What I Did This Weekend - In Pictures!

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I salvaged this aluminium ladder stay from a garage clearance a few weeks ago. I do have an old steel one, but it's just too heavy to be of use when there's any sort of extension on the ladder. This is much more suitable.

I cleaned up and greased the steel fixings. The manufacturer has been thoughtful enough to provide a hook to hang your paint tin on - I might move that to the other side, I'm likely to have the tin in my left hand most of the time - or I could just make another hook and be ambidextrous.

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With a bit more thought, they could have used the spreader bar to support a shelf for tools, etc.

So, I've bodged one up.

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"Why aren't the end rails at the outside edge?", I hear you say.

Because there's a couple of blocks underneath them, to reduce any tendency to escape sideways in windy conditions.

I might even put a couple of catches on one day.
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
Half way through a walk from Ironbridge to Coalport awaiting my game suet pudding and mash.

Beautiful weather and good beers thus far.

The only problem is that there are more pubs on the other side of river on the way back and I’ve booked into a micro pub for “puddings” later :)
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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
A rather different 'clock' this time.

A 60 minute timer/switch from an electric steamer.

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It's got a tendency to stop during the cycle, so I've opened it up to investigate - nothing obvious was found - so, just a bit of oil and a few test-runs now.

Rather nerve-racking when getting the 'bent-on' casing off, wondering if the guts were going to fly out...
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
About once a year, one of the thermostatic valves will refuse to open - usually one that's not used much.

I tested them all today and found one that wasn't going to respond to the "shock tactics" that will sometimes redeem the situation.

I have a 'spare' from previous changes, which allows me to just swap the valve bodies quickly.

Then I can dismantle the offending valve, to create a spare for the next time.

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It has always been corrosion scale on the pin (above the washer in the picture).

The spring just doesn't have the force to overcome it.

A quick clean-up and reassembly, then it can be put away for the next time.

I know that I haven't had this valve out before, so it's been there since 1995 and not used at all for the last three or four years, apart from the odd trial run.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I finally put the new front tyre on the bike and took it for a spin to run it in

And I found this interesting new road sign.

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It's intended to warn the unwary about the lad with a motorised wheelchair who lives over the top of the hill.

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Most locals would be aware of his antics, but he could surprise a passing outsider...
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Little odd jobs today, one of which was to create a stirrup for the board/door lifter that I found two and a half years ago...
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Made from a flattened bit of a reflector from an old TV aerial.

It makes it easier to position the device using your foot, whilst your arms are engaged in manoeuvring the object in question.
I refitted a door with this today - it did make the whole process a lot easier.

The door had been replaced with a mesh screen door some years ago, but the decision was made to revert to the original arrangement now.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Sometimes, things work in your favour.

I wanted to tidy up this wiring nest - the four plugs will be 'on' permanently and a couple more outlets might be handy, so when I saw a cheap, slim, unswitched six-way extension, whilst getting some other bits, I decided that that would improve matters sufficiently.

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The new extension had two 'keyhole' slots in the back, to attach it via two protruding screw heads, but I didn't want to make any holes in the cupboard.

I will have a few bits of aluminium angle left over from a greenhouse job and, as I was investigating the possibility of trapping a couple of bits between the counter top and the cupboard side, I noticed that the spacing of the middle two existing trim screws looked very similar to the keyhole slots...

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Bingo!

It's nice when things work for you.

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staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
The new extension had two 'keyhole' slots in the back, to attach it via two protruding screw heads, but I didn't want to make any holes in the cupboard.

Well , I'm not very observant! .... After all these years of having numerous extension plugs in the house, never noticed they all had keyhole slots in the back until just investigating !
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
For some time, I have eyed the 'dead space' above the window and door lintels, with a view to installing some shelving.

A start has been made - it's not quite straightforward, as things need to be done in a sequence which will not preclude subsequent stages - and singlehandedness is a bit of an issue, plus the slightly elevated nature of the work.

The initial (and, hopefully, the hardest) half has been done so far.

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Battens screwed to the wall support the back and 6mm threaded bars, hanging from the roof beams, support the front of the 12" deep shelves, made from 12mm 'shuttering ply'. They should be well able for the sort of stuff that will end up up there.

The threaded bars are anchored into the roof beams via my patented "Ω Slots" - a 16mm hole to access the nut and a slot at the base of the hole for a 25mm diameter washer.

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The hole is around the neutral axis of the beam and only 11" in from the socket, so it should have a minimal structural detriment.

Each bar seemed happy enough to take my weight.

A bit more work to extend the shelves to the right, over the door, and there can also be a few more below to the left of the window at some future point.

I may, possibly, replace the 'bookcase' with more open shelves - we'll see.
 
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