GardenKit

Elaborate please Ian

You are so right Eggs, just looked at it on my phone which is something I seldom do, and that slideshow banner is not mobile friendly, despite my web designer promising me it would be. Email on its way to him!

Thanks Wes. Its had 3 coats so far. If i carry on with oil would it be best to use natural oil now that I have achieved the colour I want? Thinking it may seal in the stain which seems to keep coming off on the cloth.

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My Christmas Card to you all. Time to post yours now!

Thanks Beau, its my gut feeling to use poly, but went with the oil because its so easy. Can I overcoat oil with polyurethane? Will it need a light sanding, or just a steel wool rub? Is there a best polyurethane to use?

Thanks for the replies This is the Danish Oil, will get a pic of the table tomorrow.

Sorry if this had been asked before guys, but I have never read this woodcraft forum as I usually lurk in the machinery forums. My daughter recently bought a pine dining table at auction which needed some work. I have sanded it right back to a lovely smooth surface which I then oiled with a coloured Danish Oil. (I have never used oil before, only polyurethane) It now looks great, but does not feel right. The trouble is that no matter how hard I buff it I just can't seem to get a clean surface, as colour keeps coming off on the cloth and the surface just does not seem to be durable compared with polyurethane that i have used occasionally in the past. I just can't work up a polished surface so that the cloth slides off the end of table. So what should I do? I have considered waxing, but have never done this, and will it take over DO? My gut says to overcoat with Poly, but will this take over DO? The table is going to be used for a normal family with 4 kids who play, rather than posh people who 'entertain'. Barrie

There is no workshop manual produced for these machines.

To be quite honest Peter, I do not know, it seems that as the oil is not packaged for sale as just oil there is no spec sheet. The trouble with specs such as Jaso, Iso, API etc is that they are actually quite easy to exceed so dont really mean a lot, but it always looks good on the bottle. Husqvarna has its own set of tests 232,346,372 etc . Aspen FRT has been formulated to exceed all of these standards and has been extensively tested before introduction. Aspen are a very professional outfit and only do things to the highest standard.

To be quite honest, as ADW says, there is nothing particularly clean about that piston and port. OK its not the filthiest I have seen and is perfectly acceptable. But of course most of the ones I see are run on Aspen which will obviously always give cleaner results than petrol purely because of the absence of ring-formed aromatic hydrocarbons, so I may have fairly high expectations.

You can rest assured that the FRT oil used in Aspen is of an extremely high grade, having been developed over several years of testing on thousands of machines. FRT was introduced in 2014 to meet the needs of all modern 2 stroke engines, replacing the earlier oil that was not quite up to the mark anymore. FRT must not be confused with the older 'Aspen 2 stroke' which can be bought in bottles whereas the high grade FRT is only found in the pre-mixed fuel. There is absolutely no need to use any other oil, but if it makes you feel happier, then all well and good.

Being as Aspen2 is only £10 a barrel more expensive than Aspen4, why not simply buy Aspen2? It save all the hassle of mixing too. The 2 stroke FRT oil was specially developed to meet the needs of all modern 2 stroke machines including Husqvarna and exceeds the specs of most, if not all, oils on the market.

I agree with that statement from Riggerbear, and this is my take on it. Many people think that Premium (higher octane) petrol has, 1) a higher energy value than Regular and will therefore, 2) produce more power. 1) It has not. 2) It can, in the right engine, but will produce less in the wrong one. High octane fuels are in fact just a little 'deader' than regular. This is because higher octane resists detonation for longer and can enable higher compression engine to fully combust their fuel without 'knocking' Use low octane fuel in a high compression engine and it burns very quickly after ignition and develops it max pressure too soon in the cycle resulting in a waste of energy and a 'knocking' or 'pinking' which causes engine damage. A high octane fuel resists the temptation to burn and expand too rapidly, which means the power is released progressively past TDC and downwards on the power stroke giving max efficient energy usage and max power. But high octane fuel in a lower compression engine results in the burn being too slow and energy being wasted towards the end of the power stroke, resulting in loss of power. Standard saws have compression ratios suited to regular fuel, so using premium is counter productive. Only Spuds ported and lowered squish saws may benefit from high octane. Others may, and no doubt will, disagree.

But it would take £2.95 off the price of a 5 litre can, and that would be a big saving. But don't hold your breath, its not going to happen.......yet.

No problem on a public forum at all, after all there is a transparent Retail Price list. The current RRP for a 5l of Aspen2 is £18.98 inc vat. This price is aimed at 'over the counter sales' to low volume users. However, both Anglo American Oil and the dealer network have recognised the need to have a lower price for bulk users, and for that price to be transparent too. So a new 'Bulk User' price list was launched on December 1st for those who buy in pallets, or even double pallets. A pallet purchase of 54-105 cans will see the price drop to £15.50 inc vat per 5litre can (a saving of £3.48) A double pallet will be even cheaper, and drums have similar price reductions. Delivery to your doorstep (mainland) is free. To order, simply contact your most local Aspen Service Centre who can process your order which should arrive with you in 48 hrs direct from Aspen.

As you can guess John, I am pleased to see that comment. More and more Pro users are coming on board now and Aspen sales are increasing rapidly. November saw a national increase of over 50% compared with november last year. There has never been a better time to start using Aspen now that the price to Pro (Bulk) users has dropped with the introduction of the 'Bulk User RRP' effective from 1st December. I would also love to hear the outcome on your saw if you ever get it fixed.

My thoughts on the emulsion are thats its due to condensation around the coldest area of the carb which is the throat. I reckon the emulsion may be made up of moisture absorbed into the ethanol content of the fuel as ethanol absorbs its own weight in water. This saturated fuel has the adhered to the oil particles of the mix and emulsified with it to form this scum. I know TCD is a great believer in Redline and I know nothing about this oil, but I know that many 2 stroke oils will not fully combine with ethanol and this could be the cause of the scum. This 'scum' on the carb throat will do no harm, its just messy. But if the same scum accumulates on the mesh filter in the carb it will be a different story and the reported problems could arise. This is just my theory, but I reckon its worth a look at that gauze, although it should of course have been done at the shop. I would have also asked if it was Tesco fuel, but as its you, TCD, I know I need not ask. But I think I would try some totally different fuel from a different garage, or maybe even some Asp........., mmm, Nah, It don't think you will go that far John.

It will be great until it isn't.

We all have different theories, but I have to admit to being in the 50:1 camp. As has just been said, both the oil companies and the saw manufacturers are confident with 50:1, and they have the best interest of the saw at heart, and as has also been said the 50:1 mix is already stronger than is needed. And as to the 'theory', that's not just theory, its fact. A 40:1 mix has 0.5% more oil and 0.5% less fuel in a given volume so it will be just a bit weaker unless tuned out, so will run a bit hotter. But there is also another downside too adding a bit more, and that is the increased build up of oily deposits in the exhaust ports and exhaust. But to be honest, 98% of the mix is petrol, and its the petrol that causes most damage in an engine. Even the best oil cannot make up for crap fuel. So whatever oil you choose to use, make sure you only mix with fresh, low ethanol, fuel (keep clear of Tesco petrol) and ensure that you never use petrol more than 30 days old. Seriously.

Its a great visit Neil is it not? Very informative. Also so great to see that the Swedish machinery users use virtually nothing but Aspen. When I asked a customer in a machinery shop there why he prefered Aspen to petrol he was amazed and asked me why I would even think of using petrol.

Firstly, in what way does the R81 'run better'? I suspect that WOT is just fine on Aspen but there is a slight delay on pickup when opening the throttle, and if this is the case then a slight tweak of the L screw, probably about 1/8 turn anti clockwise will sort it. Anyone in the UK suffering similar issues should just pop in to their local ASC (Aspen Service Centre) as these guys know their stuff. Secondly, the 150 Carb. There is nothing in Aspen fuel that is not in Motomix, and most importantly there is no ethanol. Its Ethanol that does damage to carbs. The mechanic who blames the Aspen needs to look a little further IMO. I have now run probably a thousand or more new machines on Aspen with no detriment to carbs. And even more machines have been converted from pump fuel with only the occassional change of rubber work that has been effected by the previous fuel. I use nothing but Aspen in all my service work, from blowers to mowers, trimmers to tractors, and have done for over 5 years now and business has not suffered at all. in fact its the opposite, as the customers are delighted with Aspen. No product has ever boosted our business like Aspen has.

I supplied a mulching kit with a Kaaz mower a few months ago, and just like you, I was not impressed with the fit, for the same reasons. I spoke to Danarm who seemed a bit oblivious to the issue and had apparently never had it reported before. (funny how I have so many 'firsts') The mulch plug is also not simple to fit and remove, possibly OK if you want to convert the mower to mulch permanently, but useless for putting in and out as conditions and customers prevail. It seems to me to very much an 'afterthought' rather than a pro-active design. It really is a great shame to have such a poor accessory to such a brilliant mower. I now never offer the mulch kit as an option. If you do make some longer bushes, ensure that they are long enough to link both blades, but short enough to allow full tightening of the blades.

But the 95txl needs to be used with a narrow kerf bar. Oregon Speed cut or Micro lite.

i have seen plenty of mowers running on part diesel and amazingly they run quite well. Very smoky though and a bit smelly. I personally would not do it, its just too messy and I hate the smell of diesel fuel and diesel fumes since I stopped being a diesel fitter. But it won't do any damage to the engine. Its difficult to know what to do with the stuff though otherwise. You really should not put it in the waste oil bin as it makes an explosive vapour in the tank, especially on a hot day! Using it as weed killer is frowned upon these days for some reason. so thats out. You can deposit it at the recycling centre in quantities up to 5litres. The can must be clearly labelled as petrol and must remain closed. The can has to be left. 7 trips should do it. If you start using Aspen you will have plenty of suitable cans.