BoD

I’ve got some in 4mm scale if you want to buy them.

If you look closely at the underside of the SEEP self latching point motor there is a spring and washer around the rod that goes through the baseboard. The washer also acts on a metal track as the switch to change polarity etc. This isn’t present in the non self latching ones. How effective this is in holding the rod across or how long lasting this spring is I don’t know? Looks pretty feeble to me.

So..... There are nearly 200 countries in the word. In the Uk we have about 1% of the world’s population. Going by today’s numbers we have a tenth of the deaths accredited to Coronavirus. How does that work?

How do you know? We haven’t seen her of late. (Sorry, your Debship)

Is it just me, or are all ERs starting to look the same?

Morning all. Don’t forget that it’s the weekend so you can have a couple of days doing nothing. Oh, wait a minute though........ Many happy returns, Dave. Will there be a fly-past? Stay safe, stay well everyone.

Evening all (Evening? What am I doing here? The whole world is upside down I tell you) Every cloud has a silver lining though. We keep a plastic tub into which we throw non- copper coins after shopping etc. We take it when we need to feed parking machines on days out, hospital visits, whatever. You know the sort of thing. It never contains more than a few pound coins and a similar number of fifty pences, twenties and tens. Probably a bit more after the winter months. Today I counted it and there was nearly eighty pounds. Goodness knows where it will be when we are next allowed out. You did say the website was up and running Neil, didn’t you?

I can understand queueing and social distancing in physical locations...... but in the comfort of my own home?

Was it that bad?

These are genuine clips from council complaint letters: 1. My bush is really overgrown round the front and my back passage has fungus growing in it. 2. He's got this huge tool that vibrates the whole house and I just can't take it anymore. 3. it's the dog mess that I find hard to swallow. 4. I want some repairs done to my cooker as it has backfired and burnt my knob off. 5. I wish to complain that my father hurt his ankle very badly when he put his foot in the hole in his back passage. 6. And their 18 year old son is continually banging his balls against my fence. 7. I wish to report that tiles are missing from the outside toilet roof. I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off. 8. My lavatory seat is cracked, where do I stand? 9. I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is coming away from the wall. 10. Will you please send someone to mend the garden path? My wife tripped and fell on it yesterday and now she is pregnant. 11. I request permission to remove my drawers in the kitchen. 12. 50% of the walls are damp, 50% have crumbling plaster and 50% are plain filthy. 13. I am still having problems with smoke in my new drawers. 14. The toilet is blocked and we cannot bath the children until it is cleared. 15. Will you please send a man to look at my water; it is a funny colour and not fit to drink. 16. Our lavatory seat is broken in half and is now in three pieces. 17. I want to complain about the farmer across the road; every morning at 6am his cock wakes me up and its now getting too much for me. 18. The man next door has as large erection in the back garden, which is unsightly and dangerous. 19. Our kitchen floor is damp. We have two children and would like a third, so please send someone round to do something about it. 20. I am a single woman living in a downstairs flat and would you please do something about the noise made by the man on top of me every night. 21. Please send a man with the right tool to finish the job and satisfy my wife. 22. I have had the clerk of works down on the floor six times but I still have no satisfaction. 23. This is to let you know that our lavatory seat is broke and we can't get BBC2.

A while ago, on a completely different project to the current one, I knocked up designs for security lights not too dissimilar to that. I printed them in word, stuck them to plain plasticard then cut them and folded them up. I don't know if you can visualise them folded up but those, or something similar, perhaps with adapted Dapol telegraph posts might work. Using fine motor winding wire and sure they could be made to work too.

TRAFFIC is gone, PETROL is affordable, BILLS extended. KIDS are at home with their FAMILIES. PARENTS are home taking care of their CHILDREN. FAST FOOD replaced by HOME COOKED MEALS. Hectic SCHEDULES replaced by NAPS, REST, and RELAXATION. The AIR seems CLEANER. The WORLD quieter. PEOPLE are conscious about HYGIENE and HEALTH. MONEY doesn't seem to make the WORLD GO ROUND anymore. DOCTORS AND NURSES are being praised and recognised instead of athletes and celebrities And WE now have TIME, finally, to STOP and SMELL the ROSES.

Never mind the groan button. I want a green, jealous button.

A tad harsh given current circumstances.

..... and if it hadn’t.... ....... well you’ve still got the guarantee.

You can always manage without a speedo cable, it’s if the clutch or choke cable goes that you have to be more inventive.

Luxury. When I were a lad …...

I do have stashed away a rare-ish bottle of malt that would just about cover that, the fees and the postage. Of course, given the circumstances I could always just drink it........

Thanks for that Mick. I’ll give it that a go. Its all enamels up to now so I’ll stick with that. I had heard though that some enamel varnish can give a yellowish colour. Is that true? At the end of the day though, this is a kit that I had ‘written off’ so if I get something out of it, it will be a bonus with some valuable learning experiences on the way.

It may be within the ‘rules’ to claim it but is it morally correct to do so?

Was that the estimate or the price it actually went for? Not bad for a sentimental lump of metal. i would have to move the mimic panel to fit it in.

As mentioned above, this is the first time I have done something like this and I am wondering what to do to 'seal' it. I want to protect it but also to try and get rid of the paint on plastic/resin appearance that it inevitably has..... and should this be done before I lightly weather it? Any ideas folks?

Morning all just back from the daily amble. Very quiet out there - which is as it should be I suppose. Our son's partner was tested on Saturday, arranged for her by the care home. It looks like they are finally starting to be serious about what is going on in care homes. Not before time. The test was carried out by army who had taken over an IKEA car park and was apparently all done with military precision. Number plate checked, directed into lane, first tent details confirmed and plastic bag put under windscreen wiper on her side. Next tent swab taken (not very pleasant apparently) and bottled and into bag. Next tent, bag removed from windscreen and off they go. Now the wait, results within 72 hours by text message. Son said there were dozens and dozens going through. Enjoy the rest of your day; stay safe and well.

Morning all. ..... and what a beautiful morning it looks too. I’ve got to agree with Chris though, the whole thing is starting to feel so unreal. Sunday would be my day volunteering with the National Trust railways at Ormesby Hall. I’m really missing that - showing off the fantastic models and just talking to visitors - even though I’m a grumpy old git the rest of the time. During the week I’m not doing that much differently to before lockdown but it still feels wrong. it’s the little things, the odd coffee while out for a walk, the occasional pub meal or run out somewhere that I am missing. Even if I wasn’t necessarily doing these things the option was there, the fact that I could if I wanted too rather than can’t at all seems to make a difference to the mood. I felt really low on Friday. On the plus side the muddle is coming on in leaps and bounds and I am trying things I haven’t done before. I must go and try to Baz the day. Stay safe and well folks.

I have often wondered if it would be possible to arrange a holiday ‘down there’ and gatecrash the SWAG do. Perhaps this is the year that I get to not do it.