Omniata

I was told by the assessor that it was a "minimum of two, maximum of three", I dare say I wouldn't have been able to sned and delimb if I'd gone on any longer but would have liked the opportunity to do another after having a break and something to eat/drink...

To be fair I'm not used to this but willing to "get in there"... I had managed a full week though, which I thoroughly enjoyed, after stopping and "topping up" every hour and a half or so I'd been fine too... For me and my instructor I'd done really well I appreciate the comments, but just feel as if I was a little "hurried" and didn't think it was fair using the saw I was given with a heavily worn down chain... The assessor tried to get one of the 260's I'd been using but couldn't get into the lockup to get one out... The college/school I went to said when I phoned them they'd get me back within two weeks though and make sure I had the saw I'd been trained with to do a couple of straight fells and get me passed... No worries, taken on board 29...

About ~2kgs fueled and oiled, might not seem like much but when trying to move quickly around the trunk it made a hell of a difference... That's with painkillers on top... I was supposed to be able to stop for lunch and lucazade at 12 too, with regards to my diabetes, we kept going till 13:00 then finished, so exhaustion was beginning to play a major part... My instructor had accepted that and said he had no issues if I had to stop to eat and "top up"... The assessor on the other hand ignored me

It wasn't my saw I was using, if I'd been using my 460 all week for sneding and delimbing I'd have been dead That's a little unfair , the rest of the week I'd been pretty much exhausted by the end of the day, which was fair. But the saw given to me on the day was a lot heavier and I'd been told that anything heavier than the 260 I'd been trained on was really not suitable for the work I'd be doing if "inexperienced"... I'd been watched throughout my training and told I was doing really well and the later cuts were excellent too... My instructor said to raise issues if I wasn't happy, which I did, but I don't think it's a good idea filing a chain past its wear marks either...

Hi... Just passed my CS30, but failed CS31, today after a pretty intensive week of training... I was trained on a MS260 but had to take my assessment with a MS310... Not much difference on paper but there was quite a big difference in weight with the extra oil and fuel onboard... Add to that the assessor asked me to sharpen the chain, which I completed "excellently" as he put it, however I was sharpening past the wear marks and begining to file the drive links and tie straps. I raised the issue with the assessor and asked "should I not have a new chain" he said "it'll be fine for the assessment, but I'm pleased you noted it with me"... I was a little "disgruntled" to say the least... Needless to say I perfomed a "danish" cut, but cut with the kickback zone and in the "danger zone" so got a minor. Then I did a "step cut" and got a pass. Finally did a "straight fell", by this point my arms were killing me after sneding and delimbing, so I cut the back cut at the wrong angle and got a fail on acount of the error made with the danish plus the wrong angle... He didn't ask me to crosscut and stack either as if he was in a bit of a hurry So.... I contacted the training college/school and raised the issues I had, they said they'll get me booked in with the right saw and get me passed... Hopefully I'll be set to go within two weeks

All round, "Design C", is recommended for "new users"... Experienced forestry workers are allowed to use "Design A", ligther protection due to experience... Just done my CS30/31 today, passed the 30 but failed the 31 due to a fault with the straight fell, pretty much straight forward, you should be ok

Damn!!!!! I'm off to do my CS30&31 this week

Hmmm that does remind me of the petrified tree in Yellowstone park in the US, now that is a feature hehe...

I hate to say it but a group of pidgeons regularly scared the other birds from my parents garden... They can't get the food from the feeders, so like bullies harass the other birds until they stop visiting... So I went about using my .22 lever action to remove them, needless to say all the other birds have returned and I haven't seen a pidgeon since...

I used to know an old guy that used to have "Guinness on cornflakes", now that is a "hearty breakfast"

Sorry to hear that, needless to say with the clutch spewing fluid I doubt they'll get very far before it jams or siezes... Well I hope they don't anyway, if they have to take it to a garage I'm sure it'll turn up quickly...

Hmmm, don't get me started on "Cheshire East Council"... A pile of bumbling idiots that don't listen and constantly change their minds and the rules IMHO and IME "A little more effort" would have probably cost them more money so they wouldn't have even considered it, even if they later found out after asking that it would have been free

Here's a linky, in your area Courses plus+

Do you know anyone that's a mechanic that could take it apart and have a look God forbid if it's cracked inside

I might add that on the right hand log where branches appear to have been cut I put plugs there in the centre too... I doubt they'll be left side by side as I'm planning to reduce the border where they're sat by a half so will probably place them along the fence line either side of the stump...

Cheers!!! Fingers crossed... I'm thinking of putting some thick plastic or a cloche over it whilst they establish themselves... It's reasonably well shaded where they are, so shouldn't suffer too much in the summer either...

Right I've done it... Took two fir logs I'd cut recently and got an oyster mushroom kit supposedly compatable with them: DIY Mushroom kit Below are two pics of the logs... They're placed on the south side of my garden submerged about two inches into the ground and bedded down thoroughly... Plugged as per the instructions and I'm keeping an eye on them to make sure they stay damp... Sorry about the quality but my hands aren't that steady, it's not that blue either, couldn't get it to take a clear picture after adjusting the light settings The logs are about 14" long and 6" to 8" diameter... There's evidence of the mycelium around the plugs so fingers crossed there'll be some progress over the next few months as it starts getting warmer... Hopefully towards the end of the year they'll start start blooming, the Fir variety is a autumn/winter type... If not and they progress well there's always next year... I'll do my best to keep this thread regularly updated

Just bought some "fir mushroom" oyster dowels and plugged some logs off a conny I recently cut down... I'll be starting a "diary" type thread in the next couple of days to chart their progress Already posted in another thread but here's the kit again: Fir mushroom kit

Just had another look and found these: 76mm Drill/Self feed auger 140mm Extension There is a 117mm drill too....

I've used a similar one before only up to 1.5" though... If drilling deep holes it's a good idea to take the drill bit out and cool it every now and again to stop it losing it's hardness Also, don't force it! The bits can shear off if you over work the drill... Also if the holes a little "rough round the edges" it would look better IMHO...

Can't find an auger bit that big but there are these if you can get a press bolted onto the wood like the old B&D drills: Adjustable drill bit Will just about go upto 3"... I'f your steady enough with it you'll be fine

Make that 4