RMweb Gold PhilH Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2010 Morning all, bright but cold here. I feel a bit lazy this morning as I'm having a period of insomnia. I think it might be that my brain is in overdrive working everything out for Bodge City - who said that railway modelling is relaxing? Still, daughter and grandson are visiting for lunch which will be good. SiL is in Wales paragliding and mountain biking for a week, apparently this forms part of Army helicopter pilot training(!) I think I have a trackplan though which should present some complex switching puzzles, especially as eventually I'm going to run it on a waybill system whereby every piece of rolling stock has to go to a specific industry or place on the layout, it's not just randomly in a train. Should be fun (I hope). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2010 Just don't turn a nice old guitar pristine, OK? It can ruin the value, particularly of old Fenders, Gibsons and other classic American guitars. I'm sure you know this already, though, but. Best, Pete. Don't worry Pete - only polish is used, plus Fast Fret and new strings. As it happens, I've done a partial restoration on a vintage Hofner, which used to belong to a very distinguished musician of the 1950s to 1970s. I did not try to get rid of the scratches, or the wear to the top of the neck, and instead made sure that the work was in making the instrument more playable without affecting the original finish. I removed the non standard pickup, and pickguard, reshaped the base of the bridge saddle, and had it professionally refretted. It now takes pride of place among the guitars chez 45156 beside the Taylor and the Ovation. If you're interested, it can be viewed on the vintage Hofner website here http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/gallery/archtops3/arch18.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 I saw a preview in Oxford of what was going to be Windows. I was very enthusiastic . I was told I didn't know what I was talking about and that it wouldn't last. CP/M VERS 2.2 COPYRIGHT © 1979, DIGITAL RESEARCH A>_ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2010 CP/M VERS 2.2 COPYRIGHT © 1979, DIGITAL RESEARCH A>_ format c: /u Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2010 do'h... .... I mean dir: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2010 I worked for a Pension Consultacy which had a number of PCs on board, mainly 286 and 386 technology (so modern - not) and which could only be used in MS-DOS which, to say the least, made them a little restricted in their use. That organisation also used a design consultancy just up the road, which used Apple Mac machines, running their various graphic programmes using the point and click system. I had to use their machines quite often while working on various projects, and the whole thing was so intuitive and easy to use that I would actually go there in my lunch hour for a play. We had an actuary on the staff who was very pro DOS and who was convinced that the mouse/point and click was a novelty and had no place at all in computing, as it was "just a toy". I wonder what he thinks now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2010 I was told that colour screens were a gimmick and no-one in a real office would put up with computers with fans in the power supply. I was once told to leave and never return after crashing the CD ROM demo on an Apple stand at a conference. The present day Apple sales people are much nicer! In the late 80s I got sent on a one week residential design and technology course with all the former metal/woodwork teachers. One day we had to design a future portable phone handset and then hack some polystyrene foam into a mockup. I made something similar to a modern slider style handset. Again I was told I was ridiculous predicting (actually I'd read it in New Scientist) that batteries would be really small in future. I know cost and H&S anxieties do limit what can be done in school technology now but frankly the only part of Matthew's technology education where they did anything meaningful was food technology. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2010 batteries would be really small in future. I know cost and H&S anxieties do limit what can be done in school technology now but frankly the only part of Matthew's technology education where they did anything meaningful was food technology. Tony Oh yes, mobile phones with lead acid accumulators supported from the user's shoulder by a heavy duty strap - AND had a battery life of at least two hours. Schools are certainly not as interesting nowadays - I wonder whether the woodwork department as I knew it would exist nowadays, with a cupboard full of fiercely sharp chisels, a huge electric bandsaw with minimal guarding, and a large circular bench saw. As for science, many very hazardous materials were stored in an unlocked cupboard - metallic sodium, metallic magnesium, phosphorus, mercury, and a wide range of concentrated acids, suplhuric, hydrochloric, nitric, acetic, as well as ammonia and sodium hydroxide - then there were sodium nitrate, sulphur, and charcoal (what do they make when mixed, I wonder) enough to send todays H&S pedants into a fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2010 ...... literally. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 I remember the first "mobile" telephone that I saw as a kid. My Dad had brought it home from work. It was about the size of a pilots case, had a full sized dial and receiver mounted on the top, and a long retractable antenna. It definitely fell more into the category of "luggable" than "mobile". I suppose the CDT departments of modern schools must be a shadow of their former selves. I remember annealing using nitric acid and all sorts of exciting things. We were also the last year that were allowed to dissect rats in biology. Rather a shame really. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2010 I stopped teaching science in 1984 and the genuinely dangerous stuff was demo only by then. When I started teaching in 1974 all the labs had first aid boxes with enough stuff in them to handle anything short of surgery. By the time I'd finished all the first aid box contained was a list of telephone numbers. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 "Don't worry Pete - only polish is used" What happens if the instructions are in English? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2010 "Don't worry Pete - only polish is used" What happens if the instructions are in English? Left myself wide open for that one . However, just to update, strings arrived in the post (thanks Amaz*n) the guitar has been polished, neck and frets lubricated, bridge adjusted, and restrung - now looks like a milion dollars - or as close to a million dollars as a 53 year old guitar which was used for some years in orchestra work can look (as I do not believe in over-restoration of any old stuff - musical, model, or antiques). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Did it belong to either Ivor or Bert? And that reminds me of yet another Eric Clapton story: Eric and George Harrison were up North together and coming back they decided to stop at The Blue Boar (shows you how long ago this was) for old time's sake. George is in front of Eric in the queue and when they get to the check out he tells the lady that he'll pay for his and Eric's food. "I know who you are" the old girl said, "you're that Beatle, George!" yes, he acknowledged. "But who's he then?" she asked him, looking at Eric. George turned to look at Eric and drew himself up to his full height and said: "This, madam, is the greatest living guitarist in the whole wide World" - pause for effect - "Mr. Bert Weedon"................. Best, Pete. PS The best guitar polish I've come across is called "Focus" made under the aegis of Mr. Bill Chapin, luthier extraordinare of Chapin Guitars, Portland. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Nice one Pete. Reminds me of a possibly apocryphal tale concerning Charlie Watts - the sensible Stone. One night, Charlie was wakened from his sleep in his hotel room by Mick wanting to know where his drummer was (at daft o'clock he at least picked the most likely first port of call). Charlie's reply was, allegedly; "I'm not your drummer, you're my f***ing singer!" Dave. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2010 I hope that schools still have resistant materials workshops because before long I could be heading back into teaching real pupils. Having taught virtual pupils GCSE ICT I would much rather be back in a workshop. The last time I had a summer term in a workshop I started building a 3 1/2 inch gauge Black five, that was BC before children of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2010 I hope that schools still have resistant materials workshops because before long I could be heading back into teaching real pupils. Having taught virtual pupils GCSE ICT I would much rather be back in a workshop. The last time I had a summer term in a workshop I started building a 3 1/2 inch gauge Black five, that was BC before children of course. Back in the early 90s when I was working with technology teachers the "resistant materials" teachers seemed to be restricted to plastics. Nothing that Matthew was exposed to in resistant materials technology lessons from about 2003 was skills based. They spent so much time planning and reviewing their designs (admirable parts of the process but..) never made anything. At GCSE, Matthew's technology option subject was economics. Although I was really bad at woodwork and engineering workshop (it wasn't called metalwork at my school) I do know how do carry out tasks with appropriate tools and materials. I know enough also to know how bad my efforts are. Though from my recent efforts at sorting out Matthew's email remotely I'm not sure I could even go back to supporting or teaching IT! Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Trying to stay awake here to see a miner rescued. Hope it all goes well. They seem a bit laid back about it all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted October 12, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2010 I think for Chile that is somewhere between very concerned and quite frenzied. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted October 13, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 13, 2010 Morning all... Must be chilly outside as the thermometer says 3° only. Coffee has been brewed and I hope I'll be more awake soon... Have a good day all... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonBradley Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Good morning all. Still here. Problem not yet resolved. Dd, Did you manage to stay awake? I was up in time to see the first one out. 2nd or even third could be out by now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Morning All, It has yet to get light here - but I am in a pretty good mood this morning. However, I am going to spend most of today in a QA audit, so I am not sure if the good mood will last until the evening! Have a good day everyone... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Morning all... Fell asleep watching the football last night so was off to bed earlier than expected. Woke this morning to wonderful news about the miners and just watched the third one coming out. Totally amazed he was in such good shape and looked like he'd been on holiday..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted October 13, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 13, 2010 Yes, I, too, am very happy for the miners returning to the light of day . I cannot even begin to imagine how frightening this experience must have been for them, and I dearly hope they will get all the support they need to come to terms with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I'm amazed by the whole thing. Perhaps mostly by the courage of the rescue men going down into the hole - pretty certain to be the last out. As I write, the 4th miner is on his way up. The capsule is getting bashed about quite a bit. I understand that, if the thing gets stuck, there is an escape mechanism - oh goody - back down the hole again. I gave in and went to bed when the President said they would start in another two hours. Transfixed by the pictures of that wheel turning. Fingers crossed that it doesn't stop. Difficult to imagine the thoughts of the chap 33 on the list. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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