arboriculturist

Not 'Todays Milling' but could be tomorrows - I've been offered some Elm. It's not that large but I am undecided if is worth the effort of extraction and milling. Maybe all into 3" planks and sit on them for a few years. 1st image is 2 sticks 3m x 18" diameter. 2nd image stick is 3.5m x 2ft diameter. 3rd image shows what the timber is like. What do you think ?

Container on plastic blocks - tractor battery electric fencer away from container wired to container through conduit underground. They wont bother you again!

As I've said previously - if a MM cost lest than £ 250 - 300 it will measure on Dry Basis. Woodsure wont be able to help you.

You know, I know, we all know there is no single right answer. Rob D gave me good advice few years back - selling is the issue. I would possibly do 1 or more of the following: Cut to assess stick. If you have ready market and ongoing large sticks - maybe invest. Offer to a miller as it is. Poss. get another miller to mill. Mill and sell wholesale to turn it over. Mill, sticker and store if you have the infrastructure. Remember to cost your and labour out - from the minute you step outside your front door. Employed staff can cost around 20 - 40% more to employ annually than just their hourly rate. Every hour spent on each task needs to be costed correctly - if not you may be flogging a dead horse. Good luck.

Yes, emailed them today. Thanks

Thanks for posting.

Ah thanks. I'll be busy on the phone with all the leads I'm getting.

I'll call them tomorrow. Thanks

Thanks for the contact.

Agreed - however they are closing their bare root season early as they have almost run out and you have to wait a minimum of a week before they will look at you email enquiry - will not accept phone enquiries. Thanks anyway.

These will be close to Somerset but I would always pay for carrier delivery as that works best for us. Thanks.

Our usual bare rooted hedging whips supplier has decided to wind things up. Having used him for years I have never needed to look elsewhere. I need a few thousand and time is getting on. Any recommendations of reliable wholesale suppliers would be most welcome. Oh and also green spirals and 90cm canes needed.

Fair enough. Yes the Makita is a reasonable although the wheel chain tensioner is Mickey Mouse. For £126 I paid for the bare saw, already having batteries made it a good buy. Not very refined like a Stihl though. Do you run the Stihl PM3 full chisel 3/8 chain on a 14" bar? I was thinking 12" bar may be better suited?

Ok - but what happened to the MAKITA DUC353Z 35CM you bought ?

Categorically - WET BASIS and a Meter that measures on a WET BASIS will cost you circa. £300.

Still measures on 'Dry basis' though.

"You need to define accuracy. If the log has been drying the reason you split it is so the meter measures the wettest (worst case). Not having a meter I cannot experiment but I imagine one could get a feel for the average moisture content by comparing an outside reading as well? " Yes I agree, as you said - "You need to define accuracy. " Mine was a general comment and was based on comparing pin test centre log with oven dry. There is a correlation between the outside MC and centre MC which can give a reasonable overall MC of the log. But there are of course a lot of variables that effect this, species, time of year, hardwood, softwood, size of log, length of time drying. I have developed my own data for this which works well as an indication of the MC of a batch of drying timber. All this said, basically time and airflow is your friend when it comes to lowering the MC of timber, as has been pointed out by many many times. Most people by now know how long they need to store their timber and under what conditions to achieve sub. 20% MC.

There is no shortcut, which is why I decided that the price of the correct meter is just another business expense to be absorbed. We all know that splitting a log in 1/2 and just testing the middle of a log is an inaccurate way of assessing the true MC of a piece of timber, but that is what we are all told to do and know one is interested to hear otherwise. For those who oven dry test, my point is clearly reinforced. I find it easier just to tow the line sometimes and this is sadly one of those occasions.

Approaching £300 to buy a MM that can be programmed to measure wwb - bearing in mind you will be lucky to find any supplier whatsoever in the UK that has a clue what you are talking about. Don't bother contacting Woodsure.

A 35X has as you know land and engine drive. It also has the 2 stage clutch - 1st for PTO and then wheels engage.

The finished product always depends on the length of branch length removed and the operative. I would never advocate use of pole pruners from ground, but a reduction of 1.5m from our tallest steps working off level ground with the Jamesons, I think few would notice a difference in method, if the brief was for 1.5m.

It looks more like an overgrown shrub - I don't think any tree surgeon would consider hiring a platform and I would think it could be done with the Jamesons fairly well.

Yes good idea, Yandles not far - thanks.

So basically if you are serious about milling slabs it sounds like you you need a setup like in Jewson's timber yard to maximise floor space and optimise storage area. Basically RSJ stantion racking similar to this, but far heavier steel, that can be accessed with the forklift, holds a lot of stickered products and is very accessible. 10 levels each side, I would think when full that would hold a serious stock of highly valuable slabs!

Priceless info. Thanks for those wise words and what you say rings true what you know about the Joinery sector. You have set me on the right road for sure. We get some unusual lumps of timber in all shapes and sizes and I loath to convert some of it into firewood. Got a 30" dia 2.5m length of Cherry just arrived - perhaps set it to one side for now.