using chain saw to cut hole for ice fishing ..need a little help

[fishtank]

my jiffy crapped out so for a short term solution, i have a few spare chainsaws in my garage, looking to use one for cutting holes in the ice on the lake. what are some thing i need to do before using it on the ice ??
thanks

[jungleboy]

my jiffy crapped out so for a short term solution, i have a few spare chainsaws in my garage, looking to use one for cutting holes in the ice on the lake. what are some thing i need to do before using it on the ice ??
thanks

one thing I have always wondered about is the chain oil ,I would think you have to drain that out completely .

[Ken07AOVette]

one thing I have always wondered about is the chain oil ,I would think you have to drain that out completely .

Exactly Clean it very well, strip it down, soap and hot water if you want to be completely safe, little canola oil to inhibit rust.

[Albertadiver]

Exactly Clean it very well, strip it down, soap and ht water if you want to e completely safe, little canola oil to inhibit rust.

This is what we do when ice diving. Works well.

[Albertadiver]

One other comment. If you can, push the block UNDER the ice, not bring it up on top. Ever seen a skidoo hit a solid block of ice at a decent speed? Not pretty. Depending on the size of the hole, we use sticks and flagging tape to warn others. And yes, a person should figure out a way to discard the flagging tape after a day or so for the ice to set up again. We slide the block of ice back into place at the end of the diving day, but it can take a while for the edges to re-freeze.

[Jims71duster]

Could be wrong but I thought a 12" hole is the biggest u can make unless its covered with shack

[Ken07AOVette]

If 8" is big enough I have a very nice electric one you can use, I just bought a new 10" Eskimo.

[ken1989]

I have seen commercial fishermen make a 2 foot square hole with a chain saw to ser theit nets. The holes were not flagged. It would be quite easly to step or drive into a hole under poor conditions like blowing snow or darkness.

[Lefty-Canuck]

I would think borrowing an auger is a better choice....where are you fishing and how long of a bar do you have on the saw?

LC

[duffy4]

I have seen a block on the ice beside a big hole on Struble lake. There was a family with young kids ice fishing (and playing around) about 100 yards or less away. I figured there was a chance a kid could go into the lake there so I managed to break the block free and pushed it into the hole. Then fished nearby the rest of the day.

Be careful, be safe!

[ken1989]

You need a long enough bar on the chainsaw. Also the chainsaw will kick out water so you need to be careful where you stand and not get wet. You will need an ice pick or ice bar (preferably two) to extract the ice cube.

[Rdamours]

I went ice fishing with a buddy that forgot his auger. The chainsaw did the trick through quite thick ice.

I think we pushed the block down under the ice...

[MtnGiant]

If you decide to use chainsaw....to be environmentally kind and safe....you will have to drain and clean the crude oil and fill it with vegetable oil. You dont wanna run it too long...but it works.
Cut ur hole on an angle so the cube is like a wedge. To remove it...use ur tent peg screws to pull it out. When ur done fishing....put the cube back in place and voila...ur done safe and sound. Easy.

[fishtank]

If you decide to use chainsaw....to be environmentally kind and safe....you will have to drain and clean the crude oil and fill it with vegetable oil. You dont wanna run it too long...but it works.
Cut ur hole on an angle so the cube is like a wedge. To remove it...use ur tent peg screws to pull it out. When ur done fishing....put the cube back in place and voila...ur done safe and sound. Easy.

great idea on the wedge shape and screw pull out . thanks
i would be cutting 10 inch or less hole for the above mention safety reasons,
big thanks to everyone for their advice and input:)

[linger]

good solution get rid of commercial fishing:angry3:

[chriscosta]

If you decide to use chainsaw....to be environmentally kind and safe....you will have to drain and clean the crude oil and fill it with vegetable oil. You dont wanna run it too long...but it works.
Cut ur hole on an angle so the cube is like a wedge. To remove it...use ur tent peg screws to pull it out. When ur done fishing....put the cube back in place and voila...ur done safe and sound. Easy.

This is exactly how I do it too and it works awesome just gotta guard the hole good so nobody slips in and cut the hole ninety percent of the way through all the way around then finish it up for minimum splashed or bang it with a hammer