Druidic Dabblings and General Twaddle !!

[V8Druid]

They just say to stay at home for 12 weeks and to keep your distance. I'm sure you can still get your deliveries from your usual suppliers - just ask them to keep their distance, or if possible not even get out their vehicle - easier for the planings I guess.

Bit of common sense and strategic ordering and you should be good.

local merchants're shut .... will try some others tomorrow ... me planings man I'll 'remind' tomorrow ... if he's working ?? ... he's just a tip and run ... got auto tail gate latches and the merchant's dumpies'll come off with the 'drema and bag lifter ... they can stay in the cab

 

[Cyberprog]

local merchants're shut .... will try some others tomorrow ... me planings man I'll 'remind' tomorrow ... if he's working ?? ... he's just a tip and run ... got auto tail gate latches and the merchant's dumpies'll come off with the 'drema and bag lifter ... they can stay in the cab

Sounds ideal, especially if you tell them you can unload and their guys needn't get out the cab. You'll find someone to service you.

 

[V8Druid]

well I've not been further than the end of me drive in over three weeks .... I don't go out a great deal anyway ... but that WAS my choice ... it's a bit odd when it's not so much through my own choosing !!

I'm very lucky that i have space to at least get outside and do summat ...

had a few punctures sat about, that have needed attention for a while ... this is the road wheel off me Manor/Flaming Micron ... not been used in a long time, but it kept me occupied for a bit, along with four 4.00 x 8s I had sat ...

bet yer's not seen one o' them bars in a while ... for those who can remember what they look like ... beat tyre levers

bearing got a good dose of fresh grease while it was on the bench ..

hauled Mr K's old trailer out of it's hiding place in the corner and put it somewhere a bit more accessible to finish off welding up the draw bar alterations, I started ages ago ...

better position for setting about it with the MIG ... anyone who uses their infrequently ... when you get it out to use it .. always check this lil' sod on the Euro-connector or you'll never get a decent shield ..

tiny little O ring ...

but they're such a tight fit that they snap for a past time .. and can cause all sorts of issues if you don't realise it's buggered ... new one fitted and torch installed ... half an hour with some 0.8mm and t'ain't coming off ...

picked it up, onto its arse end to get at the underside ... too bloody awkward there ..then slapped some of Firwoods best fast drying on it ... that wheel wedge frame's gonna have to go though !!

lifted it back down onto the deck this afternoon and picked the body up to get at the chassis for some shiny tish ... after a good wire brushing ... was remarkably clean-ish TBH

propped and left on't 'Drema's hook for the duration .... was intending to whip the body off out the way, to make it an even easier task ... but the one tip hinge pin is going to take some getting out ... all the rest're fine ... just that one lil' bar steward ... so charged on as was ...

dropped it down and left it there for tonight ...

going to have a crack at that one pin tomorrow, with a hyd pack .... would like to lift the body off anyway, to flip it over to clean & paint the underside ... bloody hard work as is ...... be easier to do for that wedge frame too, with the body out o' the way

progress would've been faster today if it hadn't been for all the interruptions ... " can you just come and .... undo this/ lift this down/hold the steps for me/get me a ladder/go up the ladder - I don't like it - too high - and... /paint that up there /reach that down/etc./etc. " been one of those afternoons

anyone remember this .... got sent it this morning ....
judging by the level, stood up there, I'd guess 'daddy' has just gotten around to hanging it properly

 

[V8Druid]

..... one tip hinge pin is going to take some getting out ... all the rest're fine ... just that one lil' bar steward ... ........ going to have a crack at that one pin tomorrow, with a hyd pack ....

well that didn't happen ....
request from Vicki, via Pam for some 'veggie boxes' , summat like Pam's, but smaller ... she's got the gardening bug, by the look of it and it'll keep Clara amused a bit too ..... " what've yer got to make some with Gra? " Not got a lot in the way of 'spare' timber sat about, other than stickers and cribbing ... apart from some off cuts from the black shed build, which i'd had cwtched, to make Pam some planters .. sometime.

Having been searching me patch, she'd come across 'em and said ... " they'd do, wouldn't they? " so had to admit to the reason for having 'em cwtched aside ........ so that was the end of my plans for the day and fetched me 'chippy's hat' to get started, to silence the whining noise that'd suddenly started !! had no excuse readily to hand and no dimensions from Vicki so .............

one truck full of off cuts ......

much thought later and I had a plan formulated ... next was to extract some lengths of 38 x 90 CLS I'd also had stashed, from the shed build, in the roof of said shed, which unfortunately had a rolled up carpet sat on top of 'em ...... that took some re-homing, up in the roof

having worked out a cutting list/regime to maximise the available materials 'twas time to get to it ... 90mm CLS was overkill for the framing so decided to rip it down, which worked out well

couldn't be arsed to drag a saw bench out for the limited requirements, so just ripped it after I'd lengthed it

then set about getting it all together ..

the 300 x 20 sawn was not the greatest of stuff dimensionally to be working with and had a few issues getting it cut to length square, but got there ... 'least well enough for the job in hand ... trouble with being used to steel and everything being properly sized and true .....
anyway ... worked with one true, decent end as a face end and got it together alright, with the aid of a nice flat, straight, solid bench .. always helps

one down ..... two to go

as usual ... certain people couldn't wait to see what it looked like 'in situ'

back to it for #2 ...

which got finished off after tea had been scoffed ....

and dropped down with its mate ... then 'twas time to have a square up, 'fore it got dark
Last one to put together tomorrow ....... and then ....... I have now had some dimensions from Vicki, so got her's to dream up tomorrow too

on the plus side ..... I have one very happy Pam, especially as I've also got a load of top soil organised, to fill hers and Vicki's too, so should buy me some peace and quiet, to 'potter on' with my bits an' bobs for a while ☺ .... it'd better stay dry

 

[V8Druid]

....... now had some dimensions from Vicki, so got her's to dream up tomorrow too

So ... spent a fair bit of the morning looking like a snowman ... been bloody windy here today and the sawdust's been everywhere

that was after completing #3 for Pam ...

lopped up a pile of short off cuts for starters, which worked in really well with the dimensions given .... then I had to drag another four 5 metre lengths out from under a box .... which proved exciting and bloody awkward, due to stuff being in the way .. like a dumper and a jake ... wasn't moving them and managed to thread 'em under the both of 'em then stuck 'em through the trellis fence where i could get at 'em ..

and lugged 'em up to me bench ...

to get 'em lopped up ...

then chopped some CLS and ripped them down for the framing, before spending the rest of the day assembling 'em all ...

between Pam's 'interuptions' for lifts and stuff

eventually got this one ready to assemble, just before tea interrupted play .... so went together this evening ...

followed by yet another hour's clear up .... bloody typical this afternoon ... sun came out just as it was going 'round from where it'd have shone on me ... been damned cold with the wind today, even though it's been a southerly, 'tweren't as warm as it was 'sposed to be

locked up just as the light was disappearing .....
this is 5ft x 2ft 6" .... Vicki usually gives me my 'instructions' in 'old money' , although happy working in either .... whichever dimension's the closest to what I'm after ...... worked out well for the materials
Box #2 is the morning's job, but only 2 ft 6" square so a lot less screwing .... just got to cut the CLS framing and rip it, before i can set about assembling it . .... forecast is warmer in the morning .... but still bloody windy from the South ... so doubt it's gonna feel much warmer

Squeak's found himself a new place to kip this morning ...... we decorated my little office a couple of weeks ago .... which was also a major juggle about of furniture ... two full filing cabs take some shuffling about to paint behind!!
To tidy up a lot of the stuff that seems to get parked in here we bought a shelving unit to rationalise it all .... and squeak discovered the top of it this morning

have to say, for an Ikea jobbie it went together very well and is good and solid ... there're a lot of lever archs and books on the shelves you can't see ... a fair bit of weight ... finding decent sized book cases proved to be quite a challenge when we were searching for a unit

 

[Lancs Lad]

Keeping yourself busy! Looking good as ever! They'll earn you some brownie points!
I'm just kicking myself I didn't buy the new Tig/arc welder and Ive got a project lined up...☹ Let's see what Sealeys "mighty mig" can cope with!

Vice stand/Anvil coming up

 

[V8Druid]

Keeping yourself busy! Looking good as ever! They'll earn you some brownie points!
I'm just kicking myself I didn't buy the new Tig/arc welder and Ive got a project lined up...☹ Let's see what Sealeys "mighty mig" can cope with!View attachment 13234
Vice stand/Anvil coming up

they better bloody well had

Turn the current right up and the wire feed down so it's spraying rather than pouring the wire into the melt pool ........ you'll be surprised what can be achieved ... slower but good penetration

 

[Jimoz]

Is there owt you can't turn your hand to @V8Druid

 

[Grahams]

I wish I had half the energy at the moment. It's all getting to me a bit and I've still got a little bit of work on. Can't imagine what it is like to be retired.

 

[V8Druid]

Is there owt you can't turn your hand to @V8Druid

well ........... stone work has me at a bit of a disadvantage ATM Jim ... just too bloody random for my engineering eye to get my head around ... but could well be summat to master .... no way are we going to see our stone mason in the foreseeable ... hasn't needed much of an excuse not to turn up the last 18 months and now he's got a doozy of a reason not to .... was 'sposed to have been here this month
As said before, the problem I have initially is the lack of sand & cement to give it a go .... be time to see what I can find tomorrow 'praps .. got a couple of full to the brim dumpies of 3/4 to dust for the fill between the skins .... just no cement ................. and no outer stone face skin

as for chippying ..... not my favorite past time, but am able and have plenty of tools ...... I used to teach woodwork/metalwork/eng. drg./design, many years ago 'in another life' , several decades ago ....... don't hate it, just prefer the speed of steel and so much easier to be accurate with it

 

[pettsy]

Most of builders merchants closed or not taking any more orders around here. Hoping to get a bulk bag of sand on tue/wed as I have an account with them.

 

[Jimoz]

Whole supply chain is knackered. Silly politicians and media coming out with this key worker crap. The law is if you can't work from home then allowed to go to work

 

[V8Druid]

I wish I had half the energy at the moment. It's all getting to me a bit and I've still got a little bit of work on. Can't imagine what it is like to be retired.

dunno 'bout the energy bit Gra ..... my feet are dropping off every evening, back and fore, up and down, round and round, here and there ... and added to by 'the apprentice's' constant demands for a lift, or help .. we're 100+ yards apart each time she wants summat ... must walk miles in a day ...compounded by a collapsed left arch and buggered left ankle from it ..... takes me an hour of a morning to get 'comfortable' on 'me pins', before i can get going .... but can't sit around all day .. had enough of that in Feb., from me visit to The Heath and its consequences, plus all the poxy rain we had for months before that ... 's dry and the sun's out occasionally ... I wanna be outside

 

[V8Druid]

Most of builders merchants closed or not taking any more orders around here. Hoping to get a bulk bag of sand on tue/wed as I have an account with them.

I've got a couple I have had accounts with, for decades, but I think they're both shut couple of bulkers of sand and a dozen bags of cement'd give me a good start

 

[Jimoz]

You'd be quite welcome to borrow my 10 bags or so but don't think it would be worth the journey

 

[V8Druid]

Whole supply chain is knackered. Silly politicians and media coming out with this key worker crap. The law is if you can't work from home then allowed to go to work

,more the media bullshit than anything IMHDO Jim ... politicians are doing their best to keep a lid on what could so easily become another Spanish Flu type event, like 1918-20 and that killed between 50 and a 100 million people

 

[V8Druid]

You'd be quite welcome to borrow my 10 bags or so but don't think it would be worth the journey

cheers Jim ..... bit of a trek though and sure to be pulled ...... several times ........ and'd have to get past Pam on guard on the gate

 

[V8Druid]

I wish I had half the energy at the moment. It's all getting to me a bit and I've still got a little bit of work on. Can't imagine what it is like to be retired.

forgot to answer this bit Gra ........
highly recommended - once you get into it - dunno how i found time to go to work 12+ hours a day .. too much to do!!
it's a mindset initially ... getting used to NOT having to go ... but got to have summat to keep you occupied.
just have to treat it as a new chapter, be excited by it and not depressed about the change of routine ..... a chance to do stuff you've always wanted to and never had time to .

 

[Furniss]

we are lucky to have a big place and lots to do - and weirdly I am enjoying he weekends with family around, usually not enough time to do all the things we want to do and it seems a right rush.... confinement means some of the jobs around the place, jobs I have being meaning to do for the last 15 years can get done and it feels nice and calm... I think im going to like retirement if I am still fit

 

[V8Druid]

we are lucky to have a big place and lots to do - and weirdly I am enjoying he weekends with family around, usually not enough time to do all the things we want to do and it seems a right rush.... confinement means some of the jobs around the place, jobs I have being meaning to do for the last 15 years can get done and it feels nice and calm... I think im going to like retirement if I am still fit

that's the best bit really .... not rushing about like a blue arse fly, in your limited spare time, trying to get s**t done .... not finished .. ok we'll get it knocked tomorrow. Plus you can take the time to do a bollox of a job too
took me quite a while to get into it, but it is good to have all of your time to yourself (aside from SWMBO's portion)