for now.
So here is my finished saw. Thanks for looking and I’m happy to answer any questions to help out other builders. I have many more pics so if something wasn’t clear I will be happy to try and clarify with images.
-First up, the $25 local Craigslist find! Turns out the posting was from a company that sells and rebuilds all types of chainsaw, so it was one stop shopping for the saw, a used 20” bar, and cheap chain. For about $45 I had the foundation. (FYI, if you ever buy these off professionals, be ready for a “warning”/speech from the seller about how the bar wont fit that saw and you will ruin it! I told them straight up that I didn’t need it to work and just wanted it to look good. This confused them even more.)
-I picked this up about 2 weeks before the Calgary Expo. I was already flying up primarily for the Aliens cast, but low and behold, also in attendance would be Bruce Campbell! Too perfect. I would never finished the saw in time (nor would I ever get it on a plane…or even in the Con for that matter due to rules about metal props) so I slapped a quick coat of blood on the left side of the housing. Then I took just that panel with me in my carry-on and away I went.
Success! Now all I need to do is build the entire rest of the saw…
Step 1 was finish the gutting of engine parts.
Then I had to modify the bar bracket so that it maintained its ability to secure the bar, but have room for a hand.
Not much room, so I got a little creative in rigging up the chain retention system. Used wood, screws and bolts to try to keep everything where they were supposed to be. The bracket is aluminum, so its easily cut and drilled. When in doubt, drill a hole and/or zip tie it!
Below is the final “bar” assembly. It bolts to the housing using the original 4 bolts in the same unmodified spots. Fairly secure and pretty simple, but not much room. I could kick out the bottom leg and get more space, but then I lose stability. A 20” bar and chain is pretty heavy so I decided against it.
For the overall body, I went with more of a “Army of Darkness” build. I feel it was a better constructed and sturdier saw around the wrist bracket and muffler.
From the screen grabs I took, the muffler is obviously the back side of the stock muffler with a slit cut into the front. It was then just mounted to a block of wood. Hardly elegant, but hell, its screen accurate I guess.
The vent was much harder. What I did was cut a cap to a can of spray paint in half. I filled the top with fiberglass resin. The bottom ring I filled with bondo. I then cut the slits by hand with a dremel/hacksaw/file combination. I figured I would build 2 then use whichever I liked best. The other one is probably off to ebay to see if anyone wants it. Of course the one I liked best was the one I did second (I learned from the mistakes of the first one)
The wrist bracket looked complicated, but was pretty simple. Sheet steel cut to size and a “T-Bolt” from the local auto parts store. I bought some ½” aluminum strips from home depot to use as the strapping because the aluminum is softer and much easier to work with than cutting my own strips from steel. A few bolts and I was rolling.
Now the top panel was something else entirely. It was the biggest PITA of the whole build. As most know, the later parts of ED2 and the saw from AoD had a raised top center panel. It is not flat steel like in the “workshed” scene. I wanted that, so I set out to building it the hard way…
I considered doing it in card stock and ‘pep’ing it, but eventually caved and just committed to steel and fiberglass. First I curved and offset the steel to the arc I wanted.
Then I laid it down on some sticker-paper backing (wax paper may work?) and build fiberglass side walls. When it dried I trimmed it to fit.
Then on to the carry handle. I used 1” aluminum. I also build two of these with the plan to use the best one. The second one is also probably on ebay by now. Again, I liked the second one better. The counter-sink effect was down with a ½” spade bit on both ends, then widened on the top with a dremel tool so the 1” lag bolts would fit more snug. FYI, The same 1” oak dowel rod was used for the pull handle (replaced plastic one).
I didn’t see the need to go as crazy cutting up the housing. I just cut off the front pillar of the original carry handle, then cut an arc in top to make room for a hand to enter. I had to trim up the very back to get rid of some curves so the block of wood for the muffler would fit properly and of course trimmed the opening all over in general. I think keeping much of the plastic intact helps with the overall durability.
Then it came down to a ton of ¼” bolts (flat heads are far more screen accurate to phillips), a lot of drilling and a lot of finagling to get everything attached.
Finally paint. Here I got a little carried away I fear. I was going for AoD but ended up with a hybrid blood job. In ED2, you have “dirty” (pre combat) and “absolutely soaked in blood” looks. In AoD your two looks are “dried blood and sand” (falling from sky) and “Soaked in black blood of deadites” (climbing out of pit). I thin I ended up with something in the middle of all 4 looks. Dark almost black blood in some spots, coated in others, and dirty in most. I am not happy with the chain links, but everything else is OK for now.
So here is my finished saw. Thanks for looking and I’m happy to answer any questions to help out other builders. I have many more pics so if something wasn’t clear I will be happy to try and clarify with images.
