arboriculturist

The customers I speak to about kiln dried wood say that it is very expensive and burns away far to quickly. I do everything in my power to promote naturally air dried firewood and vise versa dissuading the public to avoid forced dried firewood and I will continue to actively do so. The average homeowner with a woodburner is not so unintelligent that they can't work out for themselves that they do not wish to personally subside a business via the RHI scheme to force dry firewood, that they then have to pay a premium to buy back to burn themselves. Stating the truth about force drying firewood does not make you popular with those that sell it, but it is a shameful practice that continues to exist at present and the planned legislation merely adds fuel to the fire. Any one else with me on this ?

It will need a powerfull / influential ambassador for the industry to emerge if we are to stand any chance of persuading the Gov. to backtrack now. As I have pointed out previously, DEFFRA had the consultation with the handfull of UK big players, who all force dry firewood and then set the 'Ready to burn' MC at a level that suits them perfectly but is totally unachievable for several months of the year for a large proportion of producers who naturally air dry. As per usual, lack of consultation, finance and meeting targets by whatever ill-construed means is what comes to mind often where the Government is concerned. So after C19 has levelled off with >100,000 UK lives lost, along with tax rises and Brexit implemented 1000's of firewood retailers will be impacted massively or forced to cease trading as their production process they have used for decades doesn't meet the latest criteria. Apologies for the reality check, but that is how I see the future chain of events going down in history.

What a fantastic idea! Yes it is true that panel type insulation needs to be airtight between sections and I would use something like Cellulose 'Warmcell' sandwiched between, rather than a superficial caulk that just makes a seal but void of insulation between panels. Also I would use additional Warmcell panels in the wall construction to supplement the Poplar, due to it's low cost and environmental soundness. Yes,100% fit a dehumidifier, humidity-stat controlled and drain off piped to outside for zero maintenance, Ebac or similar quality unit. None of this needs to cost a fortune. Looking forward to following progress. ?

Foliage - Tilia cordata. Timber - Prunus spp.

I hope you have good fortune with your application. As you know a thing or two about milling, which super-wide bandsaw would you buy? I am sure you have tried a few and been researching these for years ?

Basically if you have the neck to do it you are able to declare whatever turnover you wish. New businesses can self-certify (like the old days of mortgages). I am really impressed how intuitive the NW site was, took literally minutes to complete the whole process. It will be a breeze for you. I didn't get greedy and stuck with almost the full 25% on actual accounting figures turnover.This is an opportunity not to be missed Steve! Just like when the RHI feed in tariff 1st arrived - a golden opportunity. To grow any business fast you need capital and this is the best it gets.

Even ported by yourself, our 346 was not a pleasure to use, it was super aggressive and just plain didn't feel right. 325 chain on and nothing beats it (except our 357xp perhaps, which will be coming your way in due course by the way - for the full works!)

No - but an important point is: you can borrow 25% of your annual turnover. No credit checks, fees to pay etc.

I suspect Steve will be getting a lot of PM's after people view that site - Tree Surgeons - all that is needed is a straightforward site just like that - the layperson is not interested in the finer points of the art. Remember, statistically, the attention span is circa 3 seconds when someone lands on a site / post / etc.

That has got to be one of the easiest Website to navigate and points of contact spot on - All credit to Steve !

We tried that approach - IMO the 3/8 was too aggressive for precision work climbing and way more vibration, OK for a cutter but then you would be using a larger cc saw unless early years thinning. After all it's just another pack of files needed in the toolbox for .325.

Can't see it listed on Arbtrader. Go on shock us - what are you upgrading to?

I've great respect for offshore workers - it can be a harsh dangerous environment at times

Ah, fair enough - hobby use.

The good old days of save up and then buy something are what a lot of us were brought up with. That said I can't think of any successful business that started in the last 15 years that got to where they are today without finance. It took me many years to get that concept in business, when I did it was a game changer. ( not suggesting extravagance, we have plenty of well maintained old machines still. ) Money is low cost right now so a good time to build your business. Big J. will explain very eloquently when he has the time.

Surely anyone who can afford a reasonable entry level bandsaw can finance an old forklift for 1.5 - 2k, as operating without one would be insanely inefficient if you factor in moving the slabs. After all that's what they were designed for - moving and stacking things !

When I first started to read this I was thinking cutting 500mm lengths in a processor - nothing new, but when I got the gist of the nails concept, I though, what a great idea! Innovative thinking - impressive. ?

Fear of falling in high winds is not a valid reason for the removal of this tree. That said, large trees with targets should be inspected on a 'reasonable' frequency by a suitable qualified and insured expert. Not wishing to go into tree dymamics etc. its a large fluffy fuzz ball, which birds love to spend time in, as its a safe sheltered environment for them. Looking at the neighbourhood, it looks like keeping all trees possible would benefit the local community.

Thanks for the generous advice. Yes, my plan with my solar array was long and slow especially in Winter, when even my 25 - 30 panels wont be producing many Kw. Loving your Website !?

100% agree - which is why my post said - all the commercial setups so dependent on computer controlled drying / humidity control schedules. There are hundreds of people all over the country who force dry wood, so there is a strong possibility that a lot of timber gets totally ruined unintentionally, which is why I posted. I am sure there of those on here with a wealth of experience who will comment in time. ?

Milling as we know is the easy part, selling the product is the issue and there are many, many millers on here who realise if they could force dry their milled timber it would be far more marketable. Several generations exist where the 'go to' is 'kiln dried'. I think as there is plenty of space here I would follow Big J's example and buy a 20ft shipping container, insulate the outside, profile sheet roof and provide the heat source from 25/ 250w solar panels I have here not utilised. Still thinking there will be a lot of research needed to design the internal layout, plus calculate an average drying schedule and humidity control. Others may disagree, however why are all the commercial setups so dependent on computer controlled drying / humidity control schedules ? If anyone running a similar setup would like to put forward suggestions I am sure they would be very welcome. ?

Great feedback there thanks. Anyone in their right mind would buy a Trakmet of course if they had 3 phase and don't need portability, as they are such amazing value for money and in a totally different league. Woodlands and Logosol are just plug and play, whereas where there is no 3 phase, setting up a generator and associated infrastructure to run a Trakmet adds a lot to the total cost. Then it's issue of selling the milled products of course !

I can see why you have always erred towards the B1001 - 90cm and 23hp !!! ? Have you ever used one or tried one in earnest, as a peer review by someone who has spent years milling would be a great insight ? ? If not perhaps someone on the Forum has - there are lots of B751's about, not so many B1001's though.

Great advise as would be expected from yourself. 100 % agree re: joiners. I have known several all my life and they buy 'exactly' as you say ! I always thought marketing the products would be the challenge and your post confirms this. It seems clear that this is a niche market that will take several years to break into.- definitely a lot of time, effort and patience needed. I wasn't expecting many replies advising me where to sell the milled slabs, as many have worked long and hard to work things out for themselves the hard way. Saying that I have always found posters on here to be extremely generous with their advice, which I always appreciate. Even though I have never got into milling at this point in time, I can tell that it is one of those things that there is something very special about, that is not easy to put your finger on. ?

Sound advice as always. That is the exact reason for the post - I don't wish to 'learn the hard way' ! I have been looking at all the oversize timber here for years now and as I walk past the stacks, I generally think "I must do something with all that timber". But what has always put me off is the doubt in my mind as to wether there is a ready market for it. The cost of a mill is not the hurdle, it is the risk of 25 butts milled and stickered that there may not be a market for. At least having a forklift and plenty of space means I can access different trees as and when required. Just here waiting for all the advice to come flooding in now ?