Stuff you have fixed today

[bricol]

That's the recommended retail price. The ones I've bought have been about £7 each and they're (with the exception of the plastic bit) much better in terms of ruggedness (and weight - I like a heavy pen/pencil) than the cheap ones. I've tried the cheap plastic ones a few times but they rarely last more than a few weeks - I seem to give pencils a hard life! Clumsy? Me? Surely not!

I dread to think how much I've spent on 0.7 mm pencil leads over the last 20 years though: I spend most of my life (both work time and hobby time) with a pencil in my hand so I go through leads very quickly.

I'd have to admit that the thousands of pounds a few employers have spent on CAD software and suitable hardware to run it, have reduced the need to use my Papermate pencil quite so much

 

[redlig]

I'd have to admit that the thousands of pounds a few employers have spent on CAD software and suitable hardware to run it, have reduced the need to use my Papermate pencil quite so much

Having said that you might have the last laugh when E prices go through the roof and they cannot afford to run CAD or the excess requirements of an all E world causes supply failures. Just looking on the bright side AGAIN, as is my wont.

 

[MattF]

with a pencil in my hand so I go through leads very quickly.

Look on the positive side. You do have lead in your pencil.

 

[Brad93]

Making worn things like new again this week.

 

[bricol]

Having said that you might have the last laugh when E prices go through the roof and they cannot afford to run CAD or the excess requirements of an all E world causes supply failures. Just looking on the bright side AGAIN, as is my wont.

As long as you, the public, keep buying food and drink in cans, I think my Papermate pencil will remain under-used

On the Greta side of things, I think we either have already, or are about to, source all our (worldwide) energy from renewable sources

Although, I haven't asked about the timescale involved in the renewing - after all, fossil fuels will renew, slowly . . .

 

[Bki26]

Managed to weld up the jaw on the 16-68mm spanner after breaking it, totally wasn't using it for the wrong purpose

Not a pretty job but would rather leave the weld proud for more strength as it wasn't the nicest to weld.

 

[Dr.Al]

Although, I haven't asked about the timescale involved in the renewing - after all, fossil fuels will renew, slowly . . .

Arguably there is no such thing as renewable energy. Being the pedant that I am, I've always preferred the term "sustainable energy". Renewable energy sounds like someone's found their way round the laws of thermodynamics.

 

[awemawson]

Surely energy doesn’t need renewing, it stays constant but maybe moved somewhere else? Conservation of energy is a prime presumption in physics, or so I was taught.

 

[Dr.Al]

Surely energy doesn’t need renewing, it stays constant but maybe moved somewhere else? Conservation of energy is a prime presumption in physics, or so I was taught.

The second law of thermodynamics essentially states that any energy conversion will result in an increase in entropy (disorder). That increase in entropy means that the usable energy in a system decreases with every conversion from one energy type to another. You can't "renew" the energy back to its previous (usable) form without losing some along the way (think of a motor running from a battery: the conversion from electrical energy to kinetic energy also produces some waste energy as heat).

Sources of energy like wind and solar power are sustainable in that we can use as much of them as we like; when solar power runs out we won't be worrying about our power tools having stopped working! They aren't renewable in the sense that once we've used a bit of energy from the sun, we can't renew/re-use that energy. It's sustainable, so we don't need to renew it as there's plenty more. Contrast with fossil fuels, which rely on (among other things) dead dinosaurs and millennia of brewing time. Use it up and we'll have to wait millennia for more to come along. Still not renewable, but also not sustainable.

 

[redlig]

The second law of thermodynamics essentially states that any energy conversion will result in an increase in entropy (disorder). That increase in entropy means that the usable energy in a system decreases with every conversion from one energy type to another. You can't "renew" the energy back to its previous (usable) form without losing some along the way (think of a motor running from a battery: the conversion from electrical energy to kinetic energy also produces some waste energy as heat).

Sources of energy like wind and solar power are sustainable in that we can use as much of them as we like; when solar power runs out we won't be worrying about our power tools having stopped working! They aren't renewable in the sense that once we've used a bit of energy from the sun, we can't renew/re-use that energy. It's sustainable, so we don't need to renew it as there's plenty more. Contrast with fossil fuels, which rely on (among other things) dead dinosaurs and millennia of brewing time. Use it up and we'll have to wait millennia for more to come along. Still not renewable, but also not sustainable.

I always have a quiet chuckle when I hear someone stating that " every time they cut down a tree they plant a new one" . So 2 minutes to cut it down and 50 years for it to regrow if they are lucky. Somehow I seem to have missed the balance there.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I always have a quiet chuckle when I hear someone stating that " every time they cut down a tree they plant a new one" . So 2 minutes to cut it down and 50 years for it to regrow if they are lucky. Somehow I seem to have missed the balance there.

The mighty oak.
300 years to grow
300 years to live.
300 years to die.


One thing to note.
Out off 100 trees planted only 10 will die in the ground they are planted in.
The rest are lost to nature or man.

 

[Ton-up]

One thing to note.
Out off 100 trees planted only 10 will die in the ground they are planted in.
The rest are lost to nature or man.

This reminds me of the idiots at our council. They go around planting a few saplings in the parks in the summer, nobody goes back to water them, they have no fence around them so the local scrotes pull them out, etc. and then 99% die and the next year they do the same..

 

[Bki26]

Managed to weld up the jaw on the 16-68mm spanner after breaking it, totally wasn't using it for the wrong purpose

Not a pretty job but would rather leave the weld proud for more strength as it wasn't the nicest to weld.

View attachment 335889View attachment 335890View attachment 335891

Forgot to say it's aluminium not steel, I'm not that strong (can't seem to edit the post)

 

[redlig]

This reminds me of the idiots at our council. They go around planting a few saplings in the parks in the summer, nobody goes back to water them, they have no fence around them so the local scrotes pull them out, etc. and then 99% die and the next year they do the same..

But it makes them look/feel good and keeps them off the streets filling pot holes. So what is there to complain about. OH ! and I nearly forgot, It keeps the rates up .

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

This nice German Wilesco steam engine was aquired by me the other day.
It is from the Mid 1960's, so should be a nice fix, parts should be avaiable.

Cold testing should it should be safe to do a hot fire.

It blew the whistle and its boss clean out of the boiler.

Lets find out the cost of replacements parts.

Lets not, they are eye watering.
So we cleaned up, repaired and re fitted the old boss with new solder.
Pressure test should it was a good, if untidy repair.

Nee seals mades and fitted and a hot test again.

Sight glass seal has now failed.

You can get 24 cans of beer for the price of a new one.

So I made one, the fixings were very tight. Assembeled with a dap of grease.

In steam, full power and not leaking.
The base is coated in grey primer. I was set to re paint. But a clean up with "meths" and rags had it removed and the original exposed.

All done.
Plans are afoot for it.

 

[RichardM]

@The_Yellow_Ardvark have you turned the filler / safety valve, whistle around?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@The_Yellow_Ardvark have you turned the filler / safety valve, whistle around?

Yes I have.
With the stack fitted, the whistle could not be sealed correctly.
Speaking to the manufacture, via E mail the last few weeks. The advised the whistle, the 25g weight should be at the fire box end.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Drugs. Varks. Coffee. Workshops are fun.



Had the remains of a tooth extracted today, under general sleep drugs. So today is taking it easy.



So.

No power tools.
I did the blade last night. It is back to working condition. But it will need to be sorted properly if it is to be used in anger again.

Cleaned back.
This has had a good hard life. By some one who knew how to use one.

The first coats of french polish.

I said I would do it.

I know it is a bit of rags to riches.

Just sold it for £50.

 

[Maker]

Woah I better sell mine!

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Woah I better sell mine!

But yours is not a plane sailing plane.

The wooden planes can be brought between £1 to £35 for a restored one.