lux

For sure. I didn’t want to be pushed into a design I wasn’t 100 percent on. The style of work was the same. What should of happened was I should of been passed back to the person responsible for allocating work to artists but the artist didn’t and really didn’t come across well in their emails. Big shame as the work I’ve seen from there is amazing. I shelved the idea during lockdown and work got really busy so it was just this thread giving me a kick start again. Now I need to find an equally good studio with better customer relations [emoji38]

Small world. Sadly my experience with the artist who was deemed best to do my design was pretty negative. The guys talent is amazing. First class tattoo work. I gave him my brief via email but he decided for me that it was old hat and I should choose his idea. I wasn’t keen on his idea so he said he wouldn’t do my tattoo as it wasn’t his thing. He said he would see if one of their other artists would do the work and that was the last I heard from him. It was very clear in the email conversation if you weren’t selecting a design he personally liked he wouldn’t do it. Not good service. The reason I selected their studio was a friends son had a sleeve done and I was amazed by the quality of work. Their studio isn’t local and I was happy to spend about £1500 as a budget so I was very disappointed with being brushed off as the artist didn’t like the design. Hey I don’t like what some customers as me to do to their trees but I always carry out their work to the same standards .....

Good work. I like this one [emoji23]

London’s a bit of a schlep but worth the trip to find the better studios / artists. Keeping up with work is consuming all the time of late but yes will do. [emoji106]

In your circumstances the 10 week course at merrist wood would be a much better option. It’s about 3 grand you will get a balance of theory and practical that I’d imagine will give you a better foot on the ladder that just 4 weeks practical.

I’ve been looking into a tattoo of late. I found a studio called old London road or something similar in Kingston , some of the work was hugely skilled. I’ll chase it all up again soon but I’m imagining there will be quite Some back log from Covid

Like all things they can be done well and look great or they can look a bit naff. Not very good work going on here ...... but each to their own.

Don’t worry, the rear tubs heated [emoji4]

Went to refresh my memory on a job coming up that I priced about 6 months ago. Nice woodland so took Maisie for walk whilst I measured up some of timber being removed. Terrible weather so she got daddies jacket for the drive home

Coincidentally I’m working next door to the real Mick hucknalls house in a couple of weeks.

Just bought a new 3 way tipper trailer German made. Readily available no supply issues. Couldn’t get an ifor until April from same dealer. Or any other uk brand. Trying to buy a new canopy from N and J Aluminium at the moment. Those guys are on their knees Will investigate the van situation. I’m most likely to get a new iveco.

Are you after timber on a regular basis ? I’ve got some half decent sticks to knock over coming up in the diary. I’m Haslemere. I don’t mill very often now so happy to move some on else it’s the big biomass boiler in the sky for them ...

I was looking at buying an extra van recently. Some used ones in arb spec seem to be going up in value. My transit van seems to be worth pretty much what I paid for it 4/5 years ago. I was very surprised. I bought another new tipper trailer in the end to go behind my 4x4 until next spring when I think I will just buy new as the secondhand can prices are daft.

I take it from the post you have a log kiln or access to one in which you can dry the timber. ? That’s a real plus for planks. Like hewn said if it’s beams for framing you want them green so as they naturally air dry and a mortise and tenon will gain an extra mechanical lock as it shrinks and tightens. Oak in particular Timbers for say staircases etc etc will want to be killed or air dried a number of years. I have found its best to move a stick in lengths back to the yard and mill at a later time rather than mill on site. Milling is a lovely process but is quite slow and makes a huge amount of mess. Unless a customer wants there own timber you will be spending a long time extra on a site and generating a big clean up in someone’s garden. Commercially if access allows you will make more money moving the stick and milling at a more convenient time / location and rolling onto the next tree job. I no longer mill anything because it’s just nice timber. I will relocate it and save it for another day. If you have the space etc. Generally the timber is then just used for my own projects. Hope that’s helpful.

It’s under £500 , take away the vat it’s irrelevant. That is very cheap for a big saw. I don’t need one but I might buy one out of curiosity now [emoji23] Are they on a par performance wise to say a 572 or 462 etc

Are they really under £500 ? That is very cheap.

Air leak somewhere maybe. I had one that only played up when hot. Cylinder and piston were scored. I’d imagine you’d be better off getting a new saw and chucking the old one in to be fixed and not worry about how long it takes.

See... humour helps. [emoji23]

Always makes me chuckle we use feet to express altitude in the UK. Go anywhere else in the world and what we label mountains are rolling foothills.... Scottish highlands the same, undoubtedly very beautiful but not particularly big. No getting away from the fact that our increasingly wet climate is getting tiresome. Makes you appreciate those lovely sunny days even more.

Sadly you are well wide of the mark on all counts. Luckily RSI never been an issue for me.

I only milled it once making a bridge in a horse field. Nothing fancy but some thick old slabs. I’ve heard of it being used as beams but I’ve only worked in the round at Ben laws. Some of the helical old stuff is good for veneer I believe. Anyway I have some real whoppers to fell in December. It’s down south but if it’s of interest let me know. I’ll be paying to have it lorried away as it stands.

Lol. I’ve done plenty of milling. That’s quite a description hewn. [emoji38] I hate gloves save for really cold weather. I’m just chuckling that these are special milling gloves. Do you ever mill sweet chestnut. ?

Anti vibration gloves for milling [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] .... seriously ...

Reduce the height no problem, reducing the sides will look terrible and by the look of the way it’s grown it would be a truly miserable climb. I agree with the fell and replant. Pick something that won’t outgrow its position or require lots of future pruning if you have their best interests in mind not to be giving them a future expense. Removing and replacing that tree will no doubt be enough of a cost for them.

Judging by the demand for the second hand ones going at new saw prices I’d say it would be worth it. Honey brothers got a batch of 880’s a couple of weeks back. Sold in days all at full rrp instead of the usual 27% discount from rrp. I will be getting a new 881 when they come out.