Ryan

Could you recommend a supplier for hydrochloric acid (Muriatic acid). I require some to remove alloy transfer from a cylinder. Is there an easy found alternative for example brick cleaner. What sort of concentrate do you guys use? Cheers Ryan

The spruce in the top picture wasn't heavy at all. It was just some tops left over after the lorry took a load. The bottom pic is fresh cut oak last weekend and the timber alone was heading for 3 ton. I really do need a bigger trailer but just cant afford one. On the other hand if I had a trailer twice the size I probably wouldn't be able to fill it in a day anyway. Im cutting 17 miles from home and its a long run in an old International tractor for just 3 ton of timber.

I need a replacement cylinder and piston for another husqvarna 350 I got this week. I see kits on ebay from £36 to £75. some speak of being "closed port professional type" others nikasil coated and one which includes a meteor piston. would the more expensive ones be worth the extra. This being the most expensive HUSQVARNA 350,346,351,353 CYLINDER & METEOR PISTON 44.3mm FOR PROFESSIONAL USE | eBay

Two of my dogs molly and micha, taken just before halloween while hunting woodcock. And the result of our labours

Giving the new husky 350 the once over this evening and all looks good, ready for the oak on saturday. Also on the bench tonight is an old husqvarna 41 chainsaw belonging to my brother in law. It was running erratically, impossible to tune and would keep stalling at idle, even when set high. Pulled it apart there, blocked the exhaust port and the mouth of the carb (kept carb in place) I applied 1 bar pressure into the plug hole and it held pressure for 15 mins without sign of a leak. However when I try to apply vacuum I cant get any at all. I even tried sucking through the pipe and can clearly feel air coming in. However I dont know how to find where its coming in. Obviously with pressure leak soapy water does the job but how do you check where the vacuum leak is? The only thing im dubious about is the end float in the crank shaft. I can move the crank almost 1mm from side to side through the crankcase. No obvious play in bearings.

Of tomorrow to pick up a Husqvarna 350 in very good condition and only had a couple of gallons of fuel and still on original chain from new. £240 doesnt sound dear.

I require a clutch assembly for an older model (metal chain brake handle) 266. Its the one with the coarse thread 1/2" UNC. New or used if anyone has any ideas. I tried the usual ebay suspects without joy.

A load on my 10x6 tractor trailer filled with 3m oak logs stacked over 1m high weights 2.5 ton. About two loads looks similar or slightly less than you have there. Three loads looks more. Hard to say with a photo but Id say 6-8 ton tops.

Cheers spud. Im assuming that the 345 and 350 use the same chassis so weight should be almost the same therefore the 50cc would make more sense. I also see a 351, is this just a newer version of the same?

Between you and me, you really dont want it. You will find a little detail about it in my post on this page http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/chainsaws/33857-whats-your-bench-today-330.html#post871606 It was rebuilt at the time and has worked very well since but I used a copy cylinder and meteor piston. I think it will be one for the bay. Whats your thoughts on the equivalent Husky?

My first of the season. Heres to a good one.

I have a fairly good MS240 stihl which I have started to dislike for some reason. Id just doesn't feel comfortable or handy. I would like to change it to something of similar value. I suppose Im limited to £200 to £250. I dont need big power or reach but something that will stick abuse. Im currently felling 2 1/2 acres of mixed hardwood mostly oak and beech and need something for snedding and felling the smaller stuff. I used to have a 345 husky which I really liked and would like possibly to get another. Ive had almost every model of small stihl and found none of them overly impressive apart from my old 020av super. I am thinking of making the change to husky, so what used sub 45cc saw could I get for £250

Up until a few ago I used a conventional X shape saw horse which was generally fine and my wife was usually about to hold the ends of the logs when they were getting short and unable to support themselves. My wife then was pregnant with our first boy and soon became unable to help so I had to find another way. At first I used the log splitter to clamp long lengths which I could cut right down to the last log without them falling off but it meant having the tractor ticking over for long periods which i didnt like. After a lot of thinking and trial and error I came up with the following design. I eventually got one to work the way I wanted and it made life very easy. Soon a neighbour saw it and demanded I make him one then another and another. It proved very successful and now the wife is no longer required for firewood production. I once made a video of it in operation to show a couple of folks how it worked which I uploaded to youtube. Ill try upload the video and some photos incase someone might be able to use the idea for themselves or inspire another design. I did make close to 100 of them over the past couple of years but just don't have the time now and have real trouble getting steel box section of the exact required dimensions. I still make the occasional one. Hope this post might be of interest. Please ignore lack of ppe. I do wear a little now and learned to keep a sharp saw!

Anybody had any woodcock yet. They seem to be starting to appear now. Heard of the first few shot today in various locations across Northern Ireland

Thank you. Just googled it and found some good info. Quite fascinating really. Cheers.

International was the way I went. With a good loader being the important bit. My 885xl will lift 1 ton without weight at the back although its not recommended as any sudden movements causes stability issues. Will also lift a ton on pallet toes on the rear. Much chaper than equivalent ford or MF. Slight down side is the use of hytrans oil meaning you cant borrow implements which may have other oils in rams etc, I dont farm with mine so not a problem. The only other thing I dont like about it is the road speed. Its very slow, but I suppose thats maybe not an issue for yourself. Im currently transporting oak logs from 17 miles away with mine. Takes near 1 1/2 hours each way.

Can anybody educate me as to what these items growing on oak trees are. I have came across these many times in the last couple of visits to this job. They are approx 20-25mm in diameter.

I have secured 2 1/2 acres of mainly oak recently, of similar size although average round 12" for £15 per ton. I was happy with that price. Its possibly worth a little more maybe round the £20. Though Im not that experienced in buying timber.

The longest period I had mine lit without needing to relight it was just over 3 months. Then one night when my wife was up doing a night feed with our first baby she put in a log which was just slightly too long she closed the door and broke the glass. The stove which she had just filled to the top with beech logs roared flat out for the next couple of hours with no glass in one of the doors and the fire was out by morning. Got the glass on the way home from work next day and she was lit again until april. It takes the equivalent of 2 fertilizer bags to burn the fire from 5 in the evening to around midnight or 3 bags does 24 hours.Its a Hunter Herald 80B

Ill be watching, could learn something to get me out of the soft Irish bogs on the odd occasion.

Very good post and I agree totally. I too use only wood for my central heating and the time I spend cutting timber each year would buy two years of oil if I worked the equivalent time in my normal job. I can earn upto £16 an hour on saturdays in my normal work but I choose to go fell timber instead. Im not keen on "normal work" though and dont see timber processing as "work" but more of a hobby.

I fell in with an old but good condition brushcutter/ strimmer today. It an Echo srm402. Seems robust and powerfull and should do my job. Think its just over 40cc. It only cost £40 so no big loss if it doesnt. I need to order a mulching blade now but unsure of size or supplier.

Im not sure why you need anything harder than mild steel. The axe on mine is made from 15mm thick plate approx 200mm square. I sharpened it along one edge and then along the top edge welded 50mm angle to help spread the log apart. Ive had my splitter about 5 years now and never had to re dress or sharpen the axe although I only split about 50m3 a year. If you wanted something harder just get your blacksmith to harden and temper ordinary mild steel with a simple heating and cooling process.

Thanks for the suggestions folks. Will look into the mulching blade and a large stihl model. I do need a strimmer round home and it would do both jobs. A bit overkill for round home but Im always cutting some kind of woodland and they are never pretty.