Spruce Pirate

Is it not possible to get caulk boots from the US or Canada with chainsaw protection? I thought Husky did a set of wellies with caulks for the North American market. I'm pretty sure a Canadian forester has them over here, the only problem being they're not CE marked. They are still chainsaw protected boots though, so you'd have to be dealing with someone pretty pedantic for it to be a problem.

You have to have a good justification for using non-chainsaw gloves (poor fit, weather conditions). You can't Risk Assess gloves out completely, you still have to have some. Same with trousers, you have to be able to justify using type A over C, for example through experience and weather conditions such as heat. You can certainly apply these principals to boots, for example you can easily Risk Assess wellies out of climbing work. Possibly boots out of ground work if you're working in a really boggy area? I think you'd still have to have chainsaw boots though, much as with the trousers, you can Risk Assess the level of protection down from Type C to Type A, but you can't Risk Assess it down to a pair of shorts. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?

Very easy to do. Can bend a bar pretty easily too. I've an Efco and only used the tilty head once when it was fairly new. Didn't find it that much use and have only ever used it fixed since. The Efco has been great from the throttle trigger backwards, the engine always starts (I know I've just jinxed it) and never had any problems with it. From the throttle forwards though.......... couple of new shafts, new gear box, lack of oil to the chain. Don't know if it's any worse than any of the others though. Adjustment on the shaft can go very tight too, we always carry a filter wrench if using it to free it off if needs be. Always need a silky on site when using a powered model anyway as they always get stuck at some point.

Normally get them from the local dealer as loops. I did get a load from you when you had the buy 3 get 1 free, buy 5 get 3 free deal on a while back though. Price not normally too much of a consideration (if it was I'd buy a reel and make them up myself), but that deal was too good to miss.

Still using mostly Oregon. Occasionally go wild and get a Sugi, but most of the time I find they're too heavy and a nightmare to dress when they do need it. Never really had a problem with wear on the Oregon bars. Running Husky saws and a Dolly.

As well as the above you could try Euroforest, the FC, Novar Estate are quite close to you are they not? Other estates may also be able to help out. See who the lorries belong to and give the haulier a call, they might be able to point you in the right direction.

Yeah, it was finding the link that took the time.

More or less as I'd thought, a lot less hassle for a better reward.

You could also try Ringlink. Welcome to Ringlink Services. I'd vouch for H&W as well. The School of Forestry have always been notorious for being very slow in organising things, but I'm sure you'd get good training. Edit: htb beat me to Ringlink.

Out of curiosity, how much would you have got for the firewood if you'd converted it into logs and how much time would it have taken? What's the equivalent rate per hour? I'm assuming the chip works out much better....?

A bit late in spotting the thread if you've already posted them, but when sending samples to FC labs we use zip lock bags, normally double bagged and then in an envelope. This is the way they ask us to send them, the only concern would be if it were sat in the bag too long in a hot sorting office or on the doormat in the lab. Samples therefore have to be sent either the same day they're collected or the next day. Samples collected late on a Thursday or on a Friday are therefore kept in the fridge over the weekend and posted on the Monday.

Forgive my ignorance. What's an SPA card?

I'll probably be there on the Sunday with the kids if I can score a couple of tickets. Helluva pricey to park and get in.

Sold! I'll take one. Can you add it to my order? Cheers Andrew.

I'm interested, but you've lost me a bit. I get that it comes over more slowly with the back cut below. By half and half do you mean deep gub, half way into the tree? Sorry if I'm being thick Good points earlier on knowing what species to use cuts on too.

Gob, gub, mouth, face all mean undercut. Basically all of the above are about right in my opinion. I'd only really use it if I wanted to make sure and keep something on the stump and with a winch. Like if you're felling up hill with a winch pulling them in. Fell it with the back cut below, pull it in with the winch, if the line goes slack the back cut being below means the butt will stay on the stump without the hinge snapping, tension up the line again, sever the hinge and winch it up. If you use a conventional cut with the back cut above and the hinge snaps you can end up with the tree sliding back down the hill. A lot more difficult to get the tree to fall, hence why I'd only use it with a winch, in normal circumstances back cut always above. Rule I was taught was same as hinge thickness - 1" per 1', ie 1' diameter tree = 1" thick hinge, back gut 1" above bottom of gub.

There are some great comments there. How much was the fine for using the topper on the ground with no gloves?

Item 3 in the Terms & Conditions: 3.All entrants must be suitably qualified for the prize (at the date of the draw) and be able to show approved qualifications for this purpose. The decision of whether qualifications are approved lies with the Sponsor but will be normally be based on NPTC or Lantra.

I think it would very much depend on how the LA worded the invitation to quote. If they specified a MEWP must be used then I think A would have very good grounds to be miffed, if they specified industry best practice I can see how A's nose would be out of joint if the tree was truly dead, if they made no spec's at all I can see how it would be annoying, but to involve the press seems a bit much. I'd be letting the procurement department know I wasn't happy, but anything more is just sour grapes.

I ran a 350 for about six years I think, it was a great wee saw. I think I traded it in in the end. It punched well above its weight for a semi-pro saw IMO.

Sometimes below, sometimes above, sometimes level. Depends on how I feel, how much I think it's going to take to get it to go over, etc. If it's going to take a lot to get it over I tend to cut level as it's one less thing to hold it back, essentially just finishing the cut. If using a winch or jack I'd tend to go below. I never really got on with split level cuts, I just prefer the Danish pie, largely personal preference. With a bit of thought I think it's as if it's got a real lean on it you can also send a wedge right through the back as you've cut right through the tree behind the hinge, gives you more lift. You can also put a small wedge in on one side to hold it while having a bigger wedge on the other to drive right through. By the time you've driven the big wedge in a bit you can pull the smaller one out. Hope this makes sense. I've put over some small diameter trees this way with a hefty back lean and a bit of height, so never going to go over with just a bar. Need to keep a fairly decent hinge as if it's too thin it'll just pop off. This is for felling forward leaning trees, so the tree is going to want to go early. If you leave a strap at the back you hold the tree while setting the hinge, when you sever the strap you can do it in a number of ways: level above the cut or in the cut - the tree is likely to break the holding wood before you fully cut it and can take the saw with it or cause it to kick; level underneath the cut - the tree is again likely to break the holding wood before you've severed it fully, possibly causing the tree to split at the back. The cutting down at 45 degrees keeps the strength in the wood fibre, meaning the strap is less likely to snap or at least will hold on longer, the angle of the cut means that the saw is less likely to be taken with the tree. That is the way that I understand it, but if anyone's got more knowledge I'll happily learn.

Yes, maybe I've not been ultra clear. It's probably not truly a dog tooth cut I'm on about, but a bit of wood at the back to stop the tree sitting back, similar to a dog tooth. I'd use it on bigger trees, lets you cut round and set the hinge up without worrying about it sitting back and pinching the saw. Like Drinksloe says, with wedges in at 10 and 2 ish - you can get them well set in, or stick a jack in it if you want, then when you do sever the strap/holding wood (not necessarily at 45 degrees in this case), if you've got things well set up the tree will lift slightly and you know it's going to go. Also fair to say, as Drinksloe points out, that it's normally easier to keep things simple and just wedge as you go. On smaller trees I'd use a pie cut, I used to use split levels, but nowadays prefer the pie cut.

If it's proper windy you can rip the holding wood/buttress right out of the ground doing this! Proper good fun. You can use a dog tooth on back leaners or weighted trees too, lets you set a wedge or jack well in and get the hinge set before you sever the wood, similar to a pie cut. Double V can be done with power saw every bit as well as with hand tools. This is my reality too. Unless something is seriously leaning there are very few situations where a sharp chain and a fast saw won't do the job. It is worth mentioning that I cut mostly spruce, which behaves quite well. You can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of sweet chestnuts that I've cut - if I cut more then I might have a different perspective. Important to know how the tree you're cutting behaves as well as knowing all the cuts in the book.

Speak to the trainer. They might know people who are looking to take on folk.

Today's been a good day so far, got up early, bumbled about for a while, went back to bed and snoozed for an hour or so , played with the baby, sent the older two out to play in the snow and got some peace to look at a few survey results, went to town, bought a new computer, had lunch, home now watching the rugby with a Guinness - Scotland not even playing too badly at the moment. Off out later on to the village Burns Supper (better late than never).