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Is that what you tell people when yours do that?

Definitively not the case. For examples, see my avatar, Graham's avatar and: Resistant Elms | Creating awareness of Elm Trees in the UK particularly the gallery pages. These are just examples which represent the tip of an iceberg. Alec

I don't know of many small sheds two storeys high with a pitched roof on top - our main original house was only 30' long x 14' wide with a higher roof pitch, so by volume the extension is about 60% of the original! On top of which, the 80 or so feather-edge boards were more milling in total than a much larger house would require. The HAVs using a winch are not that high if you wear AV gloves on top of an old AV saw and the gripping hand is on the mill rather than the powerhead; with a winch they would drop to minimal. I still wouldn't have wanted to do all the milling unless I enjoyed it in the first place though. Alec

Ash is a difficult one to use for worktops as the grain is very open and needs to be well filled if you don't want to leave pockets where dirt collects (just look at an ash floor after a few months). Like any wooden worktop, it needs huge numbers of coats of Danish oil - at least three all round before fitting, six on the ends, then another three on the top after fitting, then weekly for the first six weeks, then every three months. The thinnest commercial worktops are finished at 27mm but 40mm looks a lot better. To get that, if you are planning on using boards over 100mm wide or so I would want to start at 35mm/50mm respectively to allow for drying and planing. If you can quartersaw then I might go a bit lower than that, say 32mm/45mm, but no thinner or you will end up with a lot of waste once you cut the cupping out. Alec

I disagree. I have milled all the timber for a 12' square 2 storey extension using a chainsaw mill, alongside other milling. I use an 076, 070 or 090AV as required. The walls are not timber framed but the outside is fully clad in feather-edge boards so more timbers in total. All the timber in mine is oak, which would be prohibitively expensive if I hadn't milled it myself. There are several factors which have made this viable. Firstly, I didn't try to mill it all at once. I got dimensioned drawings as early as possible in the process and worked with my architect and engineer to take into account the mix of green, semi-seasoned and fully seasoned timber. I used the drawings to put together a cutting list and stacked the parts carefully labelled so I knew what I had and where it was. By doing single days here and there, the wear and tear on me from milling was minimal. Secondly, I used the above to take advantage of whatever tree came along. Knowing the dimensions needed, I could get the biggest possible pieces out of each butt, and generally milled on site so I only moved the sections I needed. Thirdly, associated with above, if you plan the cutting sequence carefully, you can keep the number of wide cuts to a minimum, which keeps milling speed up. This type of job is not about making wide through-and-through slabs, so you can work out the sequence with the minimum number of cuts. Finally, and critically, keep the chain perfect! Anything else will result in pain. It wasn't on my house job, but milling for someone else earlier this year, I was cutting semi-dry oak in about 7' lengths. I had milled on this site before and there is something about the trees there which means they take out the chain very quickly. I found I could only cut 2 or 3 boards at 18" width before the chain needed sharpening. Other days you might go all day without needing to. I actually measured timings on this one and board 1 would be just over 2mins, board 3 would be around 3mins and board 4 (only once!) was over 10mins and vibrated bolts out of the saw. So, in contrast to others, I would say it can be done if you want to, but I would only suggest doing so if you enjoy spending your time milling and can afford the preparation time. Alec

I would say yours was a good deal if the bar and chain are not heavily used. The cheapest bar of that length is £264 and the chain would be over £50, both + VAT. Alec

There is quite a range. The AV model is slightly more desirable but the main use is milling so the bar is not going to add anything. I have seen them make silly money on Ebay, but then who knows whether the deal was completed. I also bought one on Ebay for £330, in perfect working order (which then got stolen). Given that the bar doesn't add much, I would reckon a reasonable range would be £450-500, depending on relative interest from seller/buyer. Alec

Elms are not specially protected. They are not as rare as is often thought, but they are complicated. If the trees are large enough that a climber is growing up one, preventing inspection, they are almost certainly big enough to have been affected by DED. The beetles prefer to fly at around 6m and prefer English Elm over pretty much anything else. Pictures would be very helpful in identifying what's there - is the site visible on Google, or alternatively is it near enough to you to be able to visit? Ideally, close-up pictures of leaves (both sides), twigs, bark and branching habit (overall view of tree) would give a good indication. Alec

The complete one is a Contra, the dismantled one is an 070. The 070 has readily available parts and will easily make £250 - I have seen them make £500. It's a relatively early one as it has white paint on the front handle and a red top cover, although these were easily changed. It's probably second generation as it has appears to have a rivetted on badge on the recoil cover, rather than being cast in. The front and back parts of the top cover don't look quite the same colour? The Contra is a museum piece as parts availability is difficult but it's a nice one and is both interesting and saleable as a collector's item. Alec

Single trees can be tremendously variable in what people think they are worth. At the one extreme, I have met people who believe an oak of about 2' diameter x 15' length must be worth thousands, at the other extreme you can get paid to take them away! Getting them for free is quite common if you wait - they are nuisance to most home owners and there is a lot of ringing up, carrying and splitting if they go for firewood - there are easier options. One thing I have found is that, as a potential buyer, there is no way to change someone's mind about what they are worth. Anyone who thinks their tree is worth thousands will keep thinking this, even if you show them prices. It's simply not worth trying to convince them - leave a number and sometimes when it has been hanging around for months and getting in the way they may eventually ring you - usually not but it has happened. Alec

You don't have to rent anymore - you can pay a deposit on the cylinder, like Calor gas, then when you're done you return it and get the deposit back, or swap it for another cylinder and just pay for the gas. There are several companies doing this now. Alec

It occurs to me that if you can find somewhere to have a play, trying out mma and TIG would be a good option. This is because you could then consider whether to go with an inverter set up to run both mma and TIG. This would be about the most flexible set up you could go for as it will deal with a wide range of thicknesses and with the right rods it will let you weld most steels (inc. stainless) and even cast iron but do look into this one first as the technique is not trivial - if you can run to it then I would go for an AC/DC inverter as it will let you weld aluminium too with standard gas. A few years ago it was difficult to get the gas for TIG (pure Argon) as you had to rent cylinders paying by the month, but there are now rental deals like having a Calor gas cylinder which work out a lot better. Alec

Yes, sorry, brain failure. I meant mma Given that I work for what was formerly known as The Welding Institute this is not a good thing! Alec

It seems to be a skill which some people can get and others can't, a bit like plastering. There is a minimum standard of kit you need, below which it won't be you, it really will be the kit. You also need to think about which process you want - some people find MIG really easy, others find TIG easier, GMAW is different again. They all have their pros and cons, both as processes and the challenges of using them. For what you want, MIG or TIG could either be used; the thinner end is pushing it for GMAW. Tolerable welding will be self evident so as long as you use reasonably well designed joint preps and have plenty of margin built in to the strength it should be fine (as Steve says, so long as it isn't safety critical) and if it fails you can always grind it back and weld it again! Alec

OK, proper post as promised. Some background - I grew up on an old smallholding orchard which I still look after for Mum and a few years ago planted up something very similar to what you describe at our place - slightly larger as it's around 50 trees but the principle as the same. You have specified tree size, which is a good start. You have defined maybe higher than wide, but actually you will want wider than high. Typically you would space at 4m (12') minimum for trees which are able to 'get on with it'. Size is governed by rootstock mostly, but also variety and soil. Any rootstock smaller than this is going to need permanent staking and full weed control. If it matters, this is also about the smallest which actually looks like trees. Unless you are going to use a lot of herbicides, you will need to mow around trees. This is easier if you grow them on longer stems, ie half standards rather than dwarf bushes, although it is possible even with very low stem bushes. On the other hand, shorter trunks give shorter trees overall and can still be pruned to mow around with care. Regardless, you will need to maintain a weed free area around 4' across under each tree. Selecting for the above size, you are looking at MM106 rootstocks for apples unless the soil is very poor in which case you need MM111, Quince A for pears and quinces (although there are some new pear stocks which may be better but the jury is still out), St. Julien for plums (although this is still a bit big, but Pixy is a bit small) and you are pretty much stuck with Colt for cherries. The other advantage of this set of rootstocks is that they are the most common which gives the best available range and the lower cost suppliers become an option. You can manage sizes by pruning and training but also by variety selection and careful placement within the orchard, so for example my orchard has the cherries (I really like cherries so this is an indulgence to have so many), which really want to be on a wider spacing, next to the pears, which grow more upright so leave more space. I have also alternated the cherries within the row between small and large growing trees, to balance things up further. Suppliers - Keepers Nursery has a staggering range. I was there yesterday for their open day which works on a 'walk around the 600 varieties and eat as many as you like' basis. Certainly the best way to try before you buy. Other suppliers to look at are R.V.Roger, Talaton Plants (who will help with suggestions if you want), or this lot http://www.applesandorchards.org.uk/images/Tree%20catalogue%202016-17.pdf if they have the varieties you want. I have ordered from all of them and had good quality trees at reasonable prices considering the complexity of what they do. As has been said, growing what you like is the key. The challenge is finding out what you like when the varieties can be so difficult to sample. Keepers or Brogdale are the best options for sampling. The other factors are things which do well in your climate and which give you a good season. Important questions are things like 'what would you do with a tree-load of quinces?' Starting with the simple ones. Cherries - these are not easy. The birds will eat them, the trees are big and the fruit will crack if it rains, so you end up having to put a net over them. The exception would be Morello for cooking which is hardy, self fertile and tolerant to everything, and the birds don't always bother to eat them (although the squirrels ate all mine this year, under the net!). It makes fantastic pie filling or jam and if you hang the fruit on the tree long enough they become quite nice raw. Plums - what do you like? Raw or cooked, purple or green? Plums can flower early which is a problem for frosting the blossom, but there are options . They also have a short season, but I would want at least one tree. I wouldn't bother with a damson though - I would get them on their own roots and plant them in the hedgerow. Apples and pears. These have more options for how long they keep. Generally, the longer keeping varieties are the later ones and they also have the better flavour. I am guessing that your area is wet, so disease resistance is probably more important than cold tolerance, especially to canker and scab. One reasonable approach is to reckon that varieties which pre-date the major availability of pesticides (approx. 1880) are likely to be less susceptible and those which come from a location are more likely to do well in the climate, although the latter is not always true - I live in Sturmer but Sturmer Pippin which comes from about half a mile up the road does much better in New Zealand! Don't write off modern varieties though - in amongst the commercial high yielding, flavourless offerings there are a handful of real gems which would warrant a place in amongst the heritage varieties on merit. Take Discovery for example, which genuinely does combine the best of its parents Worcester Pearmain and Beauty of Bath. With 20 trees, I think I would end up with 1 Morello, 2 plums (one early season dessert, one late season dual purpose or cooking), 4 or 5 pears of which one would be a very late cooking variety, 12 or 13 apples of which 3 or 4 cooking, 3 or 4 cider and the remainder dessert. Pears could include Beth, Concorde, Beurre Hardy and either Black Worcester or Catillac. Cooking apples, I would avoid Bramley as it doesn't do well in wet climates and is prone to bitterpit. I would go for Monarch or Newton Wonder instead as both are much better suited, and also slightly sweeter so need less sugar. I would also go for Annie Elizabeth which keeps from September to April and the fruit stays firm when cooked so is good for slices on flans etc. If you want an early cooker then Grenadier is good - Lord Suffield is too prone to canker to do well. For cider, I would go for bittersweet varieties to either use on their own or blend with the sharper, lower sugar juice from the other apples. Dabinett, Black Dabinett and Harry Masters' Jersey would be options. For dessert apples, I would look at Discovery as the earliest. You really need to taste the others to see what you like but I am a convert to Norfolk Royal Russet, if you want something Cox-like then Jupiter is probably the most reliable and may even have more flavour. You could look at Duke of Devonshire and Tydeman's Late Orange (also Cox-like flavour) as late varieties. Cornish Aromatic may suit as it likes wet climates and Court Pendu Plat will take whatever you throw at it (and it tastes good). St Edmunds Pippin is a good mid-season option and Rosemary Russet a well flavoured late one (caught perfectly on timing this is absolutely excellent for flavour). Adams Pearmain and Honey Pippin also have really good flavour, the former also keeps well. A few initial thoughts for you anyway. Alec

You won't get it to go flat now - just have to live with it and use them as best you can, fitting the bend accordingly. For future reference, best bet is to run the first cut dead up the middle of the tree. If it springs badly you can then run a skimming cut to straighten up the face before carrying on - usually this can go into the flare without losing any real yield. If you then cut the half into quarters with a vertical mill it takes any remaining stress out and you can then carry on to get the best out of the tree. Alec

I can give you some ideas- I'll pull some info together and make a proper post tonight. Alec

Yes, you do, but if they are your own trees, or you don't have a commercial relationship with the owner then you are fine. Still a good idea to read the instructions and do it properly, but soap solution (ie washing the trees..) is probably the most benign approach. Alec

It looks like woolly aphid rather than a fungus. Still a good idea to clear around it as it helps things find and eat the aphids. It's late in the year for it, so it will soon die away but the aphids will overwinter. It's also a bit late for the predators to be around so I might be inclined to do something about them, although earlier in the year I generally just leave them alone and they get eaten soon enough. There are insecticides available, even without PA1/6, from the garden centre, but whilst it is no longer allowed as an insecticide, coincidentally if you like to keep your trees nice and clean, a good wash with soft soap solution might coincidentally kill off the aphids.... Alec

I didn't know that meaning of Biffin but am now enlightened through Google:001_smile: The Biffin I'm talking about is somewhat different you may be relieved to hear. Norfolk Beefing is an old variety of apple which was fairly famous in the 19th century. It's a cooker with a plum coloured flush on one side of the fruit. You cook them in a very low heat oven to make a Biffin which is something like a baked apple with a leathery skin. Part way through the process you gently squash them, then do it again until they come out brown and fairly flat. You glaze them over with sugar and serve cold with whipped cream. The variety has a particularly good flavour for this, doesn't need too much sugar and has a tough enough skin to take the flattening. Re. the pear - very unlikely to have been double worked originally - it has been known for a very long time that keeping trees in balance with different varieties on is extremely tricky so it tends to be a garden curiosity. In an orchard you would just plant one of each. Either the Robin-like or Conference-like fruit is probably the rootstock, the other being grafted on. You should be able to work out which is which from looking at the grafts. Alec

Renovating old fruit trees can be very satisfying. Would also give you an opportunity to look around and see if there are any other interesting old trees in the orchard. Maybe a Biffin? Alec

One observation on this - if you find a surveyor who has no vested interest then you are less likely to get a biased opinion. This may cost more (there is no way to write off the cost against future work) but it is likely to result in picking up only the real issues. When we bought our house, which is 500yrs old, thatched and listed, we had a 'discussion' with the mortgage company. They wanted us to use a surveyor from their list, I wanted to use one recommended from the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) list as they tend to be specialists. In the mortgage company agreed that I was looking to use a higher qualified surveyor than they were recommending and as such they would have a better survey report to work from. That's the way we went and I was quite happy with the outcome (such verbal comment as 'don't worry that the rafters look like twigs at the top - they've done 500yrs so there is no reason to worry about modern building regs, and the woodworm in them has probably been there nearly as long!') Alec

From the description I would reach the same conclusion as you - a top-worked graft (at 6') onto seedling pear. What the seedling was from is anyone's guess but the colour and location do suggest maybe some Robin parentage. The one decent photo (in the link) of Robin suggests slightly less squat fruit form, with a distinct neck, rather than than the very blunt shape in your cross section. Age - hard to be certain but well over the century. I would guess 150ish. Alec

I don't think the leaf colour is misleading - I think it's the 'Aurea' form, so Sorbus aria 'Aurea'. Sorbus aria Aurea (Gold Leaf Whitebeam) Alec

Robin is a very good thought. Not a pear I know at all, but it does originate from Norfolk. The season is right too. It should be a small, upright-spreading tree? Robin pear trees for sale | Order online Alec