Natural Alder Coppice

[Dan Maynard]

2 minutes ago, Elliott.F said:

Looks fantastic and a great way to help the trusts out and create biodiversity.

And you're a Husky man too.

Do you get to keep any of the wood?

Yes I'm just on the monthly Wildlife Trust work party through the winter, need people with tickets to do the saw work. For me it's a good opportunity to fell without sheds or fences nearby and I don't have to clear up any sawdust. The good wood mostly ends up as firewood locally, I have had the odd load.

 

Ah not exactly, got one Husky then mix of Stihl, Dolmar and Makita. That one went to spud for conversion from 365 to ported 372 so is a good saw.

[slack ma girdle]

8 hours ago, Elliott.F said:

 

Good advice and great video, thanks.

 

When you say your branch logger produces logs too quickly, do you mean it fills the trailer so quickly that its hard to keep up?

Ideally i would like the logs to go straight into barrow bags, which takes about 2 minutes. That doesn't leave enough time to change over the bag whilst the full one is loaded.

The other issue is you get quite a lot of bits which need to be screened .

[Dan Maynard]

8 hours ago, slack ma girdle said:

The other issue is you get quite a lot of bits which need to be screened .

I was thinking the screening is a pain to make sellable product but if the logs are for your own use then you are benefiting from the ease of cutting, so worth the hassle. Or can you just chuck the bits in the fire with the logs?

[slack ma girdle]

1 hour ago, Dan Maynard said:

I was thinking the screening is a pain to make sellable product but if the logs are for your own use then you are benefiting from the ease of cutting, so worth the hassle. Or can you just chuck the bits in the fire with the logs?

It depends on what I'm putting through the branch logger, dead and dying ash is particularly splintery.

I mainly use it for reducing forestry residues,  and supplying myself with firewood,  so I'm not that fussed.

If i screen out the bits it takes about an hour to go through the 10x5 trailer by hand, and produces about 10 barrow bags.

[AHPP]

37 minutes ago, slack ma girdle said:

 

I mainly use it for reducing forestry residues, 

I’ve often thought that would be a great use for them. How good is the logger residue to drive on compared to a brash mat or woodchip? 

[slack ma girdle]

3 hours ago, AHPP said:

I’ve often thought that would be a great use for them. How good is the logger residue to drive on compared to a brash mat or woodchip? 

No idea, i just use it to keep the forest floor clear, to aid replanting,  and most owners like to see a tidy forest 

[lux]

Thought about a charcoal kiln for the Alder coppice. ?  It’s one of the best and young coppice like that would be ideal.  

[Elliott.F]

3 hours ago, lux said:

Thought about a charcoal kiln for the Alder coppice. ?  It’s one of the best and young coppice like that would be ideal.  

I have actually been thinking about that and have done a little research on the subject.

We have a decent amount of Alder, but right now I’m not sure I’d have the extra time to make, process and sell charcoal.

I might change my mind if thought it could be a profitable enterprise and worth the investment, but at the moment I don’t know too much about that. 

 

I might start a new thread and get some advice 🤔

[lux]

11 minutes ago, Elliott.F said:

I have actually been thinking about that and have done a little research on the subject.

We have a decent amount of Alder, but right now I’m not sure I’d have the extra time to make, process and sell charcoal.

I might change my mind if thought it could be a profitable enterprise and worth the investment, but at the moment I don’t know too much about that. 

 

I might start a new thread and get some advice 🤔

I’ve recently started my own charcoal commercially. Just 1 kiln at the moment. Will add another next year perhaps.

 

 

[Elliott.F]

20 hours ago, lux said:

I’ve recently started my own charcoal commercially. Just 1 kiln at the moment. Will add another next year perhaps.

 

 

That’s great. Who do you plan to sell to, retail, wholesale, direct, etc?

Also, whats the size of your kiln?
If was to try this I’d probably just get a small kiln and test the water. 
Cheers.