Billhook

Just had another look at this excellent thread from April 2020 on the economics of kiln drying firewood

My wife and I had a ride down to the lake and walked around where I had been strimming and sure enough there was a patch of young giant hogweed amongst the nettles which I had not seen. She says that in Denmark they call it the Devil's Claw!

If you buy one you will have to write "Treeman Independent Trading" on the side or TIT for short!

Same here

Good to hear about the plover, not seen one here in Lincolnshire for years Buzzards were the final nail in the coffin I think Are you seeing a lot of foxes, badgers stoats etc. And how is your rabbit population? I see that you are not that far away in Nottinghamshire

Sounds a bit messy, all that melting firstly to put it in a tin then heated again to use it?? I do not think I have enough candles kicking about and if I bought new ones it may come to more than an approved product?

To follow on from my mammal shortage thread, just gone down the main farm track over a mile and a half and passed three pairs of Partridge ( Frenchmen) as usual running along just in front of the car which is their way of guiding you away from their young, but there have been no young anywhere, same with pheasants. I suppose it is not surprising with all the Buzzards, Sparrow Hawks, Red Kites, Kestrels, Carrions, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies around. The lack of mammals should have helped them a bit. Have any of you seen Pheasant and Partridge young?

Sycamore will slightly discolour but also spalt if left on the ground. I leave sycamore for 2 years then slab the lot. Not great for building. Elm can be used for construction but to be honest most of those logs have too many big knots in to be any good for any building. Last picture is firewood, next one up not construction worthy. Next one up looks to have shake and ring shake. Cut into big beams around the faults. Next one up good construction timber. Next one up slab the lot. You can resaw into 4x2 etc once seasoned around faults. 1 Next 3 slabs all the way. Top one I think will give you good construction timber. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for all that good advice James and I would appreciate the figures you have for the lap board adjustment settings.

Would a good layer of factor 50 suncream help perhaps or some other barrier cream before going strimming as it is too much going out in full protective gear in the hot sun. Wait till it is overcast and cool I suppose. Never knew about the sun activating the juices, another feather in the cap for Arbtalk. thanks

I would expect a bit of frothing around the mouth. How about a bite from a stoat, Do they not administer a coup de grace on the neck severing the spinal nerve? Strangely the rabbit was behaving just like this stoat in its death throes

Hello Rabby Rabby, I've a lovely piece of lettuce for you here Rabby, no response. Now that is what I call a dead rabbit!

Not a scaremonger! Why am I lying here shivering with fright! But thank you for that knowledge Fairly sure there was none of the Giant Hogweed, but maybe there were some small plants growing unseen. I see in this Irish article it is called "The Strimmer's Disease" https://invasivespeciesireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/giant_hogweed-DARD-updated.pdf

Young Magpie knocked itself out on the cabin window. Thanked me by biting my finger.

Canada Goslings doing well IMG_1292.MOV

Thanks for that, sounds like good advice

That is one thing I have not done which I should have. What do you use to seal the ends What do you think about the Sycamore. I suspect it needs dealing with sooner rather then later.

Good to see a Tree Sparrow. We have actually had more Tree Sparrows here over the last few years and I have not seen a House Sparrow until this year when a pair have nested under a tile in out conservatory. Very friendly and not bothered about me going in and out to bring in firewood.

Yes, I suspect both but I did not know Cow Parsley could do it. Very hot day would not have helped as I presume the skin pores are more open. Seems to be going down but I notice that people are standing well away from me outside thinking that I must have some kind of pox!

Due to the money I have saved last year ( no eating out and no drinking!), I decided to splash out on a planer, a sander and a lap board maker for the Lucas Mill 8 inch cut. I already have the slabber which I have used to slab some Evergreen Oak and some Ash into three inch slabs about 30 inches wide which have been stacked and sticked for a couple of years now I would like some advice on the best way of tackling these trunks in the yard The first four are the Elm which had been standing dead for at least two years. It is four feet at the base ending up at three feet Then at 5 and 6 there is a Sycamore about three feet in diameter which was blown down in a storm and has been lying there for a year. Someone suggested that I should have cut it up earlier to avoid deterioration 7 is an Oak that snapped off in a storm, 8,9 and 10 are Ash and 11 is Evergreen Oak ( very gnarly and twisted) I was going to take the first third out in boards with the circular saw so I could see what the log looks like before slabbing. Is that a good idea or would you just slab the whole trunk? I intend to build a large wooden shed with lapboard sides in the yard and really only want to make five or six tables so there is a lot of wood needed for the shed Is it best to slab these logs as soon as possible or better to wait a while? What is the ideal thickness of slab? Is it obvious to plane the slab only when totally dry? I presume Ash will dry much more quickly than Sycamore or Evergreen Oak. Is a year an inch still the perceived wisdom? What is the ideal distance between the sticks when the slabs are stacked for drying?

Due to the money I have saved last year ( no eating out and no drinking!), I decided to splash out on a planer, a sander and a lap board maker for the Lucas Mill 8 inch cut. I already have the slabber which I have used to slab some Evergreen Oak and some Ash into three inch slabs about 30 inches wide which have been stacked and sticked for a couple of years now I would like some advice on the best way of tackling these trunks in the yard The first four are the Elm which had been standing dead for at least two years. It is four feet at the base ending up at three feet Then at 5 and 6 there is a Sycamore about three feet in diameter which was blown down in a storm and has been lying there for a year. Someone suggested that I should have cut it up earlier to avoid deterioration 7 is an Oak that snapped off in a storm, 8,9 and 10 are Ash and 11 is Evergreen Oak ( very gnarly and twisted) I was going to take the first third out in boards with the circular saw so I could see what the log looks like before slabbing. Is that a good idea or would you just slab the whole trunk? I intend to build a large wooden shed with lapboard sides in the yard and really only want to make five or six tables so there is a lot of wood needed for the shed Is it best to slab these logs as soon as possible or better to wait a while? What is the ideal thickness of slab? Is it obvious to plane the slab only when totally dry? I presume Ash will dry much more quickly than Sycamore or Evergreen Oak. Is a year an inch still the perceived wisdom? What is the ideal distance between the sticks when the slabs are stacked for drying?

Went strimming down by the lake, nettles, brambles, cow parsley and meadowsweet. A day or so later came up with these red blotches, did not feel anything, no sting no itch but now three days later they have become bigger and are itching Have put some anti histamine on i know it was the strimmer because I hold it left handed and all the rashes are on the left side of my neck and throat where my shirt was open. I thought that it might have been some hemlock but I have not seen any

Today as I drove down to the end of our drive, this rabbit was behaving in a very strange manner, it started to twist and turn and leap on the spot. I pulled over to photograph it but by the time I had started up the video on the iPhone it was dead It looks completely healthy and is not emaciated like the haemo ones I have seen, it’s eyes are healthy and I can see no swellings anywhere

I did see somewhere that the fairy liquid on the end and blow test does not work very well on die back Ash, presumably because the fungus has blocked the capillaries, so it may be that this stops it drying properly. I have not had any issues with using it in a wood stove which is burning well without shutting the air down for overnight, but have not used it on an open fire yet.

June the efffing fifth and we still had to light the Aarrow Stratford last night as there has not been quite enough sun to work the solar tubes which normally heat our Summer hot water. No wonder they changed the scare headline from Global Warming to Climate Change!