Billy Goat Gruff

Thanks Kev, That was exactly what I did, In future I will read what I have written, before posting it.

Kicked a football over the school fence and into a tree, the schoolmaster said to me, Bill you are getting six of the best for that, you've just lost the school football. I was 8 years old, so I said, SIR, if I get the ball back will I be let off the caning? He replied your not to go up there it's too high, and marched off to get his cane, (grinning at the thought of giving me a good thrashing). When he came back I was on the ground with the football, (grinning back at him). The B****rd still thrashed me for disobeying him. At 50 years old still climb most days and run my own company, with a great bunch of guy's.

Rupe may be I was a bit harsh in my last thread it's your call entirely what you want to do

If you get called to a rescue and no one knows how long they have been hanging then recovery position may not be right but you hope that ambulance is virtually there by then so its not your problem. If the accident has just happened and ambulance is miles away then recovery position will do for now! It's not your problem? "God" I hope i'm not hanging in the tree and you come to rescue me The recovery position will not do for now, NO IT WON'T You must assess the casulties injuries, and then make an informed judgement on that assessment as to what is best for the casualty. Why do you want to put the casaulty in the recovery position? You only need to do this if: 1. They are unconcious, and breathing, and you need to maintain their airway 2. You have to leave them and go for help, and you need to maintain their airway. 3.Putting the casualty in a recovery position as a matter of course, can some times have a greater risk depending on the nature of the injury Sorry to be judgemental on your comments but it is some ones life we are talking about, and I've seen far too many incidents, where incorrect First aid or none administrated has cost some one thier life.

they must av travelled a long way we had them up there a few weeks ago doing some horse chestnuts near Great Dunmow, I've never seen a ladder so looooong, and the cuts so ripppppped, hope they p#ss off back to Wales soon

Be wary as if you injure yourself, then quite often they put in a clause, so that you are not covered if the old injury redevelops.

We have been down in the woods, for the last few days, as couldn't get to our original job, due to snow. Got alot of timber felled and stacked, and got very wet!!!!! and I forgot my lunch.

I use a throw bag out of preference, as I find it a very quick and efficent way of getting my climbing rope high into the tree. I love it when I ask the lads to fetch the ladder, an when they come back I'm sitting in my harness waiting. Things to remember when throwing. Stand back far enough to get the correct angle of throw. Make sure the line is not snagged in the bag, and will come out freely. Clear the ground of debris where your rope is lying, and don't stand on part of it. If you get it caught, watch out when you pull it off, as quite often it comes hurtling back a you, that's why you don't want to be using a KILO bag. Also when it's descending the other side of the limb, with practice you can pull it up and down and swing it to go over or under other branches. Personally I used to play alot of sport, and I think you get an eye for the ball or bag, as none of my gang can seem to use one, and just get frustrated, and then it's another excuse for a fag breack!! I also use a cambium saver alot, as it's alot easier with no friction, saves energy for me and is better for the tree. As long as you remember to thread your rope in the correct way so that you don't have to climb right back up the top of the tree to retrive it. ( you only make this mistake once).

Don't have time to split it all as it comes in, it just gets satacked on the pile evry night, I have three piles going, and use one up each year, so its a three year seasoning cycle. But keep them under wraps in the winter.

Buzz, this is where I keep mine, Artics are no problem as its concrete all the way, We have just sold alot privately, so have not got heaps at this point.

Here are some pics of the broken shaft, and us using the splitter We are back up and logging again Just in time for all this snowy weather.

I have got a Hycrack HC1, it was manufactured in 1981 one of the earliest models. They do make a hycrack HC2 which is bigger and can split longer lengths of wood, up to one meter it is claimed. I have had no probs with it except that occasionally it will spin a log. Guide the wood with your left hand as the cone rotates clockwise PTO driven, and so will always spin the log that way, so if you have your right hand on the side when it flicks you WILL get your fingers hurt. They are very low maintenance, make sure thetip is sharp. A replacement tip that screws on is £76.00 + vat and I unfortunately just sheared the main drive shaft on mine, just behind the cone. New shaft was £140.00, I have never damaged a tractor pto or similar with mine, but you may consider replacing the two roll pins with shear bolts if yo think you might have a problem. Don't break the shaft, as I did it was a real job to get the broken shaft end out of the cone, I ended up welding a hefty nut onto the end and then threading a big bolt into it and pressed it out. Is now back and running fine hopefully to do another 28 years with out probs.

Personally I would not bother too much with coppice, as it will take far too long to get a return on your capitol out lay, if you have just come out to civvie land then you will probably have a good pension and lump sum, so I would spend it wisely. Young saplings is very vunerable to wild life damage etc, so needs managing. You also don't really want to be cutting down too many mature Ash trees as this would have an impact on the landscape, and consider the length of time that they take to grow. I would cut down the dead or decayed ones only and buy in wood as cheap as I could, you should beable to locate a source in the Pyreneese. Get yourself an Old tractor and a saw bench and a pto driven log splitter and you are away. P.S. If you go down the rearing pigs road, smoke the carcases over wood chippings mmmmmmm

Martin, Let it dry out, and then use it to light your fires as Dean says, it will be like balsa wood, it will burn far too quickly if you put it on a really going fire, as it will not be dense enough to last, and will burn out. I would be interested in what model of woodburner and back boiler yo have fitted, as I have two woodburners in my house, and want to put a back boiler on one for radiatora and hot water, as currently I use too much oil, Do you need a massive back boiler to heat a big house?

Looked out over Essex and what did I see.................. Lots of snow, so cancelled the work, and spent the day shovelling snow from the garden path

Here are some of my lot hanging around in the woods on the farm.

I have just pulled a pic off my computer, when we were working on the M11 hope it works

If any one is interested? I had a conversation with a friend, a few days ago, who works in the motor trade, and was offered: BRAND NEW Ford Ranger single cab tipper These vehicles are pre registered brand new one ton tippers, and come with manufacturers 3 year warrenty. There are limited stocks available and they will not hang around long. They are at a considerable discount off list price, if any body is genuinely interested, you can PM me and I will give you the details, of the vehicles. they are great for log deliveries. Genuine enquiries only please.

Also get your self a good accountant, they will save you thousands, mine does.

Alasdair, Don't be scared off by what people are saying. If you want some thing bad enough, then you will succeed, you have to be motivated, focused, and show every body that you can do the job, but I would agree with Stoxs, there will be alot of subbies out there with heaps more experience, and they will be the ones that will get the work first in this economic climate. If you are a hard worker and motivated then you will succeed. Good Luck !!!!!!

We have got snow forecast for Essex this week end, So every thing will grind to a standstill, when we get 0.5 mm, The weather is due to turn really cold a well -2 ( well that's cold for us soft souhterners) We are down on the Dengie penninsula next week, so will be getting the full blast off the Norht sea, will be wearing me thermals!!!!!!!!!

Husky King that's one hell of a load of logs on the old lux. but she don't seem to be sitting low at the back? I only load mine up to the level.

forget all this moisture meter stuff to buy one of those is expensive, and it depends where you stick it as to what reading you get, just get a decent supplier and stick with him. The amount of new customers that I have picked up this year because they are fed up with wet wood, is double on last year, and as the sale of wood burning stoves has increased this year, it pays to get your seasoning right. I have a completely new policy now, as from years ago when we just used to throw it on the heap and then in a years time get it off again

I watched that first video in absolute horror !!!!!!!! But it was very interesting reading through everybodies comments. It looked to me that the tree went in the wrong direction, and he got away with it. I would be very carefull when tensioning a winch as there was a fella killed not so long ago near here through over tensioning a winch and the tree barber chaired. I do take my hat off to your grandad, my only criticism would be that i'd buy the old timer a pair of chainsaw trousers for his 72nd birthday. I use a high crack log splitter similiar to yours, if you just ease the log to the cone with your left hand only, as it always flicks over to the right, because thats the way the thread goes, you don't get smacked knuckles. lookedas though your tip was probably worn as you seemed to be having to push the wood quite hard onto the cone before it took hold of it.