Acerforestry

Benzene is what I was thinking of other than ethanol, not great stuff to be breathing in all day admittedly. That said, I have met plenty of wood cutters who have made old age in reasonable nick so I guess genetics play a part

Can we just clarify something here. I've used Aspen to a degree in forestry saws over the past few months and I'd love to say it has made my lungs and cough better, but frankly with brash fires constantly going (green wood smoke proven to be carcinogenic), there isn't any noticeable difference. I do care about my health by the way, but can't justify the extra daily cost on top of all other consumables - the margins in chestnut cutting are just too low. I also can't store pallets of the stuff where I am, so slighly stuffed in that respect. Is it primarily supposed to be the ethanol that is the most damaging in the emissions, or other chemicals; I'm wondering to what degree the higher octane / ethanol free pump fuel may at least be some improvement on what is inhaled? Maybe I just need a job shift before I keel over.

No I can see that for chestnut post and rail you could only use it for the vertical slots (or use a very narrow tip bar for horizontals), so fair comment Dave. What you have there is probably a lot more suitable

I've recently seen this bit of kit online and it does appear to look quite effective and safe. Has anyone used one, or had a go at constructing something similar (otherwise order from Australia)

In Kent we are tier 3, I think (I don't give it a lot of thought). I'm slightly baffled as to why this seems to be a built-up area issue, only. Our village is about 7 miles south of Maidstone and despite being fairly rural is still heavily populated, more like a small town, but cases out here are unheard of. So why is this? People are still mixing, working, and driving all over the place, doing whatever. It simply doesn't stack up that the vast majority of illness is in towns

I have not heard of Dan Franklin, looks like that will be the go-to vids for tonight

Yep that's the fella. I actually really like the lack of background noise / music, too a lot of the time there is little sound

I can see why in some places they will try to produce plantations as a firewood crop. Fast growing and according to a log client of mine whom I supplied some to a year or so back, virtually took the log stove temp off the scale. Lovely stuff, truly

A full scribe cabin is a thing of beauty - there is a bloke whom I am trying to recall the nationality of (Slovakian / Estonian?) on youtube, if you search for log cabin build you will find him...who builds his in the wilds of Eastern Europe, from scratch and largely on his own until it gets to the roof, I think. Check it out, fantastic to watch. He has an uncanny ability to flick an axe backwards, landing it smack in the middle of the stump he has just left from one of the poles, a skilled character

I've been sent a video today with both Bill and Mel Gates (along with a Yank TV newsreader) clearly stating that microchips will most likely be in every dose of "Covid vaccine". The theory here is that it will rule out risk of conterfeiting...and "create the world that we want" according to Mrs Gates. Not in my ideal world thanks...opinions invited on this, it sounds to me like we are getting closer by the hour to a plotline akin to Nineteen Eighty Four. Will try and attach the vid, but I'm not too good at this sort of thing

Bearskin by James McLaughlin, brilliant debut

I've not read the other replies (getting a bit lazy like that), but honestly would recommend the following...do something akin to a a sprint triathlon, even a very toned down version where the run is actually a fast walk to begin with etc, you get my drift, and make sure you swim even if the cycle or run gets you to a public pool (f they are open). Excercise just can't be stressed enough in combating the blues, and cold water immersion is so effective I believe with outdoor swimmers that depressive illness is virtually unheard of. Ideally do the aformentioned whilst listening to Ian Dury singing "Reasons to be cheerful" on a loop, on your Ipod. That little lot should do it, good luck...

I don't always agree with policy regarding intruders in other countries, but this is one respect in which I reckon the Yanks are correct "So, the accused was shot whilst attempting to steal goods, at night, from the defendant's outbuilding. whilst armed with a crowbar? Case closed, this court is adjourned" Quite right too

I couldn't agree more. Thankfully more and more ordinary people (thankfully of the free-thinking fraternity) are starting to question why a "vaccine" for something that actually kills so few people is having to be rushed through, conveniently bypassing all the usual lengthy processes that assure us that it won't actually do more harm than good (ie, making you seriously ill, with no recourse for suing the greedy idiots who made it)....but then, anyone who questions the wisdom of the experts is a conspiracy theorist, right?

Uh, which??

The Oregon ones are not good, design looks promising but do not tend to dig in well - that was the odd thing with the Woodchuck, it didn't look particularly like it would penetrate well but actually was really good. I think the Fiskars

Thanks for all replies, a toss up between the Bison and the Fiskars I think

Christ, that was a fair haul. Sorry to hear this

Until recently i had a Woodchuck pickaroon, i'd customised with a longer handle - perfect for dragging chestnut stems around without doing my back in; unfortunately is now mislaid somewhere and no idea if I'll see it again. Has anyone bought any of the longer handled commercial pickaroons, or did anyonme buy one of Rob D's (s I had)that they no longer use? Happy to pay retail for another one, not so keen on paying nearly the same money again on carriage and import from the States. Some of the sappies are rubbish, I found that the woodchuck version dug in to timber really well despite having no weight to it. Has anyone tried the Fiskars type?

I'm actually starting to feel that anyone who can't see this gradual, insiduous increase of control measures is maybe not seeing the wood for the trees here. All the time, this ramped - up melodrama about the "huge increase in postitive cases", when as it's plain to see, people are not dropping dead (or even getting notably sick)left, right and centre. Nor are the hospitals full. Yes, this is for the best part complete ballbags

I'm not supposed to be posting any more on this thread but what the hell I always was full of the proverbial...I can understand why saying "of a lot us" might upset some people but that's not literally what I meant- having 2 kids generally is of course not excessive, having 8 is. And in a lot of countries old habits / religious compunction die hard. They are not going to be educated overnight

In fact you are right, really. Unfortunately if you ask a few hundred million people if they fancy checking out early to save the planet, I guess you won't get many replies. but long term one way or the other, a lot of us have got to stop breeding

I'm going to make my final post on this thread that I was the OP on. We all need to start using our own judgement and common sense on this matter and stop thinking "oh but the goverment says this, the scientists say that", and actually go with what gut feeling is telling you. We have all heard so much contradictory nonsense on this subject that surely by now, with an increasing number of the general public questioning if we really need to be doing the following Stopping children from going to school Completely and irreparably damaging businesses, small and large, by dictating who can carry out what services, how and when (if at all) Forcing us to wear masks (despite initially stating they would have little effect at all) Scaring the living daylights out of many people with compromised immunity and insisting they stay indoors (despite there being no hard evidence that they are actually at risk) Ultimately bringing about the scenario this autumn when due to the inevitable "spike" due to people getting colds, flu and general malaise as is normal at the time of year (remember all of this will flag up as "coronavirus"), there will be a very likely compulsory vaccination situation. For a virus that causes no more deaths than influenza. And what will be in the vaccine. Do you trust Gates? I have a video link with him stating during a speech that the global population needs to come DOWN by 10-15 per cent, "with careful vaccination". And he will be implemental in the vaccine... Still not thinking that something isn't quite right...are you sure? Stop just accepting the situation or within a few years we will all be able to fit "our rights" on the back of a fag packet

Mark, even the so called experts are saying that the figures are meaningless given that the tests are not seen as accurate. And the symptoms are so mild that a lot of us won't even know we have had it. A "pandemic" is the likes of the Spanish flu, thousands lying in military style hospitals and people dropping like flies. Not this bogus crap

And apparently the big demo in Berlin was disbanded by the old bill as people were not social distancing. Now there is a telling scenario, the Germans are normally a very law abiding, "lets's play it straight" society as we know but they all smell a rat about this whole crackpot situation and wanted to gather to have a bit of a yarn about it all. Except now of course, you can't do that. Despite the fact that infection or fatality figures are not actually rising in Europe. When you have got the likes of Robert F Kennedy Junior on the conspiracy theorist's team, you know that some high ranking people are starting to have serious doubts (and he is in Berlin)