RMweb Gold BoD Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2013 I never found guns a problem - put the ammo in here, squeeze the trigger and the result comes out of the far end....... The far end? So that's what I did wrong. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) I see that you can buy wedges to hammer across the surface of a log to create the all-important first split, but do they work? All suggestions gratefully received Yes, but it depends upon the species of the wood and its dryness. Using an axe as a wedge is a no-no as they are hardened and can splinter. Know this because have had to take someone to hospital who did this. You do need to be sure you can get the wedge out again because some wood can grab darned hard! and just thinking - if it doesn't split with a decent axe then it's not going to be much easier with a splitting wedge. [EDIT] There's some useful YouTube videos concerning splitting wood Edited January 4, 2013 by Coombe Barton 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debs. Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Yes, but it depends upon the species of the wood and its dryness. Using an axe as a wedge is a no-no as they are hardened and can splinter. Know this because have had to take someone to hospital who did this. You do need to be sure you can get the wedge out again because some wood can grab darned hard! I`ve always used a splitting maul for chopping; which has a wide, short (and heavy) head, a long straight handle....most farm or garden-supply shops sell them and the maul doesn`t often get stuck like a wedge.....mines a 25 lb. weight....so I get a third heating out of the wood.......Once to haul it, again when chopping it, and again (finally) when it`s burnt! My personal-record is 4 hardwood cords processed in two days (each cord is an 8ft. x 4 ft. x 4ft volume; cut and neatly-stacked).........that was when I was fashioned like a butcher`s canine. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I'm another who is (irrationally?) afraid of chainsaws. I've used them in the past, but now that I've removed all our trees that were big enough to require their use, that's it. I think what finally put me right off them was hitting a nail in one of the trees. It snapped the chain - which fortunately went straight off the front of the bar. Now I use a large bowsaw for any tree-cutting of smaller trees. It's much slower, and can still give you a nasty cut if you're not being careful, but isn't likely to separate body parts. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium AndyB Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2013 Cyclist / ambulance combo. No update yet - no doubt he'll be in the pub tonight lecturing on 531 tubing. Or the modern equivalent. Nothing like a novice to know it all. Not sure if I should mention to him that the delivery van was spotted but his missus ignored the ring at the door and so it drove off again. She seems to do that quite a lot when he's been on a spending spree. Design meeting at work today. I'm trying to work out at what point we figured out that my colleague's iPod had a Moog synthesiser app and that it would link to my Roland HP1 piano. This clearly needs more investigating! I now realise that an iPod is pretty much essential for the new project. Other tablets are available. How much progress the project will make if I'm reprising Rick Wakeman keyboard solos all day I'm not entirely sure though. There used to be a great little music shop on the London Road in Hadleigh (close to my then home back in the 70s). Pete might remember the name of it? Somehow we used to manage to blag a go on the synths most Saturdays, although impoverished schoolboys weren't known for splashing out on Moogs! Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2013 I have owned at least 6 chainsaws - 4 electric, two infernal combustion. I endorse everything everyone says about their innate ability to bite back, and do tend to treat them like the nastiest form of modelling knife - what is the escape route if this goes wrong? To date, the only injuries I have suffered have involved tree limbs doing the unexpected and diving for my legs once severed. A decent saw-horse limits the danger when logging, and the latest cheapo electric saws have a chain-brake off the switch - release the switch and the chain just stops dead. We have some sort of willow-family tree in the corner of the garden. It sheds branches at the drop of a hat, and grows like weed. It is certainly 50' high, probably more, and is once again heading outwards towards the electricity lines that it has severed before. I anticipate the power company's people will be here shortly, following which I will be busy again, no doubt! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2013 infernal combustion I like that! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2013 The Stihl saws hired out were defiitely infernal combustion, as you can imagine hiring out chainsaws they had to be perfect before going out. Strangely by the time they had been out two days they had eaten the piston rings piston little end bearing and barrel. The same engine on a saw for cutting asphalt was more often stolen than wrecked. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2013 My Debs is a dab hand at splitting logs, she pretends it's her boss.....I just do the chainsawing! The local hardware shop were dubious about sellingher the biggest axe....she's not a gurl to be trifled with. As for music - there used to be a nice music shop not far from here, in Peel, proprietor by the name of Wakeman, nice bloke with long blonde hair Shame he's left the island now. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Two things from this week - about the divas I have to deal with daily http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.ime.usp.br/~rbrito/teaching/mack/loo/interessante.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20756247 And for financiers - The Parable of the Ox from Radio 4's More or Less http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01phn0y Edited January 4, 2013 by Coombe Barton 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debs. Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) My Debs is a dab hand at splitting logs, she pretends it's her boss.....I just do the chainsawing! The local hardware shop were dubious about sellingher the biggest axe....she's not a gurl to be trifled with. I`ll have you know: I`m from the original Mother Earth News generation....a fully paid-up back-woods woman; with heart a singin` and cheeks a blazin`. My Stihl 009 chainsaw is an eon old; I bought her (new) in `85 if I recall correctly.........She`s served every Winter`s needs since: I keep her very-very sharp and cutting-true and clean her fully after every day`s use (and the chain goes in a jam-jar of 'maintenance oil' `till next time). Several years ago, I did cheat and fabricated a hydraulic log-splitter from an RSJ and a hydraulic ram from an old JCB...`works well from the tractor hydraulics; but makes me feel lazy and out of touch with the work.....Even now in my later-mid 50`s, I can still swing the maul for a couple of hours at a time with a reassuring cadence. "Arc of a Welder"...... Edited January 4, 2013 by Debs. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 A couple of hours! It's a wonder there is any more wood to split. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2013 Given there seems to be some experience here can anybody suggest a cheap and easy solution to my problem (one that does not invove a chainsaw or any other form of certain death) I recently had two trees cut down and elected to have the tree surgeons leave me the wood for my wood burner. They cut the trees into slices of an appropriate depth for the wood burner leaving me just to chop the slices into logs. This went well with the smaller ones but my axe just won't split the bigger discs. I have seen log splitters for hire but I will pay as much to hire one as the value of the wood I will end up with. I see that you can buy wedges to hammer across the surface of a log to create the all-important first split, but do they work? All suggestions gratefully received Best answer is a maul - I've had no problem at splitting logs with a maul that an axe wouldn't make any impression on at all. However unlike the long handled sort which Debs uses I use a small one, often called a 'grenade'. http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Landscaping/Picks+Axes/Hardwood+Log+Splitting+Maul+6lb+27kg/d130/sd3179/p37181 I found it in a local(ish) garden centre at just the right time as I already had a lump hammer and a rather nice sledge hammer it's ideal for me and works a treat. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium AndyB Posted January 4, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2013 Two things from this week - about the divas I have to deal with daily http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.ime.usp.br/~rbrito/teaching/mack/loo/interessante.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20756247 And for financiers - The Parable of the Ox from Radio 4's More or Less http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01phn0y Didn't Bill Gates base a speech on the first link? Or vice versa? Sadly too much beer (researching high performance push bikes) has left me scratching my head about the Beeb's graph of % self esteem. Well, I say "too much beer", but I suspect I just analytical lack talent. Chainsaws. Our village has one "near" eunuch. "Jonny 1 *awl" as we call him. Or some such. BTW, the gallery highlights at the top of the home page have some real stunners?! Franklin in 2mm, for example. Spent an age looking at those images last night. Well done that man! Andy 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Didn't Bill Gates base a speech on the first link? Or vice versa? Apparently an urban myth that Bill Gates was involved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonBradley Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Well what do I do today? The 5 day test ended on day 3! Clear blue sky. Strong, noisy wind overnight, but died now. Expected temperature 26C Happy modeling Saturday folks. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelintrev Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Good morning all, never had any experience with chainsaws, by the sound of it they're pretty scary things! But then so are 9 inch grinders... But then soldering iron can pretty lethal...any one remember those that you had to heat on the gas stove in Mums kitchen? One day early in my modelling career Mum & Dad had gone out leaving me (about 8 y.o) home alone....to cut a long story short I very quickly learnt (the hard way) that molten solder is no respector of skin, and melts through nylon socks.....(and still got the scars to prove it!) Thanks for the tips on the 'phone Ian, I'll have a play tomorrow. Now got a site inspection on one site & four containers turning up on another this morning (only been waiting since October for those) Whatever your up to today , Be Careful! Trev. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 5, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 5, 2013 Trev Let us know how you get on with the phone. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted January 5, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 5, 2013 Morning all Whatever happened to these longer days we were told to expect? It's still v. dark. Last weekend before back to work so will have to iron my tie and pack my satchel. Modelling will have to be put on the back burner now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashcombe Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Morning all Whatever happened to these longer days we were told to expect? It's still v. dark. Last weekend before back to work so will have to iron my tie and pack my satchel. Modelling will have to be put on the back burner now. Good morning, all! Yes, still dark here. Tough on folk at work who only see their homes in darkness during the week at this time of year. Satchels! That conjures up memories from the late 50's/early 60's when we all carried them! Then it became cool to use anything but a satchel. I remember having a mini suitcase at one time! Then a brief case then a duffle bag. By the time I reached the Sixth Form, the idea was to avoid looking as if one was still at school. Weird how vivid those memories are but I struggle to recall events of a few days ago to record in my diary! Have a good weekend, whatever you're doing! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted January 5, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 5, 2013 Morning all... Feeling in the ropes as I didn't sleep that well. Neither did SWMBO, so I won't wake her up before ten. Will check back in later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted January 5, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 5, 2013 Morning all I had a neighbour who had been a woodcutter all his life. At eighty he would love to go out on a Sunday morning (having been working all week) to split logs with an axe whistling away quite happy. He said he was a lucky man during the war instead of being sent to fight he had been in charge of a group of ladies deep in woodlands. It is nice to think of happy days because 2013 is not starting well . Little dog attacked and bitten by another dog this week. Fil passed away yesterday peacefully. MiL not good I don't think she realises FiL has gone yet. Marion ill in bed so I am all over the place. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 (edited) "Mr Lee-Enfield's' rather delectable rifle" It really was/is rather good. I won the same competition at Bisley that my father had won many years before. I used to be a Summer fixture at the Pistol Butts and ShortSiberia. I had some vehicle difficulties one year in the eighties and my Mother would drive me down there. She would sunbathe (and fall asleep) on that little, steep, embankment behind Stickledown. She loved the Edwardian atmosphere (I was a member of the Middlesex club house), Really enjoyed the school food there! Best, Pete. Edited January 5, 2013 by trisonic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted January 5, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 5, 2013 Sorry to hear of more troubles, Don. Always sad to lose someone, even when it's expected. Thankfully it was peaceful. You are obviously going to be relied upon over the coming days and weeks so don't forget to take care of yourself too. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 5, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 5, 2013 Morning all, still a mild day and dry too. Sorry to hear of your loss Don and I hope everything goes as well as it can. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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