Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, Chris116 said:

Or solve the problem altogether with the axe thru their neck!

 

3 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

Too messy!

Wouldn't through the head be a little less messy.

[BSW01]

4 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

 

Wouldn't through the head be a little less messy.

Probably be very little resistance! 

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[J. S. Bach]

An early (for me) good night owl from the Piedmont.

[JohnDMJ]

 

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

(Having the correct equipment for the dish we want is very important as it is surprising how much of an influence on the final dish your equipment can have. For example there is a big difference between a crème brûlée caramelised with a blowtorch and one that is caramelised under a salamander).

 

I understand 'blow torch', but what, prey, is a 'salamander'? In my kitchen, I have 2 ovens, a grill and 5 hobs. I don't see any lizard-like creatures therein.

[PhilJ W]

The Budgens supermarket in Holt went up in flames this evening. Not much left if the pics are anything to go by. Don't know if thats in Q's neck of the woods.

[petethemole]

Solstice greetings to all ERs.

Pete

[The Stationmaster]

Not a good day in Reading it would seem - multiple stabbings in the Forbury Gardens area and latest reports are saying three people fatally wounded and several more have received hospital treatment.  The police arrested a suspect at the scene who is reported to be Libyan national and later reports are stating it is being treated as a 'terror related' incident.  Reports say various areas around what has been reported as the site of the incident have been cordoned off by the police so the attacks might possibly have been spread over a wider area?   Not a nice evening for Reading alas.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

I didn’t log on this morning as the sun was shining and I wanted to get the outriggers guttering sorted out. So once I’d eaten my breakfast I was out and set about removing all the down pipe work and then removed the guttering. This job didn’t take me as long as I’d expected, the main reason for my early start. I then reinstalled the down pipe at the other end of the outrigger, close to, but no actually at the corner. I’ve not fitted it near the corner, as I think it would be too susceptible to getting knocked, when carrying ladders past etc. So I’ve run it in between the 2 side kitchen windows, but closer to the small one near the corner. This is when I discovered that a complete length of down pipe isn’t quite long enough to get below the window sill. I also realised earlier that I also needed a support bracket and a joining piece for the gutter. So once I’d finished fitting the length of down pipe, I took a walk to our local plumbers merchant and picked up all that I needed for few pennies over £5. Upon my return I finished installing the down pipe, which needed to run under the kitchen window, so 2 45 degree bends were fitted as well as an angled downspout straight into the drain at the corner of the outrigger. I then turned my attention to the gutters, first removing and resisted 2 of the existing support brackets and fitted the new one at the end, then refitted the guttering. I also fitted an angled downspout on the down pipe that sends the water from the main roof into the outrigger gutter. I’d just got to the bottom of the ladder when Sheila knocked on the kitchen window and called me in for dinner. 

 

After I tackled the pointing above the dining room skylight. I noticed the other day a dodgy patch in the flashing, which wasn’t really big enough, being about 6” long, to cover the gap is was supposed to be covering. This was removed this and replaced by a new, larger piece about 24” long. Once fitted, I completed the pointing, I’ll now leave this for a few days for the mortar to fully set and the I’ll trim the excess lead off, as it’s a bit too long and is currently overhanging over the glass. I’d done and was all packed up just after 3:30.

 

The evening was rounded off with a nice bottle of merlot and watching a film recorded some time ago. 

 

Happy anniversary Simon and Mrs G.

 

Goodnight all 

[Barry O]

Goodnight all

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all.

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

First a belated happy anniversary to Simon  and his better half, hope you’ve  both had as enjoyable a day as you could.
Be to the pharmacy this morning and almost fixEd a screen to the counter, bit more work to do on it tomorrow. I returned home pm to watch my football team on the internet and they won! Then a walk upto mils with a few goodies, bit of modelling and then watched a film until late. Not a bad day.

Hope everyone’s managed a good day,

Goodnight 

Robert

 

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

 

I understand 'blow torch', but what, prey, is a 'salamander'? In my kitchen, I have 2 ovens, a grill and 5 hobs. I don't see any lizard-like creatures therein.

 

We don't seem to have any salamanders either but there are usually a few blue-tailed skinks lurking around the steps up to my shed/shop. Their tails are so bright you'd think they were illuminated by LEDs. The garter snakes like to sun themselves on the steps too.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Evening all,

 

The trunk engine is rapidly nearing completion. So far no violence has erupted do to Trumpikens being present. I had leftover tacos from last night for dinner, still excellent as always. On closer inspection I think the brisket was cooked rather fast, as the moisture content seemed low for such a meat. No sauce used on these tacos, just beans and rice. Spent the majority of the day down at the shop, where the condenser was made for the engine. Unfortunately there are no proper chairs at the shop, so after an hour drilling holes in hardwood one starts to get soar, but one can’t have a rest. Unless you want to lie down on the oily concrete slab that is the floor. Proper Victorian working conditions, definitely keeps you on your toes!

Edited June 21, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

but what, prey, is a 'salamander'?

You will find animals that eat salamanders here.

 

In a restaurant kitchen, a salamander is a specialty device alike to the broiler in your oven but hotter - perhaps twice as hot. It heats from the top down and is commonly used for meats, dishes covered with toppings that are broiled before service and indeed Crème Brûlée. Most links to kitchen salamanders want to sell you one.

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[Florence Locomotive Works]

6 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

You will find animals that eat salamanders here.

 

In a restaurant kitchen, a salamander is a specialty device alike to the broiler in your oven but hotter. It heats from the top down and is commonly used for meats, dishes covered with toppings that are broiled before service and indeed Crème Brûlée. Most links to kitchen salamanders want to sell you one.

 

I believe kitchens calling it a salamander is a reference to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where the fireman’s job is to start fires instead of putting them out, funnily enough.

[Ozexpatriate]

15 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I believe kitchens calling it a salamander is a reference to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where the fireman’s job is to start fires instead of putting them out, funnily enough.

In myth, the salamander (amphibian) is associated with the element fire. In heraldry they are often depicted as fire breathing.

 

Newts (as in "she turned me into a newt") are salamanders. Interestingly (if Wikipedia is to be trusted) "eye of newt" is mustard - but the association with salamanders and fire is still present either way.

 

The traditional cooking salamander was a flat metal disc on a long wooden handle. The disc was heated and then held over food to brown it. The term is also an obsolete word for a fire poker. I suspect the word for the appliance transitioned from the old kitchen tool since they have the same purpose.

 

Bradbury borrowed the mythical usage. So did J.K. Rowling. They show up in references to "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and potions.

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Goodnight all, from Greencountry.

 

Douglas

[BR60103]

A question:  Are Britons still using money?

Most stores here no longer accept cash.  The last time I used it and got change SWMBO made me soak it in alcohol (the stuff I use on to make glue seep into scenery).

 

[TheQ]

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

The Budgens supermarket in Holt went up in flames this evening. Not much left if the pics are anything to go by. Don't know if thats in Q's neck of the woods.

It's about 30 miles away,  that Budgens was owned by Bakers and Larners it's a 250 year old family company with a very split personality.

 Budgens is the cheap end of supermarkets, but Barkers and Larners in Holt,  is a posh department store,  Barbour coats , fine wines, furniture  etc,  https://www.bakersandlarners.co.uk/ but then my local builders merchants is one of a chain of Baker and Larners across  Norfolk. 

Impressive pictures of the fire here.. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/budgens-of-holt-massive-fire-1-6710370

 

The North Norfolk Railway Station is the other end of town to the Budgens. 

 

Mooring Awl,  while typing this civil Morning Twilight has occurred,  less than an hour till dawn. 

6 hours reasonable sleep so far,  more I hope shortly.  

 

Ben the snoring Collie, decided to sleep downstairs last night,  not surprising as it was quite hot upstairs.

 

I've not heard any of the forecast rain,  so if we've had any it's not been heavy. 

 

Time to join Ben in snoring  I think.. 

[TheQ]

10 minutes ago, BR60103 said:

A question:  Are Britons still using money?

Most stores here no longer accept cash.  The last time I used it and got change SWMBO made me soak it in alcohol (the stuff I use on to make glue seep into scenery).

 

Yes and no,  for the purposes of avoiding the virus,  many shops have "temporarily" switched to card only.

However I suspect many would like to stay that way afterwards.

 

Some people get confused saying you must accept cash as its legal tender.  However the law is they don't have to sell anything to you unless you trade the way they want. 

 

One oddity is they must accept cash for a debt,  so in the case of restaurants and cafes (when they reopen)  where you eat the food before paying.  You become a debtor to the shop so then they must accept cash.. 

[iL Dottore]

4 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

I understand 'blow torch', but what, prey, is a 'salamander'? In my kitchen, I have 2 ovens, a grill and 5 hobs. I don't see any lizard-like creatures therein.

Basically, a “salamander“ in a professional kitchen is an incredibly hot grill (which can be quartz, electric or gas), think of it as your basic kitchen grill but on steroids! As my learnéd colleague will explain

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

You will find animals that eat salamanders here.

 

In a restaurant kitchen, a salamander is a specialty device alike to the broiler in your oven but hotter - perhaps twice as hot. It heats from the top down and is commonly used for meats, dishes covered with toppings that are broiled before service and indeed Crème Brûlée. Most links to kitchen salamanders want to sell you one.

The salamander is definitely a nice bit of kit to have, especially if you do a lot of dishes that require caramelisation of the surface before serving.

As I have mentioned previously I am slowly replacing my “domestic appliances“ with professional kitchen equivalents. The price of the replacements are comparable to, if not less than, the domestic items and the advantage of the professional equipment is that the professional stuff is designed to do one job,  do it well and do it over, and over, and over again, without failIng.

2 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I believe kitchens calling it a salamander is a reference to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where the fireman’s job is to start fires instead of putting them out, funnily enough.

That’s a very elegant explanation, but the term salamander for something that grills the surface of a dish under a very high heat was around long before Ray Bradbury wrote his seminal novel.

To digress a moment, it is amazing how prescient Ray Bradbury, and George Orwell for that matter, were about where humanity was/is going. Orwell, of course, is known for having created the concept of “thought crime“ and for envisaging a surveillance state where the tools of surveillance are used not only to monitor everyone but also to ensure that everyone thinks and acts the same way (Tw*tter, Farcebook anyone?).  Perhaps less well-known is Ray Bradbury’s dystopia where reading has been replaced by comic books and by the ever present telescreens that bring entertainment and government sanctioned information into everyone’s lives.  The only aspects of Bradbury‘s dystopia that have not yet been realised are the completely fireproof buildings and the state sanctioned burning of books (hence the title of Bradbury‘s novel, Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper burns.  The fire department/fire brigade having metamorphised from putting out fires to the controlled burning of banned books - which in the novel are all books)

2 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

No sauce used on these tacos, just beans and rice...

Given this diet, will you be going to gas powered boilers?
Just asking for a friend.... 

 

Enjoy Sunday!

 

iD

[AndyID]

A little agricultural engineering. The new wheels for the mower attachment were just a little too tall to fit the yokes. After a lot of mucking around I decided the best thing to do was to use the mill-drill to relocate the position of the axles.

 

 

The rusty thing is a piece of square steel tube. It's acting as a spacer so that the wheel yoke can be clamped securely to the milling table. You don't want things wobbling around when you are applying that much torque. That milling machine can produce a lot of torque.