Rob_the_Sparky

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.

Looks very pretty but how good it is as a wood burner?

Thanks guys, that is good to know as I get a lot of it.

I have to agree that dry wood is good wood but the sticky sap is a royal pain, gets on all the tools and gloves and on your hands when putting it on the fire. No that it stops me burning it (about half my log pile is this) but given a choice I'd avoid it due to the sap.

Looks OTT to me but I know my father used his electric in the conservatory once and got a surprise when the split log fired out to the side. Might protect the ankles of the unwary but looks like a pain to work with.

Not used this but a 15W panel should work much better than a 6W and doesn't cost a lot more. Sunshine 15W Solar Car Battery Saver/Maintainer - Sunshine Solar WWW.SUNSHINESOLAR.CO.UK The Sunshine 15W Solar Car Battery Saver/Maintainer is perfect for keeping car batteries maintained whilst not in... Say your battery is 70Ah (I would image that it will be more than this) then from flat a 6W charger would take at least 140hours to charge it. That is if you could achieve 6W, which is probably the peak output of the panel in full sun (6W = 0.5A at 12V). I doubt a 6W panel will do much more than maintain a battery charge as the actual power output achieved will be much lower when it is not in full sun. Note: speaking from theory, not practice, but you see what I mean. A 6W panel will help but don't expect it to rapidly charge anything. P.S. a quick search shows that a basic mains batter charger from Halfords is putting out more than 5A, so more than 10 times the peak power you will get from a 6W panel.

Similarly I put pallets on top of the logs and try to produce a slope to allow the rain to run off.

The advertising banners I acquired are made of a material something like that used on curtain sided lorries. Had the oldest one 2 years so far with no sign of any degradation. I'd see what you can scrounge This sort of thing: PVC Banners & Outdoor Signs| Where The Trade Buys WWW.WHERETHETRADEBUYS.CO.UK Where The Trade Buys’ PVC banners and outdoor signs are made to sustain any weather condition. For marketing... but acquired after the event being advertised had happened so they no longer had a use for them.

About half of mine are seasoned outside on pallets and over the top with spare planks, old fence posts, some old banners (rest in log racks I've made from scrap wood). Basically anything to hand that might keep the worst of the rain off (only covering the top of the stacks). Once the weather begins to get wetter I move them into the garage (which is dry). Last year I split a few bits of wood and measured the moisture level as below 18%, and I picked chunks that had been split later in the year and were a bit denser.

I like you am just cutting logs for my own fire (arb waste) and as I use a mains electric saw the fuel tank fill idea doesn't help! Hence I just sharpen by feel of the cut, when sharp the saw almost pulls its way into the wood but when blunt needs to be pushed down into the wood. Of course this varies with type of wood but you will get a feel for it. P.S. when using the file be very careful to keep the angle consistent through the file stroke, if you change the angle as you are filing (don't move the file in a straight line) then you will get very poor results (as I know by messing it up ). Hence, holding everything still makes the job much easier.

If it was only painted from new and not treated then I don't see the problem. I doubt there is much paint left on it anyway after 20 years! If pressure treated I'm not sure, certainly you aren't meant to burn treated wood but not sure of the level of risk now as the most nasty chemicals are now banned. The theory goes that any chemical in the wood gets concentrated in the ash or goes up the chimney but no idea on the details.

I guess it depends on priorities. You could do all of it with an axe and a chainsaw, that would be cheapest if you are not counting your man hours but it would take "a while". If you are producing firewood for your own use then that might be acceptable but if you want it all done quickly clearly you need a lot of man power or, more likely, mechanical help but will cost you more cash.

The screwfix set is the one I started with. It took a while with a file to put some sort of edge on the maul and hatchet it as they were both poorly sharpened as supplied. The wood grenade I found acted more like a giant nail on anything tough. Still the maul will split wood and I still use it occasionally but the x27 is lighter and splits better. However, as some have commented, as good an axe as it is it is not a maul so on tough stuff I currently use a wedge (a twisting one) and a big sledge, and that is hard work. Maybe I'll ask for a decent maul for Christmas this year given the opinions above N.B. the screwfix maul also has an odd shape on one side, effectively the width steps up. When I first used it this used to just stop it dead so I smoothed off this step and it was better but I think it is why this is part of why it is not a very good maul.

What maul are you using? Yes the x27 is quite light (the head is the same as the x25) but it has a decent edge on it and I find it just as effective as the cheap screwfix maul I was using but less effort as it is lighter. I'm guessing you are using something better quality than the screwfix one and yes an effective maul alongside the x27 would be handy to have.

Yeah that is pretty much the arrangement I have with a local tree surgeon/landscape gardener. He gets wood he doesn't want (excess that he will not turn into firewood) so drops loads at mine on the way past. That is the sort of quantity I typically get at a time as well but does vary, have had a large trailer load delivered just depends on the job and whether he wants it. It works well as I'm not fussy about what I take. I get a work out sometimes when he delivers particularly twisted or knotty stuff but it all burns P.S. I started out with a maul from Screwfix (6lb?) but even after taking a bit of time to put some sort of an edge on it is not as good as an x27 splitting axe, worth investing once you have learned with a cheap tool. I then use wedge and big sledge for the really knotty stuff - that is where the workout starts.

How advanced is the house build? When we built the extension the wall is stepped out to allow extra depth for the fireplace and accommodate the chimney. Trouble with trying to put it into a straight wall is that they might do what the original house builders did with this one in the 60s, create the extra depth by removing the block work and cavity so the wall was only a single brick thick behind the fireplace.

I'd recommend reading "Norwegian Wood..." by Lars Mytting P.S. getting hold of wood is not hard or expensive if you are not fussy about what you burn. I believe that commercially some wood really isn't worth the effort, hence the tip site on here.

Is the flue hot near the ceiling? Coving is commonly made from polystyrene and will smell terrible if it get hot.

I'd just say, get ideas on line and build your own log store. All the ones I looked at were rather expensive. Mine is made from fence posts and planks recycled from pallets. Only paid for screws, nails and wood treatment. (fence posts are ones rotted off below ground they are still over 6' long).

The only option that might work without heat would be a solvent, which one would work on the plastic your shoes are made from though I'm not sure and stands a fair chance of removing the paint as well. Maybe just get the fire very hot and hope what is left burns off? Would smell terrible though... There are a few suggestions on line if you do a search. It would seem you are not alone in doing this

Call me a skeptic but I don't see that working...