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Someone bought it - was it you? Alec

Not mine, but this isn't a chinese copy and is a good price if all that's needed is a starter cord: stihl 070 chainsaw | eBay Alec

Yes, I could find them in the UK but the pictures were better from the US one, and it was whether it worked or not, rather than whether it was available. If you look at the King Arthur tools site, you'll see that they recommend the 150grit diamond file for carbide chainsaw teeth. Not quick I'll grant you, but then the running time between sharpenings is a lot longer anyway. Physically possible, yes. Worth it for general use, probably not. I would imagine that the infrequent and specialist use which these chains are designed for makes workshop sharpening the norm, hence by grinder the most cost-effective route in pretty much all cases. Still fancy a go for a milling chain though Alec

On the news now - it's gone. Real shame - with Curry's and Jessop's that's a total of 12,000 jobs gone in retail over the last six weeks apparently. Alec

Sweet chestnut doesn't have a lot of sapwood - couple of mm, which is very good for efficient conversion. Oak has loads unfortunately. Part of the attraction of yew is the contrast between the pale sapwood and dark heartwood. If there's a lot to remove then it's worth using the mill, but for a small amount, I find a good side axe is surprisingly quick. I use a double-bevelled Gransfors Bruks side axe, which will happily take about an inch out per cut, so to edge up something about 8-10ft long by taking 3ins off each side takes no more than 10mins, which is quicker than setting up the mill, milling and then rolling it, twice. Alec

Yes - they do it in the UK too. There's someone near me whose yew hedge is clipped annually for free in exchange for the clippings. Alec

This may be too late to help, given the work you've already done on it, but one way to keep table tops or similar flat when made of several planks is to look at the end grain and alternate 'smiling' and 'frowning'. When they try to cup, this means they alternate cupping upwards and downwards so the whole thing stays relatively flat. Alec

It's practical: Diamond Chainsaw Files Whether there's the demand to support it may be more the issue. There's probably not that much carbide chain sold, and diamond files can't be made the same way as conventional files so it's a different manufacturing proposition which probably isn't justified. Alec

You can sharpen carbide tools with diamond files reasonably fast, but you need a coarse file as well as a fine honing one. I have an old set of diamond plates from a polishing room, the coarsest of which is about 120 grit equivalent and will take material off pretty fast. I've not seen a coarse file to suit saw chain, but then I haven't been looking. I've got some round diamond stones for the Oregon grinder which came from the US. What I'd really like is some to suit Rob D's grinder and a carbide tipped ripping chain for milling as that's where it would come into its own. Alec

Hi Simon, I started out with an 064 on a 36" Alaskan with 36" bar. You should get 27.5" through it if you leave the dogs on, 29" if you take them off. I would suggest sticking with this size - the extra mill length will just stress the saw. You could even buy the 30" mill. It will be quite slow, and you need a decent way of sharpening it - cutting speed drops off rapidly when the teeth start to dull as it doesn't have the power to just plough on through. The grinder Rob D sells is excellent for this as it keeps everything uniform. Opinions differ here - but in my opinion for outdoor use you want to use durable timber such as oak, sweet chestnut or robinia. The bark and the sapwood won't last long anyway, so I tend to just take it off. When I'm not in a hurry to mill something, if you leave it lying around for a year or two the sapwood rots off of its own accord. On oak in particular, this usually removes about 3" from each side, so in practice you can mill anything that starts off up to 3' over the bark with no further work. If square edged boards are acceptable, you can trim the top so that the height is within the mill capacity, then roll it on its side and plank away. The real waste from doing this is negligible on anything under about 3'6". Alec

Excellent. After I finished my GCSEs, the school required that I did a week's work experience. They arranged things like working in a bank, working in an office etc. but you could arrange your own if you wanted. I was in North Kent (near Dartford) and arranged to go to the East Malling Horticultural Research Establishment where I spent a week in the propagation department. It meant two trains, with a 2-mile walk at each end, and it was absolutely worth it. I learned so much in just a week, and although I don't work in the field, I still benefit from what I saw. My younger brother then arranged his at the local firework company - he still works for them on an ad-hoc basis (as do I). Again, it's not the main job, but it was well worth doing. My employer recently changed its policy to make work experience possible, and I took the first one last summer. Really bright lad, very responsible and enthusiastic, and I tailored what he saw/did around his abilities (keeping in mind what I couldn't let him do). I put a couple of hours thought in beforehand to make sure it was as interesting, varied and realistic as possible. I wanted him to leave at the end with a real understanding of why I/we do the job. So many work experience placements turn into a week's worth of filing because it's 'safe' and nobody else wants to do it. That isn't the real job, and whilst it might be convenient free labour it just inspires someone to try and avoid working in that industry. Every industry needs succession planning, and what you really want to find are the people who have real enthusiasm for the job. If someone has an idea that a particular field might be for them, in my view it's well worth the small amount of effort to give them the opportunity to find out (I wouldn't be entirely surprised if my work experience person from last summer ends up being a future employee, or professional customer). Rik, it's great that you got it sorted, and I would encourage others to consider it. You are unlikely to get sent dross - particularly if you are approached directly as the person has put some effort in to find you, so they're clearly motivated. Even if you arrange it directly with a school, you can interview if you like, and refuse to take anyone unsuitable. It can be very rewarding when it works out. Alec

I had a chat with one of my colleagues today whose background is in developing bespoke solvents. At one point his previous company developed a specific solvent for alkaloids (which the taxines are) and, coincidentally, tested effectiveness on yew. He recalls a number of pieces of previous work on the subject of extraction of taxines, this being something people often want to deliberately achieve, so there has been a reasonable amount of investigation. He has said he will have a look at whether there is anything specifically useful in relation to the original question. One point he did make - taxines are far more soluble in acid solutions, so a wine goblet is more likely to extract a significant concentration (due to both pH and standing time) than a chopping board. I'll keep you posted if he finds anything. Alec

Thanks for your comments - good thing this is an internet forum rather than a face-to-face conversation as talking with my very sore tongue would be difficult:001_tt2: Close inspection in the area this evening reveals that I do indeed have both a first strike mouse, that gets in and nicks the Nutella, and a rather slower rat that then doesn't have anything worth eating and hence doesn't bother walking on my nice trap. I could go for the 'wait until the mouse is heavy enough to set the trap off' approach, but I resent feeding it that much Nutella, so I think two traps will be set, side by side in a 'his and hers' configuration. Alec

I don't have a lot of experience specifically of doing this with oak, but I have done a bit - more sweet chestnut. It works, but it does show up all the defects, particularly knots. Here the grain tends to dive or climb, which results in a bit of wastage. If there is any twist at all to the grain, forget it. Obviously you need to create split lines radially, out from the true heart of the tree, which may not be the geometric centre. I find it works best to start by tapping a fairly sharp wedge in so it just bites so only about a quarter of an inch, right at the edge, then knock it out and move it in a bit and do the same again, so you end up with a continuous line across the tree, right across the heart. This tends to start the line of weakness, which then gives you a straighter split. I then drive two wedges into the end, both fairly near the outside edge. Once they start to bite I check that the split is following my line. If so, I keep going. If not, I put another wedge in at the point where it's starting to diverge, to correct the line. Once it's running nicely across the end, I drive the wedges home. At this point, if not before, I make sure that the split is horizontal. I then drive wedges in pairs, one from each side, to try to keep the split running as close to equal halves as I can. I don't start a matching split from the other end, as they never line up, so I just keep the split running to the end. Splitting the halves into quarters is the same, but you don't need the pairs of wedges - a single wedge will run to the centre, although I like to use a very long wedge to be sure it's running straight through - I have one made from a straightened length of transit leaf spring, which is about 15ins long, which seems to work quite well. The biggest bit I've split is about 2ft6in across, on a site where chainsaws were not permitted. It went well enough to be prepared to do it again. Mostly I'm splitting down 1ft diameter chestnut for tile batten. The other thing I would add is that it's worth getting a decent side axe for truing up surfaces if you're using this approach. It can really rip material off the surface fast when needed. Alec

I agree - it's got the big air filter on the top. To tell which, check whether the pot is fixed on with studs running right through with nuts at the top (TS760) or socket head capscrews (TS510). Alec

Ideally immediately. The boron is soluble, so wanders around in the wood, carried by the water present before seasoning. Very little remains on the surface, but any woodworm that try tunnelling will be unpleasantly surprised. Plus, if applied before kilning it helps to stop mould growth and hence blue stain. Alec

Hi James, Video link would be good. I'm happy with the quality of sharpening from my local shop, but there was one point where I was running full thickness elm boards through all day and the knives were needing sharpening on a daily basis! Elm is really hard on them. It would be useful, and quicker, to do it myself then. Alec

I have a very annoying and clever rat in one of my sheds. I've been setting a Fenn trap for it, baited with Nutella. It's cocked and set right on the edge of the catch - I reckon if I walk up and down too hard I'll trigger it, but somehow it keeps being licked clean, yet the trap doesn't go off. I couldn't do it, so I have no idea how the rat is! I'd rather trap it as I have barn owls around. Alec

Yes, particularly on the subject of who they will go after. The programme is actually very good at explaining this (including the legal terms), but the point is that the court can decide to go after the employer for damages, even if they are not guilty of anything. A tort is a civil law. Malfeasance is doing something deliberately wrong (in a civil sense), so malfeasance is deliberately committing a civil wrong, like cutting down a tree with a TPO on it. The tort malfeasor is the person/body who deliberately commits the wrong. If a company owner instructs an employee to do it, the 'company' will have committed the malfeasance and can be sued for breaking the law. If an employee decides to do it, even if they know they shouldn't, without their employer telling them to do so, they are the tort malfeasor and have committed the civil offence. However, they (the employee) probably don't have a lot of money, so for someone choosing who to pursue for damages, they're better off going after the employer, whilst fully acknowledging that the company is not guilty of breaking the law. This situation surprised me, but examples cited on the programme include a (successful) damages claim against a night club where the bouncer got hacked off with someone, went home, came back and attacked them. Note, the night club was explicitly not guilty of breaking any law, but was pursued for 'vicarious liability' and lost. As to whether someone is technically an employee, I suspect would be argued based on whether that secured more chance of extracting damages. Don't forget, damages don't have to just be the cost of something, they can be punitive or exemplary, i.e. designed to send a message to others not to do the same thing. Hope that clarifies a bit! Alec

Cheers Clive! Alec

Suspect it wasn't your machine - it was a few years ago now (Mark 1 rather than Mark 2) and came from somewhere on the South Coast, absolutely covered in sawdust even after a trip up on a pallet. If yours was a Mark 1 I'd be interested in the blades - I only have one set running at the moment and prefer to run them in pairs so I can have one set off being sharpened. I know someone with a 30" planer down in Milford, so I batch up my wider boards and take them down there. Alec

Glad to hear it went as hoped. Your question was reasonable and it's good that it was taken that way. If the trees are to come down at some point in the future, at least it will be done properly, and I would imagine you have gained some respect in the process. Alec

I do know of someone with a portable mill that would do a 950mm, but he's a grumpy git and doesn't like talking to people so it wouldn't get you very far I'm afraid. It's a Forestor, so it might be worth contacting their agents and seeing if they know of anyone with one available. In similar vein, there's now a wide mill Trekkasaw, which is portable. Might be worth contacting Log Logic? LOGLOGIC // Product Range // Trekkasaw Sawmill Alec

Yes - you're looking at the either the tort of malfeasance or the situation of a tort feasor under the doctrine of vicarious liability. The program linked below is worth listening to on the subject, very clear and well explained although distinctly worrying if you're an employer. BBC Radio 4 - Unreliable Evidence, Who's to Blame? Alec

I am seriously envious of your 24" thicknesser. I have a 12.5" DeWalt DW733, which is nominally portable if your arms are up to it. It's a fantastic machine for its price - really built to last and I've thrown a huge amount of stuff through it (I bought it secondhand on ebay and since then have fully worn out two full sets of knives) but I could do with something wider. For doing the job by hand, one tool I would recommend looking out for is a scrub plane. It's purely manual, but like side axes or adzes, it's one of those hand tools which actually does a better, faster job than any power tool I've come across. You can either leave the surface it creates 'as is' or quickly dress it off with a jointer plane (hand or electric) before sanding. Alec