Member postings for Samsaranda

John in Canada, I live in East Sussex and so far with all the bad weather our services, gas, water and electric are all working normally, however reported in the press today our National Grid is reportedly running low on gas, they are asking industry to curtail their usage so that they can still supply domestic customers, worrying as a large proportion of our electricity is generated with gas from the national grid. I am aware how conditions can vary between UK and Canada back in the seventies when I was in the Air Force I remember a night refuelling stop at Gander when we had to refuel and de-ice the aircraft in a 50 knot wind in an ice storm, boy that was cold!!!

Dave W

Journeyman, re your frozen condensate drain this was realised as a problem soon after condensing boilers were being fitted, I think a number of manufacturers came up with a solution by fitting a modified drain which incorporated electrical trace heating element which prevented the cold from icing up the drain. Maybe one available for your installation as a modification from your boiler manufacturer, worth a check. Mine is ok because it drains inside the confines of the house and is connected into the waste pipe from a washbasin that then discharges into a 4 inch soil pipe still within the building, would have to be pretty severe weather to affect my installation, not trying to be smug, just factual.

Dave W

According to today’s newspapers Maplins is apparently owed by Edinburgh Wool Shop, who also own Peacocks, can’t see the business relevance with clothes retailers and Maplins in the same group, hardly related to each other, perhaps that indicates why the business plan of Maplins is in tatters.

Dave W

Spotting drills come with two angles 90 degree and 120 degree, as mentioned are expensive particularly carbide but so useful.

Dave W

I have an IPhone SE on contract from Sky, it costs me £15 a month with 1GB download and free calls and text, does everything I ask of it and is small in size only 60 mm by 125 mm, has a camera which comes in very useful and a huge memory to store information.

Dave W

Alan, I use Citric Acid it takes longer than the stronger acids but is gentle in action, so gentle in fact that it’s safe on your skin, it’s only basically lemon juice but it does the job.

Dave W

Mark, was there a point in time when asbestos suddenly turned deadly? Only joking we all know what you mean. Dave W

The comment on the “asbestos” bund brought to mind a situation that occurred when I was a governor at our village primary school. The school was undergoing a £2 million plus, rebuilding and extension, while the school was being used. During the planning stage it was found that the site during the 19th century had hosted a brickworks which meant it was deemed a contanimated site because of heavy metals etc. The development budget could not stand the huge cost involved if soil from excavations had to be disposed of off site as it would be deemed contaminated waste needing expensive disposal. The solution, bulldoze the excavated soil to the edge of the site and make a large bund surrounding the site and cover with an impervious membrane, to date I am not aware of any monitoring having been carried out to ensure no leakage of contamination.

Dave W

John I think I will pass on this project, it may take me ten millennia to complete taken the rate at which I finish projects currently, but a good project for someone with time on their hands. . Dave W

I am writing to comment on the quality of service from a particular supplier, Zoro who are part of Cromwell Tools. Yesterday afternoon at 16.20 I placed an order on their website for qty 5 of 180 mm cut off discs for use on my recently acquired cut off saw, only purchased yesterday afternoon at a local Lidl. This morning at 10.20 the discs arrived courtesy of Parcelforce, I call that superb service from Zoro. In the space of 18 hours they processed the order and the items were transported from Leicester to East Sussex and delivered, that is really great service, I have no connection with Zoro or Cromwell Tools other than being a very satisfied customer.

Dave W

Hi Ady 1, thanks for the info on the Lidl metal cut-off grinder, have been looking out for some sort of cut off saw for a while, paralysis gradually encroaching on my right side means using a hacksaw is very tiring. Was impressed by the price at £39.99 as others I had seen were approx £100, a new Lidl has just opened last week at Polegate, about three miles from me, so I went and had a nose around. Bought the cut-off saw and fell to the temptation of an air die grinder and digital multimeter as well, didn’t have to hide the purchases from higher management as she was with me, so approval was granted for the acquisitions.

Dave W

Be Aware the item you refer to is despatched from an address in China.

Dave W

Immersion in wet ground won’t harm it, there will be no absorption because the foam is a continuous series of sealed bubbles therefore nothing to contain any moisture, depending how wet your ground is it may well float away being extremely buoyant.

Dave W

Larry, ARCEurotrade sell files that are really good quality for the price, I am in the same boat with most of my files now being well past their use by date.

Dave W

Taking the chuck cover off could lead you open to a nasty accident, have you ever left a chuck key in and then tried to start the spindle? I did when I was in tech college in the 60’s, we didn’t have chuck guards then, I was fortunate the key just launched the length of the workshop and contacted the end wall with a loud bang, nowhere near the volume of the b’’’’’’’’’’’’’g that I got from the instructor, I did learn from that mistake and fortunately nobody was injured, we’ll only my pride. I would ask anyone to seriously think of possible consequences from removing a chuck guard, I don’t find mine in any way a hindrance it just becomes an automatic action to lower the guard before spinning up the spindle.

Dave W

Hi Shane, welcome to the forum, also a resident of East Sussex I live fairly close to you at Westham near Pevensey, also have an interest in ic engines, both model and real size as in stationery engines.

Dave W

Bean counters have a lot to answer for in the decline of manufacturing industries here in the UK.

Dave W

My wife has problems sleeping, it’s not unusual for me to be woken at 4.00 am with the smell of freshly baked cakes wafting up from the kitchen, she says she is at her most creative when she has problems sleeping. I don’t dissuade her from her nocturnal activities, it has its benefits!

Dave W

Muzzer,

I tried their website a couple of months ago and found the same total lack of stock, I think it hard to believe that it is still a work in progress! Am at a loss to understand what the purpose of the website is, it’s definitely not there to sell anything.

Dave W

Frank, likewise I ordered an item one afternoon and it was delivered the following lunchtime, can’t get better than that, the carrier they used was Fed Ex, thumbs up to metals4u, first class service, no connection just a very satisfied customer.

Dave W