Al Baker

So anyway, what's the best solution for the stack cover?

Hi Alcycidon, Scandinavians know everything about burning wood for sure. I reckon they inherit the knowledge somehow like it was instinctual. Pine is fast growing that's for sure and I think it most probably will be a "fuel of the future" I just didn't find it worked for me. It burns too fast for one. I like to keep a fire in the grate overnight. Seasoned or otherwise it does seem to contain more tar. I have a 25ft high flue which seems to exacerbate tar build up.

I don't have a Campbell problem myself. It's the culturally disabled dinosaur bawbag whiskey drinkers that seem to hate them to pieces. Anyway, back to firewood piles. I'm not really happy with my solution with topping them off. I'm trying to think of something waterproof that folks chuck out. I don't really wanna spend any money on it, especially not since I became a Scot anyway.

Kev, you can use Zing to pull it over, sure. I like to use 4mm polyamide kernmantel followed by your working line. I always tie into the larger line with a clove hitch about 2 ft from the end of the pulled line. That way it rolls over anything without getting hitched up. The weight is home made, cast from lead and coated in rubber like (example): Plasti Dip Protective Coating Products | Plasti Dip Protective Coating Products | Rubber Dip Coating Just to seal the lead in. The spectra is fishing tackle (example) : 500 M PE Braided Fishing Line - 10 LB - Spectra Lighter the line, the further she flies. For trees you need to use fairly heavy stuff unless of course they are 80m high which they rarely are. Lightweight = compromise in strength. You can pull over a working line with the heavier spectra but you'll need leather gloves and wind it round under elbow and over hand while taking in with the other hand.

From my experience, people with the power to halt sensible progress usually get washed away by it.

Ah, flushed one out.

I've had a few Landies. A beam axle on coiled springs fore and aft is what you need in an off roader. Heater, wipers, indicator and ashtray seem to have been an afterthought though. I don't use mine so much these days unless the weather gets really bad. Been lucky so far this year in that department. Here's a pic from last year:

You have it all right there in your post Mr Spruce but I beg to differ on the softwood issue. Having run my house on wood for the last 15 years I've learned to leave softwood out of my log piles. I find it has little calorific value, is double the physical labor and tars up your flue. I currently have a Tiba Boiler. Fire engine red. I use it for cooking, heating and hot water.

Most of those pockets of sassenach haters have become diluted down to nothing. Though they can still be found in some of themore remote bits of the country. I've been Scottish for 15 years now Scottish because I chose to be that way, not by an accident of birth. (at least that's what I tell any whiskey drenched racist Dinosaur bawbags who wanna splurt nationalism at me in a pub) Things have changed a lot on that front, even in the time that I've been here. I think you'll agree, unless of course you're a Campbell..lol

Please accept my apologies for hijacking your rope wrench thread. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a salesman but I just descended into the world of Arborism on my trusty Petzl rig. A piece of kit I have really come to enjoy using and trusting over the last few years in other fields of work. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY3VNJbsQzs&feature=endscreen&NR=1]RIG - Compact self-braking descender for rope access [EN] - YouTube[/ame] I can see that some of you have also been using it for tree climbing and am wondering how you are getting on with it. Are there any hideous pitfalls associated with using it for tree climbing that I/we should be aware of? Thanks, Al.

Some of it from Fishing tackle shops, some from internet and some of it from my shed. Kev, it weighs exactly 1 kilo with the lead weight attached

you can use it to ascend but it's painful compared to petzl expedition plus Croll. Some people would beg to differ I'm sure. Rig comes into its own for work positioning.

I like spectra lines. 15lb powerpro the size of 4 pound mono was fairly consistently giving me 80 M in height . The 30lb size of 8lb was arcing at 70M. Here's my mechanism for deploying it:

microcender or any rope grab device with a footloop attached above the rig. Step up and pull rope through rig in upward motion.

Oh it's good for ascent. No changeover needed.

you would need to get the gas supply to the hearth cut off. I would say check the flu liners and see if their solid fuel rated before fitting wood burning stoves for efficiency sake. You can buy them with back boilers. That's my advice but then what do I know, except that at a push, anything can be converted to an open fire.

Hi kev, that's not me in the picture and there's nothing there that would replace your rope wrench. just an example of the kind of work I been at. for Arbing I prefer a combination of Petzls "Rig" and a microcender.

I use SRT a lot. Have done extensively over the last 20 years. I've often been faced with roped ascents of 150m plus including work positioning problems born of virgin rigging territory. I don't wanna diss what you're doing but when I look at some of the gear used by Arborists it seems light years behind. Rope wrench....I wouldn't entertain it for a moment.

Looks pretty good, However Detailed hourly forecast for Inverness, Scotland (United Kingdom) ? yr.no is light years ahead.

There's plenty of broadleaf trees up here, many replanting schemes too. There's also plenty of crapwood trees and even some pockets of ancient Caledonian (non crap) forest I could show you if you don't mind spending a day getting there in a canoe. Best thing to do is to take her advice and move up here. It'll all become apparent after that.

I start by breaking open the top tier of fencing with a barrow parked below it. But then I empty them in one go and move it to a sheltered decking by the back door for burning.

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Red only goes up to Dec 21 2012. After that it will be Blue.

Ha, no, red paint means burn next year. Security is not an issue here. I learned that when I moved here way back. A neighbor asked me why I was locking the door of the house as we headed off to go Rock climbing. "How will anyone be able to get in if the door is locked"? is what he said.