Paul in the woods

Wet basis is a measure of the water in a log, expressed as the weight of water as a percentage of the wet/unseasoned log. (i.e. wood and water) Dry basis is a measure of the water in a log, expressed as the weight of water as a percentage of the completely dry log. (i.e. just the wood). It gets confusing because firewood is measured on wet basis but timber for construction on dry basis. Most, if not all, cheap meters seem to measure dry basis but they don't state this. It is important due to the new firewood rules which somewhat strangely don't mention what basis they use but it appears to be wet basis. Logs need to be 20% wet basis or under. 20% wet basis = 25% dry basis. This becomes important as it seems you can air dry logs down to about 20% wet basis. If someone uses a cheap moisture meter they may think the logs are 25% and complain. Realistically I would hope/expect some clarifications when the laws come in to force.

What sort of protected species would stop chipping brash, especially fresh brash?

I'm possibly in a similar position in that I would like to chip some of the brash in my young woodland I'm thinning so I can get around a bit more easily. I could also do with the chippings to make a decent path and to keep the mud down. However, after going round in circles trying to find a suitable chipper I did take some time to pile a lot of the brash up and it was surprising how much you can get into a decent habitat pile. Just need to choose a few sensible places.

Time to update this thread. I picked up a short hex socket m30 plug that I could drive in from the back. It took a while but with care and then brute force it cleaned out the threads. However, the part still wouldn't thread onto the piston so I picked up a die from Tracy Tools (thanks again @openspaceman ). This removed a bit more material and now the digger is back together. I'm not sure if driving the bolt in first helped, but it did mean I could get the die in a few turns before I had to use force.

Nothing stopping you writing your own letter explaining the situation is there? Just add the official one whilst pointing out how daft it is.

We probably need a legal beagle to answer but it'll just need a test case in a suitable court and the law would be clarified. I expect there are other laws where the question of does supply mean delivery has been sorted.

I understand and it sounds to me like a good scheme. The problem with regards to the law as I see it is you're doing the seasoning so need to be in the Woodsure scheme. Otherwise, the law says, there's nothing stopping someone less scrupulous that you selling small amounts of unseasoned logs. If the customer was doing the seasoning they'd need to cope with 2 cubic meters at a time. Not saying the law is right or sensible, but then what laws are?

I understand what your saying and it may well come down to what your local enforcement bods say if and when they take action against anyone. In your case I would consider what you deliver on one day a unit. In Woodworks case I would consider consider a unit delivered with two trips in one or even two days a unit but not spread over months. But that's just me. I can see trading standards not doing much against the smaller companies for a number of years as they lack resources and if you keep in the spirit of the regs I would hope you'd just get a warning and advice rather than a fine. I would take the opportunity to get as many of your customers to accept 2m cube or you may well have to sign up to the scheme in the years to come.

I'm not sure of your point? Does the word Supply not cover delivery? And the phrase Unit would mean 2 cubic meters in one go?

Just noticed the letter is in the law:

PART 2 - Supply of wood in units less than two cubic metres edited out loads of blurb.... PART 3 - Supply of wood in units of two cubic metres or more Interpretation: Part 3 7. In this Part, “relevant amount of wood” means an amount of wood to be supplied— (a)for the purposes of combustion in domestic premises in England; (b)in a unit, whether comprising one piece of wood or more, the volume of which is two cubic metres or more. Prohibition on the supply of a relevant amount of wood without a notice 8.—(1) A person must not supply a relevant amount of wood unless the wood is accompanied by a notice comprising the words specified in Schedule 2. (2) A person who contravenes the prohibition in paragraph (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine.

Looks like an old Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor. Trametes versicolor, Turkeytail fungus WWW.FIRST-NATURE.COM

I use my cheap bison picks to roll logs out of the way when I'm cutting, i.e. use them a bit like a rake. If I want to carry a log I tend to stand next to it and hit it with the pick, in a way that means if I miss the pick will carry on past my feet. If I try to pick up a log in front of me it's much harder. It's not that easy to describe, have you looked for a suitable video?

Including your pension pot and business assets from what I read. I assume some of these ideas are being deliberately floated about to judge what sort of reaction they get.

You're missing the point. The new regs means sellers of <2 cubic meters of logs must sell under 20%. After a bit of research that's wet basis. Most, if not all, cheap meters use dry basis. 25% dry basis = 20% wet basis. So, if you deliver your logs at the legal limit of 20% wet and some know it all whips out their cheap meter it'll say 25% and they'll start complaining etc, etc.

I cannot find any info what basis that one uses either. As it can be used for construction it's likely to be dry basis, so we're back to the same problem.

There are no ditches at all, no space for them on the road and no sign in the field. There's plenty of examples where you don't need to accept water, for example a one neighbour cannot channel water where it would harm the other neighbour. (You cannot divert gutters onto your neighbours patio for example). I am also aware that if the boot was on the other foot, i.e. my field flooded the road the council could take action against me. So the laws are not straight forward.

I think the simple answer is unless a moisture meter clearly states what basis it uses you cannot rely on it. If you're a commercial producer I would expect you'd need a suitable meter and be able to prove what basis it uses. As for a private user, you should be able to work out what basis it uses by fully drying a piece of wood. @openspaceman has described this process in other threads. It would be nice if woodsure or a similar body provided a list of meters and the basis they use. Might be worth emailing them?

Does anyone know much about drainage rights? I have some simple understanding and I've done some reading but it's a vast subject. I understand some basics, such as the requirement to accept water from a higher field for example, or riparian rights to accept water from a higher ditch into yours etc. Specifically I have a field that I'd like to plant up with trees. This field is being flooded by the road via the field entrance. There is no ditch on the road or in the field so I do not believe there are any riparian rights. There is nothing in my deeds and nothing came up in the searches when the house was purchased. It is not a simple matter to dig my own ditch as I would be diverting water containing a large amount of pollution from the road direct into a stream. It would also be a fair bit of work to maintain as there's a vast amount of silt that will block it. As I don't use this field entrance I can either block it or leave it to naturally block. However, this will leave the water on the road. I have tried discussing the issue with the council but they have been no use at all. Matters have come to a head as there's been some recent accidents due to the poor roads in the area and I'm worried that I'll end up with a field full or diesel/oil etc. When I've raised this with the council they feel it would be my problem to sort out. So, does anyone know if I have to accept this water and everything it contains? Can anyone point me towards a suitable guide? I am aware I may need to take legal advice but I would like to get a better understanding of the law first.

Interest read. One thing that sticks out to me are there seem to be so few magpies recorded. Do you really have such low numbers? I'm curious as although we have quite a few birds here there's a huge number of corvids such as magpies.

I wonder if it is some form of rocket mass stove?

If you don't get any answers here I would recommend posting on https://bushcraftuk.com/community/ forum as there's leather workers, historians and general tool collectors over there. I'll happily post a thread for you if you wish.

The first of your new pictures is the flu outlet, so as you say it's not connected up. The firebricks look new but the stove used so possibly it's been picked up 2nd hand to dress the room. Have you spoken to the previous owner? It may be some form of ceramic stove but can't find anything to match on google.

Pellets would fall through the grill? The top would appear where the flu would fit if it's a stove. Is this stove in the UK? Is the thin pipe on the back connected to anything, i.e. is it not gas or electric? It looks too close to combustibles such as the skirting to be a normal wood burner. I had wondered if it's some form of patio stove. As has been said, is there any maker's details on it? The top bar in the 'firebox' appears to have some form writing or mark on it.

Funnily enough I'm not that keen on the tables but quite like the stairs. Reminds me more of the local beaches in the summer sun as the tide comes in.