fifer2000

Get onto your local Forest Authority. They are the arm of the Commision who deal with grants etc If you get a good person they should advise, but you really need to have an idea what you want to do, a managment plan.

Treesnatcher - thanks, but link not working.

Thanks to all of you trying to help. These ones have obviousley come straight from the nurserry and been stuck in the ground, still very juvenille and sparse. They stand about 5m tall and are about 12/14 standards. They have been pruned and trained along a cane frame. Where the canes have fallen away the branches have drooped and basically started to do there own thing, thats why I think the support frame is still needed. At the moment there is also about a meter gap between each head, ditto why I think frame might still be necessary.

On the subject of pleaching. I,ve just looked at a couple of lines of newly planted Pleached Limes. They look like they've had at least one, maybe 2 growing season since planting. The cane frames are falling to bits and the trees are already starting to do there own thing. Would rebuilding the cane frames then tieing in and pruning be ok?, or is a wire frame work necessary. There was such a frame on the only other example of pleached Limes I've ever seen this far north of the border! Any advice greatly recieved. The client is a government quango with pots of cash. They initially asked for a survey on the landscaping of their new premises - it cant be more than 2 years old!!!

Big J. I've been splitting logs for 30 years and I like to think I've used them all. I now keep 2 splitters.One hulking great brute of a thing, 20 ton ram, road towable. Horizontal or vertical. I use this one for breaking down big rings at ground level. I also split 1m billets for crosscutting. Splitter 2 is a 240v/7.5 ton machine with the table at waist height made by Thor. I cannot tell you how much I rate this machine. If you can lift it on, it will deal with it. A bit on the slow side, but knots twisted grain, it will do them all. I'm local to you so if you want to see/try/blether call me. david 0780 808 9354

Jonathan, Sounds like the kind of thing I do. If not me then a man I know. Ring me if you want to talk about it. David Neill 01555 660329/0780 808 9354

Thanks bareroots,just had a look at his website, and sent him an email. Wish I could do that stuff, the mushroom is my limit!!!

J, A lot depends on how the customer wants his logs. All at 10 inch for a wee stove,or 20 inch for a boiler makes a hell of a difference. I can do 6 maybe 8 cube a day alone. If the timber is ugly that makes a big difference too. Last measure load I bought worked out at about 2.5 cube to the ton. If your getting Smithy's tractor log splitter it's fast. Think I'd offer the guy day rate with an educated guess......Dave Neill. Is this for a guy with a hotel down in North Ayrshire?

I just felled a big dead fir for a client and he wants it carved. I think he already has an idea what he wants. The job is in South Lanarkshire, Scottish Central Belt, about 80 miles north of Carlisle. Anyone interested in the job should contact me and I will pass on their details. Client will want to see some sort of portfolio.

Tom D, Thanks for the advice. Am cleaning boiler plates, and the wood is as dry as I can make it without installing a kiln. I may just be asking too much of it. Only having 2 boiler tappings really threw the plumber. I does do our hot water as well. Manual only rates boiler at 10kw on wood.

My shed was broken into last week. The ne'er do wells got away with an older Husq.357, Dolmar 100super (toy saw a scared client gave me once), but most sadly a mates Stihl 088 with 42 inch bar!! I had made bar cover for it from OSB. Not worried about the first 2 but the loss of the big chap vexes me. Could be the length of the country by now. Dont expect to see them again just wanted to vent my spleen end say beware.

I've been selling well seasoned hardwoods,mixed species for £50 a 'big bag'. bags are hand packed in the back of my sprinter van then unloaded by hand. It is labour intensive but I get the chance to chat to my customers,and I can still do 4 in a day comfortably. In September price will be going up to £60.Like a previous contributor stated gas oil and elec have taken huge jumps why shouldnt logs. Diesel goes up almost daily and thats the fuel I use to cut split and deliver. Oh yes,I charge delivery on a sliding scale outside my own immediate area. A few grumbles but no complaints. Cant do logs quick enough in my area.

I generally mix horse chestnut so nobody gets a full load. Never had a complaint, but I put a lot of effort into firewood. We dont get sweet chestnut in Scotland generally, wots it burn like? I think it would b like oak.

TomD, Been cutting trees and burning wood all my life. Had lots of woodburning stoves/rayburns etc, but the rayburn nouvelle (slightly older than your 355) just doesn't seen to be cutting it. I even bought some coal,shock horror!! We've installed it in our new extension and to be honest our plumber was/is a muppet. Told us he knew what he was doing but clearly didn't. He decided we didn't need the Dunsley neutraliser. Think it just scared him really. Any advice greatly recieved tom. The irony is I'm effectivly the local firewood guru!!

Unless I'm mistaken.Makita's are all rebranded Sachs Dolmars. These saws are still very popular in Germany as a pro machine.