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Thanks for the info I won't worry about the hole an leave it as is. I will try to get another shot tomorrow of the full tree. We had it inspected regularly, but not since COVID. The weak union (included union?) was noted but not of concern. The tree has never been managed or pollarded and it is a big one, but no different from many seen in London parks. The surprising thing to me was how dry the timber is. I've unsuccessfully been looking for my moisture meter to test it. Of all the green timber I've milled and worked I've not had any this dry, the wood around the break snaps and cracks like dried wood and is bone dry and light to the touch. Is this common for this variety? Thanks again Jonnym

Aye, like many other natural things from the past it had and still has multiple uses, it's just that industry tries to create and market new and unnecessary products that don't really work any better, but as the generations slip by the old ways get lost or perhaps deliberately buried. I take it your girlfriend uses it as a flux, Borax also has this use and you should google it's lengthy list of lost traditional uses ranging from preventing wood rot to stuff that most folk won't believe cheers.

The biggest problem i see with it is the general public don't really seem to know that much about it yet and by the time they do and decide to do something about it the trees will be too far gone and unsafe to climb so it's all going to be cherry picker work and that's if access allows

Same here in the NW trees dying everywhere, also noticing something that at least looks similar on some Rowan although I know they're not related. and also a lot of sick looking Sitka dropping needles and the tops dying out, first noticed this a couple of years ago but not many talking about it.. may be an Aphid 👎

Same as me, was buying Rotatech super sexy but was finding it a bit not tacky enough so just taken delivery of 40 litres of Gator ET 50 which I'm hoping will cling like I remember it used to. It was slightly cheaper dealing with Gator oils direct over ebay and a very good speedy service into the bargain and free delivery over £50👍

I've replaced two. I wouldn't go down the bodged route, just order new from predator. About £25 each. From memory you can disconnect the rams from both sides and the machine has more swivel so you can remove the bolts. The advice I got from predator was it happens from a too quick a slew speed. You want a full range of movement to take 8 seconds.

We had put prices up a few months back. But last 5/6 weeks we seem to be priced out a lot more on domestic as people look for the cheapest quotes…

Sounds like the problem is your zigzag, after about six months mine started slipping on petzl flo and cousin atrax which is the same rope, after a long drawn out affair with fr jones where i bought it from the new zigzag finally arrived and there's now no slippage at all, both those ropes work brilliantly with the zigzag they start to self tend almost straight away when using a pulleysaver or ropeguide, the new zigzag release-descend lever is a different colour compared to the original one it almost looks like titanium

Lowering prices won't help conversion rates. If anything, put prices up.

I have never bought any less than 100ltrs of chain oil or 5ltrs of 2 stroke oil for many years now, just find it so much easier to by in bulk and try to get a better deal on it even if i have to buy more than i want to get the deal, cant be doing with running about for small amounts of chain oil /2 stroke oil, when we get to last 25ltr drum of chain oil i just order more,

Have used Gator oil for over 4 years just get it delivered so no running about for it.

Bought the hexa kit when it was first available, 2 chains + file, wasn't that impressed with it at all, went back to rs chain every bit as good if not better

Anyone else noticed the amount of ash trees in Northern Ireland with ash die back, seems to be really taking off here.

It amazes me that that people buy chain oil in such small quantities. It doesn't go off. I'm only a freelance climber (and don't use very much) and buying 25l drums still seems fiddly considering I have the space for a 210l drum. Now questioning why I haven't done that actually... I'm constantly amazed when firms that have the space to store a chipper, stump grinder, two trucks etc turn up with 2l and 5l bottles from saw shops. Ridiculously expensive and inconvenient. I'd be wanting tanker deliveries like heating oil if I ran an outfit of any size. TL;DR - Buy the largest quantity you can store. More is usually cheaper per litre.

Wow cool I didnt know Tallow was a cutting compound for Brass my girfriend uses it for her Stained glass work

I’ve been seeing things pick up recently. Not sure how long it will last, I suspect when peoples heating goes back on it’ll tail off again. But for now, it’s ok at least.

I was in a very similar set up to u a few years back the collectning pipes silted up so supply went dry plus a leak and the usual lack of care when a few houses ( 8 on our system) U sort of forget and take it for granted, i was just new at the time. I'm sure at the time we just googfed it and a few options came up, we were looking for now holding tanks thou, ended up just getting new lids for them and a few other things. The neighbours wanted a company in which was fine, althou they have bolted all the lids down so a real pain to open and see wots going on inside. Even if they were hinged and shut securely Personally i think i would of made them easier to open, not even as if all the same fittings some bolted, some tech screwed Is ur tanks/pipes still on FC ground? That might be ur biggest baw ache dealing with them esp if u need diggers/machinery involved, best avoidnig if u can or gets complicated. To be honest u could really use almost any plastic or fibre glass ( potable water safe) container and just bore a tank conector to it. Tomorrows job is doing something similar, putting some new sediment catches in wot i call my 'hilly billy supply' just a ipe that runs of a small ditch/burn that fills some IBCs up the hill above me and i use it for 'outside' water, mainly dog kennels pressure washing etc. Then i don't need to worry about using the communal system, been busy pressure washing the past 2 days and don't ned to worry wot the neighbours think. Not sure yet if going to use paving slabs or concrete as the base and some bricks as sub dividers so should be easy to shovel up the silt. it then flows n to a mineral lick tub with a tank connector

I get parts and consumables for my own stuff from Border Chainsaw. Cost a bit more than it might online but you'll find you get better service with all sorts of things as a known face at the counter.

Unless you're buying large amounts from a dealer and get a great discount, I've been buying via eBay Rotatech 25l or Gator 20l. When you include delivery it's cheaper than going direct. £2 - 2.15 per litre

For bigger quantities try Rye oil but for 5l your local dealer, get a good working relationship with them and in most cases you will receive good service and prices in return for loyalty

I think @Stubby meant go back to boarder saws being the ops local dealer

That failure was, if not predictable, then likely or foreseeeable by any tree inspection. SBD isn’t, no obvious faults, unlike that plane.

I was reading about summer branch drop, one of the problems they identified is that there is no clear and universal definition. The branch failed in the summer on a still hot day, not due to wind/storm/snow/ice etc loading so some would indeed call that summer branch drop. Others would say SBD is only those branches which looked perfect but suddenly fell off. My pondering is how much the moisture level in the tree changes in summer, if it goes down then shrinkage of the timber will be increasing the stress in unequal directions.

We had exactly that problem had a new plastic tank buried adjacent to old brick one with spoil filling old tank then plastic pipe moled in On good terms with neighbours so no probs with access and new post and rail round tank

I'd have thought 20kva would have had enough poke to run everything, it's usually better to run them hard than on tick over. If it was me I'd just not have a shower and use the immersion instead and a smaller generator. Make sure you install a changeover switch to prevent sending power out to the grid