Are air dried logs to be made illegal?

[Woodworks]

9 minutes ago, aesmith said:

That document has figures for the UK, and if you look at Aberdeen for example they vary between 15.5% and a maximum of 18.4%

Aberdeen is on the east coast when most of our weather comes from the west and south west. Places to the lea of high ground are normally far drier with lower humidity. 

[Big J]

3 hours ago, aesmith said:

I've seen these figures published in other forms, but this document gives estimates for moisture content (EMC) at a number of locations on a month by month basis.  The figures for Scotland suggest it shouldn't be rising even as far as 20%.  Our own firewood certainly doesn't but I accept we do have a particularly effective store with shelter, airflow and a south facing wall.

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/zp/equilibrium_moisture_content.pdf

You have to remember that for timber to reach it's ultimate EMC takes quite some time. If firewood retailers waited for EMC to be achieved, they'd all be bankrupt.

 

Additionally, it doesn't take into account regional and local variation. Where we were near the Firth of Forth, the sea mist was a frequent occurrence and as was the drizzle. The climate was markedly drier just a touch further inland. 

 

Either way, my experience of EMC is that this year was the driest on record. With my £300+ moisture meter (Delmhorst J-2000 with hammer probe) we had moisture contents down to 13% in the sawn timber piles and also the firewood. Standard MC over winter was always a little over 20%. No sawn timber would ever make it right through winter under 20%.

[Big J]

3 minutes ago, Woodworks said:

Aberdeen is on the east coast when most of our weather comes from the west and south west. Places to the lea of high ground are normally far drier with lower humidity. 

Aberdeen is pretty miserable actually. Loads of sea mist and perpetual grey skies. 

[Woodworks]

9 minutes ago, Big J said:

Aberdeen is pretty miserable actually. Loads of sea mist and perpetual grey skies. 

Yes never been there but generally the wettest and most humid parts are west facing hills in the west. Alway exceptions though.

 

It can be so localised. We are on the West of Dartmoor but you only need to go a half hour from here to the NE of the moors and it can be a different world. Everything is green and lush here but went to Crediton last week and it was like a dessert by comparison. 

 

Whatever the new rules they need to give us all a sporting chance of complying with the rules. 25% burns fine and can be achieved by all whatever the weather.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Woodworks

[Ian C]

I have given up doing logs this year, there is simply no money in logs from arb waste, more cost affective for us to send it off in 27t bulkers, we chip up to 12" anyway so getting rid of the logs will be a bonus, no more running round doing deliveries for peanuts.

[daveatdave]

4 hours ago, Ian C said:

I have given up doing logs this year, there is simply no money in logs from arb waste, more cost affective for us to send it off in 27t bulkers, we chip up to 12" anyway so getting rid of the logs will be a bonus, no more running round doing deliveries for peanuts.

that's why you wanted to sell off bulk loads from your yard still 12"seems a waste

[Woodworks]

12 hours ago, Ian C said:

I have given up doing logs this year, there is simply no money in logs from arb waste, more cost affective for us to send it off in 27t bulkers, we chip up to 12" anyway so getting rid of the logs will be a bonus, no more running round doing deliveries for peanuts.

Try not charging peanuts. With the cost of roundwood rocketing I would have thought you tree boys are quids in with free (admittedly difficult) wood when firewood firms are paying an arm and a leg for the raw material. If the price of logs has not gone up much yet it wont be long.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

On 24/09/2018 at 18:13, gdh said:

Interestingly I noticed recently that Certainly Wood who are pushing for the new regulations only average 20% on their kiln dried.

It was interesting to watch the nomination and election process for the BSL advisory panel recently.  I have to admit to having a healthy cynicism for such bodies since it will always be the big boys that get a seat at the table to the exclusion / disadvantage of the smaller / independent players.  This will inevitably result in the deck being stacked in favour of the conditions and restrictions which favour them and become increasingly difficult to achieve at the smaller / localised level.  

 

To hell with it, they'll never stop rural folk from burning wood and they'll never be in a position to monitor the product effectively (at the smaller / local level.) 

[Ian C]

1 hour ago, Woodworks said:

Try not charging peanuts. With the cost of roundwood rocketing I would have thought you tree boys are quids in with free (admittedly difficult) wood when firewood firms are paying an arm and a leg for the raw material. If the price of logs has not gone up much yet it wont be long.

To be honest I have worked it out and to make it worh doing I need 120 a cube min, there shit loads round here doing dumpy bags for 40 quid, theres no way I will sell them at £120 a cube.

[Ian C]

8 hours ago, daveatdave said:

that's why you wanted to sell off bulk loads from your yard still 12"seems a waste

yep, all be going, I get more for woodchip than I do for timber! messing round with arb waste for logs is time consuming and were too busy to even look at logs.