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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
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gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8577 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 18 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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I'm pleased the red is coming back in numbers, gz., I think there was a time when it was debateable whether it would be possible. I guess a few folks rallied and controlled the predators. Let's hope the grey can keep its numbers up to satisfy the pine martin needs!
I will be on the lookout for a stick chopper at the show but you are right that it is predominantly a logging show rather than a stick show MR. I will ask the folks there if they know of anyone with a cutter and go have a look if they don't mind. I enjoy chopping wood but it can be a bit of a chore when under pressure. The man who buys the wood off me didn't help, by not finding any suitable bags fast enough, so I had to stop chopping as I had no more storage space. When we did get nets it was all go to net what I had done, but a net and a half compared to the other nets, so I ran out of space to hold the filled nets and not so many of them; the proverbial vicious circle!
What I have noticed is that the quality control is much better with hand chopped wood than if done by machine and all because when hand chopping, you look for the best way to cut the wood before you start chopping. A machine hasn't got that same power of assessment of how the grain runs and of knots-guess it could be done but who would be able to afford such a machine? But I guess again that it will happen!
You are right about the machines being designed to take logs. I watched one in action some years back, and what a fantastic job it made of converting logs to sticks, but you would have to run round a bit or have a suitable friend to help. But it was a way for a saw mill to use the short ends of logs after cutting to required length, the offcut was put in the processor. Most of it automated, but the man ran round a bit to fill the log holders, then load the conveyer and close and stack the completed nets, change the nets-a young man's sport! However the system could be broken down into 3 elements run separately which would make it old man friendly, although more expensive to install! |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2501 Location: New Jersey, USA
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 18 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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30 log sacks in this weather is good going, MR. We had really hot weather on Saturday and I was out to a bbq, in the evening which was still very warm out. I went back on the Sunday to help demolish the left-overs! I am trying to get someone to come and cut hat for me-well for my neighbour-so that she gets some free hay as well as the grazing if she needs it. Originally I had said no hay this year to the friend who normally has the hay as we expected to be grazing it, but the regular grazer who has grass at home also has the run of the place this year-there are no cattle going there to graze as they do normally, and the nag has 16 acres to go at, instead of one acre, at his home. I've got a lot of grass and no-one wants it now, so I aim to make hay if I can. Next spring I will got to the farm sales and see if I can get a mower and hay machinery, and do the job myself-probably making hayladge-spelling?-which is acceptable for horses. I am not machinery mad, but just think I should be doing my own and "boo" to everybody else.
I had apiece of steel cut for the Playgroup drama pole attachment to the fence post, but realise it is too wide to go between to chain link fencing links! I measured the length needed on Saturday and my mind was elsewhere, not bothering to check the depth of one chain link, through which the bracket must pass for security-oops!
My chopping exploits are improving and I did 10 nets yesterday and cut 4 bags of blanks ready for tonight which should do around the same I hope. I have a new source of pallets which are much cleaner, than the ones we have at work-they come from a steel factory where I used to work as a fork lift driver for about 25 years. A chance meeting with a mate there in the higher ranks said to go along any time at the weekends, so I did on Saturday and came home with a trailer load of larch beautifully dried. Easy to knock apart and saw and it is now ready for sale. He wants me to go there and collect on Sunday mornings-not my favourite day to do such work-but he wants me there with as low profile as possible. The worst problem is that some of the wood is 3" square, my saw only cuts around 2.5" deep, so double cutting which is annoying. But it is good stuff with straight grain which doesn't hurt me as much when I assassinate it down to 6 inch lengths by about 3/4" square kindling. I have splashed out on a new saw blade today-bill to come later-first time with Draper for this blade so will give you the lowdown when it has been going for a year. The old blade is at least 5 years old and never been touched, I will get the other one in place, and if ok then sharpen the old one to keep as a reserve. Or if no good then try the new one and get another in reserve. If I can get a load of wood once a week I will be set up for the season, right now I am behind. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 18 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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Grass all cut when I got home and expecting it to have been tossed about sometime today. I know the man who did the job as he normally does the haylage for himself, but this time I want some for my friends. It should be nearly dry and then wrapped in plastic before it becomes true hay-haylage is as the name implies a cross between hay and silage. This is acceptable as horse feed. Silage is no good for horses as their digestive system is very different to cattle who eat silage which passes through the various stomachs of the cow and have the stuff fermented in the bag or the silage pit where the air has been excluded. It is slightly different with haylage as the crop is almost, but not quite hay, and then it is wrapped; letting any air in now after wrapping would result in spoilage-a fermentation would occur and that could make horses very sick, I am told. Any way the friend that does the job knows so I will ask if I have the theory right.
Lovely weather today, short sleeves even at 6 am. I am now praying it will last for a few days yet for the crop. I like the weather cooler as the heat drips from me normally. My job is good as I am based for early morning sun and so it moves off me as it gets hotter in the day.
Yes good when you get folks from abroad see things they normally wouldn't at home, or here on organised trips. That is quite some trip they had for one day. The farmer I see regularly local to me has a former neighbour who emigrated to Canada. where farming is much the same as the grain farming in the eastern counties here, but bigger! "My friend, Billy, says his friends have a square mile of farm, but live in the nearest big town and drive to the farm every day. I'd be worried about my tractor going awol!
Not much happening at work with hay and silage making over more or less, for now, well the panic buying has stopped. I am collecting wood from reject pallets for kindling and the pile is getting bigger. When I had that shed put up a few years back I should have had it twice the size to accommodate the saw as well, hindsight!
I am going to escape before the school busses start to leave in 10 minutes. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 18 6:36 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for the information on haylage Gregotyn. Hay making going on well here. We met a tractor and trailer loaded with what looked like good quality hay yesterday when delivering charcoal.
Yesterday husband went up early and started the ring kiln, then son and I cut wood for another firing while husband went to nurse to talk about his diabetes. His sugar was a bit high, but he has been better lately by being very careful about what he eats, even on holiday.
I also made a besom head, but when I opened up the plastic of the new year cutting of birch, found the water had got in and some had rotted. Hope I have enough that is good to last me for the season. We have now had to make plans for moving it, but in the meantime are drying it out in the dry air. I will then have to go through and take out all the bad stuff. I was so proud of what I had collected too.
We also fired the little retort kiln, mainly with brown ends, which are incompletely fired charcoal, then bagged the last firing of the little kiln and I have some more charcoal to deliver this morning. It's all go! |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
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Posted: Sat Jun 30, 18 6:48 am Post subject: |
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We dried everything before it went into store, so think it must be as husband says; rain got in, as it was very wet earlier in the year.
Both his mother and father had type 2 diabetes, so his chance of getting it was about 75% according to the diabetic nurse. It seems it can be partly hereditary, but of course diet helps a lot. I don't know how you got away with your 2 iced buns, so you must have been very border line. They are the sort of thing I would only have as a very occasional treat, and I am not diabetic.
Hope you manage to get your arms sorted out. Discs can cause all sorts of problems, so go careful.
The charcoal bags didn't turn up yesterday as the lorry broke down, so now expected on Monday. Son is away, so oh joy, husband and I have 2500 bags to move and put into the store. I think we have an appointment with a charcoal kiln to empty today and get some more bagged, as we have 10 outstanding in orders and expecting a call from another outlet any time who will want 20. |
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