Chris Sheppard

That'd be Song Of The Paddle I reckon? a Canoe forum I've not been on there for ages but am a bit like some on here - I don't canoe but there's plenty of other associated bits that I do do and find it really informative. I've been a member on arbtalk for a while and like many others, didn't really say a lot to start with. Once you realise that a bit of banter and threads veering off on a tangent is perfectly normal, then you soon overcome being quiet. Even now, I still find myself writing and rewriting posts and sometimes sometimes not actually posting a reply at all, but I reckon that's the same for everyone (or maybe should be the case for some........) Some stuff makes me cringe, some makes me laugh so hard it hurts, and some stuff makes me shout at the screen, but I find myself logging in at least once every day (I'm behind the times somewhat as my phone doesn't even take photos, let alone get the internet ). I've met/worked with/bought from/sold to a good few members on here and so far nearly every one of them has been sound.

Roughly where about in Yorkshire is it - Yorkshire covers a big area. Unfortunately, no one's going to make any sort of offers without actually having seen it. Small sites can be viable, it's all about getting the right guys with the right gear who can put the wood into the right markets

I'd agree with that - if you have to go for remoulds, the Insa Turbo version in that pattern wear well, though ours went hard and started cracking after a couple of years so were replaced with a good bit of tread still on them. The BFG version, though almost twice the price, will more than twice outlast a remould. My current set of old pattern BFG muds have done something like 70,000 odd miles whilst I've had them and weren't new then. They are a bit thin now but I'm happy enough at that.

I'd agree with that. I've not sold logs for a few years now but they locally they aren't that much more to buy than they were when I was selling them. Roundwood on the other hand has nearly tripled in price and the demand for it is unreal.

I wish I did I've had huge amounts of help over on the Vinduro forum - one guy does/did a lot of work with Paul Edmondson's bikes and he seems to know his stuff Quite looking forward to the weekend. Apparently it's fairly fast and open so the KTM shouldn't be too much of a disadvantage

The official line is that I should stop being a big girl and man up But, so far have set the timing a bit retarded to the same as the EXC and that's about it. Hopefully before the weekend I'll get chance to shim the powervalve spring a bit to make it open later and there's a slim chance I can make up a spacer to put the reed block a few more MM away from the cases. Long term it's going to get a longer silencer and either an extra base gasket or the head machined (machining the head will get rid of the existing damage too) The new ignition has an EXC sized flywheel so should be a fair bit better than the tiny PVL one that came off. The way it's going the first time I'll have ridden it (other than up and down our street) will be for Saturday's practise before Sunday's enduro Just taking up and down our road, it seems pretty fit. it's just a bit abrupt when powervalve opens and it front end goes light. 250 2 strokes are a bit new to me - used to ride 125 strokers and Dad's old 380 CZ a bit but I reckon this would chew up the CZ and spit it out!

I'd like to have gone, had sort of promised myself I'd go this time but too much on the go and holiday already booked for later in the summer so it just didn't happen. Abenteur und Allrad is on in Germany in a week or so, so it would have made a cool bike trip to head over to Elmia, keep going north for a bit and then work way back down to Bad Kissengen for the overland show.

After weeks of frustration with trying to make the existing aftermarket ignition work and even swapping a complete known to be working ignition the same as what was on for it still not to work, I bit the bullet and ordered a brand new aftermarket ignition from Germany complete with lighting coil too. Fitted it this morning, a couple of girly kicks in me trainers and away it went It's going to need some calming down to be a bit more like an EXC and less like an SX as the powervalve's still like an on/off switch for lifting the front wheel but it's getting there. Was getting a bit worried as am racing next Sunday and had still not had it running since I've had it Getting there - know there's a bit much red going on at the front but the it's just how it happened, it'll do It'll d for now.

Aye, or at the very least the wagon driver will know where the nearest one is

There's a nice Husq 357xp on arbtrader......... Just so happens it's sat in my shed still

I'd go for a big (circa 20T) PTO powered vertical with removable table. PTO will mean it will be quick (should be sub 10 sec to do a full 1.1m cycle). Big tonnage will mean it will spend more time on the fast speed (yes, a 13T will split pretty big stuff but need to be on full power/slower speed more often). Billeting bigger diameter stuff on a vertical isn't too bad, there's a bit knack to standing them on end and walking them under the knife and once you get it you'll have no bother (though some do have a lift arm) Table good for doing rings too big for the WP to handle too. Horizontals are fine for billeting straight grained stuff but a pain in the arse for dealing with rings. Billeting stringy stuff on a horizontal can be a pain in the arse as it gets pushed onto the knife and then you have to wrestle/cut it off. The other thing with a horizontal is that you have to move the log back to the splitter each time rather than just spinning it round a bit as with a vertical. What you can do though with a horizontal is get longer versions (generally) and they are easier to load with a crane/loader etc

Used to be in the woods on my own almost all the time but less so now. Funnily enough, we were talking about it today. Chances are it'll not be something like cutting yourself that would catch you out (though clearly it's a possibility), it would be as likely something silly like getting trapped/hit by a hanger/trip or fall or even something completely unrelated like a freak blackout or something. Main thing to think about are how long might I be laid there until someone realises I'm not back - though it doesn't really bear thinking too much about. Generally if I'm in the woods on my own now I try to make sure someone knows where I'm working and roughly what time I'm hoping to be home. A good habit is to check in a couple of times a day by text with someone too.

Hard to say for definite as it depends what we're doing, but at the mo my go to saw is usually my 550. Prior to that I reckon a 242 was probably the one to make me smile the most though. Have to say though, I think I might have found the most fun/lethal combination today. We're currently final thinning an overstood stand of Ash/Syc and picked up Buzzsurgeon's O66 with 18" bar on for a couple of big ones As I couldn't be arsed trekking back to vehicle for a big saw - jeez, I really don't think I've used anything like it. Knocked toes off like they weren't there, buzzed gob out like it was made of cheese and whipped it off the stump in no time. And flickable enough to sned with too - I want it

Unless all your timber is going to be processor sized, I'd go down the route of a decent sized vertical splitter and a swbench, probably with an elevator (the elevator will add a fairl bit to the price but pay for itself in no time). A processor is all well and good but needs the right timber to get the most out of it. If you were going to go for a processor, then the Farmi WP are really quite fast for a smaller machine and dead easy to get the hang of as they only have one lever. They self feed and take wiggly stuff well IME too. Other thing with the farmi is that it's really no big job to make it easy to use for splitting rings too, without having to drop them in from the infeed end.

I'd love something like a Peterson/Lucas mill but can't justify it currently. What I like about that warrior thing is that it'll rattle out 6x1, 6x2, 4x2 etc fairly quickly and simply and hopefully with a price tag that's a bit more in reach for the more sporadic use I'd give it. I'd agree with the concerns over fuel usage, but I'm sure there's plenty of tanks of fuel difference price wise between this one and the big version of the Peterson if that makes sense. I've often considered a logosol but it's the speed that puts me off a bit - this on the other hand looks to have that problem solved.

I think the one's you might be thinking of are originally designed for installing cables if they are the same as the trailed one's I've seen. I've yet to see anyone use them in the woods but that's not so say you couldn't. The things that would put me off are: It'll never weigh as much as a tractor and winch so might have problems anchoring it with a big pull on. With it being separate, all you can do is winch to it. 300m is an awful lot of cable - most conventional 3pl winches won't have more htan 100m on, usually less. the chances of getting a 300m straight pull, and it also being economically are slim. Also, maximum pull on any winch is with an empty drum - with a full drum it's considerably less. You could always cut the cable I suppose. I don't know how fast they are either - typically a decent PTO forestry winch will be in the region of 0.6 to 1 m/s depending on the size of it. On the whole the smaller ones pull line faster as they don't need to be so low geared. Also, they generally seem to be quite expensive and if they break I bet they aren't the easiest things to get spares for.

I've owned a Thor Vertical in the past (20T) and work regularly with another (18T super magik) and can't fault them. Both of those were PTO ones and were/are very quick. Dunno about whose best Thor dealer, but reckon Large's will be the ones who could get one to you quickest and cheapest.

I like the look of that very much. Wonder what sort of price they work out at? Band mills are OK, but for dimensioned stuff I reckon a swing mill looks to be much faster.

What you need Josh, is a proper saw and then you don't need to worry ordering spares - a 560 husky maybe

Same as the two handed thing, to lessen the risk of serious injury to the operator. I argued with them at the factory over it once and was shown the documentation that they had to work to so couldn't argue Regarding the table, as you say the adjustable stop accounts for it - if you don't use it then who's going to know. If you then had an accident that could have been avoided by using it as designed, then it's deemed to be operator error. It's crackers, I agree, but that's the way it is

Similar here - mine's a 2002 but with standard filter and cover.

Something to bear in mind is that any commercially bought splitter will (if it's compliant) stop approx 50mm from the base plate so you my still end up with some stringy bits holding on - but it's fairly straightforward to solve that with a spacer. From memory, the Thor and Balfor verticals both have quite deep knives, or used to.

I've not tried the new X torq version of the 372 but it's supposed to be more powerful. Mine's a 2002 (I think from memory) and it still goes well.

I'd agree with that. The other thing is that, as exciting as it will be for you at the mo, there's other things you could be focusing your energy on. Surely it matters not whether it's your own name at the top of an invoice or your company's? branded clothing etc is all well and good in the right place but all costs money that needs making back. As a freelancer, you might even find you're given branded clothing of the company you're working for that day.