Woodlouse Industries

06/08/2026

A little project from a couple of weeks ago.

If you're using an IBC pallet tank for watering fruit trees and young whips, you'll know how alarming the sloshing water can be when you're driving over bumpy ground or up a twisty lane.

I looked at a few ways to baffle the inside, some of them pretty expensive, then realised that using redundant tree guards might work well.

In fact, they're worked brilliantly, there's still movement in the tank, but it's far less violent and settles down incredibly quickly....

05/08/2026

Hospital Review Number 1 🏥 🚑
Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex

Starting off what I hope to be an incredibly infrequent series, here's a quick look at QVH, enabled yesterday afternoon by a brief and very one-sided argument between a 16in Wilson planer thicknesser and the tip of my left little finger.

QVH is a small low rise hospital, situated in the quiet leafy outskirts of the historic market town of East Grinstead. The town centre is lovely, with many historic sandstone and timber buildings.

History: QVH has an incredible history as a centre for advanced plastic surgery, burns treatment and rehabilitation of trauma injuries. Much of this stems from pioneering work in the Second World War by the New Zealand born surgeon Archibald McIndoe. His humanity and skill in dealing with disfigured young pilots and aircrew definitely seems to carry on in the ethos of the hospital.

Vibes: Very relaxed, super friendly, non clinical.

Facilities: The buildings are fascinating, a rambling patchwork of 1930s brickwork and quiet courtyards, with modern hi tech facilities and infrastructure levered in all over the place. Couldn't be more British.

Treatment: Fantastic, laid back but very professional.

Environment: I don't think I've ever seen a hospital with better or more engaging landscaping. Loads of great specimen trees: Himalayan Birches, Liquidambar, Tulip Trees, Eucs, and it was great to be welcomed by a perfect and very fruitful Wild Service Tree beside the main driveway.

Overall: 10/10. You really couldn't be in better hands (cough). Definitely the place to go in the South East for dealing with specialist workplace boo-boos.

I'm signing off till Monday, light duties for a wee while. Hope you all have a productive and non-dramatic week.

29/07/2026

Always have water to hand.... 💧🔥

If you're working on old logs with a dry, decaying pulpy outer surface, be really cautious.

Have water and extinguishers on hand.

Don't just 'saw and go' - take your time and wait to make sure that nothing is smouldering once you've finished your cuts.

The conditions are pretty brutal out there, have a safe day.

14/07/2026

Machining Oak boards

We've got an interesting job to create big laminated blocks of Oak to be used as treads on a contemporary steel staircase, so there's lots of machining processes to carry out.

We started out doing the initial flattening on the trusty planer thicknesser, then every batch has to be 'four sided' to final dimensions using the fantastic machine that used to be called a Moretens or PH260 but is now known as the MP260 from - a little confusing, I know.

I'll happily admit that I didn't have enough Oak in stock at the right thickness, so the lovely timber being used came from

Yes, it's summer, so yes, it's time for the holiday shirt and sliders from - no regrets for the vibes, though I may regret dropping timber on my toes this afternoon.

11/07/2026

There's going to be a lovely weekend of woody goodness here at

There's lots to see and do, and there's plenty of shade, so please pop by if you'd like an interesting day out 🌲🌳🌳🔨🪚

31/05/2026

Open today as planned, though there are some access issues... 🚧🚦🚗

18/05/2026

Fresh sawn Ash 😮

It's very, very flexible and resilient....

16/05/2026

Lovely work from the team at HuubieBuild 😎

HuubieBuild creates the setting.
You cherish the adventures.

15/05/2026

Working with burr...

I've just re-sawn this very ancient Oak burr for a secret project, and wanted a quick way to bring up the potential colour without permanently marking or harming it.

I don't want to add water or an oil finish, and I've seen people using a rub of alcohol spirits, so I thought I'd try the trusty brake and clutch cleaner.

Good colour, and within 3 minutes it's all evaporated.

07/05/2026

One from the site milling archives....

Log arches are a great way to move decent sized sawlogs without bringing in really hefty equipment for a single lift.

If I remember correctly, this was a Taxodium (Swamp Cypress) in a customer's garden.