What did you do Today 2018

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by richardandtracy on 06/01/2018 21:27:28:

Muzzer,

In my 2CV there was a Tandy cassette player. 50W per channel, and every last Watt was needed to hear anything over the engine noise at 50mph. Listening was very wearing. Hi Fi was for those who didn't need to shout to be heard when travelling.

Regards

Richard.

 

I wouldn't have thought a 2CV could produce sufficient horsepower to supply a 50W per channel amplifier

Edited By duncan webster on 06/01/2018 22:59:38

Edited By duncan webster on 06/01/2018 23:00:02

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

When I was studying radio technician qualifications during the seventies, one of the tutors had a then brand new HP35, but would not let any of us great unwashed near enough to even look without touching. So I rode my motorbike down to the HP office and asked to see one. Fine, they said, but we have the new model too, the HP45, would you like to see that? So the upshot was that I placed an order, leaving me about six weeks to raise the money. NZ$450, which would have bought a brand new small motorbike in those days, or a reasonable second hand car. (The minis were about $2000 new around that time.) So quite a lot of money to raise, and it took a bit of convincing for the bank to loan me the balance. Still, I think it paid for itself, I got really good marks in all my exams with it, and finished up going to University and getting an engineering degree.Around that time I bought an HP19C, which is programmable with a printer, all in a pocket sized calculator. (At least if you had large pockets in two senses)

So I still have the 45, but it needs a new LED or driver as some segments don't go, the 19C, and an HP35 that I was given along the way. There is a 41C here somewhere too that belongs to my son.

John

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I can still remember my great joy at getting a new plastic slide- rule.

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

I still have my slide rule in the desk drawer, don't think I can remember how to use it though

Picture (taken this morning) for those too young to have seen a slide rule

John

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

There's still a slide-rule on my desk, but I wonder how many people know how to use one? Many years ago, when I was a newspaper sub-editor, I used to use one to scale pictures, and the other subs wondered how I was able to instantly read off any width and depth I wanted. As for calculators, I decided I'd buy my first Sinclair when the price fell below £30. It didnt seem that long before I got a better one free in a jumbo pack of corn flakes.

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I still use a slide rule, near enough for engineering calcs. Calculator for adding up a string. My first tech. calculator had two sections and could do anything. Cost more than a weeks wages and the new puppy ( yellow lab ) chewed it up. Yesterday " repaired" a storage radiator that would not switch on. Just poked about a bit with a small screwdriver and all is well , for now. Have you seen the price of these things, and spares ?

[Richard S2Participant @richards2]

Slide-Rule !, an essential tool on the Airline Flight Decks and Load Planning Offices still in the early 70s. almost disappeared by mid 70s. I/we also mistrusted Electronic Calculator's answers when they first became available. Only used to check figures after manual calculations in 6 digits for quite a while. Also weren't allowed for Weight and Balance License Exams.

So today, I made a small dent in producing the some of the small constituents of my T. Engine's 'Outfit' by finishing the Axe and Coal/Ball Pein Hammer(s). They have 'Wedges' inserted as well-

Still too cold for me to spend much time on the machines in the Cave.

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

Just a few pics of a tiny part of our collection

 

Edited By Oldiron on 07/01/2018 19:09:17

Edited By Oldiron on 07/01/2018 19:10:25

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Today I decided to tackle fitting the protective screen that I had purchased for my new Ipad (Christmas present). I had purchased a good quality screen protector in the hope that I would manage to fit it without the frustration of removing the inevitable bubbles that I had suffered with cheap versions on previous equipment. Well the number of bubbles was considerably reduced this time and by lifting the screen in strategic places I managed to get rid of all the bubbles but despite meticulously cleaning the Ipad screen before starting there were two annoying dust particles, I decided that I had endured enough stress for the day and they will remain forever embedded in the screen protector, am I the only one who is unable to achieve perfection with these screen protectors?

Dave W

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Samsaranda on 07/01/2018 19:34:29:

… am I the only one who is unable to achieve perfection with these screen protectors?

.

I have never even contemplated fitting a screen protector to my iPad.

My 'first generation' iPad screen is still good, and I doubt the 9.7" Pro and Pencil would respond favourably.

MichaelG.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I've played those games, getting screen protectors on without annoying voids. There are 2 main sources as you say – air bubbles (which are simple enough to remove) and dust. With dust, once you've caught some, you are stuffed. It's pretty much impossible to remove dust after the event.

One of the techniques I saw on the internet for reducing dust levels is to fit the screen protector in the bathroom after it has been thoroughly steamed up. That makes a lot of sense, as airborne particles will nucleate water vapour and be removed from circulation.

I never bother fitting them to my own phone. Instead, I only carry it in my left pocket, secured from falling out with a clean handkerchief, faced against my leg. I never carry anything else in the pocket with it that could scratch it. I also use one of those phone cases to protect the main housing. Generally they extend slightly past the screen, so if you place your phone face down, the screen doesn't contact the surface of the table.

Murray

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

OldIron, how do you dissolve the old grease off the mechanical calculators. I too have several different makes but hesitate taking them to pieces to clean them (Yes they are jammed up) but don't want to damage the various plastic and metal painted wheels by aggressive solvents.
BobH

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

Speedy Buiders5. We use brake cleaner in small doses on metal parts and wd40 or Fairy liquid to dilute down the old grease on other surfaces. Depends on the material. Many times these machines are jammed up by misuse not old grease etc. If the calculator is jammed solid they can be a real pain in the butt to unjam. Unfortunately they are not like a typewriter where you can just pull everything back into place. It like a jigsaw puzzle trying to unravel the lockup. Can take a lot of work to do. My wife spends many hours stripping them till she gets to the stuck parts.

regards

Edited By Oldiron on 07/01/2018 20:41:51

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Posted by Muzzer on 07/01/2018 20:20:16:

 

One of the techniques I saw on the internet for reducing dust levels is to fit the screen protector in the bathroom after it has been thoroughly steamed up. That makes a lot of sense, as airborne particles will nucleate water vapour and be removed from circulation.

 

Murray

Back in the olden days when we developed our photographic film at home it was usual to time this job with bathtime and the film was hung up to dry after bathing finished. The steam from the bath removed dust particles from the air and the film dried in a clean (literally!) environment.  ( The use of talcum powder after bath was prohibited)

Edited By Robbo on 07/01/2018 21:39:42

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Practice and fit in in one go. The protector on my phone is well scuffed, but no bubbles!

I love the tiny traction tools and the old calculators are fascinating too, I have a few slide rules and a nice old book on their use.

I was the only kid in my class with a slide rule

Neil

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

The sight of all those slide rules and mechanical calculators was just too much and my memory flew back to about 1952/3. It was the first morning of a six-month spell in the DO as part of my tool-making apprenticeship. I took with me a few drawing instruments and a cheap slide rule that I used at tech.

When the section leader saw the slide rule, he said, “You can burn that! We only do calculations long hand!”

Six-figure trig and log tables were the exception.

Some years later, perhaps around 1960, two of us had a heap of shrinkage figures to calculate in preparation for the dimensioning of miner’s lamp battery moulds. We used one of these; **LINK**

To speed up the process, my colleague read out the numbers and I punched them into the machine, turning the handle while listening for the ring of the bell.

Perhaps out of boredom, but while waiting for more numbers, I discovered that after entering 625 into the register, cranking the handle backwards (for minus and division), caused the bell to play a rhumba rhythm.

How’s that for a piece of nonsense?

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

When I went to school in a (posh) London Grammar School (Parmiter's, got a scholarship ) a slide rule was not only mandatory, it had to be a Faber Castel as we were given lessons on how to use them, not bad for a 12 year old to learn the basics.

Today I continued to strip a model aircraft of ancient tissue using neat acetone so definitely an outside job. Not so hot as yesterday, only reached 97° F so sat in the shade with gentle breeze on back, but I felt pity for the English Test Team as I listened to the cricket on the radio, the heat is hitting them hard. Just up the road from the SCG Penrith (outer Sydney) reached about 117° F yesterday.

At least it was not too humid but apparently many of the 'Barmy Army' went to Bondi Beach and turned into lobsters. This is not a good idea as skin cancer (melanoma) is prevalent under the southern sun **LINK** .

* Danny M *

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Slide rules were very effective for flicking ink pellets as I recall…

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I put the drain rods away having swept a chimney at the weekend.

Five minute later my stepson spotted we had a blocked drain.

I hate baby wipes! New sign for the loo:

"Will anyone using babywipes please note that the drain rods are behind the firewood store".

Neil

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Sounds like you have Victorian sewerage, like me. It was designed to operate with the old-fashioned two-gallon flush, not the miserable dribble you get from modern toilets like ours. I'm all for conserving water, but there are limits …..

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 08/01/2018 11:56:06:

…

"Will anyone using babywipes please note that the drain rods are behind the firewood store".

Neil

After putting up a similar note, I got the baby cleaning job…

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Toilet tissue is designed to turn to mush quickly once it becomes wet. These blessed "wet wipes", for people who can't wipe their bums with normal tissue are (not surprisingly) designed NOT to disintegrate when wet. Apparently it's one of the key contributors to those fatbergs.

British visitors to places like N America soon discover how much easier their smaller diameter soil pipes are to block up than the UK ones (3" vs 5&quot. A British visitor armed with wet wipes must be their ultimate nemesis.

Murray

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Anyone know what the "wet" is in wet wipes and baby wipes? In my last job our computer keyboards used to get filthy, and the only things which would clean them properly was baby wipes – this on the advice of the women in the local Tesco, who used them for cleaning the key pads on the checkout tills.. They're also useful for getting sweaty grot out of the chequering on shotgun woodwork. Makes me wonder if I'd really like to use them on a baby's skin.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

And baby wipes were recommended to me by a fellow shopper in a supermarket as "ideal for cleaning garden furniture made of plastic" (or whatever its properly called).

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Mike on 08/01/2018 12:03:03:

Sounds like you have Victorian sewerage, like me. It was designed to operate with the old-fashioned two-gallon flush, not the miserable dribble you get from modern toilets like ours. I'm all for conserving water, but there are limits …..

1938 This is the first time (or maybe second) time it's blocked on our property, rather than out on the road, usually a few seconds of 'pumping' frees everything up. Only two rods in and the plunger jammed solid, had to use a second rod with the twirly metal bit to clear the wipes then bash the first rod until it freed up. Nerve wracking!

I think something had jammed across a joint, then accumulated baby wipes. I might send a disposable cheap webcam down to have a look, a six-foot USB extension lead will be plenty and the run is normally dry (well damp but not flooded).

On our first Christmas here in 2002 the sewer out on the road collapsed due to a sky cable trench over the top. The poor crew took four days over the holiday to find the break, dig it up and repair.

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