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
Find about what we're up to in Rye, East Sussex, and what's going on in our wood, Chestnut Coppice.
Sunday 18 October 2015
Wednesday 14 October 2015
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
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