Buddwiser89":2mthojp3 said:
tell me what i need to do from chopping the trees to start making stuff?
Basically, sit on your hands and be patient!
Note some pale timbers like holly or sycamore must only be felled in the winter when the sap is low (otherwise bacteria will feed on the sap and discolour the timber) and stood upright to dry.
You plank the log into thicknesses that make sense for you and best exploit the timber, and you do this quickly as if the log is lying around on the ground it will be invaded by all sorts of nasties.
You place the boards in "stick" (3/4" square strips of softwood to allow air to circulate), you try and keep it out of direct sunlight, protected from rain, and sheltered from winds that might dry it too quickly.
After that you kick back and wait...then wait some more!
You'll hear plenty of comments along the lines of wait for one year for each inch of thickness. That may be true for getting the timber down to the 25% or so moisture content needed to begin kilning, or for outdoor construction timber, but it's no where near enough for air dried furniture wood. Some people say leave it in stick for one summer for each inch of thickness plus another entire year, others say two summers plus one year. It really all depends on the species, the location of where it's stored, and what your target moisture content is (you'll never get it below about 12% unless you live in the Sahara). I'm cutting some timber at the moment that was felled in 1998, that's not unusual.
The reason woodlands are exempt from inheritance tax is because it's a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g process, and if you rush it you just get firewood.
Good luck.
