agg221

What size is the oak, and what size do you want it to be? If it's short lengths (i.e. chopping boards) it will dry OK through the ends. Not as quick, but still fine. If it's too long for this, do you have a moisture meter? If so, you could take a board, measure the surface content, and then plane a bit off, re-measure etc. and see if you get a sudden jump. If so, case hardened, if fairly uniform once you've skimmed the first bit off, with a gradual profile, it's not. If it is case hardened, whether to re-mill or plane would depend on the depth profile you see on the moisture content (tells you how much you need to take off). If it's a little and you want thick boards you could plane it. If it's a lot and you don't mind thin boards you could re-mill it (assuming they're long enough to fit the mill clamps). Alec

The quickest way would probably be with a router running against a jig. That way they will all be consistent. Curves are very tricky to get consistent freehand. Alec

Tillotson HL244A carb body. No before pictures, but note the lug on the left hand side has no tapped hole to carry the idle screw. That's because it wasn't there, having snapped off completely! (neither was the idle screw). New screw and spring ordered from Rowena at 16.50 yesterday - arrived today. Now trying to decide whether it's a 5/32" BSW or No.6x32 UNC before drilling and tapping it. Both are 32tpi so it's not disastrous if I get it wrong. Alec

What species are they, and how clean are the base lengths? At 10" dia if they're close enough together to have self-cleaned and a useful species you may just about into the smaller end of sawmill sizes on the bottom lengths. 500 trees sounds a lot on an acre if they're a decent size but if there are a few artic loads it may just at least pay the cost of clearance. Worth talking to your local softwood mill if the above stacks up. Alec

Not always..... I drive up and down the A1 once a month or so. Alec

The bar takes a full 7' cut, so I reckon you can cut just about anything you like with it. I can't actually get the whole saw fully assembled in the car, and I drive a Volvo estate! Mind you, lifting it is a whole different game. I still fancy my chances with it in a Le Mans start though I should be able to get some pictures of what it's actually for next weekend. A vice wouldn't actually help for tuning it (although it's a good idea) - the carb is close-coupled to the pot so it vibrates so much that you can't get a screwdriver in to the idle screw. Alec

Is that a Monro Tiller? Alec

Yes, and yes. I hope to make a start on it on Saturday. See how far I get in a day - might need to buy a few cans of Aspen:001_smile: Alec

Not actually on my bench, as it isn't long enough, but I've been getting this ready to go and have a play next weekend. First time it has really been set up right - tuning was miles out but is now OK. A bit long-winded as there is no way to tune with the engine running as I can't keep the bar nose off the ground. Alec

The rails may have splayed, or the chain may be wrong for the bar. Is it equally loose all the way round? If so, it's probably the wrong chain. If it's tight up near the bar nose and loose in the middle it's splayed. If it's splayed, you can do a reasonable job by nipping up the rails so the chain just runs smoothly. If you overdo it at a particular point, tweak it back out with a screwdriver. I find I need to use a hammer to nip the rails up. It won't last forever like this but it will give you a reasonable return. If you do decide to run with the bar, check the depth of the grooves too to make sure the chain isn't bottoming out. And in answer to your other question - the little hook-shaped links on the bottom of the chain (drive links) are not only for driving it, they also pull the oil round. If it's too loose then it doesn't do this and the oil slopping around in the bottom of the bar rail then runs out after use, forming a pool. Alec

The symptoms you describe are indicative that you're running lean. This means you've either got too much air or too little fuel. Lack of fuel could be down to dirty filter, blocked tank breather or carb blockage. Excess air would be down to an air leak somewhere - could be crankcase, crank seals, carb boot, carb, fuel line or impulse line. Changing the filter would help if it's a blockage but the most straightforward thing to do is to get it pressure and vacuum tested. This will confirm whether you have any leaks. Running with leaks is a really bad idea as it can lead to a lean seize. If you don't know anyone extremely local to you, Spudulike on this forum is near Baldock and is very good at this sort of thing. Alec

Funnily enough, the 2-man Teles has a 250cc 2-stroke motorbike engine fitted, so it would be a fair contest. Strange how things come around again isn't it.... Alec

OK then Spud, to make things fair I can lend you one of mine. Your choice - stock 090 with 84" bar, or 2-man Teles with 60" bar? Alec

Clark Engineering, which look to be associated with Clark Forest, do them: Harvester Bars and Chain | Harvester | Clark Engineering Alec

You asked for thoughts. Firstly, how long do you want it to run for at a time? This determines what you do about cooling. I reckon if it's start, cut, stop you could use a water cooled engine and cut off all the water cooling parts to keep weight down. Even if it's an air cooled engine you could probably cut all the fins off for short bursts. It's got to be an ali block. I'm presuming a 2-man lift? That seriously limits your options. What is the Mazda Wankel engine made of? It's not a V6, but they do have exceptional power to weight. Harvester bars are fairly easily available. You want the 3/4" pitch on the 0.120" bar as otherwise it will snap it off. Slightly random I know! Alec edit: yes there are definitely some bar suppliers in the UK. I need some 3/4" x 0.080" chain and went looking to see if harvester chain fitted. Unfortunately it doesn't but I found no problem getting standard harvester bars and chains. If you can't find the sources let me know and I'll keep looking. Alec

Tommy, that is stunning (as ever). I always look forward to your posts - you have a real gift for capturing emotion that comes through in your pieces. Alec

Not tried one but one comment from the picture. If the handle is that short then either you can't get anywhere near the 4000kg pull or the travel per stroke would have to be extremely short. A 5T Tirfor in low gear pulls an inch or so per stroke and that's with a long handle.... Alec

Glad the answer was useful. I've done a reasonable amount of this, although not as much as some others, and I have no practical experience at all when it comes to kilns, having always used air drying. I've been happy enough with my results though:001_smile: The easiest way is to get a moisture meter and try the centre of a scrap bit in the pile. The alternative way is to wait longer to be on the safe side.... Alec

Hi Johan, It's usually termed seasoning rather than curing, in the UK at least. If you go back a bit there were no kilns, and old timber works fine, so it's certainly not essential. I don't have a kiln either. The main impact is time, as air drying takes a lot longer. You need to stack the timber off the ground, in neat, vertical stacks, ideally in a shady place but where plenty of air can get round it. In between each board you need to place a row of 'sticks' about 2' apart. These should be sawn to an even thickness, and should be seasoned before use or you'll get blue stain where the sticks touch the boards. Breaking up old pallets gives a good source of these for modest quantities. The sticks should be placed vertically above one another in successive boards to avoid putting a bend into the boards. The thickness of the sticks can be used to slightly control drying rate. If you're milling in autumn you can use thick sticks - about an inch. If it's spring you can use thinner sticks, say half inch, depending on how wide your boards are. Try to avoid milling over summer if you can as it risks rapid drying and the boards cracking. I know this is in a kiln, but the pictures linked from this thread show an excellent example of sticking: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/milling-forum/48467-huge-tree-milled-fens.html Once stacked, with something to keep the rain off the top (but don't cover the sides or it won't dry) you then wait. And wait..... You need about six months per inch of thickness for air drying. It will take longer in a wet climate. A lot then depends on what you want to do with it. If it's rough construction, say shed framing, you may not bother to wait that long. If it's floorboards or other indoor work then you need to minimise movement. The easiest way is to bring the timber into the final environment before final finishing if you can. As an example, when I did the floor in our old house I had no choice but to mill offsite in the middle of August in a heatwave. Boards were taken straight off the mill and piled in the shade with no sticking and I stuck the slabs from the sides over the top. The following day I picked them up in a covered lorry, and unloaded after the heat of the day had gone, around 8pm again into an unsticked pile in the shade and covered it with a tarpaulin. I then stacked them over the following couple of evenings, on the North side of a hedge, using half inch stickers and keeping a top cover on the stack (and the unstacked boards under tarps). It was so hot that I even side-shaded with some loose bits of ply, which I left covering during the day and took them off at night - I stopped this after a couple of weeks when the heatwave was over. The boards were milled at 1.5", so I let them season for around 9 months. I then rough sawed out the floorboard widths and brought them into the house, where they stayed behind the sofa for a few months. The following summer I planed them up to 1" thickness and jointed to width, then fitted them over the autumn. No movement at all. I hope the above helps. Alec

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but for reference, if you happen across any really large blackthorn, or any other type of plum (6" and upwards in 3' or longer lengths) please do think of me. I want to build my bedroom furniture out of it. Slackbladder and Nepia both have a bit which will go towards it, but I could do with some long bits for the wardrobe. Re. milling short stuff. I have a really useful setup for this - running the Ripsaw mill over a single section of rail, with an end clamp. I did a few lumps of cherry for Scottie with no problems and will happily do more if it helps. Finally, back on thread, I note you've now got some material but if short lengths of apple are any use I should have a few sitting around. They're really unsplit firewood logs, but I'm not exactly short on firewood. Alec

Thanks for the update - that's an enormous number of stickers! Alec

One thing I have done with great success on training contracts is to take someone on for a few months trial period before starting them on the training course. I then know that they are suitable, and it's likely to work throughout the training period without wasting my time in setting it up. You can also quite reasonably set up a training agreement with a clause that says you will take them through the training and in exchange they agree to stay for a fixed period beyond the end of the training, or pay a fixed sum back which reflects the hours you spend setting it up and any out of pocket costs you have incurred. For some of the courses I send people on which have costs of about £10k over 4yrs the agreement is to stay for 2yrs beyond the end of the course or pay back the £10k (if you terminate their employment they obviously don't have to pay back anything). I've found the above to be effective in making sure they're suitable, serious about it and that the arrangement is mutually beneficial. Alec p.s. I have had to enforce the pay-back clause once, and it proved legally enforceable.

Yep, I know they're not right out of the box so I set it to the lower flats. If it's dropped since I set it then it's something I'll keep an eye on if it starts playing up. Alec

That's interesting - was it in the wrong place? It had been set when I fitted it, so if it's dropped then it suggests a problem with it. I've still got the old one so at least I can swap back if it plays up. Alec