blockhill - forest garden experience & education

North Canterbury

Portable Electric Chainsaw

Portable Electric Chainsaw

Configuring an electric chainsaw for mobile firewood collection.

Electric chainsaws are light, with no fumes, less noise and fewer complex parts to cause issues.

The problem is they require a fair amount of power, thus limiting their portability.

Check out how to set up a useful system for mobile sawing...
April 27, 2010
Solstice Gathering

Solstice Gathering

In an attempt to break up the gloomy monotony of the long dark winter months we organised a family get together.
Lots of food, good company and the obligatory bonfire.

The burned circular area has subsequently been dug and mulched in preparation for planting in spring.
July 03, 2010

Only so many hours in the day

A recent trip to Christchurch took me past Southern Woods tree nursery so I had to buy something. Today I planted out the 5 blueberries (3 varieties) and picked out locations for the 2 fejoa bushes.

The tree felling neighbour offered me the slash and pine cones from recent trees he chopped down so we ended up with 2 trailer loads of pine for winter. And it only travelled a couple of hundred meters.

Pruned one of the olive trees, more for cosmetic reason than to improve the yield.

Melisa put a lot of time into the latest chicken run and got it to a point where we could add the chooks.

Put some silicone sealant on a leaking joint in the solar water heater (so much for zero maintenance)
March 12, 2010
The brazier

The brazier

Details   Both a focal point for outdoor gathering and warmth with perhaps the option for grilling, frying, toasting etc. Constructed from welded metal fencing standards held within a circular 'collar' made from the cut down wheel of an old sheep shearing machine. Located at the focal point of the outdoor spiral.
Date   September 04, 2016
Tags     fire 
Melting Beeswax

Melting Beeswax

I hate to see anything go to waste so with the fire going to heat the bath I remembered the deserted beehive with the exposed comb.

Crushed up and sitting in an iron pot near the fire it slowly melts down. Once I have skimmed off the impurities perhaps I can make a candle...
November 11, 2011
  bees  wax  fire 
Chimney Oven

Chimney Oven

I first came across this novel concept when I was a kid and friends of my parents had one. Seems like a pretty common sense idea so I've been on the look out for something like this for years.

Finally I got the chance to purchase this stainless steel beauty. On the initial test firing we easily got the temperature up to 350 centigrade and it hovers nicely round 200 with the vents closed and the fire idling.

We have used the oven to cook bread, muffins, roast nuts, muesli and veges. A very versatile and useful addition.
July 17, 2017
Sustainable firewood

Sustainable firewood

A lot of activities get labelled as 'sustainable' these days, despite having a hidden subsidy of non-renewable resources or energy. The only truly sustainable energy source is the sun and the various manifestations of that energy such as biomass, wind etc. The rate and method (technology) used to harness or extract that energy determines it's long term sustainability. Wind turbines constructed from huge volumes of concrete, steel and carbon fibre are not sustainable while harvesting a tree with a stone axe is sustainable if practised at a rate that permits regrow under local ecological conditions.

Note: I used a pseudo sustainable electric chainsaw rather than a stone axe to dissect this manuka tree. It will be replaced by a five finger (Pseudopanax arboreus), already growing up out of the decaying stump.
August 19, 2018