Crazy Cutter
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Everything posted by Crazy Cutter
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They are only re-calling ones with certain serial numbers.
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All i was trying to say is that i would consider under 20% to be seasoned whether done in a kiln, barn or outside. People will be put off my seasoned through the benefits? of their kiln dried. To some degree the amount of logs you burn will also depend on the species burn't?
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Because its less effort to machine saw. I seem to have problems with whole round posts, less once they have been split. Splitting must lessen the tension? I did a temporary fence once using 2 inch chestnut poles they split open top to bottom where stapled over the summer.
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Cleft posts should be cheaper as takes less time than sawing and a cleft chestnut post lasts longer than sawn. The posts should be cleft from large poles 15-20 years old to maximise heartwood. Bark doesn't matter as will peel off in the sun within a few months. The only thing to watch out for with whole chestnut posts is they can split badly so a wire ring round the top i have had to sometimes use. I replaced a box strainer for a lady the other day where the treated softwood posts had rotted off within 5 years, i would expect the chestnut to last 20 if not longer. Supposedly chestnut is more durable than oak for fencing.
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That doesn't have to mean less logs though? I'm aiming my seasoned logs to be sold at 15-20% which should compare with their kiln dried wood. Aside to the thread i was just in my local printers and there was another tipper in there being signwritten for firewood. At what point and when will the cord shortgages really start to kick in?
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If you can get a copy of the CLA magazine there's an interesting article on Certainly Wood in the November issue. Two points i noticed: It is stated that their customer uses considerably less kiln dried wood than green (and seasoned?), in fact a third less volume than green, and their logs are recommended by most of the major UK stove manufacturers. I would like to see the evidence to prove this fact. Secondly the company is keen to hear from anyone in the area who has timber to sell. Wood is almost double what was a few years ago because CW have created a market for thinnings!?! It is working with Heartwoods in the West Midlands who have obtained funding to help woodland owners. Watch out the West Midlands here goes your cordwood price?
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Sold a lot of cedar of lebanon last year to customers who only wanted hardwood they all asked for it this year! Smells lovely when in the house and gives off a lot of heat.
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Good point well made. I do believe the customer should be taking the route of the Europeans and buying in advance where possible then they will know its seasoned. Its been quiet for a week or two now but i know the calls are going to come and they will all want dry wood which puts a lot of pressure on the seller.
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Nick what vat do you charge on the 70.00 per tonne delivery to Norfolk? And is that included in the price or on top?
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what to plant for coppice?
Crazy Cutter replied to MikeTM150's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
No pollards were the dividing lines. Woodbanks went round the outside and stopped deer and people from getting in! We might need that soon unless shale gas is our saviour! -
what to plant for coppice?
Crazy Cutter replied to MikeTM150's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Right as soon as can i'll post some pictures. To continue i found a 360 to be fairly cheap compared to fencing, i used spirals on the trees within the planting and accepted until i could get the hedges up and running there would be browsing. The grant supplies a payment every year so i use that money to plant the hedge on the bank using spirals again but as its on the bank the deer seem to leave it alone. I have fenced some of the bank with 7 strands of high-tensile and wide spaced posts where i knew there was deer access. My labour for fencing i supply free offset against firewood out of other farm woods. Anyway its just an idea its working for me. Sources to look up on bank and ditches are: Ancient woodland by Oliver Rackham Traditional Woodland Crafts Ray Tabor Woodlands BTCV -
what to plant for coppice?
Crazy Cutter replied to MikeTM150's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Must ancient woodland in England had a bank and ditch to stop deer and theft of the coppice product. I don't know about Scotland? It was in the cutters contract to repair the bank and ditch and lay the hedge or use brash hedges if necessary. We didn't have muntjac then but this was enough to stop red,roe and fallow. Where i have got the hedge and bank working its enough to stop them, whilst muntjac are shot. It's hard enough to type let alone download photo's but i'll give it a go when i'm next over there!! -
Have checked meter its a morso one all seems fine, reading 30% on my finger as the book says so my wood must just be wet! Came across some squirrel killed beech this week lovely wood, under 20% and no brash to clear when felled. Is ring barking the way to go, fell when you need it and seasoned? Just i've not had much success killing trees in that way.
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Thats interesting cos i've been saying the same for the last two weeks! Its just a trickle.
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what to plant for coppice?
Crazy Cutter replied to MikeTM150's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Deer i went back to the way they used to do it. I used the grant money to fund a 360 to bank and ditch the woods, you will be surprised how much a good driver will do in a day. I have also planted a hedge on top which will be laid at first coppice. Fencing is getting quite costly now and softwood posts seem to rot off within 5-6 years. Something more drastic was required. If the price of wood keeps rising then in the long term this form of deer control will pay for itself. -
I do agree DTC just we need to keep trying our best and try to educate if thats possible? I now tell customers the benefits of softwood each time i deliver and how there will be a lack of hardwood in a few years they do get it but it just seems to be in-grained that softwood is bad! Just had a knock on the door guy wanted to order some for february he was just getting ready for the hard winter! Thats more like it there is hope.
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I wish i was as good as you!! If i don't sell it i don't pay the mortgage, once again i will have to try and cut extra more for next year. Checked some beech today feels half the weight of green and has that seasoned look but cracked open its 38%. Can someone tell me how the weight changes but the MC doesn't or am i being dumb?
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The trouble is people lap it up! In an ideal world it would all be seasoned, so thats no pine sales for us then in norfolk! Tell me whats wrong with birch? I do have some people who don't worry about wetness they just stoke it up and away they go. My father-in-law is a nightmare you won't believe what goes on it and once in a while i clean it out for the scrap in there!
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Have been checking moisture contents today as was doing a job for a non-customer so had the chance to check their delivery! The load was seasoned hardwood mainly birch and pine! with occasional sycamore, when split open MC was 35%. Now this was delivered by someone who is fairly large in the trade around here and i was really quite shocked but am now understanding why Joe Public is becoming picky and choosy before parting with their money (i could have said cash but that's another thread!) Have now been checking MC's on my stuff when re-spilt: Horse Chestnut felled June, really light, in the shed 32% Oak felled June, looks good nice and light, in the shed 34% Ash felled May, still quite heavy, stored outside 26% Scots Pine felled July, Light, in the shed 17% Well what does that tell us, softwood must be the way to go when you start turning volumes over. If only they would buy it they won't be disappointed!
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I have to agree with Natalie on this one. Wood work has never made vast sums of profit, we need to stop looking at it like agriculture and stop expecting too much. Firewood is supposely the next big thing but only if you can supply it at a price people can afford?
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what to plant for coppice?
Crazy Cutter replied to MikeTM150's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
I did that on purpose! Sweet Chestnut in some eyes is a native! -
The cedar had shed a large limb by the look of it but should not have been removed for that reason. Has anyone seen bigger? I felled a large one last year but nothing like that! Do the French have different laws on tree safety and does anyone on here live nearby or know why it was felled?
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what to plant for coppice?
Crazy Cutter replied to MikeTM150's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Non-native species don't rock my boat! We have made mistakes in the past and are now trying to put them right. Hazel is firewood size within 12 years and has other uses that the future may need again. Plastic isn't going to be with us for ever. Ash can be grown on two rotations within the same block, great firewood and has plenty of others uses as well. Sweet chestnut is very under valued good firewood and fine for wood burners. Its fencing use will return as grows fast as coppice and doesn't need treatment. I'm always on the look out for chestnut coppice just we don't have much in Norfolk! -
For the last two years i have kept the softwood back until after xmas and shifted the lot. It is well seasoned by then and the new customers are looking for something dry as were sold wet hardwood in the week leading up to xmas! This year doesn't look any different just waiting for the heating oil price to spike and we'll be away!
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what to plant for coppice?
Crazy Cutter replied to MikeTM150's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
I'm with Graham on this one. I planted 10 acres about four years ago with a mix of ash hazel with oak standards and occasional f maple and cherry. I got a grant to take arable out and the farmer will be paid for 15 years so have a look at the FC. The ash is very well advanced now and will be cut in two years. The only problem is deer don't use tubes fence from day one but thats another story.
