Stuff you have fixed today

[dobbslc]

That's impressive! How long was the old fitting?

 

[4String.]

That's impressive! How long was the old fitting?

Just an led bulkhead lamp in the roof, one of three that's just enough to light the place if OH needs to go in while I'm away.

The LAP lamps from Screwfix were recommended to me by a mate and I've got them above all my benches, they weren't expensive, they're a doddle to fit and wire and they really have made an enormous difference to the place. I've disabled the "up and over" door so there's no natural light in my mancave other than the pedestrian door which I generally have closed but these lamps light the place up.

I have no idea about light temperatures and wavelengths and all the other technical gibberish that means nowt to me, all I know is that the lamps work perfectly for me.

 

[qwakers]

fixed some rust. or at least, started...


left rear sill (yesterday)

right (in progress)

 

[m_c]

Finally conceded to do the power steering pipes on my van today.

Return pipe was seized in to the rack, so after finally getting that out, all I thought I had to do was swap the pipes.

I then realised my van has a cooler fitted, which meant taking the bumper off

 

[qwakers]

fixed some rust. or at least, started...


left rear sill (yesterday)

right (in progress)

fab work done.
so much easier with a welder that will play nice

 

[Maker]

Not today but the knife thread reminded me of it. Fixed five cheap kitchen knives for a friend, to say thank you for picking me up when I got a puncture out in the Peaks. She keeps them in a drawer and shares them with two idiots so they came to me looking like this;

Took probably at least an hour at 400 grit to get them all back to an unbroken edge. The pairing knife had a weird profile to grind out too, I think someone with less raw natural talent than me () has had a go sharpening it before.

Anyway, the Amazon "Bearmoo" stone is performing wonderfully, I don't know if it's because it's cheap or if this is normal for a fine grit but it's very soft, too easy to carve a huge gouge into it if you're not careful.


All good for shaving with now, not that it'll last.

 

[Edward Teach]

Not today but the knife thread reminded me of it. Fixed five cheap kitchen knives for a friend, to say thank you for picking me up when I got a puncture out in the Peaks. She keeps them in a drawer and shares them with two idiots so they came to me looking like this;
View attachment 288274
Took probably at least an hour at 400 grit to get them all back to an unbroken edge. The pairing knife had a weird profile to grind out too, I think someone with less raw natural talent than me () has had a go sharpening it before.

Anyway, the Amazon "Bearmoo" stone is performing wonderfully, I don't know if it's because it's cheap or if this is normal for a fine grit but it's very soft, too easy to carve a huge gouge into it if you're not careful.

View attachment 288275
All good for shaving with now, not that it'll last.

The knives could do with being in a knife block !
How long before there is a cut finger, getting one of those razor sharp babies out of their resting place
>

 

[Maker]

The knives could do with being in a knife block !
How long before there is a cut finger, getting one of those razor sharp babies out of their resting place
>

It's already happened, someone was washing up, cut herself on it and dropped it back into the water, while she went to get a plaster, then my friend cut herself taking the plug out, not knowing there was a knife lurking below the water.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Been relocating shop equipment out of storage to the new garage. Today I started reassembly of my of one of my grinders and my faithful old Rockwell drill press. Just need to change the 110v plugs to the UK version and clean off a little surface rust, which is not bad considering they were shipped across the ocean and have been in storage going on 3 years now.

 

[zx9]

Been relocating shop equipment out of storage to the new garage. Today I started reassembly of my of one of my grinders and my faithful old Rockwell drill press. Just need to change the 110v plugs to the UK version and clean off a little surface rust, which is not bad considering they were shipped across the ocean and have been in storage going on 3 years now.

View attachment 288385 View attachment 288386

I do like how the drill was stored and transported (?) in its own cabinet, cunning.

 

[Arc Tourist]

I do like how the drill was stored and transported (?) in its own cabinet, cunning.

Thanks. The drill press was the first power tool that I ever owned. Mr. Feoretti who lived across the street from us when I was a kid was always making something in his workshop, and I'd often stop by to see what he was doing and would ask him questions which he was happy to answer. He was getting old and was having a garage sale to downsize as he and his wife were moving into simpler accommodation. I pestered my Dad about wanting the drill press, and he said he would get it for me but I could only use it when he was present; also, the cost would come out of my allowance. I was 8 years old at the time and did mowing and yard work for several people on our street, so I was able to pay it off in a year. I remember Mr Feoretti smiling and letting me have the drill press for my age, $8.oo

 

[Arc Tourist]

Reminiscing, I had a peek on Google Earth where I grew up, and noticed that Mr. Feoretti's house and workshop (garage) is still there, and except for the bars on the windows, looks exactly as it did back in 1962. Here's a screen shot.

 

[4String.]

I was 8 years old at the time and did mowing and yard work for several people on our street, so I was able to pay it off in a year.

After a few calculations, I reckon the folks on your street must have been the descendants of settlers from Yorkshire .

It's no wonder that Brian Adams and his mates from school didn't get far in the summer of '69, they were probably exhausted from child labour exploitation .

 

[Arc Tourist]

After a few calculations, I reckon the folks on your street must have been the descendants of settlers from Yorkshire .

It's no wonder that Brian Adams and his mates from school didn't get far in the summer of '69, they were probably exhausted from child labour exploitation .

I don't think I was exploited, but just learned responsibility at a young age, which has served me well throughout my life.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

so I was able to pay it off in a year.

Even back then, your labour rates were too low. Unless you had an expensive girlfriend to maintain.....

 

[Arc Tourist]

Even back then, your labour rates were too low. Unless you had an expensive girlfriend to maintain.....

I recall getting a bottle of Coca Cola, a Milky Way bar, and $1.oo from Mr. & Mrs. Kay for about two hours work every other weekend; that was big time money for me.

Didn't learn about a girlfriend until I was fourteen, and that didn't cost money but was big time for me too.

 

[brewdexta]

Last week I had one of those reverse-Midas-touch periods where everything I touched turned to poo. So I gave the workshop a miss for a couple of days. Virtually everything I touched, broke or stopped working.

But the last couple of days seem to have been OK so I think I'm back to only making the occasional screw up.

Yesterday I fixed the 25 year old Dualit 4 slot toaster, I treated it to a good polish and 5 new elements and a clockwork timer. Total cost £60 and it should be good for another 25 years.

Today I fixed an annoying technical issue with my home grown heating system where not all the one-wire temp sensors were populating the database with data. Turned out to be some obscure bug between software versions, so just upgraded the lot and made a couple of minor config changes and suddenly it all works.

 

[MattF]

Last week I had one of those reverse-Midas-touch periods where everything I touched turned to poo. So I gave the workshop a miss for a couple of days. Virtually everything I touched, broke or stopped working.

No fun when you have one of those spells, is it. I had nigh on a week like that, a few weeks ago. Everything kept going tits up. Makes you paranoid.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Makes you paranoid.

Don't worry, they are all out to get you.

 

[Chillitt]

No fun when you have one of those spells, is it. I had nigh on a week like that, a few weeks ago. Everything kept going tits up. Makes you paranoid.

A week? Amateurs...