Chris Sheppard

Wonder what it made? Last I saw it was still sub £6k and hadn't met it's reserve

I know where there is (or was recently) one of those for sale in Kent that's for less than that - exactly the same trailer and crane but brought in before Atkinson Vos started. We were just about to say we'd have it (it was the only thing we could find anywhere near budget) and then the Weimer came up on ebay so we grabbed that before anyone else did. If anyone wants to know about the one in kent, just let me know and I'll pass you on his details.

That is awesome

Cheers John, Don't get out that way much but if it looks like I will be I'll let you know Cheers Insulation is one of the things I'd liek to incorporate but don't know what would be easiest to use. Wondered about that exhaust packing stuff?

Nice work. Always fancied having a go at doing one of those but never got round to it.

cheers guys, been a bit slack with this one and haven't had chance to have another look since the first go at it - hopefully get another go at it in the next few days

I nearly typed a reply before in that I couldn't see the problem personally but thought no one else would agree

It doesn't look bad stuff, very similar in build to the uniforest stuff. Used some of the older, smaller ones and they were OK.

it reckons to have done 23/24mph at XXXXrpm according to the plate on the dash, but flat out it was proper scary once it started bouncing Dunno if Carl ever got it registered but it wasn't when I had it.

The idea of the hole facing down is to feed the gas into the base of the fire I'm guessing - then as long as there's heat, the whole thing is running off it's own gasses. What puts me off a ring kiln is that I'd have to keep an eye on it, it's not as efficient, and they are well expensive. That link was quite helpful - managed to find a video of theirs working. I really could do to find some of those barrels with lids

yes, but you'll have to send it away. You'll probably not even notice it's blunt but when it comes back sharp it'll transform the machine!

She's on tablets for thyroid - it grows like mad I've not seen the one at CAT but had heard about it, I'd like to go bigger than that, like an oil storage tank inside another. The first one, the gas would escape through the join where the base was hinged and so the gas was fired into the bottom of the fire - this one, the gas comes out under the lid at the top, but because of the overlap seem to be sent down with a bit of force so is still working. That was my idea with the vents in the base of it but they didn't work and it wouldn't shut down itself

After havign completed several burns with mk1, with only one that ended up as a pile of ash, I decided to have a go at Mk2, usign a 50kg gas bottle this time. The hope was to double the amount of wood produced but in the same time scale. Because of the weight of the canister when full, I went for an top lid rather than a closable bottom. Lid is made from an old rim with the holes welded up. Originally cut some holes in the base for the gas to escape, hoping it would burn hotter and faster but found with the first burn it wouldn't shut down and it was still hot a couple of days after - they got welded back up. So, last night was the first proper go at it. Loaded it up with mainly birch poles and a few alder around 80cm long (only felled in the last few weeks so was keen to see how that affected it too) and filled what gaps I could with a few logs out of my shed, though it was still quite loosely filled. Dropped the lid on and lit a fire in the gap between the retort and the oil drum and loaded in a few lumps of old slabwood to get it going. Was a bit smoky to start with (figured it might be) but once the fire got going the smoke died down fairly well. Started to get the escaping gas igniting after around an hour and a half, which was quite good I thought with it being green. Left it burning and in the morning it had cooled down enough to open and empty - result. Got double the amount of charcoal than the smaller one would produce and in a similar time with similar amount of fuel - all good. Only had one bit of unconverted wood and that was a biggish lump of alder, which was probably quite wet anyway I know it looks like I'm just messing round in the garden (which I suppose I am) but am planning to use the same method to make a bigger, easily poratble kiln for in the wood that will run off brash so making burning up produce a product at the same time as we've loads of charcoal sized timber to go at. What I like about this method is it's a bit more foolproof and looks after itself rather than needing quite as much attention. Few pics for anyone interested

For the sort of stuff you're doing, I'd foget any more CS units for a while, crack on and make some money whiles there's plenty of daylight

Think the last sentence just answered your own question Small forestry trailers are like rocking horse poop second hand, so you can pretty much rule that one out right from the start unless you're prepared to wait a good while (thouggh I do know where there is a timber dragon from before AV started bringing them in but it does need some fettling). Unfortunatley with any small scale stuff, the crane is the expensive bit, but there's nothign to stop you buying that at a later date. To fit a tractor and a small forwarding traielr on the same traielr is almost impossible unless you have the tiniest of each and a massive trailer. We just have to make two trips. What about getting the fast tow but no crane until later? Use it as forestrt traielr or log bus and then if you really need a crane then get one later. Might even work out cheaper than going down the new ifor and new forestry trailer route.

Me too, far too hot to be sloggin out in chainsaw kegs. Having today getting finishing touches off to the 90, just need to bleed brakes, prime filter, chuck wings and bonnet on and that's it finished I reckon

Pre puma Defenders were Good, Puma seemed to be where they started to fall apart. My current defender has 270,000 miles on it and is going well, I've had another TDI LR with 230 odd thousand on it and several with high 100K's on it. I've owned a hilux (admittedly when they were pre-turbo) and it was useless. Used a 60 reg hilux invincible a reasonable amoutn and wasn't overly impressed. What works for me is an old defender that I know won't spit it's dummy out on the electrics, and if something does wear out/break/need rplacing, I know it's an easy job and the part will be a fraction of the cost of a Jap part. I must be an oddball as I don't find Defenders uncomfy - we did just short of 6000 miles in a fortnight in an old TDi and it was fine. For that matter it didn't break down either

Non of those are "proper" land rovers though are they

Not before the end of the auction I couldn't Plus the VAT would kill it too.

It was another one of those that "got away" - and hindsight is a wonderful thing Should have hung on to it as an investment as I dare say it will make more than twice what it stood me in at (fair enough there's the patu and it's been re-shod but even so), but hey ho. For a one man band it was a great set up, forwarder/yard machine/skidder (had a 3pl igland for it) all in one and it sounded absolutely mint. Unless he's brayed it to death, mechanically it was great and it had been guarded up very very well so should still be something like. Crane, despite being quite light weight had a great lift and was quite fast. If ti's still the same traielr I sold with it, it's quite a good size (would take two bays of 7'6") and whilst cosmetically a bit ropey, was in reasonable fettle. Worst of it is, it's only 10 min up the road. Anyway, I'll stop dwelling on the past

Thanks to Charlie for the heads up, my old County is on Ebay here If I was in the position to buy it back I would do in a heartbeat, but I'm not (well not in time for the end of the auction). Was a great starter for an 1164 and the front swivel pins were in very good condition for one with a roof mount.

I think he thinks just crosscut rather than ripped using the saw instead of splitter.

we had a '96 one with the 1.3 petrol engine in and it was a great little pickup, just a bit small load space if you're used to hiluxes etc. never driven the diesle one but the 1.3 petrol was OK, and quite economical. Dad used it a few times on runs down to Plymouth and back (a long way from us) and said it was fine, just a bit gutless on long motorway climbs.

Woodmad on here might be worth a try, know he'll travel with his Mill

Got hold of some hydrochloric acid today and have removed what I think is all the ali from the inside of the barrel now, but I think it's goosed. Tried takign a few photos but they won't come out very clear at all. Kept going with the acid until it stopped reacting and washed it all off and it looks pretty bad still, just not ali coloured now. It's hard to see/feel for definite whether the rough area is on top of the plating or through it. Whats the worst that can happen if I were to leave it with acid on it over night?