neiln

I've the yukon wellies. I only wear them for an hour or two at time while bucking logs in the garden. I have no trouble with them but wouldn't want to walk far in them, the sole is very very stiff and I imagine they would soon be uncomfortable. Ideal for me, but possibly not for you.

The bison is, I think, the same as th oschenkopf. It's head is good, it's haft is sh**. Fat, heavy, softwood, horrible to use and will break after a few months anyway. Replacing it with a nice thin hickory handle transforms the usability of the tool making it a joy to use.

European Hornbeam | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood) WWW.WOOD-DATABASE.COM

Should be measuring along the grain, freshly split surface, room temp log too, but yes the cheap moisture meters are merely a rough indicator

I've posted links before but for anyone interested it's easy enough to find. Go to Hearth.com and the be woodshed sub forum and search for ' solar kiln'. It's been discussed at length and 2 or if 3 guys have developed systems, posted extensively about it. There's a guy in Alaska or somewhere Northern and cold, drying his wood to something like 6-8% MC, in 2-3 months and being a scientific minded guy he has a lot of temp and humidity and MC data. He showed good design harnessing solar gain and the right amount of ventilation really worked. His calculations show the right amount of ventilation is surprisingly small too.

Or the moisture comes from the ground beneath the stack of wood. Solar kilns are definitely a good way to get very very dry wood very quickly.

husky recommend 30:1 on other makers oils, 50:1 on their xp stuff. I couldn't find the dpec the xp stuff met nd suspect its no better, if as good as stihl green. however, to be sure I went and bought some husky xp, and I mix at 40:1 with half stihl green, half xp. I have heard loads of people praising amsoil/saber, but no I wouldn't go below 50:1

Yep, I reckon Dan's maths are about right. 36 diameter mature oak like that, my guess is 8m3 give or take a couple, and as cut, split and stacked firewood that could be £800, delivered. Top whack a grand if its 10m3, but that's delivered, cut, split and seasoned for a couple of years. I also think £850 to take it down and clear away is cheap, for an oak that size it could be twice that. You've not lost out, I'd say you've done quite well/been lucky.

I don't know you, or your dad, but I know watching a patent lose their strength and succumb to old age, is horrible. My commiserations. Try and enjoy the little moments and hope he can too

Ok someone save me reading pages 2 to 5, does it get less depressing than it starts? The answer is a wood gasification boiler, a wood pellet boiler or 2 wood stoves, ordered by cost and effectiveness. Thread closed. ? Really though, a decent sized wood burner, or a couple will take care of most of the heating needs. Then air source heat pump and oversized rads works fine (or at least it does for my brother). Use the heat pump in the mornings when the stoves have gone cold, or all day when being lazy. For My 'forever home' I'd look at wood gasification boiler though. Right now I may enjoy scrounging, cutting, splitting and stacking...(actually no the stacking is a ball ache) 3+ cords is wood a year so much that my mains gas c/h runs about once a fortnight only, but as I get older I can imagine hankering strongly for the comfort and convenience of c/h. A large gasification boiler would be an attractive option if I could scrounge wood still.

Ah yes, the OPs situation, and my own, largely fall into that I guess. Damage that isn't making the house unliveable or in danger of collapse, as annoying as unsightly cracks and stuck doors and windows are. The big stress is knowing that I want to move as the family has outgrown the house, but attitudes to subsidence mean I can't afford to, unless it's fixed. That then is very stressful. Were houses not so absurdly expensive, particularly in London and the SE, I guess that wouldn't be such a problem. I think that climate change has created a big problem for insurers and there will be a change needed. Perhaps subsidence insurance will be a scandal like the PPI one.

I agree I think we are heading for a big issue, but why are we different to anywhere else? I don't understand that bit. Do other countries not normally insure for subsidence? Eek if that's the case. Although my own insurers have been of little to no use for the last decade! I feel like I would have been no worse off if uninsured!

As a home owner in South London with subsidence for the last decade, and neighbours that refuse to remove trees, I know a little. From what I've learnt heave is unlikely unless the house was predated by the tree and built on severely decicated soil. The insurers will have monitored the movement, either cracks growth and/or level monitoring and determined it's stable before doing the repairs. The cosmetic repairs seem standard for that level of damage. I wouldn't be too fussed about heave. I would be very concerned if there are any large trees remaining close by. Rough guide, if a tree is as close or closer then it is tall, be concerned. It does very with soil and species though. This worry would apply to any house on clay, whether it's had previous subsidence or not. Do stick with the same insurer, if the repairs fail or damage returns notify them quickly and try and get it sorted as a continuation of the previous claim. You absolutely don't want 2 different insurers arguing who is liable (old for not repairing properly Vs new for new claim, if further damage occurs) Whichever insurer you go with it will be more costly due to the subsidence. Quite a bit. All insurers are getting very worried, and trying to back out on claims I reckon, as climate change seems to be making hot dry summers more common and vegetation induced subsidence much more common. I think this may become a real issue in years to come. This will be a concern for anyone with a house built on clay with large trees nearby. Finally one of my neighbours had agreed to remove his 2 trees next month.... The other with the biggest tree.... Well I'm talking to a solicitor.

Omg yes! Yew. Without a doubt, it's depleted uranium! Don't over do it or you'll melt your stove! Leylandii is pretty decent too, but not in the same league.

Yep sap is messy but it dries well and is dense for softwood, definitely good to get stove going and get it hot.

And cutting it up to firewood needs either a big-ish saw, or a small saw and a lot of patience. BTW, where are you?

I feel sorry for you gents making a living from tree work when you have to contend with the likes I saw this morning. I heard a tool start up so walked to the window to see across the road... White van unmarked, guy in crocs shorts, t- shirt, walked from van into garden, initially while revving the saw then with it in his right hand and bar by his leg (bar backwards at least, but). He then goes up a step ladder and proceeds to take the top out a Leylandii hedge. Most would have been quicker with loppers, a bow saw would have got the trunk in 20 seconds but no. A few minutes later I saw him start a pole tool ...... With hedge trimmer attachment on the end which was useless. Wong tools for the job and the disregard for ppe and chainsaw safety was stunning. Still... He won't be competing with you for long i guess!

That's s bit pessimistic. I get wood from 3 local tree guys (for firewood) and plenty of quality hardwood like oak. Cherry, plum and Apple too. They're plenty of tree guys that are kind enough to set a few bits aside do for you, I know one of mine does for wood turners.

ta

i'm sure!

Thank you khriss. That's the finished chain in that photo, does seems better. One thing I thought yesterday was maybe I've not had the file flat enough and have been filing up a bit. Although if it were a technique thing I'd expect the big chain on the 365 to look equally odd and it doesn't. However yesterday I was consiously trying too file down a little and it seemed to possibly give a better result.... Perhaps what I thought was flat was actually up, it and what feels like down is actually flat. Anyway.. it cuts....I keep trying to get better....tips welcome! I do need to take a flat file to the rakers though, and next time I'll freehand the gullets out too I think.

Indeed, as I said the 2 in 1 doesn't seem to touch the rakers on this small size chain enough.

Really? well my 365 doesn't get much use so I've not had the time to screw it badly, but I've used the easy file on its oregon chain a few times and not noticed trouble yet....I'll b more vigilant. husky do the easy files too, same things, licenced from pferd i believe.

for the bigger sizes it works fine, honestly, it does do the rakers, and it gets a nice hook on the cutters. I only get the weirdness on the 3/8P chain on the little saw. it still cuts so I don't fret too much, but it does puzzle me. I've tried free handing with the round files to 'get the gullet' and get the hook, but noticed i was then also getting the tie strap/other side of the link. its as if 4.00mm is too large a file and doesn't quite fit low enough. I even went to the effort of checking the files were 4.0mm with a vernier! my view, the 2 in1s (real) work great on proper sized chains, and well enough on picco micro stuff. bear in mind with a ms180 I'm not entering cant races, it still cuts, still gives chips not dust, and if anything the odd shape will give a more durable 'working corner' so....although puzzled I think the result acceptable and for easy of use think the 2in1 still worth while.

oh and chain is semi chisel obvs. I've no idea what the stihl 2in 1 wold do to a full chisel PM3, if such as thing exists. i suspect semi chisel is more forgiving on the filing as the 'working corner' is....well...not a corner as such. so in conclusion....mleh, the fake is cheap, it does a fair job I think, but if it breaks when it comes to getting that stuck file out then it works out expensive compared to the real thing. Oh and please be gentle now as you critique my filing! hahahaha! the bigger stuff on the 365 looks better, honest! one more photo, just because.