Mikey P

Alas, under UK law you have a duty of care to anyone who is on your property, whether invited or not. This is why you have to have a fence and/or cover on your open air swimming pool, even if you don't have kids. If a child climbs your garden fence and falls in your pool, you are likely to be prosecuted, even if you weren't there at the time and the child had been told not to enter your garden. It's poo, isn't it? Mind you, can't see that many arborists having problems with swimming pools...

oo oo me please! Although...I'm torn now I've seen shrek's...

Is this combination commercially available as a single product or line of products? Or do you have to buy separately from, say, an agricultural chemical supplier?

Taken from The Sun Newspaper: Dear Deirdre, I have never written to you before but I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. There are the 'so-called' usual signs, such as the phone rings but, if I answer, the caller hangs up. My wife has been going out with "the girls" a lot recently; however, when I ask their names, she always says, "Just some friends from work. You don't know them." I try to stay awake and look out for her when she comes home but I usually fall asleep. Anyway, I have never broached the subject with my wife. I think that, deep down, I just did not want to know the truth but, last night, she went out again and I decided to finally check on her. Around midnight, I hid in the garage behind my workbench so I could get a good view of the whole area when she arrived home from her night out with "the girls". When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse - which was open - and she took her knickers out of her purse and put them on. It was at that moment, crouching behind my Stihl MS880 with 48-inch bar, that I noticed a hairline crack in the crank-case cover. Is this something I can fix myself or should I take it back to the shop where I bought it? Yours sincerely Paul (Leeds)

Remember: Three Times And F**k It

My dog's gayer than your dog. Heh-heh. Black and tan cavvy. No use whatsoever.

All Arbtalk...and no trousers? Arbtalk: we've all got massive stumps. Arbtalk: do it with a 20-inch Bar. Arbtalk: It's Tree-mendous! Arbtalk: Wood you like to see my trunk? I'm getting bored of this now...

Thou shalt not covet thy groundy's ass.

Yes! Imagine my disappointment, etc, etc, ...

'Sados'? Don't you mean 'Saddos'? Shurely shome mishtake?

Larry, There were a couple of bootnecks on the course I did with Kingswood. Very well set-up place they have there in Kent - give Richard Olley a call if you want to know anything more. I can't speak for anyone else but the Kingswood course was geared towards making sure you got all the relevant ground and aerial basic tickets and could effectively pay for 95% of the course with your resettlement grant, SLC and ELC. Whilst you might get more out of a college course in the long term, it depends on what time you have left in the Marines and what activities you have coming up. Many civilians do not understand that it is not a simple matter for a serviceman to sign onto a college course part-time or evening classes - regular attendance can be difficult. I agree with what someone said above about maybe doing a couple of weekends work experience to ensure it's what you want to do. Check with your RAO over what the score is with insurance or, alternatively, just do it and don't get injured. If you want value for money, then something like the Kingswood service-leaver course is excellent; however, it is getting increasingly difficult to get experience once you have your tickets: I've been doing work for friends and family just to keep my hand in and have found it extremely hard to get any weekend work with a company, even when I have been offering my services for nothing (yes, I said 'FOR NOTHING!', Poole area, Dorset, CS 30, 31, 38, 39, woodchippers, stumpgrinders, clean 1992 driving license, own saw and all own PPE and climbing kit). I would echo what someone else said earlier that now is not a good time to leave the forces. I don't know your discharge circumstances or options but, if you can sign on for another year or two, and spend that time looking into courses, doing a bit of work experience, not getting shot in Lashka Gar or Goresh, etc, it would be time well spent, with money in your pocket and a roof over your head. I'm due out in Sep 09 - I'm kakking my pants and seriously thinking about doing another year instead...

Having already opened the proverbial can of worms by asking what were the major differences between semi-chipper and full chisel chains, I thought I'd throw another one in for good measure.... I'd like to try out a fair-lead/self-tending pulley on my climbing rig, ie, just below the Blake hitch so it tends it automatically - I tried it out on my climbing course but it just didn't feel right at the time so I didn't use it again. Now I have a bit more time, I'd like to play with it a more and see if it was just me not doing things properly or whether it really is a waste of time. In its favour, I quite like the idea that you can adjust it moving back in from a branch walk with only one hand. I've seen a few pulleys out there, some small, some not so small, but all of them seem, well, a bit over engineered for quite a simple task. I'm not planning to put body weight on the pulley, or use it for rigging. Maybe pulling a saw up from the ground so that's about it. All it really has to do is bump up against my friction hitch and/or nicely feed the rope into the hitch. So, the question is, could I look at a simple small pulley from a garden centre/DIY shop/boat supplies store, for a few quid or am I just being a cheapskate? Should I bite the bullet and get a more expensive version from ISC or Petzl? Will this mean that I can use it more flexibly (rescues, etc)? Any recommendations?

Thanks everyone - much clearer.....

Now there's a thought....

Sorry if this is in the wrong sub-forum. OK, I've done a quick search but can't seem to find a good explanation on this. When I did my training, not long ago, we briefly discussed chain types, ie, chipper, semi-chipper and...er...the other one wot I can't remember. I never really understood what the difference was between them - I know that there is a different shape to the tooth but, apart from that, what different jobs are they designed to do and what are the pros and cons of these chain types?

The goretex lining in the boot is sandwiched between the inner and outer leather. The liner works on the principle of water vapour molecules (from sweat) being small enough to pass through the pores in the material but 'liquid water' is unable to pass into the boot as cohesion through hydrogen bonding makes it too 'large'. Furthermore, a durable water-repellent coating on the outside of the liner prevents water from pooling on the surface - it beads instead (like it does on your goretex/eVent jackets). The liner also works on the principle that there is a water potential gradient between the outside and the inside of the boot. This allows water vapour from sweat to diffuse out of the the boot, assuming that there is a lower potential outside. In practice, the liner will work for a while, the leather/fabric of the boot also contributing to preventing water from getting as far as the goretex layer. However, as the boot gets older and has more use, dirt (from the inside of the boot) and particles from the inner leather/fabric face of the boot outer will block the pores on the goretex liner. This dramatically reduces the performance of the fabric and actually prevents water vapour from moving to the outside of the boot. If we look at leather, which has been used for generations as a waterproof material for constructing shoes, this breathes naturally (it is, after all, natural) and water resistance can be maintained by cleaning the dirt off, drying boots properly and treating them with something like Nikwax of Grangers water-based reproofers. In my own opinion, goretex liners are redundant. Once the pores are clogged they are extremely diffuclt to clean and you might as well be wearing a plastic bag, or vapour barrier liner, on your feet. Furthermore, they are far better in cold environments where the water potential gradient between the inner and outer of the boot is maximised - the result is that your feet sweat far more in a goretex lined boot on a hot day than in a leather/fabric equivalent. The bottom line is that, on most goretex lined boots, it's the leather outer that does most of the work, so you need to look after it anyway. In which, case, why pay the extra £15-20 for the goretex liner? OK, I admit that that's a very basic look at the performance of sports and technical fabrics but goretex is far better in clothing than it is in boots. Personally, I believe it's a sales gimmick, so just look after your leather boots and they'll serve you just as well, if not better. It's horses for courses and if you find a boot that works for you, stick with it, but don't discount 'standard' leather boots just because they don't have a goretex/eVent lining. Phew...

Alternatively, if you are a 'crafty' type, you can make it into a rug! Coil the rope tightly around itself flat on the floor so you get a big spiral. Tack stiches every now and again so it retains shape. Flip it over, fill the spaces between strands with a bead of something like flexible sealant. Then stick a piece of tough material (canvas, tarp, whatever) on the back. When it's all dry, cut round the backing material and you can keep your favourite rope forever, and continue to spn yarns about each damaged bit (core shots, burns, cuts, etc). A ready-made sandbagging mat. That was a bit 'Blue Peter' really, wasn't it?

If you're on a budget and still want a reasonable pair of boots, get some Stein Bergsteigers. I wouldn't bother with the ones with the Goretex liner - waste of time & money on just about any footwear. Use something like Nikwax on the leather and they'll stay waterproof - this also encourages you to clean all the mud and s**te off them to reproof. Can't comment on other brands/makes but the Steins have been exceptionally comfortable.

Use the force! Trust your ropes and harness! Starting a saw can be a pain in the arse. I worried about this too before I did my NPTC assessment but the instructor said that, as long as you don't do anything that is seen as careless or dangerous, you're OK. Make sure the saw's warmed before you try and startit in the tree - it makes life a lot easier. If you can stand in a stable position, hold the rear handle between your legs, as taught. Otherwise, I found that jamming the saw rear handle into the crease between your thigh and stomach, with the bar facing out to your side works. Use the left hand on the top handle to steady the saw whilst you pull the cord with your right. Alternatively, just do a massive yo-yo when no-one's looking.

Another version of disco legs is just 'Elvis' - everything's shakin' all over. 'Silky Hand Job' - when you have to use your silky/hand saw to finish off a cut. As in 'I haven't gone deep enough with the husky; I'll have to finish it off with a silky hand job'. Heh heh. Perhaps we need an 'Arborosaurus', like the Viz 'Profanosaurus'??

Hard day at work, darling?

Ah - think I found the answer: http://www.mytreelessons.com/Pages/Rope%20Angle%20Leverage%20Calculator.htm

Was chatting with a dietician the other day who told me that even atheletes don't have to take much extra protein. However, if you want protein on the cheap, use dried milk powder, and if you want a good recovery drink: chocolate milkshake!!! Contains good mix of fat, carbs and protein. Works for me!

I did - best month of my career!