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No, not angry, just trying to hold it there for the photo Yes, it's an 090 (another AV one like the one you were weightlifting). There are a few around although they are pretty uncommon. Alec

Interesting choice of firewooding saw. Either he's cutting big rings, or avoiding getting a bad back by not having to bend over Here's mine out for a play:

Very very nice! So what is he doing with it, or is it becoming yours? Alec

Not wishing to add to the complexity of your decision (OK, that may not be true) but have you seen the Oscar 230CE mill from Hudson and rejected it? Alec

The saw will cope, but the current version won't clear full depth (max cut 66mm and you need 75mm). This either means flipping it and re-sawing from the other side, or hand-ripping the remaining 10mm. I have done either, probably finish up with a preference for hand ripping, but don't like either. It may be worth keeping an eye out for a secondhand 235mm saw on ebay, eg: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9-25in-makita-skill-saw-/121252426770?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item1c3b353412 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Makita-5903R-240V-Circular-Saw-/261372689684?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3cdb06bd14 They don't make much and they don't usually seem to have had much use, maybe because they are big, heavy and awkward. I have one and use my 190mm blade saw for preference where possible, but the big one comes out to play for ripping through 3" or 4" stock. Iroko is pretty abrasive - any TCT tipped blade will be the best bet, just reckon on it being sacrificial. Alec

The original of this thread was over 2yrs ago, so I suspect the OP may not reply (haven't seen him around recently) but an attempt at answers to your questions: £800/m3 would be in the normal range for green English oak, which is roughly £700-875/m3 depending on quality, location etc. Seasoned would be more like £900-1050/m3. Seasoning time depends on thickness and whether air-dried or kiln dried. Beech is usually cheaper - more like £525/m3. It is normal to mill freshly felled timber - it's softer, less likely to have started to rot or split from the ends, and there is no benefit to waiting, however you can mill trees which have been felled for an indefinite period, and re-saw fully seasoned timber if necessary, just expect it to be slower and possibly have reduced yield. Sales - tricky. Length, thickness, sales location all depend on target market, which depends a bit on what you have. Absolutely stunning quality grain will sell easily wherever. Plain ordinary beech or ash can be slower to sell. Anything durable such as oak will sell fairly easily in larger section for outdoor use. Hope this helps Alec

I use chaps - have got 15yrs out of the current pair and the zip has now gone but the protection is still intact. Their big advantage is if you are working on the same site all day, but only using a chainsaw for a very small proportion of the work. You can put them on for 10mins, then take them off. Try that with trousers and it's probably frowned upon! They are also OK when kneeling on the ground all the way down a log for milling, or for other static jobs like standing at a sawhorse. Haven't decided whether to get a new set or a new zip and sew it in. I prefer the sort which are waist-height and just use a separate belt (army type with a clip so it's quick to take on and off and always the right length). Mine are Stihl, which I think are still available. Alec

Phew! Had me worried there for a moment. Really beats me though how anyone wouldn't be rushing over the next day to pick up such a generous prize. Alec

Is the above an answer? Have I missed out on my chance of such fantastic prizes? If so, I am bitterly disappointed since I didn't win anything in the Arbtalk raffle. If not, I'm going for 16.7 tons, with fingers crossed on that bent bar. Alec

That one always struck me as genuine, and I'm glad it worked out to be. Not everything on ebay is a scam and value is a matter of perception. They're happy, you're happy, everyone is happy (well, not me, as the only things to fall over in the recent winds round my way were a load of willow and a large turkey oak - maybe I'll be lucky next time!) Alec

Not going to help with the current lot, but are you aware of J S Wright & Sons Limited of Great Leighs (contact Nick Wright)? You must be down near Dunmow? In which case you're about the same distance from them as we are and I know they are keen on having more riverbank sites in the area. We have an arrangement with them over cricket bat willow on our river bank. Basically, they supply the trees, plant them, do the maintenance and then harvest after 15-20yrs, paying market price for the timber. Since it would appear that you may now have a relatively clear riverbank, this might be relevant Alec

But David, it's an ash, think of the extra firewood..... Rather more seriously, thanks for the comment - the timing of intervention is as much an art as the intervention itself. Relatively easy to see an objective and a potential future form, but developing the patience to wait for it to happen by itself, rather than leaping in to accelerate the process, is a different skill. Alec

Thankyou for the picture. My 2yr old daughter is not worried about it being sideways - she has just been lying sideways on my lap to see it, which occasioned a discussion about the difference between 'orange' chainsaws and 'orange and white' chainsaws... Alec

Just check that the clutch is properly fixed on first. Alec

I would be hopeful that the ones which aren't completely girdled will come back. Could be worth trying bridge grafting on the others? Alec

Frederic Back, who made the film, died on 24th December 2013. Alec

Cheers, think I conclude that there is nothing current production that fits. Alec

I reckon Spud will know how to fix that..... Alec

Is that a .404" sprocket? If so, chain is no longer a problem! Can you measure up the clutch drum please (ID and OD) - I'm just intrigued to know if the 3120 sprocket will fit. Alec

OK, you asked 'what would you do' rather than 'do you know what you are doing'.... I would consider two options. 1, do the minimum and let it retrench gradually. 2, encourage the retrenchment. The reason I say this is because the area I've circled in green looks to have good internal growth, suggesting natural retrenchment. To encourage this I would cut back reasonably hard, but not really pollard it as I suspect the shock would kill it. For aesthetic reasons (since this seems to be a consideration here) I would use drop-crotch cuts where possible, working on the basis that although this makes them relatively heavy, there is more work to be done later once the retrenchment growth takes over, so although ash isn't naturally durable and hence is likely to rot before it heals on heavy cuts, the remaining heavy wood above the cut will be taken out before it becomes unstable. Where there is no suitable point to drop-crotch to, such as the branches overhanging the road, I would cut back as shown and then coronet up the end, particularly on the underside, to simulate a slight rip fracture. One or two of the central cuts I've shown higher up are slight guesswork as I would want to walk round the tree to place them. My long-term aim would be to end up with a natural looking retrenchment/pollard, with the majority of branches springing from the height of the horizontal branch over the road (which is why I would shorten it to encourage growth near the centre, rather than remove it), but maybe leaving the straight section above alone too until it gradually disappeared by itself. May well become hollow, but with the weight off it I would expect it to be stable, even if future work was erratic, although it would require the introduction of a maintenance cycle, and it would be great veteran habitat. Please do not take the above as advice - I am not qualified to give it! It would work nicely on an apple or pear though and I would get away with it on a plum.... I would, however, be very interested in David Humphries' view of just how wrong I am. Alec

Likewise I wouldn't use any of the species you have mentioned in permanently damp conditions - expect a lifespan of a year or less. Elm is good below the water (permanently submerged) and SC/oak heartwood are good permanently out of the water. If you have to cross the waterline, robinia is the best bet. If you can design the bridge so that the timber is not in direct contact with the ground and sheds water well with no ponding, of the species you have available I would use the Douglas fir, maybe with oak heartwood slats if the oak you have available is wide enough (a foot or more) but in shorter lengths (as wide as the bridge). If it's normally very shallow, can you put a concrete/blockwork pier in the middle, maybe by shuttering up or dropping in a slab which is thick enough to be above water level when the water is down? This would drop the span to 10ft, which would let you use thinner sections that would be easier to handle. Alec

I'm sure someone far more knowledgeable than me will be along to answer whether you -need- to give them notice, but I know in my area they -like- notice so that they can come out and confirm that the tree is dead. It would be rather too easy to claim inconvenient TPOd trees were dead so you had taken them down.... Alec

If they're anything like mine, the colour is -essential-. Very nice! Alec

D009 is the standard bar mount for the big Husqvarnas. If you can find someone nearby with a 3120, 395, 390 etc you should be able to check which bits fit. I suspect some holes may be needed, but it could be as simple as widening out the tensioning stud hole and drilling a new oil hole. Hard to tell on the clutch drum but 94mm OD is big. I've had a quick look and the 090 is 100mm, the 070 is 80mm. 3120 is around 87mm. Once you've got yours off it's worth re-measuring to see if the Husky one is actually a fit. Alec