gaz1
Member
- Messages
- 19,285
- Location
- westyorkshire
have you got a hydraulic jack ?
- Thread starter Maddog
- Start date
The bottom one looks OK. I had the manual horizontal type and it was rubbish.
DennisCA
Member
- Messages
- 1,981
- Location
- Finland
That's too simple a take.
In an efficient setup like scandinavian masonry heaters, or the modern inverse gasifier boiler setups with large tanks, with plenty of forest around, it's perfectly fine way to heat your home, there are people in northern scandinavia which only need to make a fire every 2nd or 3rd day with the gasification systems despite very cold winters. Over 90% efficiency there. This is quite sustainable thanks to the nearby source of fuel and low population densities,
Doesn't work for everone, doesn't work if you have this lifestyle where you live in a crowded place where there is no forest and have to buy wood that's been shipped long distances. Up here it's both practical and cheap. Many people here in Finland own smaller plots of forest that they can sustainably log for their own uses which gives people a very cheap source of heating. It's part of the small farm tradition that wasn't wiped out as completely here, even people that aren't farmers might own a plot. Sadly I don't.
J1nx
Member
- Messages
- 651
- Location
- Somerset UK
We are fortunate enough to own approx 40 acres of grazing land, this is rented to a local farmer but from this we heat our home in a completely sustainable way, wind damaged and diseased trees are burnt, new trees and hedging planted. The total amount of land with trees is small, just the boundary and dividers. Me actively maintaining the area I’d argue is actually healthy for the environment. I even solar charge my battery chainsaw 
Scale it up to every city dweller installing as a fashion accessory needs to import kiln dried and the balance probably swings quite violently.
Scale it up to every city dweller installing as a fashion accessory needs to import kiln dried and the balance probably swings quite violently.
waddycall
Member
- Messages
- 1,819
Yes, there’s the problem. Also carbon neutral and environmentally friendly aren’t the same thing. It’s not just CO2 emissions that we should be worried about. Most people don’t have a supply of fuel on their doorstep and many get disillusioned with the cost and availability of decent logs and end up burning smokeless fuel or even house coal.
I think the promotion of things for burning stuff as being good for the environment should be avoided.
I used to design and test wood burning stoves for a uk manufacturer. Most wouldn’t believe the amount of fine tuning of test load mass, fuel layout, firebed mass and air control settings that goes into achieving the data plate values. The chances of anyone actually recreating that performance in their own home is minimal. Stoves with better data plate values may work better in the hands of an end user but there’s no guarantee. I developed a stove some time ago that had its air supply routed specifically to pass one test for one European market with a very specific test load that puts the fuel at a predetermined height in the firebox. Made no difference under normal running conditions but passed the test with flying colours!
I think the promotion of things for burning stuff as being good for the environment should be avoided.
I used to design and test wood burning stoves for a uk manufacturer. Most wouldn’t believe the amount of fine tuning of test load mass, fuel layout, firebed mass and air control settings that goes into achieving the data plate values. The chances of anyone actually recreating that performance in their own home is minimal. Stoves with better data plate values may work better in the hands of an end user but there’s no guarantee. I developed a stove some time ago that had its air supply routed specifically to pass one test for one European market with a very specific test load that puts the fuel at a predetermined height in the firebox. Made no difference under normal running conditions but passed the test with flying colours!
8ob
Member
- Messages
- 13,957
- Location
- Nescient in the vale
We are involved in forestry, some of our work is planting and periodic clearing of vegetation in replanted compartments. Its a very long time and a lot of work before a fraction of the replanted trees will mature to replace whats been exctracted.
Edward Teach
pre-moderated
- Messages
- 997
- Location
- South West England
Seems just like the Car Industry,
Produced to meets whatever tests are required.
Total BS.
addjunkie
Member
- Messages
- 12,753
- Location
- Northumberland. Reet oot in the sticks
Be about 30 to 50 years, before they can be reharvested I guess. Apart from the thinnings. Think sikka spruce is 30 years. Then again forestry is potentially one of the better long term investments at the moment if your able to tie your money up for a long time. 9% is a figure I was quoted recently. Hence why I suspect many upland hill farms are being planted by large estates.
8ob
Member
- Messages
- 13,957
- Location
- Nescient in the vale
Its a steep hill to climb between replanting and harvesting, land quite often changes ownership and managers all have different priorities/agendas. Many plantations are neglected and fail because of this. In an ideal world the fc should take a deposit when granting an extraction license and oversee/police new plantation husbandry until established. They do it with planting grants but it’s poorly policed.
Bob
slim_boy_fat
Member
- Messages
- 29,540
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
It's a good job we burn wood, otherwise we'd be up to our necks in trees. 
[I've already got my coat on, for those who can't tell I'm joking....
]
[I've already got my coat on, for those who can't tell I'm joking....]Spot on.We are fortunate enough to own approx 40 acres of grazing land, this is rented to a local farmer but from this we heat our home in a completely sustainable way, wind damaged and diseased trees are burnt, new trees and hedging planted. The total amount of land with trees is small, just the boundary and dividers. Me actively maintaining the area I’d argue is actually healthy for the environment. I even solar charge my battery chainsaw
Scale it up to every city dweller installing as a fashion accessory needs to import kiln dried and the balance probably swings quite violently.
And that's the problem.
20 years ago people used to beg me to take wood away. Tree surgeons used to leave a pile on the roadside for people to help themselves. Now they sell it at £60 for a dumpy bag that wouldn't last me 3 days.
James1979
Member
- Messages
- 8,434
- Location
- Orkney
It’s called a splitting maul and far more efficient than an axe for end grain.
should have a hardened face too so you can use it like a sledge to bang in splitting wedges
James1979
Member
- Messages
- 8,434
- Location
- Orkney
My stepdads best mate is an ologist of some sort and forestry Scotland pay him a decent rate as a consultant to survey recently de forested areas for re planting recommendations with regard to what flora and fauna lives there.
They then just replant with whatever crop species of tree will pay the best when harvested. They have no interest in what he says and always disregard it. But, they can say they’ve consulted a consultant ologist.
As he really cares about nature and what he does it drives him nuts
Yes nut all trees whilst growing will absorb carbon - hence they were labelled "green". This doesn't mean clean though, if not burned properly. And stripping whole forests and moving across the globe - green? Greener than oil I guess. At least you can replant wood.
