Catweazle

That looks like a useful bit of kit. I wonder if I can knock up something similar from a car jack.

Tell the man that your cousin in the Inland Revenue says she should be able to pull all the neccessary information from his accounts package and that she can help work out his tax liability if he is having trouble. I'll be surprised if you hear from him again.

That's an unusual name for it, down here we call it a ****

Thieving gits nicked the spool valves off my loader yesterday. Rusty old spool valves and half perished pipes off a 1980s converted tipper truck. Value ? Probably £30. Hassle to me ? Loads. If I knew where they would try to sell old crap like that I'd go and find them.

Frightening, and to think it could happen anywhere....

On the subject of smoke when lighting a stove, I have found that with my Dunsley Yorkshire back-boiler model the stove lights quicker and cleaner if the water pumps ( 2, one for hot water one for heating ) are switched off. The best way to do this is by fitting a pipe thermostat near the back top of the stove on one of the H/W out pipes. I have seen recommendations for stat temp vary but between 45 and 65 degrees works. Two stats at different temp setting can be used to ensure that priority goes to H/W or heating, depending on your preferences. I did worry about the possibility of the boiler boiling in the event of a power cut and the pumps not running, but I've run the stove with the pumps off and this has not happened - there is no danger of pressure build up as the pumps are impeller type so there is always an open path through them for pressure relief and a small gravity flow.

That doesn't work because the 11% is of the weight of the dry wood rather than being 11% of the wood-including-water. If you want to get the weight where the water is 32% of the wood-including-water weight you have to calculate a multiplier - in this case 100/(100-32) = 100/68 = 1.47 . So take your 1000g dry log and multiply it by 1.47 = 1470g when it has 32% ( by weight ) water. Double check by doing 68% of 1470 = 1000 . If you want to calculate by the other method, for example when the log is described as having 32% water but it is not by weight but in relation to the wood weight (so you could have say 140% for example) then the calculation is; Wet Weight = Dry Weight + (0.32 x Dry Weight) Wet Weight = Dry Weight x 1.32 Wet Weight = 1000g x 1.32 = 1320g Converting from a wet weight with 32% to 11% using the " not % by weight" (NBW) method; Wet weight =1320g ( at 32% NBW ) Dry weight = Wet Weight / ( 1 + 0.32 ) = 1000g *32% converted to 0.32 for clarity. Add 11% (NBW); Wet Weight at 11% = 1000g x 1.11 = 1110g . To try this with a 150% ( NBW) water content, ie more water than wood; (Assume dry weight is 1000g as above, water weight will be 1500g) Wet Weight at 150% = 2500g Dry Weight = Wet Weight / ( 1 + 1.5) *150% converted to 1.5 for clarity, it would be 150 / 100 but I can't do the graphics. Dry Weight = 2500 / 2.5 = 1000g. So for the original equation with 8000g at 32% (NBW) to 11% (NBW); Dry Weight = 8000g / (1 + 0.32) Dry Weight = 6060g Add 11% = 6060 x 1.11 = 6727g Probably

I'd guess that engine is less than 3 HP.

If original weight is 8kg and 32% of that weight is water then the wood must weigh 5.44Kg ( 68% of 8Kg ) If partially dried wood is 6.72Kg and 11% of that is water the wood must weigh 5.98Kg. If partially dried wood weighs 6.11Kg and 11% of that is water the wood must weigh 5.44Kg. The proof is in the proof, you were right the first time, I think.

I thought it might help, no need to get upset. It looks right to me.

I couldn't see the proof anywhere, ie take the 11% off and get back to the dry wood weight.

I make it 6.11Kg. 8 x 68% = 5.44 (the actual weight of wood no water) 100/89 (the multiplier required to ensure that the added water is 11% of the total final wood and water) x 5.44= 6.11235 To check take 11% off the total - 6.11235Kg x 89% = 5.44 (back to dry wood again).

I use a Zubat 330, the knob on the end of the blade ( no, the other end !) stops it from pulling out of the cut - perfect for when you're using it at an awkward angle. I don't climb though, so can't comment on how useful it is for that.

There is a danger of two-stroke engines running weak if there is too much oil in the mix. The extra viscosity coupled with the extra volume of the oil means less petrol per bang, which means weak mixture, overheating and possibly detonation. I still have a lot of information on different oils from my two-stroke bike tuning days, one of the most important properties is film strength and even the best modern synthetics can't beat castor oil for this although they score with friction modifiers, octane boosters and additives that make the mix keep much better without gumming up your carb. Chainsaws aren't highly tuned, so the oil doesn't have to do much, I'll bet Stihl and Husky are both pretty basic oils.

I know the best way is to leave it out in the open somewhere with a good breeze, and I have a good supply of Sweet Chestnut cut last spring for normal day / evening use, but I want something dense and heavy to keep the stove going through the night and Sweet Chestnut won't do it. So, I have 8 tons of Hornbeam which burns for hours when dry, but it's green and needs drying. I am currently collecting the bits for my home-build charcoal burner and I reckon I can dry some in it, Has anyone tried this ? If so, is there any advice you can offer ? Thanks, Steve

I did a lot of googling before choosing my stove. Dunsley Yorkshire with back boiler ticked all the boxes. Downsides; expensive, big. Upsides; Defra approved for smoke control areas, efficient, looks good, had an air-control thermostat built in so you can turn it up or down. It's pretty big though, 17KW max output, 6 to room and 11 to boiler.

I read that to stop birch from rotting you cut a stripe down the side with the chainsaw, lets the moisture out past the bark apparently.

I like those. Are the dowels chestnut too ? How did you make them ? Are they glued in ? If friction you did well not to split the wood. In a couple of years they will be a lovely silver colour, great with some honeysuckle growing over them.

How do you get around the problem of the winch going slack as soon as the tree moves ? In 4x4 circles we use a kinetic recovery rope - think of it as a giant bungee with a 12 ton breaking strain - this allows the pull vehicle to get a bit of motion ( kinetic energy ) and when the pulled vehicle starts moving the rope keeps the pull on. Could you use something similar on a tree with a tirfor ? I have a tirfor for recovery but it's very slow so building up a bit of stretch on the kinetic rope might be easier. Just curious, if there's a reason for not doing it I'm interested.

If you're stopped with a load of brash and you don't have a waste carriers licence then tell them it's a load of bio-fuel. If you're stopped with a load of old pallets, it's kindling - if they argue the toss tell them it's not waste but a product of zero value. I know of someone who collects old wooden fruit crates from markets to use as kindling, the stallholders are glad to get rid of them for free - zero value.

Here's a couple of pics of Max and Lola; Max at 17 months; Lola at 7 weeks; Lovely natured dogs, big softies the pair of them.

A stratified charge engine is one that places a richer mixture near the spark plug - easier to ignite properly - and this flame front spreads to the weaker mixture around the outside of the cylinder. The result is that the average mixture can be weaker whilst still producing the same power. The optimum mixture for power is not the same as for ignition, the stratified charge engine is a partial solution.

I'll bet you could build a nice log cabin from logs with a flat cut on opposite sides. I might have a go at it, how much is one of these mills ?

It is a big one, more than twice the 18" of my saw even 15ft up the trunk. It's way past the age for a first cut, but I'm hopeful.

I hope it will survive, it's not the time of year I would have liked to cut it, but it was emergency as it overhangs a path and was splitting further every day. A lot of the mature hornbeams in the woods seem to have very long, low horizontal branches pointing South and very few branches on the North side. I'm thinking of trimming some of the long horizontals to take some weight off them, I don't want any more splitting like the last one. I don't have any pics of the Hornbeams, but this Oak is an example of the problem;