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Cato
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We'll just have to wait and see which part of the plan goes tits up first.
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The crank bench? Basically it's a bigger and much more adjustable/flexible version of the commercially available truing stands most of which are only really suitable for small single cylinder two strokes.
The tail stock will be picked up by 50 mm. Then I'll either gut the headstock and raise that by 50mm, or remove the headstock all together and replace it with an upstand. Those two will carry the centres.
The cross slide carriage will be adapted to take interchangeable 'V' blocks with a variety of widths, roller and knife edge bearings etc so that a crank can be sat on those.
With the bed being a nice flat slide surface I can then work on a small two stroke crank that's not much over 100mm end to end and weighs less than a kilo. Slide the tail stock out and I can work on a 4 cyl 4 stroke crank from a GSX1100 that's nearly 600mm long and weighs over 20 Kg. Along with long stroke 2 cyl etc etc. Because it's a solid lump there won't be any issues with bounce or flex.
The extra depth and stability mean that I can mount a depth gauge, DTI, or scribe, I can use a rudimentary index for re-phasing, and if needed I can weld on it.
Given its size and length and the measurements I can take by using it I'll also be able to use it to check gearbox shafts for tru, cam lobe lift and probably a host of other stuff I haven't thought of yet.
Also as a BBQ rotisserie stand for cockroaches and sparrows etc. ?
Cato
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Hog roast at the next gathering?
Wallace
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Those burgers were good!
Cato
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With the discount he gives me they're the same price as a big mac meal, but they're better by an order of magnitude.
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Next task is to fit an LED in there and for bonus points make it change colour via a phone app
Or even better- green at the right level and red when it’s off…Next task is to fit an LED in there and for bonus points make it change colour via a phone app
Cato
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Well that's nice then. I'll just pull another £7,000 a year (£580 a month) out of thin air then shall I?
I'll have to run the numbers and have a hard think about carrying on the business as this increase on top of all the others may well turn out to be the final straw.
I'll have to run the numbers and have a hard think about carrying on the business as this increase on top of all the others may well turn out to be the final straw.
Cato
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I imagine many others will be getting similar good news around now. Many will fold, and then the thick *$%*! will take way less than they are now.
As an increase on my overheads (rough fag packet calc) it's almost 20% and that's on top of the 30% increase over the last 18 - 24 months.
As an increase on my overheads (rough fag packet calc) it's almost 20% and that's on top of the 30% increase over the last 18 - 24 months.
Cato
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Deliberate or not I imagine there will be quite a few closures this coming year. Everyone's had increases in supply costs, rent, shipping, staffing, utilities, insurance, materials etc etc, there will also be many who are still paying off their bounce back loans.It's almost like they're deliberately trying to tank the country
addjunkie
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I fear you are correct, many hospitality places and shops too, so as the rate take drops due to businesses closing, they will increase everyone thats left rates to make up the short fall, accelerating decline!
Small businesses are the only thing that can grow into big businesses, killing them kills both aspiration and tax revenues.
Cato
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It is possible to appeal, but it's also extremely unlikely to be successful as the VOA is central Gov't and we all know how responsive they are to anything that's either helpful or common sense.
addjunkie
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I wonder if your scenario comes to fruition how many of the empty units of small business will be council owned so they will loose the rate revenue plus the rent. Bigger empty units are often owned by property companies who have multiple pension funds as shareholders. Stagnating business affects all even those of us who are retired.
