WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

That was a clever solution Kev and yes, you're right, marine grade ply always was expensive.....

THIS looks like an unexpected pay day for a lot of people.
Millions of drivers who were mis-sold motor finance agreements should receive compensation this year, averaging around £829 per person, under plans by the regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out its proposal for a redress scheme, costing lenders a total of £9.1bn, which will see fewer loan agreements eligible for compensation. Some 12.1 million motor finance deals will meet the new criteria, down from initial estimates of 14.2 million. The vast majority of new cars, and many second-hand ones, are bought with finance agreements.

[Big Kev]

I think I've sorted it, I can get a 4ft x 2ft x 1/2in sheet of hardwood ply from Jewson Timber in Colne. I can then cut it to size (twice) and glue it up to make the one inch thick 'vice tops'

Even better, went to Merritt and Fryer's (Briggs and Duxbury) in Barlick. They cut me two pieces of 25mm to size, cost me the grand sum of five English pounds. Absolute bargain.
I just have to drill the holes and ease the edges

IMG-20260331-WA0001~2.jpeg

[Big Kev]

Another step towards my home workshop, unfortunately nowhere near the scale Colin's (not jealous ).
The 'bigger' machines will be mostly used under the gazebo due to space restrictions in the cellar,.
As well as the new 'vice' timbers I am making plywood bases for the table saw and planer/thicknesser, these will sit securely on top of the Workmate.
I am so grateful to Wendy for allowing me to rummage through Colin's workshop, hopefully he would have been pleased to see the tools being put to use.

I have been watching YouTube videos of people making things from pallet wood, I'm quite excited to be doing the same

[Wendyf]

I'm sure Colin would be well pleased Kev!
I do have some nice, sturdy pallets that have been stored undercover....

[Big Kev]

I'm sure Colin would be well pleased Kev!
I do have some nice, sturdy pallets that have been stored undercover....

Oooh! I may well be up and some point with a hammer and bar to dismantle some. Thank you.

[Big Kev]

The original fibreboard vice tops were starting to deteriorate

IMG_20260331_152433.jpg

The 25mm ply does the job nicely, I just need to drill a few holes for the lugs and ease the edges with the router

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[Stanley]

No use struggling Kev, you have definitely been bitten by the shed bug and that Wendy isn't helping!
If you need anything special making to further the cause have a word with me.....

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest THIS nonsense caught my eye....
Animal rights activists have called for Easter egg rollers to swap hen's eggs and milk chocolate eggs for potatoes in order to have "all of the fun and the tradition but just without the animal cruelty". Preston Council's egg-rolling event in Avenham Park, which dates back to the 19th Century, will see participants rolling decorated eggs down a hill on 6 April. Jennifer White from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) called for the council to "modernise" the event due to concerns around the production of hen's eggs and milk chocolate. Preston Council said the event did not "prescribe the type of egg to be rolled and visitors have the choice as to what they roll down the hill". The free event is expected to draw thousands to the slopes of Avenham Park, where the famous egg rolls will take place on the hour, every hour, from 11:00 to 16:00 BST on Easter Monday. White said it should not condone cruelty. "We know that Easter is all about celebrating new life and you simply can't do that when you're rolling eggs that come from an industry that send billions of animals to their deaths while they're still babies," she said. "By rolling potatoes, you get all of the fun and the tradition but just without the animal cruelty."

[Stanley]

HERE'S the live report on the NASA moon mission.....
Nasa's Artemis II mission, the first around the Moon in more than 50 years, has taken off and the spacecraft is now in orbit around the Earth - watch live above. It will remain in orbit for the next 24 hours as the crew carries out checks - if all goes well it will get the green light to head to the Moon. The crew are "safe, secure and in great spirits", a Nasa official says during a post-launch press conference. "Great view," says astronaut Reid Wiseman shortly after take-off. "We have got a great Moonrise". The launch was just spectacular, our science editor writes, and you could feel the force of the rocket lifting off passing through your body. From pre-flight tech issues to "go for launch", our science correspondent recaps what happened. The crew on the 10-day mission won't land on the Moon, but plan to circle it, while travelling further from Earth than anyone has ever been before - find out more about the astronauts and their spacecraft

[PanBiker]

I had to smile during the preable before launch when one of the commentators said that the crew would be strapped in their "tiny" command module, only the size of a camper van! It's about three times larger than the Apollo command modules which held the crew members side by side. From what I saw inside the capsule each astronaut has their own couch / seat with plenty of room around each one. They have a luxury, (comparatively) shared toilet in a floor recess as well, things move on technology wise of course!

[Stanley]

HERE'S this morning's live feed from the Artemis Mission.
The Artemis II mission has completed a critical engine burn that will propel the Orion spacecraft on its journey to the far side of the Moon. The translunar injection burn began at 19:49 EDT (23:49 GMT) and lasted for just under six minutes. "Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of," Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen says, in his first words after the completion of the burn. The spacecraft began the burn at its lowest point of orbit relative to Earth, our science correspondent explains. "We love it in here right now," the crew says, after earlier saying it was cold in the Orion capsule. No-one will land on the Moon during this mission, the Orion capsule will just circle it - how long does it take to get there

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest report from Artemis ii...
Nasa has shared the first high-resolution images of the Earth taken by the Artemis II crew as they head on their trip around the Moon. The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, took the "spectacular" images, Nasa says, after the crew completed a final engine burn that set them on a trajectory towards our closest celestial neighbour. The first image, called Hello, World, shows the vast expanse of blue that is the Atlantic Ocean, framed by a thin glow of the atmosphere as the Earth eclipses the Sun and green auroras at either pole. The Earth appears to us as upside down, with the western Sahara and Iberian peninsula visible to the left and the eastern portion of South America to the right. Nasa identified the bright planet to the bottom right as Venus.

[Tizer]

I've now given up driving except for times such as when Mrs Tiz needs collecting from the town's railway station or in an emergency. I know my reaction time is getting worse and I'm more easily distracted. Taunton has some big multi-lane roundabouts where the traffic goes barrelling through and they seem very dangerous to me. Now we hear an example of what can happen.

Mrs Tiz met a friend in the shop this morning, a lady in her mid-80s, who opened the conversation with `I've had a crash in my car' and told a harrowing tale. It's often necessary, because of the town's layout, that at these giant roundabouts you have to go all the way around and back the way you came because the roads are dual lanes and one-way. She had to do one of these full circles at such a roundabout with 4 exits and as she passed the third one a big lorry drove straight out and into her car. Fortunately she wasn't hurt but the car will be written off by the insurers. The other bit of luck is that she had friends nearby and they took photos. They also went after the lorry driver because he hadn't stopped. They caught up with him but he ignored them and drove away. I wonder if the lady will want another car after this but she really needs one to get about and live her life.

[Big Kev]

The other bit of luck is that she had friends nearby and they took photos. They also went after the lorry driver because he hadn't stopped. They caught up with him but he ignored them and drove away. I wonder if the lady will want another car after this but she really needs one to get about and live her life.

I hope it was reported to the police, it's an offence to leave an accident.

Failing to stop and report accidents, often called hit-and-run incidents, can have severe consequences, ranging from five to ten penalty points, fines of up to £5,000 and, in more serious cases, a custodial sentence. Understanding the legal obligations in the aftermath of an accident is crucial.

[Stanley]

I agree about the need for justice to pursue the wagon driver but I think you will all know what my attitude is to driving when you are getting older. Peter is right to curtail his driving but I'd urge him to go further and kick his licence into touch. the savings by not running a car are considerable and will pay for a lot of taxis! And then there is the relief by not getting feelings of dread every time you here of a new regulation, a price rise in insurance or another alert about fuel shortages...... I never realised how onerous these were until I declined driving and car ownership......

[Tizer]

I hope it was reported to the police, it's an offence to leave an accident.

Yes, she has witnesses and photos for the police. I failed to mention that the lorry hadn't been waiting to enter the roundabout - it just came whizzing down the road and straight into her car, broadside on. It's a miracle she wasn't badly injured. Being in town with lots of people about, and the fact that he just drove away, I expect the police would have been contacted immediately by other folk before she was able to do so. The big roundabouts here are a death trap and most of the local folk we know avoid them whenever possible.

[Big Kev]

Going back to the Black and Decker Workmate refurb, I've drilled the required holes and it's had two coats of wood stain. One more coat and I reckon it's ready for action.

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I have a cunning plan for the table saw, planer/thicknesser and router table. I am making plywood bases for each of them and fixing a length of 2x2 timber to the underside of the ply. I can then clamp the 2x2 in the vice jaws of the workmate, multiple tools with a universal 'table'. I don't have enough room in my cellar to have them all set up separately. I will follow up with progress pictures.

[Tripps]

Animal rights activists have called for Easter egg rollers to swap hen's eggs and milk chocolate eggs for potatoes in order to have "all of the fun and the tradition but just without the animal cruelty".

I've just noticed the date of this post.

Hook line and sinker I'd say. . . . and me too at first reading.