marka

That was why i was wondering if the processor could do it automatically with a die of some form.

After seeing all the threads about firewood theft, I just thought as one log looks like another, identifying your stolen woood would be a challenge. Would it be possible to modify a processor/splitter so that it stamped a company name or logo on the logs? Even if it just marked the logs in an identifyable way it could be good enough. Would an 'honest' person think twice buying cheap logs from a van if they were identifyably from a different company? Following on from that, maybe just for the bigger guys, 'branded' logs may be useful for marketing. Just a thought from working in a different industry.

Some time ago in response to a theft I put in a cctv system for outbuildings. Camera positioning is most important as there are three levels of evidence... Seeing somebody doing it (but not being able to identify them) Seeing somebody doing it (and someone who knows them could identify them) Seeing somebody do it (and the judge/ police being able to identify them) Really only the third level is of any use in a prosecution unless there is corroberating evidence. I think you may also have to put signs up stating CCTV surveilance in operation to stay completely within the law. (Worst case is they nick the cameras as well! I've known this happen which is the problem with recording to an on board SD card. If they get the camera, they get the evidence. Being high up or hidden protects your camera but can reduce the quality of your evidence and the ease of a prosecution. Low resolution images are only of use if very close to the target. If possible a wired/wireless system talking to a hidden recorder or PC running surveillance software is best. I have had success with software called iSpy which does motion detect, can trigger events and best of all is free. A very large dummy camera can be a target if intruders want to kill your surveillance. Just make sure one camera is looking towards it What about signs saying "Danger Wasps Nest"?

This paper again suggests that time has an effect on wood: ScienceDirect - Polymer Degradation and Stability : Thermogravimetric study on the ageing of lime wood supports of old paintings Suppose the investigation should start with tightly defining seasoning as 500 years would probably be too long!

I'd be interested in this out of scientific curiosity. There may be a difference between drying and ageing, for instance a softwood with lots of sap/resin, it may dry out, which would make the resin much more viscous. Over time however I'd image that the resin could polymerise and therefore change its chemical properties. A polymerisation which kicks out water molecules could actually increase the energy value of the fuel. Volatiles other than water I'd guess could have two options, polymerise into bigger molecules, or evaporate. I imagine that the chemical ageing of wood would be quite interesting. A quick google hunt turned up this: http://joyx.joensuu.fi/~karenlam/petri/mechan/4496Hill.pdf It isn't directly related to firewood, but after a quick look it appears that the properties of wood can change quite a bit with different treatments. This interested me: "Drying at temperatures from 100-180C resulted in a reduction of equilibrium moisture content by as much as 3% compared with air dried wood." It would be easy enough to test, with the right kit and enough time.... Different samples of wood of different ages / moiture contents placed in a calorimeter to determine the heat of combustion. A large number of samples would be needed to control for the huge number of variables. Other chemical techniques could be used to look for other potential changes, but this sort of work would probably get you a phd if you could find a sponsor! My gut feeling as an (ex)chemist is that time will change the physical properties of the wood, so 15% 12month dried wood may well behave differently to 15% 36month old wood. Ultimately though it would probably burn just the same so it's just academic interest.

I see your point, but I don't think a qualification is required.... My thinking is that without any awareness of the hazards, you don't see them. Giving people basic hazard awareness means that they should be thinking about what can go wrong and to take appropriate action. An example... If you didn't know about kickback, you would probably end up touching the nose of the saw on something and experiencing it. Similarly with how the saw feels when you are cutting on the top vs the bottom of the bar. The knowledge of these hazards means that you should keep your eye out for not touching the nose on things, and to make sure you have a stable stance and be prepared for how the saw moves. Stupid as it sounds, people may not think just how stupidly fast the chain spins and how fast it can move things if not secured. Consequently they may think more about securing the work. I have spent a great deal of time working with machine safety allbeit in a lab, but I've learned that you cannot cover everything. The important bit is to teach people how to think about what they are doing, and that requires basic awareness of the risks. Combining this with the basics of the saw itself and I think you would have a valuable course which didn't have to take a long time or cost much. The benefit to the customer is not a certificate, but the knowledge that they are more likely to have all their limbs in two years time. I may be talking rubbish here as I am largely self tought, but am careful,a cautious and concentrate on the work and this has to date kept me safe.

I'm really pleased that this is being taken seriously....I think the OP outlined a great syllabus, but this is from a professionals viewpoint, not a 'consumer' view.... As a potential customer I think I'd want to see use and basic maintenance only. Things like replacing pull cords will probably be slightly different for each saw and will probably cause confusion.(or be forgotten when needed.) Handouts, manuals or a pointer to a good repair shop may be better. I think keeping the course short and snappy would be best for getting punters in. As most people will be weekend users only, they will soon forget the detail, so general principles only would be best. Maybe a video of the important parts would be good too. Reminding the clients that this is a basic familiarisation only would be good. -know your limits stuff. I'd hope that eventually the likes of Stihl and Husky would encourage all their retailers to provide much of this as part of the sales process, but I may be waiting a long time so anyone providing this sort of training would be very welcome. Next question.... How to make this provision national?

As a domestic user I sympathise with the OP, but to visit these forums and ask a question is pretty daunting, so well done him. I think though that you will see more similar posts in the future, or hear of more injuries due if nothing else to the increasing number of wood burners getting sold. I doubt I'm not unusual in that the saw is my first small engine and these things are not so intuitive to people without mechanical experience. When I got my little husky I was given the basics on fuel, oil, starting etc, but really I was on my own. I asked on here and a member kindly gave me more advice. I think there's an opportunity for someone to offer 'training' for a couple of hours to half a day for weekend saw users like myself. I'm thinking just basic maintenance and safety. A bit of know your limits wouldn't go amiss either! It could perhaps make a little money during quiet spells but I expect liability law would scupper this idea before it could start. I think it's criminally irresponsible that DIY sheds sell saws but no ppe and no proper advice. Manuals in 'Chinese-English' don't really help either. I guess it's only a matter of time before somebody does something serious.

I got one of these last week from FR Jones. I only need to cut wood for domestic use so I guess my needs are somewhat less than for you professionals. It worked really well. I got through loads very quickly. Much faster than I would using a traditional style sawhorse. The longest part of the job was loading it, then obviously dealing with all the cut wood. I'd say for an amateur it's a brilliant piece of kit. The only negative is that it's easy to cut logs a little too long. If the bars were an inch or two closer together then it would be prefect.

Another thought.... Maybe if you made a dummy chainsaw from a broken one.... Electronics and power etc in the cylinder, the antenna run out and hidden under a cover, then if it got taken with other kit you could track the lot that way. If you do the job right, it could be difficult to spot.

I think it is a difficult ask as tracking requires an 'active' item rather than a passive one. This sort of thing Ultra-Small Stand-Alone GPS Tracker complete with Location information via Voice from UK Spy Equipment is probably one of the smallest (thinking power requirement and antenna size but would be hard to hide in a chainsaw. Passive things like smart water may be an idea so if it is found you can claim it back. Does etching the parts with your name reduce its theft value?

Maplin do a not bad one, 20-400x magnification for about £30. We use it for work looking for damage on 'stuff'. Have dropped it a few times and it seemed to survive. Only issue is that I couldn't get it to work on Win7, but better drivers may be out now. May be worth a punt.

As said above, RFID. More details here: Cogard 3000 guard patrol systems, benzing handheld guard software

As a consumer rather than a provider I have no problem with this and if the price is right I'm perfectly happy to buy green wood. I'm also happy to cut it into rounds and chop it myself, In fact I enjoy the work, but I accept that I'm the exception here. We have (just) enough space to season wood and I've been processing wood for my own fire since I was old enough to swing an axe. Most people I fear have neither the space nor the common sense to store fuel for future use. I suspect that you can easily tell who has had a fire for many years and who has recently bought a woodburner with no previous experience!

I met the testo rep a few weeks back and played with the moisture meter and a few other meters from that range. Look and feel the quality is mobile phone like and guess they would need to be looked after similarly. I doubt they would stand up to significant abuse but didn't see any major problems with build quality.