difflock

going on 57 and loving it, never been happier, glad to wake up grumpy any morning, since in my day job I look after Cemetery admin(amongst other things) and have good cause to realize that it is indeed a luxury many do not get to enjoy. Took me a lot of years to learn to be content, but such is life I suppose. I even tend to get a bit philsophical re the whole "cycle of life thing", and derive more pleasure from watching nature succeed against the odds,(and even at a cost to me, bytimes) than any technological marvels. Life is good. Marcus

very tidy, both the forging and splitting. what steel did you use? m

Our 1998 SDP 290GD Van has been sitting parked up in a grass field since Feb 2013, I sliped(i.e. dragged) her out, unstarted (& not the slightest sign of sticking brakes at all btw) sometime earlier this summer with the tractor, and left her parked up on concrete, nonetheless grass was still growing out from the bottom of the drivers door, today. All 4 tyres were still 100% inflated btw. I put a new battery in her this evening, and turned the key, she started 100% ABSOLUTLY on the first turn (the Yausa battery I fitted does kick out 700 A mind) No farting spluttering or misfires at all, at all, at all. Only for the weeping steering box, I would be minded to take her straight down for her MOT. Complete with grass and north facing moss covered panels. Cos a brief test drive up and down our lane was 100% good. And still remarkedly rust free beneath, cept for the outriggers. True testimony to German engineering. Marcus

[ame] [/ame] As a Conservative/Unionist, what else is there to say!

The Best laugh I have had in a very long time, it really really belongs in the; "truth is stranger than fiction" or "you couldnt make it up if you tried" Sounds more like the cliched plot of an over-the-top Political sit-com set back in the 1970's.

I could not bring myself to watch that pretentious puke. m

Ah! Another case of "failure to communicate", because as I often retrospectively analyse, the picture inside my head was so clear, that I failed to tell the whole story, skipping a key fact or component. Cos, its obvious innit! BUT NOT To someone else. thanks Eddie, indeed, proper fascinating stuff.

cept ah canny see how the PTO shaft with a Hardy Spicer yoke can self align on the winch PTO stub, as per Eddies photo, cheers, marcus

Eddie, Puzzled or perhaps intrigued how the PTO connnects/disconnects remotely from the cab. m

As in it cannot make sense for me to go down the RHI route, even at a deemed and capped £2,000.00/year over 7 years. Plus £2,500.00 up front When we only used 250 gallon of kero this past 12month, I was gobsmaked when I checked today at lunchtime. The Morso obviously does stirling work in the front room:lol: hmmm £16,500 return over 7 years for £11,00.00 outlay now. might actually be worth it after all:lol::lol: but if I remove the oil boiler for to qualify for the deemed payment, I really need to add in the cost of solar hot water install for the summer months. m

Rowan, I dread to do those sums, since the extraction is the issue, being mostly windthrown stock, and working around emergent hardwood saplings, and then the limited windows of suitable ground conditions in the Moss, especially when permed with conflicting full time work committments.

OK With 3 people, 2 of whom had zero experience, and one o them being a fine strapping cutty (a female that is) and I was only working about 25% of the time with the winch and chainsaw. Set up was the 17 tonne PTO Krpan splitter with the winch on to bring the logs in nearer before cutting to 1.0m lengths, the brother operating the splitter, and then his wife right beside him on the PTO cross cut saw, up the wee conveyor and into a trailer that held a measured 3m3. All was split well fine and cut to about 250mm in length. Probably would have worked with 2 just as well. The simple 1000kg capacity winch did a very good job of pulling them from the somewhat untidy pile, and lifting them up to rest across a couple or three heavier lengths crosswise on the ground, so kinder to my back and indeed the bar, since we were working on hardcore. I would have taken a photo or video, but the camera was in the car which was away elsewhere. marcus

After a dinner of free range potatoes, Dromona butter, excellent bacon, mushrooms and garden peas, washed down with a couple o bottles o London Pride. Perfect!:001_tt2: PS Free range potatoes being volunteer organic spuds found amongst other random vegetation, an all the better for it!:thumbup:

Having thrown a few strops on our various unplanned European driving holidays many years ago, where I did all the driving, and SM couldnt be arsed to navigate. I bow my head in abject shame, I was nowt but a bloody amature.(I think 3 days without speaking was my personal best)

Either, indeed a "cunning" migrant caravan, or simply photoshopped, or the driver/loader took some time to insert suitably trimmed to fit short "plugs" in any gaps, after the heavy sections were loaded, otherwise simply "does not compute". m

Wor daughter and a friend arrive there this evening, i.e. Malta, to backpack about the hostels, booked flight only at short notice with a very sensibally priced Easyjet ticket direct from Aldergrove=Belfast International. And pre-booked hostel for the first couple of nights. I have asked her to look out for suitable Hotel Accomodation for us-uns, to follow on behind. Senior Managment claims to remember the island from her fathers Army posting some 50 year ago. It may have changed a bit! And, Yes, I would intend to hire a car.

AH But for 2016!! A good point though, mad slavering Mastiff's aside Mods?? Can i edit my post?? Marcus

mid to late september or early October, weather still plenty good Thoughts please? prob book flights ex Dublin Marcus

In all seriousness I used to be on the BoG for our local village primary School. One of the other board members was the 80 odd year old (but still with a razor sharp mind) C of Ireland Canon. He allowed quite a few of his flock were still not that far removed from their Pagen roots. After a lifetime of wryful observation.

I reckon the 1.0m long billet is; (i) Optimium for manual handling, a worthwhile "lift" without being too heavy. (ii) The 1.0m length , when stacked also allows for easy volumetric measurment. (iii) The 1.0m length also allows for fast stacking in a stable pile. Anyway since this was/is the Germanic approach, it must be the optimal solution.

Man high on flakka declares self Thor, has sex with tree

:thumbup1::lol::thumbup:

I dont imagine you should really need a PTO hyd pump, I drive my wee trailer mounted forestry crane off a kinda-knackered 1984 1490 David Brown. Plenty fast enough for my skills/lever dexterity.

Kid, What is the rationale (if there is one) behind this operation. Why not leave nature alone? Unless the arisings are removed, all one is doing is burning diesel to disturb a perfectly natural stable ecosystem. regards marcus

I reckon a tractor with a strong back end would be a priority, since presumably it would be tempting to drive /manouver with a load slung, an ould 6 cyl lump, designed for heavy tillage ops in its day would prob be good. Thinking 399 MF But obviously heavier and easier bogged/more difficult to extract, plus less manouverable.