Acer Forestry

Despite all efforts to obtain reasonable hardwood for firewood processing, I'm still running low. Anybody with work even remotely close to Weald area of Kent, if you don't do firewood and are interested in selling arisings to someone who does, do give me a bell Phil 07808 738097

I have been using a polytunnel to expediate drying for a few years. You would assume there could not be any argument that it works, but referring to the excellent book "The Wood fire handbook" by Vince Thurkettle (I'm pretty sure it was this title, I'll check) he mentions a professionally carried out test that supposedly proved that there was no further / faster drying benefit to timber in a polytunnel than normal air drying...as unlikely as that sounds. In the summer for example, how can say, a month of average 30 degrees daytime temp in a tunnel not be faster drying than 20 degrees, assuming there is plenty of wind flow?

And thanks for that Lynher

Hand cutter available Kent / East Sussex, currently cutting last of the chestnut this season and will be available for firewood (or anything else) late April Phil 07808 738097

Again, thanks for the info John

That's very useful info, thanks will pursue those

I'm looking for informative books on woodland management and forestry, recently read Chris Starr's Woodland Management which is probably the best so far, but can anyone recommend any others that deal chiefly with forestry in the UK as opposed to internationally? Quite a few that are out there are insanely expensive and libraries won't always stock them, understandably

Further to earlier comments, comparable conditions would warrant £15 per ton down South, also

On 02/06/2014 at 07:39, Stubby said:

 

Alder is good . Likes wet ground but once dried out burns well .

Ditto that, just don't over do the seasoning, it gets a little too light

Cool, let us know how you find it

I have known John the UK supplier for over a year, the product is apparently made to the same standard (I've heard it said in the same factory, but can't verify that) as Silky, and at only a little over half the cost have to be worth trying before commenting. Even the knackered older ones I have still go through roots ok if required. Pistol grip type handle suits some people more, some less I guess. Try one, you won't be sorry

On 05/03/2018 at 22:11, Steve Bullman said:

Imagine what a pain in the arse it would be to park also.  Most pick up owners use them for recreational as well as business. Our car parks just aren’t built to handle vehicles that size unlike America 

Fair comment Steve - LWB vans are obviously not easy to park either but the difference being not so many blokes with a van being their only vehicle. I'd still stick with my view here though that another 2 foot or so of load space would make the hassle worthwhile for a lot of us

No idea if this has been broached on here before, but here goes, regardless. In the UK we can have panel vans, Sprinters and the like that appear to be as long a small coach, and probably as much of a nightmare to park anywhere. So we can have lengthy, small commercials. Why then, do we only see once in a blue moon an older extra / king cab pickup, when what we should have is double cab trucks with full load beds; like the yank trucks. Any ideas why, i can't think of too many rational arguments against producing trucks that are fit for the purpose a lot of us need- room for passengers, tools dogs and god knows what. But with a proper buck...?

I've been to Aus and NZ twice now, first time with backpacker permit, and second with the other half. One thing that's unlikely to change is, the common man can have a very nice, very comfortable life over there if a bit of effort is made, whereas here, well - if you work 14 hour days for years at a stretch you might get a plush house, pool etc., but over there it is more attainable and realistic; even for modest blue collar people

7 hours ago, Woodworks said:

Depends where you live 

 

Did a delivery the other day where I had to climb out through the window to get to the back of the pickup! Tried a trailer here but it was a complete nightmare. Single cab with greedy boards takes a couple of cube.

Ditto that..sold an old school L200 single cab a few years back to a guy from the Cotswolds who reckoned trying to deliver logs in anything much bigger on his rounds wouldn't have worked - small, tight driveways. If there is plenty of space on on a lot of client's properties, going with a small tipper or an Ifor trailer with any 4x4 works fine

An old boy I know who's been doing firewood for years advises striping the birch (and other species that hold a fair water content) as soon as it's felled to allow moisture out; an underrated firewood I reckon, excellent stuff. Sometimes people are sniffy about the low grade woods but if you have volume, and some of us obviously do, it doesn't matter if the BTU's aren't that great. i don't mind alder, again if you catch it at the right seasoning point it isn't that bad, really

On 06/02/2018 at 19:37, josharb87 said:

Am i the only one who thinks the title is misleading? No-ones been ripped off, first quote was a bit high thats all, no trees been cut, no moneys changed hands

 

I too normally put a high price on customers i don't like, i can see why the price left was high!

Ah yes, colloquially known as the tosser tax...

On 27/01/2018 at 11:01, john p said:

Pound for pound the parish magazine is easily the best advertising £100 a year and must bring in 8/9000 a year. ( I really must sit down and work it all out one day!)

Wish i could report the same? Months of advertising in several parish mags and not a single response. Facebook is free, I've had loads more work from there

23 hours ago, TIMON said:

Otter box defender. Ran over my iPhone accidentally in the car. The case saved the phone, not a scratch. I wouldn’t use anything else.

Ditto. A Defender on iphone 5 for general use, but since i'm rubbish at keeping the battery alive, a Caterpillar mobile as backup. Waterproof and generally indestructible looking, an ideal basic phone

that always has charge due to huge standby time. You can get them for 20-30 quid

Ok, will check that out, thanks

Clearly popular saws then...

That sounds about right to me, a saw that age that's seen a fair bit of commercial use is defo 250 tops

On 08/01/2018 at 08:37, TigerTree said:

where there is a ditch at the side of a road, the ditch can be interpreted as the boundary.

Previously had a large lime at roadside, also in Essex and the County arb said that as it was on the far side of the ditch, it was the adjacent landowners responsibility.

I wasn't aware of that; a sizeable ash just a smidge outside the sheep mesh bordering the grazing where the other half keeps her horses, recently came down in high winds, straight over a busy country lane. At a guess a £500 plus bill must have landed on the landlords doormat. Sounds like same scenario - fence, ditch and road and I'd assumed that the fence was the borderline, not otherwise. Are you 100% on this?

Has anyone used or owned any of the recent Echo ground saws, more specifically the CS590. They look a decent piece of kit, and I can't see any negative reviews.

Going back to the advantages of pricier strides - nobody mentioned weight, I believe. Lightest I used were SIP Innovation type A (blagged from an old employer who was going to bin them), hardly heavier than jeans when dry. A lot of cheaper trousers give you fatigue in the summer in no time due to the weight