codlasher

You are very lucky to be able to live and repair on a good looking site like that. There's something similar up the road from me. You can hardly see the house now as ivy has grown up onto the roof. It is a beautiful site with full planning permission on an old barn in worse condition than the house! The owners are living in la la land with their asking price though as it has remained un sold for more then three years. codlasher

I made a coffin for my late brother in law. I made it from old scaffolding planks. Now some may think this is not the nicest timber to make the 'final resting place' in but in my opinion that's wrong. Inside those old planks there is a beautiful white heart, it just needs reaching in the form of Mr Stenner's re-saw no 36"..... don't mill down the centre line, keep slightly offset. This will result in enough side boards thicker and bottom boards from four 13' long planks (there's enough strength to carry a 16 stone fellow). When the boards are split you can see the clean white timber, these are turned to the outside. I modelled the coffin on the traditional style such as seen in Wild West films. The coffin is then lined in the correct way with the legally required lining and the pretty cover for this lining can then be made from your choice.....silk, cotton, etc. I have another customer but he is still going at present aged 83... codlasher

I now look at little piles of cut timber in a completely different light! Codlasher.

How come your prices for the same thing vary so much? Mr Channer will deliver a lovely load of cordwood beech, oak and birch for the same price! Codlasher

Personally I would have no issue with any shock loading unless you took off too much in one go. I would focus on cautious dismantling. Don't take too much off too soon, but you can't do this anyway owing to its position! Removal of the branches by climber then the crane in to take bigger sections of trunk. The crane could be used as a shield and this will enable you to have an area in front of it to work in. Plenty of those orange plastic barriers to make the enclosure and a safe working area. Pedestrian care is also paramount and your local council can advise on this, you can divert the footpath without too much fuss. Trafic management is not fun but with the correct signs and two people to concentrate solely on this side you will have a good run. STOP GO lollypops may well be a handy string to your bow but difficult with not being able to over ride the existing traffic system. Plus you would need a 12D operative to be on site. I think keeping to your section of road and a very early start you will get on ok. Perhaps a relief climber to assist, do two hours and have a break? Just don't run on adrenaline for too long! I had four plus myself on traffic and we were ok on this sized tree. I had one advantage in that I was not in town but did get some serious abuse on the odd occasion! Good luck! codlasher. PS. Sun traffic are near to you at Somerton. They will give you good advice. c

Fascinating. Not having any experience in Plane trees I can only liken it to old squirrel damage on Beech, they rot in a very similar way and then shed limbs. codlasher.

Sooo complicated at 16, just get on with it! When you have decided you like doing and have some money, do some courses. The lad has to start somewhere. codlasher.

After many years with Stihl I sold both ours and replaced with a single Honda. No messing with two stroke, no vibrations, no screaming noise, starts first pull and I think the harness is better too, what more could you ask for? AND I don't have to put up with that stupid Stihl petrol tank cap! codlasher.

Some info; Thuja, More commonly known as Western red cedar. One of the brilliant softwoods grown in the forestry world. Light, completely rot proof and structurally up at the top end of the scale with Douglas fir. Downside is the processing plants give it a knock as their peelers don't like the bark as it is very stringy. Bee hives are a common product made from this. codlasher

Threshing machines were made from this timber. That's why they lasted so long. Wharves too and quality 1930's sailing boats. Best way to tell is by weight. It's as heavy as oak! codlasher

Plants, Hedges, Forestry & Landscaping | Nicholsons Nursery Oxfordshire are recruiting now. Look on their website for more info. I know a couple of good people who work there. A prestigious company with an interesting tree nursery too. Another big tree related company is http://www.southbuckstreesurgeons.com They often have big roadside jobs and need experienced or casual workers. Hope these will help! codlasher. PS. I don't want to knock Kingswood Training but there is a more local training facility with climbing and chain saw related facilities available near Thame/Risborough. You could look at http://www.valetrainingservices.co.uk they offer discounts to folk in agriculture/horticulture/forestry. Kate or Melanie will be able to advise on that. c.

There's a surprising amount of firewood merchants in Suffolk! I drive about in the region and there's stacks dotted about everywhere and If I get a climber in they seem to have just been x cutting for the local vendor! Good though as it keeps prices stable:biggrin: codlasher

A friend 'up the road' in Naaarfik purchased a run down 4 acre smallholding complete with an old wooden house built on the site. The family decision was to build a Scandinavian style house on the site. They started with adding up the footprint of all the buildings that had roofs. This included the chicken houses and two old caravans. The total covered area totalled some 3000 sq feet. The plans were drawn by the scandi-house specialists. and submitted to the local council without much expectations as the resulting building was quite large. The plans were passed without a murmur! Three articulated wagons turned up three months later and the framework was erected in about a month with the felt due to be laid on the roof when I was taken round for a look-see. The earth for this sedum was the next stage. I called in after the winter of 08 and asked how they had fared with their central heating issues. The building faces South East and this SE elevation has a two storey picture window that captures light and heat. The rear tapers down to waist height to minimise its exposure to the elements. The reply was that the CH had been on for a total of half an hour and most of their time had been spent working out the way to loose heat effectively! Quite a number of hours were spent by the owner in looking into the cost effectiveness of things as mundane as the window paint.... In the long run the windows cane from Germany pre-painted simply because the finish and timber were guaranteed buy the company for 25 years. Connecting timber, trees and people. | Woodenways are another log building specialist and also offer courses on 'how to'. Their buildings are nicely constructed, but if you can acquire your own timber you will be onto a winner early on. There's lots of Larch available through Euroforest throughout the country! I'd not dismiss the scandi build immediately, although I am building in brick as I am in a very conservative area! Picture shows a sedum roof. codlasher

I knew a 'tree girl' who worked for DEFRA some years ago. She lived and worked in Slough and was passionate about the trees in 'her' patch. Her biggest anxiety were these parakeets and the damage they did to the trees. She took me on a walk to an abandoned private estate in Wraysbury where these birds had taken over the surrounding trees. All the branches ended in a stub about the thickness of my thumb. Not a pretty sight! They are now up as far as Marlow. I like the BREN gun! I knew the two shotguns that were featured in the film well. I may have been the last person to fire one of them at a pheasant.......and miss. codlasher

I looked into the Klargester system and although it is a system that works and is recognised by planning departments I would seriously look into gravity, after all it is your friend in most cases!. Providing you have enough fall from your loo to the treatment of the effluent and thereon to the discharge point you don't need electrickery just space.....Long term and no more outlay is really the way forward, in my opinion.... It's the same with insulation. costs are painful now but when you are older that's when you achieve the payoff with minimal heat inputs.... Sitting here in the organised chaos that is my home/building site I wish you the best of luck....Scary but positive in the long run. codlasher.

Keep up the posting Craobh! I like the 'international' content! I think that if I did a lot of 'Tree Surgery' I would have in my toolbox a core borer to take a sample of what I would be cutting into. Just an idea.....As I am on the edges of all tree type things being semi retired now. codlasher. PS. Ours go from 35 down to 15. Three of each! Two in Aus.

'Timber cruiser'. Technically, in modern terms someone who locates, plots, and measures stands of suitable timber trees. It is a recognised profession with its own accreditation and qualifications. Foresters are trained in a similar fashion. I would have liked to have 'cruised' in the early days of logging the American native forests with the sizing up of first growth trees, planning their way to the mill and seeing them in their original stands. The haulage either by railway or water is still fascinating. From a modern perspective I would be horrified in this practice but if I was to be able to travel back in time that is what I would like to be able to see and do. I had a glimpse of what the business may have been like when I spent time in Tasmania where first growth logging still occurs in the quest for paper pulp.... The narrow gauge railway has normal sized trains running on the tracks which was quite a surprise. They quite often de-rail bogies as the route is tortuous and twisted. A little like pulling a piece of string tight..... You occasionally share the bridges with the trains as you progress through the landscape. Empty trailers piggy backed on the back of colourful Mack/White/Peterbilt trucks going one way and fully laden with all their lights on going the other. Quite a sight. There has recently been a massive downturn in this industry with much hurt and despair within the communities that the timber used to support. The Australian government has been advertising for nursing professionals from outside their country to come to help and support the fall out/social issues that have arisen, particularly in the younger generation with the unemployment resulting from this downturn. codlasher.

I can smell that....... codlasher

Like! A friend has his old Nissan Terrano doing similar. He chopped it in half, behind the drivers & passenger seats and bolted the remainder to a concrete block wall . The rear drive shaft continues through the wall and drives a 90 degree gearbox (off an old topper) which in turn drives two other machines. This saves using a tractor at all and uses a good Jap engine from a rubbish rusty old body. codlasher

I would have liked to have been a 'Timber cruiser' codlasher

I wonder if you could get the trees down in big enough lumps to chain-saw mill? There are people in the barn/boaty world who like Elm. Ercol perfected Elm laminating in the 1970's with all the DED trees, for miles around, being taken into their Latimer saw-mills. As weather-boards it has no competitor except perhaps Larch for price/availability which is its closest modern counterpart. From what I remember it mills well but it does move about considerably afterwards. You may find with your dead specimens you will have less warping....It does have a lovely grain too. I always think to jump into the 'burn it' immediately mind-set is a little premature. I understand this train of thought as I only use timber as my primary heat source but other options should be looked at first! codlasher.

I used to think I was doing well when I had hauled 7 loads out with my County and trailer. With a new Botex fitted on the roof it was a little quicker as it became a 'two lever' machine and the crane had a bit more reach. So I hauled 35 ton in the day if it was a good 'un!. As to the cutting, yes I've done some but I am a better machine person and always have respect for good hardwood cutters where skill is king and they make a difficult job easier with just that, their skill. I was lucky enough to work with the late Jim Crawford whom some will remember as the oldest pole climber not that long ago. We spent ten years working together in the Chilterns. A man rich in experience, and a pleasure to work alongside. As to planting, in my opinion it is all down to site preparation. I started planting at 15 and this was way before those wonderful and powerful mulching machines. I remember struggling over ruts, brash and general horrors! My last planting job went extra well as I put a tracked mulcher onto both sites piror to the arrival of the young trees. Presto a lovely clear run, Happy planters and well planted young stock, easily paid for as there will be little or no beating up! I struggle now to walk far with knackered knees so the days of carefree saw swinging are long gone! Oh for a new body. Shame about the crap money! Finally I think there is room for hand cutters but only within a good team as you are then part of a whole. Thats where the money can be earned. Putting a team together is not so easy as this takes time. All but two of my old mates are now dead. codlasher

Oops! Last post was empty, sorry.

2011 thinning. Mechanised harvesting and extraction.

I use four pieces of tower scaffold. It's important to tie the loops to the top with light line though then you can undo them and then move the tower pieces to the next bag position. I can just fill four m3 bags this way with the conveyor at its limit in either direction. codlasher