Silverback

Now then Dan. When I did mine you only had to do CS 20,21 and 22 and this pretty much covered you for everything. When the new units came about you were automatically awarded a majority of these through the grandad rights sort of scheme. The old units used to encompass a few of these in one, i.e. using a saw from a rope would cover the correct pruning techniques in line with BS 3998. All I can think of is as the others have all said is that it is a bit of a cash cow, or perhaps the old ones were too general. Cheers Silverback

Now then The Tree Hunter, What exactly are you wanting to do ?

Trust no one !

You still can't beat a "cotton eye joe" (254) brilliant saws wish I'd never sold mine !

I'm in agreement, but you know the crack with trying to get anything recognised in this country. If you take utility arb as an example, most of the rec's won't accept even NPTC units as a form of training and insist on all people working on their contracts undertaking their generally out of date and irelevant training. I would like to see some competition out there, it's like being ruled by the same government for years and years and years !

Gerry Anderson who created Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet etc, once said that F A B didn't stand for anything, however in Captain Scarlet they do say S I G which I know stands for Spectrum Is Green. Pointless and not particularly relevant, but there you go (was worried you may be staying awake at night thinking about this !). Hope this helps !

Sorry, but no, haven't come across that one ! Doesn't mean to say it isn't worth anything as from an employers point of view it would still stand as a record of formal training for that role. Cheers.

Aye, a bit of good that ! I like owt like that !

Had several pairs over the years and always found them to be a great boot compared the others on the market. The elten fellsman were a good boot also, but both had the problem that the heel wasn't very big, so some people complained that when using gaffs (dismantling only of course !) they would slip out. Never a problem that I experienced ! Bring back the Oregon green boots, that's what I say ! Could be worth speaking to Haix, but like Mr. Bunny I also worked in both electrical arb and on railways and the Haix were an ideal hardwearing boots for both types of work.

Hi Neil Read your post and have you tried fountains, their head office is at the Malthouse in Banbury (opposite Matalans and across the road from the train station). The website is http://www.fountainsplc.com where you will find more info about the company and contacts etc. Good luck !

Agree with some of the other comments about it being overdramatised rubbish. They work unsafely and as with everything else that seems to go on in America it's always portrayed as a massive adrenalin rush. They can't be real wood cutters as they all seem to hav etheir own teeth ! Brilliant scenery though !

I agree, you sound like my kind of bloke ! When I was training nearly fifteen years ago now, my lecturer said to me at the time " you can chop down a tree and pay for a bag of chips, or you don't and you go hungry !" wise words I've always felt at the end of the day. Moral fibre is a good thing to have, but common sense will pay your bills and feed your family. Anyway what ever happened to the customer being right ? End of rant ! Thankyou !

All good advice ! My only tip is to use one of the roller guides. I have a partner one which I've had for years and it fits nearly all types of chains. It is important however to make sure that it is used the right way around. The other thing is, don't assume because a file is new that it is a good one. I have bought boxes in the past and had to chuck at least half of them away. Sometimes the metal is soft or hasn't been manufactured properly and this means they don't work as well as they should. With practice you will spot these, but basicly there should be a little bit of resistance as you push the file accross the cutter and it should feel smooth along the length of the file. Everybody advises you should use a vice, but let's be honest who actually takes one out into the field with them. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to sharpen your chains as it makes your life so much easier. To summarise - 1) Do wear gloves when you do this as anybody who has ever used a chainsaw will have chunks taken out of their fingers and knuckles. 2) Take your time and practice with a vice in a workshop first as this will help you out in the field to understand what it should feel and look like. Hope this helps !

Well done Poletecs !

I like trees but, they hate me ! Or, I like trees but, why do dogs alway cr%p round the back of them. I like trees but, they love me. I like trees, but they don't say much. I like trees but, unlikeus they think more and say less !