How to chop wood with a mighty log splitting axe

The wood burning stove is up and running again, which means the Sunday morning peace is often shattered by the sounds of chopping wood. Although my fire wood is delivered as seasoned logs, the stove is small so most of them need to have their size reduced before being incinerated. Chopping wood is one of the more pleasurable outdoor winter chores – a bit of effort is required but it gets the blood circulating and produces a warm glow of satisfaction before any matches have been lit.

Providing you adopt a safety first policy it’s a fairly straightforward task, although there are a few simple rules worth following to make it as trouble free as possible. Here they are…

Choose your axe

There are many types of axe available for a variety of chopping tasks – from initial tree felling to precision carving. For domestic log splitting duties your best bet is a long-handled, log splitting axe.

We’ve got a competition to win such an item from Wilkinson Sword so, for this feature, I’ve been putting their splitting axe through its paces. The 90cm long handle is built of fiberglass and has a soft grip, which makes it easy to hold and prevents it slipping from your grasp, while also being suitably durable. The head is made of drop forged carbon steel, giving it a bit of muscle behind the sharp blade, designed to power through whatever type of wood that is destined for your log store.

Short handled chopping axes are also worth considering if your main chopping duties involve breaking off narrow pieces for kindling, but you’ll have to put much more effort in than you would with a longer handle if you need a full swing at a larger piece of wood.

If you’ve got especially wide pieces of wood, such as a slice of mature tree trunk, you might also want to invest in a grenade splitter or wedge. This is a pointed device that is placed in the centre of the log before being whacked with a mallet or the reverse of an axe (providing its suitable for the task) causing the wood to split along its weakest grain lines.

Lightweight with a hard head. If Thirsty Rich was an axe…

Position your log

The surface you place your log on is of vital importance: it needs to be sturdy and level, while also being able to take the follow through of an axe without breaking. But unflexible surfaces, like concrete, are a no-go – they’re likely to send a bone-dislodging jolt through your arm and knacker your blade. By far the best solution is a large piece of tree.

Ideally your tree piece, or equivalent chopping block, should rise so your logs reach around waist height, enabling you to swing comfortably while standing. I manage to chop onto a flatter disc of tree with more of a crouch, but my back doesn’t appreciate the technique.

Swing your blade

Give your knees a little flex then grip the handle with one hand towards the axe head and the other hand at the end of the handle. Some guides, and Rich, suggest the strongest hand should be near the head; other guides, and Nick, think it should be the weaker hand. However, as Nick is right handed but bats at cricket left handed, Rich is probably right. Adopt whatever arrangement feels most comfortable – which is probably the way you would bat at cricket.

Lift the axe above your head with straightish arms and ready yourself… then slide the hand near the axe head towards the other hand at the base of the handle while allowing gravity to send the axe towards the log. At the point of impact both hands should be together at the end of the handle. If your aim is true and the log is ready to succumb it’ll satisfyingly split in half. If not, give the axe a wiggle to remove it from the log and try again.

For those tougher and wider pieces, welcome the grenade, or wedge, to the swing session. Position it in the centre of the wood, tap to secure, then bash it with the back of the axe or mallet as if hammering a large nail into a massive fence. Eventually the wood will spring apart along the grain.

A grenade, or wedge, is used to break up larger and tougher bits of tree

Be safe

It goes without saying that axes are deadly beasts. Never swing wildly like a crazed axe murderer as you’re likely to miss the target or wobble mid air and give your leg a nasty shock. And you’ll also be out of breath before you’ve got an evening’s worth of wood to burn. Make sure you’re swinging in a clear area with pets and other family members well out of the way. Safety goggles are also advised and, if you must wear gloves, make sure they have a decent grip – those knitted mittens your gran sent for Christmas will cause the axe to make an airborn visit to the neighbours garden.

Visit the Wilkinson Sword website for more information on their range of axes

The long handled splitting axe and grenade

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/11/chop-wood-mighty-log-splitting-axe/

Win! A Wilkinson Sword Splitting Axe!

Brrrr. Getting cold, isn’t it?

We’ll wager you’re burning through your logs faster than you can chop them. And no wonder. Just look at that small, blunt blade you’ve been using to split each lump in two. That will never do.

But fear not, your favourite boozy gardeners* have teamed up with hot steal tamers Wilkinson Sword to bring you an amazing winter busting, log splitting, smash-and-grab competition. The prize? No less than a mighty Wilkinson Sword Splitting Axe, with a shiny head of drop forged steal and a fibreglass, soft grip handle.

It’s so good that we used one ourselves to explain just how you should tackle the task of log splitting. And we’ll be using it for many winters to come.

How to win

To stand with a chance of winning, simply log into Twitter, make sure you are following @thirstygardener and @WSGardenTools, and retweet our splitting axe competition tweet with the hashtag #ChopChop

All names successfully completing the criteria above will go into into our ‘log basket of outrageous fortune’ and the winner will be picked out randomly on Monday 19th December 2016.

Check the Ts&Cs below, ready you lumberjack shirt and GET TWEETING!

Terms and conditions

• Entries must be submitted by midnight on Sunday 18th December 2016.
• The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• The winner will be drawn at random from all entries received by the closing date.
• Failure to respond and/or provide an address for delivery, or failure to meet the eligibility requirements may result in forfeiture of the prize. Should the Promoter be unable to contact the winners or should the winners be unable to accept the prizes by Wednesday 21st December, the Promoter reserves the right to award the prizes to an alternative winner, drawn in accordance with these terms and conditions.
• Entry is open to residents of the UK except employees (and their families) of the prize suppliers.
• Use of a false name or address will result in disqualification.
• Entrants must be over the age of 18 on 1st December 2016.
• Entries that are incomplete, illegible, indecipherable, or inaudible (if made by phone) will not be valid and deemed void.
• No responsibility can be accepted for entries lost, damaged or delayed in the post, or due to computer error in transit.
• The prizes are as stated, are not transferable to another individual and no cash or other alternatives will be offered.
• In the event of a prize being unavailable, the promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
• The winner(s) agree(s) to the use of their name, photograph and disclosure of county of residence and will co-operate with any other reasonable requests relating to any post-winning publicity.

*Note. Booze and axes don’t mix.

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/11/win-wilkinson-sword-log-splitting-axe/

Workwear Isn’t Just for Building Professionals

Whether you are a home improvement enthusiast or have a passion for DIY, it is essential to have access to good quality and durable workwear clothes. This will help to ensure that your own clothes are protected from substances such as paint, which can be notoriously difficult to remove, and will help to maintain health and safety when undertaking home improvement projects.

Workwear Versatility

Workwear can be incredibly well-designed and comes in a range of different and versatile styles. The versatility of the items means they can fit in with any home improvement project you are working on; for example, if your project involves the use of many different tools and you are constantly going up and down ladders, you may want to consider clothes with handy pockets that can easily accommodate all the necessary extras whilst adding an element of safety.

Work pants are ideal because they usually have many different pockets and compartments, which are handy for all the extras you need quick and easy access to. They are perfect for projects around the home because they come in a range of different styles that have been cleverly designed to give you maximum comfort whilst you tackle various home improvements. Work pants are ergonomically designed to add a layer of protection, while extra stitching ensures that such clothes are less likely to tear.

Working Outdoors

Workwear clothes are also great for working outdoors, particularly in colder and wetter conditions, due to their water-resistant qualities. From well-designed long- and short-sleeved tops with extra pockets and stitching to warm rain-resistant layers that provide extra protection from the elements, this type of clothing is not just for professional builders!

Another excellent choice for workwear clothes around the home is overalls. If you are working with particularly messy materials, overalls offer a great all-round solution that ultimately provides extra protection for your clothes. Look out for overalls that are waterproof, particularly if you are working outdoors. If you are working with heating elements, a flame retardant overall may be the perfect option. If you find that you are constantly on your knees, knee pads can be useful for providing an extra layer of protection and comfort.

Workwear for Home Improvement

Home improvement projects can be fulfilling and satisfying. You can enhance your level of safety and comfort by choosing sensible work clothes that will provide protection and versatility, as they are designed to be comfortable, durable and safe!

If you would like to find out more on the various different types of workwear clothing that is available, please visit the Ballyclare website for more information.

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from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/workwear-isnt-just-for-building-professionals/

Projects that will Add Value to Your Home

We all want to add that extra bit of value to our homes, but doing so can often be a lot easier said than done. Throwing a load of cash at various renovation projects is all good and well, but if you’re not improving the right areas of your home, the return on investment may not be as much as you expect.

So what are the most valuable home improvements you can undertake in order to ensure the best return on investment? Well we’ve put together a list of the top 7 projects that we think will add the most value to your home – so pay attention homeowners!

7) Add lighting

By adding/letting in extra light into certain rooms, your home will feel more warm and welcoming. There’s nothing more depressing than a dark, dingy living space; and this is something that buyers will tend to pick up on when viewing your home. Both natural and electrical light can easily be enhanced to boost appeal of a room: Skylights and sun tubes are typically great additions to funnel in natural light, whereas increasing the wattage of your bulbs and adding a dimmer function will allow for brighter spaces that can be controlled to create mood.

6) Fix any structural defects

Repairing structural problems can be one of the most costly renovation projects, but if you want to add high value to your home, it’s absolutely crucial you action them. Sellers are often naïve to the importance of fixing the structural defects of a house and will tend to focus on decorating instead. Don’t make this mistake, and do the basics first. Ensure you check the functioning of your roofing and guttering, then assess your walls, ceilings, (are they cracked or damp?), floors, the plumbing, and anywhere you can think of that might need that extra bit of attention. It may be worth hiring the services of a builder or surveyor to get an experienced observation of the structural state of your property.

5) Replace the windows

Windows can make a big difference to the look of a house, especially in terms of first impressions before you actually enter the property. It’s important, therefore, that you ensure that what you install matches the style of your house, whether it be modern or traditional. Doing so will really improve the exterior aesthetics and consequently, add value.

4) Get a flooring makeover

You’ll be surprised at how much a new floor can enhance the overall look of a living space. Instead of sticking with your old, worn carpet, install something with a more modern feel. Modern laminate, solid wood, and engineered hardwood flooring are both great choices if you’re after a floor that holds value and looks fantastic at the same time. Quality hardwood flooring doesn’t have to break the bank, and if you shop around, you should be able to find yourself a bargain. Flooring Megastore are one of many flooring supplies that provide an excellent range of bespoke flooring at affordable prices.

3) Extend into the loft

Loft conversions are considered as one of the most valuable projects you can undertake; and with the vast amount of extra space it creates, it’s not hard to understand why. Extending into the loft is the easiest way to add an extra bathroom or bedroom to your home, which will definitely add a few £’s on to your home value. In 2014, Nationwide Building Society claimed that a loft conversion can, on average, increase the value of your property by up to 21% – so it may be costly, but it’s worth it. Alternatively, you could extend into your basement, or even do both!

2) Renovate your kitchen

Kitchens have become a real focal point of a house and now, more than ever, nice looking kitchen areas are seen as a huge selling point for buyers. If there’s one room you want to priories in terms of renovation, it should be the kitchen. New units, surfaces, appliances and general interior redecoration will go a long way in improving both the look of your kitchen and value of your home. A new kitchen project will typically add around 5% to property value, but watch how much you spend and make sure its relative to the overall value of your house.

1) Treat your garden like another room

A well-groomed garden often sits highly on the buyer’s preference list – no one wants to open their back doors to the Amazon rainforest. This is why it is important to landscape your outdoor space well; e.g. by planting, pruning, cutting back hedges, removing weeds, clearing debris and general clutter etc. Depending on the size of your garden, you could potentially install decking or a patio to really optimise your space and boost value. We also recommend that you ensure your garden is accessible and visible from the house – glass doors can be implemented to really open up your garden and create a portal from your own backdoor. Lighting, furniture etc. can also help bring your back yard to life.

So there you have it, a few DIY/renovation project recommendations for all you homeowners that wish to optimise your position on the property ladder and add
significant value to your homes. A final tip from us: renovate to achieve a standard of property that you would be more than happy to live in, and don’t go overboard.

For more information please visit OSC, a Kent based company who supply specialist DIY tools such as self-drilling screws and fasteners.

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from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/projects-that-will-add-value-to-your-home/

Beer of the week #99: Uprising, Treason

Some folk refuse to believe it, but beer in cans can be good, and they’re here to stay. Advantages include: stackable, more portable, less breakable, lighter (in weight), darker (for the contents – light can adversely affect beer), no tools required to open them and you can crush the empties with a satisfying squeeze of the hand. Nowadays you can even get them with live yeast conditioning the booze inside. Some beers may well suit bottles better, but that’s no reason to dismiss the quality that canning can offer.

When we produce beer ‘best of’ lists the first comment is often along the lines of ‘that beer can’t possibly be the best BECAUSE IT’S IN A CAN’. Pity those poor commenters, rejecting hundreds of quality products through their irrational prejudices over packaging when they haven’t even tasted the contents inside.

This week, we’ve decided to guzzle our way through ‘Indie Beer Can’s 2016 champ ‘Treason’, by Berkshire brewery Uprising. It’s an IPA brewed to a West Coast USA style and is widely available online, in Waitrose supermarkets and at branches of Wetherspoons, so if there’s anyone still unsure about beer in cans this should be an easy one to track down.

The beer has a full load of American fruity hop flavours: it tastes super fresh, with grapefruit and mango the most obvious comparisons among the fruit medly. It also has a prominent bitterness which is a little bit piney and cuts through the fruitiness like a cold steel blade slicing a soft ripe peach. And there is not the slightest taint of dirty metal that cans would generally produce in the bygone days. Yes, this beer is good and it’s the modern kind of fresh and exciting drink that perfectly suits being in a can.

I’ve not tried Treason direct from a keg or bottle before, so I can’t say if those other dispensing methods improve the flavour. But going by my taste experience I would gladly recommend this version to anyone who likes the sound of a modern, British brewed, American IPA. Cans are here to stay and only a fool would deny themselves the extra choice they bring.

The lowdown

Brewery: Uprising, Windsor, Berkshire
Beer name: Treason
Strength: 5.8%

You can order yourself some Treason from Webrew

 

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/11/beer-review-99-uprising-treason-ca/

Winter gardening: five tasks for tip top soft fruit

Winter is a great time to be a lazy gardener. The growing grinds to a halt – weeds and all – and there’s nothing much to do until spring is on its way.

But on occasions, even in winter, we’ll need an excuse to get out of the house* and there are only so many logs that need chopping. For those moments it’s the soft fruit that usually receives our attention.

Like most of us, winter is the soft fruit’s dormant period. New bushes should be planted during this inactive spell and there’s work to be done with existing plants. Here are five soft fruit tasks we’ll be performing in good time for the arrival of spring.

Hack back autumn raspberry canes

There are two types of raspberries: those that fruit in summer, and those that hang on until autumn. The summer varieties (including ‘Mailing Jewel’ and ‘Glen Ample’) need a little care when pruning; autumn’s canes (such as ‘Autumn Bliss’ and ‘Polka’) simply need hacking to the ground during winter. Guess which we prefer? We’ve abandoned all summer raspberries, opting for the easy life instead. So in January or February we’ll roam among the bare canes with secateurs, snipping each one of them at the base. Job done.

Prune soft fruit bushes

Unfortunately, pruning soft fruit bushes needs a little more attention than the razing of raspberry canes, but unless you’re a perfectionist it doesn’t need to be as complicated as some guides will make out. Our established gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes will feel the thrust of a pruning blade this year, with the starting point for both being to remove damaged or diseased branches.

We then have a divergence of tasks: the plan for the gooseberries is to cut out a few of the older stems, allowing space for new ones to power through this year, and make sure we leave in place a mix of stems that are one to three years old. These will then be chopped back to half their length.

The blackcurrants are a little different in that fruit will only appear on the stems that grew during the summer just departed, so we’ll say goodbye to the older ones.

Finally, both bushes will be thinned a little if there is any overcrowding going on.

In reality we’re just as likely to chop all of our soft fruit at random… and the chances are they won’t suffer much as a consequence.

Mulch with garden sweepings

Over the course of winter the garden will gradually turn into what some observers might class as “a state of untidiness”. We like the general unattended decay and so does the wildlife. But every once in a while even we cave into pressure and gather up unruly clumps of fallen leaves and collapsed flower stems.

Rather than shovel this goodness straight into the compost, much of this garden matter will be scattered around the soft fruit plants with any bigger pieces being first broken up. Here their continued decay will slowly feed nutrients into the roots, ready for the spring growth, and they’ll provide a layer of warmth and protection to give the plants a leg up later in the year. And those friendly soil-enhancing bugs are more likely to set up home in their vicinity.

Remove and mend the netting

The vigorous growth of our blackcurants have led to a few branches bursting through the protective netting. Careful removal is required to avoid damaging both the bushes and the nets but, inevitably, holes will be expanded.

Although we won’t be putting the netting back up until the fruit has set, now is the perfect time to mend any holes and replace any bits beyond repair. We take a lot of care over this particular task: half arsed netting can allow animals to sneak their way in, or get trapped in untidy net overflow, and perish. And when you’ve got a million other gardening jobs to fulfil in summer, fighting with sheets of netting isn’t much fun.

Take hardwood cuttings

Fancy some free fruit bushes? Then use nature’s powers of multiplication to propagate new plants from old wood. We’ve not tried this before but it looks easy so this winter we might just give it a go.

Here’s what we’ll do…

We’ll snip off some hardwood stems. Pencil thick, the experts say. We’ll then trim these into 25cm-ish sections with a bud at the top and bottom of each section. We’ll fill a big pot with soil and plant these sticks 10cm deep at a similar distance apart.

And apparently that’s it until next winter when planting them out will be added to our list of soft fruit winter tasks.

*Phrases like “isn’t it time you sorted out your booze collection” usually send us scuttling to the back door

Note: Yes, they are strawberries growing in the photograph. In winter. Seasons, huh…

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Beer (and curry) of the week #98. BBNo 55/01 Double IPA

We were contacted recently by a PR company, asking if they could send us some curry to try. The answer to this question was – and always will be – a resounding ‘yes’ (followed by a ‘how fast can you get it to us?’ email, typed out to the reverberating, gurgling sound of an overexcited intestine).

Daydreams of curry trucks pulling up outside TTG HQ and hose-ing in chicken dhansak through the letterbox quickly evaporated when a small package arrived through the post, containing the building blocks necessary to construct a Japanese katsu* curry. One pack of rice, one pack of Japanese breadcrumbs (panko) and a pack of curry sauce.

This kit-form katsu required a bit of basic cheffery to knock it into shape. Nothing too taxing though – just the attendance of a sliced onion, a few pieces of chicken and a familiarity with the basics of hob-based, deep fat frying.

Now unless you count a few games on Cooking Mama (and the unfortunate incident when I miss-timed the oven and served the kids ‘sushi fish-fingers’) my previous experiences of Japanese cookery have been few and far between. Despite my culinary shortcomings, the katsu curry construction was easy – I even managed to overcome my fear of frying and successfully cooked the breadcrumb-coated chicken without setting the house ablaze, or Jackson Pollock-ing my flesh with scalding oil.

Behold the results below…

Tada! One nicely presented (if not entirely photogenic) katsu curry, ready for gobbling. But what booze to serve with this piquant dish?** For the answer, I took to Twitter.

Now, as we are all too aware, ‘asking the public to vote for things’ hasn’t particularly gone that well of late, but fortunately, our sensible Twitter pals avoided a Trump/Brexit style reaction*** and fed us some sensible results.

It  was a resounding victory for the IPA, blazing a blue trail ahead of the second most popular choice – lager. A few folks voted for pale, whilst no one was foolish enough to plump for the porter wildcard.

There were a couple of likely IPAs giving me the glad eye from the beer cupboard shelf, but I decided that the only thing that would satisfactorily slice through the fiery Japanese spices would be an American style double IPA. Specifically, a Brew By Numbers*** Double IPA, straight outta’ Bermondsey.

Fortunately, for all concerned, the match was a good ’un. My crudely constructed katsu sauce was a smooth, gravy-like affair (not a million miles away from a chip shop curry) that wrapped and caressed my bread crumbed chicken in a soft, piquant blanket. The curry packed a decent amount of heat, but not with the initial up-front fire you can get from an Indian curry – this was more of a slow-burning, forehead-beading warmth. The double IPA’s clean, citrus-y bite providing a fine foil to the dish, and whilst undeniably hop-forward (BBNo have dry hopped this one four times) its hoppiness is quite restrained – certainly not an eye popping hop-monster that you might come to expect from this style of beer.

I did, however, make one tiny error in my beer/curry equation. Partially number blinded by the big black digits on the BBNo beer label, I overlooked the most important number of all.

The ABV.

A BBNo Double IPA weighs in at a lusty 9.2%. That, combined with an enormous*****, mid-day katsu and a ‘bit of a sit down’ in front of Homes Under The Hammer, and there can be only one outcome…

Sweet, sofa-bound dreams of curry trucks and hops.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

The lowdown

Brewery: Brew By Numbers, Bermondsey, London
Beer name: 50/01 Double IPA
Strength: 9.2%
Hops used: Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe

Brew By Numbers rotate their range quite a bit. The Double IPA above came from an unknown source, and had been lurking around in my beer cupboard for a while, hiding behind a brace of feisty Somerset perries for safety. It’s worth checking their site often, to see what they’ve recently cooked up.

 

The curry lowdown

Make: Yutako
Curry name: Katsu
Strength: Medium

Available from: Morrisons

 

 

* Katsu is short for katsuretsu, the Japanese word for cutlet.
** Admittedly, there’s a rather big clue in the photograph, but bare with us…
*** “Screw your guys, we want change! We vote for petrol! Give petrol a chance! What’s the worst that can happen…?”
**** Not to be confused with ‘painting by numbers’, the popular painting system favoured by retirement home dwellers and the artistically inept.
***** Turns out the pack I used makes enough curry for six helpings.

 

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/11/beer-curry-week/