Wanting to start in coppicing/forestry

[Stubby]

7 minutes ago, Spruce Pirate said:

Knowing practically nothing about coppicing I have a romantic image of hand-cutting and brash bonfires.  That said there's a bit along the road that's grown for biomass which is cut with a forager.  Is it a forage harvester you're talking about or forestry harvester or specific coppice harvester?

Sorry I was meaning hand cutters in general , thinking that coppicing would not keep you going all year round so you would have to do some forestry cutting and yes I was meaning a forestry harvester .

[Spruce Pirate]

31 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Sorry I was meaning hand cutters in general , thinking that coppicing would not keep you going all year round so you would have to do some forestry cutting and yes I was meaning a forestry harvester .

Understand now.

[Keen 2 Learn]

On 22/08/2019 at 17:47, doobin said:

Here's a chainsaw, here's some woodland. I'm gonna go perform me some 'woodland maintenance', no degree needed! ?

 

Coppicing is hard graft for bugger all return. Unless you go into it in a big way with a good market, employing cutters and running a forwarder then I reckon it's like having a ride on mower- it's a race to the bottom and you'll always be that old guy in a beat up truck struggling to make ends meet.

 

On 22/08/2019 at 16:05, Mick Dempsey said:

I wouldn’t place too much store by what he told you re. needing a degree.

 

 

Haha, he said that was for doin more high end work for national trust castles etc, less copping more looking after and maintaining nice old forest. I'd guess there was a lot more p and d ident etc. I keep meaning to look the courses up that Bangor and the OU do

[Keen 2 Learn]

On 22/08/2019 at 21:12, Stubby said:

Sorry I was meaning hand cutters in general , thinking that coppicing would not keep you going all year round so you would have to do some forestry cutting and yes I was meaning a forestry harvester .

Whats forestry cutting?

[ESS]

On 09/08/2019 at 06:43, Keen 2 Learn said:

I've been a gardener most my working life and run my own company, but want to branch out more into coppicing/forestry and looking at the best way to go about it and what its like when you do. I don't yet have my chainsaw and equipment etc, and I know that's the first step and Im on my way to doing it, but I had a few questions I wondered if people might be able answer.

 

Im in Kent so it will be mostly sweet chestnut, but wondered what people do during the summer when you're not supposed to cut it? Or do people just do it anyway?..

 

Is there much else besides sweet chestnut? Id seen a few posts about some cop nut and cutting down old orchards, is that sort of thing regular or mostly here and there?

 

I know its not mega money, but if you were working on your own cutting how much roughly would you make a day, or a week? I normally work 7:30 til 6 most days, and work the majority of Saturday and Sundays too, so I was hoping I could get through it relatively quickly and make enough to keep the mortgage in check, so Im guessing that would make me some more. Im 36 and still fairly fit so a long week isn't too much of a bother.

 

Apologies for all the questions.I tried searching for beginner questions, but didn't see much so wanted to get as much info as I could. I've spoken to a couple of firms about work so I should have a few days to drag and clear to learn a few bits with people just to start off with,

 

Thanks a lot

Once you get sorted with saws and tickets it may be worth giving your local Euroforest harvesting manager a call.Theres a possibility one of their contractors is seeking saw men in front of a harvester for the power station supply. It would be gutty work, but would get your foot in the door.

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, Keen 2 Learn said:

Whats forestry cutting?

Now a days its probably just working in front of the harvester felling over sized or steep banks were the harvester can't get . Years ago hand cutters would to everything .

[Rough Hewn]

You're in Kent?
Loads of work.
Put an advert in the employment section.
Loads of coppice work around Cantebury and ashford.
Quite a few decent arb crews that way too,
Chestnut in winter,
Spring and summer subbing to local tree surgeons?
[emoji106]

[Keen 2 Learn]

23 hours ago, ESS said:

Once you get sorted with saws and tickets it may be worth giving your local Euroforest harvesting manager a call.Theres a possibility one of their contractors is seeking saw men in front of a harvester for the power station supply. It would be gutty work, but would get your foot in the door.

Nice one Ill google them

[Keen 2 Learn]

22 hours ago, Stubby said:

Now a days its probably just working in front of the harvester felling over sized or steep banks were the harvester can't get . Years ago hand cutters would to everything .

And you said it wasn't paid the best yea? Im just thinking about the mortgage..

[Keen 2 Learn]

21 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

You're in Kent?
Loads of work.
Put an advert in the employment section.
Loads of coppice work around Cantebury and ashford.
Quite a few decent arb crews that way too,
Chestnut in winter,
Spring and summer subbing to local tree surgeons?

 

The guy I spoke to coppicing was a trees surgeon when he wasn't coppicing in the winter. The thing 

is I've been working by myself for ever and kind of want to keep it that way haha, it may not be that bad tbh. How much do ground people get a day roughly though? Again, got to think about the mortgage