Oil Can Holster

Shall handheld battery chainsaws have become very popular for pruning jobs around the yard, orchard or woodlot. We have 17,000 hardwoods that were planted eleven years ago that we prune. Mostly we use loppers for pruning but once limbs get to 1" or larger we like the small chainsaw.

The shortcoming of the battery powered saws is that there is no automatic chain oiler. Chains sliding in the bar without frequent oilings will heat and wear, leading to premature failure. The answer is to stop every few cuts and to apply a few drops of oil between the chain and the bar.

No one wants to carry an oil can around with them as they work. My answer to the problem was an oil can holster.

SUPPLIES

1 quart plastic milk bottle

Small (6 ounce) pump type oiler

Belt from a thrift store

TOOLS

Sharpie marker

Scissors

Paper hole punch

Stand the oil can and the milk bottle next to each other and use the Sharpie to mark where the plastic should be cut. Leave one side of the plastic as high as you can for the belt slots. The other three sides are cut just low enough so the oil can will fit inside the milk bottle and will still be easy to retrieve.

Use the scissors to cut away the top of the bottle. Use the hole punch to remove adjoining rounds of plastic to form two slots. Insert the belt through the slots, put on your oiler holster, and insert the oil can.