Badgerland

No Big Beech, not under tight control. As far as I understand its only Asian and Citrus longhorn beetles that are on the DEFRA lists. From a quick google search there are approx 67 species of longhorns in the UK. These little blighters are only about 12mm long (not including antennae) not the big foreign imports. They don't seem to go for standing timber but usually bore in to cut logs and branches with the bark still on.

Hi all. I've got some acacia burr in the yard at the moment and a large field maple covered in burr (roots n all) coming down in the next few days, all of which I'm going to mill up shortly. I know for a fact that I've got longhorn beetle in the yard, both the plain brown type as well as four banded. From experience I know these little beggars love anything with bark left on so my question is can I use borax or something similar to deter them? From other threads about borax I gather that it soaks in to fresh sawn timber and puts borers off. However, as a lot of my burrs go for products used to hold food is it a safe product to be using? Any other suggestions for possible alternatives welcome

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To cleave oak of any real size it has to be very clean. I reckon those stems are way too knotty to control any kind of cleaving imho. You'd waste more than you'd save. I use a similar approach when working with large knotty sweet chestnut for gate posts. In my experience it's the most effective way of working the material up without too much wastage

Blaisey, pm'd you a while back as agreed. Can you get back to me with a reply? Cheers Dave

Northcountryboy – I remember Mick Shaw was a bit slow getting back to me (he seems to have his work/life balance about right unlike the rest of us workaholics!) but stick with him. Once he'd received payment it took about a week to ten days to get the iron. Of all the people I spoke to he was the only one able/willing to do my iron design. All the others said the type was too small/delicate etc. I did find a firm in Austria that did a good price but I can't remember their name. I can probably find an email address is anybody wants it.

I had an electric one made up in the autumn by Mick Shaw to mark my baskets (Signs, Engraving and Marking into steel, brass, silver, pewter and other materials. or email address [email protected]). Very pleased with it. One word of advice though, if you go for an electric one get one with a variable thermostat if possible. My one just gets hotter and hotter and because it uses quite small letters it's easy to overcook the wood and get a really blurred impression. (Might not be a problem if you plan to have a more chunky design though.) Takes a bit of practice and I've found that with all the various woods I use they all take the treatment differently.

Thanks for all your advice guys. Thought greenheart might be the way to go, but as I've never used it before wanted to get other alternatives. I understand it's a tad 'harsh' on tools!? The top of the bridge will be a mixture of green oak and sweet chestnut, so if I was to use oak for the supports instead do you think it might be a viable alternative? I'm considering 2 pairs of supports so would probably use 6" x 6" uprights or even 8" x 8"s. Reckon that would be durable enough? I had thought of a single span but everything will have to be manhandled into place (and that means me and my mate). I don't mind a challenge but the thought of getting the 30 ft+ 12" x 3" lengths to site then getting them across to island doesn't fill me with delight. Other advantage of using shorter spans means I can raise the middle span and add a little height/shape to the bridge. The surrounding area to the pond/lake is very flat, with very few points of visual interest, so getting a little shape into it might be a good selling point to the customer. Although its a practical structure to link the island its main purpose will be a focal point in the garden. (And his son's getting married in the grounds next year so no doubt it'll feature in the wedding photo's. Needless to say it's got to be right.) Having said that I do like the idea of a gabion filled with stone, but as the pond/lake is already filled with the wet stuff it could be a bit of a bugger filling it and getting it level! Maybe for the next one eh?

(Not sure if this is the right forum for this one, so if not can mod please move it to it's rightful place?) I've been asked to quote for building and installing a bridge across a smallish pond to link the bank with an island. Only ones I've done before are relatively short (single) span, around 14–15 feet, so haven't needed a support in the centre. This one is around 30 feet, so will need a central support of some kind. The pond is clay lined but the owner doesn't know how deep the clay goes, so isn't keen on driving pilings in. I thought if I had the supports sitting on a flat base, akin to an inverted pi-shape, this should spread the weight and not sink into the base too much. In this part of the pond the water's only around 2-3 feet deep. (Or at least that's what he's said. Not got the chest-waders out yet!) Not sure how firm the base is, but it ought to be pretty good. What do people think? 1. will this approach work? can you suggest a better solution? 2. would it require more than 1 pair of supports? 3. what would be the best wood to use, both for the supports and also the bridge itself? Thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Hi Steve I'll be taking a whole load of burrs (all shapes, sizes, species) down to the Treefest at Westonbirt Arboretum over the bank holiday weekend if that's of any interest. Not too far from Bristol. Otherwise you can always visit my yard near Devizes if you've not got yourself sorted already.

Thanks guys. As I thought, I'm up against a hiding to nothing but it was worth putting it out there just in case anybody had a lifeline. Looks like my environmentally friendly/low impact business is just going to have to buy in a lorry load of timber - from 2 counties away - off a bod who's already given the FC clear instructions where they can store their rules of engagement! (Unlike him though, I don't have the luxury of access to around a thousand acres of top quality chestnut coppice on private estates. Its rarer than left handed hens-teeth in Wiltshire!) Bring on the revolution!!!

For the last 4.5 years I've been coppicing sweet chestnut within a SSSI on FC managed ground as part of their habitat management for dormice. In the past I've paid a small admin fee for the priviledge of cutting (at my own expense) otherwise unsellable coppice for which I get the material. Up until recently I've had a good relationship with the beat forester. However, everything's changed now with the appointment of a new beat forester. As a rural craftsman I work alone most of the time. (Economics don't allow me to employ anybody on a regular basis.) The new bod now informs me that it's FC policy (and has been forever) to not allow any chainsaw operation when lone working. At the same time I've been told I can't operate with my compact tractor + skidding plate to extract poles. This effectively has shut me down for the time being while I await his ruling. (All contracts have been lost on the hard drive so he's awaiting copies from head office!!!) Whilst I can see the sense of the FC policy regarding their own employees, as far as I'm concerned I've jumped through all the hoops regarding chainsaw tickets, first aid tickets, have a robust risk assessment, emergency policy etc. I know I'm on a hiding to nothing with the FC but has anybody else had a similar thing happen? Any advice/ideas? The way things are looking I'm going to have to stop cutting my own material and resort to buying in artic loads of poles from Sussex when I've got a perfectly good local supply that meets my requirements and needs cutting/using. SO much for the low carbon footprint of coppice working!? ps Does anybody know of any sweet chestnut coppice (privately owned) in Wiltshire?

Hello Stephen (just had a look at your website – very nice stuff!) I've got various burrs for sale. Like you lots of oak (about 3 tons – very big to medium), elm, silver birch, field maple, sweet chestnut and I've got a very large horse chestnut to take the burrs off of when (or if) the rain ever stops. Let me know what sort of size you're after and I'll see if we can do some business. Don't know if you ever get down to the west country, but I'll be at the festival of the tree over the august bank hol weekend. I usually take a whole load of burrs down.

Any chance you can post some photos? I'm not far from devizes and might be interested. No idea of price though, so can't help in that respect.

Thanks farmer_ben, good to hear another opinion. I'll have a look at the ifors as a poss solution after all. Incidentally, does yours fit over the ladder rack, or have you got one of those trucks without a rack?

Thanks penfold. Would be interested in seeing it on the truck. Think I might have to hire a box trailer for next show and look into this canopy idea in more detail.

Not really looked at an Ifor Williams top. I was told they aren't that water tight. I need to be able to transport the wooden baskets I make to shows, without them getting wet, so needs to keep the weather on the outside. What's your view on the Ifor top?

I'm looking at getting a canopy to go on my L200 (53 plate) 4-work double cab. Everyone I speak to says I'll need to cut the ladder rack off to fit one – bit drastic! – but I'll need to use the rack from time to time with the canopy removed. Anybody got any advice? or even a suitable canopy they want to part with?

What part of the country is the aforementioned log tube in? And out of curiosity, what're you wantin for it? I feel a project coming on!

Has anybody any experience with using compact tractors with a skidding plate for extracting coppice poles? I cut up to 25 year old chestnut coppice (up to 14 inch dia at butt) and am looking at getting a 18–19hp 4x4 compact to skid the poles out. Will this be man-enough to handle it? Any advice/experiences gratefully received!