Squaredy

The question that needs to be asked is "Why can't UK firms compete?" In the example given above GE are not a firm based in a developing country with super low wage costs, so how are they more competitive than us? I am all in favour of local industry (in fact I would describe myself as a globalism-sceptic) but I do understand why over the years so much manufacturing has left these shores.

I assume you have looked into (or already obtained) the felling license? I may be a little out of date but the lengths that are large enough to mill should be worth maybe £70 or £80 per ton. The lengths that are only firewood will be worth half this. Of course, this also assumes there is access for a full size timber lorry.

Are those dead branches on the right of the photo dead Elm trees?

Indeed if humans eat the leaves it will apparently stop the heart. Birds eat the berries with no ill effects, but the red fleshy part is not toxic and they just allow the pip to pass through.

I buy Poplar logs for milling. Not huge demand but still plenty of use for indoor projects. Could do with a lorry load soon actually.

Does depend on the quality of course, but fairly low value for Beech - if they are good quality forest grown milling logs then around £70 per ton delivered to sawmills.

Check out the competition; eg Yandles would be your customers' obvious choice. Some companies even have prices on their website which is really handy.

Woodworm can be a problem with Elm, though the heartwood should still last a fair few years. And of course look out for pockets of rot. Otherwise sounds like it will be lovely. Am jealous in fact - wish I had loads of Elm near me...

If you mean mid point diameter of 4 feet that is a big log, and will contain 3.5 cubic metres of timber. I have bought Sequoia recently and I paid £100 per cubic metre delivered, but then I pay over the odds to get logs that I know I will make good money from. In reality large Sequoia logs like that can be tricky to sell as most mills would have no use for them.

Don't worry it is not always so helpful and informative!

Lots and lots of Elms grow in hedgerows and they live for ten or fifteen years, and then the Dutch Elm Disease gets them. As you travel around look out for hedgerows with clumps of dead trees about ten to fifteen feet tall with a certain shape. This is my latest obsession, and once you recognise the shape of a recently dead Elm sapling there are a lot around, and of course lots of live ones also. I was on the Shropshire Union canal last week and saw many many young elms. There are loads in my village in fact near Newport, South Wales.

I'm afraid there is a lot of luck to this. I have been milling Oak for 13 years and I can't tell if a log has tension in before I mill it. It is just one of those things that sometimes this will happen. Best to avoid doing anything long - the longer your beam the worse this can be. The other way to avoid it is to use the whole middle section of the log, so that in effect the log is the beam but squared off.

Yes I have a border next to my privet hedge and I put two plum trees in, and they have never done well. I tried putting daffs in on the other side in full sun but they died off in two seasons. Certainly difficult to grow much next to privet. Many times I have thought about changing it to something else. Yew would be lovely, but I guess takes an age to establish.

For the last 12 years I have maintained 20 metres or so of well established privet hedge. My recommendation would be to remove the privet bushes now whilst they are small, and erect an attractive fence. It does look lovely when freshly cut, but at this time of year it starts to look scruffy again in about ten days or so. Great hobby I suppose.

Ah thanks Andy. It turns out the Woodmizer ones were too small internal diameter, but for a while now I will be fine once I put the new bearings in.

Why sell in board feet? That is usual in America but not the UK. How about calculate the volume of each board and then multiply by price per cubic foot or cubic metre? If board is 2.5 metres long and 50mm thick and 250mm wide then it is 0.01325 cubic metres so if you charge £800 per cubic metre the cost is £25. Or if you prefer, use inches and cubic feet which I think is easier.

Well, I pressed out the bearings this morning - so simple, just use an appropriate size socket and hold the roller on the jaws of an open vice so there is a void for the bearing to go into; and whack the socket with a hammer. Can't believe I didn't try this years ago. Have ordered replacement bearings online at a cost of £4 each and it takes two per roller. Pressing them in will be a sinch so happy days and thank you for the helpful suggestions. Arbtalk comes up trumps again.

Thank you @bilke_user. Now I have to admit I don't think the bearings on my rollers will knock out so easily. I will look again tomorrow...if they do then that is the answer, as it is certainly only the bearing that has failed.

OK, thanks guys I will try some bearing specialists tomorrow.

Yes but it isn't just the bearing I am after, I don't fancy trying to pull out the old bearing out so I was looking to replace the entire roller.

I am needing to change the rollers that guide the blade on my Norwood bandmill. I am not even bothering with a price from Norwood agents as I know they are crazy expensive. I have in the past bought them straight from Norwood in Canada but this seems silly when they are surely an off-the shelf part and not unique to Norwood. I have tried Woodmizer and they are getting back to me to check the internal diameter, so meanwhile any other suggestions?

Glad you got it sorted Mark. My big thicknesses is still causing me problems. Motor rebuilt twice and still no good. I will be fitting a new motor now and hope that I will be out of the woods then. Had I known what it was going to cost I would have sent it for scrap.

Personal data I understand but cctv in a private yard? Or does it only apply if there is public access?

Elm is very beautiful timber but has traditionally only had a low value. These days it is difficult to say, as for most of the UK it is not available by the lorry load so most sawmills simply don't buy it any more. I agree with @agg221 that it is worth around £5 per hoppus foot,maybe a bit less. Personally I would be more concerned about shake (especially ring shake) than colour. My experience of Elm is it is all beautiful, but can suffer from ring shake which will cause a lot of waste.

It sounds as if a full management plan needs to be drawn up, which will eventually turn the woodland into a productive woodland with good ecological benefits also. But I suspect the cost of doing this will far outweigh the timber value. Felling and extraction alone may be £50 per ton if it is all done by hand and with a skidding tractor. The resulting logs once processed and stacked to dry for a year or two and delivered to many customers will then be worth maybe £130 per ton. And to achieve this you will need a large yard, drying sheds, many strong crates, forklift, possibly a kiln, not to mention a firewood processor and a delivery vehicle. If the landowner wanted to do this for his or her own use and to make a bit of pocket money then maybe it can be done with minimal equipment. Or if it is to be done to improve the woodland (rather than make money) then it could work. As a business, a neglected woodland with poor access is no more valuable than the stone beneath your feet. Yes it has value, but usually far less than production cost. You could speak to Coed Cymru the timber charity as they will give free woodland management advice, and will know if there are any grants to help.