Forestry

forestry Searching for a grand ash in Scotland

Woodworkers are on the hunt for a grand ash tree that might have been brought down by the recent storms, or is due for imminent felling because of Ash Dieback.

If found, the tree will be used as part of a project to showcase Scotland’s hardwood sector and raise awareness of the tree disease which is affecting ash all over the country.

The Scottish Furniture Makers Association is masterminding the project. They want to create a number of stunning items from a mighty ash or series of ash trees which would act as a centrepiece of a travelling show next year.

Tom Addy from the Scottish Furniture Makers Association said: “The storms over the winter have been pretty devastating for many. What we are hoping to do is turn some of what nature dealt us into a positive.

“We would like to hear from woodland owners who think they may have a suitable ash that we could use to promote the hardwood sector.

“Ideally we would be looking for a single decent sized ash, but we would also like to hear about stands of ash that have come down and can be used for this project.”

The SFMA is working with the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers Association and Scottish Forestry on the travelling show idea.

Ros Wardman, Scottish Forestry’s forest industries advisor added: “As part of the project, all the stages from finding the tree, to processing, milling, drying, selecting makers, and creating the furniture, will be fully documented. It’s a great way to showcase Scottish workmanship at its finest. “A strong element of the show will be to educate the public about Ash Dieback and other tree diseases affecting the hardwood sector.

“If we can find a grand tree, it would be a fitting and productive end to a tree that was brought down prematurely by the storms, or about to felled because of the disease.”

Woodland owners who think they may have a mighty ash, or ash

stands affected by the storms, should contact the Scottish Furniture Makers Association on info@ scottishfurnituremakers.org.uk

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The Sampo Rosenlew FR48 Forwarder is designed and built in Finland using proven components. This 14-tonne forwarder thrives in young, dense forests due to its small dimensions and optimised weight distribution between the front and rear axles. This ensures that the ground and remaining trees are hardly affected by operations. The cab of the forwarder is very spacious with excellent visibility. The rear chassis frame is now extended by 1.2 metres and it has been slightly redesigned, reinforced and widened to handle the 14 tonnes of load and the bigger bogies.

The Hypro 755HB tractor processor is capable of cutting and delimbing trees from 50 cm in diameter right down to 3 cm. It is a fully-equipped machine with a built-in hydraulic system. Pump and tank are both mounted on the machine. The new 7.5 m crane provides increased range and enables the grapple to reach the centre of the machine bed. This also provides the possibility to cut and drop trees in the centre of the processor table when using a felling grapple without having to make any repeating grabs on the tree with the grapple to place