cessna

I think its "ALDER"   (not elder!!!) .        Google "Alder"then  go to images and you will see plenty  of pics of Alder , see what you think.

Most of my firewood is about 25% when I deliver it ,which is split and air dried  the previous summer.

How do you suggest I get it below 20%  to comply with the new regs.

Processing firewood into   big bags during the summer is great but the costs of labour etc make the job uneconomical.

Thanks for your replies. The windblown tree I was given for the clearing,this time last  year  is taking a lot of time and effort to split into 1.2mtr lenghts even  with our Binderberger 40ton splitter,so glad to hear it should be ok for my firewood customers. The wood has a very high sap content and takes some splitting, we have yet to set about the 3ft diameter knarlly butt lengths which stop the cone splitter!!!!  

We are splitting  hornbeam into 1.2 mt lengths ready  to sell as firewood next season 2020/21.  Does hornbeam burn ok ,as long as it has been seasoned?/  

50 minutes ago, htb said:

No unless in conservation area (need to notify council of your intention to carry out works) or it has  a tree preservation order on it, which I very much doubt.

Only other is  if there were any planning conditions applying to property, would show on your deeds.

Many thanks. I will just ask council to confirm as woman in our village works for Wilts county council, (we live in Glos) and she is one of those who knows everything,and notices everything ,every village  has at least one , complete pain in the backside.

As above  , the trees  roots are undermining our Cotswold stone wall garden boundary ,part of which needs rebuilding.  

I am thinking of planting a single row of Beech to act as a windbreak  on the west side of our very exposed garden to replace some Leylandii or whatever they are.  How far apart would you suggest I plant a single row of Beech  to act as a windbreak  "NOT AS  HEDGE",  I appreciate that  in years to come we may have to cut every other Beech out,so that we still have the view but still  have a windbreak. We are at about 700ft  on the Cotswolds ,very exposed to the west, I say our house is either "heaven or hell" because of the wind, but I always say "f you want a nice long distance view one has to tolerate the wind.Many thanks for any info . I AM NOT CONSIDERING  PLANTING NOW,but making plans for this Autumn.   

Thanks for your replies, I do like the 550xp,except  it is such pig to start sometimes when hot (I posted a thread on Arbtalk about it),I have spent a fortune trying to get the problem resolved, but will sometimes still not  start  when hot..

I guess at 69yrs old the brains  willing but the body isn't  especially on a steep bank in the sun,  the chainsaw is not the problem it is me ,oh well I will push on , (but realising chainsaws can be  deadly  in a split second ) .

Thanks again.     

I use a Husqvarna 550xp(15" bar) for de limbing and brushing up small, branches. Would like to know what  make and size of saw you professional foresters use  for limbing  and brushing up,  "ESPECIALLY IF MOST OF YOUR WOOD LAND IS ON STEEP BANKS", as most of the wind blown trees I deal with  are on steep (exhausting/tiring) banks !!!!!  ?   So wondering  if some of you use anything smaller than a Husky 550xp for lightness.  

I think I will charge for so many hours gardening and give the logs to the customer ?

From what HETAS  have told me the devil will be in the detail,  the small print has still to be worked out . 

My logs tested by HETAS averaged 21.7%  so back to the drawing board for me? 

Some very good log bag videos here  unfortunately they are in German     

WWW.brennholz.at/en/en-woodbag-videos

or   Google   repack much e.U   . 

I think the climate in Vienna where the above outfit is based may a bit drier than the uk !!!!! 

I am sorry to start a new  thread on the subject but I just cannot make sense of how the search engine works on this forum??????????

How do you get on drying/seasoning logs in vented bags ?

Do the bags vary a great deal in quality between makes?

Does sunlight make the bags  brittle after a season out in the sun (if we get any!!!!)?

How do you tip the bags in to your delivery vehicle?

Do  the full bags stack very easily ?

Just another way of trying to make a better job of drying logs  down to the 20% that they all need to be at next February.

Any comments suggestions appreciated.

If I were younger I would think about seasoning in  potatoe Boxes,IBC contaner , car part crates. I may be only doing logs for a couple of more seasons (I am 69)  so trying to be more efficient at the cheapest  cost and least effort.   Ok ,you will say why bother just pack  it in , I am tempted   but  I am influenced by the saying "What we need is purpose in life" counteracting that saying is the one that says "Be careful  you are not being a busy fool"  not that  hard to follow messing about with firewood !!!!! 

Many thanks for all your replies. I have tried your suggestions and they seem to be working. I have not tried  the drop starting,I will leave that to you professionals.  Thanks again.  

Due to new regs I am considering processing logs this May and storing loose logs in weldmesh structures  in an open barn to air dry them. I need a way of lifting the loose seasoned  logs out of the weld mesh structures and dropping the logs in to my pickup ,so I would like to know if any  of you have made  a clamshell bucket or basket that will fit on your forwarding trailer crane to load your logs.  Many thanks for any suggestions. 

I have a Husqvarna550 XP Chainsaw which will start reasonably ok when cold, but when hot it will sometimes start but quite often will not. I have had a new carb fitted and the , problem still seems to  there,  thats after the boss of the Husvarna Dealership took it home for a weekend and sawed up some logs with it and found nothing wrong with it!!!!  So am I  doing something wrong when I try strarting it when hot. 

Starting from COLD , 1.I put the choke on.

                                     2. Once it fires I PUSH the choke  DOWN  (Should I let the choke off, by squeezing the throttle instead?),and then it usally goes ,but needs time to

                                          warm up or it will stall.

Starting from HOT ,   1. I leave the choke  DOWN (off)  and then just pull starting cord, many times sometimes it will fire but more often than not seems as though it   

                                          has some how self flooded it self . Leave it a good half hour  or more and it will start, most annoying to put it mildly !!!!

Any suggestions what is wrong with the thing,  chainsaw is about 5yrs old but not used daily.                        

As title , do you think if one  make of moisture meter says a log is say 22%  that all moisture meters will say the same?  I know from experience that grain moisture meters vary and we  have to calibrate each one using oven dried samples of grain as the reference sample.  

I ask the question because if a log customer is very fussy and comes out with his moisture meter and starts probing your logs before one uloads them ,and says these logs are measuring up to 22%  moisture but your own meter reads 20%  ,then one has a bit of a problem. I myself would say your'e  obviously not satisfied with my wood and drive off.!!!  I can see the aforementioned in reality in the future? 

As title, if you do what size Weldmesh,  panels ,  structure (round or otherwise) do you use successfully? 

Can you get the logs down to 20% during an average uk summer!!!!!?

How do you Load the seasoned logs in to your delivery vehicle?

Like the idea using of potatoe boxes,and motor parts weldmesh crates but finances dont allow me to stretch to them.

Many thanks.

Are any of you members  of the Hetas  , "Woodsure Ready to Burn Scheme" ,or were you a member but found it difficult to comply with the schemes  requirements.

Please send me a message  rather than posting on here if you have had some issues with the scheme. Many thanks

I ask as considering applying to be a member of the scheme, but in all honesty  think some of my fire wood will not meet the schemes criteria if they come and have a "spot check" out of the blue!!!!!  

13 minutes ago, renewablejohn said:

Simple just use a solar kiln. Have been doing this for over a decade now.

I keep trying but obviously not quite got the knack of using it correctly. Think I need a few tips but I dont blame anybody for not giving away  trade secrets acquired over a decade.!!!?   

I would be very interested to know how one air dries wood down to 20% bearing in mind our summers are not usually that hot!! Do you semi season it while stacked in long lengths  eg 2.3 /2.4 /2.5mtrs ,and then process it into logs during the summer months and store it in a shed or crates?

For the last 2 summers I have split the above lenghts with my newly acquired  cone splitter during April/May ,but even some nice Ash that was split and seasoned in the hot summer of 2018 , is still reading   around 25% (Extech moisture meter set at A) !!!! 

I find it hard to believe that any one can guarantee that every "air dried"  log they sell will be 20% or lower, especially with the humidity of the air being so high during Autumn and  Winter.

47 minutes ago, allseasons said:

Have one for each saw and i think its amazing but like everything some will
Moan that you shouldn’t need it and do it the “old way” makes sharpening very very quick i live mine and you cant really get the angles wrong

Do you use it successfully on a full chisel chain? 

What are your thoughts on the Stihl 2in1  chain sharpener .  Can they be used on FULL chisel and SEMI Chisel chains.

Any info much appreciated.

If the sharpener has already been discussed please  direct  me to the  topic/thread to avoid  repetition.Thank you.  

TMany thanks for all your helpful replies.

I will take helmet back to local dealer who I bought from and try and get it replaced. One good reason I buy chainsaws etc locally is one can just get in the truck and take it back immediately no messing about unlike buying on line,but everyone to their own in business. Thanks again

PS  Ear defender swivel sockets look to be the same type on all the Husvarna Helmets, and very similar on  Stihl helmets,perhaps they are all made by the same company but branded accordingly.?

14 hours ago, outinthewood said:

Husqvarna Technical and Hiax Alpine Pro. Had to explain about the helmet not having a date stamp only a UV panel to indicate service last week during a safety audit but they were happy enough.