Cracker

holy s... that's incredible!

I've only ever used ripping chain and the finish has been really good. In my experience the chain is critical. Without a sharp ripping chain you'll waste a lot of everything...timber, chain oil, fuel and your time.

Are you not worried about fire using shingles in Portugal? If it were me I go with clay tiles.

Absolutely wicked Chris!

Yes, I love working with it for tool handles. Never thought of using it for gates.

A quick cleaving break to get you started, a log with two flat side opposite each other, lay it on one flat side then cut out some rectangles of various widths. You stand on the log and hold the timber you're cleaving so it fits tight in one of the slots, give you a bit of cleaving leverage. To be honest I rarely use a cleaving break when making oak gates. I find the best way to get them to split how you want is to start the split at both ends. Chestnut seem to respond much better to the brake. It makes life much easier if you start with nice straight grained, knot free timber. A good way to practice "steering" your cleaving is with hazel rods. I split hundreds of feet last year for a wattle and daub build.

Wish that were closer to me.

This is a drawknife.... ...and here's a froe

Making cleft gates is 50% of my living these days,and yes, it's simple. You don't need to go on a course. Start your split at the pith. Spilt into quaters with wedges, or froe. Shape your uprights with an axe, final shaping with draw knife. Snap a chalk line along the length of the upright, or use a pencil and straight edge. This will be the center line for your mortises. Mark out mortise positions then drill them. I use a 3/4 inch auger for small gates. Drill three holes along your chalk line next to each other and clean out the waste with a chisel. Next, cleave your rails in the same way you did the uprights, just thinner. Cut them to the right length. Put them in a vice, get a sprit level and mark a plumb line at either end. Make a tenon template from a bit of scrap wood and place it over your plumb line so that it runs straight top to bottom, then draw inside with a pencil so the tenon shape is on the end grain. Shape the tenon with a drawknife. Now fit all the rails into the uprights and either drill and peg or use rose head nails, which look really nice! If you want anymore info pm me. I make shave horses, froes and green wood working tools. My froes are hand forged £35 deliverd.

Nice work. I do 'em from oak and chestnut, never tried ash. What's the durability like? Here's a few pics.

Unfortunately that's what seems to happen to decent people in today's world.

Last year I had this sore throat and cough i couldn't shift. Went to docs, chest x-ray, blood tests and all that - found nowt! Turns out it was the tannic acid in the green oak I was flat-out making gates from. So yes, now I wear a mask. I've gotta keep going a least 20 years, missus wants another baby:001_huh:

Well, this one was definitely too much weight at the back, caused by my lack of concentration and diligence when loading. It was obvious when I unloaded the trailer yesterday. I am one very lucky individual!

This is almost exactly what happened. I drove four mile before the duel carriageway no probs, didn't notice it felt odd or anything. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4MQEYe4_0Y]YouTube - Unstable caravan-auto jack-knife. Test by Olle Nordström.[/ame]

I'm sure now I was tail heavy. The shorter sticks went in first at the back with the longer ones on the top with the thick ends at the front. and straps over the top. Thing is, cos we were lifting them in I wasn't thinking the same way I do when the forwarder loads with halt tonne butts and I'm careful they're balanced over the axles evenly. It was unlike anything I've experienced before. Totally out of control as soon a I started down that hill. Complacent and gassing too much in the yard - idiot!

...tomorrow's another day. Learn and move on.

Yeah, thinking about it there was probably more on the rear of the trailer. I'm usually really careful to load evenly. Like I said, too complacent. Hopefully anyone reading this will be more diligent than me next time they tow. I just can't believe what a jammy git I am to not only get away without ruining someones life, but minimal damage to the kit as well. I ain't gonna push me luck from now on.

The problem started when I was slowing at the top of the hill. I was doing 40 in 4th, dabbed the brake and she started snaking.I was trying to get control for best part of a mile before it let go. I've towed thousands of miles with car transporters at work, and when that's happened before I've always managed to pull out of it with a little right foot. This time something was wrong from the start. The hill in question is notorious for jack knifes. Very lucky I didn't hurt anyone and the load didn't move. I was carrying 5" poles, if one had been thrown into the other side I could have killed a bunch of people.

What would you have done then?

The tyres were almost on fire when the merry-go-round finished. One blew a mile down the road, no hard shoulder, right where the M5 starts:001_rolleyes:. So after waiting an hour for the police to road block, I waited another hour for Highways to block lane one so I could change the wheel. That's when the Highways guy (on his second visit) gave it the "the big one" and called the police cos he reckoned I was overloaded, turns out I wasn't.

'twas chestnut this time bey!

And what is it with the Highways Agency guys, chip on shoulder or obtuse from birth?

Nissan Micra. Land Cruiser.