What Did You Do Today (2017)

Chestnuts? Fire? What are these things of which you speak?

Looking forward to mangoes and prawns this Christmas.

( I have to admit, when I lived in the Northern Hemisphere for a while, Christmas made sooooo much more sense.)

These chestnuts of which you southeners are speaking - are they sweet chestnuts or conker type ?

Sweet Chestnuts, you would be rather unwell if you tried Horse Chestnuts (Conkers) as they contain a mild poison Aescin. Even horses can't eat Horse Chestnuts

John

hmm.............That might be interesting...............??.....It's a long time since all my previous articles and now we are bogged down in new technology............ Colin

Finished off my mother’s xmas present today - a display cabinet of tools left by my father, an ex- Vickers apprentice who later worked with Barnes Wallis during the later years of the war, and afterwards became a teacher (of engineering workshop theory and practice as it was officially known by those in the know, metalwork to everyone else).

Many of the tools he made himself, but he was a big fan of Moore and Wright, Browne and Sharp and Starrett. The mic was a B and S and always carried in the pocket of his white workshop coat.

The case is made of teak reclaimed from a refurbishment of Exeter library many years ago, and the photo was taken before I fitted the glass and beads to avoid reflections.

That's nice Steve.

Colin, old or new, it's all good.

Neil

(Showing my ignorance)

What's the tapered spike third left top, just below the dividers? Second left is a taper gauge, what's the thing to its left please?

Rgds to All

Simon

Looks good Steve - I am also ex Vickers Weybridge, but somewhat later than your dad (apprentice 63 - 70). Your display has solved a mystery "tool" for me. For many years I have kept a grubby bit of tinplate and cardboard in my tool drawer and now see that it is a points protector for a set of dividers.
BobH

It's like a centre-finder for round bar I've seen in an old ME. There are two pins on the back that press against the side of the cylinder. The left edge is the rule.

Dave

Yes, it’s a centre finder- I actually used it last week before putting it on the display board. I think my favourite is the pin vice (pin chuck?) on the left just above the square - the handle is hollow to allow a thin rod to pass all the way through.

Dad had a huge stack of Model Engineers in his office at work, so I’m not surprised that the centre finder was an ME design. I remember reading through them when I was probably 12-13, not understanding most of what was in them. Anyone else remember the cat sitting on the log?

By the way, for anyone wondering why the choice of some (on the face of it)rather run-of-the-mill tools, they were mainly chosen on the basis of ones he either made, or marked with his initials, or I remember him using a lot. Some of the ones he made such as the square, the centre finder top left and the centre punches were tools he actually taught his pupils to make in lessons.

Very nice. Thoughtful and different. Like it.

More likely your Dad's centre-finder is a genuine apprentice piece. I'd have to find it to make sure but I think the ME article described an existing tool, not a new one. Also, the ME design was simplified compared with your Dad's version - I don't recall it having that fancy trefoil end.

Quite apart from the family connection the collection makes a fine display. You're lucky to have it.

Dave

"Anyone else remember the cat sitting on the log?"

Was that K R Whiston's "cat"?

Edited By ega on 08/12/2017 11:02:00

A few days ago replaced one of the rear shocks, swearing at myself and the World in general during.

Spent ages with a 5ft ext on the ratchet undoing the bottom bolt as space only allowed 1/8 turns, and in total disgust/frustration went looking for a solution to getting that tight bolt undone, with meds not helping.

The swearing started when I 'discovered' the air ratchet!

That tool made short work of removing and replacing that bolt plus the nut on the top connection.

Geoff - The whole exercise would have taken minutes instead of hours, if only I had remembered!

Edited By OuBallie on 08/12/2017 16:28:03

So where are the rear damper on an A7?

Ian P

Smart @rse

Geoff - Don't you just love 'em

> cat sitting on the log?

[Stan] Bray's Bench, I think?

Neil

Lol, Niel , backing up data and measuring parts i have made a quiet day pondering if i should risk trying to buy another chuck after the last one didnt turn up and the seller has disapeared from the bay.

Martin

Finished off replumbing the kitchen today. There is now zero soldered copper pipework in the potable hot and cold supplies (lead risk in a house of this age). I also had to replace the under sink cupboard which had almost rotted away due to leakage from the sink (new one £32 from B&Q). I assumed this rotting was due to the fact that the sink anchors had come away from the underside of the worktop, leaving a gap around the top of the sink.

Finally got it all together and was preparing to buff up the sink before gluing it back under the worktop when I discovered the cause of the leakage. Although this is a Franke sink, it's turned into a sieve with holes all over, for instance the clusters bottom left and centre top here:

The good news is that Franke proclaim a 50 year guarantee (doubtless loads of getouts etc) and are regarded as a decent quality brand. Given that this kitchen is about 10 years old, something didn't work out so well. The water here is very soft - I wonder if that has resulted in these holes dissolving out? They still make it (Ariane ARX 110-35) but at £230 each I'll be on the blower to their customer services on Monday.

Murray

Edited By Muzzer on 08/12/2017 19:04:04

More likely you wash you hands in it after being in the workshop?

Iron filings will start corrosion on stainless steel - ask how I know!

Neil