Woodland Antics: Nice little chainsaw

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Nice little chainsaw

An old friend brought his chainsaw round to see me on Tuesday.

I was really pleased that he came. Not just because he brought a pristine Husqvarna 42 chainsaw, but also because some 29 years ago we were at school together in Somerset. Until we met by chance at the Weald and Downland blacksmith's show a couple of year ago I had no idea that Jules is a talented local blacksmith.

We are lucky enough to still have a number of blacksmiths in the area. Alright so I don't know the word for a group of blacksmiths, does coven seems appropriate for people that gather around a fire in dark rooms? Any better answers please on a postcard or email. Anyway, Jules currently works from his forge, a brick outhouse at his home in Dunsfold, or he will do when he's finished rebuilding it.

Jules bought the saw at least 10 years ago with the aim of providing his own firewood, but without training he was reluctant to use it. Very interesting to see this saw in pristine condition as I have only seen old and worn ones before (I have a Husqvarna 45 which has seen better days).

Even more interesting was attempting to start a saw which has not been used in at least 10 years. It was a little too much to hope it would start without some help. No sign of petrol getting through to the cylinder. Luckily Richard was around and after a little discussion we tried WD40 to aid the compression and then a tea spoon of petrol to help prime the carb - a few more pulls and it showed signs of life, and very soon it started. After a minute or so it was running very well - better than my Stihl!

There was a break in the weather so after some basic maintenance and cold starting instructions Jules and I headed onto the commons to test the saw on some firewood. At the same time Jules helped me with some voluntary work on the commons as we cleared a nasty fallen birch adjacent to a busy road.

The gap in the gale gave us just enough time to grab his first load of firewood and this photo is just to prove that I do have one Landrover on the road at the moment! Though I am down to the last one, any more problems and I will have to use the tractor to get to Sainsbury's.

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My Interests

Most of the posts on this site will fall into a few themes. I'll try to fit the title to the crime. But some posts and interests just won't fit into a box no matter how hard I try.

Polelathe - posts about polelathe turning and related topics.

The polelathe is a traditional foot operated wood turning lathe. You might have seen one in use at a show or a museum, in fact you might have seen me demonstrating one. The turners who used these lathes for making chair-legs were sometimes referred to as Bodgers. I have been a bodger all my life, but its only since 2005 that I have taken up bodging on lathes. I spend as much time turning as I can, and during the summer months it is my main employment, though I mix it with a number of small jobs of a woody nature.

I am fascinated by all traditional crafts and trades, especially those working with wood. For millenia woodlands have provided us with an amazing range of products for everyday use. It is only very recently that we seem to have lost touch with woodlands and their uses.

I only use local wood, very often it is wood that I have cut myself and would normally be an unwanted by-product of managing small, local woodlands or heathlands.

Commons - posts about the Lynchmere commons. The commons were purchased from the Cowdray estate in 1998 by The Lynchmere Society, a local trust, which now manages about 340 acres of mixed heathland, woodland and adjoining fields. The commons are located between Haslemere and Liphook on the Sussex, Hampshire borders. I first got involved with helping the society to manage the commons in 1999 and since then have gained a lot of experience working on the commons as a volunteer. I prefer to work as a woodsman but I also help to manage the commons.

I am very keen to manage the commons in a sustainable way and as a part of this am trying to use the traditional crafts and ways of working that helped to shape this landscape.

Greenwood - Posts on woodland and woody topics not covered in polelathe and commons posts. Greenwood is unseasoned wood, but I shan't be too choosy and will cover all manner of only slightly woody topics here

I have a tendency to be a jack-of-all-trades although I try to focus upon pole-lathe turning, charcoal burning and besom broom making. As a woodsman I help to care for local woodlands in the Western Weald. I often work at or teach tree felling, coppicing and chainsaw skills.

Landrover - I restore, maintain, use and abuse a number of slightly eccentric old landrovers. I will post about working on them and related classic (and not so classic) car work.

Crafty - covering a range of traditional crafts not immediately related to wood and my interest in brewing, baking and preserving.

Woodland Antics

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Nice little chainsaw

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