Early Risers.

[PupCam]

33 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

That Fokker is definitely modelling of the very highest standard and looking over the hedge  at other modelling disciplines is always a good idea. Is it a static model of a flying one? ( I do sometimes wonder about very large scale flying model aircraft when they approach the size when it would seem to make as much sense to just build an aircraft you could actually fly in) 

 

It will be a flyer, just like my 1/3 scale Sopwith Pup (should I ever get the urge to finish it!).     Real life has also got in the way of Nigel finishing the DVII too although, as can be seen, it was very close to being finished back in I think 2014 when it was lurking in the Shuttleworth Collections engineering hangar with a Hurricane.   Which also explains the very high cost of the professional 3D printing.

 

I must stop looking at those drawings of the beautiful, full-size Chilton DW1A.   I can't afford it, I haven't got the space for it and I haven't got a PPL 

 

33 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

A friend was telling me the other day about someone he knows who's built a superb large scale RC model of a Spitfire (probably not 1/3rd scale though)  The trouble is that having spent hundreds of hours building it he doesn't dare even start the engine let alone fly it. (gravity can be very unforgiving)

 

Indeed, and the financial cost of large models is very high indeed but the bin bag to put the remains in, which is a distinct possibility every time they leave the ground, but pence.    Having been involved with both railway and model flying shows/exhibitions I've always been struck by the fact that those demonstrating model aircraft do so completely at their own risk and expense (and let's face it the risk of disaster is quite high) whilst those exhibiting a layout (where the risks are actually pretty low generally), at least at the larger shows, find that the layout is covered by insurance and the owner's expenses and subsistence is generally paid for by the exhibition organisers.   Similarly I'm amused by the classic vehicle "scene" where you get an invitation to display your vehicle(s) and then you actually have to pay to enter in order to provide the organisers with the exhibits for their show.

 

It's a funny old world .....

 

33 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

As to what constitutes the appropriate techniques for modelling, the measure must surely be, was it enjoyable and did you get a sense of personal achievement from building it? 

 

Actually that could be an excellent definition.

 

Alan

 

[simontaylor484]

Evening All

 

More clearing out of the garage has happened today and a good sweep out whilst wearing a dust mask. The concrete floor is incredibly dusty when swept I need to get some Stabilising solution and paint it on.

I have found a nice little stockpile of decent timber in there.

@Erichill16 its a while since I have been to Redbrick Mill we have had some decent stuff from there in the past.

 

What you can make with the 3d printers is amazing I would love one but i dont have the IT skills to use it no doubt my IT consultant would take it in his stride.

 

Workshop spaces the Machine shop in Gradads foundry was amazing big lathes Cincinnati milling machine pillar drill

[simontaylor484]

That Fokker is a marvel of modelling.

There is a club that regularly flies model aircraft in Pontefract Park. One day around 10 years or so me and my brother were doing some circuit training and someone was flying a large scale Lancaster they tried a stall turn but couldn't recover it. Unfortunately it bit the dust what a shame.

 

 

[PupCam]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

Ah yes, the dreaded "double-ender...." 

Been there, done that - Mumbai is rather a good location for that little number.  Bear lost 14 lbs in 3 days.....

Would you like to see the video? 

 

 

The Gastro bit means the same grub (and double-ender) at a jacked-up price.  Cynical?  Moi?

 

 

I very much suspect that's being built as a flyer....

 

 

There is a model Spitfire - or is it a Hurricane - that is truly something else, and documented in a book IIRC.  I'm sure Puppers can guide us to the relevant piccies.....

edit:  Too late Puppers - here it is:

https://www.spitfireinmyworkshop.net/book/

With lots of piccies here:

https://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Glen.htm

 

Yes David Glen's models are fantastic.   The Spitfire featured in the book is the one that greets you as you enter the RAF Hendon museum (unless they've had another re-arrangement and shoved it in the back of a cupboard somewhere which wouldn't surprise me).     He has also completed a stunning P51 Mustang which is at RAF Museum Cosford and very recently completed a second Spitfire which has just been installed in the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton.

 

1 hour ago, polybear said:

Bear once had the privilege to talk to the builder of this little number - to say that he was the most down to earth guy would be an understatement; he also mentioned that many parts were made several times cos' he'd screwed a bit up somewhere during machining.  Kinda spoils your day when it's a cylinder head or crankshaft....

 

https://modelengineeringwebsite.com/Napier_aero_engine.html

 

There used to be website with a whole variety of miniature replicas of mostly aero engines - absolutely fantastic.  I can't remember where it was now.  Perhaps @polybear can help us out?

 

Another friend (and fellow member of the Dawn Patrol Group) built a stunning 9 cylinder Bentley rotary (that's another book of drawings I have but can't find the roundtuit!).     It's 1/4 scale and he built an Avro 504K to put it in for flying which it does beautifully.   Imagine the heartbreak if that went in!

 

Shame about the wind noise on the video

 

 

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

I used to love the compressed air powered model steam machines in the Science Museum- especially those in the Marine Engineering section.

 

You and me both!  I used to love the Science Museum and RAF Hendon for that matter but my idea of a great museum doesn't appear to match the current thinking of what makes a great museum  .....

 

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

...snip... war between Australia and New Zealand over claims of Pavlovan provenance  that could engulf us all)

I once many years ago thought about writing a novel based on the premise Iceland and New Zealand declared war on each other. I am still thinking of a valid reason; fishing rights? No, not really believable. Gee, there has got to be something!

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon/Evening from Estuary-Land. Had a good day at Uckfield though the exhibition was a bit crowded. Managed to meet up with @chrisf for a few minutes, time was limited because I only had three hours 'parking time' and Chris had a train to catch and it was near time for both of us to be making a move. When we left it was starting to get a bit less crowded and the car park was also beginning to get less crowded so next year I will arrive there a bit later. The legs held out a bit better but the feet are sore and will be getting a good soak before bed. One annoyance was a massive forage harvester travelling at a stately 25mph for about 20 miles with a mile long queue of cars behind it. I managed to pass it eventually but then I had to seek out a filling station as I had to use low gear so frequently.

3 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

I once many years ago thought about writing a novel based on the premise Iceland and New Zealand declared war on each other. I am still thinking of a valid reason; fishing rights? No, not really believable. Gee, there has got to be something!

Who's got the biggest volcano?

Edited October 16, 2021 by PhilJ W

[zarniwhoop]

Well, for once in my life I managed to get out of bed before dusk - flu jab at around half twelve, then later a trip to the Uckfield show. My first show since the last Uckfield one two years ago. Not particularly taken with the layouts (I'm not a great fan of N-gauge although I can see the sense of it, and I cannot imagine ever having space for O-gauge), but it  was good to see something, pick up a few ideas and browse the traders' stands).

 

Actually, I could almost persuade myself to have a go at N gauge, at least until I look at the cost of the RTR stock. Mind you, I was shocked to see Hornby Maunsell carriages on one stand in a set of 4 for £200. Remember when you could pick up bargains at shows ?

 

If anyone was there between about 3:10pm and 3:55, I was the long-haired layabout with two walking sticks and an HS125 facemask - muggins read the show details with the part about facemasks being requested. In practice it was like shopping in supermarkets - some people in masks, some not. For a venue like that with decent airflow (I noticed the open doors, with a sign saying that opening them would activate an alarm) next time I'll do the same as when in a supermarket and not bother - got to try to persuade myself to get on and hope I'm not one of the unlucky ones after 2 AZ jabs.

 

Very pleased to manage it - I always find the walk from the long-stay car park at the top of the hill problematic, and I seem to time my arrival when there are no spaces in the short-stay car park and only a few at the very top of the long stay (It's on a hillside behind the main street). Two years ago there was a bit of a breeze and I thought I might have to stop going to that show, I'm very unstable in any gusty wind. Oddly enough, by the time I'd walked down to the short-stay car park there were a number of spaces, and lots more when I left.

 

Now I need to work out what sort of S.E. Finecast brick sheets I've got (couldn't get all I wanted, but got some variants I wasn't expecting). One day I'll get back to becoming an awl attractant.

 

End of epistle.

[simontaylor484]

48 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

I once many years ago thought about writing a novel based on the premise Iceland and New Zealand declared war on each other. I am still thinking of a valid reason; fishing rights? No, not really believable. Gee, there has got to be something!

You could have a war between Iceland and farmfoods

[Ozexpatriate]

28 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Who's got the biggest volcano?

 

The flowing lava eruption in Iceland was nicer to visit than the explody island one in New Zealand that killed multiple tourists.

 

The biggest volcano these days appears to be an undersea mount off Japan but it is extinct and perhaps a mid-ocean ridge and not technically a shield volcano, though the largest documented underwater eruption recently happened off Mayotte in the Mozambique channel and created a brand new underwater mountain.

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[iL Dottore]

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

….So why does the UK have these venues called "Gastro Pubs"???  ….does it in fact refer more to the word "Gastronomy" and the assumed higher-than-average quality of food served thereat?  
 

I suspect you’re being deliberately disingenuous… Anyway…

 

The UK Gastropub phenomenon is yet another example whereby a Good Food Idea is hijacked by marketing people who wouldn’t recognise a real ciabatta even if someone belted them with one, but do know a Great Money Making Idea when they see one!  Add to that the majority of British restaurant goers are as far removed from being foodies as you can imagine, and then it is a license to print money by serving poor quality food at inflated prices to customers who are, to put it diplomatically, not terribly food savvy.

 

Not that this is anything new, does anyone remember the farce that was British Nouvelle Cuisine ???

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

I'm shocked that you can even mention the Peach Melba when everyone knows that the Pavlova is the greatest antipodean* contribution to world cuisine.

Indeed, you have a right to be shocked that I, a well travelled and knowledgeable Gastronaut, managed to forget the Pavlova.

 

Fortunately for us, a typical Pavlova is “bear proof” given that it’s meringue-based dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with fruit and whipped cream.

 

i’ll have to try making one, one of these days

2 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

…Iused to love the compressed air powered model steam machines in the Science Museum- especially those in the Marine Engineering section…

34 minutes ago, PupCam said:

…You and me both!  I used to love the Science Museum and RAF Hendon for that matter but my idea of a great museum doesn't appear to match the current thinking of what makes a great museum  .....

 

It’s actually awful what the museum trendies have done to the Science Museum (and the National Maritime Museum as well).

Call me cynical, but I think museum management is more interested, nowadays, in getting the punters in to some film/TV/comic book tie in and then go on to spend a small fortune on Made-in-China tat in the so-called “museum shop“, than in sending  visitors away awed and impressed by the great Victorian, Edwardian and Inter-War machinery that the Science Museum once proudly boasted of.

25 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

I once many years ago thought about writing a novel based on the premise Iceland and New Zealand declared war on each other. I am still thinking of a valid reason; fishing rights? No, not really believable. Gee, there has got to be something!

I am assuming that you mean Australia rather than Iceland. But if you did mean Iceland, then what about a post apocalyptic scenario? A combination of a plague (zombie for extra chills) and environmental degradation meant that two isolated countries (NZ and Iceland) were the only countries to have survived intact - the rest of the world being either uninhabited (environmental disaster) or uninhabitable (plague). Trouble is only NZ has any women who are fertile, nearly all Icelandic women are infertile. Cue the NeoViking raids - to capture babies and baby makers….

iD

[polybear]

46 minutes ago, PupCam said:

There used to be website with a whole variety of miniature replicas of mostly aero engines - absolutely fantastic.  I can't remember where it was now.  Perhaps @polybear can help us out?

 

This would be a good start:

https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php

- and here:

https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,10442.0.html

 

46 minutes ago, PupCam said:

Another friend (and fellow member of the Dawn Patrol Group) built a stunning 9 cylinder Bentley rotary (that's another book of drawings I have but can't find the roundtuit!).     It's 1/4 scale and he built an Avro 504K to put it in for flying which it does beautifully.   Imagine the heartbreak if that went in!

 

 

Bear was under the impression that scale model engines were less than happy to run for any length of time - something to do with not being able to scale heat transfer IIRC?  I seem to recall that models of RR Merlin aero engines could only be run for a few minutes at a time - and could not be run too many times either, otherwise you'd trash them.

 

12 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Afternoon/Evening from Estuary-Land. Had a good day at Uckfield though the exhibition was a bit crowded.

 

Did you happen to notice if Dave Ellis (South Eastern Finecast) was on the stand, now that he's sold the business to Squires?

 

In other news:

Mr Halfords windowman turned up just before 7pm, took a look at the offending chip and then announced he couldn't do it......because it was (a) dark (No sh1t sherlock - who would have thought it....dark at 7pm in October ),  and (b) the screen was wet (Bear did try to protect it - unsuccessfully) - could that have anything to do with the fact that it rained all morning?  Apparently "they" should've booked it in for earlier in the day - Bear received an 8am to 8pm slot.

So now Bear awaits a call or email to re-book the fix - could be tomorrow or Monday.  Let's hope it's not raining... 

[polybear]

9 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Fortunately for us, a typical Pavlova is “bear proof” given that it’s meringue-based dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with fruit and whipped cream.

 

Scrape the cream off and Bear's happy.  Ish.  Treacle Sponge & Custard is a much better bet when this Bear's around.

 

9 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

.......and the National Maritime Museum as well.

 

 

Paws up all those that fondly remember "Maritime Models" at Grenwich?  Sadly it seems that the vast majority of model shops catering for the R/C fraternity are now full of ready-built toys....

[pH]

38 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The biggest volcano these days appears to be an undersea mount off Japan …

 

I thought the tallest volcano on earth is Mauna Loa, more than 56,000 feet from sea floor to summit:

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/86906/living-large-in-hawaii

 

and it is still active.

[Erichill16]

2 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

 

@Erichill16 its a while since I have been to Redbrick Mill we have had some decent stuff from there in the past.

 

We like the ‘contemporary/mid century look’ and find that’s one of the few places ‘up north’ where you can see that type of stuff. The picture of our living room from a few months ago shows some furniture from there. We once went ‘darn south’ to London especially to visit furniture shops but all I came back with was a herpes eye infection!

[PhilJ W]

Some music to entertain you.

 

[PeterBB]

4 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... spam - Proceed to maintain up the excellent operate ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/10/16/maintaining-high-levels/

The Rachmaninoff piece is superb.  Also noted the Covid changes.

Ravel's Bolero above was great.

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by PeterBB

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Indeed, you have a right to be shocked that I, a well travelled and knowledgeable Gastronaut, managed to forget the Pavlova.

And I was very surprised to be quoted.

 It was Pacific231G, not me, for the record.  But yes Pavlova (always just "Pav") is regarded by Australians as a quintessentially Australian dessert.  Other opinions are available.  

 

In other news the long-absent (from these parts) Former Neighbour (Upstairs) who no longer resides locally at all has completed another lap of the Sun today.  I was pleasantly surprised to be invited to join her and her good friend (the other FN(U) of that same era) for a drink in the local 'spoons establishment.  Dr. SWMBO was a lot less than enthralled and I shall probably have to deal with the backlash in the morning.  It seems it is fine for her to go to a work function where a couple of thousand people were packed into a glasshouse (ok it is one of the world's largest glasshouses but still .... ) but it's not ok for me to sit outside a pub in the open around a table with just two others.  

 

One of life's little conundrums.  

 

It's brain-tickling day in the morning.  Time to get the test kits out so we don't forget.  Sleep well.  

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

Let's hope it's not raining.

I took Aditi’s Fiesta to have a windscreen repair at our local Halfords a couple of years ago. It was apparently too sunny so I had to wait for a space inside the workshop to be available .This took a while as a car got stuck on a ramp.

The repair was good. Our insurance offered free windscreen repairs but when I rang the company the appointment for a  free repair was a month away, A “not free” repair was of course available. I didn’t want to go to Romford and the Halfords repair wasn’t as expensive. 

[simontaylor484]

51 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

We like the ‘contemporary/mid century look’ and find that’s one of the few places ‘up north’ where you can see that type of stuff. The picture of our living room from a few months ago shows some furniture from there. We once went ‘darn south’ to London especially to visit furniture shops but all I came back with was a herpes eye infection!

We go for the same reason you can't get the stuff round here apart from online. Our living room pictures came from Bo Concept when they had a clearance sale £350 quids worth for £40 

 

The observant amongst you dear readers will notice I dont like spending a lot of money 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

 

Who's got the biggest volcano?

Who's got the weirdest singing voice -  Bjork or Lorde...?

Edited October 16, 2021 by monkeysarefun

[laurenceb]

The NRM have (had?) a superb black 5 built by the late Archi Taylor, the last time I saw it, it was on top of a shelf without it's glass case gathering dust. Disgraceful.

[Erichill16]

Goodnight,

Robert

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

17 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

“when you gotta go, you go pro” Professional equipment is designed for long-term and constant heavy usage, 

My experience with domestic machines is the same. We have a hand-held Dyson which is rubbish. For carpets we use a German? machine named Fakir I think. We have a Henry which is a bit long in the tooth now but is still working fine, used for hard floors and dirty jobs like cleaning out the car after an MTB trip.

Once upon a time we had a Bissell machine for carpet shampooing but it was pretty damned useless as it took longer to set up and clean out afterwards than it did to do the job. It had an electronics failure and ended up at the dump. I much prefer the old Vax wet and dry. Simple, not much to go wrong, easy to set up and clean afterwards.

When it comes to cooking some of the modern machines with 15 different programmes are a pain to use. We have one but it doesn't get much wear. The weapon of choice for everyday use is a Lacanche range cooker. They are hand built at a factory that has been around for over 200 years. When we moved it into our present house it took two of us to lift the carcase with the doors and all to top ironwork removed. The cooker hood for it has an extraction rate of 720 cubic metres per hour on full speed, twice the power of those available from the big orange shed, and needs a six inch diameter vent pipe to cope with it.