Start of 2015-16 coppicing

This year we're coppicing an area over in Sweep Wood, adjacent to the foot path:

The other side of it is an area we coppiced two years ago, which is regrowing nicely now:

Here's a photo from before I started:

And here's one from yesterday, after putting in a bit over a day's work - the first stack of split and striped timber for firewood is over half full already!

Here's a couple of other views of the area coppiced so far. Progress sometimes seems slow, but as I'm processing the timber by splitting or striping it as I go along, I'm saving myself some work further down the line.

I've also coppiced the trees along the side of the pond again, partly because I needed to land a larger chestnut tree there, but also because the lack of light in the pond meant there wasn't much growing it in. These trees were last coppiced in winter 2007/2008, so it's not surprising they'd shaded the pond - I might not leave them so long next time!

Mike

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Wood fairs and woodland work

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've had a very busy month or two... here's what I've been up to.... Away from the woods, I've been to three different wood fairs running a stall for Truncator. It's been good fun, but can be hard work at times!

South Downs Show & Hampshire Wood Fair

Wychwood Forest Fair

Belmont Wood Fest

Fortunately the weather has been good for all of them - this was the view last Sunday morning at Belmont:

I've also been working on a big order for a woodland customer, which included nearly a dozen deliveries like this:

The raw materials have since been turned into decorative panels for use in shop displays:

The order also included over 30 chainsaw-carved wooden stools:

I made quite a few of these in the rain, sheltering under a tarp:

But at least making so many of them gave me chance to refine my technique. I tried bolting the stool onto another log:

This helped, but in the end I found clamping it in a workmate was best:

I've also made a couple of wooden stools for a friend at work, and in this case made both from the same tree, so they look pretty similar, and on these I used the chainsaw to skim off the sap wood round the seat of the stool, giving them a different look:

In amongst all this though, I did still get the occasional moment to admire the beauty of the woods :-)

With all that done, I've now actually started some coppicing! More on that soon....

Mike

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