Druidic Dabblings and General Twaddle !!

[V8Druid]

" Have you got a glue gun Gra? "
" Er - well I did have, last time I saw it I lent it to Vicki - not sure if it came back or not ? "
" Any chance of having a look ? "
" in this ?? "

coat and wellies on and head for my tool box
Man is it coming down
get up there and am confronted with a cat'safterme
amazed i didn't notice it missing from the 'skyline' when I drew the bedroom curtains this morning

the remnants of the old dead oak, we dismantled from the top down several years ago and which I had meant to deal with a few months ago, 'til I ended up losing July, August and a lot of September to a 'faulty body' knackered that and a few other plans for this summer.
don't know whether the wind'd had it in the night or the saturated bank had given up supporting it, but it weren't as upright as the last time I saw it
Looks to have disturbed a few bits on the way down for a nap and is being supported by a few less than healthy looking filing cab.s a very bent 6 ft CH radiator, me sack truck and the top of my vibe roller, as far as I can see.

looks to have caught the block grab on its way down, but the trailer sides look straight enough, from what I could see ... oh and there's a couple of 47kg bottles under there helping too
's gonna be a fun day tomorrow, sorting the carnage ('sposed to be dry) ...
it's probably still attached to the bank, so not much chance of lifting it out in a lump, if I could get close enough .... we'll see when this wet stuff quits

whilst out (and wet) had a bit of a look about
sodding great spring pumping out the back of the black shed - drain just about coping, but a bit of water on the floor inside -- sump in there really going for it ... has a lot to collect .. and channel into the sump that got the new lid a week or two back .... that sounds to be 'gushing' !!
took a closer look at the lawn

not seen it standing soooo badly like that before

they'm gonna be giving this a 1 in 50 event category, you watch ... had summat like it crimbo '77 or '78 ... and there was soooooooooome MEGA flooding round here ...Aber was cut off for a couple of days, bar for one road out, above the water levels

house is dry enough, 'cept for a couple window heads which're facing into it and are gonna need re-caulking between the oak lintels and masonry, when it all dries out ... 'nother one of those little jobs I just didn't get around to -- must start doing myself a list of piddly bits

 

[V8Druid]

looks to have caught the block grab on its way down, but the trailer sides look straight enough, from what I could see ... oh and there's a couple of 47kg bottles under there helping too

didn't see this bit ..... just noticed it on the pic now .......
looks to have burst the hinge off the side of the trailer rave
better look tomorrow ...... has just eased off on the rain front and i ain't looking at this time of night

move a couple of trailers out the way and lift that tree over into the clear space it creates to deal with it

 

[V8Druid]

well despite the miserable morning - drizzly wetting tish/very heavy foggy/misty type thing - it had to have it.
first thing was drag me 10 x 5 out the way with the Kia and park it well out the way - Tick

then get a bit of a better look/suss of the 'situation'
side board had taken a real bollocking and the closure pin was snapped and ripped through the eye

block grab had obviously taken a hell of a clout from the descending tree which was now resting on various other bits and pieces as it'd tipped the block grab sideways, forcing the Kins sideways and bursting the side board


so wound the 'Drema up, moved a few bits from in front of the tipper and a few other odds and sods about and got her in position to move the tipper
carefully extracted it from where it was parked, with a bit of tree sat on t'other side board and hauled it to where the 'Drema usually lives

while I was sat there I slung the block grab to get everything back somewhere near where it'd started out ..... it must've had a hell of a bang .. bent the one bottom grab bar - which'll take some sorting - some other time

then realised I'd got two very soft outer tyres on the back of the 'Drema so had to sort them

sat a lot better with the proper 7 bar in 'em
then had a proper look at the carnage with the tipper out the way

quite some hole in the bank but the roots were obviously well past their 'sell by' as there really wasn't much of a spread to 'em

old security gate and frame from work had obviously taken a serious amount of the weight too and the base of the tree'd pivoted about the top of it
so ........ got set up to take some weight off all the supporting objects and hopefully swing it out to somewhere a little less critical,

before anything gave up the struggle and take it from there .......

 

[V8Druid]

a very tentative lift ...
and swung it round into some clear space

and sat it down for some 'attention' from my 'new Charlie' courtesy of Hyundai a few weeks ago

re slung it to take some weight off the cut and introduced it to its Nemesis .....rad and cab.s in the back ground looking a bit S/hand
that effectively halved it

lopped it in half again ... saw worked very well, fairplay .. well happy with it

interesting hole down the middle of it ... obviously where the hornets have made a home the last few years .. no one home today though

and continued to dissect the beast

light was starting to disappear and had a clear up whilst it was all 'not too wet', having carved up most of the upper half - one largish lump left aside for now ... wanted to get the bottom end a bit more stable, so went and grabbed a bucket to give it a christening

and stuck it on the dipper to wrestle the lower half of yon tree into a better, safer position, for the night

 

[V8Druid]

Bought this from Rory's mate Roy a few years ago .. 's a Miller which i had to add some cheeks to ... never been used, but got it on the dipper and it got christened tonight

wanted summat with some nice teef to sink into that butt and as getting dark, fast .... persuaded it down off the bank after giving it a bit of a ragging first to try to leave as much 'bank' up there as I could, but not easy to see

LED time ... got one out on the back - I assume it's the unit as I know that wiring is OK.

and a couple out on the front - deffo units as not all the LEDs're out

were only cheapies, but surprised they've failed just sitting ... bloody eyeball burners when they'm all lit though .... got some spares sat so hope they haven't died in their boxes would be damned annoying
then stretched her out for the night ..... there's a wounded trailer sat in her usual spot

 

[Lancs Lad]

Bought this from Rory's mate Roy a few years ago .. 's a Miller which i had to add some cheeks to ... never been used, but got it on the dipper and it got christened tonight
View attachment 77392
wanted summat with some nice teef to sink into that butt and as getting dark, fast .... persuaded it down off the bank after giving it a bit of a ragging first to try to leave as much 'bank' up there as I could, but not easy to see
View attachment 77390
LED time ... got one out on the back - I assume it's the unit as I know that wiring is OK.
View attachment 77389
and a couple out on the front - deffo units as not all the LEDs're out
View attachment 77391
were only cheapies, but surprised they've failed just sitting ... bloody eyeball burners when they'm all lit though .... got some spares sat so hope they haven't died in their boxes would be damned annoying
then stretched her out for the night ..... there's a wounded trailer sat in her usual spot
View attachment 77387

Id wager it's water ingress.
Had same on elcheapos.

 

[CPS]

Bought this from Rory's mate Roy a few years ago .. 's a Miller which i had to add some cheeks to ... never been used, but got it on the dipper and it got christened tonight
View attachment 77392
wanted summat with some nice teef to sink into that butt and as getting dark, fast .... persuaded it down off the bank after giving it a bit of a ragging first to try to leave as much 'bank' up there as I could, but not easy to see
View attachment 77390
LED time ... got one out on the back - I assume it's the unit as I know that wiring is OK.
View attachment 77389
and a couple out on the front - deffo units as not all the LEDs're out
View attachment 77391
were only cheapies, but surprised they've failed just sitting ... bloody eyeball burners when they'm all lit though .... got some spares sat so hope they haven't died in their boxes would be damned annoying
then stretched her out for the night ..... there's a wounded trailer sat in her usual spot
View attachment 77387

Your the only man on here with 24 grabs in various forms and your still messing around with a chain??

 

[Monkeybusiness]

Your the only man on here with 24 grabs in various forms and your still messing around with a chain??

I was thinking it looked an ideal job for the tilty too!

 

[V8Druid]

Your the only man on here with 24 grabs in various forms and your still messing around with a chain??

I've spent most of my life " messing about with a chain " and know exactly how to use 'em Aiden ......
plus that is one hell of a weight and 500kgs of VA-r plus another 250kgs of Cranab significantly reduces my capacity at the reach I was working at ..
had her up on her arse a few times as it was ..... but the VA-r's time will come .. shortly

I was thinking it looked an ideal job for the tilty too!

 

[V8Druid]

" Have you got a glue gun Gra? "
" Er - well I did have, last time I saw it I lent it to Vicki - not sure if it came back or not ? "
" Any chance of having a look ? "
" in this ?? "

the cause of my search for the glue gun the other day .....
Clara's 10th birthday Monday and this afters was a tea, prezzies and cake job ....
she wanted a GF chocolate 'ballerina cake' - so Pam had a head scratch and came up with a 'music box' themed cake, as she has a ballerina music box at home, with a dancer on the top of it
glue gun required to 'assemble' the 'ballerinas' and tutus

snapped a couple more pix, 'fore we left lunchtime, for a moggy food hit, milk and odds an' sods, 'fore landing at Vicki's place ....... skyline seems a bit bare without the remnants of that old oak standing there

hasn't 'overnighted' like this for years ... usually tucked in a corner, folded up

bottom half of the culprit of yesterday's efforts and general carnage

gonna need the VA-r on to sort the hole out tidily ... or move a load of stuff out the way .. got two filing cabs to flat pack, whilst I have a bucket on

 

[diggerjones]

You might aswell flat pack all that other stuff your never gonna use

 

[Lancs Lad]

the cause of my search for the glue gun the other day .....
Clara's 10th birthday Monday and this afters was a tea, prezzies and cake job ....
she wanted a GF chocolate 'ballerina cake' - so Pam had a head scratch and came up with a 'music box' themed cake, as she has a ballerina music box at home, with a dancer on the top of it
glue gun required to 'assemble' the 'ballerinas' and tutus
View attachment 77407
snapped a couple more pix, 'fore we left lunchtime, for a moggy food hit, milk and odds an' sods, 'fore landing at Vicki's place ....... skyline seems a bit bare without the remnants of that old oak standing there
View attachment 77405
hasn't 'overnighted' like this for years ... usually tucked in a corner, folded up
View attachment 77404

bottom half of the culprit of yesterday's efforts and general carnage
View attachment 77403View attachment 77402

gonna need the VA-r on to sort the hole out tidily ... or move a load of stuff out the way .. got two filing cabs to flat pack, whilst I have a bucket on
View attachment 77401

I feel your enjoying this

 

[TiltyShaun]

Tree pain here after last week. I will add some pics later. Nature working on survival of the fittest and oak’s time was done!!
I await all the logging pics to come. It should keep you warm for a while!!

 

[Stroppymonkey]

the cause of my search for the glue gun the other day .....
Clara's 10th birthday Monday and this afters was a tea, prezzies and cake job ....
she wanted a GF chocolate 'ballerina cake' - so Pam had a head scratch and came up with a 'music box' themed cake, as she has a ballerina music box at home, with a dancer on the top of it
glue gun required to 'assemble' the 'ballerinas' and tutus
View attachment 77407
snapped a couple more pix, 'fore we left lunchtime, for a moggy food hit, milk and odds an' sods, 'fore landing at Vicki's place ....... skyline seems a bit bare without the remnants of that old oak standing there
View attachment 77405
hasn't 'overnighted' like this for years ... usually tucked in a corner, folded up
View attachment 77404
View attachment 77409
bottom half of the culprit of yesterday's efforts and general carnage
View attachment 77402
View attachment 77410
gonna need the VA-r on to sort the hole out tidily ... or move a load of stuff out the way .. got two filing cabs to flat pack, whilst I have a bucket on

Cordless glue gun has been a game changer . It’s amazing how many jobs you find for one , once you don’t have to plug it in!

 

[V8Druid]

I feel your enjoying this

depends on how you define ''enjoying'' ??

 

[V8Druid]

Tree pain here after last week. I will add some pics later. Nature working on survival of the fittest and oak’s time was done!!
I await all the logging pics to come. It should keep you warm for a while!!

LOL ...
these you mean

trimmed the above a bit

and wrangled it about 'til it was discs

and then caught hold of the butt end

and sat it down to get a few more discs off it

at which point 'Charlie' ate its pull cord ....
sh1t design on the recoil ... do not let go of the cord, starting it or it flies back in faster than the recoil can spool it ... didn't realise 'til it fell off as I was about to get sawing ... so cut a few then attended to it -

should've stopped and looked at straight off - it'd wrapped itself around the flywheel nut ... ....................................................... and spooled itself inside the centre of the recoil ... lucky not more damage - we will be having words with them

came out as a lump from both bits ....... can't see the point of the notched spool, other than it being dead easy to respool onto.

plenty of 3mm and 4mm cord here .... this is 2.5mm and no way was a 3mm going to spool tidy ....... eventually found some nylon 2.5 but lacking the centre strands, so thought " nothing ventured ...... " and wanged some of that in there ... been fine all afternoon, but'll get some 'proper stuff' for it ..... otherwise she's a little demon at ringing up this beast of an oak

And -- after much deliberation I ordered one and it arrived this morning

so had to spend an hour or so extricating it from its box ( don't damage the box - Harper'll love it for a new 'house' )"
the last 'big box' has taken a pasting between her and Clara over several years and is looking decidedly S/hand and this is particularly 'robust'
so getting 65 kilos of washer out was done carefully .. went together sweet as and looks the Mutt's ... proper rubber hose too - none of this plastic tish like on the piddly little jobbies ... got loads of lines I can extend that with

got put away for today ..... with the weather set fair for the week, I've more pressing matters to deal with

 

[Lancs Lad]

Your the only man on here with 24 grabs in various forms and your still messing around with a chain??

Painfull watching you faff with Chains
Hurts my eyes knowing you've Wales national stock of implements.....

Oh and never had a Stihl or husky do that....lol

 

[V8Druid]

Painfull watching you faff with Chains
Hurts my eyes knowing you've Wales national stock of implements.....

Oh and never had a Stihl or husky do that....lol

me neither - was not best pleased ... as said ... words will be being had


oh and I don't " faff with chains " - I use them wisely, expertly and very quickly - I'll only sling it once AND pick it just as I want it

 

[V8Druid]

got a hell of a frost out there tonight ...
was white 'fore i came in for my tea, after lighting the first of three binfuls of bark and ivy, which I've kept fed through the evening...
went up and loaded 2 barrows of sawdust and a tote bucket full which hopefully, the bin full of glowing embers'll have consumed by the morning ---
if it's still going I've another barrow full and more on the floor to get disposed of

 

[V8Druid]

bloody alarm didn't go off this morning ... 's usually a go to town for the kids day, but it's been changed to tomorrow this week and was sure I'd reset today's 'til tomorrow (I had) but omitted to set this morning's new time ... so didn't wake up'til ten so bit of a late start.
Decided to process what i'd lopped so far -- these supposed 4 days of blue sky are burning fast and Saturday's set to be dire again, plus we have Harper all day Thursday AND Friday afternoon, this week

so - shifted a few bits about first off ... toofed bucket back where it came from, for now, lifted the crane forks out the way of the splitter, hauled my Cranab out and set it where I'd get at it easily after, then pulled the VA-r out from it's hidey hole
fully expecting 'issues', as it's not been out/on the 'Drema in quite a while ... stretched her out and made all the connections and gave it a try Rotated fine, tilted fine ... then went to drop its parking plate off the hitch and NADA .. so pulled the one end cover off and went in search of a dodgy connection

got the hitch solenoid's DIN plug off (they're the usual culprit) - - checked for voltage - 24 volts at the lead, so remade the connections, which looked a little suspect, despite it being filled with Vaseline to keep the water out and we had an operational QH, so dropped the plate out the way, grabbed the Cranab and plumbed that into its FFQCs ... safety pin in the Miller (would not wanna drop the VA-r accidentally), isolated the VA-r's hitch circuit (ditto the Cranab) and gave the Cranab a try -- all functional
lifted the cover off little Jake and sought out the hoses to couple the splitter to the breaker circuit and ran him up .... all performing as it should - this was going too well but had taken a large slice of the morning to sort.
swung round and grabbed a ring/slice, dropped it on the splitter's table and I was away

parked sat waiting the next one

and 'chomp'

and the next - chomp

this splitter is the mutt's, fair play .... and if you cant split a gnarly bit I just chop it like a guillo nothing stops it and little Jakie, runs it on just over tick over with no issues at all

and again

would be bloody hard work without the tongs to drop them onto the table and it's nice to have it at just the right height.
Got piddled on for an hour or so not long after i'd gotten set up, but it was having it regardless .... reckon I've gotten about 60% of what I've lopped up, processed and lobbed into the 10 x 5 parked just out of shot ... 's gonna be a bit much for the 'spendies, but it ain't got far to go to the woodshed and it'll cope.
didn't it ever go dark quick after four though ... kept at it as long as I could but was eventually beaten
Kids in the morning - collect from town and deliver to their respective playgroup/nursery / school, then hopefully the rest of the processing, fore I turn my attention to the last couple of bits of the oak, with 'Charlie'
the binful of sawdust has been smouldering and smelling lovely all day ... gonna take a while yet to burn down to the bottom though ... will have another binful to follow that then
be nice to have it all sorted by the end of the week, 'fore Saturdays pissy wet day again ..... don't quite know what I am gonna do with the stump though ? it's a lump