The Night Mail

[SM42]

37 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Some years ago I built a shallow cupboard in our downstairs cloakroom:  It was really to hide a rather ugly collection of pipes, but was also useful storage for a pair of drying racks, the ironing board and was fitted with a shelf.  This creates space for the box of containing spare lightbulbs, the battery collection and the steam iron.

 

Last night as I was putting the new ironing board to bed in the cupboard, I found that the new board has legs which are about 250 mm longer, and thus will not under the shelf.

 

Don't even try to guess what I will be doing this today 🤣.

 

Shortening the legs on the ironing board?

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

17 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Shortening the legs on the ironing board?

 

Andy

It did cross my mind, but it's quicker to drill 4 new holes, plug them and shift the existing brackets up the wall.

 

Since the weather is rather miserable outside at present it does save me having to work in the garden.

[Hroth]

59 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Some years ago I built a shallow cupboard in our downstairs cloakroom:  It was really to hide a rather ugly collection of pipes, but was also useful storage for a pair of drying racks, the ironing board and was fitted with a shelf.  This creates space for the box of containing spare lightbulbs, the battery collection and the steam iron.

 

Last night as I was putting the new ironing board to bed in the cupboard, I found that the new board has legs which are about 250 mm longer, and thus will not under the shelf.

 

Don't even try to guess what I will be doing this today 🤣.

 

Your mistake was not to make the shelf supports adjustable.

 

If you had used a slotted shelving system you could have just moved the brackets up several notches until the blasted legs fit.  I know its too late now, but...

 

OTOH a hacksaw should solve the problem in a more expeditious manner, and the feet on the end of the legs should hide the evidence of tampering!

 

Edited January 29 by Hroth
spelin, mistype, whatever...

[SM42]

11 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

It did cross my mind, but it's quicker to drill 4 new holes, plug them and shift the existing brackets up the wall.

 

Since the weather is rather miserable outside at present it does save me having to work in the garden.

 

Then the iron, batteries and bulb box won't fit. 

 

Before you know it a whole new cupboard will be under construction. 

 

Or you'll be fitting more lights to use the stock up, leaving room for the iron 

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

11 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Then the iron, batteries and bulb box won't fit. 

 

Before you know it a whole new cupboard will be under construction. 

 

Or you'll be fitting more lights to use the stock up, leaving room for the iron 

 

Andy

How tall do you think the folded ironing board is?

 

23 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Your mistake was not to make the shelf supports adjustable.

 

If you had used a slotted shelving system you could have just moved the brackets up several notches until the blasted legs fit.  I know its too late now, but...

 

OTOH a hacksaw should solve the problem in a more expeditious manner, and the feet on the end of the legs should hide the evidence of tampering!

 

The racking system is a very expensive way of mounting a single shelf that has been in place for about 15 years

 

Hacksaw? That is sooooo yesterday. The angle grinder with a metal cutting disc is much quicker.

 

But, by the time I've  dismounted the grinder from it's stand, changed the cutting disc, and cleaned up the cut ends with  some emery paper then refitted the rubber feet on the ironing board, it is quicker to drill the  new holes.

 

Then I have to replace the angle grinder into it's stand, and spend a further quarter of an hour fine tuning it so that it both cuts vertically and is perpendicular to the cross plate.

 

In fact a much better idea would be to buy a second angle grinder.

 

Meanwhile, the shelf is not getting moved....

[Compound2632]

On 27/01/2024 at 20:17, Dave Hunt said:

This morning I went shopping and then made eight jars of marmalade 

 

So where did you get your Seville oranges? Bit of a crisis here with marmalade famine in prospect...

[Winslow Boy]

7 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

How tall do you think the folded ironing board is?

 

The racking system is a very expensive way of mounting a single shelf that has been in place for about 15 years

 

Hacksaw? That is sooooo yesterday. The angle grinder with a metal cutting disc is much quicker.

 

But, by the time I've  dismounted the grinder from it's stand, changed the cutting disc, and cleaned up the cut ends with  some emery paper then refitted the rubber feet on the ironing board, it is quicker to drill the  new holes.

 

Then I have to replace the angle grinder into it's stand, and spend a further quarter of an hour fine tuning it so that it both cuts vertically and is perpendicular to the cross plate.

 

In fact a much better idea would be to buy a second angle grinder.

 

Meanwhile, the shelf is not getting moved....

Or of course you could move house.

 

Or even better demolish the current house and build a new one around the shape and height of the ironing board.

 

Simplez really.

[Oldddudders]

8 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Or of course you could move house.

 

Or even better demolish the current house and build a new one around the shape and height of the ironing board.

 

Simplez really.

I so enjoy others’ lateral thinking. Impressive! 

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

Don't even try to guess what I will be doing this today 🤣.

Is it shortening the ironing board legs? Though I think you may be doing what I had to do when the new freezer was delivered one day after ordering. It was taller than the old one so I was raising the shelf above it late at night and then painting the wall behind it as it “needed doing”. The freezer had been down for a midday delivery but we got a “good news, you are first today”. So it was fortunate it was all finished. 
Edit
Everyone else’s suggestions have just been noted after my screen refreshed!

Edited January 29 by Tony_S

[Tony_S]

25 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

So where did you get your Seville oranges? Bit of a crisis here with marmalade famine in prospect...

Ours came from Waitrose.

[SM42]

38 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

How tall do you think the folded ironing board is?

 

The racking system is a very expensive way of mounting a single shelf that has been in place for about 15 years

 

Hacksaw? That is sooooo yesterday. The angle grinder with a metal cutting disc is much quicker.

 

But, by the time I've  dismounted the grinder from it's stand, changed the cutting disc, and cleaned up the cut ends with  some emery paper then refitted the rubber feet on the ironing board, it is quicker to drill the  new holes.

 

Then I have to replace the angle grinder into it's stand, and spend a further quarter of an hour fine tuning it so that it both cuts vertically and is perpendicular to the cross plate.

 

In fact a much better idea would be to buy a second angle grinder.

 

Meanwhile, the shelf is not getting moved....

 

But you have to get the drill out, find the drill bits, the chuck key, find some plugs and then put it all away again. 

 

 

On second thoughts, rebuild the house. 

 

Start now, you could be finished by tonight 

 

Andy

PS, I think the ironing board is too tall for the space in the cupboard 

Edited January 29 by SM42

[SM42]

There are shelving issues at SM42 Towers. 

 

As you may recall I recently put up two shelves. Mrs SM42 now think three will look better. 

 

They were out of stock at the local branch of the large, mainly orange DIY shed where we bought them.

 

" Discontinued sir, but try on line"

 

SM42 promptly did that and ordered one, reduced to clear ( bonus) for click and collect. 

 

It was available to collect from 1pm last Friday, but as this morning, no e mail to confirm arrival  

 

As I was passing this morning, I called in on the off chance. 

 

" it's showing as arrived, but we don't have it sir."

 

Some calls later

 

" It's out of stock"

 

They couldn't explain how I was able to order and pay for something that didn't physically exist. 

 

Anyway, to solve the dilemma and keep Mrs SM42 happy, I've arranged to have the display model ( yes it's still on display even though you can't buy it) for the same discounted price. 

 

Got to give them a couple of days to get it down.  

 

Fingers crossed it's OK. 

 

Failing that, she'll have to make do with two shelves. 

 

Andy

 

 

[Hroth]

41 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Or of course you could move house.

 

Or even better demolish the current house and build a new one around the shape and height of the ironing board.

 

Simplez really.

 

Funny you should say that.

 

I occasionally pass a house, detached and in its own grounds .  It went up for sale, was sold and then the builders moved in. To do some renovations, I thought.

 

But no, they removed the doors, windows, interior and roof, blasted off the render, reduced it to a mere brick shell and are currently in the process of putting it all back together again...

 

I expect an ironing board problem was at the root of all that too!

 

 

[bbishop]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

How tall do you think the folded ironing board is?

 

The racking system is a very expensive way of mounting a single shelf that has been in place for about 15 years

 

Hacksaw? That is sooooo yesterday. The angle grinder with a metal cutting disc is much quicker.

 

That's another finger gone.

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Or of course you could move house.

 

Or even better demolish the current house and build a new one around the shape and height of the ironing board.

 

Simplez really.

We did demolish a 3 bedroomed house in North Wales a few years back, and replace it with another.

 

The full demolition and  the new build worked out cheaper than the partial demolition and rebuild to bring it up to the current standards for insulation which we had originally envisaged.

 

Improving an old property attracts VAT, yet new builds are exempt!

 

23 minutes ago, Hroth said:

I occasionally pass a house, detached and in its own grounds .  It went up for sale, was sold and then the builders moved in. To do some renovations, I thought.

 

But no, they removed the doors, windows, interior and roof, blasted off the render, reduced it to a mere brick shell and are currently in the process of putting it all back together again...

 

Another bunch who are intend on doing it the expensive way🤣.

[Happy Hippo]

33 minutes ago, SM42 said:

There are shelving issues at SM42 Towers. 

 

As you may recall I recently put up two shelves. Mrs SM42 now think three will look better. 

 

They were out of stock at the local branch of the large, mainly orange DIY shed where we bought them.

 

" Discontinued sir, but try on line"

 

SM42 promptly did that and ordered one, reduced to clear ( bonus) for click and collect. 

 

It was available to collect from 1pm last Friday, but as this morning, no e mail to confirm arrival  

 

As I was passing this morning, I called in on the off chance. 

 

" it's showing as arrived, but we don't have it sir."

 

Some calls later

 

" It's out of stock"

 

They couldn't explain how I was able to order and pay for something that didn't physically exist. 

 

Anyway, to solve the dilemma and keep Mrs SM42 happy, I've arranged to have the display model ( yes it's still on display even though you can't buy it) for the same discounted price. 

 

Got to give them a couple of days to get it down.  

 

Fingers crossed it's OK. 

 

Failing that, she'll have to make do with two shelves. 

 

Andy

 

 

You should have got the shelf racks suggested earlier by my learned friend Hroth.

 

This proves he is seldom wrong!

[Hroth]

12 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

We did demolish a 3 bedroomed house in North Wales a few years back, and replace it with another.

 

The full demolition and  the new build worked out cheaper than the partial demolition and rebuild to bring it up to the current standards for insulation which we had originally envisaged.

 

Improving an old property attracts VAT, yet new builds are exempt!

 

Another bunch who are intend on doing it the expensive way🤣.

 

Perhaps reduction to a shell means it can now be classified as a "new build" and thus VAT exempt?  Rather like land owners used to remove the roof from unoccupied properties to make them exempt from rates?

[SM42]

58 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

You should have got the shelf racks suggested earlier by my learned friend Hroth.

 

This proves he is seldom wrong!

 

If only he had told Mrs SM42 and she had listened

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

Perhaps reduction to a shell means it can now be classified as a "new build" and thus VAT exempt?  Rather like land owners used to remove the roof from unoccupied properties to make them exempt from rates?

No, doesn't work like that.

 

My brother was hoping to do this with the old farm house he lives in, but was told under no uncertain terms that to be exempt VAT, it had to be new build from the foundations up.

[Compound2632]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

So where did you get your Seville oranges? Bit of a crisis here with marmalade famine in prospect...

 

Crisis averted - I had a tip-off. The nearest Sainsburys had some. But they also now have a continuous exit barrier with gates activated by a bar-code on your receipt. I object to this very strongly as interfering with my liberty as a freeborn Englishman to go in and out of their shop without making a purchase.

 

Anyway, marmalade is now in progress.

[jamie92208]

Back to the ironing board, if the legs are 10 inches lo ger is this so the Nyda can't use it as it's too high.  Is this part of a cunning plan on her part. 

 

Jamie

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

No, doesn't work like that.

 

My brother was hoping to do this with the old farm house he lives in, but was told under no uncertain terms that to be exempt VAT, it had to be new build from the foundations up.

 

Oh well, here goes...

 

BOB!  Knock it all down!!!

 

[petethemole]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

I occasionally pass a house, detached and in its own grounds .  It went up for sale, was sold and then the builders moved in. To do some renovations, I thought.

 

But no, they removed the doors, windows, interior and roof, blasted off the render, reduced it to a mere brick shell and are currently in the process of putting it all back together again...

If it was rendered, the outer walls may have been built with common rather than facing bricks, which may cause problems after a few winters, due to frost damage.

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, petethemole said:

If it was rendered, the outer walls may have been built with common rather than facing bricks, which may cause problems after a few winters, due to frost damage.

 

There are a number of largeish houses like that in the district, with a rendered coat applied for protection.  One even has a decorative "Wedgwood" inspired frieze around it, just under the eaves.

 

I wouldn't like to comment about the type of brick used, the removal process looked as it was fairly vigorous!

 

 

[petethemole]

Sandblasting the surface off facing bricks doesn't do them a power of good either.