cessna

11 hours ago, sandspider said:

I try and bring mine in a day or two before I use them, and also try and sit them in front of the burner for an hour or so before I put them on, just to get rid of any lingering moisture before they go in the stove. Even logs that I've dried for 9 months in a polytunnel before burning can still seep a bit of moisture when stood in front of the fire. I presume that's moisture they've reabsorbed in the damper winter months as I'm pretty sure they were fully dry at the end of summer. I do live in a damp Welsh valley though.

Thats exactly what I suggest to my customers, just common sense really .   

To those of you that had logs down to 20%  say back in October for delivery through this winter,how do you  prevent the moisture content of your logs rising  through the winter months when the relative humidity of the  the outside air is  up to 95% plus most days?  I am sure that unless you have a heated or well insulated shed/barn the relative humidity inside the shed will be very high but perhaps I am incorrect. Personally I would think that the moisture content of processed logs stored in a barn ready for delivery  will fluctuate on an almost daily basis.   I do wonder if any of those people who conjure up  legislation have any hands on experience of dealing with the product that they are dealing with in the legislation.   

A bit like the Environment Agency  staff being so (Dim !!!!) dead against waterways  being kept cleaned out to keep water flowing well,  they cant seem to grasp the fact that a river is like a roof gutter, "If you let the gutter on your shed /house   fill up with leaves it overflows", rant over .   Sadly common sense does not prevail  any more.   

I myself sell around a maximum of 400 cubic mtrs  of firewood/logs per year. Just out of interest I would like to know how many cu mtrs of firewood /logs other Arbtalk members sell how ever big or small ,as all relevant to the individuals business.

Thanks for your replies. Sorry to have mislead you @dumper .

I sharpen the chain on a regular basis as needed as I log up about 200tons of cordwood each winter.

I think my mistake is not filing off the slight burr on the sides of the chain bar each time I sharpen the chain ,also getting chains and bars does not help ie putting a 1.3mm wide chain  in a 1.5mm  wide chain bar!!!!!! 

We live and learn thanks again and I wish you a safe 2021.  

I have an old Japa 2100 firewood  processor which does all I want it to do.  Recently while processing lengths  of  cordwood into logs the chain /bar jams in the wood I am cutting through.  Is this because the chain is blunt and the bar has a slight burr on it due to excessive use.  I have  had the machine from new 14yrs ago but the problem I have described has only started to occur recently.

As per title ,any idea of the range of sizes of logs that will fit in  very small log burners as fitted in Shepherds Huts and canal boats. 

How much of a premium do any of you charge for cutting mini logs 6"inches and under as they must be so time consuming to cut!!!! 

I say again many thanks for all your suggestions, much appreciated, thats why this forum is so useful?   

1 hour ago, spuddog0507 said:

No need for sarcasem you asked a question i gave you a honest down to earth answer but you obviously dont know what your doing as you didnt even know the a windblow course exsisted, you could actually do the course your site on your tree, then next time you might know what your doing, good luck lad, and do your self a favour have some one else on site with first aid expieriance you may need it, readl the other posts from the guys with some expierance and take on board what they are saying it may help you,

Their was no sarcasm what so ever intended in my reply to your help and suggestions on such a serious matter.

37 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

It’s called cs32 and cs33.
Tree felling over 380mm and wind blown trees.
Yes this situation is covered.
Please don’t try what you’re suggesting.

Thanks for the course numbers

11 hours ago, spuddog0507 said:

Hi you dont need that big bar in the situation your in, with the right cut and used in the right sequence and stood in the right place when doing the last part of the cut i would be on a 461or simular  with a 25" bar, From my experience (40 years) of dealing with windblown both singular and multiple, big saws with big bars will put you more in danger of something serious happening than a smaller more manoverable saw, we have done several jobs over the years like you are describing and there wont be any 660s 661s or 880s with big bars on site, i take it you have not been on a windblown course as you would not be asking the question ?, if you did do a windblown course it would open your eyes as to what is involved and what can go wrong there is a little more to it than big bars, take care and stay safe windblown can be a killer,

Many thanks, no I have not been on a course as you mention, never knew such a course existed especially   one that ACTUALLY cuts up a 48"plus tree on a steep bank,lying sideways  on to the bank,so one has to be taught how to deal with "preventing a runaway 48"plus trunk" as well as cutting up the trunkh,really dangerous situations,and as you say one false judgement causing ones  death or someone elses.  Thank you and everyones  replies to my thread. 

As above.  I ask ,as I  sometimes need to cut up a large diameter 48" plus diameter windblown Beech tree which are usually on very steep ground!!!  Cutting through them from both sides with my 36" bar is not ideal as trunk liable to roll on top of one if one gets it slightly wrong, with fatal consequences. Any suggestions welcome.

7 hours ago, spudulike said:

Usually the bigger the house, the tighter the residents are!

How right you are ,as that is how they made their money and I think many of them think firewood suppliers are on the same level as pikeys ,that is why I have no scrupples about trying to charge them for everything  I can get.

If they choose to go elsewhere so be it.  

At 69, I  learnt too late in my business life that "nice guys get hurt (taken for suckers!!),and also "THEIR ARE  NO FRIENDS IN BUSINESS BUT CONDUCT YOUR BUSINESS IN A FRIENDLY MANNER",  that was very good and so true advice I was given rather too late in life.

Also "YOU CAN WORK AS  HARD AS YOU LIKE, BUT IF YOU ARE WORKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION YOU ARE WASTING YOUR   TIME  " 

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I charge £20 for stacking my 1.6cu mtr of loose logs, and I am about to start charging £10 for delivering logs at week ends. Do most of you charge  about the same or less. I must add that I live in an affluent area and some of the customers who ask for a weekend delivery live in London and just come to their second home at week ends,if they can afford a second home they can surely afford £10 for a weekend delivery, especially when one of the customers companies had a $40,000,000 dollar profit last year?

Many thanks for your replies. I doubt whether it will do any good but I have sent an Email to the Woodsure organisation saying that the variation between moisture meters(pin meters)  measuring moisture on the "Dry Basis",and the  Woodsure basis of  testing wood by the "wet process" (oven testing) needs to be explained to the general public. As the general public and Myself included are measuring wood with a pin meter, which if you go by what Stoves On Line say at the very end of their advert for their  pin meter,  our meter  uses the "dry basis" for measuring moisture content of firewood, if our meter (Stoves on line meter) says a log is 25% moisture, the log moisture measured by the "wet  basis"  will measure 20% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All very confusing ,just to stir things up will logs have to be 20% at dry basis or 20% wet basis ?? 

On 28/09/2020 at 10:30, arboriculturist said:

I think you will find that your Pin Moisture Meter measures on a 'dry basis', which is the wrong type of meter for firewood or forestry.

 

You need to obtain the correct meter that measures on a  'wet basis', which measures the water in the firewood (a solid), expressed as the weight of water as a percentage of the wet solid.

 

Pin Moisture Meters designed for the building trade are the wrong type for you.

If what you say is correct, I cant understand why the EXTECH MO220 comes with charts for 170 wood species?

May I suggest you visit  www.extech.com   and look at the EXTECH MO220 . 

I am very concerned about the consistency/INCONSISTENCY,  of  different makes  of moisture meter readings of moi(sture meters being sold to  sold to the general public to measure the moisture content of  the firewood delivered to them. I have an "EXTECH M0220"  wood moisture meter which as  been calibrated to measure different woods , to which you set the moisture meter to the relevant (A.B.C.E.F.G.H.J) as specified  in the chart accompanying the moisture meter (no D setting). 

Have any of you had a fallout with the "ODD" customer who when you arrive with their logs they  proceed to start prodding  your load of logs with "THIER moisture meter" , which reads higher than your moisture meter leading to  confusion!!! 

Just to say I am test burning  some of the Hornbeam as mentioned in my thread  Title and it is burning really well,thank goodness.  We split a lot into 1mtr,billetts back in may and it has dried out really well.  We aim to start delivering it this week so thought I had better see if it burns ok.?

Do many of you use a log cleaner which is situated at the end of your firewood processor to allow small bits of wood to be separated from the logs?

Most of my log customers like  the small bits to use as kindling but,a few customers are saying no small bits please.  I have noticed that if the 4way splitting is set to split logs 4 ways,which it is most of the time that there is always a lot more slithers/bits than if I put a through the splitting knife twice in the down position.

How do you get over the above problem??

If you do use a log cleaner do you , put the bits in fine mesh or plastic bags e.g used poultry  feed bags and sell them as fire lighting bits, so as get get  a bit  of income from  the cleanings? 

Many thanks for any comments/suggestions      

On 05/09/2020 at 11:00, arboriculturist said:

Agreed - you are not up to speed.

I have had 2 and nothing compares.

No processor likes bent twisty timber, but you get used to it.

The clamp is not as good as a Tajfun, but I will modify it at some stage.

Compared to a chainsaw processor where the chains dull in no time at all, the TCT blade is 100% amazing.

Far quicker on small dia. than anything I know.

You will be able to take your pick of processors when the new regulations kick in and the 'Firewood Police' get to work, as the market will be absolutely flooded with splitters and processors.

Who are the Firewood Police???????

As above.

Thanks for your posts.  I have decided to manage with my 660 which is more than heavy enough to carry up very steep banks !!!!   

Off Topic.    Bank so steep I have found it slightly easier to throw a long rope down to the winch, hook the rope on to the  winch cable and lug wire rope up,by standing still and just heaving rope up the hill  !!!  

The winch cable pulley attached to the bottom of a standing  tree trunk has been a great piece of kit to stop lengths of wood running away, and sliding down hill and getting wedged behind standing trees!!!!  

As above,any preferences ?I have searched for  "boots fro hillside" and I only come up with the thread I started back in 2017!!!! Surely some of you must spend a lot of your logging time  on steep hillsides.?

I  am considering purchasing a Stihl MS 880 via ebay the "Chainsawguy", it quite clearly states that  one contacts them for shipping to the uk.  Has any one else  dealt with "chainsawguy".  I do realise that Stihl have now stopped selling the 880 in the uk because of emission regulations. Many thanks for any opinions.

As above ,have they been finalised/printed . If I GOOGLE  "New rules for burning firewood " all that come up is out of date hype from the media, which to us running a business is useless ,and that is putting it politely!!!!!!!

Have you ever used carbide tipped chainsaw chain for cutting dry hardwood e.g dried out horn beam ? 

Pros and cons of using it  if you have  , many thanks

Can it be sharpended??????