What Did You Do Today (2016)

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Rik, the originals also have a hammer for breaking glass and a safety blade for cutting seat belts.When I saw the advert I wondered about the legal aspects of these. I remember being pulled over by a police officer when working nights, he was very concerned about my having a wheel nut spanner, seemed to think it was an offensive weapon.

Dave

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Rik Shaw on 09/09/2016 15:32:09:

My wife showed me a gadget the other day she had found online which makes it easier to get out of a car. Rather than buy one I dragged one of these old steel brackets out my scrap box this afternoon and wrapped it round with a bit of insulation tape to save the paint work………..>>

hung it over her door catch………..>>

and bobs your uncle – job done.>>

With her creaky hips and all it makes it just that little easier to haul herself out of the car seat.>>

Rik>>

Bear a family resemblance to the ceiling hooks I use to hang up my telescopes. Gaffer/duck(t) tape is good for covering them with as it is slightly cushioned, although it can get sticky if it frays.

Neil

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Followed Neil's advice regarding decent quality eyepieces for astronomical telescope. Bought Celestron Plossl 32mm eyepiece and Celestron x2 Barlow Converter. What a difference compared to the standard ones. Just need a dry night and the moon being out to coincide now.

Colin

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

We need cloudbusting machines!

Neil

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, remembering reading JasonB's post about descaling steel for his next project **LINK** today on the way home from work, I stopped off at Toolstation and bought a bottle of brick and patio cleaner, and gave it a go on some pieces of 12mm square black bar.

Really worked well and only took about a couple of hours.

Regards Nick.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Rik

I am now thirteen weeks into recovery from a total hip replacement. Seven weeks ago I would have been interested but not now. However I do not know how it would have helped ME into and out of a car. My biggest difficulty was getting the foot of my new hip around the door pillar. The mod I found most helpful was a belt around the seat adjustment handle. This meant I did not have to reach down to slide the seat backwards and forwards.

I know everyone is different, and I still have problems to overcome like how to put on socks, but such comments/ideas may be useful to someone.

As for me today, I walked a mile and spent a couple of hours in the workshop milling the base of a vice bolster for the powered hacksaw.

JA

Edited By JA on 09/09/2016 22:53:26

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Just sailed the boat back from a 34 day holiday in belgium including an 8 day cruise into Holland to Middleburgh, Veere, Zerikzee & Breskens.

Whilst model engineering one often gets a minor burn from hot metal, solder etc. I had a slightly different burn. Whilst sailing in the Veersemere we hoisted the cruising chute which is 64 M2 ( enough to carpet a small single bed flat !!!). A Gust of wind hit us & my crew was helming. He should have turned down wind to make the boat more stable but being inexperienced he did not we took the wind broadside & the decks went awash so I had to let the sheets off a bit sharpish as he started to panic. Unfortunately I slipped & having no lifejacket & not being clipped on i found it difficult to let go of the rope quick enough. In the split second it ran through my hand I had a rope burn & the picture shows the result. I have been sailing for years & have always managed to avoid this. Not this time. They have started to heal fairly quickly & this photo is taken 7 days after the event

The trip back started Ok with a lovely 7kt reach in warm sunshine but the forecast 5-10 kts winds from the Longsand head along the Gunfleet windfarm turned into 20-30kts on the nose & we had 2metre swell & breaking seas for 9 hours. We arrived at Bradwell creek in the pitch black at 03-00 hours after 17 hours totally knackered. They view of the stars at night was great & we did see a few shooting stars.

Overall a great holiday & the end to 11 weeks of cruising for me which has included the Channel islands Normandy & as far as Treguier

So now I am back to my workshop & a bit of model making. Will it hurt if I get swarf in the cuts???????

 

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 10/09/2016 19:26:23

[TSHParticipant @tsh73987]

Just for a change of tool era, went on a flint knapping course. A most interesting day—at Butser Ancient Farm near Petersfield in Hampshire.

Trevor

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Posted by JA on 09/09/2016 22:52:15:

Rik. I am now thirteen weeks into recovery from a total hip replacement. Seven weeks ago I would have been interested but not now. However I do not know how it would have helped ME into and out of a car. My biggest difficulty was getting the foot of my new hip around the door pillar. The mod I found most helpful was a belt around the seat adjustment handle. This meant I did not have to reach down to slide the seat backwards and forwards. I know everyone is different, and I still have problems to overcome like how to put on socks, but such comments/ideas may be useful to someone. Edited By JA on 09/09/2016 22:53:26.

Yes, JA. Not good when your body lets you down. I've had chronic back problems for many years, I've had time to work out how to cope with most things but sometimes you just have to put up with it. The loss of mobility can be depressing, use whatever means you consider necessary to get about. Socks are a major problem, arms too short and legs too long. I toyed with the idea of making a larger version of the gadget they use to apply tubular bandages. Unfortunately, I wasn't mobile enough to actually make the thing and when I was, I didn't need it anymore. Slip on shoes are a must, I still can't cope with laces. I hook my arm over the roof to lower myself into the car and then lift my legs in by hooking one arm around the steering wheel and lifting each leg with my free hand. It sounds like a lot of faffing about but only takes a moment and avoids strain on my lower back. Hip replacements are usually very successful so you should be looking at steady improvement. Best of luck. Dave

 

Edited By daveb on 10/09/2016 21:02:38

[Michael HornerParticipant @michaelhorner54327]

Modified and fitted an ER 40 collet chuck to my Boxford TCL 125. It took some doing chopping the taper off the back of it and trimming down the spigot. It was good fun watching the chips burn like little fuses. The outer and inner sides had been well hardened. I think I will need to drill 3 holes in the back plate to help with the undoing of the collet nut. Tightening is ok, unscrewing is fiddly with 2 C spanners.

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

"I know everyone is different, and I still have problems to overcome like how to put on socks"

Ja – I hope your hip job sorts you out OK and you will be able to walk as well as you would like to. As for putting on socks – I'm lucky, my wife does mine for me.

Rik

[charadamParticipant @charadam]

Fellow tin hip users – this helps me daily:

Soxon Sock and Stocking Aid

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

Posted by Michael Horner on 10/09/2016 23:15:03:

Modified and fitted an ER 40 collet chuck to my Boxford TCL 125. It took some doing chopping the taper off the back of it and trimming down the spigot. It was good fun watching the chips burn like little fuses. The outer and inner sides had been well hardened. I think I will need to drill 3 holes in the back plate to help with the undoing of the collet nut. Tightening is ok, unscrewing is fiddly with 2 C spanners.

Try a bearing nut or **LINK** this if you have the space. It opens with ease!

[Michael HornerParticipant @michaelhorner54327]

Posted by jimmy b on 11/09/2016 03:29:58:

Posted by Michael Horner on 10/09/2016 23:15:03:

Modified and fitted an ER 40 collet chuck to my Boxford TCL 125. It took some doing chopping the taper off the back of it and trimming down the spigot. It was good fun watching the chips burn like little fuses. The outer and inner sides had been well hardened. I think I will need to drill 3 holes in the back plate to help with the undoing of the collet nut. Tightening is ok, unscrewing is fiddly with 2 C spanners.

Try a bearing nut or **LINK** this if you have the space. It opens with ease!

Thanks Jimmy just added it to my wish list.

Cheers Michael.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Just got back from a (slightly damp) week in the Scottish Highlands. Stopped at Stott Park Bobbin MIll on the journey north.

The whole thing was driven by line shafting powered by either a water wheel or a steam engine, which still runs from time to time, otherwise an electric motor for demonstrations. All the machines were made in a foundry on the other side of Lake Windermere in the mid 1800s.

Had a trip on the Jacobite steam hauled train on the West Highland line – the pic was taken later in the week.

Visted the Highland Wildlife Park where they have a breeding programme for Scottish Wildcats.

But got most excited by the Pine Martens that visited the deck of our chalet every evening after the nuts and raisins.

Cheers,

Rod

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Socks and the long-time back sufferer(s) …

may not work for everyone, but when things got screaming painful, I laid on my back on the bed and bought my knees up to my chest – one at a time – and found it much easier/less painful to get the socks on. Not elegant but no wife/ partner at the time, so needs must!

rgds

Bill

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Went into the workshop today for a bit of a tidy up and get ready for next week.

First job on the bill is fifty 20mm diameter shafts, faced and chamfered to length with a M8 hole in both ends.

Now this job calls for a back stop in the spindle and a bed stop to get to the finished length of 176mm. That bits simple but if the bed stop is set for that length you can't get a chamfer on in the same operation.

 

So something I have been promising myself for at least 8 – 10 years is a turret stop.

 

So hunted around the offcut bin and found a thick lump of steel and a few holes and a brass bush later we got this.

 

 

The micrometer stop was there before and just located onto a button on the carriage. this button has now been replaced by a spring loaded ball detent.

 

Now allows me to face to length, then move nearer the chuck to chamfer off.

 

Only 8 or 10 years too late

 

Edited By John Stevenson on 11/09/2016 20:23:09

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Bill

I sympathise !

Following a recent operation I have developed Lymphoedema in both legs. In consequence I need to wear thigh length elastic stockings ! My proceedure each day is much as you describe – by the time I get them on I' m pretty much cream crackered ! . (It is good to get them off and into bed at night ). I'm not complaining – I am still here after all!)

Norman

[JAParticipant @ja]

Norman

My first thought is "Oh my god". After my recent hip replacement I developed dermatitis from the DVT stockings. It took about four weeks to clear. I am told that this is not uncommon. I truly hope that you avoid this.

 

For the moment I am going to shut-up about hips until I ride a bike around the block. Many thanks to those for information on how to put on socks.

Now it is back to the workshop plus the production of damson gin.

JA

Edited By JA on 11/09/2016 22:55:09

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Great photos Rod.

I've always wanted to see a Pine Marten. Strange how some things are getting commoner!

[Mad muppetParticipant @madmuppet]

Spent the last couple of days emailing and telephoning Macc models about two out standing orders. One from six weeks ago. But no joy. Has any one else having similar problems.
Mad Muppet ft

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by Mad muppet on 13/09/2016 04:44:12:
Spent the last couple of days emailing and telephoning Macc models about two out standing orders. One from six weeks ago. But no joy. Has any one else having similar problems.
Mad Muppet ft

Have you tried picking the phone up & calling them ??

[ianjParticipant @ians]

Last time I went to the shop, about a month ago, there was a sign on the door saying" closed due to illness "

[Mad muppetParticipant @madmuppet]

Thanks Ian that would explain a lot. I had some order filled very quickly about two months ago. So very surprised at the change in service.
Again thank
Mad Muppet.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Sam

"Spent the last couple of days emailing and telephoning Macc models "

[Author]

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