Muddy42

Very new to milling. Here is my third attempt. 7 ft x 25 inches x 1.5 inch pippy oak. I originally cut this to 14 ft but I had to sacrifice length as it was too heavy to move to where I could get the tractor near enough. The tree was storm Arwen damage. Saw is an old Stihl MS088, 3ft bar with a cheap eco mill, hand filled crosscut chain with angles slowly being reduced. The big saw and setup cuts really well. Every day I learn more, for example how a strong wind can ruin your day by blowing sawdust in your face! Sorry no photos of the grain (phone died) but it looks lovely, lots of character.

Ah I understand now. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing that. I'd end up with the tree falling on my head! Anyway its academic because I have some long bars.

No, I did mean to say fell a tree with a diameter of max 1.5x the bar. I hope I am describing it correctly. That is what I was taught 20 odd years ago in college. Assuming the tree is a perfect cylinder, mathematically it would be possible to cut max 2x, i.e saw buried fully from both sides of the hinge. But I dont’t like this. The cut needs to be perfectly aligned, you’ll be very close to the tree when it falls, saw buried fully, maybe away from your preferred escape route etc. To go bigger than 2x, you’d be relying on the heartwood splitting on its own right? Cheers.

Jj

Well, I have run two stoves and two open fires, all with original clay lining. Touch wood, I have never had a chimney fire but I am scrupulous about keeping the fires small, cleaning the flues (twice a year for the open fires), creosote treatment and always using dry wood. The flues are long with corners, difficult and expensive to reline. I know the risks but would rather manage the situation until they need attention. To be clear I didn't recommend the OP use the flue without lining, just that he should check it himself before paying for help. Don't get me wrong, I am not against re-lining when the flue is actually leaking, another open flue is scheduled for an expensive furnaflex lining later on in the year. If you go for stainless steel watch out for cowboys and be prepare to replace the liner in <10 years.

I was impressed with the 500i that I used. You say that Stihl tend to be conservative about the bar sizes that a saw will pull. I think it is wise to be cautious about this. A lot of saws get sold based on the max bar length they can use, but just because it can pull that length it doesn't mean you should do so the whole time. There is nothing worse than using a front heavy, too long, too heavy bar in an underpowered saw for any length of time. More teeth to sharpen and you need to be very exact! I prefer to keep roughly the middle of the length range on a saw, so 15" in a 50cc and 25" in a 70 cc etc. The easy solution is to buy two bars and keep the longer one for when you really need it. You can crosscut up to double the bar length and fell up to 1.5x the bar length. Be realistic about what diameter log you actually need to cut. Just my view. I am quite short and bendy, taller people sometimes prefer longer bars for all cutting.

If I were you (and you are reasonably handy) I would still sweep and smoke test the chimney before you pay for a professional. - If there is a birds nest, you will easily disturb it - If there is rubble blocking the chimney it will be pretty obvious. Also try without the brush or a smaller brush. - If there is lots of loose mortar this will be obvious from the soot. Sweeping a chimney is not difficult, just keep screwing the rods "on" so they don't separate. Use the correctly sized brush. Also you could brush from the top if you can gain access safely. Then shine a torch up. Then prime the chimney with a heater and smoke test. If its all good, then light a small kindling fire (in the daytime) and check outside and inside for any smoke where it shouldn't be. Check the fireplaces and chimneys that share the same stack. Check attics and lift a few floor boards. By all means then bring in a professional before you use the fire properly and so your @rse is covered with your house insurance. But you won't have wasted your money on the obvious stuff. A steel liner is a good idea for a stove, but make sure its done properly, the cheap ones can cause fires. I'm afraid I have not been happy with the last two sweeps I have used. One left a lot of soot in the chimney and both weren't diligent enough. They sweep at a distance with the vacuum running and don't have a "feel" for what is happening to the rods. The camera footage isn't that helpful, it won't be able to see the kind of small cracks that let smoke out for example.

I have seen an oak tree that’s done it.

Thanks all. I will find some washers to fit.

And try sweeping the chimney with a brush!

Yes, or just a twist of newspaper. Also it might be worth placing an electric heater in the fireplace for 5 mins to kickstart a draft if the flue hasn’t been used in ages.

Thanks Stubby, but I’m not sure I follow this. The chain catcher is connected to and lower down from the felling spikes. See my photo. I cant see how I can keep the chain catcher without some type of metal either side?

Can anyone suggest where I can buy smaller, alternative felling spikes for my saw? I rarely use the spikes, especially when milling. I would discard them completely but the chain catcher is connected to them. I could regrind the profile with an angle grinder, but it would take a bit of work to make them neat. I have searched the web but all I can find are replacements. thanks in advance for any help.