OneGuyFromBarlick

Morning

Another early start. Yesterday the window fitters had a hiccup and could not do the job . They promised to come today and they have just arrived, ready to do two days work in one. Luckily we are showered and dressed and having a cuppa before breakfast. The towels are changed and the washer on

Today is u3a art 10.30 till 1.00 followed by lunch with Wendy and Keith, so as we are up early so I have a couple of hours to kill before we go out. I shall head to cleaning the bathroom and toilets otherwise all cleaning will wait till after the windows are done .

Its going to be a cloudy warmish day, but I will be indoors most of the time. Have a good day all

Sounds like a plan Sue. News this morning that not only Susan is down with Covid but husband Mick and daughter Jess are unwell and it looks as though they have Covid as well. This current variant is very infectious and whilst it doesn't seem to be severe it's bad enough and not something you need so be very careful!





An hour of fiddly things! First I sorted the valve rod, it is set for central stroke now and will not need altering again. As I had the lid off the steam chest I am tightening the studs in the cylinder castings by using two nuts on them. At the same time I have been sorting out my studs and nuts for installing the cylinder on the target on the bed. I have two out of the four fitted and tightened. I had to do that in order to get an accurate adjustment on the valve rod.
Careful work and good progress. Only an hour but a very productive one.

I've had a walk, a bag of chips and a sit. Now I have to get serious and cook veggies ready for tomorrow. It's not sunny out there but very pleasant to sit in..... The day is going well......

Hopefully a normal day today. All shopping is done and my problem with the valve motion is sorted so just quiet fitting as I go through the last stages of this build. Full sun forecast so bookie watch is on. As for anything else.... I shall see what happens!

Morning

The windows were all done and finished by 1.00 pm. The men worked non stop for 5 hours and have done a lovely job, apart from forgetting to leave the keys for the windows! After our return from Todmorden we had a cuppa then set about restoring the plants to their original positions and cleaning the house where it needed it, the men were good tidy workers and had swept up etc but there was a fine layer of dust on furniture etc. It did not take long however.

Today is Bacup market, then Bob has a model engineering do at the park. Once a year they invite other clubs to come over and they ‘play’ trains all day plus having lunch there, usually provided by one or two of the wives. Bob said they had enough so I haven’t contributed. Whilst he is out my friend Gill is coming over and we are off out for a good walk finishing up at Healey Dell tea room for a bit of lunch. Hopefully we can get a table , otherwise it will be sandwiches and a drink in our back garden. The latter looks a bit dishevelled and overgrown so I feel a little more tidying is needed this weekend.

The day is very promising indeed, have a good one

"I feel a little more tidying is needed this weekend."
Alternatively, you could just sit and enjoy the day Sue. You are not automatically sinful if you are doing nothing!







Another morning of small things. The aim was to finish installing the studs that attach the cylinder to the target, the steam chest lid on the steam chest and the back lid on the cylinder. In many cases this meant re-tapping the existing holes. The last pic shows where we are at closing time. All the fitting is done. What remains is to cut the crankshaft to size and finish and install the flywheel. A painful morning, my right arm is playing up but we have got there with no mistakes. I finished by putting a lot of tools away..... A nice morning.... no knotty little problems, just quiet routine fitting.

Off to Barlick Con Club tonight, middle offspring has a gig with the rest of the Overload chaps. Should be a good evening of guitar based classic rock.

Stanley wrote: ↑09 Jul 2022, 06:53 "I feel a little more tidying is needed this weekend."
Alternatively, you could just sit and enjoy the day Sue. You are not automatically sinful if you are doing nothing!

I have just over a week to cut back June growth. If I don’t do it, the garden will be unmanageable in September on our return and instead of enjoying the autumn flowers I will not even be able to see them. I managed an hour after my walk and lunch, and then sat and enjoyed the view in the cool of the conservatory which was in the shade by then

I'd forgotten that you will be away during the main growing season Sue. Yes, I can see the problem.
We are promised an even warmer day today so that might decide what I do. I shall be in the shed first thing but after that I shall do as little as possible.... I think I handle heat and cold less well than I used to do. I was very glad yesterday that the front room is on the North side of the house. Funny thing is that I felt cold in there and had to put a waistcoat on! Old age I suppose.....

Morning

Gill and I had a lovely walk at a nice strolling pace. We found a route that kept us mainly under the trees zig zagging through the various paths in the dell. We then walked past the waterfalls down to the tea rooms. It was busy and a queue outside but empty and cool inside so we opted for the latter. As the path back home has subsided and is closed whilst being repaired we had to retrace our steps back up the hill to the viaduct which was a bit tiring at the end of a walk and after lunch . All in all we were out three and a half hours completing just under 5 miles which surprised me as we hardly seem to do anything at all.

Back home after a couple of glasses of water and a bit of gardening I was dosing in the conservatory when Bob got back at 5.00 pm. It was a busy day for both of us and we were in bed shortly after 10.00 pm

Today Bob is off to the park again and I have zoom art with Briony, followed by a bit of gardening before it gets too hot. Then I shall continue cutting out the pattern Maxine and I designed ready to take the sewing to France, well that is the plan. I am planning on meeting Gill again this afternoon at an open day of an arts and crafts centre near Bury. Gill has just started selling some of her tile mosaics there but she says it sells all local made stuff and is interesting to browse. I shall be back in time to put the chicken on to roast for tea or I may cook it slowly in a casserole dish whilst out

Have a good day all

(Cook it slowly Sue..... It'll be nice to come home to.)




I am in the finishing stages of building this engine and have decided not to cut any corners. Instead of just sawing the ends off the crankshaft I am going to mark it, take it out of the engine and do the job properly in the lathe. So my first job was to clean the lathe and then set the flywheel up with a carbide cutter to cut it. I wanted to skim all the faces to get rid of excess paint and then polish it ready for final fitting. Once I had done that I cleaned the lathe again and finished early, just over an hour in the shed. I stopped in good time to give my shoulder a rest. There is no rush and tomorrow's task is clear and simple. Dismantle the crank bearing and valve motion, mark the shaft for length take the crankshaft out of the lathe and cut to length before reinstalling it in the lathe. Barring last minute tidying up jobs that's this engine finished.....

I forgot to say we sat by the lodge for a few minutes watching the waterbirds when the heron suddenly took off next to us and landed on the small island. I had just been saying that I wondered if we would see it. We also saw a pair of yellow wagtails. I have only ever seen them in France but on googling them later I found they are classed as rare birds in the UK. How amazing was that. We see the grey and the pied wagtails a lot down in the dell

http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Conte ... =136549409

I've never seen a yellow wagtail. Lucky you....

Stanley wrote: ↑10 Jul 2022, 08:20 I've never seen a yellow wagtail. Lucky you....

I know. The only other place we have seen them was in Brittany in June this year. They are beautiful

I've had me walk and a sit in the sun opposite the bookies and it is very pleasant. Back inside now and I shall do very little for the rest of the day... XXX

I've finished cutting the grass, power washed my car to get the green slime and sheep sh** off before it goes in for an MOT on Tuesday, blanched a load of broad beans ready to freeze, poured myself a large G&T and now I'm sat with my feet up ready for the tennis match.

That sounds like a sensible way to spend a Sunday! I watched the Final but without the gin.....
I shall be in the shed quietly finishing this engine. Taking my time and no short cuts. Walk and bookie watch should be on this morning and I have Austrian F1 waiting on catch-up.....

Morning

I am afraid watching the tennis has no appeal to me. I neither like watching nor playing the game. I have only watched Wimbledon once, I was in the early stages of pregnancy with Claire. It was hot weather. I opened the windows closed the curtains and sat watching whilst drinking water and hoping the all day morning sickness would go away.

I spent the afternoon yesterday at the art and craft studio in Bury. It was an open day and various artists and potters were demonstrating their skills in a lovely shady back garden. I drove over picking up Gill and her Dad in Norden. Another coincidence besides the girls going to school with Gill, I actually know her Dad from a french class I attended for years many years ago. When I returned home I sat in a very shady corner of the back garden drinking ginger beer from the fridge.

This morning is pilates, thankfully early, and then I have towels to wash and ironing to do. The afternoon will not be a walk to the bank, I think Bob is going to drive down. I shall cut out my cotton top, having finished copying the pattern yesterday and I also need to phone the service department of the Mini garage as my boot won’t lock, which is not a very good security feature! Being a hatchback it makes access to the interior of the car rather easy.

Thats it. I shall be keeping cool, dead heading a few roses but no other gardening. I did a lot yesterday morning and the brown bin is full again. Have a good day all

Ironing in hot weather.... You're a glutton for punishment Sue!







This morning went as planned. First I dismantled the front end of the engine and took the crankshaft out after marking it for the length I wanted at each end. Then some very careful turning, it would be so easy to have a grab in and bend the shaft because it is stuck out so far. Once that was done I rebuilt the front end and fitted the flywheel on a bed of Loctite shaft fit. I haven't finished the eccentric side yet, I shall be patient on allow the Loctite 24 hours to cure..... A good morning, I got where I wanted to be with no mistakes.

I shall be ironing in a cool room in the house, I love ironing. Order out of disorder and if I want to sew I need the iron to press each seam . I think I will be hotter doing pilates. Mind you the lounge is cool being almost north facing and I have opened the windows.

My car is going to be looked at on Thursday morning. Tbey offered tomorrow or Wednesday but neither suite us because of other arrangements

I used to live with a woman who ironed dusters.......
This morning I shall be effecting the transition from the Stuart engine, which is now finished, and the next project. That could include vacuuming the floor!
Later a walk and sit could be on because, though cloudy, the weather is forecast to be dry and a comfortable temperature.

Morning

It has not been unknown for me to iron dusters Stanley

Today Bob is up and out early to take his car to Oldham for its MOT. Then he is off to the park straight afterwards as a journalist is meeting the engineers to write a short article about the group to put in an engineering magazine. I therefore have to day more or less to myself. I have yin yoga at 10.00 am but prior to that the window fitter is coming to look at the new back door lock which keeps sticking, and at one of the windows that has developed a huge crack and one that will not shut properly . We think all issues are related to the heat.

Otherwise I shall sew and try to keep cool. I have pilates and yoga in the studio this evening, it will be hot. Taira is sensible and modifies the exercises to suite the heat so it shouldn't be too strenuous.

Have a good day all.

Red letter day. All change this morning. I put the rubber on the base of the No. 9 last night and this morning I touched the black paint up and then took the engine into the kitchen to sit on the table. It's good for my soul to be able to look at things I have made.....
Then it was all change. A while ago, a friend of Bob's, Keith Sharp, gave me this set of Reeve's castings and a full set of drawings. Not all the castings are for the Shand Mason Pump but until I have a good study of the drawings I shan't be able to make any decisions. The castings have been partially finished by someone and you may remember me making a two throw crankshaft for it when I first got the castings. Tomorrow I'll have a look at the drawings and try to come up with a game plan.

I shall be in the shed getting to know this pump. I know that the crankshaft I made is too good a fit and needs easing a bit but beyond that I haven't a clear view in my mind of what I'm building so I shall be perusing the complete set of drawings. A sunny day in prospect so a good chance of a walk and bookie watch.
Quite amazing what you learn if you sit regularly in the same spot and watch the world going about its business!

Morning

Early start again today. I am at the hairdressers at 9.00 am which requires a drive across Rochdale in rush hour, not my favourite drive. I normally don’t do appointments so early but my hairdresser has been off work with broken ribs after a fall in the garden. My original appointment was cancelled and I am lucky to get one at all before we go away. This morning our hairdresser friend , Kath,is coming over for a cuppa, a chat and to cut Bobs hair. We have no other plans for the day so a walk may be on the cards.

Yesterday the window fitter resolved the issue with the non closing door and window by adjusting the position of the locks. The broken pane will take longer and may not be done when we go away. Luckily it is only cracked on the inside pane. Like me he assumes it was the heat that did it.

I picked another big bunch of runner beans last night. They are coming thick and fast, the best crop we have ever had. I am sure our neighbour will make use of them whilst we are away . My squashes are not so good, either they are not growing or seem to have some sort of mineral deficiency with yellow veins on the leaves. Its not the same in each pot yet they are all grown in the same compost. In two pots the leaves are huge with lots of flowers but they look most unhealthy. Normally I would be picking by now. I think they are a lost cause. Ah well never mind.

Have a good day all