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 !

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 )..

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 ???

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

Mark Isted , near Newton Abbot

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 !

I have been in this industry for about 30 years now and have never heard of someone being injured because a rope / harness / carabiner has failed .... we managed fine before LOLER came along, many items being older than 5 years ( especially harnesses ) , they would be replaced when either they become stiff / tatty / contaminated a bit damaged or we just wanted some new / better gear !!

Can any tree be POSITIVELY identified by a wood sample ? can a sample of Cedar for example differentiate between Cedrus atlantica and Cedrus libani and Cedrus deodara ? Genus perhaps but species as well ? just wondering !!...

Been a spate of thefts in Devon recently as well .... darker nights....... etc etc ..

On quite a few jobs there is plenty of ground work to do after the climbing is done so you end up doing both !!

was the middle in the middle ? ie did the tree have a heavy lean / unbalanced ? and a lot of reaction wood ?....

I have nearly always done that !! .............................................................................. In response to the original question ..... I have not really changed style to be honest , it is hard work, always has been and always will be you just become hardened to it to some extent , ground work and other aspects of the work are just as hard as the climbing .. though Hi abs are used more nowadays ....

I thought I was about the only one who does a lot of his own lowering !! especially utilising stubs and it works very well ( mostly ) .... generally though I get a lot less angry at myself and the tree ... but there was a lot of energy in anger !! I like to think I work slickly and efficiently , and have never really lifted big bits always cut it smaller ,bad backs put more out of this industry than falls and cuts ever will !! Still use blakes hitch , but on occasion if I have a long climb I use jumars/ cloggers done this 15 - 20 years ago ..

Unfortunately a "heavy crop " is often a sign of a last desperate bid to reproduce ...... I would suspect root issues are the cause of the demise of this specimen , would be good to see pics of basal area and surrounds , has there been recent excavations nearby ? spillage of something ..fuel ..salt etc , tarmac or concrete surface ? raising or lowering of soil levels etc etc .. I have seen a Yew like this caused by a large accumulation of grass cuttings at the base of the tree ..

Recently finished this hollow form ( burr oak about 9" dia ) which has been scorched , wire brushed and burnished and then oiled and am really pleased with the way it has turned out , a really tactile piece like ancient antique wood or old iron sort of surface to it ...will be doing a few more like it soon ..

It does not seem that long ago that footlocking was the" new way" does anyone still regularly do this ?.... Also to those of you who employ people have you switched your climbers over to srt because you believe it is better and more efficient and cost effective ? I have not tried it myself or seen anyone in action using it ( would like to ) as yet I am not convinced it is worth the cost of the new kit , ( very happy and proficient with ddrt ) and can srt be used for all jobs .. hedge topping , line clearance work etc

I feel that the price the customer pays for work is quite high for many jobs , unfortunately it is the high operating costs ( fuel , insurances , machinery , training etc etc ) that take so much of income that insufficient funds are left for a good wage ..and as long as the industry keeps attracting new staff then market forces seem about right ( although we would all like a bit more ... obviously !!)..

Myself and another guy I know ( who is a greenwood worker , pole lathe etc including tuition ) got talking a while ago about buying woodland , he had recently been out bid on a piece by some one who wants somewhere to use 4x4 's and was incredulous at the price woodland is fetching , when you consider virtually no one derives any income from such land ! after talking for a while I queried can you rent woodland ? many farmers own it and get no income from it ( self supply of firewood aside ) . I could do with a small area for firewood supply and storage , for myself and the other guy would like to coppice hazel etc for greenwood work and tuition and put up a crude shelter for running pole lathe carving courses and for his own work , we will start asking around , perhaps advertising for woodland to rent ... price per acre per annum to be negotiated , hopefully less than arable / grass land .. currently £ 70 - £100 ... supply of wood to owner part payment perhaps ...

There are lots of woodlands out there that are in need of " management " of some sort , and many bodies ( national parks etc ) like to promote coppicing etc .... however very few are willing to pay for it ! The question is can you make it self funding ? and the owner may well expect some remuneration as well , not easy but do - able in some situations , also onerous H&S plus other red tape / legislation make costs unsustainably high in proportion to income derived from such work .... however ..good luck !

Have you thought of doing "parquet " type of flooring ? it can be done to amazing effects using different patterns and a combination of different woods .

Recently finished this bowl , taken from an Ash crotch , showing nice figuring and a bit of spalting ( about 18" at widest point ) .. have a few more to finish when time allows from Ash and Birch as well ...

Absolutely superb creation there !! It is one thing being able to visualise it , but another to be able to do such a fantastic job .... this chainsaw carving has gone well beyond a tree cutter with a bit of artistic flair and plenty of practice to bona-fide sculpture / fine art...( do they include chainsaws at art colleges these days ? ) This being one of the best examples I have seen ...

On top of all this regulation to do with fitting ... to keep your insurance valid I believe you must have proof of the flue being swept at appropriate intervals by a qualified chimney sweep ....all this adds up to a rather costly form of heating , if you buy in logs and comply with every regulation .... Yet anyone ( qualified or not ) can repair the brakes, steering etc on their own car ,truck , motorcycle , bicycle etc ..funny old world isn't it ? ! ..

I often free climb ( lower in the tree ) especially in conifers , leylandii etc and climb above my anchor point ( rolling on to branch and standing on it ) , I use old climbing ropes for dismantling but not on heavy stuff , and if it is hot and I have a large log to ring up I do not wear chainsaw trousers ..... apart from that I pretty much do things by the book ..... mostly because it is how I do it anyway !!

Freediving / spearfishing , great place to live near the S Devon coast , I have a small inflatable boat and kayak to access the more remote spots ...