Mik the Miller

I think so, Auchentoshan (a triple distilled Scottish) comes out @ 81%(ish) too. I like their '3 wood' standard, the other (IMO) are a bit thin. The cask strength (only available at the distillery) is fantastic. Do you mature in different casks or are you purely oak ?

They don't replace the alcohol @daveatdave they add more water .... The new make spirit is mixed with a little water and put in a cask, sealed and left in a cool dark place for 3 years (to be Scottish Whisky) or longer so that the spirit absorbs 'flavour and colour' from the wooden cask. It is approx 68% by vol when it leaves the still and water is added to drop it to around (typically) 63.5% prior to putting it in the barrel. In a warm place the evaporation is greater, in a fluctuating temperature environment the Angels take a larger share too, (because the wood flexes). The aim is to store the barels in a constant, cool enviroment, maximising the transfer of flavours and minimising losses. Water is 3 molecules (H2O) Alcohol is 9 (C2H5OH) - some alcohol leeches out (30%) as does water (70%) so typically the Cask Stength doesn't change much (percentage wise) and can slightly increase (as more water evaporates off than ethanol). To get the Alcholol/Vol down to (say) 40%, water is added prior to bottling. Prior to WWI all whisky was up around 46% but Lloyd George (he knew my father) decreed 40% as a max in 1917. These days 40% is the minimum if you want to call it Scotch/Scottish Whisky. Higher strengths are available. I like 46%, some 43's but 40% tastes awfully watery to me. if I want water in my whisky i'd rather add it myself than pay someone else to do it. Tax is levied on the bottles alcohol content. The current rate is £28.74p per liter So a 70cl bottle @ 50% is £10.01 whereas a 70cl bottle @ 40%/vol is £8.05, over all it's around 70% tax on a bottle of whisky (tax, duty, vat etc).

This is a nice drinking whisky. For £30 a litre you really can't go wrong. It's a shame you can't get the cask strength versions of Tamnavulin but this is all shipped to Taiwan.

Deer Stalking Code of Practice | The British Association for Shooting and Conservation BASC.ORG.UK Deer stalking Code of Practice 1. Introduction This Code of Practice has been produced to provide an introductory guide...

You'd probably give it a good bruise with a .243, thats way to small .... (as others said - those posts weren't there when I penned mine).

All .22 chambered center fire rifles use a .224 bullet. The .223 runs up to a 70gr bullet and fires a 55gr @ 3240fps The .222 runs up to a 60gr bullet and fires a 55gr @ 3020fps The 22-250 trumps them both by firing a 55gr bullet @ 4000fps - when it does it is very loud It's not 'ilegal' to shoot a fox with a 17HMR, but I wouldn't, it would need to be very close and the shot placement perfect. .22-250's carry a lot of energy over a lot of distance. Rabbits turn into red soup @ 150M, foxes have large exit wounds and small deer have a lot of meat damage and internal mushyness. A rifle suitable for vermin is typically not suitable for deer, however, most deer calibers and chamberings are good for vermin. .17HMR - rabbits .22LR(sub) - rabbits, pidgeon and carrion around the farm .22-250 - fox .25-06 - small/medium deer and fox .30-06 - boar, all deer species, fox

You sold it to him ???

38 to 40% is green, wet wood, 80% sounds wrong, a meter failure/fault ? Buy a new meter, they are not expensive and worth every penny. Split and check the inside of the wood with your meter, 25% or less is good to go. Any more than mid twenties and you should probably call the bloke who sold it to you and ask him what he thinks.

No bag (which is a shame, i'd like to see one). The petrol cap does have a wee hole in it, but also no rubber ring ....

interesting ... this one has a heated handle there is a switch next to the cutout and I can see wires running up behind the handles plastic cover. I need to get a new fuel cap as the rubber seal isn't present. Compression feels good and she sparks. I'll clean up the carb and see where we go from there.

Thanks both .. 👍

Not yet 'on the bench' but it will be soon, as soon as I figure out what it is really. I'm a Stihl man really but a friend asked me to have a look at this. So - What is this ? (A Husqvarna chainsaw, isn't quite the answer I was looking for tbh ), the plate seems to say it's model 162 FS (?) And what is that in pic 4 ? (Sorry about the slightly out of focus pics - operator error)

Gravel/stones from the river bed or MOT type 3 with pallets or crinkle tin on top with a slight slope away from the road.

Build it to the left of the roadway. The trees and bushes will offer some shelter from the weather and have bays opening to the road. On the other side, build 2 walls, Build a 2" frame and fix the inner 4" wide boards with a 3" gap and a similar outer wall (out of step so to speak) so that the inner gaps are covered. You can cover the bays with skip nets linky I'd also be tempted to build a 'saltbox' roof rather than a standard A frame. I wish I had the room to build something that size...

How hot does your indian stone slab get ? My old stove got very hot underneath (it was just a cast iron box with a fire in it) but the new one (Stovax modern lined thing) doesn't. My first stove I fitted inside the fireplace which I just tiled after removing the old open fire. The tiles looked fantastic for a year or two but then started to lose the glaze and crack. There was a small concrete hearth under the fire and I simply made up a wooden forma with 17 x 30mm lath screwed it flat to the floor and filled this with concrete and laid the tiles on top. I changed them for a piece of 30mm thick slate, this fits into the old fireplace and stick out into the room by 300mm. I think a 900 x 600 slab is around £60 and it's relatively easy to cut. I used ordinary tile cement to stick it down and mixed in some slate dust for grout.

I dsoes say that you have a tertiary air system but I can't see any reference to where this is controlled. The DEFRA approval is linked to a system which doesn't allow you to completely close the air off (from entering the firebox) this is to ensure that the stove always burns off the gas/smoke. Most stoves I have come across have the ability to 'turn off' this facility (if there) or don't have it.. I can't find it in your instructions ??

Aha, you have a non DEFRA stove whish doesn't employ the secondary burn. On yours. Primary air is from the bottom and secondary is down the glass (airwash). Once warm the primary should be closed and the rate of burn controlled by the airwash (your secondary). If both were shut the stove would suffocate and go out so you always need a little coming in from the top. Therefore your are right ""The net result if I did close it off would be I'd have to leave the secondary more open to get the equivalent flame .. is that right?? "" yes

I think we need to get some of the terms agreed here. The Primary air (Pa) comes in underneath the grate (on a multifuel), at the bottom on a woodburner. The Airwash (Aa) comes from the top (often through the door frame) and washes down the glass. The Secondary (or Tertiary or Cleanburn) air (Sa) comes in behind the back air brick and enters though some holes which are around 2/3rds of the way up the back brick (or on the sides as some do). This air enters via a closed section that often runs down the outside back of the stove and is therefore heated prior to entering the firebox. The Cleanburn/Tertiary/Secondary (Sa) air is not often controllable when the fire is burning. Its via a fixed aperture that can be varied by a flap that is bolted in position. Some stoves have separate Pa and Aa controlls, mine has a single 'lever' that when fully open allows air in via the Pa and Aa vents. Pull it to the next notch and it shuts the Pa fully, Aa is fully open, pull it again and it closed the Aa and the Pa. The Sa is fixed and is always letting in air. Hope that makes sense ? In short the secondary air (Sa) is not controlable, the lever(s)/Dials alter the Primary Air (Pa) and/or the Airwash (Aa). Once the firebox is hot enough I close both my Pa and Aa fully, only need to open these if the temp falls (ie I put cold wood in).

If you are looing for a cast iron box with a fire in it check out clearview stoves For a more technical stove a brick lined, steel, firebox is the way to go. The difference (I have owned both) is like a Land Rover verses an Audi TT. My current fire is a Stovax, it has a similar 'issue' with ash falling out to @roys Flavel, Stovax don't care either. Both were likely designed by some aerodynamisist stting in an office who still lives with mommy in her gas centrally heated Wimpy box. The Stovax has a cast iron door and they supply a loose top (ie it lifts of ...) in cast iron. It's a good stove and chucks out a fair amount of heat quickly, certainly faster than the old Clearview did. The stove does cool quicker but then it's less only half the mass.

No need to apologise, we are learning ... I was trying to simplify ... there are 3 ways the air gets into a wood stove (not counting opening the door). Pa - Primary Air from the bottom of the stove in the case of a multifuel, under the grate. Aa - Airwash, often directly above the top of the door/glass Sa - Secondary or Tertiary or Cleanburn air which arrives preheated, through small hoiles in the back of the stove 1/2 way up the firebox. Typically you have active control over the Pa and Aa whilst the Sa is pre-set (although it can be varied when the stove is cold). @Jimmy101 it looks like your Sa isn't letting any air in at all. You do need some and then you can close the Pa and Aa down fully. In that state you will see the air 'burning' above the logs, If the stove isn't hot enough (it is in your vids) you would see black fingers in the flames above the logs as the cold air punches through the flames. You are very close. Crack the Sa open a little (25%) and then you can control the fire (once its going up to temp and the Pa shut) with the Aa open 5 to 10% If the flames are raging above the logs then shut the Sa to 10% If the fire dies off to nothing (with Pa and Aa shut) then open Sa to 50% It's a balancing act - you're close

Well that clears that up then

That looks ace .... is that a lump of granit on the top ?

Got mine sorted now - there is a vid of it running 'here'

I think we need to get some of the terms agreed here. The Primary air (Pa) comes in underneath the grate (on a multifuel). The Airwash (Aa) comes from the top (often through the door frame) and washes down the glass. The Secondary (or Tertiary or Cleanburn) air (Sa) comes in behind the back air brick and enters though some holes which are around 2/3rds of the way up the back brick. This air enters via a closed section that often runs down the outside back of the stove and is therefore heated prior to entering the firebox. The Cleanburn/Tertiary/Secondary (Sa) air is not often controllable when the fire is burning. Its via a fixed aperture that can be varied by a flap that is bolted in position. Some stoves have separate Pa and Aa controlls, mine has a single 'lever' that when fully open allows air in via the Pa and Aa vents. Pull it to the next notch and it shuts the Pa fully, Aa is fully open, pull it again and it closed the Aa and the Pa. The Sa is always letting in air. My Sa is possibly a bit wide as the gasses are quite turbulent. To get the fire to burn as per the video, I almost close the Aa (leave the Aa slightly open and have the Pa shut). The fire has been on for a while (20 mins ish) to get to this happy state with the Pa shut and the Aa open, then I start to nudge the Aa shut and watch the gasses ignite and the logs go from yellow flames to a red glow. It happens slowly though. Like a turning a big boat. Once its in the right position it stays like that for a while. Dry Oak or Beech last longer than S Birch or Chestnut and longer than Pine or Larch. When I add more wood I need to open up the Aa (as the freshly introduced wood cools the internals of the stove) and after a few minutes nudge it closed so that the Sa takes over (becoming the dominant). Wet wood kills it and it takes longer to get to the happy state. Oak takes longer than Pine. The stove has to be hot for it all to work. Mine is a nominal 7.5KW and to get up to this output takes around 20 mins of intense burning with the Aa fully open. @Ratmanhas mentioned the DEFRA smoke control kit. This 'setting' always lets Pa in, it won't let you shut it down, however, this kit is normally a plate that can be removed. My stove (as an example) came with this plate (called the 'Smoke Control Facility') in a bag with instruction that it "must be fitted to meet the requirements of a smoke control area". If the 'kit' was fitted I wouldn't be able to get the stove to burn as in the video, the Pa and Aa would overide the Sa. Hope that makes sense ?

Here's my new fire going strong, not flat out but burning well. You can see the logs and the yellow flames and then above the tertiary air burning the gasses. Initially I had the secondary/tertiary air vent fully open but hacve found that with it closed down to about 1/2 and with a little primary/airwash I can find it's efficent/happy spot. I am still learning and may close the tertiary air down a little more to get a more 'lazy' effect. 20201126_203320.mp4