Onoff

Back on topic..... Not sure where to connect the new 25mm MDPE pipe to as I've a couple of options: The site of operations! Incoming mains comes in from the road (top of the picture). Off to the house, bottom of the picture via the old iron pipe. The white plastic housing is where another meter WAS but now just has a stop cock in it's place. Handy for isolating without going outside the boundary fence. Unscrewing the joint to the iron and swinging it up I can't seem to remove this fitting on the MDPE that I'm holding. I can push it on a bit then pull it back as the video shows but it won't come off. It has teeth I'm sure. Is there a knack for getting this off? I was going to connect the new MDPE to it at this point: When swung down the joint I'm holding is nom 600mm down. The iron pipe then goes off deeper which is how far we've dug the trench. I'm thinking maybe though I could connect the new MDPE direct to the stopcock. That is approx 300mm down. I could insulate the pipe as I'm putting it anyway in 63mm blue duct. It would save on 5 joints in the MDPE:

You could splice and solder with heat shrink to get the joint a bit thinner of course..... EDIT: You would though need to be bang on with your soldering and not have any wispy bits of sharp strand that could poke through the heat shrink.....itself which is unlikely to be as thick as the original insulation. With a staggerd joint there's less chance of course of it shorting out but the joint is potentially longer etc. We're really trying here to do what's NOT done and for good reason! But it's FUN!

And to think I turned down an evening with Rachel Riley to do this: So, proper crimps (RS from memory). Done them side by side whereas I'd usually stagger them if joining T&E: See how the glue seeps out, sealing the crimp to the wire and making it watertight (theoretically): Mmmmmm.....FUGLY! Would look even more "python/large meal" like with 3-core flex: It's a good strong joint tbh. Best thing you could do with it is HIDE it! White heat shrink would tone it down but not in a kitchen surely? Don't know if I'd want it on anything but the lightest light fitting anyway! TBH I think a tube would look good: http://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/1111933/open-concept-great-room-with-vaulted-ceilings-contemporary-kitchen-vancouver

And people think I need to get a life! Disappointed you didn't try Toolstation's own brand and maybe some SPAX though.....and where's the photos? But seriously, kudos! EDIT: Just picked my lot up a couple of days late. The GIRL at S'fix offered to help me out to car with them as no bags any more. "S'alright LUV I'll manage!". Must have looked a right idiot struggling out with them stacked high under my chin.

BUTT crimps.....still makes me smile as does RING main! Not as much as our old lower school master though.....Major Williard! (TRUE btw). I'll get me coat!

"Mummy, what's that lady doing?"

Rearrange the words to make it sound really dirty!

Just to demonstrate how attractive a butt crimped joint can look: Of course the butt crimps and heat shrink used here were "hot melt" that undoubtedly added to the mechanical strength of the joint. I'm sure if you used the proper colour heat shrink over the whole lot it would be darn near invisible!

Not sure what's happened with the originals.....the missus said some were pretty large canvasses and they were being CUT and ROLLED up. Can't see that being good for an oil painting tbh.

I think the S'fix Silver range are shiter even less corrosion resistant than their Gold range!

We've got clay and flints.....lots and lots of flints! Taking this thread off track a bit but the wife's cousin sadly died a short while back (early 50's) following a short but nasty illness. A keen amateur geologist, painter, model maker, photographer and much more besides. We've "inherited" his flint collection. He did have a fantastic geology website but I guess as it's not been maintained since he got ill it's been taken down. Anyway we've got about 10 crates of flints and they were marked "axe heads", "trilobites" etc. They would have been dumped otherwise. Each flint he personally picked up. Must have had a real keen eye. Knowing now that there's something on each of them we spent ages turning each one over to find what he did, fossilised leaves, trilobites etc. The plan is to incorporate them in feature flint panels within our gate pillars is his memory. Now as to his art.....not everyone's cup of tea I appreciate but here's a taste (he did other styles): https://flic.kr/s/aHskbJqL1N

I reckon you, like me must envy on occasion those starting with a clean slate. I look at some things in my place and the ONLY option is remove and start afresh and the work involved in that can be immense. In just my bathroom the concrete floor was 60mm too high to the rest of the house, the ceiling 150mm higher at one end. The wall being 75mm out paled by comparison. Later I've got to LOWER the whole kitchen where that floor is about 100mm too high, beyond that the boiler room steps up again. Sometimes it's good to look back on old photos of how far you've come rather than how far you've got to go! Trying to think ahead is so important when you've say got to mod the soil stack taking all three WCs whilst still having "facilities" avaiable!

S'fix Goldscrews rust as quick as anything, outside, in timber.

For better or worse this is coming tomorrow: http://www.drainagepipe.co.uk/products/flexible-underground-ducting/blue-flexi-duct-x-50m-coil/63mm/ Didn't go for the twin wall. Also ordered a roll in green for the CCTV.

Looks like a fair B&D clone that.

You saying this reminded me of some I bought a good while back.....though can't remember where from! Utter shite and then some! Lucky if you could use them ONCE let alone re-use. If the Pozi bit didn't ruin the head they would shear. Hope these Ultra ones aren't as bad!

Must try this weekend to finish getting this MDPE new main in and do away with all the temporary fixes along the run. Weekends of late.....well haven't really had them due to other issues. So, trench dug. Everything I've read says to line the base of the trench with "sand". Should that be soft/ sharp or even ballast. I'm guessing soft. No problem ordering in a couple of three jumbo bags. In the very flinty ground I have is soft sand "enough"? I'm still tempted to just order a length of blue duct and forget the sand. I could then just backfill without worrying too much about damaging the pipe. Would it negate the need for sand? Cost for a roll of duct vs the sand, there can't be much in it! Any thoughts?

That's £30 of screws I MIGHT use one day.....

Under load cables heat up and expand. If you have cracked, brittle insulation then conceivably repeated expansion could cause migration of the copper cores. Taking it to the nth degree I know but why take the chance for the sake of a bit of protection. You could also leave the brittle, cracked cable vulnerable to say water ingress or other mechanical damage.

I remember being rather miffed that some of the radio edits weren't on Boss Drum! Not a bad idea, a bit of L.S.I when I need a lift!

Mr C wasn't it? Chap I worked with was mates with him.

I like the bit about setting the light to reflect your mood. I wonder if "Miserable Sod With Flu" is a setting?

TLC might just point you to the downloadable instructions on the link. I suspect you could couple this switch, it being two way, with a remote PIR later, should the need arise.

This then? Has optional dusk control: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SMZV700B.html?ad_position=1o7&source=adwords&ad_id=45425533757&placement=&kw=&network=g&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=SMZV700B&product_partition_id=174056465107&test=finalurl_v2&gclid=CLn3q4e5q88CFeQW0wod0xAIbg

This? https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SMZV215.html?ad_position=1o1&source=adwords&ad_id=45425533757&placement=&kw=&network=g&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=SMZV215&product_partition_id=174056226787&test=finalurl_v2&gclid=CO3X1feyq88CFU6eGwodq_YHzw