Where's WYK been, and what trouble is he making?

[wyk]

Geeze, Wyk, you're having too much fun!

As my boss is fond of saying - livin' the dream.

It must be said - England is a really nice place to be. Dorset is amazing country, too. It has those quintessential English villages dotting the countryside with their manicured gardens etc. After spending time in Dublin, it's almost too nice. But, I imagine I can find a way to get used to it

 

[wyk]

Well, I pulled the 365 apart yesterday. Afraid it's not good news:

That piston is toast. The cylinder isn't as bad, though. So I ported it for the practice and just to see if it would make much of a difference. Surprisingly enough, the compression isn't terrible from the feel of it, even if she is a bit sluggish running rich unmodified with a stock muffler.

Here's the vid of it after a very mild porting, squish adjustment, and adding a new exit hole in the exhaust muffler:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8nZeLZtS6sk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I didn't have much wood to test it in, but I think you get the idea. There's a large sycamore that has to come down next door. I may do it just for the firewood in payment. We'll see if this thing can do the job if that ever materializes.

Here it is before when I adjusted the carb and set her rich(after she hadn't been working for a long while) and compared it to my ported Echo CS-520 - the Echo is running full chisel 325 on a 20" bar whilst the 365 is running a 24" bar, 3/8 semi chisel:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X36e52q9wwU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My next move is a ported BB kit from Aussie1, I reckon. Assuming the stock 365 carb can feed it.

Just got a call from work. I am meant to be away this week again. So dunno when I will be posting again. Dunno where I'll be for sure yet.

Almost forgot to add a photo of my work shop

 

[jmethodrose]

glad to see you at least got her running OK! hope she comes in useful. Still can't rep you as haven't spread it around enough...

 

[wyk]

glad to see you at least got her running OK! hope she comes in useful. Still can't rep you as haven't spread it around enough...

I managed to rep ya . Don't forget yer 365 in yer sig is now in my hands. I think I am gonna 372 it and port it.

Turns out I will be in High Wykcombe this week - a bit north west of London. This means another early start tomorrow. G'night!

 

[wyk]

WYK returns to the states

Well Folks,

It seems my contract here is completed. All the cutting is done for now. Must be said that I had a very unique and interesting experience. It's too bad my new camera came in too late. I did miss a few good photo and video ops, but I'll have memories to last my lifetime.

Last week I was in Beaconsfield, a very affluent area not far from London. We were clearing the larger unhealthy, unsightly trees before the clearing crew came in with the chippers as some businessmen had bought the area and wanted it looking sharp in short order. There was a wide array of trees that had to come down as well as a good amount of ridiculously large Rhododendron since the place had been left abandoned for nearly 22 years. After breaking in the rings on the 365, she seems to be pulling decently. She'll still need a new piston, though. Here she is after stumping either a lime or a willow:

That is the only photo that came out at all. The old camera is full of water

Speaking of water, here's a very nice Chip shop I found in Dorchester:

A bud pointed her out to me. Good stuff. I'll sure miss it.

Here's some images I don't think I've shared with you previously:

The forest floor view at Milton Abbey once we finished clearing some of it:

Here's a photo from a short badger wrangling job we did in Yeovil:

This is the view I have from my window currently:

Here's another view of the farm across from our yard in Dorset:

And a view from a recent job, again from the forest floor:

I'll be here for a couple weeks more tying up loose ends. Then I either go back to Oregon or Texas depending on where I can find work. I'll be sure to take more photos and upload them to this thread before I leave for the States.

I want to thank all the folks in England whom have made this possible and who've helped me out greatly; namely Dave Keith and Joe Rose. What some folks here don't know is I spent 3 months in Ireland before I ended up in England. I greatly enjoyed my time in Ireland as well.

I hope you guys enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

Wes

 

[Joe46]

Certainly appreciate all you've posted! Welcome back to the good ol US of A. Hope you find work soon.

 

[lfnh]

Thanks for the thread and photos you put together.
Sure enjoyed reading your regular updates and the tour of the countryside.

 

[dave k]

It was a pleasure to help in any small way I could Wes and just shame the downturn is as bad as it is here in Ireland. Look after the Husky can back in the States !!

 

[jmethodrose]

sorry to hear that mate, I thought you'd be in jolly old England for a few months more at least! Glad to hear you've had a good time over here, stay in touch! And don't go messing that 365 up with all the ethanol you seem to get in the States :msp_biggrin:

 

[wyk]

I'll try and stay outta trouble. I think this 365 is going to end up with a BB top end much like Aussie1's. We'll have to see how things go for me. Everything is on hold for now until I get my bearings. I still have a 50cc saw being worked on by Mastermind, too.

Although I had hoped to stick it out longer, this recent turn of events can be serendipitous since I now have a couple of weeks to simply be the tourist and hang out with a few buds I have met along the way to now. It must be said that the English have all been very good to me and very friendly. They've made my time here very special. I spent last weekend in Bournemouth with a work mate that I got on with quite well. It was Guy Fawkes night. So there was a lot of beer, fireworks, and a ridiculous amount of 420 paraphernalia tossed about. I have a few videos of it I may upload here.

Cheers!

 

[wyk]

I've been poking around my puter since I got some new hardware for it. I found this little video of me using A 16" bar on an ms341 IN 20-24" Cedars. This was typical until I got a 20" bar for my Echo:

[video=youtube;D1tbLs7rbS8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1tbLs7rbS8[/video]


I'll sure miss England

 

[wyk]

Timber Cruising?!

I'm back!

I managed to pull a few stringshere and there(mostly here) and got ajob as a nomad (contracted) Timber Cruiser. What's that? Well, anyone who's logged will know. We are the guys that go in and inventory the timber in an area for it's amount and health.

Right now I am easing into it with an environmental survey we are doing near Tacoma, Washington. Today was the first day I went out on my own and worked th timber(of ya no wut I meeen!).

Photos to follow. But, eh, it's mostly just a lotof fir and pine, which I am sure you guys have already seen.

Arf!

WYK

 

[wyk]

Uh... I think I lost my camera in the field

Ah well. I need a new one anyways. I also need a chainsaw as well.Lots of roads are blocked by the recent ice storm we had here. I cleared 2 roads today with an axe. I nearly vomited.

Arf!

 

[wyk]

So here's the first week review:

Truck died twice. Lost it's tumbler, stopped shifting. I now manually shift it from under the dash(It's an f150 automatic) and am awaiting a new steering column. Got stuck twice. I need to get a 4X4.
Got whipped in the eye so bad while flying down a service road, I thought I might lose my sight. Well, I did, for nearly 2 days.

Everything hurts.

Had to clear several roads with an axe coz I sold a chainsaw to fford the fuel to get here.

Had to swim thru the forest at a few points it was so thick.

I need some decent caulk boots.

Other than that, it's been a hoot

 

[Samlock]

Bummer, wyk. You're in the middle of a classic nomadic dilemma. You're broke and need to get some work done to get paid (if I understood it right). In order to get some work done you'll need tools (wheels & saw). Tools cost money. You'll get money once you get paid. And so forth...

Yes, done that, been there... I know you're not a whiner type of bloke, I just wish there was something I could do to help you out. Thoughts and prayers won't do, I guess. You need some hardware instead.

Other than that, I'm glad to hear you've got a contract and you like it.

 

[lfnh]

So here's the first week review:

Truck died twice. Lost it's tumbler, stopped shifting. I now manually shift it from under the dash(It's an f150 automatic) and am awaiting a new steering column. Got stuck twice. I need to get a 4X4.
Got whipped in the eye so bad while flying down a service road, I thought I might lose my sight. Well, I did, for nearly 2 days.

Everything hurts.

Had to clear several roads with an axe coz I sold a chainsaw to fford the fuel to get here.

Had to swim thru the forest at a few points it was so thick.

I need some decent caulk boots.

Other than that, it's been a hoot

Got a 1st Gen Eager Beaver for lease if thatd help ya :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[mile9socounty]

So here's the first week review:

Truck died twice. Lost it's tumbler, stopped shifting. I now manually shift it from under the dash(It's an f150 automatic) and am awaiting a new steering column. Got stuck twice. I need to get a 4X4.
Got whipped in the eye so bad while flying down a service road, I thought I might lose my sight. Well, I did, for nearly 2 days.

Everything hurts.

Had to clear several roads with an axe coz I sold a chainsaw to fford the fuel to get here.

Had to swim thru the forest at a few points it was so thick.

I need some decent caulk boots.

Other than that, it's been a hoot

Dont you love it up here in the PNW. Give it time things will pick up for you. Congrads on cruising.

 

[wyk]

I gotta admit - I actually enjoyed busting out the axe. It was all fir, so it chopped fairly easily. Still, it was a good work out.

Madhatte is up this way and has really been hugely helpful. So a solid shout out to him. Joe46 is givin a hand as well. Thanks, guys.

I love being out i the woods But getting started at this isn't the easiest thing. So I certainly appreciate all the help and advice you guys have deliverd unto me.

I took today off. I had a lot of chores to run around town and, frankly, I urt a bit and wanted to go easy on me and not push myself too far the first week. 6 days straight to start ain't too bad, I don't think. I go back to it tomorrow and then Sunday I gotta fix the steering column on the ford. I am also saving up for a 4X4 - preferably sumfin like a pre 94 cherokee, etc. I see lots of em in the CL here.

Ugh, the space bar on this old laptop is messed up, so forgive my typing until I replace this old thing.

 

[Samlock]

Bless the good guys!

Getting help is always more difficult than giving it. Some day you'll be able to pass it over. That's how the great wheel of life goes around, I think.

How about one of those tiny 4X4 Subarus. I remember Sam had one. I think a cruiser's crotch would just fit in.

 

[madhatte]

cruiser's crotch

OHOHOHO! Got a chuckle outta me. I'm gonna call 'em that from now on.