Squaredy

Yeah. We need some seriously brave leadership.

One significant change would be if governments around the world simply committed to stop subsidising polluting activities. For example energy production is often subsidised. If aviation fuel were taxed to the extent it should be (i.e. to pay for the damage it causes) flying would be more expensive so we would fly less. Same with petrol and diesel. Why is car ownership so wide and why are so many cars so large and powerful? Because so many people can afford them. I have no problem with fancy cars but a heavily polluting car should be made to pay the full price of the pollution. The principle is simple - polluter pays. Even more clear with meat. Beef production is very heavily subsidised, Remove the subsidy and tax beef to reflect the damage beef farming causes and it becomes a nice luxury not an everyday staple. If we ate beef no more than once a week there would be a vast reduction in greenhouse gas emissions according to the scientists. For various reasons we have developed complex systems of subsidy and support for many very harmful practices. What we need to do is rapidly change this so we subsidise sound practises.

Yes I have used them Les.

I think it is worth doing yourself. I now look back and it took as long to send them away as to actually set and sharpen them. By the time you faff about with packing them in a box, booking the courier, phoning up and chasing etc, etc, etc.

Ah that is good to know. Do tell us his name (unless it is a trade secret of course).

I used to send my blades to Stephen Cull, as he is one of the few people I found who really knew how to do them right. I found lots of so-called professionals who do them badly. Stephen told me he would have to give up most of the sharpening (and the couriers kept losing the tubs of blades for weeks at a time) so I invested in the Woodmizer kit to do it and got my miller trained up by Stephen Cull.

Wow, amazing; looks just like Beech.

Yes, the earth is in fact such a good engine for turning Carbon into (ultimately) rock and other solids that it is understood that if we (or some other force) do not intervene, life on earth will finally be wiped out when the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere eventually slips below 10ppm. At this point photosynthesis becomes impossible and all life will then end as we all depend on photosynthesis. Of course this is not going to happen anytime soon, but this is the really long term prognosis apparently. Please don't mis-interpret my words here to suggest I am a climate change denier - I am not. I have been following this thread with interest, and I would suggest we should all read David Attenborough's latest book (A Life on Our Planet). What a good read, and not all doom and gloom either.

Leylandii always gets a bad press. OK, often the stems are very knotty, but otherwise excellent timber - similar durability to Western Red Cedar but stronger. They are both Cypress after all.

You just wanted to get to your 1000th post didn't you...?!

I remember back in the eighties I used to go scrumping in an amazing abandoned orchard in Hooley, Surrey and my dad sent a load of samples off to the RHS and they identified them all. They didn't even charge, but this may have been due to contacts he had. Might be worth asking them though.

There is a very effective treatment I found in a furniture restoration book many years ago which I think would remove the damage really easily and save you a lot of effort. The recipe is as follows: One part boiled linseed oil One part genuine turpentine (not white spirit) One part methylated spirit A dash of vinegar Mix it up and apply it with a cloth. It will cut back the surface and re-finish it all in one go. I suspect it will remove the white mark and revive the whole surface surprisingly well. I have used it many times over the years and never been disappointed. It also has a wonderful smell. Of course the table will still be subject to future damage by heat and alcohol etc, so if you are trying to give it a more durable finish you will have to totally re-finish it. But I suspect you will be pleasantly surprised how well this recipe works and how easy it is and if you keep it in a sealed jar you can use it again in the future if the surface gets damaged again.

Definitely start them off with six months probation. Think about who will do payroll, and if they will also keep on top of constantly changing rules etc. Also remember you must give them a pension, and quite possibly paternity pay or maternity pay. Most of all you need to find someone genuinely good that will make it worth your effort.

Almost museum worthy. Ex MOD, wonder what it was made for? Pumping up tyres on Spitfires in the Battle of Britain I would say...

I hope you are managing to keep my sawlogs lovely and clean! The firewood boys won’t mind, but my saws don’t like mud very much….😉

Very nice. Like your sawmill also.

I will see what deal I get offered for the bits I need, thank you guys for the tips.

Ooohh no not heard of them, I have always used Customville. I need a few parts right now so I will try them, as it is going to be a big bill...new springs all round, new fuel tank etc.

Back in the early 2000s I had a grey import Toyota. Great car, utterly reliable. Generally no bother at all getting parts - Toyota actually had a special department for supplying their grey imports. I can imagine some makes may be less organised however. At the time there were a lot of grey import Toyotas coming into the country; not sure if this is still the case. I currently own a 1990 LHD Ford F250 pickup and I wouldn't even dream of contacting a Ford dealer for spares. Luckily their are specialist independent dealers who are generally very helpful.

Very nice. Why more people don't mill Birch and Alder I have no idea. Such a waste.

Well here is the new sprocket. Arrived today as promised - great service from John Deere Forestry. I will update the thread again when it is fitted and working OK, but it looks fine to me. Thank you again everyone who helped me find the part locally and save time and 75% of the price.

WOW if only all website problems were as easy to fix... Nice one Steve! I will take great pleasure each morning when I open Arbtalk, whilst having my cuppa in bed, to look at Today's posts. So glad you didn't put Today's Post's.

Just wondering really. I don't have much to say except the one thing that really annoys everyone.... the lack of an apostrophe "s" in "Today Posts".

Is this a thread for general forum feedback or is this not welcome......?!

Thanks Rob, it looks like I am sorted now however.