trigger_andy

Was that through Ken? Or maybe Harold? Do you know how they where loaded on the ship? It was that lad with the big lumps of Oak we where gonna buy off of him that was looking to buy some but backed out due being so far from Montrose.

The loads at the time where Birch. I first got wind of them through a lad who does large quantities of Firewood. Thinks nothing of turning stunning logs of all species into it. He was told by a well respected local haulier when logs where in very short supply. So it’s a bit of a “my brother-in-laws sisters boyfriend” story unfortunately. 🤣 I think @Johnsond actually got his hands on some of the Birch, big fat buggers, not like you see around here that if they are that size they’re rotten on the middle. He might have a clearer picture.

Not a clue, sorry. It’s just what I was told. I guess it’s ok for a short hop across the North Sea?

I could not work without a loader, even with my baby 751. I can move beams around easy enough on a trolly but 24” slabs? No thanks.

Ever past Angus Biofuels outside of Kirriemuir? Acres of softwood logs, many a nice diameter for milling and as clean and as straight as you like stacked a good 10m high. All for chip.

Yeh, it’s not fun turning 1.5t logs with a flat side or two with a Cant Hook. 🤣 I bought the Logosol Log Turner, best £700 I ever spent. Makes light work of it and is great for squaring up perfectly because (as I’m sure you know) just because the log is hard up against the log rest does not mean it’s 100% square. So being able to tweak the log til it is is great. But I’ve not seen or played with Dave’s machine yet so perhaps he can do that anyway? Im looking forward to seeing Dave beast, it’s certainly a very well engineered looking bit of HD kit!

Woodmizers seem to last forever, plenty of 20-30 year old beat-up Mizers still earning their keep. But they are also have serious lead times just now as well. If I had the coin I’d certainly not rule them out. Logosol don’t really do hydraulics yet, which is a shame. But the B1001 is significantly cheaper than £24k plus vat. They are also very well made with first rate support. Two year almost no quibble parts replacement and prompt delivery direct from Sweden. They also have two or three dealers/stockists in the U.K. But forget the Welsh Dealer, totally useless. Dave said he’ll pop down with his machine soon. Really looking forward to it. Got a few nice big lumps to put through it. [emoji16] Just need to entice him with some oak. [emoji16]

If Dave ever sells for £15k I’ll bite his arm off. 🤣

I’ve been informed that the containers full of Timber/Saw Logs arriving at Montrose Port go to auction at the Quayside.

I like the tassel option, so you can pull it back out again in case it gets lost.

Fixed that for ya.

Interestingly after reading your link £600 a day for brickies does not surprise me. Supply and demand and all that. Which kinda ties in with what my brothers demanding and getting up here in the N.E of Scotland. Whilst it’s not enough to make me give up my day job it’s good to know there’s something to fall back on if I get made redundant or want to give up the off-shore game altogether. I simply cannot work in an office.

Cement is limited to 2 bags a visit, if they’ve got it. Somethings it’s just quick drying left. Bill bags of ballast is virtually never in. Thankfully he can just rattle off fencing materials on my mill as he bought 50t of Larch when I did. We’ve had builders come down 30-40 miles to buy larch and don’t bat an eyelid at the price he’s asking. But it seems like it’s just getting worse.

Sorry, I was jumping around a bit there. I meant the average wage of £10 an hour as a Lorry Driver, it’s just not worth it. But I think it should be £20 an hour all things considered. In my mind it’s a job with at least twice the skills required, significantly more risk and responsibilities for the driver and those around him on the road and the long lonely days away from his/her family. So yes, he/she should be paid double the wage of a shelf stacker. There is certainly easy enough ways to make £50k a year. My brothers just moved up from London, was a Manager of a successful building firm. £55k a year but wanted to come back to Scotland. He’s been back since March and started up as what you could call an odd-job man till he gets his Building firm up and running. Works 3-4 days a week including quoting for work. Booked 2-3 months in advance and is making more than he made in London. We knocked out Slab laying job in 2.5 days. £2250 with £250 in materials (slabs already on-site) If he’s not making £400 a day profit out of the job he turns it down and is still booked out for months. We’ve got a job lined up when we get back. Should be 3 days max, £2k profit for both of us all going well. Why folk scratch a living knocking their pan in on the breadline I’ll never know.

I remember someone saying a while ago they sell sawdust or chip as bedding. Just wondered what the going rate for it is. Potentially 1ton dumpy bags. Since I’ve got the Logosol LM410 on its way I’m looking to see how best advertise the shavings. In fact I’ve had a Horsey Girl call a few times asking if I’m supplying yet, so clearly there is a market out there. I’m also looking at a good extraction system. Logosols range is all 3ph and I’d prefer 240v but since I’ll most likely need to run in on a Genny it might not make much difference.

£20 an hour while still a joke is a wage you could just about live a semi-comfortable existence on. It’s little wonder there is such a huge shortage of people willing to to go through the training required (and potentially pay for themselves) when they can earn the same stocking shelves, have to fork out nothing on training and get home each night of the week.

Sometimes its better to expose a fundamental flaw than to ignore it and continue to kick the can down the road. Brexit is akin to pulling the plaster off quickly. It was badly needed for a number of reasons and this is just another one to add to the list. Perhaps now the UK will be forced to train out youth and the continued fall into stagnation will be halted?

You know that term has been 'canceled' by those here that struggle to understand it, right?

When will these companies learn that people living in the UK need to be paid a wage that reflects the skills ,responsibility and as you mention time away from your family that come with the job they are doing? £10 an hour? Seriously? They might as well work in Tesco stocking shelves. I was gobsmacked when the Manager at my local Jewsons said he was on £80 a day. The discussion came about as I was in with a mate and his labourer was complaining he was hard done by being on £100 a day.

I’ve never been keen on getting a Smart Meter. Currently I have a digital readout meter and the missus updates the supplier periodically. If we wished to change our tariff, even with the same supplier I’m told we have to have a Smart Meter installed. I’m now getting letters saying my digital Meter is going out of calibration and I should get a Smart Meter installed. [emoji849] Any idea what my options are here?

Very interesting, thanks. Our washing machine is on for what feels like 24/7. Towels used once etc Clothes thrown in the wash pile with a small stain by teenagers who don’t pay the bill. Guess I’ll need to look into this when I get home. 😁

All sorted now. Down to about £100 a month since the middle of winter. Our usage hardly changes much over the seasons as all our hotwater is from milling waste in the Kitchen Stove. Showers are mains pressure and no longer electric etc. I went for a 280 litre dual coil cylinder to keep up with bath and shower demands. 😁 The new Grant oil boiler sips oil compared to the old Rayburn but virtually never on as the Stoves provide the heat we need. With 6 chimneys in the house more will be getting Stoves installed if anyone complains about the cold again.

I will inform the accountant, aka the Wife We where burning through about £2500-£3000 a year in electricity, not easy when you've a house full of women who are all cold tatties.