Chesnut Fencing stakes

[digga]

chestnut post and rail is normally split out with hammer and steal wedges i normally use a log splitting maul for driving the wedges in as its handy to turn around and cut the stringy fibres or finish off the split if the wood is a bit touchy to cleave you can use a froe to put it in quarters ones you have bust it in half cleft timber is stronger than sawn as the grain is kept in tacked

[Frankie Lawrence]

been making chestnut fencing products for over 20 years now and was taught by guys who had been in it all there life . And been putting up fences for 18 years now winter cut chestnut will out last summer cut by a long way.

but even summer cut will outlast most of the softwood thats avalable now have found the main reason for peeled posts out lasting unpeeled is not due to the sapwood as pointed out chestnut has very little sapwood . BUT when the barks left on it tends to hold the moisture against the post and as it starts to flake off gives somewhere for the bug to live. allot of sweet chestnut coppice around kent and sussex use to be for the hop poles but not so many hop gardens around now and not so much coppicing either can be a very hard way to try earn a living shame you cant treat the chestnut posts like they use to do the hop poles they lasted ages but doubt you would be allowed to know or if it would be cost effective

 

How do you mean treat them dipping them? If so there's plenty of guys around who do it still and swear by it and others who don't..

 

 

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[digga]

they wasnt just dipped they where hot dipped which drawed the tar up the pole then allowed to cool down there use to be a tar tank in one of the woods i use to work in and got talking to a old guy walking his dog who use to use it he said he has seen the tar draw all the way up through the post allso said about sevaral tar tanks burning down when they got it wrong

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Thanks Doobin, is there any way of telling when it was cut apart from the vendors word ?

I am a farm manager and cannot understand the rubbish/ foreign products we are sold/ choose to use, this is british, superior to softwood and if purchased directly from the woodman there would be a level of trust regarding when the timber is cut.

At what point in history did all our industries become so distant, there are thousands of acres of woodland that if managed correctly could provide excellent materials for agriculture/ building industry.

 

We found some fencing in the brambles as part of our hls hedge work, the wire was completely corroded however the four inch square chesnut posts are in bloody good order. asked the wifes grandad and he does not think he fenced it and he's been farming here for sixty years plus !

 

great post, pun not intended! and your right, we can produce far better

[doobin]

Did my CS32 in a local woodland on chestnut coppice. That's large trees off larger stools! We've left some long straight lengths but the guy who owns the wood has got in touch and asked if I'd like to help bandsaw it up for posts/rails. Gonna do it, learn a new skill, but it sounds like they'd be better split Doobin. You talking about the ray cells when you say cross grain? What effect does that have, other than an entry point for detritivores?

 

So splitting with a froe? Would a splitting axe do a decent job also?

 

It can be sawn, and will last as long as an oak sawn post no bother due to the tannins. Clefting is quicker, lasts even longer and gives the traditional rustic split finish for post and rails.

 

From my limited experience of milling chestnut, it moves and warps like you wouldn't believe. The local mill doesn't bother with it, says it's too much hassle.

 

How large are these stools? If they are oversize then milling may well be the preferred option, as there's no market for chestnut fencing that I know of that calls for timber greater than about a foot diameter. If they're getting on for two to three feet then I bet quartering them would make cracking straining posts. However they would not look acceptable to most people, only a few farmers who know better

[Tommywommy]

Is there not some sort of national body/ organization promoting sustainable british timber ?

Your products are far superior to whats currently used/ availible from most agricultural stores.

Coppicing is surely the most sustainable way of producing timber, Why aren't Defra or forestry commisson out there promoting the product and the people who produce it.

Agriculture has its own issues with informing and interacting with joe public, If everyone does a little to help with the education side of things it can make a big difference, we do Open farm sunday every year and have a few other events here and numerous school visits throughout the year, It is making a difference locally, not only to our shop but also to others and the way they shop even in supermarkets.

Open Farm Sunday 2013 - Home

 

Go visit your local farm, talk to them and tell them what you do. Agriculture is in my opinion at a turning point were we are going to become alot more important than in the past. Without food we won't get much work done !

[coppiceer]

Wish chesnut fence posts were available round here.

 

Why no chesnut coppice futher north would it not grow well enough to be worth doing it?

 

 

Betws y coed has healthy looking sweet chesnut trees....

 

Sweet Chestnut will only grow well on an acid soil. I planted a few 15 years ago and I am still taller than they are; they make nice shrubs though. So I have to stick to growing Hazel for stakes and binders.

 

Apparently Robinia Pseudo-acacia is as durable as Sweet Chestnut and grows well on all soils, but mine have such wicked thorns that I can't bring myself to go near them.

 

 

 

There is a Sweet Chestnet supplier in Herefordshire if it is of any help:

 

Say It With Wood: Herefordshire Chestnut Fencing

[face cord]

Found this paper on chesnut coppice areas in UK

 

 

 

http://www.issw.ch/dienstleistungen/publikationen/pdf/4886.pdf

 

Seems to only to be up as far as north as Shropshire?

[farmer rod]

It can be sawn, and will last as long as an oak sawn post no bother due to the tannins. Clefting is quicker, lasts even longer and gives the traditional rustic split finish for post and rails.

 

From my limited experience of milling chestnut, it moves and warps like you wouldn't believe. The local mill doesn't bother with it, says it's too much hassle.

 

 

I have just clad a shed with some chestnut, no sign of movement (touch wood) and when it colours down a bit it will look lovely. (and obviously it needs tidying up inside)

[Rhob the Log]

It can be sawn, and will last as long as an oak sawn post no bother due to the tannins. Clefting is quicker, lasts even longer and gives the traditional rustic split finish for post and rails.

 

From my limited experience of milling chestnut, it moves and warps like you wouldn't believe. The local mill doesn't bother with it, says it's too much hassle.

 

How large are these stools? If they are oversize then milling may well be the preferred option, as there's no market for chestnut fencing that I know of that calls for timber greater than about a foot diameter. If they're getting on for two to three feet then I bet quartering them would make cracking straining posts. However they would not look acceptable to most people, only a few farmers who know better

 

Yep, 2ft plus 70% of them. There's an option to quarter them then, there's an idea. I'll have a chat and see what we can come up with. 200 stems of softwood to get through first, apparently! Cheers for the info guys