aswales

If you look up abc awards some further info on this as they are the body that deals with the level 2 certificate. I've also been in touch with Iain at arbschool about them running this course in the future. Needs to be enough interest...

Might be worth looking at the logosol stuff. I manage OK for my occasional use with a logosol big mill and woodworkers mill with a huskvarna 372 powerhead which I fit with either 15, 20 or 24 inch bar - gets slower with bigger bars....Also unlike the alaskan set up you don't lose many bar inches, but you do need stiff bars... as the nose end is un-supported

Depends how much you have to do, how long you want to spend doing it, arm ache, end product and budget. Besides solutions already mentioned - can buy large electric hand planers, not cheap. Makita do a 6 and 12 inch models (around £500 and £1400), mafell do a range 8,10,12 inch (several thousand quid...). These type of units are built like tanks..Picked up a second hand makita 6 inch for less that £150

Go and see someone asap, a good osteopath, chiropractor can help and can often see you much sooner - though you will have to pay. Will manipulate and give you exercises etc... GP referrals to a physio can take quite a few weeks, GP will probably tell you to rest it....come back in...before passing you on to physio, that doesn't keep you working or necessarily improve the situation.

Hud-son do have a UK distributer which import CE marked versions of certain mills for EU market - find them at Just Saws, hydraulic not listed over here...might be worth talking to their agent.. Couple of others that spring to mind SERRA (German) - see marshall logging website and pezzolato (Italien) and forestor - both on Saws UK Ltd Bandsaw Blades and Bandsaw Machines suppliers, UK. Perhaps its about time we made a British one (apart from the engine...), been looking into this for a while - got 2 main hurdles to get head round - bandwheels and the issue of CE marking....

Have you seen the autotrek mill (fuelwoods website) looks very good and heavy duty, also logosol are now doing the HD36 available with electrically powered hydraulics...be interested to see that in operation.

Besides what has already been mentioned, are you seeing a lot of blueing/overheating of the cutters and the guide bar ? Things get very hot ? What chain oil do you use, logosols own is a lot better for milling than some of the others

Just because kit is made to order, this does not exempt it from CE marking as I understand things. If it comes under a category referenced in the European machinery directive, then the issue of CE marking will have to be looked at in more detail. I know that the hud-son oscar sawmills supplied in the UK are different and are CE marked, the ones that are supplied outside of Europe are different. Safety requirements are different, reference the hud-son website.

Whatever you choose, don't forget the business of machinery and CE marking, have to be carefull....there is a lot out there that can be imported but....

There are some nice examples of bridges in oak in Trada publications Green Oak in Construction. Might find some helpfull info via Trada

There are one or two good books that might help, see if you can get them in at your local library - The conversion & Seasoning of Wood - William H Brown ISBN 0-85442-037-1 (best book I've come across...) Fine Woodworking on Wood and How to Dry It, this is a collection of articles. Might be able to pull off individual articles from their website, subscription necessary for some access levels. Harvesting Urban Timber A Complete Guide - Sam Sherrill

What make and model sawmill ?

If you are after something low priced then try a Wetekom Moisture Measuring Device it costs £11.99 from westfalia.net. It did OK in a living woods magazine review a while ago. http://l.westfalia.eu/medien/scaled_pix/600/600/000/000/000/000/001/347/39.jpg

Hi Chris, Oak has been used as a structural beam for a long long time.....don't worry about shrinkage etc there are ways of dealing with it...but it needs some thought...it also has to be the right bit of wood in terms of where it comes out of the log, grain flow, knots etc... Looking at your picture are your concrete lintels supporting the outer wall of the house or the concrete roof on the outbuilding ? I would carefully take some of those door opening header bricks out and see what room you have to play with before making any decisions on material. Have you enough room at the sides of the opening to properly support a lintel, just overlapping 4 inches or so onto a brick may not be enough....and may not satisfy any structural engineering requirements if their is a significant external load on the lintel. Got any builder mates used to doing this kind of stuff, who can give advice ?

I'd go and look at and try a few mills before spending cash. It all depends on the type of work you intend to do as to whether or not the mill will meet your needs.

Might be worth trying a specialist timber merchants such as John Boddy of Boroughbridge if you don't have any luck finding any seasoned apple wood from forum members.

Apple is used for the cog teeth on a windmill, not for the body of the cog. It is a dense wood with good resistance to wear in this kind of scenario.

If you are interested in a dehumidifier type of kiln, might be worth talking to ebac the dehumidifier manufacturers. At the time of the Arrowsmith kilns they were also making a dehumidfier product suitable for drying timber.

Just like to make the point , not trying to put anyone off using green timber... Alec is right in his posts regarding timber durability classes etc.. How you use green timber and whether or not it is successfull in your project with regard to it lasting for a significant period of time, being durable against fungal attack etc is more often than not about the environment where that piece of wood is used and how it is treated by that environment together with its natural durability. External Larch claddings, cedar shingles are successful in their use partly because of the natural oils in the woods and also the fact that the designed environment allows the rain water that hit the surface to get away and does not get sealed in and remain trapped. If you use green would appropriately it will be fine providing you stick to a few basic practises/rules. Trada do an afternoons seminar on green oak in construction, think they run it a few times a year. Not expensive and well worth the investment, for those serious about green timber building. Oak frames, claddings and how you use the various elements in a building are discussed plus you get some very useful written material.

Have a look at a text on green oak building, theres plenty of material on this around and the basic rules apply to most timber framed buildings including softwood. Leylandii could be used, lot of small knots, no reason why not, not grown as a commercial timber species for timber production that I'm aware of but some members of the same family are used in certain parts of the world. If your oak is from standing deadwood, a lot of the timber can be sound, moisture content may be reasonable. Would be a good use, certainly better than firewood...Have you a moisture meter ?

For cladding it will be fine in the green state, however for structural frame members be more of a problem, you will have to factor in shrinkage into design and whilst green the timber will be less strong. As timber seasons it dries out and loses water from it cells and shrinks, during this process the structural strength, stiffness and hardness of the timber increses which is at its best when it has become dry and stable. The shrinkage you need to be concerned about is the across the width of the timbers, where that dimension is important to your design sizes. Watch out for timber containing tensions from reaction wood, this is generally obvious because it will bow and twist as soon as its been cut from the sawlog as the tensions in the timber are released. If you do build a green frame with green cladding give it chance to dry once the frame is up and externally cladded, wait before you fit door and window openings to allow for shrinkage of top and bottom wall plates. Don't fill in anywhere with insulation between the members, there 's nowhere for the water to go that is released during the seasoning drying process, it would just get trapped and the timber will rot and grow mould.... If I was you, would at least dry your framework timber and just use green on the external cladding.

The timber is extremely rare and is not commercially available. Get what you can for it.

I've done some milling with a husqvarna 372 with the logosol timberjig and M7, 372 is just slightly less powerfull than your 576. Its fine with a 20 and 24 inch bar on it, however it can be quite slow in hardwood such as walnut and the ripping chain choice matters. Found I got the best results in walnut with an oregon type 73 ripping chain rather than a chain with alternate scoring cutters. At some point will buy a 90 something cc unit for bigger stuff, you need the power for hardwoods....will be fine softwood

Another reason to mill it first - wood hardens as it seasons and dries out so much easier to mill when its green, less cutter wear...

From the threads it seems like there is a lot of poor information being taught at colleges / training providers regarding basic chainsaw maintenance the CS30 and 2 stroke ratios. ... The trainers and examiners need to get there act together on this (must be costing the industry £££s in blown machines), I did CS30 in 2010 having been a user of 2 stroke machinery including chainsaws for some 25 years. The chaps that took us on the training and the assesment were quite clear regarding 2 stroke ratios - the answer for the CS30 - read the manufacturers instructions typically with the manufacturers own high performance 2 stroke oil is a ratio of 50:1, other 2 stroke oils may be a different ratio. If you look in a husqvarna manual or any manual theres good information. If in doubt read the instructions or ask, people are generally helpfull, most equipment manufacturers have a helpline and website. If you are not familiar with equipment and how it operates etc, don't dive in, take a moment, have a coup of tea and find out....Saves a lot of heartache, money, hassle and could save your skin....