Today I shall be Mainly...

[PanBiker]

I also have carried the scars for about 50 years from a reactionary bite from Zoltan. Not his nature but I suppose the equivalent of bite on this for pain control when his tail got caught in the garden gate on West Road in Carleton. He clamped his jaw on the nearest thing which was just above the top of my motorbike boots on my left leg. I have four prominent puncture wounds to show for that episode.

[Stanley]

"Gosh, the things you learn on OG "
All human life is here Cathy....
I shall be in the shed first thing doing useful things to my engine.... Apart from a bit of shopping later on, nothing is pressing in on me. That being the case I shall do nothing very slowly....

[Stanley]

More work on my eccentric. I refined the dimensions of the lugs and made sure they were square. Then I drilled the oil hole. Next I went into my fastenings and realised that Stuarts had let me down, they hadn't included the bolts for holding the two halves of the eccentric together after it has been split so I had to go digging. I found some 6BA nuts and bolts that will do nicely and drilled the lugs to take them. I'm ready now for splitting the strap and boring it but that's for another day.... Right now I am after breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

It was a nice day yesterday and promises to be another today till mid afternoon when it will start raining. Lets hope its not before as we have our weekly walk to the bank this morning to take the money from 6 weeks of the train in the park whilst we were in France or elsewhere

We spent the morning yesterday at the Mini dealers in Rochdale. There was a hiccup with my order. Originally I was promised delivery in July by the dealers but Mini said it may be December next year. I will not go into the detailed ‘ discussions’ between the dealers and Mini, and the dealers and me. The outcome is I will have the showroom model, which is a better spec for almost the same price and take delivery at the end of the month. Its not the colour I wanted being an orangey red rather than a classic white but at least I will have the car I wanted. There have been numerous phone calls, texts and emails since our 3 hour visit to the dealers on Saturday but now all is signed, and almost delivered.

This afternoon I shall continue with my sewing. Claires top is almost finished, my jacket is cut out. This evening is zoom pilates. Have a good day all

[Julie in Norfolk]

Ooooh, are you joining the world of orange minis! Welcome!

[Stanley]

You'd think that in the present difficult economic conditions that car makers would be making it easier and quicker to buy a car....

[Sue]

Ooooh, are you joining the world of orange minis! Welcome!

Is that the colour of yours ….

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[Sue]

You'd think that in the present difficult economic conditions that car makers would be making it easier and quicker to buy a car....

Exactly Stanley. They let the dealer spend ages with us , the buyers , selecting the car, the colour, the extras, the finance then Mini say its not been as popular as expected so manufacture will be longer than anticipated. Well it won’t be popular if you have to wait 16 months minimum for delivery. People will just go elsewhere, which is what we were going to do except most of the other all electric cars did not meet our criteria in one way or another and we would have had to start the research all over again. However I am happy with the solution to our problem . Roll on 29 th September

[Stanley]

Well, at least you are sorted now Sue! (Unless they find another hurdle for you to jump!)
I shall be in the shed first thing working carefully on my eccentric.... After second sleep I shall go the Well for my meds. We are promised sunshine and heavy showers b ut we will see. I shall have to wear my Schoffel hoody!

[Stanley]

An hour of careful accurate work on the eccentric strap. First I marled the line of the split that has to happen in order to fit it. Then witness marks to ensure it is always mounted correctly. Next I split the strap and then refitted the 6BA bolts that hold it together. Next I changed my cutter for the 3/8" slot drill I shall use to mill the pocket in the strap for the eccentric rod. Then set the strap up in the vise and mill the slot. Next I marked the strap for the CS screw that will hold the rod in the slot and drilled and tapped it. Last I assembled the rod and the strap, no fitting needed I got it right first time. I am ready to bore it now but that's for tomorrow. The next job is breakfast!

[Sue]

Well, at least you are sorted now Sue! (Unless they find another hurdle for you to jump!)
I shall be in the shed first thing working carefully on my eccentric.... After second sleep I shall go the Well for my meds. We are promised sunshine and heavy showers b ut we will see. I shall have to wear my Schoffel hoody!

Morning

Got it in one Stanley, i open my emails and texts with a foreboding. However, we have now paid the deposit, the car is actually there, in the showroom and is not some virtual reality. I could have collected it in just over a weeks time but we will be in Dorset for a weeks holiday.

Today is art in Haslingden, the first of the season. On the way home I will call in at the Drs surgery to see if they have managed to make me an appointment for the steroid injection in my thumb. They told me to phone yesterday afternoon but after sitting on the phone for 30 minutes and going from number 8 to number 6 in the queue, I gave up .I have no plans for this afternoon, but we are out with our friend Kath ( the hairdresser) this evening for a meal . We haven’t seen her for a few months. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue! I recognise your experience with the surgery all to well.... My daughters used to think I was just an irascible old bugger when I fulminated about t5he deterioration in services at the local practice but I think of late they are beginning to realise I had a point! Margaret's experiences in Australia show that it's still possible for a medical system to function efficiently but we seem to have lost the ability to function here... That's why the news that my repeat prescription had been approved for twelve months was so welcome!
I hope you have more luck the next time you attempt to contact them.

[Julie in Norfolk]

Hello Sue, it is the same colour as mine! I tried to insert a photo of it but have lost the powers to do so. I inserted a photo of Buster last week but can't recall how I did it, I think that I tried so many ways that the correct method was lost amongst all the unsuccessful ways.

[Wendyf]

Julie you posted Buster as an attachment. Look down below and left of the text box and you will see the attachment tab.

[Big Kev]

Julie you posted Buster as an attachment. Look down below and left of the text box and you will see the attachment tab.

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[Stanley]

I am back home after a walk to the chemists to get my meds and I called in at the Co-op on the way back for a couple of shelf fillers....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed early doors boring my eccentric strap. Later after a second sleep I shall post a letter, fry my sweet potato chips and start my pork belly and orange off cooking in the slow cooker.
Later at 05:00... A good start. The pork belly is in the slow cooker with its accompanying veggies and spices before I go in the shed.

[Stanley]

This morning's hour in the shed was spent setting up the eccentric strap for boring to one inch diameter, boring it and fitting it on the engine. Perfect fit so I lubricated it, took the boring head off the VM and replaced the normal end mill. Totally unexciting but another step towards completion of the valve train.... Now I want my breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

Its a sunny start to the day but showers and cloud are forecast.

Its u3. Art this morning, then lunch out with Wendy and Keith, Barbara and Bill are away this weekend. After lunch we are driving over to Liverpool for one of Jane’s fine wine nights. As usual we will stay at a local Premier Inn and get a taxi there and back. We will come home after breakfast in the morning as we have shopping to do for Julia ed and the girls visit and stay overnight. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

"Its a sunny start to the day but showers and cloud are forecast."
Your doing better than us Sue.... we have seen none of the sunny spells promised in the forecast, nothing but 100% forecast and rain, frequently heavy....

[PanBiker]

Managed to get to the Gym this morning during a break in the rain. Nearly got home later but it spoilt itself and the last bit up Ash Grove onto the croft it was straight down heavy rain, one would say siling it down.

[Sue]

"Its a sunny start to the day but showers and cloud are forecast."
Your doing better than us Sue.... we have seen none of the sunny spells promised in the forecast, nothing but 100% forecast and rain, frequently heavy....

We are now at Liverpool and apart from a very short shower it has been sunny all day, and still is, though cool

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed early doors working on my valve train. There are no other demands on my time and we have another showery forecast so I guess I'll be indoors keeping dry and warm and communicating with my children...

[Stanley]

This morning I started by addressing the misalignment of the eccentric rod and the slot in the clevis on the valve rod. I cured this by taking the eccentric strap off the eccentric and reversing the latter on the shaft so I could exactly line up the rod. Then I addressed adjusting the length of the valve train so that I had equal cover of the valve ports at each end of the stroke. To do this I took the valve chest lid off. Then I set the eccentric so that the valve was in the correct running position and replaced the lid. Finally I packed the valve rod gland and lubricated it. I finished up with only one job left to do to make this a finished engine. I need to fit the valve rod support, a complicated little bronze casting. That's for tomorrow and can't be rushed. Now I need my breakfast.....