Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Robin came and did my feet yesterday so today I have no demands on my time beyond routine. No cooking and no shopping. I shall have an hour in the shed milling my crankshaft blanks and then relaxing.... I think my theory about aching after the flu jab might have been correct but it was only minor and transient. There are definite advantages to being old and retired, not many but I do appreciate the plus side....

[Sue]

Morning

There were only three of us at lunch yesterday, our numbers are dwindling. I think eventually our monthly meeting will just die out. I don’t have an awful lot in common with many of them now as I am the only one who still sews and that was the key thing that held us all together when our sewing teacher died. Pilates and yoga were cancelled as it is tonight as well.

This morning I hope to go down to collect my glasses. This afternoon I have sewing with Maxine. We may pop over to Burnley market as we haven’t been to see our friends since we came back from France.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Things change as time goes by Sue..... The older we get the more this affects us.



Only one pic needed today. I have completed the first and heaviest cut on both crankshaft blanks. The next job is to mark the depth of the four light cuts needed to cut out the flanks of the crank pins. A good morning, this is a lot of metal that doesn't need cutting as an interrupted cut. I am once more impressed by what is possible with my El Cheapo Chinese economy mill/drill. These are serious cuts no matter how expensive the mill that makes them. The only penalty is that lighter cuts mean slower work. I can live with that!

[Sue]

Morning

Its changed for me too Stanley. Another of the group and I strongly disagree with many of the things that get ´chatted’ about but we both keep going to keep the group going. However I only manage about 4 times a year due to other commitments, and I can’t say I miss it when I don’t go. Sadly its mainly the moaners who go regularly………..

We went to Burnley yesterday morning to see our friends who have the patisserie stall on the market, then on the way back we called into the park at Bacup where the plant man from Bacup market has set up a stall near the cafe three days a week. It was his first day yesterday. Bacup market is closing down in December whilst it is rebuilt. Everyone is up in arms about it, including us, as the area does not need redeveloping, and it is putting several people out of work. Most say they will just retire and will not move into the new build in three years time. Markets these days don’t survive upheavals like this. I did have a great afternoon with Maxine . She showed me a few new skills and tips to apply to my new jacket but first of all I need to practice them . We also had a natter and lots of laughs. Her husband Ian comes and chats too. It was well over my two hours when I left.

Today is art this morning. I will be going by myself today as the friend i usually take will be at the hospital with her husband most of the day as he had major bowel surgery on Monday. This afternoon, at last I shall be collecting my glasses from the optician. I think its due to rain otherwise we would walk there and back

Have a good day all.

[Stanley]

I recognise what you describe in the group Sue and my attitude is if it gets to be a pain going bail out and leave them to it after telling your friends what you are doing and why..... I agree with what you say about markets, they are fragile things these days.....



Today's job was to measure and mark the small amounts that could be cut from the flanks of the major cuts yesterday. I got the chance to use the Starrett accessories that enable you to turn a regular foot rule into a shaft ruler and did some careful measuring and marking, then set the pieces of stock in the mill and cut all four small chunks out. You can see where I finished up, ready for eccentric turning once I have restored the mill to it's normal configuration. That's a lot of metal taken out that won't have to be done on the lathe!

[Stanley]

Back up after a good sleep..... Question is shall I go to Co-op for milk or leave it until tomorrow..... Decisions decisions!

[Stanley]

Correction. I looked at the weather forecast for tomorrow and it's for wall to wall rain so I have been to the Co-op and posted my letter registering as disabled for the selection of the Labour Parliamentary candidate. Back home now having dodged the rain and ready for a light lunch....

[PanBiker]

I was going to ask if you had received the notification Stanley. I checked with the regional organiser who sent the emails if the form could be signed electronically as it can be returned via email with you in mind. For the record, yes it can. However it looks like you have used the snail mail option. I see that it is Freepost though which is good.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed pottering for an hour this morning getting my ducks in a row ready for setting up for the main event, the eccentric turning needed to form the crank pin in each blank. Thanks to me dash out between showers yesterday I have no need to go out in the rain for shopping and post and so will have a relaxed day......

[Stanley]

I started with a choice, go straight into eccentric turning on the crankshaft blanks or tidy up and get everything in order first. As usual, I chose the latter. I sharpened both the 1/2" cutters, the slot drill that cut well and the end mill that filed. Then I cleaned the vertical mill and oiled and stoned the bed to make sure there were no dings in it. Then I remounted the machine vise and installed a long piece of gauge steel which I used to test the vise for parallelism with the bed. Once all that was done I put all the bench tackle away and turned to the lathe. The First job was to clean it and then I took the 3 jaw SC chuck off and installed the 4 jaw independent chuck which I will need for eccentric turning. I'm ready now for setting the stock up in the chuck for turning. This is not a quick operation if done properly so I knocked off and left that until tomorrow. None of this is time wasted, I am in good fettle!

[Sue]

Morning

Only 3 were at art yesterday. If numbers don’t pick up we will not be able to afford to keep running. The ones missing had good reason but with no subs paid we have no money to pay for the room. Watch this space. In the afternoon I tackled some of the techniques Maxine showed me but there is lots more to do. i also went to collect my glasses from the optician .

Today being Friday its towel washing. I think I will have to use the drier this week as they won’t even dry on the airer in the conservatory and they are too bulky for the rails in the airing cupboard. I try to keep it to the minimum these days. Being Friday its also lunch out. How ever this morning I am joining a few of the pilates group down at the new studio to help Taira clean after the builders work, the floor and surfaces being really dusty. She hopes to finish it all today to reopen on Monday, and she has had so many offers of help it should be achievable. I was thinking yesterday what a lovely friendly establishments she runs when so many people are willing to help. Its just not like any other exercise place I have been to before and I have been to many over the years. In fact I have done some sort of weekly exercise every year since Julia was born in 1975

Have a good day all. No point mentioning the weather, its raining

[Big Kev]

Today being Friday its towel washing. I think I will have to use the drier this week as they won’t even dry on the airer in the conservatory and they are too bulky for the rails in the airing cupboard.

I bought a dehumidifier for indoor drying, it's cheaper to run than the tumble dryer (6p an hour at the current unit rate). We have a maiden hanging in the void above the stairs which is useful.

[Stanley]

I've never had reason to stop using the clothes rack in the kitchen.......

[Sue]

Today being Friday its towel washing. I think I will have to use the drier this week as they won’t even dry on the airer in the conservatory and they are too bulky for the rails in the airing cupboard.

I bought a dehumidifier for indoor drying, it's cheaper to run than the tumble dryer (6p an hour at the current unit rate). We have a maiden hanging in the void above the stairs which is useful.

We use that in France, works great. But the airing cupboard and conservatory usually are enough but not when its non stop rain

[Sue]

I've never had reason to stop using the clothes rack in the kitchen.......

I also use that in France. Wrong style kitchen here but the airing cupboard is a good substitute. My only problem is bulky bath mats and bath towels.

[Stanley]

Back in the world after second sleep. I have sewed a button on my shirt and now I'm cruising in towards a light lunch of chicken and veggies. Life in the slow lane.....

[Wendyf]

Waiting to be seen in the dermatology clinic at Burnley...

[Big Kev]

Waiting to be seen in the dermatology clinic at Burnley...

I hope there's not too much scratching going on? Being serious though, I trust it's nothing serious.

[Wendyf]

Waiting to be seen in the dermatology clinic at Burnley...

I hope there's not too much scratching going on? Being serious though, I trust it's nothing serious.

Just a red patch of skin that appeared on my arm about 6 weeks ago Kev. I think it's just age and sun damage but I wanted it checked out. I went into Earby surgery to make an appointment at the beginning of September and the first phone triage appointment they could give me was Tuesday 3rd October. Based on a photo I sent in, the triage doctor decided to refer me to the dermatology clinic. Luckily I got a phone call yesterday inviting me to attend today as they had a cancellation. Guess what, my appointment was with a photographer who took photos of the lesion. They will be sent to the consultant who will decide if I need to be seen. What a palaver! It is slowly healing with the aid of some E45 cream.

[Big Kev]

I trust you got a modelling fee

I had a weird patch on my foot a few weeks ago (not the usual athlete's foot), I used Sudocrem on it and it cleared up in a few days. No idea what it was. My feet received a compliment at my annual foot check this morning

[Sue]

Waiting to be seen in the dermatology clinic at Burnley...

I hope there's not too much scratching going on? Being serious though, I trust it's nothing serious.

Just a red patch of skin that appeared on my arm about 6 weeks ago Kev. I think it's just age and sun damage but I wanted it checked out. I went into Earby surgery to make an appointment at the beginning of September and the first phone triage appointment they could give me was Tuesday 3rd October. Based on a photo I sent in, the triage doctor decided to refer me to the dermatology clinic. Luckily I got a phone call yesterday inviting me to attend today as they had a cancellation. Guess what, my appointment was with a photographer who took photos of the lesion. They will be sent to the consultant who will decide if I need to be seen. What a palaver! It is slowly healing with the aid of some E45 cream.

Bob has similar on his face. He has been waiting about 4-5 months now for a biopsy appointment, normally the surgery could do it their small surgery clinic but it is too near his eye. He has been told it is not serious but needs to be removed in case it changes. I hope yours is nothing serious too

[Stanley]

I realise I am a peculiar old bugger but I have long suspected that soap is bad for your skin. I use it as little as possible. Nobody has recoiled in horror yet but almost everyone comments that I don't look my age.... Work it out for yourselves....
I shall be in the shed as usual spending a lot of time setting up one of my crankshaft blanks for eccentric turning in the lathe..... There's nothing easy about chopping crankshafts out of the solid but it's so worth while, they are far superior to built up ones using glue or solder.
The day looks dry so there is a good chance of a walk at midday.

[Stanley]

Just one job this morning; setting up a crankshaft blank for eccentric turning in the lathe. This is one of the most difficult jobs I know and I spent an hour on it. However it is now very close to perfect. Probably about 2 thou out over the total length of the stock, that's near enough over 1/2"! I have shut down and am ready for turning the crank pins tomorrow....

[Sue]

Morning

Stanley I never put soap on my face, even water dries it up but the skin damage Bob has is from the sun, the bit of his face that is always exposed at the side of his glasses. Obviously when I have a shower shampoo and water run on to my face but I apply a mild factor 25 cream immediately afterwards. I always clean it with a cleansing lotion . Soap in its natural form is harsh to the skin but soaps made for the skin are not. I seem to be unusual in that even water makes my skin feel dry, especially here where the water is quite soft.

The mornings work in the new studio yesterday was successful. 8 of us turned up and between us we got things clean , fairly well sorted and workable. I think there is a long way to go, there being a distinct lack of storage space for equipment but at least the studio can now be used for classes

This morning is Bacup market, then we have no plans. We are out tomorrow so I may iron and I certainly have a number of sewing and gardening tasks to tackle but if it is nice
( though I doubt it will be that good) we may go out.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

I think the best we can say is that it looks as though it's going to be dry....
Re soap, yes, I realise that some are more sensitive than others....