Member postings for Bill Dawes

No Neil no intention of starting it again.

Not seen it for a few days so sorry if it got out of hand, that was not my intention, just concerned about application of the law but I can appreciate this sort of subject can develop badly.

Bill D.

What happened to the post on the colston statue issue, censored?

Bill D.

We live in a rural area in Somerset and up until a year ago had to make do with BT slow band (8mbps if lucky) in our area Truespeed began digging up roads in earnest in lots of villages, we now get nearly 80mbps having subscribed to the Truespeed lowest package.

Contracts are fixed price for the duration compared to BT 'contracts' which puts the price up mid contract if they feel like it.

Bill D.

I always find it slightly amusing listening to people moan about driving standards, as I do frequently to be fair, driving standards generally are abysmal in my opinion but the thing that amuses me is that everybody agrees, has anyone ever come across someone that has said yes I'm one of those, my driving is terrible.

Bill D.

Alan, sorry only just revisited this post, thank you for your kind offer, I will see how I get on (haven't got back to it yet) and let you know if I need info.

Bill D.

Peter, your driving philosophy and length of experience pretty much mirrors mine. I remember my early days of motoring when I used to go for a drive just because I wanted to. My youngest son does the same thing, something my wife just does not get.

I am from Birmingham originally, lived in Somerset for the last 25 years where I can drive 10 or 12 miles across the levels in no time at all, trips back to Brum are not enjoyable, wonder how I used to manage to drive in these conditions day in day out to work. With a good run I can get up to outskirts of Brum not that much different in time to the last leg down the A45 sometimes.

We do have the M5 down here of course which I try to stay well clear of in the summer, a weekend car park, however I have many memories of trips to the west country in the 60s and it could be pretty awful then down the A38.

When I see the narrow high street through Highbridge I can't believe that all that traffic went through there every summer.

So in answer to you original question Peter, I do not enjoy driving like a used to but is that entirely due to traffic conditions or, as many things, the way we see life in our teens compared to older age.

I very often wish I had the outlook of my teen years, without all the things that annoy and irritate me know.

However at 80 years and a couple of weeks old driving a couple of hundred miles does not phase me although I hate driving on these dark winter nights especially if it is wet.

Bill D.

Just noticed your posting by chance Martin, assume you live in area, terrible news about two deaths, do you know any more detail. Fortunately my wife and I were just shaken up by this totally unexpected incident, (as well as damage which must have been over £1k) can't imagine the deaths were to do with car trap but bearing in mind we had only just pulled away from traffic lights so just a few mph, assume it would have been more serious with damage and possible injury at higher speed.

Bill D.

Yes, as I said before Macc excellent service and very well packed, takes longer to get it out of the wrapping than making the part!!! Good read of the local newspapers though.

Bill D.

Thanks guys, I did wonder if there was a tool available, not looked yet but guess it would need to be quite large to fit to rivet on front of cab and then round the roof to inside of cab.

Think I will stick with Jason's suggestion, more or less how I have done it before when just hammering over plain end but with supports for cab so I can position set and hammer over.

Usual story I suppose, take a bit more trouble in setting up to make job easier in the end and achieving a good result.

Bill D.

Hi all, about to rivet window frames in place in my Emma Victoria 5" gauge.

Now you all know how many operations require more than the two pairs of hands most of us are equipped with, I have had similar rivetting problems but most of them I could get away with holding the rivet set in a vise and with a bit of dexterity manage to hold the work and a hammer to just flatten the other end over, it was hidden but I can sense the purists cringing at the thought of that.

In this case both ends of the rivet will be in view so a neat job is called for, any tips guys. I could just use screws and nuts I suppose but thought that might not look right.

Bill D.

Building your own kit is ok if you have the time, when I first started in ME about 10 years ago I had all sort of plans to build tooling but soon realised if I did that I wouldn't have time to actually build any models.

But of course we all have different interests and time availability.

Bill D.

Welcome Stuart, exiled Brummie now living in Somerset, also lived in Bromsgrove for a while.

I have a Clarke (machine mart) bandsaw I bought a few years ago, now you could argue that it is inferior in quality to more expensive ones but I have to say it has proved more than adequate for me on many occasions, mine is a vertical/horizontal type and I have probably used it mainly in the vertical position, saved me hours carving out pieces of plate, not had that many rounds that large that required a bandsaw but certainly useful cutting pipe or angle iron compared to handsawing.

Bill D.

Welcome from me Michael, I'm a born and bred Brummie from Sparkhill. Live in Somerset now.

Grew up in Brum in the forties, fifties, and sixties so surrounded by industry, Austin cars, Rover cars, Girling brakes, Joseph Lucas, BSA motorcycles, James motorcycles,Ariel motorcycles, Dawes cycles, Watsonian sidecars and on and on.

Sadly all gone now of course.

Got into model engineering when I retired from a lifetime in engineering.

Good luck with your hobby, this forum has a wealth of experience from people in all disciplines so you are unlikely to have a question that won't be answered.

Bill D.

Happy memories of my first car, a 1946 Austin 8. I think I ran it for years with a dead battery, started with a handle and then probably just ran off the generator, driving along country lanes at night was especially exciting, slowing down for bends caused the engine to die, clutch quickly in, lights off, bump start, first gear to keep revs up, lights back on just in time to negotiate bend.

A bit of 'expert' tuning of the regulator to increase charging the next day kept me going for a little longer.

Bill D.

When the Sinclair ZX90 came out I agonised whether to have one as christmas present or a SLR camera. From memory (excuse pun) the ZX 80 was about 1kb memory.

Thankfully I went for the camera, a Pentax ME super, still have it stored away somwhere.

Also have up in the loft an Amstrad a CPC 6128 I think with a dot matrix printer (remember those) a few plug in cartridge games, 'Burning Rubber' was one (now now no rude responses please)

Why am I keeping those, good question, suppose I thought they might gain some cult status and be worth a fortune one day.

Bill D.

I'm not a technophobe but resolutely refuse to have anything to do with Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, Linkedin et al.

I do use Whatsapp however so maybe I am misguided.

Anyway thanks for the tip Stuart.

Bill D.

Hi all anyone know if Phoenix Locos are still in business, trying without success to contact them for price and avilability of bogie bolster wagon with brakes.

Bill D.

Thanks guys, I did have a driving experience a few years ago at the Avon Valley railway, no reason not to do its again I suppose.

As an exiled Brummie I well remember Len Vale Onslow, his shop was just called Vale Onslow I think.

When I was very young my mom and I spent a lot of time at my Nans house who lived right opposite Tyseley engine sheds.

Bill D.

After the day I've had crawling around in our loft (literally, it is bending room only thanks to the stupid dormer design) pulling up boards, lifting out dusty insulation trying to trace wiring to extend lights in a bedroom which I foolishly told my wife I could do, I think I will ask for a robot for all those jobs that require a contortionists body to carry out. You know like, bending down to read a nameplate on a domestic appliance that is placed near the floor so you need a telescopic neck and your specs are always at the wrong angle anyway, ditto for getting to the plumbing under the sink etc.

Thanks for birthday wishes guys.

Bill D.

Well guys, despite me being certain that I am 38 years old I have it on good authoriity that in fact I will be 80 years old in December. Totally perplexed as to how this state of affairs came about.

So I am being badgered from all directions for ideas of what I would like for my "special" birthday and would you believe I am struggling to think of things, this is not unusal I should add, I struggle every birthday and christmas to be honest.

Any ideas what to buy the man that has everything.

Over the last few years most of my pressies have been of the workshop kind but I am now overloaded with cordless drills, various types of saws, grinders, polishers, sanders, I have a lathe, milling machine, bench drill, vise, anvil, rolls/bender/guillotene, propane torch et al.

(still rubbish at model engineering I should add, all the gear no idea sort of thing)

I like books but Bill Bryson has retired so that's one of annual sources gone.

I have come up with a complete works of Charles Dickens, seen plenty of films/tv plays but never read his books.

I have a nice camera, binoculars, three watches (cheapish ones and can't justify an expensive one) racked my brains over adventure experiences but don't think my body would stand up to well to being battered.

HELP

Bill D.