Marko

Looks great. We had rain (no change there then) and it is no where near as much fun on a quad.

The world population is predicted to grow from 6 billion to 9 billion by 2050 (http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/longrange2/WorldPop2300final.pdf) all of whom will need feeding, clothing, housing and playstations. I personally can't see how paying additional green taxes, changing my light bulbs, recycling cow farts etc etc will make enough savings to accomodate the impact of population increase never mind achieve a reduction in overall CO2.

Be aware that for half that amount and for less effort you could have had a listing on Firewood - seasoned logs and wood fuel for woodburners, log burners and wood fuelled boilers Leaflets might well be more appropriate for launching your business but it might be worth a try on the website especially if you are in an area with no one else currently advertising.

The exruders are a big investment - even for a crap one - and I understand maintenance costs can be a bob or two. I do think that an engineering type could come up with a "newspaper press" type of device to fit in a hydraulic log splitter - feed in a mix of of wet newspaper (as a binder) but the bulk of it being sawdust and splitter shavings. A decent splitter should get the bulk of the moisture out and press it hard enough for it to hold together. Waiting for the briquette to dry would be no longer than for a log to season?

A way of automating the manual device shown on Pressing Matters - The quest to turn garden waste into fire Briquettes for a wood boiler would be good. Has anyone ever made something to make briquettes using a hydraulic log splitter? If something could be made to fit into a standard splitter it would be a good seller.

Our logs measure around 20% at point of sale. We won't sell at above 25%.

Impressive log stack. Good work!

If The Hucks KWh numbers are correct then he was right, gas is cheaper and by a good chunk. BUT.... perhaps people make the big saving on their gas bill not replacing gas KWh with wood fuel KWhs directly but by only heating the room they are sat in (like the good old days). I have the gas CH left switched on so it kicks in if the log burner in the living room is not fired. Believe me there is no greater incentive than to light the b@gger when I hear the rumble of the Central Heating starting up.

My last gas bill shows £369.89/10378.06kwh = 3.6p per kwh. This then goes through an old heavyweight cast iron boiler which at best can only be 55% efficient. So, if my maths is correct, gas costs me about 6.5p per kwh.

Ian, It is easy You can do it with some pretty basic tools Costs to much for a professional to do it You don't need any training My mate did mine for a pint If the title of this thread was "Advice on dropping a big sycamore" on a website developers forum you would not be surprised to find the exact same points being flung into the mix by people who don't fully understand the implications. We have quite a collection of scathing threads about "have a go" arborists (and landscapers) yet we seem to be able master the skills of other trades at the drop of a hat. Does any one else feel the irony? Best advice is to get someone who really understands your requirements and has a track record that can be demonstrated. The delta on a basic price will very much depend on how long you want the developer to spend with the graphics but remember a sexy website that cannot be found is of no value at all. Aim for a basic website that delivers to you the RIGHT traffic. Once you are getting the results you anticipated, then add to it as you see fit/can afford. Make sure you understand all the startup costs and the ongoing revenue costs before you commit. A cracking graphic designer is not necessarily a good website designer. Google adwords is very often suggested as a way to paper over the cracks of poor web design. In this industry there is no reason at all why your site should not deliver a return in its own right. Adwords etc should only be needed for specific marketing campaigns.

Peter, how much a year does it cost to keep? Hosting? Maintenance charges etc.

Cubic Bags? The last thing we need is yet another unit of measurement!

See Firewood processing equipment for hire which was launched recently to cater for anyone offering such services

I do like the stand - I think ours will get one shortly:

I think it worked out just under £9 a bag by the time they were delivered. Anyone ordering a more sensible qty would probably work out a cheaper though.

I bought a full wagon load in second hand. They are better for the job than any other stillage I could find as they were galvanised, fold flat when not in use and tough as old boots. They were dear at the time (approx £45 each????) but when you look at the price of vented bags this year then all of a sudden they don't look as expensive.

Its a Sonim. They make the phones for Landrover and JCB and it is quite a bit cheaper without such logos on it. See Tough Builders Mobile Phones - Waterproof and Dustproof phones from JCB, Samsung and Sonim It is rock solid, proper waterproof so it doesn't mind a trip in the washer and has a very loud ringtone which you can hear over a circ saw, tractor etc. The software is not a patch on a nokia, no camera (which might be a selling point after all the stuff in the news yesterday) and it is built like a brick - everyone might laugh but it is that heavy thet you know instantly when it is not in your pocket so it never gets left behind but you might need an early hip replacement.

A photo of cages of poplar which was dropped by a certain Mr Riding January 2009 and processed and stacked in February. Random samples from the middle of the crates are measuring a uniform 19% this afternoon. Interesting to note that the contents of each cage has dropped by about 4" since the photo was taken.

We have looked at this stack of Skyhucks finest for a while now and decided today was the day to do battle with it and get it split....

Sure, no problem.

Our Morso was cheaper from the local dealer shop (they beat the best online price I could get without any negotiation. Wood Burning Stoves, Multi Fuel Stoves Lancashire, UK - D Roberts Heating They also sorted a HETAS engineer to sort the flue etc.

I use 3D tooling in Bolton. Tel 01204 701000

First thing I noticed was the 'baged' spelling mistake. I guess that if you are going to make your own leaflets then you need to use the spellchecker before printing and distributing. If the printer gets it wrong at least you have someone to rant at! I agree with the comments on photos - make them relevant or drop them. Good Luck!

Morso....