Dan Maynard

I did UA1 basic electrical knowledge module which was enough to scare me. 3m is indeed the vicinity zone around 11kV lines, which you never breach in order to maintain the safety zone around the conductor inside. However this is only for DNO authorised people, safe systems of work, etc etc. For everyone else, contact the DNO if you are working within 10m of the line and they will discuss and advise a safe system of work.

I'm still bothered by this. If it's true that the depth gauge should be at 0.045 when the cutter is worn, then my chains which I file with a constant 0.025 should be cutting almost nothing. That is not my experience, they seem to cut just fine all the way to the end of the chain. I also don't buy the argument about the contact point tipping over the back rivet, most of the force in the chain is tension and reaction force in the opposite direction to that from the cutters. The implication here is that the tooth will be rotating so that the raker lifts up off the bar, to reduce the cutter engagement. Can't see that happening. Smells a bit of marketing and how things have always been done rather than proper explanation of forces and actions.

I've looked at 3 HC recently on public spaces which are not dead but have some of that breadcrumb type fungal mush, but no brackets. Have you found out any more since? Try to get some pictures tomorrow.

Hmm interesting - that price for 565 must make it more the 365 was but I'm looking at Radmore and Tucker, seems 565 is £747 and 572 is £811, so maybe has changed since you bought yours?

Sorry what's CST ? They are both offered for sale here, so seems like we're not sure if we use CST or not.

Common lime? Would be a more likely option, depending on where tree was?

Can only see it being a major major pain to have the loader tied up chipping, having to disconnect hydraulics to move etc. Definitely want a separate engine.

I ended up with a Searon I think off Amazon, if you coil the wire up and hold it near the plug lead it picks up ok so no need to actually get in and wrap it around.

Last time I looked though not easy to buy TinyTach in the UK, unless someone knows otherwise?

Look at the number of adverts and people saying they have no response. When I did my degree (engineering) I was sponsored by Lucas - they had excellent training from apprentice through to management and earned a reputation for it so it was a good place to get a job. This was early 90s though, cutbacks since then. I think the Glendale's of the world should be thinking long term and training people, yes some will come and learn and leave but some will stay.

Look like rungs - Stairway to heaven?

Exactly my point, I need a crane to hang the chain block off of else I'm going to be handballing them all out of the bag after that. And a little frame to keep the bag corners apart while the logs go in, etc etc Or chuck em in a trailer I measured years ago.

Simple practicality, isn't it? To sell by weight I'd need some sort of massive scales, all I need to sell by volume is a tape measure.

... and then it starts raining ...

I don't think the people making the rules have any idea just how many firewood sellers there are outside of London, it's a completely unmanageable system. I think there should be a threshold limit on volume that requires you to register, say under 50cube. Personally I only sell about 10 a year, am I going to register at £500/year for that?

I was going to say, 365xtorq vs 372xp was something like 30 or 40% cheaper, so a good deal even after sending it for porting. I don't get the 585 though, less than 10% cheaper and more than 10% less power.

We have a lad from New Zealand with us, who's got wanderlust and thinking of Canada next. We've done two conifer hedges together so far, he does the top so that he gets the full UK tree work experience to look back on when he's bored of being 150 feet up a conifer in BC.

Couple of strokes on each tooth every few tanks of oil, much easier to keep it razor sharp than to let it get blunt and then try to put an edge back on. I'd get a kit like this: OREGON 4.5mm (11/64-Inch) Chainsaw Sharpening and Guide Bar Maintenance Kit for 3/8-Inch Narrow Kerf Saw Chains (558549) : Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders. Shop OREGON 4.5mm (11/64-Inch) Chainsaw Sharpening and Guide Bar Maintenance Kit for 3/8-Inch Narrow Kerf Saw Chains (558549).

Are you sure? Was in our local wood today, some of the stumps I coppiced 3 years ago have sprouted to over 8 feet tall. Regrowth from stumps is much faster than new planting because of the established root system.

I've done a few as a subbie which overrun, climbed out on top of one and I swear it looked like a tennis court it was so wide and green. I think you just have to do your best, if it takes 4 days instead of 3 then that's not ideal but ultimately not your responsibility, you can only do what you can do, safely. Your boss can't climb to the top of each one to check before quoting, and they know that so they should have some contingency in the price. Only other tip I could add to the suggestions made is sometimes on a ladder like that where it feels sketchy I will wear a harness and chuck a lanyard round something in the hedge, means you can lean against it and have both hands free for holding saw. Sometimes though you wouldn't hit the ground if you let go and ropes just get in a tangle and better off without. I do think it's funny sometimes how there is no NPTC for these kind of skills but it's actually what you spend a lot of time doing. Heard some chaps today saying they had been required to do a blower ticket.

That legislation is already passed, so not new regulations really but just the regulations coming into force for smaller producers. If you take any notice of course.....

The simple Stihl or Oregon plate types that clamp to the file.

chainsawbars.co.uk let you order any number of links so that would be one answer. Otherwise if you can find a smaller dealer they should be able to make up the loop from a bulk reel. I guess maybe there's another bar but bit of a minefield to advise.

Following Stubbys post, if you crush a few laurel leaves together the cyanide released smells of almond. It would destroy the cutting. To be honest we don't have that much rhodi round here as mostly clay so things are usually laurel. I did a bit of looking, rhodi should have spiral leaf pattern but laurel alternate. To me it looks like laurel from the picture but don't take my word for it.

I don't use those guides, one thing that put me off trying is that you need a different one for each pitch and gauge of chain. I think the problem will be that your Husqvarna chain is 0.058 gauge and the Stihl is 0.063, wider gauge meaning wider links rather than brand of chain as such. If you widen it, it'll wobble on the narrower when you go back - not ideal.