Zero Gravitas

“A beginner's guide to dry airbrushing techniques”

What is dry airbrushing? I’ve heard of airbrushing, and of dry brushing, but never dry airbrushing... or is it a cunning scheme to pique my curiosity to the extent that I buy the magazine to find out

The insurance companies do seem to like playing God, don't they?

Let's say I do 4550 miles in the first 10 months and he has done 800. Let's assume he has a prang on the way to visit his girlfriend one night. The insurer will likely assume "fronting" and as you say, begin to inlict pain. No matter what I say or do, I'm unlikely to convince them otherwise, so I have to wonder, why do the insurance companies even allow young named drivers? The cynic in me thinks that they just want the premium and don't give a sh*t about the consequences.

If anyone's aware of some kind of black box that recognizes different drivers, do let me know, because the above scenario of 4550 miles vs. 800 is probably not far from the truth, and I genuinely don't see how you could dispute that as being "occasional".

I think you’re right. One thing - you mentioned in the OP that the car would be registered in his name. I think that would be the problem for the insurance company - why is he not the main driver if the car is registered in his name? If you registered the car in your name and you were the main driver with him as a named driver, it’s much more difficult for any insurance company to argue that he is not an occasional driver.

From the OP...

"Remember, I'll be using it more than him..."

I don't actually own a car (I have a van which is often impractical day-to-day), so it will be mine, and I'll do around 5000 miles a year. I estimate he'll do a helluva lot less than that, using it perhaps 1-2 days every fortnight.

I'll leave you to work out who the main driver truly is, so I think mention of "fraud" in the link is not quite the same situation...

It doesn’t matter who I think the main driver is - that’s why I edited my post. If something happens and the insurance company find he’s driving a car registered in his name, some distance from home and he’s only a named driver then the insurance company’s interpretation is likely to be fronting, which opens up a whole new world of insurance pain...

It all depends on your risk appetite...

The short answer is, don't and not for the reason above, unless you intend to be primary driver of the car and your son occasional - that is irregular and not that often. That doesn't seem to be the scenario. Insurers regard insuring the car for a parent as primary driver with off spring as named driver where the latter does most of the driving with some disfavour. If anything goes wrong they will investigate and there is a serious risk of having the policy voided which can be an expensive exercise.

 

The best course of action  is to look for a real "cream puff" despite the son' aspirations to 2 litre Alfa Romeos. I am afraid it is small engine Fiesta or similar, insurance for which will still be north of £1K, but is useful to build experience and move to the higher aspirations in a few years.

 

Interestingly (having been through this with two offspring now) it’s often more expensive to insure that sort of small-engined small car because that’s what most new drivers have and so the claim fate against that type of vehicle is higher. Often a larger, duller car is better for starters - daughter ended up with a 1.8 diesel focus estate that was cheaper to insure than a 1.3 petrol fiesta...

Putting yourself as a named driver definitely helps (assuming you own driving record is good :-) ), and really shop around...

One tiny problem - what you’re proposing could easily be interpreted as “fronting” and is illegal:

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/money-made-easy/why-fronting-for-your-child-could-cost-you-dear/

Probably not a good idea.

(Edited to make it clearer that the interpretation is important)

FYI - Tesco are currently selling a twin pack of Model Rail July 2018 and Ideas for Layouts Volume 3 for £4.99.

Yes. 112 so far.

However, for a bit of perspective, at my local parkrun on Saturday, one runner was celebrating his 250th parkrun - at the age of 85... I’ve still got a bit of a way to go.

Has anyone had any dealings with this company, what are they like to speak to? They don't seem to be in their offices until Monday, so any hints that might help when I ring them then would be welcome.

 

Basically the situation is that about ten days ago I went into Sainsbury's for petrol on my way into Hereford, then into town (shopping and dentist), and into Sainsbury's on the way home for a bit more shopping.

They have the camera view of me arriving for the first visit and leaving from the second over 2 hours later, and are charging for over-staying as though I had been there all the time.

Part of the problem may be that after the first visit I left via the petrol station, which is not covered by the camera that recorded the arrival (if covered at all).

 

They must at least have a view of my second arrival, are they likely to take the trouble to look for it?

Firstly, and very, very importantly: Never, ever, ever phone a private parking company. Ever.

What has happened to you is, in spite of their claims that their ANPR equipment is infallible, so common that it has its own name - it’s called a “double dip”.

The best advice now is go to the parking tickets forum on the moneysavingexpert website:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

There’s a “newbies” thread that explains what you should do. One of the main reasons for not phoning the parking company is that if you do they will try and get you to admit you were driving, which will remove one of your most important protections in law. This is all explained in the linked forum.

It’s important to be aware that you are dealing with an unregulated and unscrupulous industry that cares not a jot for reasonable behaviour and is only interested to parting you from your money using what amounts to a scam.

Hello

 

Just a last point on parking, it does get busy at the stadium, and the carpark will fill up quickly, when this has you will be directed by our stewards to park in the overflow carpark in the hospital, and not before.   

When you arrive at the overflow carpark you will be given a ticket to display.

 

We a have limited number of stewards so please be patient with them as they will endeavour to find you a space as quickly as they can.

 

If unsure please double check where you are parking, as you don't want to end up with a ticket!

 

Thanks

SEEYA

ANT

An FYI on parking... the private parking contractor at the hospital is a company called UKPC. UKPC are currently banned by the DVLA from access to their database, meaning that at the moment UKPC cannot find out to who owns a vehicle and whom they might attempt to hold liable for any tickets that UKPC have issued.

It is not known why UKPC have been banned, but they have been banned before. The last time it was because they had been caught falsifying the time stamps on photos of cars to make it appear as though they had been parked for longer than they actually had in order to issue tickets.

So, if you have received a ticket on your car from UKPC this weekend the advice is to ignore it and make no contact with UKPC whatsoever. They can can only find out who you are if you tell them.

HTH.

FYI - subs copy arrived this morning.

And for the record: Mrs. Trellis - I salute you. Your Tiny Ruston* is exquisite modelling and is truly a thing of beauty. It’s not my gauge or my time period, but it’s absolutely the sort of thing for which I get MRJ.

* for any ISIHAC fans - this is not a euphemism...

Yes - what's happening to subscription deliveries lately?

 

I signed up for a subscription in the days when WHS were up to a week behing subscriptions; it seems to be the other way round now.

 

Makes you think ............ !

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

There was quite a long discussion about subscription in the MRJ 262 thread - my post #19 explained what I think is happening. I’m not technically competent enough to link to that post, so here’s the text cut and pasted:

“I’m pretty sure that Cygnet can defend themselves and I’m also pretty sure that this has been explained before, although I can’t immediately find the relevant post. So...

If you’re a “big” publication, then your printer tends to handle your distribution as well. So they print the mag, bag up and post the subscription copies and send the rest out to the newsagent through the usual channels, hence subs copies tend to arrive before the shop copies. However, if you’re a “small” publication (and in the overall scheme of publishing things, MRJ is pretty small) the magazine is printed, newsagent copies are distributed and the subs copies are sent back to the publisher, who then bags up and posts; hence the subs copies tend to arrive after the shop copies.

I subscribe to MRJ to make sure I always get a copy, not because I want to get it more quickly. And to paraphrase something I’ve posted before, a world in which I receive my copy of MRJ after it is on sale in WHS Ealing is still infinitely preferable to one where there is no MRJ at all.”

The latest issue, complete with full page Railex advert arrived here in Cheshire at lunchtime.

 

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Geoff

I see Mrs. Trellis has been promoted from the letters page...

Brilliant - Adam, thank you very much indeed!

That Prestwin is a thing of beauty - but you tease with the brake linkages... any chance of a photo of the underside to see your interpretation, please :-)

I attend this show every year, and am sure I will be there again next month as it is without fail a show of the utmost quality with the best selection of trade pretty much anywhere but Warley.

 

From my perspective just one slight disappointment looking at the attending layouts - lots of 4mil but just one 2mm layout and no N at all?

 

Roy

I’d actually say that for me, it’s the best trade including Warley. And given the choice of attending Railex or Warley, Railex would win every time.

And I find that I don’t think of shows in terms of scale representation. For me, the question is whether there is modelling that I will admire, and which will excite and inspire me. And that’s got nothing to do with scale.

 

Missing from the Airfix moulding is an access panel which was present on both sides which I've added in 5 thou' together with vac' pipes and so on. I ought to think about brake levers...

Adam, I’m slightly ashamed to say I’ve had a part-completed Prestwin in a box for literally 25 years because I can’t work how how the brake gear actually all fits together... if you’ve got any clues, I’d be very grateful and might even celebrate by finishing the thing...

Splendid! With a bit of luck, it'll be waiting for me when I get back from Shanghai tomorrow night (Virgin Atlantic willing).

I'm particularly excited to see a new Martyn Welch article - I'm presuming it's about unpainted wood (a particular interest of mine, sadly).

I cannot recall the last Hornby product that I bought either.

Pecketts. Oh God. So many Pecketts..

First report of one in the wild, my dealer tells me his have arrived.

Why can I now not get the Velvet Underground "I'm Waiting for the Man" out of my head?  We all just need that next fix of MRJ...

I really don't know why there is so much angst about MRJ publication dates. The solution is to subscribe to the electronic version.

 

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Download from:

http://www.loafproil.com

 

Mark

Well, there are April Fools that bend plausibility just enough to be believed; and then there are those that fundamentally trash all of the laws of the known universe...

So it's the usual s*d the subscribers, let them wait in the queue attitude, then.

I’m pretty sure that Cygnet can defend themselves and I’m also pretty sure that this has been explained before, although I can’t immediately find the relevant post. So...

If you’re a “big” publication, then your printer tends to handle your distribution as well. So they print the mag, bag up and post the subscription copies and send the rest out to the newsagent through the usual channels, hence subs copies tend to arrive before the shop copies. However, if you’re a “small” publication (and in the overall scheme of publishing things, MRJ is pretty small) the magazine is printed, newsagent copies are distributed and the subs copies are sent back to the publisher, who then bags up and posts; hence the subs copies tend to arrive after the shop copies.

I subscribe to MRJ to make sure I always get a copy, not because I want to get it more quickly. And to paraphrase something I’ve posted before, a world in which I receive my copy of MRJ after it is on sale in WHS Ealing is still infinitely preferable to one where there is no MRJ at all.

And there was I expecting a picture of lots of bits of wood, and wondering what made them specifically GWR...

Is cheque book modelling still a thing, or is it bank-transfer modelling these days? I haven't seen my cheque book in ages!

 

Except, of course, when you need to renew your MRJ subscription...

Just back from a winter in Spain to find this latest MRJ in my letterbox.  I have to say this is by far the poorest issue I have seen for some time - and there have been a fair number of pretty poor ones in recent times.  Time to get a permanent editor, methinks.

Sometimes I hate myself for biting... but where’s the “disagree” button when you really need it?

Whilst I have no desire to be unnecessarily critical - and being mindful of the fact that I have been accused of bringing MRJ threads into disrepute on more than one occasion, I don’t feel I can let this pass without comment.

Rather than just say that it’s “poor”, could you be ever so slightly more specific about what led to this conclusion? Is it that the contents do not reflect your particular interests; or perhaps that the contents did reflect your interests, but not in a way that you found helpful, or informative, or inspiring. And if not, what would you like to see?

And how would having a permanent editor improve this situation, do you think? What would be different and how would that deal with the apparently ongoing “poorness” issue?

There’s already been one instance this week of a small supplier withdrawing a product range because of negative comments posted on RMWeb; and whilst I don’t think Cygnet will take their ball home about this, I do think we have some responsibility to be at the very least constructively critical, rather than just appearing to have a moan.

Perhaps it’s just because I’m a bit grumpy because I’m off with man flu at the moment, but a world in which there is an issue of MRJ that is not as fantastic as I might like it to be is still infinitely preferably to one where there is no MRJ at all.

Yours - quite literally - snottily,

Z.G.

I’ve got the Proxxon FBS240E and I’ve been very pleased with it. I also have the Micromot drill stand, and have had no problems will small drills at any speed.

Hope that helps.