agg221

I'm afraid I don't actually know what the 'free gift' is. In practice, I believe there are several options, relevant to the thing you buy. Whilst I agree with Big J to an extent (bigger is faster), in practice I find using a saw of about the size of a 395 (in my case an 066) makes no discernible difference to milling speed when you drop below about 18" cut width. I mill with an 066, 076 and 090. The 090 is great for wide cuts as it doesn't bog down. The 076 is really good running from 18-30" or so and drinks a lot less fuel. The 066 is really good with a 25" bar and Granberg chain, although I also run it with a 36" bar on (for deep cuts with the mini-mill) and before I had the bigger saws I used to use it as my standard milling saw - I have cut at the full 28" width, slowly. Running this set-up, I would use a mini-mill first to cut things in half and then mill the other way (quartering if justified). This yields higher quality boards and keeps the cut width down to the point where you won't notice the speed difference to any great extent. Alec

STEP AWAY FROM THE LOG! YOU DON'T NEED IT!!! I think we might soon need an Arbtalk intervention for you - is there an equivalent of the Betty Ford clinic for cedar addiction? :lol: Alec

I traded 10lbs of soft fruit for 'The Cherries of England' by Norman H. Grubb and 'The Plums of England' by Harry V. Taylor - this was in pre-internet days when such things were virtually unobtainable. Alec

Yes it is - he's just not telling you as he knows what would happen if you found out Alec

I would stick a sheet of corrugated cardboard down before the mulch (old cardboard box minus any plastic tape). This suppresses the weeds even better and the worms love the glue in the cardboard so they help aerate the soil. I have seen much worse than this grow back - so long as it doesn't get silverleaf (and you should be OK for this as they are just starting to grow) you will probably find the bark grows right over it by the end of the year, the tree being young. Alec Alec

This is exactly where it scores for me. For example, looking at milling saws there have been a load of 070s going for around the £500 mark lately but today there was an 076, complete with chainbrake, only made £255. I didn't buy it (don't need another one!) but the patience to wait a few weeks would have got you the latter as a sensible option, rather than the former. Alec

Having grown up in North Kent I didn't have much choice, and at least traffic lights are better than the endless roundabouts of Milton Keynes If it does end up heading in the direction of Maidenhead I can happily get it as far as Kent/Surrey. Alec

I took Martin on his first ever excursion into Kent and Surrey last weekend - Maidenhead would be a serious adventure for him Alec

I would advise cutting back to a clean shape and the brazing on a piece of alloy. This is because a) you then know it's clean, b) you will then have a thinner joint which is stronger, c) the filler rod is more expensive than the alloy so it will make it cheaper and d) the filler is softer than the alloy so won't hold the tapped thread as well. Brazing will work fine, but given the state of that bottom bracket I suspect it won't hang on long itself. As such, if you do have access to someone with good TIG capabilities it would be worth considering getting both done at once. It can be welded with a high silicon filler, building up a series of overlays to replace the missing material. This is stronger than the braze alloy and makes a very effective (and very permanent) repair which can be ground right back externally and repainted so that it is invisible, with a smooth internal finish that is very hard to spot. Alec

The only sad thing is that I don't need it full length. I need 10' or 12' lengths out of it (depending on whether it's 25' or 30'). Fingers crossed on quality. Alec

Yes, you need to get the surface clean. Grinding off with a small dremel, or heavy wire brushing will do a good enough job. You will also need to take the paint back from the break as aluminium is a good conductor of heat so the paint will otherwise burn off. Some people reckon a good inch but on old Stihl parts I have got away with around 3/8". Alec

If peaches do OK then you should be fine. No idea how good your French is, but you might find this useful: Livre SUR L'Amandier | eBay (would have been tempted myself but they only ship to France). Some sources which would overcome the export issue: Amandier-Amande Amandiers | La Pépinière du Bosc There appears to be a modern French series with names beginning with 'Ferra'. Googling Amandier Ferraduel turns up a lot, some of which may be nearby if you don't fancy ordering by post. Alec

Agreed. Whereabouts in the country is it? Alec

Fair price for which aspect - felling and extraction, or sale? There are several dispassionate millers on here (ie they are too far away and will not buy it) who will offer an opinion on what they would pay for it but they would need pictures and would be putting caveats on their opinion regarding quality. Selling standing timber means the buyer takes the risk, so will offer lower. Selling roadside means you have taken the risk on quality (the butts can now be inspected properly) so if they are good you can expect an overall higher price, but any bad ones you may not sell at all. That said, if I was in the market, I would reckon on woodland-grown timber of that size being pretty clean if there are no obvious external defects. That's a good length/diameter which could be put to a range of uses including construction and is also a nice diameter to mill, so I would expect to get a fair amount of interest. Alec

Are there any others growing in the area? Do they do OK? The usual problems in the UK with peaches/almonds etc are late frosts taking out the blossom and damp weather causing peach leaf curl. If you are not prone to either of these problems then you are more likely to have success. Most stone fruits start to crop at around 3-4yrs old and become productive from around 7yrs. You have options as to which rootstock they are grafted on which controls the size. I have no idea exactly what will be available to you locally but in the UK you would use Pixy for a really dwarf tree (6-8ft), St Julien for a modest tree (12-15ft) and Brompton for a big tree (20ft). Almonds aren't that big anyway so reckon on the smaller end of the above. In the UK, Keepers Nursery has a few (not that it helps, but at least it gives some varieties and descriptions, note some are self-fertile): Keepers Nursery UK | Fruit trees for sale | Buy Online | Mail order I would go looking for french nurseries (there are several french varieties of prunus dulcis) and see what shows up. Alec

I might already be in contact with the owner (sorry Clive:001_smile:) Alec

That particular point is a common weakness. If you want to do a useable job it can be rivetted (one of mine was repaired this way when I got it. If you want a good job done it can be rebuilt in weld and dressed off neatly. Alec

At 70cc I might be inclined to stick a 25" bar on it. I would still go for the 24" Alaskan rather than the small log mill as you want to make planks and the outer nose support helps with this. I would also be happy to use poplar for the purposes you describe, but only if you are prepared to treat it. Poplar is surprisingly strong, very durable if kept dry (there in an early cruck frame in poplar which has been re-erected at Avoncroft) and makes very good cladding if you detail it correctly and are prepared to treat it regularly. It responds very well to being treated as it is naturally much more absorbent in cell structure. It is not the low-maintenance option that larch would be, but is fine if you are prepared to work within its characteristics. Alec

I buy chainsaws on ebay. I have bought quite a few and have been happy with all of them. I buy old saws which are usually stated as spares or repair, although I have bought some which have been advertised as runners. All of them have been as per description, if anything slightly better. I communicate with the seller before bidding and usually get a polite, helpful reply. These days, ebay is so stacked in favour of the buyer that there is really very little risk if you exercise basic commonsense. I would not buy the saw in the link because a) the reasons above, b) if I wanted a new saw I would go to a dealer and c) it is highly unlikely from the tone of the advert that the seller is friendly and helpful! Alec

Yes you can mill it with your saw. It will not be quick, but it will be quicker than hand hewing and will give you perfectly useable planking. It will be nothing like Big J's commercial activity but will make enough boards in a day to be reasonably satisfying. 20-26" is reasonably large but poplar is fairly soft and chips out easily so if you take your time it will be OK. I'm not familiar with a 565 - is this model number correct? If what you have is a 60ish cc saw then I would go for a 20" bar, Granberg chain as it compensates a bit for lack of power (you will also need a precision grinder), mini-mill and 24" Alaskan, which will give you about a 14" cut. You will need to take the dogs off the saw. Milling will be a bit fiddly but if you skim the top off the log as deep as you can go, then use the mini-mill to split it in half vertically, then mill each half by standing it up on edge, you will get through it, making boards about 6"-13" width, which is enough for most things. Alec

What sort of diameter is your timber? This will determine what the best option will be. Alec

The 395xp will make a decent milling saw. Alaskan mills are available from several sources, all of which so far as I'm aware are currently the same price (although if you order from chainsawbars as an Arbtalk member you will get a free gift thrown in). Because of the way the mill bolts to the bar you lose about 8" of the bar length (6" if you take the dogs off the saw). This means that a 36" bar will allow you a 28"-30" cut. There is a longer bar available for the 395xp - it's a 42" bar which works for milling but don't expect it to be very quick if you are milling wide enough boards to need it. Chainsawbars still have a few left, but are not re-stocking these: Products for the category: Special Offers There is nothing wrong with Oregon bars for milling - they work fine. Have you tried FR Jones for the saw? They might be able to sell you a bare powerhead (as may several other of the dealers who advertise on here). The dealer who told you that you will need to change the chain pitch is wrong. Don't forget that you will need ripping chain rather than crosscut chain, and unless you are extremely proficient at chain sharpening I would strongly recommend the Granberg precision grinder as you need to keep the teeth not only sharp but also equal in angle and even in length, particularly if you are running at the full width capacity of the saw. Hope this helps! Alec

It doesn't. The measured volume of the log is 34 Hoppus feet. This should convert to 34 cubic feet when milled. Hoppus feet are specifically designed to be a good approximation to cubic foot yield. Alec

Your location certainly won't make it easier, but there are a few people on here who may have the necessary kit - whereabouts in France are you? What saw does your husband have? A small log mill might be viable (depends on the dimensions of the log, which are a bit hard to gauge from the picture). There is another way of doing it, with a side axe, which needs a lot less kit but takes rather longer and requires considerable skill. Would come out with the appropriate surface finish though. Alec

Drop Jonathan (Big J) a pm - he has a good courier for this. Alec