Ordered a central heating radiator yesterday to replace an old leaking one, delivered this morning, great says I, job for the weekend. On unpacking I find that idiot me had ordered a double panel instead of a single on checking prices I was amazed to find that there is only a £4.50 price difference. Apart from adjustment to the supply piping I can't be bothered to return it and will turn the TRV down a notch to compensate for the increased heat output.

A slight variation on "measure twice cut once" but I think you know what I mean.

Phil

Making the enclosure for a model Pelton Wheel, out of old surplus acrylic, found out just how brittle it can be. Guess what happened as I tapped the very last 2BA hole? Typical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is the last chance to remake without ruination.

Howard

Not me but wept with my friend when he had just finished all the profiling of the cams for Otter , only to find he had read the drawing in the wrong elevation.

Don't throw your mirror images away. Once we get past March next year we will be in an alternative universe, and it may well be that your (currently duff) bits are the only ones that are right.

Tim

My recent fo pa is not quite a cock up but recently I spent a while trying to find my oil can I take to rally's with my engines but after searching the garage, sheds and trailer I went to town and bought a new one, when I got home I filled it with oil and put it on the bench next to the one I couldn't find

Martin P

As for cock-ups, wish I had a quid for each one! I usually search scrap bin for reusable piece of metal before cutting virgin stock. In the wasteland of SE England and Brighton in particular, it's very expensive to buy metal by mail order. Most exhibitions involve long journeys and overnight stays. Nearest being easily reached is Guildford event in July but not many advertisers go there like they used to. Sods law says you always have plenty of say steel angle when you need brass angle and so on. There are odd stockists about like Preside tools West of Littlehampton but that's 50 mile round trip. Only ME & MEW advertisers seem to have stocks of metal tailored to the man in shed needs but most are oopnorth.

Martin and DMB ( and any others it applies to ) Don't forget the little man who borrows your tools then brings them back after you've got a new one. Every shed has one

Roy

As to people borrowing things and "forgetting"to bring them back,yes I,ve met them too !

Was it the Bard who said "Neither a borrower nor a lender be,for both lose friends"

How right he was.

There is an old saying that if everyone had their own tools back,some guys toolbox would be rather empty.

The certainly lose spanners…

Done all these things, and felt a total fool – but I did find one answer that works for me. If I can't find anything in the 'shed' now, I ask the missus to come and help me look – she always seems to find things immediately, after I've spent hours looking, or made a replacement. I have my own theory why she can do this, but I can't say anything – she sometimes reads this forums, and I want to live just a little longer!

I spent a week, off and on, looking for the red handled chain spanner which I've had for more than 20 years to remove the car's oil filter. The one day I walked into my shed and saw it straightaway; it has a blue handle! Colin

I cleaned my T&C grinder before using it yesterday. Found the cap of Southam's lamp, lost a number of years ago, spent ages searching for it on the floor. Now can I find the body of the lamp?