John Russell

It is possible to over-grease a bearing but I've never heard of it causing heat build-up. Some bearings run in 'dirt seals' (I'm not talking about sealed-for-life bearings) and pumping too much grease in will blow the seals and thus allow in dirt. Just follow what it says in the manual. An example of a bearing that you can 'blow' is the 'ring' on a swing shovel (that creates the 360 degree turn) -- be careful not to over-grease. On the other hand you can push as much grease as you like into the pins on the dipper arm, the rams and the bucket joints -- the more the merrier -- to push out any dirt that's forced in. Best wishes, John Russell

Welcome, Robert/Ashman. What part of the country? ...Or further afield?

Oh, I'd say it's well worth it -- and if you're doing all the work yourself you will probably find it will cover all your costs -- just not the labour. Bear in mind though that there are conditions they apply that you might think are restrictive -- depending what your long term aims are. You'll find more here Forestry Commission - Woodland Grant Scheme

That bloke knew he was taking a risk even before he started. It was bound to happen. When I started cutting my trees I started with small stuff and then realised pretty quickly that trees do unexpected things sometimes because of unusual tension within branches and the like -- especially when tangled. Luckily when they're small you tend not to hurt yourself too much. You do learn though. Being reasonably intelligent I decided pretty early on that I should leave any big stuff -- and definitely any ladder work -- to the professionals. So my motto now is, "if in doubt don't touch it". If I was younger I'd get trained up but with arthritic knees and shoulder I think I'll pass.

Grants are meant to 'oil the wheels' and encourage certain developments. My experience is that they'll cover some of the costs but you'll never make a profit out of them. For instance; I got a grant of around £5,000 for planting a new wood of 4.6 hectares -- but by the time I'd put up a deer fence (essential round here) and planted the trees with shelters, the costs totalled £10,000. The grant now pays about £230/year for the area. So grants are useful -- but don't ever think you'll make a profit out of the grant alone.

Further to the above. The National Office of Statistics often has useful info. You can search their site: National Statistics Online - Search result

Found this. Seems that the FC has done some research. I'd suggest contacting them. The Forestry Commission estimates there are 6,200 businesses employing 31,300 people in the UK forestry sector - 19,000 in England, 11,000 in Scotland and 5,000 in Wales. The FC employs 20%, private estates and the wood-processing industry about 60% with the balance working for forest management and timber harvesting companies. Forestry | RFS

I'll be interested to see how your prediction pans out. One thing that I always wonder is why weather forecasters on the telly always say, "...it will do this", and, "...it's going to be that"? I always think they wouldn't take so much stick if they instead said, "...we expect it to do this", or, "...it might be that". Any road up, enjoy the beer! I always wait for my meal before I have a drink but maybe tonight will be an exception. My three lads and their girlfriends are turning up shortly -- haven't seen them for a while. I've told them to take it steady on the roads. The thermometer says its -2C out at the moment here in deepest darkest Devon. Merry Christmas to you and anyone else who reads this! Best wishes, JR

@peckerwoo "...record breaking summer beckons" Please could you elaborate? 'Record-breaking' in what way -- rain? drought? sunshine? heat? And for the benefit of a newby, what are your credentials? Professional meteorologist? Amateur weather forecaster? Clairvoyant? Supernatural being? Other?

On a few occasions, for film-making, I've needed shots from electron microscopes. I don't know what the cost of that kit is (probably runs in to the £100s of thousands) but I've called up Nottingham University and been able to hire the equipment with operator. Can't remember the costs but it wasn't overly excessive. I'm sure if you can get friendly with a professor in the discipline that interests you, you should be able to get access without too much difficulty.

Within reason, just do it. However, if you have near neighbours and you make a noise -- like a tractor driving a splitter or sawbench -- you can't blame the neighbours if they complain. In my experience most planning enforcement officers look kindly on people starting businesses at home, as long as you aren't 'arsey' about it when they visit. Even if you stand no chance of getting planning permission they'll probably give you six months to find alternative premises if you ask for it. If you're reasonable, they'll be reasonable: though there's no guarantee -- you always face the risk of getting a 'jobsworth'. Best wishes, John Russell

A static object can stand a longer shutter speed, which then enables you to 'stop down' (use a smaller lens aperture) which in turn produces a wider depth of field (the band in which everything is sharp). The downside is that in this case it would make the background sharper too -- which would mean the rose hips don't stand out as well as you need them to. In a situation like the rose hips you shot here, moving round to your left would have brought the three main rosehips at the front into the same band of focus (that is, they would all have been the same distance from the lens). Different situations call for different solutions but the great thing about digital is you can take the same subject 20 times and just experiment. Best wishes, JR

I've been using a Hakki Pilke Eagle saw bench this winter which fits a treat on the back of my 35hp AGT Alpine tractor. I put the hand throttle on about 1200rpm (just a bit above tickover) and it'll run the 700mm saw all day on a couple of litres of red diesel. The Eagle is also fitted with a scroll-type splitter and I must say I'm extremely impressed with the whole piece of kit. It's really quick to use and will go through oak and ash branches up to 9" thick like a knife through butter (the saw has tungsten teeth -- an option well worth it). Frankly, looking at what's on Ebay for £750, I'd go for this every time. Cost was around £1,350. The only thing I'd say is ensure the PTO is as straight as possible. The Alpine tractor's PTO is quite low so I had the saw bench modifed to drop down the 90degree gearbox by about 7". It works a treat now -- very smooth. I can recommend it -- very productive if you chop coppiced wood (it would be no good on big pancakes). Best wishes, JR

Hi Tim, Chris. Re: 'minimum intervention'. There are areas in my woods which have been under 'minimum intervention' regime which pre-dates my ownership. Devon Wildlife Trust occasionally come in with work parties from big companies (usually banks, and the like, doing 'team-building' days). Their work is to reduce the 'rubbishy' growth (mainly goat willow) and open up the canopy. Apparently it produces a burst of wild flowers and helps regeneration. It's something they do in a lot of their own woodland and I assume they have established scientifically that its good for the wildlife.

Hi, Tim. Sorry, I didn't see your original thread -- I've only just joined the forum. I agree with you wholeheartedly about the banks -- all governments seem unwilling to take them on and put a stop to their parasitical behaviour. Personally I'd nationalise the lot. At least then any profits would accrue to the exchequer and could be used for the national benefit, rather than for the benefit of a few privileged individuals who are allowed to suck at the throat of society. With regard to the 'Localism' bill: I declare, in principle, I'm in favour of devolving power down to the people. I fully understand what you say about problems of 'local Mafia' -- I've witnessed what it can do on a few occasions -- but surely in a democracy that's about getting local people involved and enthused with running things in a way that ensures the few local elite can't grab control. It's my experience that when local corruption occurs -- and what you describe is simply corruption -- everyone affected knows about it and it's then central government's job to inspect, consult and intervene when necessary. However, the fact that there are occasional instances of corruption is no reason to believe centralised control is always best. Rather, put in place ways to prevent it happening. Central control is right for some things at national level but it's my view that it has a tendency to spread its tentacles too far. I agree funding is an issue and it's unfortunate that this idea is proposed at a time when the public purse is being stretched. Again, this is no reason not to give it a chance. With regard to woodland ownership by the Forestry Commission; the reason I made the comment I did is that I felt too many people are painting a picture of the country's woodland being razed to the ground at the whim of new owners who wouldn't give a toss about it. I'm not sure I know of a single person who has bought woodland and then set out to environmentally devalue it. Personally I'm in favour of national ownership of 'special' woodland in areas of outstanding beauty, national parks and the like, however the idea of such quangos as owners of assets is of dubious benefit. Surely the Forestry Commission can do its work, much as it does now, as long as it possesses the necessary powers to guide and control the management of all woodland to achieve both national and local objectives?

We have a brand new Clearview Vision 500 we're just fitting in one of our holiday lets. Never been lit. The rope seal is tight all the way round -- no gaps. It sits squarely against the metal as the door closes and then compresses very tightly as you turn the handle to close. Complete airtight seal. Hope that helps.

There's an interesting discussion going on today in the Guardian's Environment section entitled, " For sale: all of our forests. Not some of them, nor most of them – the whole lot". For sale: all of our forests. Not some of them, nor most of them ? the whole lot | John Vidal | Environment | guardian.co.uk I've commented on there under my user name 'JRWoodman'. Be interested to hear what others think. Am I right?

Well done -- you got it. It's the shadow of the Earth that's crossing the moon. The moon goes brown because the sunlight is travelling through the edge of the Earth's atmosphere on its way to hitting the moon; so it goes red -- same as the sun goes red when we see it rising or setting over the Earth's horizon.

Just an idea: you can buy a 12v PV charger in Maplin (PV=solar panel that produces electricity). If mounted somewhere on the trailer where it won't get damaged it should keep the battery permanently topped up. PV (photo voltaic) uses UV (ultra violet radiation), so whether it's sunny or just cloudy the battery will charge all day. Here they are: SolarPowered 12V 12W Battery Charger Free Delivery : Solar Battery Chargers : Maplin

The 2007 model year Defender and all defenders since have traction control that is at least equal to that of the Discovery 3. The 2007MY onwards Defender can be identified by the bulge in the bonnet to cover the transit diesel engine that was fitted from that year on. If you can afford it, the Defender with the bulge in the bonnet has considerably better off-road performance than previous versions. I made a training film about the 2007MY Defender for Land Rover. I found a bit of it here: Watch Land Rover Defender Towing a 12 Tonne Truck. Video at VideoHippy. Sorry about the anamorphic picture -- it should be viewed in widescreen.

As the ram is operated it pushes against the log which in turn pushes against the platform (table) that the log sits on, which is all part of the log splitter. So the log splitter is pushing against itself and no forces are put into the trailer. However if the trailer is light it might wobble around a bit as you take logs on and off. I'd do what others have suggested and, for safety, have a couple of adjustable legs to make the trailer rigid with the ground. I'd suggest bolting or welding on a couple of these: Parts

If you start using factoring, your clients will think you're in financial difficulties. Avoid at all costs. If you want to get more money in there's no substitute for chasing customers hard. Don't be aggressive -- it's quite possible to chase and be pleasant about it. Alternatively, rather than give 10% to a factoring company, why not offer a 5% discount for customers that settle up within the month? But don't let them take the piss -- the 5% is only to be taken if the pay promptly. A surprising number of finance directors and accountants are programmed to bite at that offer.

Apart from companies local to me, I've had dealings with... John Clegg &amp Co Chartered Surveyors - Properties for Sale Also try... UK Land and Farms - Woodland for sale ¦ UK woodlands ¦ invest in woodland and... Woodlands for sale in the UK including Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, North Wales, South Wales, Mid Wales You can also google "woods for sale" but be wary of a company called WOODLANDS FOR SALE or http://www.woodland.co.uk (they always come top of the search). Their prices are high and they seem to target 'hobby' owners. They tend to buy large woods and spilt them up into small plots of around 5 acres. Also try your local estate agents -- the ones dealing in agricultural properties. If you get closer to buying I'll be happy to give more advice. Best wishes, John Russell

You should have no problem with planning permission for the right building in the right place. The garage you refer to sounds like it's in a residential zone -- hence the problem. You'll never get anywhere with planning permission for change of use. However, here are my thoughts based on my experience with farm buildings and industrial units. 1) Industrial units are expensive to rent and the rates are high. I can't see any point in going down this route. 2) Erecting a building on farmland is straightforward provided it's for the use of the farm activity (all farm activities can include forestry) and the farmer owns in excess of 10 acres (it's a magic number) -- so it's no use buying an acre or two and trying to put up a building on it. 3) Woodland is cheaper than farmland so your best bet is to buy some woodland -- more than 10 acres -- and erect a shed of suitable size on it. Planning application fee is cheap for agricultural buildings. 4) If you have a pension and you own your own business, cash in your pension fund and use the money to buy the woodland as a 'SIPP' (self-invested pension plan). Your company can then lease the wood off your SIPP. This means your pension is growing as your rent is going into it tax free. 5) If you don't have a pension but you're a house owner and your company is doing reasonably well, borrow money against your house to buy woodland and erect a shed on it (planning permission will not be a problem). Make sure the woodland is in your name, not the company's. The company then rents the woodland and the shed off you personally. Whatever happens to the company, the land and the shed is yours and it's an appreciating asset that can be realised when you retire. 6) If you don't have any assets I would recommend talking to a farmer and asking him to rent you a barn if he has one -- or even put up a building for you to lease. It will be best if he applies for PP for this building in his own name. It will need to be a long lease to make it worth his while. I hope that helps. If you were close to me in Devon I'd put up a shed for you in one of my woodlands but I think you are in Cumbria (?).

Looks to me like there should be a dipstick in it: makes sense if it goes into the oil tank.