Rob_the_Sparky

Add yourself to the tipsite linked from this forum: Free Wood Chip Tip Site Directory - Arbtalk

Not sure what the link has to do with clearview stoves, I suspect the link is right but the name is wrong.

Add yourself to the tip site linked from this forum and/or contact your local companies. Many will sell logs themselves but softwood is often not easy to sell so if you aren't fussy about the types of wood (any dry wood is good for a wood burner) then you should find availability.

If it isn't treated then is firewood an option? Even if only for your heating uses. Wood should be dry already so would just be a case of cut and use. Pretty certain people are selling kindling made from builders off cuts. I suspect your issue though will be identifying what is or isn't treated.

As above, should not look like that on delivery.

Why cast iron? I have a Clearview Pioneer and very happy with it. It is a multi-fuel but I only burn wood on it so can't comment on how good it is with other fuels. How big a burner will depend not only on the size of the house but also the insulation (or lack thereof). Also whether you are also heating water and how much you plan on using it. As I understand it they are more efficient when they are run hot so a smaller wood burner might make sense, but also might be due to the rules on external air if you exceed 5kW. I've never understood the rules of drilling big holes in your nicely insulated walls to let in lots of cold air so you can use a big wood burner. However, some larger burners can be equipped with a an intake from outside if you want a bigger one and avoid this issue. Having said that ours is quite a big house but with good insulation and the one fire burnt all day meets most of our heating needs, CH only kicks in a bit even in this weather.

Yeah, I know it is a pain as I do exactly the same so when I was in doubt last year I just picked 2 or 3 logs that I thought would be a worst case, split and tested them.

The pin type meters we DIY types get only really measure surface moisture and yes that will change quickly when you move logs from a damp environment to a dry one. I.e. outside in this weather to indoors. However, as the measurement does not penetrate far it does not really tell you if the log is dry, hence as mentioned above if you want a better measurement of how dry firewood is then split a few samples and measure near the middle of the new split face. I got stung a bit by that after a flood in our house soaked part of the concrete floor. Meter said it was dry after a few months but a pro came in to measure it and showed that it was still damp. When I moved a few things standing on it, it was clear he was right as there were damp patches under them. Had to empty the room, return the dehumidifier and wait many more weeks

I believe what you call a Varmepumper is likely to be what we would call an air source heat pump e.g.: air source heat pump - Bing images

When I first had my fire I did something similar - got a few net bags from Tesco just to light it and have a play. Was not that impressed TBH but later I realised that putting a dry log on the fire does not put it out (like the Tesco logs did) and when you put a log on the fire you should not see water coming from the ends of the logs! I.e. these very small nets of logs can be terrible and I suspect a lot of reason the new rules came in about only burning dry logs. For next year, if you are up for it, I'd recommend splitting and drying your own wood. You can build a first log rack with a few nails and some pallets for next to nothing. If you are not fussy about the wood then you can get hold of it for small amounts of cash or if you are lucky free. You then just need an axe, a chainsaw (mains powered ones are not expensive) and a bit of time. You get firewood and exercise. For now though, by all means try a small bag or two but just realise that the wood may be damp/wet and it is very expensive buying wood like this but it does get you started. Another option is as above to find a good local supplier and buy a cube or two. If you have a shed of garage you can stack it in there for now. If not then just somewhere undercover. At worst just a pallet or two on the ground and a tarp over the top. Then decide how it goes for next year. By the way, 1 x 31cm log per hour s going to be very approximate but in the right ball park. 31cm is a long log for a 5kW (I'd barely get that in to mine) but a dense log will burn longer than a light one (mostly down to wood type). Wood is pretty much all equal (give or take) in weight per kWh so it is all about density rather than wood type. Weight for weight dry softwoods and hardwoods are more or less equal. It takes time to learn your fire and judge the wood types so don;t expect to get it right first time. Try these for info: The Science of Fire (orionn49.com) - it is easier when you understand how you need to control the heat in a fire to keep it going. Once it drops too cool then it will tend to do out but keep it above a key temperature and it will burn well (one of the reasons wet logs are a pain is they cool the fire). Very good book: Norwegian Wood by Lars Mytting

Sounds like you are doing the right thing. You don't say what you are willing to pay though. If like many others (including me ) the answer is very little then you can not be fussy about what wood you get. All dry wood is good wood on a wood burner. P.S. you don't say whether you are talking commercial or domestic - I'm assuming domestic.

You certainly don't need a log on end to split it but if you are splitting with them lying down then you need to be accurate as (surprise surprise) they do roll. I don't do that too often though, only normally when they are refusing to stand up nicely. I tend to judge my swing to suit the wood, aiming to not fire through the log firing the pieces apart but to not quite go through them, leaving the log on the block with the axe most of the way though, then I pull the piece off by hand and take another swing. Not surprisingly you can't get it right all the time but I find it easier than chasing chunks of wood round the garden and freeing the axe from the anvil Never been in too much of a hurry when splitting though, plenty of time in the year to produce the few cube a year I use at home.

Chopping on a bouncy surface will absorb the energy of the axe, I rather doubt pallets will be solid enough.

Must be a different type to what I get, as with others lovely wood to burn but has a corkscrew grain making splitting "fun".

Get your self on the tip site and or talk to local businesses. You just have to make it worth their while, as they aren't charities, but there are some out there that want shot of wood, generally softwood, but don't assume that will happen. I.e. first ask for green wood (not logs) then see what they are willing to give them to you for. My local arrangement consists of exchange for wine and done when it is convenient for him. I'm one of his tip sites for the wood he does not want.

1. Occasionally but not something that worries me greatly. When the sun pours in and you see lots of stuff floating in the air. 2. Have thought about buying a Ionisers/filters but cost was not low and test performance seems to show effectiveness is pretty localised. 3. No but that could be a lack of knowledge 4. No one other than me is going to do anything 5. Maybe, but with no knowledge of what I don't know (!) it is hard to say whether there is more I need to learn on a subject. 6. First need to have a problem to solve before any product is required.

Yeah interesting that as mine is holding an edge extremely well, I am mostly splitting softwood but in 3 years of use it has barely needed any sharpening (~3 to 4 stacked cube a year). As with others I like the x27 but it is not some wonder tool that will split everything and never gets stuck. I use a twisting wedge as a back-up (a fiskars one but I think it is just an overpriced version of the roughneck one) which splits almost anything but there are times a saw is just the better option. While the wedge generally works it is not always worth the effort. Although that might have a lot to do with the fact that I have a very heavy sledge that I inherited from a builder... Oh and I too started with a wood grenade, maul and hatchet from screwfix. The grenade I think is better described as an oversized nail, the maul works but isn't as good as the x27 is is heavier to use. The hatchet is blunt even after a bit of time with a file to improve it. Better than nothing but would not recommend it to anyone.

Also get in contact with tree surgeons locally. I did this a few years ago and now have a good relationship with one local one who dumps his left over wood at my place. Just ask nicely and don't expect people to make effort to deliver for no payment, he only dumps at mine if he is driving past and don't be fussy if you are not paying much.

I contacted a few locals for firewood just by looking for their ads. Some said no as they use it, others want shot of it but dumped all the brash on me as well. Finally came to an arrangement with a small company. If they are passing and don't want it they drop it off here on the way past (and I donate bottles of wine in exchange). I make it easy on them by not being fussy about what wood it is or when they deliver it. I don't see why the same would not be true for wood chip. I know at least one company locally who leave it out for you to collect and have actually paid to dump it at a local school (who use it for paths and as parents we have to do the path laying ). Make it no hassle or even a benefit for them and you stand a chance.

Yeah but we are not the general public...

Funnily enough that is exactly what I did, even found a local supplier. It is a bit expensive but the stability of the fuel means that for my occasional use it is ideal. Got it running at the weekend after a bit of swearing and a sore arm from so many attempted starts. Think I was messing up the starting procedure and flooding the engine. Will have another go if we get a window in the rain at the weekend as I think I now know what I was doing wrong (not activating the feature that holds the throttle part open for starting). It is interesting using a small petrol saw after the mains powered one I'm used to. My initial impression in that the mains saw is better, which was not what I was expecting at all. Still need to give it time to get used to the new saw and will be good to be able to work without being tied to a cable now and again.

TBH I have no problems with the mains powered saw, it works just fine and I understand electrics. Not much to go wrong in it. The plan is that the 2 stroke will be for occasional use when I am away from the plug, but we shall see what happens when I start using it along side the electric. By the way for those that are worried, I'm familiar with the safety basics and got chain saw trousers that I use (and gloves). It is more the petrol specific stuff, like keeping the chain brake on when idling as there is no idle on the electric Thanks all P.S. I say not much to go wrong on the electric but it has! Had to replace the power switch already...

Been using a 16" mains powered chain saw (Bosch AKE 40-19s) to cut firewood for a few years and just acquired a 14" 2 stroke saw from a friend for £30 as his firewood cutting days are over and I fancied something without a cord to a) try and b) for the occasional job away from a power socket. For £30 I found it hard to say no but I'm not expecting too much. It is a Mcculloch Maccat 435 but it came with no manual and I can find nothing on-line apart from a parts manual so struggling on where to start with it TBH, it being my first 2-stroke saw an all. Anyone got any manuals or can point me towards a manual for a similar saw just to get me started? (or just a don't be daft no one reads the manual, just put fuel and oil in and keep the chain sharp!)

The other point to consider is the pitch of the roof. If the roof is too flat then moisture will drip off, if the pitch is high enough then it will run down the surface. I put mine at about 25 degrees as I read online that it is what you need, seemed like a lot when I did it. We shall see this winter if that works though as I've only just put it on. Wasn't expecting to get condensation on the under side so I'll watch out for that. My other log rack has an overlapped wooden plank roof (made from pallet wood) but this one is a bit deeper and the pallets were not long enough. Thought I'd try a clear roof on this one hoping to get more sun on the stack. From what I heard wind is as important, or more important, than heat though. Not sure what to believe but certainly wood I split in September (probably felled around June time) was dry enough to burn by March (I had run out of other wood so split and tested a few samples!).

There is some theory regarding powering out. You need the trailer to be pulling on the hitch for the rig to stabilise and you need to change speed to get away from the critical resonance that is causing the snake. However, if you can slow down gently enough then the drag on the trailer and trailer brakes can apply this pulling force. In theory you should not apply the brakes as the trailer will start to push the the tow vehicle (unless the trailer brakes are particularly good). That is like reversing the trailer so any angle between car and trailer is going to increase rapidly.