Baldbloke

You would have needed this one hundred years ago

Very interested how we all ended up involved with tree work or firewood. It was fairly obvious in another thread how there was a common theme how most wound up working with trees. Before that, I believed I was an oddity, and believed my work history to be very different from the norm until I’d read all your posts. So, let’s hear about your skills whether they are through certification, apprenticeship or competency on DIY. I’ll kick off with a chance to brag. Panel beater through apprenticeship and a decade or so of ongoing self employment. In the past have painted a couple of show winning cars as well as for insurance work. Competent mechanic. Offshore specialising in diesel. Fully service and repair my own six vehicles. Change and balance my own tyres. Once had a PPL but haven’t kept it up over the last 30 years as too costly. Occasionally get the chance of an hour or two under supervision and hope to do a cheaper licence such as for gliding or a gyrocopter. No bricklayer, but good enough for stone walling. Can plaster without needing to rub down the efforts prior to painting. Not quick but have done entire rooms. Reasonable blacksmithing skills, and have previously made double gates without a welder being required. Welding. Mig, tig, stick and Oxy/acetylene. Basic skills with a lathe. Turning and screw cutting. Able to use an English Wheel, shaper and rolls. Basic but safe tree cutting skills. Fairly competent at sharpening chains and other cutting tools including large drills. Can ride a horse, fence, work a digger and dozer. Competent with a shotgun and rifle. BLS and a few other basic skills recently picked up through NHS employment. Some of you will have more than what I’ve picked up over my 60 years so let’s hear them[emoji1303]

What is apparent reading through all these posts is that there is lots of other practical skill sets amongst chopping up trees.

I usually only tell people about my working life if they are interested. As you say, most youngsters can’t get their head around it. However, if you saw my mothers fathers career it would make even the most interesting ones mundane

Still young and plenty of time to replicate a similar CV to many on here[emoji3]

As has been mentioned it’s interesting to see we were mostly disinterested students ( except the Doctor) who either left or were chucked out of school by 16. Another strikingly apparent point is that many, like myself,have had a very varied life mainly spent outdoors(with the exception of Vesp- who appears to have spent some inside).[emoji3] Another point is that there was little advice available for early school leavers 40 years ago, and many nearing retirement age are still unsure of what they finally want to do for when they grow up[emoji3]

Taken from another website: These are the stated aims of the European People's Party, the largest political grouping in the EU:- What do we want for Europe’s future? • We want a European Political Union. The EU will, over the coming years, have to be fundamentally reformed. The Union and the Member States will exercise more powers jointly. • In future European elections, citizens must be able to make clear and comprehensible choices about the policies of the European Commission. The first steps in this respect are truly pan-European elections as well as a direct . election by the people of the President of the European Commission. • The key to Europe’s future is combining budgetary discipline and the promotion of sustainable growth, while safeguarding social Europe and defending the Euro are among the most profound expressions of the European integration process. • This means modernising our economies and reducing bureaucracy as well as strengthening fiscal and economic governance at the EU level. It also means working harder and longer. We all have to develop smarter ways of saving as well as spending. In the EU, solidarity is best translated into practice through the implementation of territorial, economic and social cohesion. • We need to complete the Single Market. Removing the last obstacles to a truly free movement of people, services, goods and capital will be indispensable. • Our common Immigration and Asylum Policy has to be further strengthened, • We have to reinforce the Europe of citizens, ensuring that they can enjoy their rights within an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. This means we have to reinforce the free movement of citizens. • The European Union needs a common energy policy that provides energy security, • We need a real European foreign policy in which our Member States speak with one voice and amalgamate their strengths. This will mean that more EU foreign policy decisions are taken by a vote and not unanimously. And don’t forget their aims of the Proposed European armed forces, in spite of NATO doing the job over a number of years Do you really fancy being involved with the upcoming superstate? [emoji1304]

Good question. I understand that at the last place I worked it was very rare to leave the estate without being fired. The job was that good. But my wife got a great work opportunity that needed a 100 mile shift north as part of the deal. So I left on good terms and still regularly call in. i did get a job offer on the Spey at the same time my wife saw an opening for me in the NHS so after some thought took the driving job for a change. Also was realising that I’m far too fond of the pop which was daily available with guests 24/7 so thought a driving job taking the piss out of Doctors, nurses and paramedics was a safer bet to reach older age.

Favourite trick for an underground wasp nest too?

The place they are living is under a shed. They also have bolt holes either side of a walled garden wall so not easy to be both sides at once. we used to use farm irrigation to do rabbit warrens. Amazing how many came out half drowned.

If the chickens can access the food the rats certainly can too. They actually jump over a foot to get onto the suspended feeder. Unfortunately work and other commitments don’t allow feeding them at specific times of day. It has to be ad lib.

Just been out and got one of about 5 that were on the feeder. The rest buggered off before I could do another?

It was production platforms. Brent field, mainly Delta. However did sleep on an ex rig. Treasure Finder or Seeker. On a bloody Bell helicopter 2 or more times a day. Worked for a defunct company called AMOD.

Me too. Trouble is its ones and twos. A bit like the traps

Not up here

We have about 20 chickens and over the last few months have seen quite a few rats. Obviously they have come in because of the availability of hen pellets plus water. I've had a few in Fenn traps but think I need to step up my efforts before I'm overrun with the f******. I've moved the chickens roost and food into a polytunnel and the rats are much more visible. Last night I went up there, and two of them were doing acrobatics off the suspended feeder. The weak torch didn't seem to bother them so I'll strap a tactical torch to the rimfire and see if I can plug a few before work tonight. I used to be able to buy bait but understand the EU is to blame for it not now being available until you've done a test at yet more cost. What is available is half the volume and half the strength and have been advised it's a waste of time and money as they almost build an immunity to it. The wife doesn't like me encouraging the dogs to get at them, but all other options are on the table rather than getting rid of the chickens, although this might be a good excuse. What is the preferred best method for dealing with this vermin? I do seem to remember successfully setting tunnel traps as a kid but can't remember the dimensions for the drawbridge that stops them coming back out. Anyone tried a buried deep barrel with two pipes into the top?

My CV and interview for the NHS job had to be fairly inventive [emoji3]Working with others within the NHS who have been there all their life made me realise how lucky I’ve inadvertently been. Not too sure what I'm going to do when I grow up

As the title suggests, what have you done during your working life? I expect many on here have had as varied a life as mine. I'll kick off with mine. In late 1975 I was kicked out of school at 15 for being a smart arse and thinking that school wasn't for me. Got a job on a farm for a year or so until my grandmother left me enough money to scrape a ticket to NZ. I remember it cost about as much then as it does now. Worked there for two years by overstaying my work visa, getting caught by immigration, and them being good enough to allow me an extension. Worked on sheep and cattle stations, with a fencing and shearing contractor, and even did a month in a slaughter house. There was always a job there if you were willing to work hard. Great place and great people. Came home and didn't want the drudgery of returning to farm work so started an apprenticeship in a car bodywork shop. Still wanted to travel though, so took off around Europe on a motorbike. Got a job in Germany in another car bodyshop and stuck it for two years. Then had some time off the cars and went to work for six months in a stone quarry near Heidelberg. Great money. Took off around other parts of Europe mainly exploring, and even doing some shelf stacking in a French supermarket. Returned to the UK and bought a house with a workshop and started a small body shop business catering mainly for the trade, and one private collector . The house with workshop in 1982 cost £12000. In 1985 a friend put in a word for me and I got a job through a contractor on a North sea offshore oil installation. The house was paid off within a year and it still allowed me two weeks in every four to continue my business. Got married and continued to work the body shop until a divorce made me realise that being stuck in a shed doing restorations and crash damage was not for me. I've always enjoyed fishing and lived on the river whenever I got free time. The next 22 years were spent on three different sporting estates as their fishing ghillie. The first place was a hard go as during the winter I was thinning woods on a self employed per ton basis. Luckily I had a good mentor on the estate who had done a great deal and showed me the basics so I didn't kill myself. He just operated the forwarder as he was getting on in years. I did the same job on the next estate during the winters, before getting full time employment on the last estate. The winters on the last estate over 8 years or so were spent helping out with the shooting as a beater and picker up with my dogs. Funnily enough, it was the last estate who paid me through the most basic saw course, even though I never did any work in the woods except for my own firewood and trimming down the river bank. I now work as a driver for the NHS out of hours service. I reckon I'm a jack of all trades and a former master of one.?

60 in three months and waiting for a hip and knee at the moment, but still able to just about do a day on the firewood. What does make me laugh is that the government appears to make no concession on age for someone whose sat on their arse all your working life, or another whose done done physically hard labour outside. You see plenty of office people enjoying decades on a pension, whereas most people that have physically worn themselves out by the time they can access a pension still have to continue to work as their pension pot is inadequate. Saying that I'd rather have had my life, than be looking back on a more lucrative life spent inside.

Definitely recommend the 365 special too. Had one supplied for work, and when I changed jobs went and bought a new one as a personal saw. A bit heavy for thinning work but great for firewood. Quite torquey and never seems to need a tune or a plug. First work one went six years on the original spark plug, and is probably still in it. However I just run a bar up to 18", so couldn't comment on 20" + bars

My first mig welder was a three phase 250 amp British thing with a remote 110 v torch and wire feed unit. Made In 1967. Transmig pre Murex. If the basic circuit board blew you could do a repair by blobbing in a bit of solder. Wire feeds were replaced by using net curtain hangers[emoji3]. It produced a weld that was as good as I’ve ever seen. Did me 20 odd years until I moved somewhere without 3 phase so I gave it to the guy who bought the house. Probably still going Took 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and Aluminium spools. All 15kg

Aquasure is the same kind of stuff but less runny

Could that strange alloy bracket merely be an additional brace between the crankcases to ensure the crank runs true? Even though the barrel effectively does this, the brace is lower.

I’m expecting Elvis to make his comeback now?