Luke Quenby

Top stuff, really interesting and sound like a proper approach to the job. Thanks for sharing!

Good attitude to have, I'm sure you will go far and good luck with your first 'proper' job

Now your all making me feel REALLY old! You've got twice your current age and then some left in you just working, put it into perspective. I could only dream of being in the position you were in at your age with the private work and woodland etc, and to a certain degree, still do. You obviously worked hard to get to where you had got to, and have now been on the receiving end of one of life's tougher lessons - there are many, many idiots in the world, and most of them will turn you over / bad mouth you / give you the run around at the drop of a hat. Don't let it get to you to much, pick yourself up and get the determination back to prove the hard work so far has been worth it. Quitting now won't get you anywhere but bitter, and selling your gear will get you bitter and in a position not to pick more work up when it comes through, which it will. I hope it all works out well for you whatever you decide to do, chin up, ignore the wasters of this world (of which there are many) and think how lucky you / we are to be in a position to do something we are good at and that you love doing. Many people would envy you for that!

Hi all, After being let down by many 'yeh, I can do that' type folk, a friend of mine is in need of a winch for parbuckling or a large forwarder / grab / hiab to move a piece of timber. Needs to be moved from grassland / parkland about 80 meters to roadside or 5 miles down the road, whichever suits. Weighs around 5.5 to 6 tons, 6'6"' diameter, 10' long approximately. For those that remember my thread about the large Oak a couple of months back, its half of that. Access is good, ground fairly dry for this time of year. Needs to be moved quick as it is destined to be carved and the people who have commissioned it are getting impatient. Located in central Beds, and anyone who can help out or give some names and numbers of those that might be able to would be much appreciated so I can pass them onto him. Cheers all,

And you:thumbup1:

No, afraid not Tom, thats the only pic I've got. Bit gutted I didn't get any of it going as its a fair size (re-measured, 2.5m diameter) Yes, knocked it over towards the Limes going up the hill, sure you'll have an inspection in the new year! It was almost perfectly balanced so you could take your pick really on what you wanted to do with it. Prehaps you guys could set about it with the mill, there seems to more interest in the high stump than the actual product available on here! Speak to you soon mate

Just to clarify there was an adament spec of leaving a 1.5m high stump. Why? Not sure, eco value or something along those lines i'm guessing, just following the instructions. Get what your saying about lost m3, but having had another look there is a thin seam of rot through the middle of it, and as I said, paid to remove hazard, timber value unfortunatley second priority. Posted on here to see if anyone could make use of what is left of it, and that offer still stands. Cheers all.

Pm sent Rover

Oak cut today, around 8' diameter, nice and straight, no rot (that could be seen) around 18' to crown. Located in Bedfordshire, pm or reply if interested - to good for firewood, a decent piece of timber if you have the means to deal with it. All branches will be removed so it will just be the butt left, in a day or 2. If no one interested / able, does anyone on here know of anyone who might be interested? Would be a real shame to have it blocking gateways or used for firewood. Cheers all

Nope, I'm not from down there, but that is where Patrick did his apprenticeship. I can ask him if you like

I'd love to take something like this on myself, but have no where near the resources / setup needed. If anyone was to join forces or puts in a bid and needs extra help etc then please get in touch

I think a lot of it was going into making traditional ropes / yarns from what they said on the programme? Not sure about the rest of it though, I will find out!

Got sent this today from Defra / JNCC. Maybe of interest to some on here? Ash dieback research contract

I work with Patrick who was on the programme as a 'coppice expert' and former apprentice on the coppice apprenticeship thing they run. He is a volunteer reserves officer now for NBC Wildlife Trust. I think you maybe right about the use of traditional hand tools as a bit of tv thing, and also I think it was an opportunity to use a few skills learned, but by all accounts the Countryfile presenter was a bit of a danger with axe in hand! As far as I know all went well, and I guess there may have been a few nerves involved, especially with TV being involved, but it has been done however many hundreds of times before, and I guess there is no reason why it won't continue to work this time and for years to come. Lots of us coppice many stools a day / season, and I think this one was being treated as all the others, just a bit of added hype, for good reason I suppose. I have asked Patrick for his autograph, but he's being a bit reclusive about the whole thing:001_smile: But having spent 3 years doing the coppice apprentiship at Westonbirt and now plying his trade around here, he certainly knows his stuff and is a really good guy to work with

Send the saw to Spud, he'll put it right

Top man Spud, dug me out of some holes on more than one occassion! And one of those occassions was after my 660 had been to the local stihl dealership for work

Kitchen units are up there with Hornbeam on the heat front!

Read the last thread on here! Yep, its a good firewood, bright clean burner, plenty of heat. Needs to be seasoned properly but is all round a good firewood. Splits well too.

Yep, season well and burns hot and clean in my experience, a decent firewood. Grows quick, coppices well, durable wood and a good burner.

Yep. Got a dead (for no obvious reason) weeping willow to take down soon, about 40 years old, was in good health, came into leaf this summer and then just failed within a few weeks. Also starting to get into the Ash in the woods now, coppice stock mainly, on a 14 year rotation and its looking pretty poor. Many of the leaves already gone (Ash always been a 'hanger on-er' ime), and the trees just generally not looking right, if you know what I mean. Sometimes with many years of cutting under your belt you know when things arn't looking well, but you can't put your finger on why. So yeh, I've noticed it to, and am pretty worried. The whole import business is something I have been involved in many moons ago and have never been that comfertable with. Hope I'm wrong but something like this has been on the horizon now for sometime with the amount of importing of stock (not just trees but shrubs, plants, flowers etc too) that goes on. Keep a close eye out, read the FC / official blurb and guides and keep talking to each other about what we have seen and what we see. Something like this needs to all of us to be open and observant keep eyes well peeled.

Yep, water proof over water resistant is pretty crucial, especially when cutting / coppicing all day in wet woods. Nothing worse than soaking feet by tea break! Oregon are looking favorite at the moment, had good experiences with them in the past, and the price is pretty favourable to. And as you say if they are comfertable straight out of the box and look good then I may be having a look at them

Broken eye socket would make me think twice........

Good thinking. Hope you come out of this ok, bad enough being stolen from but to do it under your nose and expect to walk away from it...............no chance. Good on you for sticking up for what you have worked for and take pride in. Any jury worth their salt will realise you were the innocent guy trying to protect his business and stop a blatant criminal. Good luck:thumbup1:

Yep, thats a problem I had, have had a couple of pairs of Dickies boots over the years, really good, strong, comfertable boot for general work, normally last 18 months - two years. Latest pair has done just over a month and when applying some dubbin the other night thought the join between the sole and upper looked a bit ropey, looked inside the tounge and saw the good old 'made in China' label. Only a £40 pair of rough boots but doubt they will last 12 months. Hence the question, what should I get??!! My last pair of saw boots were Oregon and are good, but just thought I'd throw it out there and see what others thought. Should have gone to the APF!