Winter Off Grid Project: The Giant Ash Tree Woodland Management
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Date: 2022-01-21
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Comments and reviews: 10
Xero1of1
I'm glad to see you've been following the advice I've been offering through the comments. You're going to be able to make something pretty amazing with the new planks you've got, and I'm glad to see they're going to be repurposed instead of simply being left to rot. About the dead-hedge. I know in the UK, you've got 'freedom of movement' and the concept of 'Private Property No Trespassing' isn't really a thing there. My suggestion is to clear about a 6' section along your dead-hedge and try to smooth it out as much as you can for a path. Humans are pretty easy to guide if you know how, so if you purposely make a path, they'll likely use it, which will save a bit of the areas you want to leave wild. Also, the path serves a double purpose of making it easy to traverse the edges of your property which will come in handy in the future, I'm sure.
Finally, just a word of caution: I'm happy that you're so excited about the 'biodiversity' of your woods, in fact you say 'biodiversity' a LOT. lol. Nature is going to do what nature is going to do. The moment you think you can guide/force/control nature is the moment nature slams a lightning bolt down on a tree, felling it into something you've spend a lot of time on or let's some burrowing creature completely destroy something you were saving for a specific 'biodiversity'. Maintaining a woodland doesn't make you the Lord of the Woodland. It will not follow your decree and nature always finds a way to prove who's boss (hint: it's not you. We are shepherds. stewards even, of the forest. We are here for but a moment, but the woodland, if left alone, will continue on as if you never existed. It is our job to preserve the forest and to ensure that life is allowed to prosper there. Like I said before, Nature is going to do what nature is going to do. Try not to get so hooked on setting up a specific thing for a specific animal or fungi or plant. You can create the space, but you have to accept that it may not turn out how you want it. Clear out or repurpose the detritus when and where you can so new trees and plants can grow and flourish. Take what the forest offers you, and do your best to help it grow and stay healthy.
Awesome video as always. I look forwards to your next ones! :D
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I'm glad to see you've been following the advice I've been offering through the comments. You're going to be able to make something pretty amazing with the new planks you've got, and I'm glad to see they're going to be repurposed instead of simply being left to rot. About the dead-hedge. I know in the UK, you've got 'freedom of movement' and the concept of 'Private Property No Trespassing' isn't really a thing there. My suggestion is to clear about a 6' section along your dead-hedge and try to smooth it out as much as you can for a path. Humans are pretty easy to guide if you know how, so if you purposely make a path, they'll likely use it, which will save a bit of the areas you want to leave wild. Also, the path serves a double purpose of making it easy to traverse the edges of your property which will come in handy in the future, I'm sure.
Finally, just a word of caution: I'm happy that you're so excited about the 'biodiversity' of your woods, in fact you say 'biodiversity' a LOT. lol. Nature is going to do what nature is going to do. The moment you think you can guide/force/control nature is the moment nature slams a lightning bolt down on a tree, felling it into something you've spend a lot of time on or let's some burrowing creature completely destroy something you were saving for a specific 'biodiversity'. Maintaining a woodland doesn't make you the Lord of the Woodland. It will not follow your decree and nature always finds a way to prove who's boss (hint: it's not you. We are shepherds. stewards even, of the forest. We are here for but a moment, but the woodland, if left alone, will continue on as if you never existed. It is our job to preserve the forest and to ensure that life is allowed to prosper there. Like I said before, Nature is going to do what nature is going to do. Try not to get so hooked on setting up a specific thing for a specific animal or fungi or plant. You can create the space, but you have to accept that it may not turn out how you want it. Clear out or repurpose the detritus when and where you can so new trees and plants can grow and flourish. Take what the forest offers you, and do your best to help it grow and stay healthy.
Awesome video as always. I look forwards to your next ones! :D
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Electric
Enjoying watching this Mike. You re living the dream.
What s the deal with permission to build in the woodland? Can you do whatever you like?
Over the last 2 years, as the world has become more and more nuts, and less and less pleasant to live in, I have become almost obsessed with watching log cabin builds. My favourite is NIC Rijavec s project in Slovenia, a stunning and emotional journey.
The reason I mention this is because maybe you could do something, but on a smaller scale. Round timbers, scribed and joined at the corners. Don t know if you could gather enough logs, probably not.
If not, maybe you could cut other parts of the Ash tree into 4 or 5 x 2 to give you some structural timber, then use the milled Ash as exterior wall cladding, overlapped maybe and also floorboards inside. Maybe a thatched roof? Would be beautiful. I ll gladly come and help.
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Enjoying watching this Mike. You re living the dream.
What s the deal with permission to build in the woodland? Can you do whatever you like?
Over the last 2 years, as the world has become more and more nuts, and less and less pleasant to live in, I have become almost obsessed with watching log cabin builds. My favourite is NIC Rijavec s project in Slovenia, a stunning and emotional journey.
The reason I mention this is because maybe you could do something, but on a smaller scale. Round timbers, scribed and joined at the corners. Don t know if you could gather enough logs, probably not.
If not, maybe you could cut other parts of the Ash tree into 4 or 5 x 2 to give you some structural timber, then use the milled Ash as exterior wall cladding, overlapped maybe and also floorboards inside. Maybe a thatched roof? Would be beautiful. I ll gladly come and help.
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Jakob
I'd love to see you forge another knife with Alec and make the handle of the curly ash you cut there. Possibly a cutlery knife to go with the spoon you carved. If you've got contact to someone with a lathe, turning a bowl or plate from some of the wood could be a great thing too. At least for me personally, having a set of tools I could use everyday, like the things I use to prepare and serve my daily food, made from the first wood I cut on my very own patch of land would be an absolute joy.
Love to see the progress on the woodland! Keep it up, lads!
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I'd love to see you forge another knife with Alec and make the handle of the curly ash you cut there. Possibly a cutlery knife to go with the spoon you carved. If you've got contact to someone with a lathe, turning a bowl or plate from some of the wood could be a great thing too. At least for me personally, having a set of tools I could use everyday, like the things I use to prepare and serve my daily food, made from the first wood I cut on my very own patch of land would be an absolute joy.
Love to see the progress on the woodland! Keep it up, lads!
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stihl8834
As an Arborist also i can offer some further advice.
1. Don't use the sawdust for food smoking, it will contain the chainsaw bar oil in it. It's best to spread the sawdust out onsite and it will quickly turn to fungus food!
2. The best way to slow the drying process and prevent severe cupping of the timber slabs is to apply paint or wax to the end grains of each slab, this slows the amount of moisture loss as the in the cells in the timber lose their moisture.
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As an Arborist also i can offer some further advice.
1. Don't use the sawdust for food smoking, it will contain the chainsaw bar oil in it. It's best to spread the sawdust out onsite and it will quickly turn to fungus food!
2. The best way to slow the drying process and prevent severe cupping of the timber slabs is to apply paint or wax to the end grains of each slab, this slows the amount of moisture loss as the in the cells in the timber lose their moisture.
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Gizmo
I enjoyed seeing how you made a fallen tree into wood that can be used and be around easily for another hundred years. Wide boards such as these make great looking antique tables and cabinets and so many other things. That makes them really valuable as lumber goes. You can certainly make some beautiful things with the wood you recovered from just this one tree. Hope to see you make some good uses of the wood in future videos.
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I enjoyed seeing how you made a fallen tree into wood that can be used and be around easily for another hundred years. Wide boards such as these make great looking antique tables and cabinets and so many other things. That makes them really valuable as lumber goes. You can certainly make some beautiful things with the wood you recovered from just this one tree. Hope to see you make some good uses of the wood in future videos.
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aleksis
Sadly ash population is in rather bad place in my country due to invasive species of fungie trees just keep suddenly dying. They aren't nearly as common as in Britain to begin with so it's even more unfortunate. Ash make up, less than one percent, if I'm not mistaken because most of my countries forrest are boreal in nature's thus pine, birch and spruce dominate the landscape each being over 20 percent
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Sadly ash population is in rather bad place in my country due to invasive species of fungie trees just keep suddenly dying. They aren't nearly as common as in Britain to begin with so it's even more unfortunate. Ash make up, less than one percent, if I'm not mistaken because most of my countries forrest are boreal in nature's thus pine, birch and spruce dominate the landscape each being over 20 percent
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W.
Could you and your Dad do an update on your daughter s little village that she has at her Grandparents? A few of the sticks from the Ash tree would make nice furniture for her village (just an idea. I m enjoying this series and am looking forward to more videos.
Here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on 20th Jan 2022 it is -28c. We have lots of beautiful snow. Keep safe and have fun.
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Could you and your Dad do an update on your daughter s little village that she has at her Grandparents? A few of the sticks from the Ash tree would make nice furniture for her village (just an idea. I m enjoying this series and am looking forward to more videos.
Here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on 20th Jan 2022 it is -28c. We have lots of beautiful snow. Keep safe and have fun.
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David
The live edges are really only used for vanity tops and counter tops. But the pattern on the split in the tree looks really good. The initial semi circular pieces cut from the logs, you could see if there is an axe maker that wants the ash for handles. Have fun carving the oak, its super hard when seasoned. You Dad's sausage looks good to me, cooked the way I like them.
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The live edges are really only used for vanity tops and counter tops. But the pattern on the split in the tree looks really good. The initial semi circular pieces cut from the logs, you could see if there is an axe maker that wants the ash for handles. Have fun carving the oak, its super hard when seasoned. You Dad's sausage looks good to me, cooked the way I like them.
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Gail
Good for you. Wonderful not to let it go to waste. It makes beautiful furniture. Right nice spoons and such. Do as the feeling takes you and that will be what is right for you to make. It will speak to you and you'll know what to do. Very nice video, Thank you for sharing young man.
Stay safe and Take Care.
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Good for you. Wonderful not to let it go to waste. It makes beautiful furniture. Right nice spoons and such. Do as the feeling takes you and that will be what is right for you to make. It will speak to you and you'll know what to do. Very nice video, Thank you for sharing young man.
Stay safe and Take Care.
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Mike
Great choice to harvest the big tree. Many many uses you could choose for the lumber. Furniture making would possibly give the wood hundreds of more years afterlife and you may make a pretty penny from the sale of it. Good job all round and a fascinating video. Thanks for sharing and best wishes
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Great choice to harvest the big tree. Many many uses you could choose for the lumber. Furniture making would possibly give the wood hundreds of more years afterlife and you may make a pretty penny from the sale of it. Good job all round and a fascinating video. Thanks for sharing and best wishes
reply
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