What I Did This Weekend - In Pictures!

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
So Friday was a works do in Northampton and we ended up in a fabulous little Turkish restaurant and Shisha bar (well there may have been a few more pubs after that).

Then Saturday and Sunday was Superbikes in the Kent sunshine at Brands.
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With two nights in Tonbridge, which is somewhere I've never been to until now.
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It's been nice to catch up with work colleagues on Friday and friends from Essex over the weekend.

Dreading the drive home tomorrow though ☹️
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Some of the wood from the recent hedge job was a little large for the shredder, so I saved it for lopping into finger-sized bits, to use when starting the fire in the winter.

I now have a sackful in the greenhouse, drying for the next few months.

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And I still have all my actual fingers attached.

With the lopper mounted in the Workmate, I could lop with one hand and feed the wood through with the other.

It's mostly hawthorn and honeysuckle - with a bit of elder and ivy, but even those will do, once they're baked dry.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I'm halfway through fitting the under-bench shelves - that I started before Christmas.

It's not easy - like trying to build a house of cards whilst potholing.

The Lidl laser level was very handy, even just marking out the locations for the wall battens and the cross-beams to the struts would have been much more labour-intensive 'the old way'.

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A few pencil marks where the line is and the job is (largely) done.

Then it's a case of attaching the battens, notched in the right places, and then the cross-beams.

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I didn't notice that that shot was blurred, but everything is such a tight fit that I hardly need to put the screws in, so I'm not knocking it apart for another go.

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Right-hand half done, with a short extra bit running up to the 'drop' by the window. A few screws in and all seems very solid.

I can now hide a good bit of the weightier stuff on there now.

Five minutes off and I may start on the left-hand side...
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
This is my original dell keyboard, from 2007/8. I've dismantled, cleaned and reassembled it - for the second time - it may have been approaching health hazard status. The popular keys have a nice polish now, although a few markings have worn a bit. I remember the double-injected keys of our first DEC - you could file a few millimetres off them and still see the markings clearly. Apart from that, it is quite a good device - reliable, solid (fifteen screws) and with a bit of thought about the reality of what might happen to it - debris baffles and drain holes, etc - and it's dismantlable without great danger.

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The last time I did it, I took the precaution of sourcing a picture, to aid with reassembling it with the keys in the right places - this time, I used an identical keyboard - a somewhat easier process.

All seems well, so far - all back in the right places, and with nothing lost or broken.

It's a job worth doing, but a bit fiddly - I suspect that I would not pass the aptitude test for a job in the factory.
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
This is my original dell keyboard, from 2007/8. I've dismantled, cleaned and reassembled it - for the second time - it may have been approaching health hazard status. The popular keys have a nice polish now, although a few markings have worn a bit. I remember the double-injected keys of our first DEC - you could file a few millimetres off them and still see the markings clearly. Apart from that, it is quite a good device - reliable, solid (fifteen screws) and with a bit of thought about the reality of what might happen to it - debris baffles and drain holes, etc - and it's dismantlable without great danger.

View attachment 12810

The last time I did it, I took the precaution of sourcing a picture, to aid with reassembling it with the keys in the right places - this time, I used an identical keyboard - a somewhat easier process.

All seems well, so far - all back in the right places, and with nothing lost or broken.

It's a job worth doing, but a bit fiddly - I suspect that I would not pass the aptitude test for a job in the factory.
I once took all the keys off my Kode punch tape machine in GEC to give them a wash . Luckily we didn't all do it at the same time, as had to look at someone elses machine to see where they all went back on . Didn't have mobile phones to take a 'beforehand' picture in those days :lol:
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I once took all the keys off my Kode punch tape machine in GEC to give them a wash . Luckily we didn't all do it at the same time, as had to look at someone elses machine to see where they all went back on . Didn't have mobile phones to take a 'beforehand' picture in those days :lol:
We once changed the stock control computer to Portuguese, but couldn't see how to get back - and Portuguese was one of the few languages that nobody in the factory spoke - luckily, it was just before knocking-off time and it all reset to 'normal' overnight.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
More shelving...

The 'loft area' was something I fitted back in the 90s, when the Shed was first built, as that was 'dead space' otherwise. I tested it by lying up there and it all seemed solid enough, it's generally not used for heavy items anyway, as that would mean lifting them up and back down.

I decided to fit a narrow shelf below it, as that could still allow space to walk comfortably below it.

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The wall edge of the shelf is supported by a batten and the front is held by hanging struts, from the beams of the 'loft' floor. There will be one more hanger at the 'bend' in the corner.

The shelf is held to the hangers by IKEA-style "cross dowel bolts", so there is almost no protrusion underneath.
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There's about twelve feet of twenty-inch-wide shelving there now and it will be useful for a good bit of bulky, not-too-heavy stuff.

It's space that was only really used by the cellar spiders...
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
My plan for the Bank Holiday weekend while everybody else is lurking about on the beach dodging stone fish and great white sharks. (Well come on, you never know .... ?) :P

Been erecting this formerly redundant disc cone aerial for over a week now, due to weather and fatigue restricting my work time. The idea is to lead the feeder co-ax through the garage wall and then across to living room wall inside the garage. I have a Flex 5000 SDR radio in there next to the PC desk, and I want another aerial on it as it has something called 'diversity reception' built into the latest software. What this means is that since the set has in effect two receivers onboard, you can give each one a separate aerial and play the noise floor on one in antiphase to the noise floor on the other, thus enhancing reception. I'm just curious to see how good it is.

Todays job will involve wall drilling with a 25mm masonry bit I 'borrowed' from BT back when I worked for them. I drilled a lot of walls in the Potteries with that thing and it's hard stone up that way. Wish me luck as I have to use a heavy duty Bosch driller with a fluted chuck, whose hammer action rattles every bone in your body. :eek:

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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
More shelving...

The 'loft area' was something I fitted back in the 90s, when the Shed was first built, as that was 'dead space' otherwise. I tested it by lying up there and it all seemed solid enough, it's generally not used for heavy items anyway, as that would mean lifting them up and back down.

I decided to fit a narrow shelf below it, as that could still allow space to walk comfortably below it.

View attachment 12836

The wall edge of the shelf is supported by a batten and the front is held by hanging struts, from the beams of the 'loft' floor. There will be one more hanger at the 'bend' in the corner.

The shelf is held to the hangers by IKEA-style "cross dowel bolts", so there is almost no protrusion underneath.
s-l300.jpg

There's about twelve feet of twenty-inch-wide shelving there now and it will be useful for a good bit of bulky, not-too-heavy stuff.

It's space that was only really used by the cellar spiders...
For the sake of clarity, these are the undersides of the hanging points on the shelf, leaving an almost flat surface, to avoid snagging, as it's just above head height.

I could, I suppose, have made the short section two inches wider, and avoided the little in-fill here, but there was a lot of 'measuring things in mid-air that weren't really there', and it doesn't detract from the intended purpose, really.

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The other four hanging points have only the 15mm head of the M6 bolt protruding below the surface, almost flush - I could have sunk them a little, I suppose, but this is easily 'good enough' for the intention.

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I have also organised a top-up of the oil tank today. It should happen over the next few days. Cleaning off the top of the tank, I found a mounting point for a level monitor, so I've fitted a fake wire into that, as the tank is a lot more visible now than it used to be. I might just have had enough to get through next winter, but it would be a close-run thing and it's one more thing to 'forget' about. By this time next year, the tank should be a bit more obscured again, I hope. A bit of shading wouldn't go amiss, if we get another heatwave scenario, too.

I test-ran the boiler, as it last fired on the 13th of April, and all seemed well - and the pump operated OK - and I operated all the radiator thermostatic valves, as they can have a tendency to stick shut - a few needed a bit of encouragement, but they're all operative now.

I will then have most of two winter's worth of oil, about three years of cooking gas and over a winter's worth of wood on site.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I've spent the wet period reorganising the floor area under the new shelves and the existing mezzanine loft. It's made a lot of space and made things easier to access.

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That's about a third of the wood that I've reclaimed during reconstructions - I may never need to buy a 'bit of wood' ever again.

The shredder is in there now, from its previous home in one of the greenhouses, and the mower can live there during the periods when I'm not running the fire in the Shed.

There is also a dismantled saw-bench visible - this took up a lot of volume, until I removed the legs. I made it a long time ago, from an old wooden table and a 'portable' circular saw, inset into the top of it. It had a lot of use in the early days, but it's really been mostly just an obstruction in the corner in recent years. It's only a few minutes to put the legs back on, if I do want to use it again.

Of the double-doors, the nearer one opens first and it is a rare event to need to open the second one, so it can be treated as a 'wall' for most purposes, with some thought being given to the possibility of it being opened now and then - so, it will be generally 'mobile' items there, things that are used outside, but need to be stored under cover.
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
On Saturday family took me to see Himley Park, about halfway between Stourbridge and Wolverhampton. Must say I was pleasantly surprised to see such a place in the heart of the Black Country. The landscape was laid out by Capability Brown so I was told. They've also got some model dinosaurs scattered about (JEEZ I HOPE THEY WERE MODELS !! if not, I'm laying off the rum.)
Apparently it's all owned by Dudley Borough Council, and made available for events, indoor and outdoor, and the general usage of the public. I was impressed .... worth a visit.
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PS in the evening they also took me out for a pub meal. Going in up some steps I took a fall (tripped on a step) and went down like a sack of spuds. I was amazed at the number of people that rushed out concerned but I was ok, just not used to stairs. (However believe it or not I've got a little bit of gravel rash on elbow and hip, when I sold all my bikes, I thought I was done with that shit. )
Bit sad isn't it, falling over going into a pub rather than coming out (which I'm used to.) :facepalm:
 
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Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
Went down to Brands, mainly to pay my own tribute to Chrissy Rouse who sadly passed away after an accident at Donny. I met him a few times and we swapped a couple of beers when he won the Superstock title two or three years ago. Great kid with so much to offer, what a waste!

All of the superbike championships have been sorted out today so heading to United first thing tomorrow instead.
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kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
We went to Liverpool to watch the World gymnastics championships - ladies artistic

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Excellent entertainment. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Great seats right by the vault

A couple of thoughts, the gymnasts from a certain country either aren't 16 or are on maturity prevention drugs. Built like tiny 12 year olds. Feels very unfair.

What is it with these nasty arenas, this time the M and S arena whereby you aren't allowed to take food and drink in and then find the stuff they sell is utter overpriced shite. No plant milks, nothing healthy just pop, sweets and crisps. Resort world at the NEC was the same.
 

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
It's called 'screwing your customers for every last penny'.

I bet you got given the bottle tops for the fizzy drinks though. At football matches, the staff unscrew the cap and give you an open bottle.
 

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
Always stick a few bottle tops in your pocket if you are planning to get a drink in a ground. They are generally universal.
Well I would if I had one but I only drink fizzy pop when there is an absence of an alternative.

On the previous couple of visits to Molineux, the staff allowed me to keep the cap. This time they didn't.
 

Lucy

Well-Known Forumite
Well I would if I had one but I only drink fizzy pop when there is an absence of an alternative.

On the previous couple of visits to Molineux, the staff allowed me to keep the cap. This time they didn't.
I don't either, but I was just giving an option...
 
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