Ty Korrigan

We knew that and enjoyed our dicking around from afar. Another Arbtalker already wagered via messenger at lunch that you'd have something contrary to say if I posted.

I was stung 7 times on the head, back and shoulders in 2016 resulting in an ambulance trip. It is a regular stinger mechanism though.

Well todays job lasted as long as it took for the climber to reach his anchor point. A scream and our man rappelled out of the tree at a breakneck speed, smoking hot zigzag and ran for his van. Stung on the hand and cheek, shaking and panting with shock, he eventually calmed down with a coffee, paracetamol and filthy rollup. Unable to close his hand and with a swollen cheek, we settled for petty revenge instead of a mornings work. The owner of this second home once informed, organised pest control but we took matters into our own hands with a Big Shot and a plentiful supply of gravel. Van parked close in case of an attack, we had the satisfaction of scoring from a suitable distance several direct hits on the football sized nest which absorbed the stones but stayed largely whole. If the nest had been full sized then we'd have seen it beforehand and saved this tree until pest control had visited. The local commune finances the cost of extermination so no charge for the client. What with rampant OPM, PPM and Asian Hornets, raging across France, those offers of work at Lidl look more and more attractive. Stuart

I canceled todays climbing, high winds and rain. Rain blew over by 10:30 but the winds remain high Very much a gamble trusting the French weather service. I'll go hedge cutting this arvo instead. Stuart

Duel purpose but one of those has been solved by fixing the oiler on the 500i which suffered a lack of lube using a 90cm bar. My interest was piqued by the site of that lonely 800 on the top shelf, a machine I had thought long sold out. Milling was the other reason. I occasionally work with @tomtrees I think he is called on here though he rarely visits Arbtalk. Tom lives some 30km South East of me and runs a Peterson mill. He'll either collect logs or mills them at my clients. However there are always some lovely logs just too impractical to extract economically unless in rounds which is a shame or too small for Tom to justify getting involved so milling seems the way forward. Be a great learning experience too. I do recall that wise old sage Mendiplogs saying that his 660 was better than the 880. Also...and importantly, if I can win time on even a few jobs each year, ringing up just a bit faster like last Fridays oak, I can get home to my kids earlier rather ringing up by headtorch or going back the next day. Stuart

I saw a 'poil lisse' Fox terrier in town last week. It looked very much like a larger Parson Jack with a longer nose. Stunning hound. Stuart

Well, I blew out the crud, shone a torch, used a worn round file and tappy tappy tap tap. Turned the screw and WHOA! Immediate flood of oil leading to a well lubed freshly sharpened 90cm bar. I've put the 63cm back on a turned the screw back. I'll keep an eye on the oil/fuel usage rate. Thanks for that advice. Stuart

Same image but redacted. I've an 11sec video too but Arbtalk won't do up loads. Stuart

Mad little feckers, all over this oak stem we felled for the commune. Never seen them before and here they where in the dozens. Gave me the willies at first until I realised they were just mimics. Stuart

Thanks for that advice lads, Any more detail on this oiler stop punching? Knowing my luck, I'd end up putting a hole in the crank case...meh! Stuart Oh, should I buy that 880 anyway and put it on Arbtrader for £4k?

I've come across an 880 in stock. I'll not pay that price though (£1250 plus vat) I'll get a better deal from these guys. Or... should I go for an 881? I'd use it for milling in the future but mostly it would sit on my shelf as they all seem to do until I get jobs like last Friday's oak. @Luckyeleven managing to find the only nail with a 90cm bar on a 500i 500i runs the bar fine but much too dry, the oiler can't deliver enough flow. Stuart

I've generally enough work not to get cheesed off when I don't win a job but the ones I really would like to do I tell the client in advance that if they receive a like for like that is less then come back to me before accepting. One thing which does grind my gears are clients who want to pay cash and have an invoice. I tell them an invoice carries a 20% surcharge. Another gear grinder piss boiler are clients who send back the signed quote (a legal obligation in France) but put a line through the 'with vat' total and circle the 'without vat' sum as if they get to pick the price they prefer. Just received another one today... My Turkish retired economist eventually paid up. He had witheld €600+ citing that we had only worked 'X' hours and that meant were on €180 per hour which was outrageous for 2 men. I cracked and gave him a glimpse into running costs and expected salaries. Then I asked him if he would of paid us more if the job had run over due to weather or bad judgement. I think he'll have us back. Stuart

€11 per bolt and 3 months post. Quality aftersales there. Stuart

I have a climber who travels from the far West of Brittany and stays for 2-3 day stints. He is motivated not just by my wife's cooking, the rate I pay and the crack of working with a witty fellow like me but by the number of dry days we get East of Rennes. The official statistics show half the rainfall amount, fewer days of precipitation with more hours of sun. Brest is a seriously damp city compared to Rennes. Stuart

Yeh, where you live but in Kent, more specifically where Mark Bolam lives, it is widely accepted that pruning with spikes helps the tree breath through those extra holes. Mark told me that in 2009 when I first joined Arbtalk. True that. Stuart

I copper grease blade bolts. Stuart

Hello, From experience with similar machines, applying the heat of a small gas blowtorch to eat bolthead works very well. An impact driver is also a usefull tool. Enjoy your machine. Stuart

One Sea Cow and a Hindu Holy Cow. I blame Brexit... Stuart @Stubby ping me your number/address, I might be around longer than planned.

I visited a mate in Westergate yesterday, Dave Pegler of Peglars Arundel. Spitfires growling overhead as we took tea in his garden. Traffic is mad here compared to Liffré and I'm supposed to be cycling in the New Forest today. Stuart

Ah you're welcome. Bit confused as sure they have sailing boats in France? Still, if it works it works. I wasn't going to Saint Malo in the near future, Birdham was more convenient.

Probably French vat, customs duties and handling... Brexit being the gift that keeps giving... Stuart

@Dan MaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynardd My Xhinesium phone has a keyboard issue, maybe a buildup of greasy finger clag. Anyway, thank you for sourcing this part. I crossed La Manche and picked this up at a Chandler's near Chichester today. Stuart

Love that word 'Dowty washer' Sounds like a robust Edwardian cleaning lady. "Tis a 'dowty washer woman who does for me" Stuart

@Luckyeleven found inexpensive double pulleys on Amazon. Stuart