Guius

I've just eaten a well done salty beacon sandwich for my lunch, sat by an open fire of beach harvested wood. The health benefits accrued from the exercise and effort in beachcombing (sounds more acceptable than wrecking) and cutting the wood, I would hazard a guess, is more beneficial in long term health and wellbeing than switching on an electric/gas cooker/heating. Only time will tell! Guy

Plus they are heavily impregnated with creosote so pong a bit let alone what dodgy fumes might come off. I also don't burn stuff like MDF/Plywood/Wayrock for the same reason. Wood that's been in the sea a while burns well but with a slight blue tinge, salt perhaps. Guy

I've burned wood on stoves and open fires all my life, most of my wood comes from 'wrecking' along the beach supplemented now a days by pallets and the like from skips. The only caveat being - don't burn paint or treated timber or any of the poison woods like Yew, Greenheart. The remaining ash goes into the compost heap as potash. Ironically, by the time I've cut an evenings quota of wood I'm warm enough! Then, of course, the lean-to pile of 'that's too good to burn' timber grows ever larger. Guy I don't actually entices ships on to rocks with swinging lanterns at night btw

Sorry, my mistake. I thought the topic read " Cabbage Bagging " Guy

I prefer a traditional hessian bag as opposed to a modern plastic variety especially for Savoys and Rotkohl Feld, but I am a traditionalist. And it is all down to personal choice I suppose, but I must say that I wouldn't have guessed so many people would be interested in this topic, still, it takes all sorts. Guy

My point exactly, for instance I like to grow veg, nothing fancy you understand just the usual fare. If, however I was to calculate and compare the cost of my own 7lbs of organically grown Charlotte second early potatoes against Tesco's offering I wouldn't bother on grounds of cost alone. Guy

I can appreciate you wanting to know an approximation of the cost of your modelling projects but ... We can manipulate any costing, subconsciously or not, to give a 'true cost' (one we find acceptable or confirming) of what we are doing to justify the operation surely. A for instance might be, do you include a portion of your domestic running costs such as electricity/gas or depreciation of tools and equipment in the finale total? On the plus side of the coin, do you subtract the cost of an evenings average entertainment from the finale bill? My point being, are you getting a portion of your pleasure from cost engineering your models? After all a similar exercise was done in Swindon etc. Guy

So are you keeping a account of your labour plus materials in order to come to a resale value for your Bay loco project Johnster? Guy

Why do you never see anyone changing the bulbs in cats eyes on the highways? and Is it safe to drink out of damp glasses? Answers, on a postcard please to the How! team, Southern Television, Marked 'FAO Fred Dinenage' Guy

Hello Michael, I have a GW heavy duty rivet embossing tool and true enough you could quiet easily get away by buying the smaller version for 7mm work. The only caveat being the larger tool has a bigger throat. By this I mean a larger area to rotate and manipulate your work piece without the frame of the tool getting in your way. A pleasure to use BTW, and wouldn't be without mine now. (No connection with the owner of G W Models) F Y O. G W Watts Tel No. 01903 767231 Guy

Whilst on the subject of Derek Foster and his 4f at Southport, does anyone recall a documentary (mid '70's possibly) about a young chap and his wife who bought a GWR 45xx ? The programme followed its transportation from Barry to Southport and showed Derek off loading the 45xx in the yard with a brake van and 47298. I seem to remember Johnny Morris dulcet toned voice narrating. Guy

As John Maynard Keynes had it "In the long run we are all dead" and, I think this can be distilled into a apt railway modelling philosophy as "Make/take your enjoyment of model railways how and where you can because the clock is ticking" Without being maudlin, Guy

My recipe for a gratifying/productive modelling session is to have a (cunning or not) plan. I quickly decide what I want to achieve in the period (may be minutes, might be days) I have free, a little preparation such as getting materials/tools together before hand all ways avoids wasted time and saves frustration at this point, also I've found it's best not to 'go at it like a bull at a gate' taking plenty of breaks in which to evaluate the job in hand and amend the plan if necessary. BTW I apply the same philosophy to the day job and it seems to work for me. Guy

Because of the ad hoc nature of individual councils, who for the most part are forced to make their own arrangements with specific waste management firms, no coherent recycling procedure can be followed by individuals/ families, most of whom are happy to separate their waste into streams. I, for instance would like to recycle the soft plastic wrapping from haylage bails, in my case 3-4 bails worth per week but the council cleansing department cannot collect such small quantities or even suggest where I could take them. As a result, they go in the bin thence to land fill. At the moment, under the 'land fill tax' based system councils are not incentivized to have all encompassing recycling regime, with the outcome that the public loose interest and faith in recycling. IMHO. Guy.

I would recommend a corded circular saw for a few reasons, a battery has a limited number of charging cycles (even the most modern Lithium ion type) after which you are faced with the cost of a replacement. (work out the cost per cut here) An occasional/ DIY user is not subject to the same conditions/restrictions that you would come up against on a site, (this is where battery powered tools have a great advantage and best application) often 110v mains supply is hard to find - not so at home (230v here of course), also working in wet/high/confined areas make a battery tool invaluable, condition less likely to be encountered in a domestic setting. A 12v/18v/24v battery powered circular saw is at a distinguishable disadvantage, in my experience,over the constant speed/torque ratio characteristics associated with a mains corded tool. Guy

A lot depends on how much work you intend to do with your saw, if you only use it occasionally for DIY/modelling jobs then the Titan will represent very good value for money. On the other hand if you intend to use it daily/weekly as part of a project or professionally then I would recommend a 'Makita'/'Bosch'/'De Walt' (life of a mains tool out bids the convenience of battery in my book any day). As mentioned a good TCT blade makes short work of anything you may pass under it. Best of luck. Guy

I had a similar problem as you Pete, the estimate for re routing the main gas pipe got in to four figures and six month wait. Again, as with your pipe mine was only 2" below yard concrete (not 18" as required). Whilst building my conservatory I accidently nicked the pipe (not enough to cause a leak thankfully) with an angle grinder whilst cutting a roofing slate in the yard, after a 'phone call the gas fitters where round in 20 mins to replace the pipe and reconnect the old meter in new location, Now, of course, I wouldn't recommend this as a stratagem, if any one was foolish enough to be thinking of "staging" a similar accident but, by the dint of a main gas pipe installed at a very shallow and unexpected depth and my slate trimming activities, I was very thankful not to be injured and have my main gas pipe problem solved inadvertently. Guy

Quackery or not, I find arnica helps with the pain associated with the cramped and knotted tendons brought on by Dupuytren's Contracture, allowing me to function in my work (manual). The only thing the medical profession can suggest is finger amputation, so really 'no contest'. Guy

One tip I found to be invaluable (after I was 21), " All ways cut towards the apprentice" Guy

Here in the far North West of England (land of becks, tarns and lakes let alone the highest annual rain fall in England) we have just been warned that if we don't reduce our water usage a hose pipe ban will be invoked as early as next week. Its only been sunny for a week and United Utilities are running short? It doesn't bode well for the dryer areas of the county. We'll all have to drink beer instead, I hear you say, but there's a problem there as well - no CO2 Guy

Yep, watching 22 millionaires running about and occasionally throwing themselves to the ground in a fit of pique (though not violently enough to displace their expensive coiffure) or, stood beside a railway locomotive - no competition in my mind Keith. Guy

I knew someone once, obviously not me, who kept getting false and spurious signals from his newly acquired metal detector. It was only sometime later did he realise the steel toe caps of his boots may have had something to do with it. Guy

I too would recommend joining the Gauge O Guild. It has lots of benefits as well as serving to broaden your 7mm horizons, best of luck. Guy

I couldn't even jog my memory these days! Guy

Looking at the pewter plate, I can't offer a suggestion as to it's use but it all I can say is, it would be a very skilled metal worker who would could both cut a metal type (punch) for the PLATFORM TICKET legend and then repousse the 'sausage' motife for no particular reason other than fancy. So I think the plate was probably produced by or for the GWR. The lead weight however must have been used for internal or departmental (T.O. - Traffic Office?) use and not come under the 'Weights and Measures' regulations as such it would require regular testing and would bare proof house marks and a royal cipher (G.R VI etc. as on the pewter plate) I wonder what's under the 6d? Good Luck figuring it all out! Guy