codlasher

Well, I remember being in Darwin around that time and changing the tyres on my bike and it was still over 35 degrees! I found it too hot to do much strenuous work so climbing may come as a shock! Sending stuff by ship is cheap but takes six months, or used to in the 90's. Perhaps you'd be better off buying equipment there? There may be climbers reply to your Q who've been more recently and are able to help with further advice. Whatever yo do there it is an interesting place to be......My daughter is working in Alice and at present it's too hot to go outside at all. Just sitting on the car seat is an interesting exercise! codlasher

There's a piece of Common land that the NT owns in Naphill, Buckinghamshire. It was on one of the original drovers routes taking cattle to London along with providing grazing for local Commoners. The interesting part is that the classic big beech trees have been allowed to grow and in sizeable chunks with the associated natural regen, surrounded by the grazing. There is some debate on how this was achieved, but to cut a long story, it was, and the whole area could and still does provide subsistence grazing to a few remaining Commoners. The theory was that the people worked together to erect hurdle type barriers, like islands, round the stands of trees and moved their animals through the area. This provided income from timber to the furniture industry in High Wycombe, occasional brash grazing and meat for the table and possibly for sale. The difference between these islands and the grazing is very obvious and has taken many, many years to achieve. It makes for an interesting walk. Perhaps you could consider a 'natural barrier' like woven hurdles as this is kinder on the eye & supplied by local materials and labour? codlasher

We had two sawdust burners when I was a young fellow, in the saw-mill. They ran on wet sawdust straight from the saw pit. I looked after my side of the Stenner re-saw and the burner was between the sawyer and I. The most important thing to do was pack the burner well. There was a central tube that had be be put in first. Then the sawdust was packed as tight as possible. This tube was then removed and a little bit of diesel was sloshed on some newspaper in the bottom which was then lit. The lid and chimney was then put in position and you had heat for nearly all day. The Stenner was diesel lubricated so there was always some in a can nearby and this also impregnated the sawdust too so it may have burned a little better but I know no difference as this is what was used. codlasher

I find this company useful and comprehensive. There's a piece on 'sizing a filter' too. Saves driving around eh! http://www.inlinefilters.co.uk codlasher

I used these people to move timber harvester in the locality, on their low-loader. Try them for a price; Agricultural Works - Agripower Contractors Based in Great Missenden. Hope this helps. codlasher

I went from hand cutting to mechanised cutting in 1998. I worked on a four of five year cycle, sometimes having to do the work over two winters with a break of four/five years in between. I used Euroforest or Tillhill for the machinery but sometimes brought in my elderly tractor/trailer forwarded to assist extracting. They organised the sales but I kept the firewood for our local merchant and just paid for that to be extracted. Hiding these stacks from the faeries! My biggest complaint was the London shooting syndicate as the machinery disturbed the birds! Sitting in the cab with the driver discussing the next stand with the birds investigating the wheels of the harvester! The shoot simply didn't like change or someone else in 'their' woodland. Having had the most up to date machinery and some of the most experiences lowland forestry operators working along-side my little operation, I can honestly say that buying a knackered old machine and trying to make a good job of either; 1) Making any money or enough to pay, just to keep said machine running in a fit and proper fashion and 2) Producing the tonnage & this up to the quite tight specs that are actually saleable to the mills. I really think you'd be better standing in a very cold shower tearing up £50.00 notes. Try looking yourself in the eye when you have just dumped another two drums of hydraulic oil all over the forest floor, for the third time this week!:thumb down: There are other good operators/set ups out there and I'd be looking to them for the scale that you are talking about. This will result in smiles all round. Personally I'd make sure that the extraction from the stands to the wagons is all down hill (realistically and metaphorically) and that the loading bays for said wagons are top spec and easy to access so your turnaround is as slick as you can make it. If you have this end working properly you will get your team working well and the money in your bank quickly! codlasher

With the chipper that two of these machines have on the front, how do you get on pulling out of side streets/gateways? There must be six feet of 'out'. Plus the extra sweep when turning too. Must make for some interesting forethought when driving in traffic. codlasher

Ah Tom D. I had close relationship with our local NT people and we all agonised over these decisions. Naphill is a village in The Chilterns with some classic monoculture beech woods (cathedral walks). No one is going to fell/thin them ever but they pose such a high risk to the thousands of folk who walk in them every day, peaking at week-ends. In amongst these are some really magnificent veteran trees. What to do.....At the moment the decision is to make sure no one can get near. I hear you ask how.....Well, they have been carefully neglected to ensure that there is a lot of scrub surrounding them so no one can get near! That's a start. They are still there which is good, surrounded by holly and regen. The vulnerable trees are the ones, like the cedar, that stand out alone where someone can get near. codlasher

Welcome! I found that being able to offer 'land' facilities to the local training centre worked very well. 30 tons of firewood timber cut every year, trees pruned if needed. A certain stump grinding firm also visited two or three times a year to train their newest recruits and this was also very handy. codlasher

I got a lot of stick for 'doing it wrong'. Others said nicer words. Horses for courses:biggrin: That was the the chair in which I sat! codlasher

My dad used to sell 30,000 cubic feet a year to Ercol @ £1 per per hoppus foot. This paid for a staff of four in later years to maintain the woodland that he was responsible for. When I was asked to continue his work the price had not changed at all. As the mill had ceased because the overheads, labour difficulties, marketing issues and a plethora of other problems that come with elderly milling equipment. I had to try and find other markets. The main being through Euroforest/Tillhill. This was mainly for softwood and we all know the market forces for that. Ercol rang a few years back asking for some beech and I asked if they wanted a truck load......No was the answer they'll just put a couple of sticks in the boot of the car:lol: The smaller more unusual pieces went to the boat building world and they were not prepared to pay more than £12 per cube sawn for oak. The specs were simple; 12' long x 6'' thick + delivery. There are several historic vessels with these planks floating around the coast of Britain. Beech was only ever sawn as specialist orders or in the firewood pile, which always seemed a shame! Without sawmill though it was sensible. I still received the £1 per hoppus! I know just how delabodge feels about the hoarding:big grin: codlasher

How about a second hand building then you have lowered your financial risk a little. Steel Buildings, New Steel Framed Buildings, Pre-used Steel Frame Buildings, Second Hand Steel Frame Buildings, Custom Steel Frame Buildings For an example, have a selection and may just stock the one suited to your needs. codlasher

I had a pair of Stihl chaps, ugh! I still have the green bib and brace type with mesh in the back and orange braces (no elastic left type). I'm not sure if these are still available. I just have to remember that the mesh is absolutely no protection at all when backing into brambles:laugh1: codlasher

SNAFU! Body that is... codlasher

Very nice! Like. codlasher

Ah, the cedar mentioned as falling and crushing. It took two weeks to move it all to the sawmill where it was broken down into pieces small enough to fit the saws. It was planked into stock and put in a barn, under cover for a year or so. This stock was then turned into ten doors, four walls of panelling, several hundred yards of skirting, architrave and other joinery pieces. All this timber still lays in a beautiful Chilterns property. The panelling has had an interesting history but is still in the room for where it was built similar the doors and finishes. A couple of famous people have lived and enjoyed the timber too so there is a happy, in my opinion, ending to trees such as this... I still have a little table and a couple of boards. The table is nowhere as nice as some of the pieces that are made by folk on this forum, se7enthdevil for one....and my farms name sign is another piece so will outlast me! codlasher.

Having looked after a considerable number of veteran trees and spent a good number of years having them surveyed. I would not have done anything different. If the surveyors, and there were four of them working as a team, report had landed on my desk with 'fell' written upon it, that is what would have happened. The NT risk/survey would have,as has been reported, done exactly the same. I am still hunting for the pictures of a similar aged & sized cedar that crushed several cars in the past gales. Not that it was unsound but they are very well known to be hopeless in winds being so very brittle. The insurers would have had a field day if I'd said...'oh it's an interesting tree, lets ignore the report!' How many folk would have stood up to be counted to leave it standing? Realistically, no one! codlasher

Well this company seem to sell a considerable number of second hand tractors;gordonagri | eBay There's always this company too;Startin Tractors If you go to Cheffins sale near Cambridge this monday you will probably buy something. Cheffins - Farm Machinery & Plant Auctions Farm Machinery & Plant Auctions Catalogue - Cambridge Machinery Sales You may even see your old DB there and weep at the price it fetches:001_tt2: It takes about a year of trawling to find good cheap 60HP machines that won't break at the first turn of the PTO and £2k or under is the rate for one, on the other hand £6k will get you something that will serve you for a decade or more if you care to do your homework. codlasher

Now I have no experience with anything other than the traditional 'invoice' when the job is finished. As a fellow who is quite relaxed about payments and who only works for people whom I know, this works fine. If I was young and keen or had a high turn-over of small quantities I'd certainly look very closely at the card payment system. I have a friend who is a hay merchant and folk buy hay from lorry loads to one or two bales from him. He loves the system, money is in the bank by 15.30 hrs every day. Sorted! That to me sounds like a win win situation.... codlasher

Good work there! codlasher

Onduline on that size/type of building is not a good idea! Wriggly tin, yes. Box profile tin in an unobtrusive colour would be best. Don't forget to allow for the weight of a heavy snowfall. I've seen a few sheds done on the cheap with collapsed roofs. A minimum 20 degree pitch will help. 35 degree is better. codlasher.

Posch every time! Mine is very old but still does everything I ask it to. Spare parts are still only 24 hours away too on a phone call. codlasher

So very sorry to hear this. My wife has a Clydesdale mare and I'm quite fond of her too! (The horse....) codlasher

Welcome Stompy! Sounds like you are in a good spot. I wish you luck.:big grin: codlasher

There are some great opportunities for those that fit the jigsaw in Oz. Experienced nursing professionals are high on the list and there are a range of specialist jobs in very remote places. My oldest daughter has been there for nearly three years working in these remote communities using her nursing skills. At this time of year it is too hot in the centre of the country to venture outside, even the children have their trampoline inside with the air-con going! I know very little about the Arb industry there but I'm sure if you were in somewhere like Melbourne there'd be an opening. Don't forget the Tasmanian lifestyle, it is more like Portugal being on the same latitude, hot summers and bush fires with very short cold winters. The timber industry is in deep decline there though and this is where my daughter started her tour, on a government contract looking after the health if the logging communities children. They also pay nurses a proper salary. This means you have a lifestyle not just a job! codlasher