The Night Mail

[Oldddudders]

I thought it was Churchill who had ordered that all condoms issued to troops should be marked 'small'?

[polybear]

3 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I thought it was Churchill who had ordered that all condoms issued to troops should be marked 'small'?

 

Not sure, but I believe it was he that introduced arrows on the side to indicate "This Way Up"

[Dave Hunt]

I've started suffering from reduced mojo. Yesterday evening I went down to the workshop to do yet more work on the breakdown crane I'm building only to find myself thinking, "I'm getting fed up with this. It's dragging on and every time I solve one problem another one rears its head." Hence it occurred that maybe changing to something else would be a good idea but I just couldn't be bothered so after wasting a couple of hours achieving nothing I gave it up and watched something mindless on the haunted fish tank. I don't know if other TNMs ever suffer from the same thing but I hate it when it happens.

 

Ah, well, there's weeds to be attacked, shopping to be shopped and other chores awaiting so maybe I'll feel better after they're all done.

 

Sorry to be a wet blanket. Moan over.

 

Dave

[jamie92208]

Yes Dave, the Mojo problem is very common.  Walk away, take some Scottish Medicine and then go back to do something totally different.  In my case I got stuck on the 4F valve gear and have now started enjoying making small buildings for the coal yard and have even managed to acquire primary source  information about the construction methods and colour of one of the small huts.

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

Thanks Jamie. As Monty Python would have it, "And now for something completely different." 

 

I need to get on with some writing anyway so perhaps that will do.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Yes Dave, the Mojo problem is very common.  Walk away, take some Scottish Medicine and then go back to do something totally different.  In my case I got stuck on the 4F valve gear

Effing super glue!

[Happy Hippo]

Peace has descended on the Hippodrome one more.

 

This afternoon I will clean up the dried Playdoh from the conservatory floor and put away all the garden toys.

 

Now here's another funny....

 

The three, very sharp, Japanese saws arrived this morning.  Nothing to sign for.

 

Shortly afterwards the jig for routing corners was delivered.  this was age restricted and had to be signed for with proof of age etc!

 

The lunacy is that I  receive a set of very sharp saws without issue, but am checked when I order a lump of very smooth and un sharp lump of machined aluminium.  Do they think I'm going to go out and beat someone to a pulp with the Ali block?

 

 

[simontaylor484]

I havnt seen a router jig for corners only those for worktop fitting

 

I want one for dovetails but they are expensive.

 

I haven't had to sign for a delivery even those marked as signed for since the pandemic started

 

It sort of reminds me of buying paracetamol. Most shops limit you to 2 packs go to a pound shop you get 3 for a quid.

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

I havnt seen a router jig for corners only those for worktop fitting

 

I want one for dovetails but they are expensive.

 

I haven't had to sign for a delivery even those marked as signed for since the pandemic started

 

It sort of reminds me of buying paracetamol. Most shops limit you to 2 packs go to a pound shop you get 3 for a quid.

This one is for 5 & 10 mm rad corners:

[simontaylor484]

Do you have to have a unibase for your router to use one of those corner jigs a lot of commercial jigs i have seen say you need one.

 

They look a handy piece of kit

[Dave Hunt]

10 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Peace has descended on the Hippodrome one more.

 

This afternoon I will clean up the dried Playdoh from the conservatory floor and put away all the garden toys.

 

At least Playdoh and garden toys can be cleared up in a day. Although peace also descended on Hunt Towers yesterday, our grandson developed a cold the day he arrived last week and guess what? Jill and I have had colds for the last few days. Rats! We were planning on visiting Dad tomorrow but if we are still snuffling that may be on hold - we shall see. 

 

Today I undertook chemical warfare on the weeds in our paths and driveway that just love the gaps in between paviours. The jungle juice needs six hours after application without being rained on so Sod's law decreed that the window cleaner arrived just as I finished. He was sent away and asked to return next week. Then the new kitchen water heater went pffft and became a kitchen cold water tap again. Double rats!

 

Fortunately, amid all this the latest MRJ landed on the doormat (well, figuratively speaking as we have a post box but you get the drift) so I spent a happy couple of hours this evening delving into its pages and, mindful of the sage advice from our Charente correspondent, accompanied that with a glass of Tamnavulin. I think I detect drifting on the breeze a renewed stirring of the modelling mojo as a result. Only time will tell.

 

As Ken Dodd used to put it, tatty-bye folks.

 

Dave

[Florence Locomotive Works]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

Today I undertook chemical warfare on the weeds

At least it wasn’t the other way round.

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

 ...snip... Today I undertook chemical warfare on the weeds in our paths and driveway that just love the gaps in between paviours.  ...snip...

Dave

I have this powerful herbicide called TEBUTHIURON 20 P (another trade name is/was SPIKE) that is so powerful that it not only kills the weeds but they slowly dissolve leaving a great imitation of moonscape. A friend that used to work for a railroad (they used it to keep the ROW clear) turned me on to it. Note that I wear plastic gloves when spreading it.

 

For the joints in the paving, I used salt; works like champ and is far less harmful to the environment that any herbicide.

[Winslow Boy]

6 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

I have this powerful herbicide called TEBUTHIURON 20 P (another trade name is/was SPIKE) that is so powerful that it not only kills the weeds but they slowly dissolve leaving a great imitation of moonscape. A friend that used to work for a railroad (they used it to keep the ROW clear) turned me on to it. Note that I wear plastic gloves when spreading it.

 

For the joints in the paving, I used salt; works like champ and is far less harmful to the environment that any herbicide.

 

I have heard of this, 'Spike' and I think it is  one that is banned or certainly restricted due to its hazardous nature. A lot of Weedkiller's that are available in the US and in the rest of the world for that matter are banned here in the UK and on the continent. In fact prior to leaving the EU there was a campaign to get glyphosate banned as well. It only managed to survive due to a fair bit of lobbying by 'interested parties'. Even then a lot of the big manufacturers decided to go over to more natural products such as vinegar. As with anything the more people who use something, the more the chance that it will be used inappropriately.

[PhilJ W]

6 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

For the joints in the paving, I used salt; works like champ and is far less harmful to the environment that any herbicide.

I've used rock salt to get rid of Japanese knotweed. I'd cut it down to about six inches and poured the rock salt into the hollow stems. I burnt the stems I cut making sure that it all was burnt. It didn't come back and I left the ground untouched for a year, some weeds did spring up but were quickly removed and the following year I could plant some shrubs without any problems. 

[Happy Hippo]

Everything has now been cleared away, cleaned or tidied up as appropriate after the departure of the little ones.

 

WhatsApp tells us they are already planning a return trip!

 

Last night saw the inauguration of the temporary fire pit (more of a fire drum).  I would suggest that the many holes around the drum create excellent draughting, and we were getting flames of 4-5 feet in height before it settled down.  It was nice to be able to sit in the garden with a bag of crisps and some cold cider, and just listen to the birdsong.  I will try and transfer a picture of the Horton firestorm later on.

 

Returning to the visitation of the grandchildren...

 

The skills we get from railway modelling are often applied in non railway form.  For instance, I was presented with a broken cardboard component of a 3 D  game:  In this case, it was to do with building animals.  The part was repaired using the marvellous Roket glue.  Whilst it was still tacky, a small piece of paper was applied over the repair on both sides of the part to create a reinforcing lamination.  When it was dry, it was coloured using an approximation of the original colour with a felt pen.

 

The second repair was a metal hair band complete with a pair of stylised (bejewelled) cats ears attached.  This sort of jewellery is very much in vogue for young  ladies and in this case the ears were detaching.  On closer examination  it was clear that the original construction was not particularly robust: some of the fixing points had broken and it was obvious that the others were not far behind.  Repair and reinforcing was carried out  using the resistance soldering iron and some solder paint.  The ability of the RSU to deliver a great dollop of heat to a small space proving invaluable.  I would go so far as to say that if it were not for the RSU the repair (for me) would have been impossible.

 

But it is down to our hobby that I was able to fix those things for the grandchildren.  Without those skills picked up over the years, I would not have had a clue how to carry out the repairs, and in the case of the headband, would not have had the equipment to hand.

 

Now I need to get on and find an excuse to try out the new routing jig.

 

I tried the Japanese saws yesterday on some scrap mahogany (a leg from a dismantled garden bench) and they are fantastic. 

 

I've put them away, out of sight!

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

Everything has now been cleared away, cleaned or tidied up as appropriate after the departure of the little ones.

 

WhatsApp tells us they are already planning a return trip!

 

Last night saw the inauguration of the temporary fire pit (more of a fire drum).  I would suggest that the many holes around the drum create excellent draughting, and we were getting flames of 4-5 feet in height before it settled down.  It was nice to be able to sit in the garden with a bag of crisps and some cold cider, and just listen to the birdsong.  I will try and transfer a picture of the Horton firestorm later on.

 

Returning to the visitation of the grandchildren...

 

The skills we get from railway modelling are often applied in non railway form.  For instance, I was presented with a broken cardboard component of a 3 D  game:  In this case, it was to do with building animals.  The part was repaired using the marvellous Roket glue.  Whilst it was still tacky, a small piece of paper was applied over the repair on both sides of the part to create a reinforcing lamination.  When it was dry, it was coloured using an approximation of the original colour with a felt pen.

 

The second repair was a metal hair band complete with a pair of stylised (bejewelled) cats ears attached.  This sort of jewellery is very much in vogue for young  ladies and in this case the ears were detaching.  On closer examination  it was clear that the original construction was not particularly robust: some of the fixing points had broken and it was obvious that the others were not far behind.  Repair and reinforcing was carried out  using the resistance soldering iron and some solder paint.  The ability of the RSU to deliver a great dollop of heat to a small space proving invaluable.  I would go so far as to say that if it were not for the RSU the repair (for me) would have been impossible.

 

But it is down to our hobby that I was able to fix those things for the grandchildren.  Without those skills picked up over the years, I would not have had a clue how to carry out the repairs, and in the case of the headband, would not have had the equipment to hand.

 

Now I need to get on and find an excuse to try out the new routing jig.

 

I tried the Japanese saws yesterday on some scrap mahogany (a leg from a dismantled garden bench) and they are fantastic. 

 

I've put them away, out of sight!

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

I see that HH is showing signs of ageing, I.e., repeating himself. I hope he doesn't forget how to get out of the Muddy Hollow or, heaven forbid, consume cake!

 

Today we feel well enough to visit Dad so we've just done Covid tests and are both clear. Hooray! After visiting we may go for a walk by the river in Shrewsbury, it being a nice day and all.

 

Tatty bye people.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

Wot's cake?

 

[Dave Hunt]

17 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Wot's cake?

 

 

Ah, more for the rest of us then (unless PB scoffs the lot).

 

Dave

[Stubby47]

We are currently in Hampshire,  visiting No.2 son.  The 4 1/2 hours journey took 8 hours.

So far I have bought 1 incorrect phone charger cable and last week's TV mag.

 

Hovercraft trip to Ryde planned for later. Who knows what may actually happen...

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I tried the Japanese saws yesterday on some scrap mahogany (a leg from a dismantled garden bench) and they are fantastic. 

 

I've put them away, out of sight!

 

 

 

May Bear enquire as to which ones you have?  I've pondered, but have yet to splash the cash....

 

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Ah, more for the rest of us then (unless PB scoffs the lot).

 

Dave

 

As if Bear would do that to his buddies.....

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

We are currently in Hampshire,  visiting No.2 son.  The 4 1/2 hours journey took 8 hours.

So far I have bought 1 incorrect phone charger cable and last week's TV mag.

 

Hovercraft trip to Ryde planned for later. Who knows what may actually happen...

RIB to Calais?

[Happy Hippo]

Pictures as promised

 

Fire bombing Horton. What a good draught will do! 

[Happy Hippo]

For PB:

 

I got these from Rutlands via my daughter. I put the 300 mm rule in for a size comparison. 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Happy Hippo