Felicitations from Pat and Sam

[Patandsam]

I like the idea of trail cameras, until you mentioned them I hadn't heard of them but googled them and they look good. We'll definitely go for that. We did resort to something similar with a couple of the persistent yachtsmen who thought it fun to anchor 200 ft off our jetty, get out their big binoculars and wolf whistle. I don't think they were looking at the Rhododendrons. We photographed them with a telephoto lens and put up a 'rogues gallery' on our notice board on the road, with a message 'Is this your pervy husband?'. We also sent it to the Yacht club and had a letter of apology.

As we don't really need logs for fuel, is there another safer way to process old wood without a chainsaw, where you chuck trees in and it minces them- I've seen tree surgeons with them but don't know what they are called or what they cost. Maybe there's one which will fit on a tractor? If it chopped them that would be even better.

[SimonFisher]

As we don't really need logs for fuel, is there another safer way to process old wood without a chainsaw, where you chuck trees in and it minces them- I've seen tree surgeons with them but don't know what they are called or what they cost. Maybe there's one which will fit on a tractor? If it chopped them that would be even better.

I think they're called chippers.

Could you just leave the wood to decompose - nature's own way of handling the matter, providing habitat as well as food for the stuff at the bottom end of the food chain.

If you don't need the firewood yourself, you might be able to gets someone to come in and do the work for you in exchange for the wood.

Chipping it just for the heck of it seems such a waste...

[Patandsam]

We will look into chippers but I'd guess they are a few hundred pounds- maybe you can rent them?

If you don't need the firewood yourself, you might be able to gets someone to come in and do the work for you in exchange for the wood.

That would be perfect, but I get the idea that theres so much scrap timber here and relatively few people that you cant give it away if you tried. Its a good idea though, we could maybe advertise in the local rag, gas is getting so expensive I'd guess more people are looking for wood for fires. Great idea, thanks for that.

[SimonFisher]

We will look into chippers but I'd guess they are a few hundred pounds- maybe you can rent them?

I suspect the big ones are more than a few hundred. You can rent them - http://www.hss.com/c/9000003/Chippers-and-Shredders.html

That would be perfect, but I get the idea that theres so much scrap timber here and relatively few people that you cant give it away if you tried. Its a good idea though, we could maybe advertise in the local rag, gas is getting so expensive I'd guess more people are looking for wood for fires.

Interesting to hear of the difference in demand in your location compared to mine. You could try posting on the likes of Freecycle and Freegle. Where I live, an offer of any sort of wood free for burning will have a queue of people wanting it.

Freecycle - http://uk.freecycle.org/
Freegle - http://www.ilovefreegle.org/

[Compo]

Is it just me or is this discussion genuinely worrying?

If you have such a busy life then I would suggest that you pay someone to sort out your woodland for you. In the long run it would be cost effective when additional insurance, equipment and maintenance expenditure areaccounted for. Besides, while you are cutting wood, who will be doing the 16 hour days in your main trade? My advice, for what it might be worth, would be to visit a dealer and buy a decent saw, a machine that has undergone stringent quality control, has been subject to a full PDI and comes with a certificated guarantee. You will need such a saw, and all the necessary PPE, before you will be allowed to undertake the most basic of training. As for chippers - anything of any real worth will be in the thousands or can be rented (we pay around £100/day for a Timberwolf 6" feed, diesel engined machine), but my advice would be to steer well clear or work with an experienced operative.

Working in woodland is inherently dangerous. Trees are big and heavy and however good or careful you are things WILL go wrong. Even a relatively small deadfall coming from eighty feet up can do serious damage. You should wear a helmet at all times and be prepared to get hurt.

Rhododendrons - keep them in the garden, their destructive role in woodland is well documented.

As someone who has worked with trees for more years than I care to recount I wish you well. But be careful!

[splodger]

as compo says - i think paying for a professional to undertake tree works on quite a large site is a very good suggestion - especially as other work commitments will occupy most of your time.
can i assume that (as an ex magistrate) you are fully aware of all planning and tree work restrictions which may apply in your area - the lake district, as part of a national park, will have very strict rules and regs regarding buildings, tree work, clearing, felling etc and the potential of a change of use of your woodland
before buying anything - maybe you should speak to your local conservation officers or at least get more info on the do's and don'ts from a local independant expert

you might find so info here: http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/tree_preservation/trees_conservation_areas

[Dexter's Shed]

buy a decent saw, a machine that has undergone stringent quality control, has been subject to a full PDI and comes with a certificated guarantee. You will need such a saw, and all the necessary PPE, before you will be allowed to undertake the most basic of training.


Working in woodland is inherently dangerous. Trees are big and heavy and however good or careful you are things WILL go wrong. Even a relatively small deadfall coming from eighty feet up can do serious damage. You should wear a helmet at all times and be prepared to get hurt.

!

I'm sorry, but as much as I may not agree with the opening posters ideas, I feel your statements could be misleading to any newcomers, the basic training your harping on about is via a certificated training course, which are necessary if your looking at charging for your services, but for using any chainsaw on your own land, and asking an experienced certificated friend for some training,which can therefore be deemed as basic training, is all that any competent person needs do,

[SimonFisher]

... the basic training your harping on about is via a certificated training course, which are necessary if your looking at charging for your services, but for using any chainsaw on your own land, and asking an experienced certificated friend for some training,which can therefore be deemed as basic training, is all that any competent person needs do

Where the hazards of the chainsaw and felling trees can seriously maim and kill, whether you intend charging for your services or not shouldn't influence the level of knowledge and competence you aim for. I would strongly advise anyone entering this area of activity to receive training from someone who has demonstrated a satisfactory level of ability in instructing others. Receiving your training from someone who was trained rather than someone who is a qualified instructor are NOT the same thing.

It's interesting to watch people working with chainsaws and felling trees - those that don't have the training from a qualified instructor usually show that fairly quicky by demonstrating poor practice.

Even at the most basic level of safely handling a chainsaw and crosscutting, there's things to learn that a qualified instructor will both show you, explain why, and then observe that you are doing that all of the time - like adopting the correct body stance, using the safety brake, and of course wearing the protective stuff.

Amazing how many people (usually those that haven't been properly trainined) will whip out the chainsaw "just for this small job" without all the protective gear ... oddly enough many of them round where I live seem to make their living as gardeners.

[Dexter's Shed]

Im not knocking what your saying simon, its just when someone says, you must do this,you must buy this, you must,you must,you must
everyone out there has their own level of competence,

as an ex building site worker of over 20yrs, working with machinery far more dangerous than a chainsaw, and currently a pest controller on the underground, where just everything we do needs certification and nearly everything thing there has the potential to kill you, I know all about correct certification,

this however is leading away from the opening posters questions, so best we leave it, to be carried on in the future in our own posts

[Compo]

Anyone trading as a business should seriously consider the insurance consequences of using a chainsaw, even on their own/business property. Having seen some of the imported saws (including those with no chainbrake whatsoever) I would always advise anyone to spend just a little more and purchase a machine from someone who will be able to advise opn its safe operation. The basic chainsaw training is exactly that - basic and you will need good quality equipment. The time to find that you're out of your depth is not when you have a tree hung up and deadfall is raining down on your unprotected head. Foot and head/eye/ear protection is the minmum anyone should use when using a chainsaw, even for crosscutting or firewood processing and to suggest anything else is, in my view, irresponsible.

Each to his own but I would be uncomfortable giving advice (on a personal contact level) to a novice who saw no need for any ppe, bought the cheapest saw and seemed unaware of the dangers of simply working in woodland - as a professional there could well be an assumed liability for future practice. For example, we never cut a tree on our own land (we have four separate woods) unless we have a back-up saw, prepped, fuelled and oiled. And a first aid kit! Just in case. Cutting firewood has its own perils, particularly for the lower leg. As far as we're concerned it's the work that makes the wood. Otherwise we would go and sit in the park and let someone else worry about the dangers.