ditchman Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 The weather has settled down a bit in the last couple of days...and i was looking forward to some long awaited decoying.............. ...until i had a phone call...asking me to take a tree down (willow)...on a private bird reserve...so as wood is at a premium now and getting difficult to find FOC,,,i had to say yes........... got there with my mate Rob, and were shown the tree, next to a large pond where ducks come into and Teal in the evening...so i say to Rob..."im not going to go at this like a bulll in a china shop"....we need to take it slow and clear up as we go"...then come back a second time to split the wood and take it away" so thats what we do...drop the tree and brash out...burn the brash and cheese up the wood.....all nice and tidy.....the owner comes out with mugs of tea and is dead chuffed how neat and tidy everything is ...then proceeds to ask us if we want to take down another 5 big willows, so the canopy can be opened up to allow easier acess for the duck to come in......."NO PROBS WE SAY" ENDED UP WITH ABOUT £3500 QUIDS worth of wood to take down....will keep both of us in wood for 2 winters....great result...just because we were neat and tidy and respectful of his reserve area.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Very nice. Are the other willows of the type good for cricket bats as they might make more if they are used for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted December 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 cricket bat willows are much different and not allowed to grow so old....they also "control" the water to the willows for cricket bats....these were coming to the end of their lives... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Good for Keeping the fire going then or possible wood turning blanks if not crack willow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted December 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 every time i take a tree down i always think....that bit would turn nice......never have got around to it tho..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 cricket bat willows are much different and not allowed to grow so old....they also "control" the water to the willows for cricket bats....these were coming to the end of their lives... They definitely are now ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Make Mrs Ditchman a nice bowl. You could put your nuts in it for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Nice job, what a great vocation to be in, Atb Flynny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted December 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 she had my nuts a long while ago when i was a naughty boy ... when cats away mice do play... Nice job, what a great vocation to be in,AtbFlynny vocation..............made redundant....hard up....likes to keep warm................but has 2 or 3 good mates who look after me..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mecman Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 hope youv'e got a big chopper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdsallpl Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Sometimes life has many twists and turns. It seams to me that at the moment a lot of guys on here including me envy you your life style. It sounds idyllic although I suspect tough at times. ATB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 A lot of people slate willow as firewood, and whilst it will spit like crazy and can be almost explosive if it isnt well seasoned, after a year in the dry it makes fine firewood and can be split fine for great kindling. Some types, like crack willow can be hard to split near the base where new shoots can grow through it and it twists too, but a good splitter or a big log burner overcome this. I burn loads of it, and poplar, simply because people think its not worth using. The only firewood I have ever used that I will think twice about is horse chestnut, which produces little heat, a ton of ash and smells like wee whilst burning. And elm, which is a cow to split and needs to be at or near to the centre of the sun to do anything but smoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted December 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 ive had people turn down free firewood ...just because it was willow or poplar............it also dries quicker than other hardwoods... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 That is a big chopper you have. you look knackered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 ive had people turn down free firewood ...just because it was willow or poplar............it also dries quicker than other hardwoods... A lot of folks google the wood type, read the old "logs to burn" poems that were written before modern logburners, and go by that. It all burns in the right conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Indeed it burns, you can get better but for free it doesn't matter that you use more of it. I never used to bother with sycamore but well seasoned you do get heat from it despite having to use more of it than decent logs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 I like sycamore. I had an absolute load of it a couple of years ago and found it burns well and seasons quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 is goats willow any good I have a still your Ryobi seems to do the job. ....kenbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 (edited) I like sycamore. I had an absolute load of it a couple of years ago and found it burns well and seasons quickly. +1 splits well, seasons quickly and burns hot. I've found willow difficult to split green and takes too long to fully season but I burn (almost) any wood if it is free. Alder was surprisingly good to burn when fully seasoned despite what I have read. Edited December 5, 2014 by FalconFN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx10mike Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 not surprised he is bringing the tea lol .mate you should be charging and keeping the wood but just do mates rates.i think he has had a real deal and it would be a shame if he does not chuck you a few hundred quid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 A job well done, tones mof free wood, happy all round. I've got a few tones to get myself all offered for free. All willow too, as you say it's free so can't moan,. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Has anyone on here burned lime? I know of some coming down next year and have heard the usual internet "if it isnt ash or 600 year seasoned oak" poop from people who probably buy a net of logs once a month and then use the central heating, so would be interested to hear of any actual experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 (edited) If I remember correctly it is a little stringy to split, quite slow and smouldery but OK mixed with faster wood like birch. Edit. Not sure if it was large or small leaved lime though. Edited December 5, 2014 by FalconFN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdsallpl Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 I only have an open fire not a wood burner. I put everything on it that I get for free. Don't even ask what wood it is. If it burns I put it on. What ever way you look at it is free heating and saves on the gas bill. But far more importantly you can't beat sitting in front of an open fire watching the flames dance and dreaming away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted December 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 is goats willow any good I have a still your Ryobi seems to do the job. ....kenbo I would love a sthil or a husky.....i got the ryobi 6 years ago....and i maintain it proper...and it hasnt missed a beat...ive been thro 8 chains and still the same bar...it is 45cc 20" bar with a "girly chain" (small tooth)....and it is very high compression...it cuts as quick as any other saw...and is well balanced and supressed....so im dead chuffed with it...i look after it and it looks after me....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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