Member postings for Mike

Thanks, Neil - by the time I realised what I'd written it was too late to do an edit.

I realise that, Martin, but in our household we don't have any utility bills because electricity, gas, phone and rates are all paid on line. I am sure you will point out that this is equally dangerous in terms of identity theft, but in a rural community such as ours it seems to be the only way forward. But yes, everyone should take care.

When winding up the affairs of a defunct charity I had to buy a professional-quality shredder, and with it came oiled paper for lubricating the cutters. Unfortunately, it didn't like damp paper, which jammed it on a regular basis. I finished up burning the papers in a cheap garden rubbish incinerator bought from B & Q. The papers had been stored in a rather damp garage for six years, as required by the charity regulator here in Scotland.

I have to confess I have never been fussy about burning or shredding papers with my name and address on them. I'm in the phone book and on the electoral roll. As a journalist, I can tell you that you can't really hide from someone who is determined to find out your personal details.

We've got a falling-over club, of which I am a founder member - and all sympathy to Neil's wife. Mark, don't tell us you're trying to start a serious burns branch!

Yes, Limpet - 72 points to the inch is right. The British-American points system was something I had to learn when I started designing newspaper pages in 1960. I won't confuse you with ems and nuts. In rifle and pistol shooting, bullet weights are still given in grains (7,000 to the lb), and shotgun bores (gauge to Americans) are the number of lead balls to the lb that will just fit down the barrel. Hence, the classic 12-bore barrel diameter is 0.729 inches. I'm full of information that is useless to most folks!

Sam: when I was at grammar school we used to have to go to school on Saturday mornings, but got Thursday afternoons off. I can only think it was because so many dads were shopkeepers, and Thursday was early closing day in our town.

And going back to paper sizes, I can recall an artist friend having to acquire some Double Elephant paper for a project - just looked it up, and it's 26.5 by 40 inches.

Edited By Mike on 06/02/2018 08:36:22

Edited By Mike on 06/02/2018 08:58:24

Edited By Mike on 06/02/2018 08:59:43

Was it A4 or American Foolscap? Just thought I'd throw in another measurement...

I remember that, when the publishing industry moved from imperial to metric measurements, my employer gave me a tiny little ruler about 250mm long. It wasn't much use, in that my main duty at the time was designing tabloid newspaper two-page spreads. Instead of picking an argument with the powers that be, I went to the nearest office supplier and asked for a long metric ruler. "How long?", I was asked. "Oh, about two foot six", I replied.... And, although I worked with metric measurements for many years after that, I still visual lengths in yards, feet and inches.

Tell me this: if this Brexit thing ever becomes reality, shall we be allowed to return to what my dear,late mother always referred to as "God's measurements?"

Well said, Brian. Me too.!

I know how you feel, Gordon, but if public transport in your village is the is the same as in our area- and we are not that far apart - then a car is an absolute necessity. Mine's just cost me £546 for new discs and pads all round, or it wouldn't have passed its MOT later this year. In the old days they used to re-grind discs, but not any more, it seems. I recorded the rugby this afternoon, and I'm just off to watch it. Am I going to be ecstatic or disappointed? Regarding the glue, why don't women notice these things?

Hi Gordon. Yes, I know the Broch, but did you mean gluing together literally? I ask because after a previous argument I had with gravity, four years ago, a cut on my face was stuck together with superglue - presumably a special grade for first aid use. Result was, it healed without scarring. Dammit, I couldn't claim it was a duelling scar! Do welcome your wife to the "falling over" club, and wish her well.

Thanks for your good wishes. Don't feel too bad this morning, fingers crossed!

Bob Jepp, you must have set a fashion which I followed. I collapsed in the bathroom on Monday evening, with very low blood pressure, and spent Monday night in hospital being poked and prodded, and wired up to some amazing bits of kit. Was declared OK after a scan, but I hit several hard and unyielding things as I collapsed, so have a cracked rib. Can sit and stand in comfort, but it's the transition from one to t'other that stings. Anyway, let's hope all goes well for you. Very best wishes.

Mike

For What Its Worth

Plenty of good advice above. Whatever you do, don't use Dexion or Handy Angle. Both are great for shelving, but far too flexible for a lathe stand, even if you build in plenty of triangle sections to aid stiffness. I made that mistake once, hated the thing from the word go, and saved my money to buy a proper Myford stand.

What a lovely guy! Long live the true British eccentric!

I got an annoying rather than dangerous virus in my PC in spite of running McAfee LiveSafe. Installed and used the free version Malware Bytes, which zapped the virus. Livesafe does warn on dodgy websites and downloads, and I run a Malware Bytes scan every few weeks. Had no further trouble, touch wood...........

I have a double-ended one, and would not be without it. Can't remember where it came from, but as delivered it had a knurled body to grip, and no projecting peg. Eventually I drilled and tapped a hole in the body, and fitted a home-made peg. If making long bolts or studs, it pays to make them at least 1/4-inch over length, and turn the over-length part down to the core diameter of the thread, or a few thou thicker. this ensures the thread starts true, without the component flexing. When the job is complete, the over-length tip can be sawed off.

A year ago I bought Edition 28 in paperback for £25.28 through Amazon. It was second-hand, but looked as if it had never been opened. Surprise was, it was dispatched from India. I see the current Amazon price for a second-hand paperback Edition 28 is now £27.46. These prices aren't bad, considering Edition 30 is now selling for £90. If you go for the paperback versions, treat yourself to a magnifying glass - that is if you have eyesight like mine!

I certainly remember Archie Scott-Brown driving the works Lister-Jaguar. I also remember the American, Masden Gregory, driving for them. He had an aggressive tail-out cornering style the crowd loved. Once met him in the Silverstone paddock, and he gave the appearance of a mild-mannered, bespectacled theological student rather than a gutsy racing driver. I've put some pics of the Ecurie Ecosse Lister-Jaguar in my photos. A different version to the one Scott-Brown is driving in Robbo's post.