neiln

Tax new stoves and you drive the wrong behaviour.... We all hang on to older stoves that are less efficient and less clean. So I doubt they will do it.

ratman, i know. stubby, if its cold enough there is steam, its made in efficent burning and eventually the cold air make it condense. that is the other very easy clue it isn't smoke... gap/clear coming from the chimney....plume suddenly appears in fresh air a metre or so up.....smoke don't do that! top down firefighting! personally i leave th pros to do it as they wish. As for firelighting,...bottom up is fine just use lots of kindling to get it roaring fast, that's my technique...smoke for 30 seconds if that i reckon. get the stove and the flue hot fast, get a good draw, get the secondaries going fast...get it all clean.

the wanky neighbours don't see smoke, they see steam condensing in the cold. ts white not black/grey

Enforcement of this, there lies the problem. There is so much that affects wood MC, it can reabsorb readily, and how do you even measure it? Meter? On what, one log, freshly split face, along the grain applying a certain minimum pressure to the pins, at the 'middle of the split' ... Or do you test multiple, or every log in the load? Is an average below 20% ok, or must every tested piece be that dry? Meters aren't the most accurate, should weight measurement and kiln drying be used to measure MC? Who is going to do it? Who is responsible for the product? You soon need a paper trail from producer to retailer to customer. Maybe instead the better way is customer education, customer responsibly too. Customer emits smoke, customer in trouble, but help them through education. How about clear, bold labelling on firewood products... Make it shocking even like smoking health warnings.' burning wet wood kills'. ' if your wood smolders and smokes it's wet, return it to your retailer for a refund and seek a better supply'

It does look like a minute sun in the middle of the stove.

Looking at the photos I can't help thinking Richard and nepia should swap stoves. Richard seems to have a tiny fire in a large stove (impressed or actually burns). Nepia seems to have an impressively overloaded small stove. Although even th smaller stove looks too large for the fireplace.

I've been considering it. But with an almost one year old who is almost walking id need to set the guard up first..... Tempted though!

Leyland c makes a pretty decent firewood. Not bad to split despite its many knots, dries readily and is very dense for softwood. More energy than sycamore I'd say. Makes super kindling/starter logs I'm always happy to goblin some Leyland cypress. I do get to goblin 3 times as much Oak, plenty of false acacia, birch and Holly, but still ask my mate for Leyland to mix in my pile.

big glass for best view of the dancing flames...all good.

look up buckin' billy ray on you tube, and watch some of his videos. Also steven edholm, aka skillcult, has excellent blogs on how to handle an axe. DONT shoulder the haft, the head should go tight very slowly, if it shoulders, it will come loose. take your time.

Complete the survey right and you could get the government to promote softwood. My logic:. Softwood dries far quicker so a greater percentage of wood sold would be 'dry' (20% or whatever), so softwood leads to cleaner burning. I also wonder if the higher voc and hence higher temps/intenser burn might lead to less particulates.... Can't be bothered to do a search but there may be evidence of that.

Reading the paper again there are some lines which strongly suggest to me that a few lines from an industry body can go a long way. For example, and ensuring that chimneys are regularly swept by a professional or registered chimney sweep all make a big difference. Errr. ..I sweep my own chimney, is a certified sweep going to make the air cleaner?

I suspect the draft strategy/paper has lots of errors. 2 years to dry wood is one. Unfortunately it varies massively.... Soft wood, split small, good conditions, dry to well below 20% in a few summer months, well dry in a few winter months. Other end of the scale, big splits of Oak in poor conditions.... Never dry. I have to raise an eyebrow at the diagram top of page 5,. The big difference between old stoves and modern..... Are they really comparing apples and apples? I suspect it may be worst case figures for old stoves, best case for new. Out of interest, what do you gents think the certified scheme would add to the cost of 1m3 of wood?

Have you got a link? My search is finding a consultation that closed 14 August.

I agree the wet wood ban is great in principle but unenforceable and will add considerably to the cost of wood. That may be intentional, it will reduce wood use in cities. Extending smoke control to everywhere? That then creates a need for a lot of old stoves to be replaced. Will the government help with that? My dad tells me there was help to update fires etc when London first got smoke control measures back in the day. If there isn't help them rural people get a double whammy, buy a new stove and pay more for wood, oouch.

https://www.sam-turner.co.uk/stihl-ax-30-c-cleaving-hammer-3000g.html?fo_c=603&fo_k=3376bc233f55afef1de8edb958071383&fo_s=gplauk&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5NnbBRDaARIsAJP-YR-PBTnNp8VO6td6fh4eBU2cy50erGawhxD_JaaCuHXeymQ2-z-EzVYaAicmEALw_wcB Iirc that non pro version is a 6lb head and comes cheap with an ash shaft (that one) or ever so slightly more with a hickory shaft. That would still be noticeably heftier than the x27. My view.... The 8lb version isn't worth over twice the price.

https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/husqvarna-splitting-axe-s2800-70cm?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5NnbBRDaARIsAJP-YR-0A-q8odYfUR-L9QdbnclAUxtS74_aR2vUO6wNl92lz6eqFpgyakcaAlDgEALw_wcB Considerably more oomph than the x27 despite being shorter, it's a good tool

https://www.westfalia.net/shops/gardening/garden_tools/wood_splitting/splitting_hammers/383265-big_ox_wood_splitting_hammer.htm?art_nr=659995&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5NnbBRDaARIsAJP-YR_2KJBfawjhNn_jRwkgqx7MLEw2q4YKsgMUku5o7YC-UXzBKNIDerAaAj-NEALw_wcB&utm_medium=1.+SEA&utm_source=Google Adwords+WWC Produktdaten+UK&utm_campaign=Google Adwords+WWC Produktdaten+UK A few quid cheaper in yellow then red. The husqvarna s2800 is well talked of

Look up Steven Edholm aka Skillcult on YouTube, he's done a few lovely blogs on handle design/thinning for strength and comfort. He also has some great blogs on making a raw hide overstrike protector. I bit... No... Way beyond me! Nice to watch though.

I think it's more a matter of design then material. I find the fiskars x27 comfy. The x17 is noticeably stiffer as it's much shorter so can jar but doesn't vibrate if they make sense. A cheap fibre glass handled maul I had I didn't get on with and handle vibration was part of it. A good hickory handle will last a long while and can be very comfy but if it's too thick it will jar like a fibre glass handle. My stihl maul handle is too thick, but it never gets used for long sessions. I ought to thin it down, the advantage of any wood handle is that you can take a rasp or spoke shave to it and make it whippy and comfy. Another disadvantage is cheap wood handles will break even without overstrike. The bison pickaroon handles are awful.... Mine lasted no more than 3m3! But it's now a much better tool with a whippy hickory handle. If you split with a wooden handle axe, an overstrike protector helps a lot, as does good aim... But you'll still replace handles occasionally. A 32" Smedberg shaft (what gransfors use I believe) isn't cheap. I guess that's partly why the fiskars is my work horse, but I enjoy picking up my Elwell and once I get it hung I'll smile when I pick up the Kelly.

I'd like the fiskars isocore but fiskars UK have no plans to bring it here, or didn't when I contacted them a while back. To me the x46/spalthammer didn't look a good bit of kit. That's why I went for the stihl maul, that and getting an eBay bargain. Seller didn't realise it was the pro (bigger) version that cost £85 not £35ish, and no one else bid. It's made by oschenkof....I think you may find their yellow painted version for about £70.... Stihl red must be expensive. The fiskars isocore can be got from Amazon us but with shipping is £90+ I've seen that thing in the photo reviewed although can't remember it's name. Search for maul_rat on YouTube, think that's the guys YouTube handle.

Unless you always get the same wood then a spread of tools is handy. Myself I find the x27 light enough for extended sessions but powerful enough for most work. The really stubborn logs defeat it and I need more mass then, so out comes the stihl pro cleaving hammer (8lb head, 36" shaft). Some stuff I get splits super easy and then it's nice to rattle through with a smaller/lighter axe and I'll pick up the x17 or a 28" handled 2 3/4 lb Elwell, although that's a chopping axe and not an amazing splitter. I've also picked up a 6lb Wetterlings feller, a 4lb Kelly True Temper Jersey pattern and..... A spread of tools is good! The gransfors I've never used but only hear good things, I think it's an excellent tool. Worth the money? If it gives you more pleasure to use a more 'artisan' or traditional tool then perhaps yes. If it doesn't make you smile more.... Why not!! Price wise though hults bruk/hultafors is cheaper and as good (not sure if they do a big splitter.... Think they do.... Or the Arvika, a race feller, has ample mass to split well), or a vintage Wetterlings.... These will bring Sweden's finest steel to you for a less painful price. Reviving a vintage axe can also bring other pleasure.

ooooooooOOOOOOooooo, yeah its a great lack of thought, it doesn't waste much money to create needless legislation...just a few thousand hours of parliament..... We could waste money and fail to afford a few more public services.

but those laws already exist. i'm with alycidon, educate.

hmm, possibly a good step, but not sure how they would enforce that, particularly for 'wet wood'