sandspider
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Everything posted by sandspider
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Another vote for a polytunnel. Mine cost £100 or so 6 years ago and is still going, though getting a bit ragged now.
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Is that the chap from the rubberbandits?
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Thanks, they look good. I've ordered the first one.
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Bit far, shame! I have several felled ash that are really too big for my saw! (Awkward access too). Never mind, they can be habitat.
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Where are you based, Pleasant?
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Tesco only had plain, so we've gone for plain!
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I've ordered some. Love pig in all its tasty forms.
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Got the conifer wrong! I'm useless at connies. (I'm also not a tree surgeon, just an enthusiastic wood burner!)
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I live in Wales, it rains a lot! And the eucs are spread out amongst other trees, I don't feel too much at risk! I don't find it too hard to split either, though I generally split it soonish after felling.
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Anything lying on the ground is unlikely to be anywhere near dry. If it's off the ground with good airflow, if you cut and split it ASAP and keep it somewhere dry and windy it may possibly be burnable by this winter. Better by next winter, however.
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I only have .22lr - my money's on the roo!
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You can see some of my experiments here:
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Yes - insects, the odd small bird and bats! I find wasps tend to hibernate in my log stacks, and wake up once I bring the logs in before burning... I wouldn't put a finer mesh on our chimneys as the draw isn't very good where we live - but if you live in a windy area it probably wouldn't hurt much, as long as the mesh holes aren't too small.
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Can't speak for any of the specific stoves you mention, but I have a pure wood burner (Burley) and a multi fuel - Heta Inspire 45 (riddling grate). I slightly prefer the Burley. It burns more cleanly (only need to empty the ash once every month or two) and holds more ash too (deep bottom (hur) as it's a pure wood burner). To be fair, the Heta is 5kw and the Burley is 8kw, so not a direct comparison. Both are a bit tricky to light as I live in a valley with a strong down draught in both flues. The riddling grate on the Heta does allow a bit of extra adjustment to bottom air flow, but does very little for getting ash out - I scoop it out as I do for the Burley. I think as a general rule if you're going to burn wood, it's generally better to have a pure wood burning stove. I got the Heta in case I wanted to burn coal or anything else - but I never have!
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True. I lost a few small eucs to frost (seller told me they were frost hardy, but didn't clarify only once they were 2 or so years old). Also, they're supposed to spread and be hard to get rid of - but mine haven't. Not much value to wildlife is right- but soon we'll have koalas here! In the meantime I've planted lots of native trees too, so I don't feel too bad. Eucs don't seem to coppice well (possibly i planted the wrong species) but they do outgrow the natives by a good margin.
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I've planted a few things as SRC or at least a firewood source. I do have poplar and it grows well, but nothing like as well as eucalyptus, and I think euc wood is better to burn than poplar. No poplar I've planted are big enough to harvest yet, but various eucs have been.
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For all the new forum members looking for free firewood......
sandspider replied to scbk's topic in Firewood forum
Roger Deakin would be proud! -
Apparently Honey Brothers have bought FRjones's intellectual property, contact list etc.
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We have a small stream, and the odd mink and small trout. And otter poo. The mink take our neighbour's chickens, but I've not seen freshwater mussels here. Will keep my eyes open.
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For all the new forum members looking for free firewood......
sandspider replied to scbk's topic in Firewood forum
Be interested to see how quickly they thicken up. (See my eucalyptus growing posts on here for comparison). One day I'd like to plan a willow arch or dome too, when I find the time. Or stop burning the stuff. -
Our recent install (about 5 years ago) has some sort of fireboard directly applied to a brick wall behind a log burner, no air gap. Board is about 10mm thick. All signed off by building control. Not a plastered wall, but...?
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Yep, blanket application is a mistake. I have no problem with 20mph limits around schools, in busy villages etc. - but applying it across Wales is annoying. It applies on some roads where I don't think it needs to. Agree though that driving generally is getting worse - people just don't seem to care any more. (Not me, of course - I drive like a saint!)
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I left a few big, gnarly rounds I couldn't be arsed to split on a pallet, uncovered. For 3 years maybe. Split a few the other day to burn in the firepit as I thought they'd be too wet for a proper wood burner, and they were maybe 15/16% moisture - I was surprised. I do cover my main log stacks (polytunnel, shed, roofed log stores, covers on stacks in stone crates) but perhaps I won't be so careful in future. Having said that, I do tend to split my logs by march then burn them that winter, so keeping the water off really helps for a shorter drying time. Some are logged up and part seasoned before splitting / final drying.
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I thought it running so hot might be bad for it, better and cooler if it can breathe a bit? Though I must say the exhaust is a lot cleaner than my old saw.
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Yep, one way! Drill and Dremel I have, let's see what happens... Thanks.
