Big J

If you can shift the slabs, the return is much much better than firewooding. My milling and firewooding is fairly labour intensive (Alaskan mill and splitting axe) but in a day I can reasonably do: - 50 cubic foot of boards at 1.5 inch thickness - 5 cubic meters of firewood split fairly small 50 cubic foot, provided I can get a customer for it, will sell at £600-1800 depending on species and whether it is green or kilned. 5 cubic meters of firewood will net me a maximum of £300. Timber costs obviously need to be deducted from those figures. So yes, milling is definitely worth the effort!

Thanks for the replies - food for thought certainly! Had a look at the specs for the MS271 - seems quite heavy for the power and the vibration figures are quite high.

Can't comment on Logosol as I haven't used them but here are my pros and cons for Alaskan mills: Pros: Quick to set up, cheap, can mill large logs (though larger bars can reduce accuracy of cut), quite well made generally, very portable and generally quite reliable. Cons: As Rob says, U bolts can be a weakness (though since getting a few spare, the mostly threaded ones on the mill have hung on to dear life for months!), handle design isn't ideal (can cause the back of the mill frame to rise up, scoring the underside of the board) and getting a smooth entry/exit off the log takes a lot of practice. One final observation regarding Alaskan mills is that they can all be made to work a little better with minor modifications such as: * When using an auxiliary oiling system, it pays to drill out the hole in the oiling bolt so that more oil can flow. Otherwise it's too easily blocked. Also, the pipe from the auxiliary oil tank doesn't fit that securely on the bolt, so use a cable tie. Finally, the jubilee clip holding the tank to the mill can break, so get some gaffa tape involved! * When using the EZ rail system, ensure you screw down into the log as well as using the dogs and bolts. You have two pairs of threaded holes for the bolts - use one for the bolts and one for the screws. * When using longer bars, get a second handle and clip for the throttle. Both hands on the mill result in much easier milling. I've now milled over a thousand cubic foot of timber with my Alaskan, and it's a great tool. I will get a bandsaw next year, but there will still be many many occasions where the Alaskan will be brought out. Jonathan

IMO, yes. I don't think that there is any place in normal gardens for spruce, and conifers do need tight regulation to avoid becoming an issue.

I'm considering flogging my nearly new MS260 on ebay for no other reason that I quite like the look of the MS261. I was wondering if you folk would consider it worth the hassle, or whether I should stop being a pillock and stick with what is a perfectly reasonable saw! My justification is that the MS261 has lower fuel consumption, lower emissions, lower vibration and is significantly shinier and newer than my MS260. I only got the 260 in summer, and it's performed sterling work, but the reduced fuel consumption should amount to about a £5 saving each week, which is quite attractive. In addition to this, ebay seems to be filled with folk willing to pay new prices for old saws, so the price difference might be quite small. What d'you reckon?

Aye, forgot to give you some credit for that one Peckerwoo! Blinking -9.4 celcius last night - we're right down on the coast and it's never this cold usually!

This has been on Ebay for a little while and I think it's absolutely brilliant! The best description I heard of it on here was Milk float crossed with a Unimog! IFA Multicar Multitruck 25 on eBay (end time 16-Dec-10 09:31:23 GMT)

I made the rule with my wife that if it's tax deductable it doesn't count!

If it has been correctly dried (as in stickered and stacked with reasonable airflow) it should be fine. Easiest way to tell is get yourself a cheapo moisture meter and check - 15 to 19% moisture content is what you are aiming for (according to my architect wife). Jonathan

Thanks for the information Winterbourne. As it happens, we have been given a Rayburn which we are in the process of figuring out the best way to install. Our days of a cold house are numbered!

Currently on dead larch, scots pine and elm, with some 1 yr seasoned beech and 4 month seasoned cherry and willow. All burn very well and always have a bed of embers to relight from in the morning.

You lucky swine, you! My '89 Shogun 2.6 Petrol gets 24mpg on a steady moterway run and what seems like about 10mpg doing forestry access stuff on the estate. I dream of 30mpg!

We weren't climbing, but were thinning today right on the shore of the estate. The squalls of snow coming in from the North East were quite entertaining, plastering everything in ice!

It is a lot of money for a saw that is going to be hard to get spares for! I'll just wait until the week before Christmas when he's selling it for £20 and a case of Tennants!

One for Flaming-ace to drool over: STIHL CHAINSAW 090av 30" BAR on eBay (end time 28-Nov-10 20:55:21 GMT) Seems a bit pricey I suppose, but am I right in thinking it's considered the Holy Grail for chainsaw milling? It's blinking local too!

Snowy snow snow!

Bide your time mate. Once all the numpties have given away their stock and put themselves out of business, you will still be there with your logs.

My colleague has the combi can with auto fills on both oil and fuel - they are superb. If we refuel at the same time, he is usually completely done before I've filled one tank. You can guess what my stocking fillers are going to be this year!

I've got a nice stack of timber at home for my own fire - perhaps 15 tonnes. It's got a lovely dusting of snow on it presently (though will probably be buried come morning!). I'll get a photo tomorrow

They can go for daft money on Ebay. That said, I was lucky when I got my 088 -£410 and it's done literally hundreds of hours of milling since then with one carb cleanout.

I hate that we have to do this. I hate that people of so self destructive as to constantly reinforce how far we have to go to actually become civilised. Burn them all, I say!

I'm very tall (6ft 8) but have a very high block to work with. Quite like that I should be able to wield it one handed.

Just got the large splitting axe (3 1/2lb head, with 27 inch handle) for £70 including delivery.

Right, Gransfors Brux it will be! Thanks folks!

Thanks Rob - very pleased with the outcome of this kiln. Still changes that I will make for the next one, but it's always a learning process! Sold 1/10 of the kiln today to a young furniture maker fresh from college. And she is going to send her friends along too! Jonathan