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devon TWiG

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Everything posted by devon TWiG

  1. devon TWiG
    I am sure pollarding is viewed by many in the industry and general public as brutal and archaic , and unsympathetic to the aesthetic of trees in an urban environment , It is rarely done these days for it's original purpose ie producing poles out of grazing reach , fodder etc When it is done on street trees it is usually done very neatly so the dead wood stubs , cavities etc that would have been created when axes were used, and such eco habitats that would work in woodland are not really the same in a city street .
  2. devon TWiG
    I have used one up a tree on spikes more than once ... ( and I am not that big and strong !!) not nice but necessary ! I can hardly believe they are still making and selling them ,I had one about 20 years ago , Stihl have had several big saws since then and to be honest I think they are far better !!
  3. devon TWiG
    I have a London Plane tree on a piece of ground near my parking lot close to my house , that I planted as a millennium gesture . It has grown well to about 30 foot now and I have given it a slight crown lift in the past and a gentle thin to improve form ( crossed / rubbing branches etc ) I intend to pollard this winter before it gets out of hand and becomes a problem ( it is already lifting the tarmac path next to it ) I have traveled in Europe and beyond a fair bit and have seen plenty of pollards and I actually quite like them and will soon have my own !!
  4. devon TWiG
    It looks to me like the rope was anchored at ground level ( not in the tree ) and the anchor failed / came un-tied some how , as he was descending on a type of figure 8
  5. devon TWiG
    I am a bit puzzled when you say you have a few bits of Yew to mill yet not enough for a coffee table ?! .... however I have found that black goes well with Yew , so scorching of some Ash or Oak would work well , after scorching the wood with a blowlamp , scrub well with a stiff brush and then apply danish oil and it comes up a treat ......practice on a few small bits first though !!
  6. devon TWiG
    That guitar looks more typical of spalted beech ............ These are a few things that I have made from spalted Ash ..It can be very nice but a fine line from lovely to rotten
  7. devon TWiG
    You have been busy Steve !... nice work from some nice woods , I especially like the white flash on the spalted sycamore and the rippled Ash is a beaut as well . Not sure Ailanthus is underrated just not often cut down .....
  8. devon TWiG
    I have seen a Ginkgo near me drop most of it's leaves in a very short space of time after a good frost ,giving a similar effect as this ........
  9. devon TWiG
  10. devon TWiG
    I have known of a similar situation ,and in commercial diving situations there must also be a second diver and a dive master on the vessel !!
  11. devon TWiG
    Is there any recognised rules / regs which apply to working near deep water ( the sea !) which can be used or apply in a risk assessment ? I have done such jobs in the past with no bother or questions .... but I think the customer in this case will require a detailed and extensive RA ..
  12. devon TWiG
    Acquired some very nice Ash today , very olive , some spalting and quite a lot of ripple .....very nice find indeed .... Bigger blocks are for hollow forms and the rest will be bowls , with one roughed out already to show the fabulous figuring
  13. devon TWiG
    I hibernate ....
  14. devon TWiG
    With all the current legislation / rules ( bs 5837 ) etc etc and a general awareness of trees and what would appear to be the intention of the developer to retain the tree as a feature ( if not made to ... TPO ) does this situation still arise !!!!!!!!! That tree has virtually no chance of long term survival , sadly this is not uncommon at all , unbelievable !!!
  15. devon TWiG
    A small (6" tall ) bowl / vase turned from a piece of fresh cut Laburnum , it is only about 2-3 mm thick , and dried very quickly so I was able to sand and polish it after a cup of tea!! I particularly like the fact that the bark stayed on and the contrast of sap-heartwood , I do this with a few other species of wood but Laburnum just seems to work well and look the best ...
  16. devon TWiG
    Cherry bowl ..............this was made from a section of wood that straddles the graft union on a cherry tree , it shows the clear difference between the root stock and the scion which was grafted to it some time ago , the stump was quite thick at about 1 foot above ground level with the remaining stem considerably slimmer , I had to hollow the bowl down in to end grain which is not easy , very hard and difficult to get a good finish from the chisel so more sanding than usual , it is just another example of what beauty can be found within a seemingly poor piece of wood of little / no value !!! ( the bowl is approx 8" dia and 6-7" tall )
  17. devon TWiG
    On occasion the outer / upper layer of non shiny chrome extra hard layer on the surface can get bent down and the file seems to glide over it before getting a chance to bite in the area you try to sharpen , try some glasses or a magnifying glass for a close inspection at the cutters and the file ............. it is also true that good sharpening is a skill that seems to evade most pro arbs ... foresters are usually better !
  18. devon TWiG
    Unfortunately those in charge ( your boss ) are under pressure through their position of responsibilty to do everything they can to avoid risks and the only guidance they follow is written text ,,FSC doc's etc etc and will just religiously follow these to cover them selves , for all the hypothetical "what if's " that never happen , it is just one of the unfortunate examples of the crap we have to deal with these days I am afraid , and often if you argue against it you are deemed to have a bad attitude to H&S which will not count in your favour ..... I never wear them !!!
  19. devon TWiG
    The paler ( whiter ) beech is, the softer it is, and it is a fine line between being lovely and rotten ! Woodturners like it ( I am one ! ) but the usual problem is getting some one to pay what you would like for it and having more than just a few bits , and time to deal with people or let them use s saw in your yard..... thanks for thinking about it and offering it up and hope you sell it ! ...also I do not think too many log customers would be pleased if their logs had fungi all over them ...
  20. devon TWiG
    There is a great deal to learn and things to know about this industry to answer on a forum , it would be a bit like one of us asking you how to get in to farming !!! ( I mean that politely ) but you have the resource and I suppose some gear , tractors trailers etc and if you also have buildings then the current firewood market could be a good place to start , it is relatively unskilled ( no offence intended ) and labour intensive to suit spare staff etc and selling the better quality timber for milling .... good luck anyway !
  21. devon TWiG
    I drive a lorry for an agency quite regularly and they always seem to want people , but not sure about the shortage of drivers otherwise there would be loads of lorries parked up doing nothing ( and I do not mean in laybys ) The agency tells me jokingly that there is always drivers off on holiday , having a gastric band fitted , heart problems or having a sex change , and there is much truth in that as well !!!! It is a long hours job 50+ pw and often early starts which not every one wants ..I would imagine most other industries are the same , I would not want to work in a nursing home , and like with most jobs, experience is required and you often have to pay for your own training etc ( HGV licence and also the rather stupid CPC )..
  22. devon TWiG
    If not carefully managed this could be incredibly disastrous ... boats dissolving at sea , water pipes disintegrating , windows falling out ( plastic frames ) and many many more things which we depend upon .... but also of course it could be very good ( and could make some a great deal of money !!) What have the fungi been eating until now ???
  23. devon TWiG
    Cut it in to rings , half way between each whorl of branches ... if it has been dead for long it may be a bit too dry ..... here is a hollow vessel I made some time ago , not very nice to turn but nice effect from the knots
  24. devon TWiG
    Mark Isted , near Newton Abbot
  25. devon TWiG
    I work as an Arb and turn wood as well ( see woodcraft section ) and I cut the lumps I am interested in whilst on site or in the yard ( and a few mates yards as well ) I do not take stuff from nice big clean stems but forks , spalted bits etc etc ... I pay typically £40 per boot load ( honda jazz ) more for special woods ,burrs etc ... this is more than firewood and no effort , but most turners do not use a chainsaw , would you let them on site or in yard ? Like others have said most are old , drive an expensive car and rattle a few coins when it comes to paying ( usually reluctantly !!) try and foster a few good contacts and when you know what they are looking for you can put it aside for them , perhaps in exchange for a few items if not cash !

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