Onoff

I'm 54 fella. Took my eldest to the pub the other week. (Think the pub in An American Werewolf In London only emptier and no Jenny Agutter!) Only me and him in there On the way back I apologised for him having to go up the pub on a Friday night with his "old" dad. "That's alright, there's not many dad's your age like trance!" I welled up I tell ya!

Nah, I'm just special like you! ? To be fair you do yourself down too much. You've pulled off some quality work on your projects.

I did, 9" from memory.

Whatever you do avoid the Makita G-Series. Only buy LXT stuff. Whoever came up with the evolutionary dead end that is the G-Series needs their head examined. Far less tool options and the battery system is incompatible with the LXT stuff.

I know jack about PV, not even where to start! I've sort of deliberately stayed away as I know a PV guru to ask and have tapped him up already for a bit of a consult should funds ever allow. I can't help thinking though that my SW facing garage roof is crying out for them. As the roof needs work anyway I was thinking in roof trays. Could an array on it's own be used as a non grid linked means of supplying a car charge point? (All I need is time & money ?)

Tbh I'd go Makita. The battery system is excellent. Gives you the option to then pair with "Fakita", cheap Chinese clones that take Makita 18V batteries. I've got: Grinder Multitool Recip saw Handheld chainsaw Been good for DIY stuff so far and a quarter of the price of the real thing.

I have heard rumours that buyers with clout (SF / B&Q all part of the Kingfisher group, the Wickes, TP & TS) get the big names like Makita to make exclusively for them hence the slight product number differences compared to elsewhere. Again only rumour but they get the price down by fitting say plastic instead of metal gears, chucks etc. How true it is I don't know.

I believe a few on here have put a section of EPS in, cast level with the slab, then dug it out later.

Safely isolate first! ? Check how it's fed, the earthing arrangements and report back.

I have been through the process. Instigated a Stage 1 Complaint over the council's handling of a parking issue. It hinged on them saying I hadn't supplied required evidence with an appeal. I had via emails and recorded delivery. They chose to ignore this and escalated the matter and costs until bailiffs were threatened. This was pre Covid and it was pretty grim dealing with them, receiving faceless letters with no point of contact. I won and got a formal, signed apology but it was pretty stressful and something of a hollow victory. Helped no end having a brother who's a barrister and had worked for an LA in that capacity.

For a few years I thought the days of graft in work, politics and council circles etc were a thing of the past. What with people even refusing to take a Christmas bottle or let you pay for breakfast. I've seen and heard things though over the last few years that left me very down over the whole process of fair tendering and officials twisting planning processes to their own ends. Money goes to money and it's very hard to break into that circle. It's who you know etc. That's me ****ed with my ASD! ? Maybe it's necessary to join the funny handshake brigade to get ahead?

It's Zoot masquerading!

We brush painted ours I recall. There was a choice of hammer finish metallic colours. Mine was a bronze from memory. Need to find a couple of similar colour cans of cheap spray.

Have you still got yours?

The scrap god's must have heard you! There was no need today to ask me twice if I want to go down a skip!

I've a new mate has a similar but rigid 2 year rule. Consequently I now have more tat!

All drawn on slate first? ?

A leather punch I believe. Found a number of those and shoemaker's lasts buried at the back of my old stable. It was rusty so I chucked it in the citric bath too. That Sarah bird would have kittens what with me ruining the patina!

I just gave the toolbox I made at 16 a quick dunk in a citric acid bath and then etch primed it. Has more than a few pin holes but it had been neglected. The knurling tool and drill clamp I made are likely recoverable, not do sure about the surface gauge. A bit gutted I let them get in this state but in the intervening 40 years, "life" happened. Amazing to think I made all the nuts and bolts!

It's called the kitchen sink.

The centre finder works a treat. Hold tight against the perimeter and scribe a line. Move around the perimeter and scribe another. Do a third. Where the lines intersect is your centre:

I made my metal centre finder by hand, even the chamfer was filed. When I find I'll post a pic. The lugs were silver steel from memory. It was beaten into us to be able to cut to within 20 thou with a hacksaw ? The piece in your picture would be relatively easy to do with a dual head printer. Print the supports in PVA then when done dissolve (the supports) in a bucket of water. I like the idea of how some (Ford I think already) are 3D printing performance exhaust manifolds. All the gas flow is worked out and you end up with nice smooth walls, no welds etc.

Dug out my old EITB drawings from when I was an apprentice. I made a centre finder and V blocks back then amongst many other things. Gave the drawings to No.1 son and he re-did them on Fusion. Now printing the centre finder for my mate John.

Sell out! ? Had to de-ice the car for the first time yesterday morning and again today.

Where others fear to tread...