spandit

I split a log into planks/shingles, but not all the way down. I then flip the log upside down and rotate it 90 degrees and split the other way. It can then be easily pulled apart by hand

We're having some building work done at the moment and there are inevitable offcuts of treated timber. From what I've read, timber hasn't been treated with arsenic based stuff (CCA) since 2006. What is it treated with now and does it make it safe to burn (in a woodburner)?

Postage cost has gone up to £600! Well that's Brexit for you!

I bought a couple of these: 15" Wheelbarrow wheel set 1 2 4pc puncture proof black full rubber 4.80/4 4.00-8 WWW.EBAY.CO.UK Wheelbarrow wheel with block profile Full rubber black. 1x / 2x / 4x wheelbarrow wheel as desired. Then order Flat-less... They don't fit my Hammerlin barrows without some modification - had to turn some spacers on the lathe (although a stack of washers might have sufficed) but it's nice not having constant flats

From taking it apart this afternoon, which took an extreme amount of force (attach one end to the tractor, the other end to the Hilux and drive off 😁 - after replacing the first snapped tow rope*) I can see the wiper seal is a John Deere part, which explains the remnants of green paint in places. Can't find it in the UK at the moment but hopefully there's an equivalent I can find without having to order it from the USA (U10296) Fortunately my new 1/2" impact driver got the end nut off without too much trouble. Hoping I can replace the other seals too. * and yes, I had taken the inner snap rings out

My log splitter ram is leaking and so I've been measuring it so I can order the new seals. It looks like a home made one and although it works pretty well, I didn't know what tonnage it was supposed to be. Assuming my tractor still puts out 2,500psi (which is unlikely seeing as it's old), for a bore of 2.5", maximum power comes out at 5.57 tonnes - seems quite feeble. Did a little table: For 2500psi: Dia: 2.00in (50.80mm) Piston area = 3.14in² = 7853.98 pounds (3.56 tonnes) Dia: 2.25in (57.15mm) Piston area = 3.98in² = 9940.20 pounds (4.51 tonnes) Dia: 2.50in (63.50mm) Piston area = 4.91in² = 12271.85 pounds (5.57 tonnes) Dia: 2.75in (69.85mm) Piston area = 5.94in² = 14848.93 pounds (6.74 tonnes) Dia: 3.00in (76.20mm) Piston area = 7.07in² = 17671.46 pounds (8.02 tonnes) Dia: 3.25in (82.55mm) Piston area = 8.30in² = 20739.42 pounds (9.41 tonnes) Dia: 3.50in (88.90mm) Piston area = 9.62in² = 24052.82 pounds (10.91 tonnes) Dia: 3.75in (95.25mm) Piston area = 11.04in² = 27611.65 pounds (12.52 tonnes) Dia: 4.00in (101.60mm) Piston area = 12.57in² = 31415.93 pounds (14.25 tonnes) Dia: 4.25in (107.95mm) Piston area = 14.19in² = 35465.64 pounds (16.09 tonnes) Dia: 4.50in (114.30mm) Piston area = 15.90in² = 39760.78 pounds (18.04 tonnes) Dia: 4.75in (120.65mm) Piston area = 17.72in² = 44301.37 pounds (20.09 tonnes) Dia: 5.00in (127.00mm) Piston area = 19.63in² = 49087.39 pounds (22.27 tonnes) Dia: 5.25in (133.35mm) Piston area = 21.65in² = 54118.84 pounds (24.55 tonnes) Dia: 5.50in (139.70mm) Piston area = 23.76in² = 59395.74 pounds (26.94 tonnes) Dia: 5.75in (146.05mm) Piston area = 25.97in² = 64918.07 pounds (29.45 tonnes) Dia: 6.00in (152.40mm) Piston area = 28.27in² = 70685.83 pounds (32.06 tonnes) A brief search on eBay finds people advertising 20 tonne splitters. The bore does not look like 4.75in (120mm) - although they seldom publish the dimensions of the cylinders. I wonder if they're calculated using the maximum (Oxdale TM400 has a max pressure of 4780psi)? Just worth bearing in mind if you think you are buying something that is unstoppable as mine certainly isn't.

I bought a pair of "Bison" tongs - I'd hurt the ligaments/tendons in my wrist from grabbing logs before and these allow me to move much larger logs by hand than I otherwise would do. Superb tools, well worth the money

It all burns eventually! I wonder whether fungi actually help draw moisture out of the insides of logs?

I've found sycamore prone to mould even when well ventilated. It's not going to dry out instantly without a kiln

Could this hedge not be laid instead of uprooted?

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. My neighbours just had a vast leylandii taken down. They didn't keep any of the logs because it "tars up the chimney". Would have kept them in firewood for life! I'm currently burning leylandii and cherry. Was splitting cedar earlier which I'll mix in with all the other random wood I was given. Lucked out when what I thought was horse chestnut turned out to be London plane - made lovely bangs under the hydraulic blade

I make sure I have a decent supply stacked up near the fire so they are warm and dry. The really wet ones (that were on the edge of the stack) I tuck down beside the stove (making sure they don't touch it) and they soon dry

It's got a lot of willow and birch to contend with

Well I've ordered hemlock, western red cedar and holm oak. I also bought some box trees locally which I'll leave to grow into standards. I have some bay laurel that might have put out some seedlings so I can transplant that too

I'm only talking a handful, under 100

Wow! What an incredibly generous offer. I'm also after some good ground cover plants. Do you have any Japanese knotweed going spare? 😁

Well I've ordered some hemlock and cedar trees to begin with...

I've fired them off an e-mail...

Certainly looks like it, thanks

Seems so obvious now... any particular species?

My fledgling woodland is doing well but mostly deciduous so looks pretty sparse and sad in the winter. I have a few Scots pine and holly planted, none of which are doing that well but wondered what evergreen species I could plant to give it some structure/cover at this time of year?

I have some really fast growing willow, common sallow, I think (osier viminalis) that I have used for making living structures etc. as it's so easy to propagate. My next door neighbour has a shed and greenhouse which aren't especially pretty and I planted some cuttings along the fence line to create a hedge. Went to trim it today and found that one of the stems has failed to separate and instead has fused into a flat piece, like a fallow antler. It was completely unobstructed, growing freely and the other ones around it have grown normally. Anyone seen something like this before? Not easy to tell from my pictures but it's about 5mm thick front to back (in the one where I'm holding it)

Yes, think so. I contacted them to enquire and they got back to me - they surveyed the land and came up with a package (that was 3 times what I ended up ordering). It's a 12 year maintenance contract but unless you are just flogging the seedlings on, I don't see how they can check. That being said, when they were looking to relaunch the scheme a couple of years ago, one of the directors came round here for a tour and then came back the following week with a team from Defra as he was impressed with what I've created.

Not really. I went through the Woodland Trust MOREWoods scheme that gave a substantial discount on the trees and tubes. I've now finished my home grown logs but have more other stuff than I know what to do with thanks to the tip directory on here 🙂

Yes. I think so. I can't claim to be self sufficient yet as what I harvested will be gone by tomorrow but it's a good start