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Have you been watching that advert? I'm dreading my two requesting something elaborate (currently making two dolls' beds which is quite challenging enough to get done for Christmas) Alec

Thought I'd stick some pics of this up as it was milled in the dark last night by the light of the headlights - didn't get to see what it looked like until this morning. Really nice piece of pear, max width about 13" with some ripple at the top (see last pic). Alec

Sorted

There are many variants of Wykabor, but they are all formulations of sodium octoborate/boric acid, with different additives to make them work better in particular applications. That ash has a great colour, but I would treat it quickly. Browning is usually a sign of decay, which may not be structural so far but is certainly going to progress until it dries to a low enough moisture content to be halted. Getting Wykabor in it quickly will mean it is transported through the timber, killing the current fungi and reducing the rate of re-infestation (and with insects too). Otherwise it is a competition between whether it dries faster/rots faster! If there is anything worth having out of the last quarter I would also be inclined to take that out now, as otherwise it will rot very fast - ash has very little durability anyway and will be further compromised now. I'm afraid the shakes are only likely to get worse. Nothing you can do about it, just stack it up, dry it and see what is worth keeping, but with that colour to be honest if anything survives at all it will be worth it - never seen ash with that good a colour. Alec

It's my understanding that a lot of the very old mulberries in London date from slightly earlier - planted by James 1st (1603-1625), including a mulberry garden just north of Buckingham Palace, planted in 1608 and the famous one in Chelsea Physic Garden. They were indeed planted to try to develop the silk trade in England - unfortunately they planted black mulberries (Morus nigra) and the silkworm only lives on white mulberries (Morus alba) so it didn't work! Alec

Not sure whether the early model or late model has the longer throttle cable. Also not sure whether they are the same diameters and have the same end fittings. I could fit new handles, but would rather not since it's a very expensive fix for a worn throttle cable! Still works for now, but the outer is cracked so I am looking to get an alternative lined up before I'm stuck without it. Alec

Nice saw, with the late model cover and AV mounts - were these upgrades you ordered or was it already a late one? Eddy - do you reckon your source may have an early AV model throttle cable? These are nla and a pain to make up from bike brake cables! Cheers Alec

The black mulberry was historically propagated from 'truncheons' - branches about 2" in diameter literally just chopped off, cut to length for the main trunk and stuck in the ground, so I would imagine the odds of success in transplanting are pretty high. Alec

Thought I hadn't seen you on here lately - I can't see any particular reason why you couldn't lay yew but I've not see any done:confused1: The oak is sitting in lumps in the entrance to my field where it got craned off - it was too late in the year to risk it so funnily enough I started on it last weekend. I will take some pics of what I've done so far, although it's not the interesting bit. I await the outcome of your oak plan with interest if it turns out to be brown..... Alec

Agreed - very straightforward. Alec

Hi Luke - did you spot this thread? http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/65999-yew-savaging-2.html - a few more pics on page 3. It doesn't address your original question but may give some hope. Alec ps - did you get any further with the other oaks?

Thanks David, very interesting to see the process of adaptation in action with a known timeframe. Seems to be coming along nicely:001_smile: Alec

I would go with an inverter - arc rods can go down to 1.6mm which is thin enough for the low end of steel structures. I don't get on very well with arc - much prefer TIG, but the inverter does both (although you need gas for TIG and it's not cheap as you need argon rather than CO2). There is always ebay, but if you can get to Gravesend then there is a really useful place which deals in high quality secondhand welding kit: Tecweld Unit 12/Canal Ind Park/Canal Rd Gravesend DA12 2PA 01474 326403 Alec

Should be pretty reasonable - depends whether you can get mains to it or need to run off a 12v leisure battery, but in the region of £100 all in. Alec

I'm guessing she has a hard time because of bending over to get down to them? If so, would it be possible to stick a bit of temporary electric fencing around the drop zone each year as the acorns are about to fall, then when they're all down, either have someone clear them all up with a rake and shovel, or lay out some horticultural netting and fold it all in to the centre to lift it into a barrow and away, or use a Henry to vacuum them up (this works a lot better than you might think!) All of these would appear to be cheaper than regular works on the tree? Alec

I don't mind doing the carbs on these. Everything is big and easy to work on - much less fiddly to get on and off than on the 026. Alec

Having reviewed this, I mis-read it last night that the revs were staying up while the chain was stopping (which would be clutch), but on re-reading I realised the revs are dropping, so agree with the other comments made - not the clutch. Alec

Sounds to me like a new clutch is in order. Very cheap and easy. Alec

Having inspected the twig more closely, yes it's only terminal buds which have the 'hairs' and it was still very green when it fell, whilst the local robur were quite yellow, so Lucombe is possible, or maybe some other cerris hybrid. Either way, it's not useful for timber. Shame as it is a good sized lump, but it will keep the owner and his family warm for a while. Alec

Can I just add, how nice to see a return on this forum to a serious and heated debate, with strongly held opinions, about TREES FWIW, my own opinion is that aesthetics are a matter of opinion (although I am aware of amenity value of landscape, but feel it remains too subjective to be reliably assessed) and will therefore always differ. Need for habitat vs. 'crop' are also subject to opinion, but are more evidence-based and hence can, to some extent, be weighed up, and could be used to form a view. I happen to like the non-uniformity and randomness myself, but that is purely personal. David - next time you're there would it be possible to take a photo from the other end of the line (with the original fallen tree in the foreground) showing adaptation in the crown? Alec

What sort of timber are you milling (size and species), with which powerhead? Have you tried timing adjacent cuts near the centre of a log so they are near-identical with a hand sharpened chain and then a precision sharpened chain? I'm interested because I wasn't just passing on other people's views in commenting on the effect of precision sharpening. My own experience has been that milling with a really big saw (076/070/090 in my case) you can drive on through 2' or so cuts without it feeling noticeably slower as the chain dulls, although it's not great for the saw and you can measure the difference if you time it. However, using the 066 on a 2'6" cut, or the 044 above 20", I really noticed the drop-off. I used to hand sharpen when I only had the 066, and milled a lot of oak, mostly 15-20' cuts at around 2' average width. Machine sharpened Stihl ripping chain about 5mins, dull took 15mins, but hand-sharpened would take about 8mins. Not too bad, but not as good as it could be. Having bought the precision grinder, I don't run the 066 as much, but having tested it on the 076 I get noticeable decrease in cut times, and having made some very big freehand ripping cuts in 7' wide oak using a 7'6" bar and not struggled, I know the chain is spot on in a way I just couldn't get it by hand. Hence the interest in your experience Alec

Excellent, we like pictures When you get your mill set up and start cutting, time it. Really, with a stopwatch or similar, down a cut. When the time starts to go up a lot, your chain is dull. Have you considered how you will sharpen the chain? You can't do it freehand or with a simple filing jig as you can't get all the teeth exactly the same length (well, you can if you are prepared to measure each one with a vernier gauge, but practically speaking...). You can touch it up a few times by hand and get reasonably close, but after a few sharpenings you will either need a precision filing jig, or a precision grinder - the Granberg one is good and helps with longer bars. Alec

No problem, all brands of chain work quite well. The Granberg chain is reckoned to be a bit quicker and leave a smoother finish but is more expensive. It also takes a bit less power from the saw, which may not be a bad thing if you are running a 30" bar. Have you found chainsawbars.co.uk? Alec

Unfortunately most of the visible cues have gone for this one - it being a large log lying next to a pile of brash, with the firewood removed. However, the buds are covered in long hairs, so cerris is looking likely. Pictures of the bark below. Alec

I would either buy a 24" or 36" Alaskan. I would go for this as you mention shelves and boards which are relatively thin and the unsupported nose will dip on the small log mill, making it less accurate on thickness, particularly with a longer bar. The 460 will handle a 30" bar when milling, which will just about allow the full 24" cut if you take the dogs off, a bit less if you leave them on. I would also have a ripping chain on a 24" bar as the decreased vibration and bar friction will give faster milling and smoother boards up to 18". On the Alaskan you can shorten up the rails. If you enjoy it you will inevitably buy a bigger saw, longer bar and want to mill bigger things, and 36" is enough for most things in the UK. That said, I'm contemplating the 72" rails and aux oiler myself....! Alec