tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31509965504601718052024-03-08T03:33:35.920-08:00colonial diasporaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger241125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-14482852377540415242023-07-10T23:32:00.000-07:002023-07-10T23:32:14.222-07:00Sheep valve<p>'Tis midwinter once again: the six sheep we employ have neatly trimmed the bottom paddock and since nothing is now growing in what we dignify with the name 'orchard' it is time for them to move in there and save me the use of my Famous Allen Scythe. I had some flimsy bits of wood which looked like planks though they were a bit bendy, and nailed them across the awkward top corner. But there wasn't enough wood for the rest of the fencing. Accordingly I hammered waratahs into the ground and liberally laced them with sheep netting - if you don't know what waratahs are, or sheep netting is, I shan't enlighten you because you probably live in Alderley Edge or Guildford where these things aren't necessary - and opened various gates and drove the sheep into the orchard and retired to rest. The orchard contains an olive tree and an apple tree and many weeds, along with the grass. The apples have all been disposed of (refrigerated - they keep well in the fridge) but from time to time I slice one and the sheep come and beg and I graciously give them a few bits, but not so much as to make them die which they're inclined to do for any number of arcane reasons, one of them being, I suspect, over-indulgence in apples.</p><p>Lo, glancing out of the window I saw that the sheep had teleported out of the orchard and were calmly grazing the lawn. On with wellies, and more gate-opening and gate-closing and sheep driving, and they were back in the orchard.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6s1RwNvGYwVR6aby1tLtg3EWNI1x9RY1F-bvFGTUFoAGgYgGq1BDSsYlrY7mRsEPTY7uSbKu7gHZSf5Mo-AZHi7xkFeJZLqDAL3OHWlN_S-WfAceCexf5-Z8A33P_ZK6ELsx0ANblp--TKpY69PWYMNrUcgaITwWCQU6xh0wA_2iv8NL2OQPu8yD0mg/s2250/nonchalants.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2250" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6s1RwNvGYwVR6aby1tLtg3EWNI1x9RY1F-bvFGTUFoAGgYgGq1BDSsYlrY7mRsEPTY7uSbKu7gHZSf5Mo-AZHi7xkFeJZLqDAL3OHWlN_S-WfAceCexf5-Z8A33P_ZK6ELsx0ANblp--TKpY69PWYMNrUcgaITwWCQU6xh0wA_2iv8NL2OQPu8yD0mg/s320/nonchalants.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Woe! Again, there they were on the lawn. <p></p><p>Wellies again, and this time out with the little security camera which detects and photographs movement, theoretically all the burglars but actually the neighbour's cat.</p><p>And the mystery was solved.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRRKjihc62DZhoAHst4kgWx2F-G8nFYWMHIwh6kDsoR-EBn5cZm5yvKu-dOtxYRGyIroi0r3qDKAYihLSSiqx7eKGFJ26K-BKsETxJDDeA8qDe-Yyxi_5GpunDkaQ7GkFChdvxPiMjNHEAnvekTgS8Q_9ipuLW6eSYkFA4igNpmDWzKxAueVmMhNEYog/s4608/MFDC0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRRKjihc62DZhoAHst4kgWx2F-G8nFYWMHIwh6kDsoR-EBn5cZm5yvKu-dOtxYRGyIroi0r3qDKAYihLSSiqx7eKGFJ26K-BKsETxJDDeA8qDe-Yyxi_5GpunDkaQ7GkFChdvxPiMjNHEAnvekTgS8Q_9ipuLW6eSYkFA4igNpmDWzKxAueVmMhNEYog/s320/MFDC0119.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPS4gTrmOi12uufocuPM-ZmcMwJCK4KoFowG6rBTpEeYXd24SgK8DExUYcyzlqX4Eg_IL2vf5PppxQaVsKUu3chZsuwMcFHZMwn0oTDkDPJdErVTOWwMlAmiygVOfKBOMCh_BzXfp_faw7AoXfaFK1CJYNL_y56uf5fWZ5neDn845ASnvHr0OcLW8JDo/s4608/MFDC0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPS4gTrmOi12uufocuPM-ZmcMwJCK4KoFowG6rBTpEeYXd24SgK8DExUYcyzlqX4Eg_IL2vf5PppxQaVsKUu3chZsuwMcFHZMwn0oTDkDPJdErVTOWwMlAmiygVOfKBOMCh_BzXfp_faw7AoXfaFK1CJYNL_y56uf5fWZ5neDn845ASnvHr0OcLW8JDo/s320/MFDC0120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUn6aN1LWy3-aRLXM7vvwWvvWKG53XFtsnT2TcJtujGAgRnzA-4EA2clqensICEYSfIiuNJgqZINAZ1gE3o4C0POOsf_8ILv3E3G2vBJgHdD0UgUY7OJYH7xV3vcDnJtz9KeOIKZv6NIxp6IWe1BmXfEJWXM7tAVkwIW7q_I1Bd_pKVwulMMcYnCpjARw/s4608/MFDC0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUn6aN1LWy3-aRLXM7vvwWvvWKG53XFtsnT2TcJtujGAgRnzA-4EA2clqensICEYSfIiuNJgqZINAZ1gE3o4C0POOsf_8ILv3E3G2vBJgHdD0UgUY7OJYH7xV3vcDnJtz9KeOIKZv6NIxp6IWe1BmXfEJWXM7tAVkwIW7q_I1Bd_pKVwulMMcYnCpjARw/s320/MFDC0121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x4u4_qyKgkLMP9IgNkT40IehUtnc6j0RXYXpqpk8mTkNBVshWSdZD-aDO10zBdgzPXMKkZs4QKodzQG6DuXTWUS58UTxwqToTThXxfuF2tOLcCb_eIwuUhHgb1vCZH2qnmiJ19hnoNFJT96DZ93GHVGEVHrletaPQTeLp9MXi0Rfz903bOVnbfcRlMM/s4608/MFDC0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x4u4_qyKgkLMP9IgNkT40IehUtnc6j0RXYXpqpk8mTkNBVshWSdZD-aDO10zBdgzPXMKkZs4QKodzQG6DuXTWUS58UTxwqToTThXxfuF2tOLcCb_eIwuUhHgb1vCZH2qnmiJ19hnoNFJT96DZ93GHVGEVHrletaPQTeLp9MXi0Rfz903bOVnbfcRlMM/s320/MFDC0122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtjG448wINGruruN1TfWY-GVGBADJpHHdZVnzTk57T94QjtKXjbxH-5nn9Qy0ztw7oVB1rkeFwiU4YmcbjYwooJUsFxuPnSYaI12oTEHh1xJFIcXGx3cfz-WDjwBSLxp4EMy3WcrMjU_BJ98rEsgk3LaS3udu_SxUNfnzGTr1YjP4m-3U6F0Z2Bb5Si8/s4608/MFDC0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtjG448wINGruruN1TfWY-GVGBADJpHHdZVnzTk57T94QjtKXjbxH-5nn9Qy0ztw7oVB1rkeFwiU4YmcbjYwooJUsFxuPnSYaI12oTEHh1xJFIcXGx3cfz-WDjwBSLxp4EMy3WcrMjU_BJ98rEsgk3LaS3udu_SxUNfnzGTr1YjP4m-3U6F0Z2Bb5Si8/s320/MFDC0123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N_KIuoC5eUf1i95t3xrqD2PrkQcecpY2vG5YJFPPtQycgA_TQysQMpyL6Qqp_yWiDKJU7FwgQ0EWFTRdzmHQaY_etoRqWw8wWy0sgOaPVFI-nLBKCymZR1t2U1UCXloFIsiFnmXN3ziJoYfx1bwf5PQyOsGC_p_K_mF7FEd5xkto0kauiFB3u5ejGN0/s4608/MFDC0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N_KIuoC5eUf1i95t3xrqD2PrkQcecpY2vG5YJFPPtQycgA_TQysQMpyL6Qqp_yWiDKJU7FwgQ0EWFTRdzmHQaY_etoRqWw8wWy0sgOaPVFI-nLBKCymZR1t2U1UCXloFIsiFnmXN3ziJoYfx1bwf5PQyOsGC_p_K_mF7FEd5xkto0kauiFB3u5ejGN0/s320/MFDC0134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq_XoSXc1_nSCK0kCUSPeVCt5uMax_EMqicrX9E24_omQ5wSjANhR4HzIJqUvr5SaO6qxu999EZToIeWLclvEzahi25fMpUR3gCXeLFqwg3zU-98neclyQ9xSpoyOQsvh-nNYa4H3h_u8KidoGcOSSO7l-zgruv4jOH2in8umMMt-l9qQ4Uqzelo-7gc/s4608/MFDC0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq_XoSXc1_nSCK0kCUSPeVCt5uMax_EMqicrX9E24_omQ5wSjANhR4HzIJqUvr5SaO6qxu999EZToIeWLclvEzahi25fMpUR3gCXeLFqwg3zU-98neclyQ9xSpoyOQsvh-nNYa4H3h_u8KidoGcOSSO7l-zgruv4jOH2in8umMMt-l9qQ4Uqzelo-7gc/s320/MFDC0135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9_0Da8XFSVdnhsJb7IiGEvCz4QRvsOO-9Kl1ePbxeBxXOI4-5qIZSlPbYF2U3wfw3pPnRrWlMFOrtRTX31dplziTElbnjDQjriW1ALS0B02dY1RftBD1gTrfBwFBz4DDnUqQWqZ3eiJif9UC2iAhk7MTy9vLQ0UZ2qscGr6TIgG64rmdMo8k68mfxkA/s4608/MFDC0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9_0Da8XFSVdnhsJb7IiGEvCz4QRvsOO-9Kl1ePbxeBxXOI4-5qIZSlPbYF2U3wfw3pPnRrWlMFOrtRTX31dplziTElbnjDQjriW1ALS0B02dY1RftBD1gTrfBwFBz4DDnUqQWqZ3eiJif9UC2iAhk7MTy9vLQ0UZ2qscGr6TIgG64rmdMo8k68mfxkA/s320/MFDC0136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKUooC3GGuUerGyO2xfao5o4fzk7S2okjjZTDIN6ZMYdDF6hJ3dxJMaxW8J1GIPvkikjeGKK2aqSCoXaUZSiNhnbz9K5kXZD0TRFI4tpDj-n14xokljzKRYrMYT7Uudhbnycmimvv5uXn-KIMjO7nyLWBN74xKWRHboUFKGfMbPqeWCDhZDNxlQlNy3s/s4608/MFDC0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKUooC3GGuUerGyO2xfao5o4fzk7S2okjjZTDIN6ZMYdDF6hJ3dxJMaxW8J1GIPvkikjeGKK2aqSCoXaUZSiNhnbz9K5kXZD0TRFI4tpDj-n14xokljzKRYrMYT7Uudhbnycmimvv5uXn-KIMjO7nyLWBN74xKWRHboUFKGfMbPqeWCDhZDNxlQlNy3s/s320/MFDC0137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>So it appears I have invented a sheep valve.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-14890105208348448962022-07-11T04:45:00.001-07:002022-07-11T04:45:37.848-07:00Rural life<p class="MsoNormal">I find myself chided for not posting for a while. This is miraculous: it suggests someone actually reads this blog. What can I say? My life is uninteresting. <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There's creeping buttercup in the top paddock
and a tree fell down on the stockyard - will that suffice? - It
didn't do me the courtesy of wiping out a few creeping buttercups but it's July and the buttercups don't creep in winter. - If you know that creeping buttercups are <i>Ranunculus
repens</i> I can date you because everyone had to do it for biology
o-level and judging by the age of school textbooks I'd estimate an English Education, sixties or seventies. What they didn't
teach was that nobody likes creeping buttercup. Sheep don't and
horses don't and cattle don't and our fences aren't up to deer and the wild
pigs are a farm away in the forest and goats are immune to fences and we don't
have donkeys. We don't have any animals actually, so Matt the
builder lent us six sheep but they're in the bottom paddock where there
are no buttercups. As far as we know. We never go in the bottom
paddock. Actually he lent us five sheep and they multiplied last year reaching the dizzying total of ten but alas, one escaped and died when Matt chased it round Gavin's field for two hours, his idea of shepherding consisting of throwing a log at it and shouting "<i>G'wan</i>, yer fucken bitch". Another abruptly lay down and died, and a third fell ill and Matt took it off and gave it whatever random medicine he found in his shed and it too died (an argument for veterinary surgeons' long years of study) and I forget what happened to the fourth.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This, alas, illustrates my ignorance of rural life. A pompous soul would claim to be cultured instead, but this would necessitate me knowing things like why Schubert came to a full stop. There he is,
strumming happily along (Unfinished of course. What other Schubert does
anybody know?), and he gets to bar 60, and thinks <i>whadda I do now</i>?
And there's a complete and utter bar's rest while everyone incl. even the
oboist wonders why he stopped right then. And then there's
a great big din and everybody plays what the fuck they like and the
second violins (my fave, natch) have a field day because nobody can hear what
they're playing so it doesn't matter if it's sharp or flat or even the right
note or key or instrument, so you know Schubert has said it to himself - <i>Fuck,
whadda I do now</i>? So for four bars he just shouts <i>Fuck</i>, and then gets
in a rage and goes shooting up to the ceiling. And don't say there's some
kind of subtle musical rationalisation because there isn't. He just had
these lovely themes - da da, de da-didaaa, de da-dida da da da da, daaa, and he
didn't know how to join 'em up. And that's the truth. I bet old Nigel Osborne or some other music professor would say it's unfinished because the last
movement's missing but it isn't. It's because he couldn't think up a
twiddly bit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Also,
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no 1. Honestly, why bother with the middle
movement? Nobody knows it and nobody likes it. Furthermore there are
heaps of bits in the first movement which are flagrantly wrong. That first bit comes to a fullstop just as badly as Schubert's. And </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">later </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">even when you've
got a tune going, suddenly you shut the orchestra down completely and
you let the pianist play some twiddlies that don't belong anywhere and have
neither melody nor the other thing. What was he thinking? There's just
heaps that Tchaikovsky could have improved upon if only he'd had an editor or
a competent critic, like me, f'rinstance. Can I claim to be a judge of music? Nope, and nor can the judge who played in the Sat'd'y Morning Orchestra when we were Youths. He played in the Sat'd'y Morning Orchestra and he played in the First Eleven, though the latter was only because his mother had already bought him white flannels though he couldn't bat and he couldn't bowl and he couldn't field. He used to go out with Janey and when Janey played wossname in Yeoman of the Guard
and I played in the orchestra for it (second violins, natch)
and she came to the front of the stage and wept and I took out a hanky from my
dinner jacket pocket and put it on the tip of my bow and held it up for her and
she said Thank You, the entire audience collapsed with laughter. - My
proudest moment. What d'you expect from a second violinist? - He wasn't a judge then of course, and I will forego the pleasure of saying who he is since it's unwise to vex judges in case you ever find yourself at their disposal. Which is most unlikely, since he judges in England where I don't live any longer.</span></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-51331063022303709882022-03-08T13:51:00.000-08:002022-03-08T13:52:07.189-08:00Allen scythe<p> About a million years ago when I was a small boy in Yorkshire old Joss Littlewood, who lived in apparent poverty in the next farm but who had ten thousand pounds stashed under his mattress, a fact undiscovered until his death, taught me how to make a dry stone wall and how to use a scythe. I built a dry stone walled den in my father's wood and when I last visited our old house, thirty years later, gratifyingly found it still standing. New Zealand is made out of earthquakes so dry stone walling is a redundant skill, but swinging a scythe is an agreeable way to dispense with the otherwise ubiquitous line trimmer. Actually that's a fib - it's a disagreeable way. Hard work, scything. The trick is to cut long grass in the early morning. Then dew adds mass to the upper reaches, and the blade cuts, rather than knocks over. Old Joss Littlewood carried a whetstone and sharpened the blade every half-dozen strokes, but confided that this was only to allow him to get his breath back. I am not now as old as he was then, but one day it occurred to me that the hedge trimmer, unused since we left England, would be easier than swinging a scythe. Cutting the long grass in the top paddock proved easy but holding the hedge trimmer at ground level didn't, and I did have a bicycle trailer with a platform long enough to carry two dustbins of horse manure, one of those vehicles built more out of curiosity than for a purpose. (Can you tow a trailer full of horse manure? Yes, slowly, since the momentum tends to swing the bike with every pedal-stroke.)</p><p></p><p>Off with the wooden platform; long strips of rubber inner-tube; couple of short branches of the kanuka tree that the linesmen trimmed to stop it growing into the overhead power cables; bind everything firmly together with the hedge trimmer lashed in place; behold! an electric Allen scythe.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz3_xxmTuUwxtUpSqDBtchN7C2H84YP0FG1DuuNRDR0YMwFyoan36B_o9wyMje94hNxrUr5albfZWQVU-eXtiO4hrZEgHlGNxVYMuMWMWlNmMi0r8V2H_rgL-0PhqooDzoS9tQXoSMm-ZJYVnyM0zaQvF2lzj4fpGrukgMlRFxViO3eIKZH-01czrE=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz3_xxmTuUwxtUpSqDBtchN7C2H84YP0FG1DuuNRDR0YMwFyoan36B_o9wyMje94hNxrUr5albfZWQVU-eXtiO4hrZEgHlGNxVYMuMWMWlNmMi0r8V2H_rgL-0PhqooDzoS9tQXoSMm-ZJYVnyM0zaQvF2lzj4fpGrukgMlRFxViO3eIKZH-01czrE=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Having tested it to see that it worked - it did - all that was necessary was to cut up a mount from a TV satellite dish and weld it together as a replacement for the kanuka twigs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFANRCGWS8jZwg7wfSpi91q4idG3x2q1k-lmaRy2G6H0d1afK2-ly9iJR_HWhK4GArzBF3kTw7UHhvmPimDg479pgvHDtj1CdhODyrnBwXzH4XdpbsYUj6TACZfiTpIcqrKGcFGMoa9A67CsJXESe2Yb7KzffpJTA2myp5GR7NQarG3TOokTkgHM8g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFANRCGWS8jZwg7wfSpi91q4idG3x2q1k-lmaRy2G6H0d1afK2-ly9iJR_HWhK4GArzBF3kTw7UHhvmPimDg479pgvHDtj1CdhODyrnBwXzH4XdpbsYUj6TACZfiTpIcqrKGcFGMoa9A67CsJXESe2Yb7KzffpJTA2myp5GR7NQarG3TOokTkgHM8g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The lashings of rubber serve to hold the safety switch permanently on so a switch had to be interposed in the cable, and this ain't brilliant when the blades encounter a steel fencepost. It cuts off-centre of the wheels of course but that turns out to be an advantage in that you can twizzle it round for awkward corners. A wary eye has to be kept on the cable for obvious reasons, but the contrivance is easier on the arms and shoulders and eyes than a line trimmer, and it doesn't leave tiny bits of nylon cord everywhere.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-38788724572061044652021-10-19T16:10:00.002-07:002021-10-19T22:36:32.714-07:00e-recumbent<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx61H6LXwkb0-u0d52zYtZs-m9lZTe85Ue-pYlQcn89ihnmUl_TKp_AlSpcpJaCcc6V-JDheavcnko26OddDfOL4WZR0k98YGdUwT2H76-Xf9zRaj76XcwCR-eP8VignJbum6tR2LP3I/s2048/e-recumbent+010.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx61H6LXwkb0-u0d52zYtZs-m9lZTe85Ue-pYlQcn89ihnmUl_TKp_AlSpcpJaCcc6V-JDheavcnko26OddDfOL4WZR0k98YGdUwT2H76-Xf9zRaj76XcwCR-eP8VignJbum6tR2LP3I/s320/e-recumbent+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Chief disadvantage of riding a recumbent is that outside <span>le supermarché</span> some random git sees you as an opportunity to come up and deliver himself
of a lecture on:<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. Why that is a handful in traffic</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. What a poor lock it has</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3. Not much suspension on the front with that little wheel</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4. I'm a farmer, so I know all about solving problems</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">5. I've been riding motorbikes for, let's see, 60 years</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">6. Back in 1970 I made an aerofoil for the back of a Ducati</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">7. I knew the airport traffic controller so I could test it
there at 130 mph</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">8. He waved me off if a plane was coming in</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">9. That was long before John Britten, puh</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">10. Oh, you've got electric assist</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">11. I'm importing electric scooters, platform this wide,
they'll do 150 km and 50 kph</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">12. I'm an entrepreneur</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All this rather negates the speed advantage of a recumbent, which
is only ever a meagre 5mins in the hour.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The electric assist is only throttle-operated, the 36v
controller with the torque sensor being broken by an unfortunate trial with the
48V battery, and the 48v controller having no do-dads for a torque sensor. I
was riding it yesterday on account of the wind. Had a massive tail-wind going
into town, so I used this machine knowing I'd have a massive head-wind going
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so it proved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But e-assist is glorious when you have a
headwind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>14mph alleviates the bad
feelings of a meaty headwind that you know will have you down to a pathetic
8mph.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Incidentally, if anyone does happen still to read this blog,
this is what became of the Raleigh whose Duomatic back wheel was sacrificed to
the Rain Bike.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-14689585715375182402021-09-01T17:55:00.000-07:002021-09-01T17:58:23.407-07:00Cable repairs<p> Yesterday I saw that the front mech cable was frayed: the attention of the Frayed Cable Investigation Committee was brought to bear: today the repair was effected. Citizens of New Zealand are currently locked down so a visit to the bike shop was outwith the options available. </p><p>Decades ago I acquired brass tubing suitable for the manufacture of model steam engines: an inch-and-a-half of 3/32 x 0.014 tube was cut, the frayed cable snipped, a rusty spare from long ago located, and the ends of each piece of cable were dipped in zinc chloride flux. Small flame, application of electrician's solder, splashes of solder on the floor. None on the cable ends. More dipping in flux. More heating, more solder splashing on floor. After half-a-dozen goes the solder began to take in the cable, and drips solidified at the ends preventing insertion into the brass tube. Minor application of brain: cables up-ended so the solder would run back along the length. </p><p>Now flux was generously applied to the inside of the tube using the end of a cable as a spatula, and both ends were inserted to meet at the middle. Heat tube: solder flowed. Applied more solder, the tube being hot, till it dribbled out of t'other end. Being in tension, fingers crossed that the annealed brass won't give way.</p><p>This whole operation had to take place with the cable still in the bike since the brass tube now prevents it going through the cable housing. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1nUm52IFkV3w2kYWqBXUkv7K3tFJS8vJQQv-Ji0pLh3cy7cNNStHkB1N0nMgPUmxDlVWSYfmtH0O_znkkZllD4Dr8_975qwfSoBnR-DxKKgf2puy4gNcUaLGR8j2LgSUo9_7ZXTMaas/s2048/Cable+splice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1nUm52IFkV3w2kYWqBXUkv7K3tFJS8vJQQv-Ji0pLh3cy7cNNStHkB1N0nMgPUmxDlVWSYfmtH0O_znkkZllD4Dr8_975qwfSoBnR-DxKKgf2puy4gNcUaLGR8j2LgSUo9_7ZXTMaas/s320/Cable+splice.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /> </p><p>And since we're on the subject, cable housing has been in
short supply since Covid hit all imports, so maybe here's where we
advertise the Middleton Patented Method for extending cable housing too.
- The police firearms officer assures me that every farmhouse has a .22
rifle, and empty .22 brass cartridges are easily found. Take two such
cartridges, solder them back-to-back, drill a 2.5mm hole through the
joined bases, and ends of housing will go into each. La! swords into
ploughshares.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmHLF9W-t6CvtNUzBAryieMQusd3n_eB9BlQD1p-NL4_JG_yazfoG1dwdLg1XTj6r4oUVWoOp-4ALIlQg851QDWSCv-pJyyZFiFJjNRcECB23ViVTCrrvxyb9yLpmcqk876w2ee_Wz1w/s2048/Cable+housing+splice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmHLF9W-t6CvtNUzBAryieMQusd3n_eB9BlQD1p-NL4_JG_yazfoG1dwdLg1XTj6r4oUVWoOp-4ALIlQg851QDWSCv-pJyyZFiFJjNRcECB23ViVTCrrvxyb9yLpmcqk876w2ee_Wz1w/s320/Cable+housing+splice.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-15224465425933977812021-02-16T18:43:00.000-08:002021-02-16T18:43:10.274-08:00Chair<p><br /> This is my chair:</p><p><br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefEVrg3_1pGL61yFy99-X2iJbt_V5Ck5m8K6suXQxGoXl3c7B0uq-QFHWx8_ldqcWztrI2KQWlsBbJQ0cM9mTJFvltaZZZhuDeAkJJqjiIPK1iC20K_lHlYckGAsWxRq8cHK0YWiYSgg/s2048/Chair+001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefEVrg3_1pGL61yFy99-X2iJbt_V5Ck5m8K6suXQxGoXl3c7B0uq-QFHWx8_ldqcWztrI2KQWlsBbJQ0cM9mTJFvltaZZZhuDeAkJJqjiIPK1iC20K_lHlYckGAsWxRq8cHK0YWiYSgg/s320/Chair+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I was going to throw it out when we moved house but notwithstanding the rips and the repairs it is a comfortable chair and much work has been accomplished thereon. However a daughter spotted it while moving.</p><p>"What's THAT?"</p><p>"It's a computer chair. From 1928."</p><p>"How come they had computers in 1928?"</p><p>"They didn't of course. It's an office chair."</p><p>"Woz they like, 'Guys, we got the chair. Now we'd better invent computers' ?"</p><p>Anyway I sat on my chair, and leaned back and there was a loud bang and the chairback, normally springy, flipped backwards and I nearly fell off. I looked below and a bolt had sheared, and the impact had cracked the cast iron. I tightened an adjuster instead of the spring and we must now pray it remains comfortable for seven more years and then it can be wheeled round the garden and earn itself a knighthood.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqudUIzAAVzVkAUND8XlP1zt8Y-alw11TY647zV6O8SLbEz_dVqKe7JTZPwx8GnozJF84W5fjtPQ-6ymn1xIOmlXJzu5W-0FH6N8_vcbTi7HC6sHp1uw7v1tgSlVXVDXweoSoI4vIThE/s2048/Chair+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqudUIzAAVzVkAUND8XlP1zt8Y-alw11TY647zV6O8SLbEz_dVqKe7JTZPwx8GnozJF84W5fjtPQ-6ymn1xIOmlXJzu5W-0FH6N8_vcbTi7HC6sHp1uw7v1tgSlVXVDXweoSoI4vIThE/s320/Chair+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-34837233473154245672021-01-29T15:36:00.000-08:002021-01-29T15:36:10.077-08:00Flags<p>Bright sunshine, mid-morning, high overhead sun, empty road; yet a passenger in an old estate car still felt obliged to hang out of the window and shout "You're nearly invisible! You need a flag on a pole!"</p><p>It has been observed that over 90% of communication is non-verbal. (90% of statistics are made up on the spot.) The non-verbal communication in this instance is:</p><p>1. I resent anything unusual being on the road.</p><p>2. I resent cyclists. I have no reason for resenting cyclists: I just resent them.</p><p>3. I especially resent cyclists who aren't on cycles that I normally resent.</p><p>4. With no experience whatsoever, I can solve all problems in the two seconds it takes to overtake another road user.</p><p>5. It is my yuman right to drive whilst paying scant attention.</p><p>With equal inexactitude, my own belief is that</p><p>a) car drivers see anything unusual.</p><p>b) flags make no difference - the hatred of some car drivers cannot be assuaged.</p><p>c) if you really want people to give you road room, bungee a gently flapping bicycle mudguard sideways across the back of your bike. The mudguard will oscillate vertically; car drivers will see its glinting shininess; they will have difficulty discerning how far it sticks out; subconsciously they will worry about their paintwork.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-88661541211880931052020-12-24T21:32:00.001-08:002020-12-24T21:35:19.893-08:00Chainsaw chain brake problem<p> One of my sons took my chainsaw to the dead walnut tree at the foot of the drive. A plaintive cry accompanied it home: "The chain won't go."</p><p>This not being a problem I have hitherto come across, I was foolish enough to pull the chain brake off the chainsaw while it was still locked. It appears everyone does this, and everyone wonders afterwards how to open the chain brake which, once activated, cannot be addressed other than by supernatural means. Someone posted a <a href="https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/resetting-chain-brake-on-husqvarna-36.279078/">solution</a> but not for mine, which is a Husqvarna 141. So I had to address it myself, and since there's nothing much else to do on Christmas Day apart from visit the beach and chat to the builders' wives, fathers, children, and other rellies who also dwell on the beach on 25th Dec, I got on with it.</p><p> First to making a wooden box in which the chain brake assembly could be worked on with adequate force. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sCrNxoXzc5KWFRuK_tEeGcl6eYeVIkchUsZctonE-MYW_wWiVPAdRhEDRcXf8TZoeXZI-OnpoQsWZwo7eOr02CqbcgLqw5BrCAKg4OwlPKzCTs0Av7AmJbZpp69de7cqQ9ycNnRcnPA/s2048/Husqv+141+chain+brake+010.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sCrNxoXzc5KWFRuK_tEeGcl6eYeVIkchUsZctonE-MYW_wWiVPAdRhEDRcXf8TZoeXZI-OnpoQsWZwo7eOr02CqbcgLqw5BrCAKg4OwlPKzCTs0Av7AmJbZpp69de7cqQ9ycNnRcnPA/s320/Husqv+141+chain+brake+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Next to insert erroneously locked chainbrake.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJztoL9t8KFWVuzF34i43kreQifJ_9vvpVTpvoW5-MlwP3n8RWRxDnp8FeiG_MDoEmS7uownjYBSAdpHSK04gSZE7alGIZQF7zFfH04r7WNFEViYObHT9yfAsT6A9jJt1sgP402pDvXwE/s2048/Husqv+141+chain+brake+003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJztoL9t8KFWVuzF34i43kreQifJ_9vvpVTpvoW5-MlwP3n8RWRxDnp8FeiG_MDoEmS7uownjYBSAdpHSK04gSZE7alGIZQF7zFfH04r7WNFEViYObHT9yfAsT6A9jJt1sgP402pDvXwE/s320/Husqv+141+chain+brake+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Wooden plug in centre where the clutch goes, and with much leverage force on the locking spring applied by screwdriver, add strips of cardboard to gradually pack out the brake band.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhit9kI6GsxcS8H_gGUh3jKVc38LcgBmNlt5KrR0ZrTL8DvpTL5xD1k8I3dvAtJSAQUatr3-LPHpYyNJASm1tzAegpxztBI1TrWTp7ooUIiaatjipox8B6VegZ-aIRJ2SE03ZXv8avEoqQ/s2048/Husqv+141+chain+brake+005.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhit9kI6GsxcS8H_gGUh3jKVc38LcgBmNlt5KrR0ZrTL8DvpTL5xD1k8I3dvAtJSAQUatr3-LPHpYyNJASm1tzAegpxztBI1TrWTp7ooUIiaatjipox8B6VegZ-aIRJ2SE03ZXv8avEoqQ/s320/Husqv+141+chain+brake+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Now, with locking spring compressed as much as possible and the brake band as expanded-back-to-size as possible, pull the feeble grey lever <i>very hard</i> backwards, which is, it seems, what I failed to do in the first place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbXJRfyNEE8rKpD7UDAcHcGreMnLGYWhRwfWvRCApiZ3RzUaK6fJaaXJYD54yVW0-w5JPVqPvPsgXM4Ae-TEwYBI0qT8N456aktOulz1837HMvIMmH14wSEh8CLs-6DWT7kPtK8SD4Qo/s2048/Husqv+141+chain+brake+008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbXJRfyNEE8rKpD7UDAcHcGreMnLGYWhRwfWvRCApiZ3RzUaK6fJaaXJYD54yVW0-w5JPVqPvPsgXM4Ae-TEwYBI0qT8N456aktOulz1837HMvIMmH14wSEh8CLs-6DWT7kPtK8SD4Qo/s320/Husqv+141+chain+brake+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>And finally screw the cover plate back on to stop the spring flying out.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgo_x-5V5Sk78PxhdgfSbmK2UKY0kdOH9fPXL1tXsXMGvZwwrULpgVwUKE9EzEqloy2hgNVYUVqeCV7FYZgogl6QOS2L8vZEKnyAbzJpJHHCy8mVMvNoLmqx6RUW7Tqif7cAl6Yj0ZgM/s2048/Husqv+141+chain+brake+009.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgo_x-5V5Sk78PxhdgfSbmK2UKY0kdOH9fPXL1tXsXMGvZwwrULpgVwUKE9EzEqloy2hgNVYUVqeCV7FYZgogl6QOS2L8vZEKnyAbzJpJHHCy8mVMvNoLmqx6RUW7Tqif7cAl6Yj0ZgM/s320/Husqv+141+chain+brake+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I've missed out the major steps, which comprised trying to work out what to do and how to do it, the mechanism being far from clear and the assembly being impossible to take apart. And I've also missed the exciting moment where the compressed spring slipped free and flew across the workshop, reminding me of Mr Knight's gentle hint the other day - "If you find yourself wondering whether you need eye protection, then you d<i>efinitely need eye protection</i>." And I've further missed the bits where the spring had to be held in place with fingers while putting the cover on, but that's because I don't have a third hand to operate the camera.</p><p>Okay, that was my Christmas Day. What about yours?<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-5319292334153304022020-11-24T12:24:00.000-08:002020-11-24T12:24:04.384-08:00Toothpaste and chain waxing<p> Toothpaste ran out last night. Opened new tube this morning. Squeezed. Nothing but air came out. Squeezed again. More air. Squeezed the bottom inch and eventually - behold! - some toothpaste emerged.</p><p>Thought for a moment. How come? Extracted old tube from bathroom bin. Examined carefully. Old tube stated "Net 120gm". New tube stated "Net 90gm."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOXd87n0MuZJdAm4PiI1VuwX4rF79B6kMRixzTNx8LQw3vRkiROCwEWzr4YhWzJA7g5nzsWaMXfXcrxRfVFd58BtJ6wdgpMkdSz9FFzpjjEtb4WkClbDhyphenhyphenHvqeCxphFnNXJB0AEE37BQ/s2048/toothpaste.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOXd87n0MuZJdAm4PiI1VuwX4rF79B6kMRixzTNx8LQw3vRkiROCwEWzr4YhWzJA7g5nzsWaMXfXcrxRfVFd58BtJ6wdgpMkdSz9FFzpjjEtb4WkClbDhyphenhyphenHvqeCxphFnNXJB0AEE37BQ/s320/toothpaste.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i>How GlaxoSmitheKline saves itself 25%, the sneaky tricksters</i> <br /><p></p><p></p><p>Thus is inflation disguised from the inattentive purchaser, since the two tubes are the same length and almost the same diameter.</p><p>In happier news, I found a motorcar wheel hubcap at the side of the road and being an invertebrate (sic.) collector of junk - like a hermit crab - gathered it up and repurposed it as a chain waxer. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8DRYTQD_k_Aq70Zk7PhP37XMhV_SVz_J6UVBAAQSKHyjol61wRiR9PdfTtrDLz550GsMRQLNjBkeyJDsmtGT5CSdogcNI545uo7tAMbVBAbu3lEqj5NnkEsrvXz91pMY33-VDUbdxDw/s2048/chain+wax.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8DRYTQD_k_Aq70Zk7PhP37XMhV_SVz_J6UVBAAQSKHyjol61wRiR9PdfTtrDLz550GsMRQLNjBkeyJDsmtGT5CSdogcNI545uo7tAMbVBAbu3lEqj5NnkEsrvXz91pMY33-VDUbdxDw/s320/chain+wax.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i>Domed hub cap, nice for swilling around</i><p></p><p>The advantage over the saucepan I previously used is that it's like a miniature wok and you can swill the chain around, and therefore don't need to use as much wax. - For those who aren't avid chain-waxers, the technique is to bend a spoke to hook through one of the links so you don't scald any fingers. You melt ordinary paraffin candle-wax in the pan and deep-fry the chain for a moment. Hoiking the chain out of a normal saucepan is awkward, the sides of the pan being vertical and the volume of wax being large and a coiled up 120-inch recumbent's bicycle chain being mostly two-dimensional and irritatingly flappy. <i> </i>The newly-fried chain is dumped onto a piece of hardboard from which the excess wax will later be scraped back into the pan for the next time, and then the chain is stretched out onto the shed floor so when it cools it is long and straight and stiff, rather like any other long and straight and stiff item that may spring involuntarily to mind. This stiffness makes it easier to thread through the rear mech's idler wheels and the plastic tubes we all use on to corral long recumbent-chains.</p><p>The advantage of chain waxing was again brought home to me the other day when I adjusted the Rain Bike's chain, which is the only chain I oil rather than wax. The Rain Bike is a hack bike - old and largely unmaintained - I have written of it <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3150996550460171805/8096234369829825618">elsewhere </a>on this blog. Despite a low mileage it had stretched by an eighth of an inch over twelve inches. Road dust sticks to an oiled chain the oil conducts it inside the links where it acts as an abrasive. Wax doesn't flow, nor does road dust stick to it. My other bikes have far higher mileages and still no chain wear. Ye of little faith who aren't yet converts to chain-waxing need to be a mustard seed. Or something.<br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-30164334654180529482020-07-11T02:53:00.001-07:002020-07-11T02:53:39.457-07:00House renovationsHouse renovations have taken place. I offer the following observations.<br />
<br />
1. It is a truth universally acknowledged that electricians leave tiny
red, and black, plastic insulation tubes 25.4mm long all over
the place. Jane Austen didn't but that may be ascribed to the want of red and black plastic two hundred years ago.
(Acknowledge, not leave.) These pieces will be found in wayward corners for the next three years. Similar snippings of
green-and-yellow plastic commonly but not always contain copper wire.<br />
<br />
2. When a tradesman uses your hand-towel to wrap discarded glassfibre batts, it is better to reflect on the progress of the renovations than where to dump his bludgeoned body.<br />
<br />
3. A plasterer flinging a bucket of white stuff into a bush does not enhance the appearance of the garden. He will only dispose of it carefully if you watch. There seems no connection in his mind between deed and evidence.<br />
<br />
4. I am informed by the builder that the plural of Tim-Tam is Tim-Tam. He equates Tim-Tam with sheep and deer, both of which congregate in herds. I do not take a position on this matter and shall refer it to the Doctors of Linguistics in my family, of whom there appear to be an
ever-increasing number. Until the etymology is elucidated by the biscuit manufacturer Arnott's (sic.) I'll stick with the natural plural. In the meantime I shall test the builder's resolve by feeding him Tim-Tams (sic.) at smoko (sic.) and see if he continues to take, when offered, another one.<br />
<br />
5. You may feel that moving furniture into the garage is a
pleasurable way of spending your birthday. I do not share this view. <br />
<br />
6. Your chances of successfully
tidying up are greatly enhanced by starting. They are diminished if you
merely contemplate how much there is to do. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-21486413548890966902019-02-19T22:25:00.000-08:002019-02-19T22:25:41.831-08:00Tennis ball pumpIt may be remembered that I have an abstract interest in pumping up tennis balls.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcwKKOft0RcJuiPx3-G2ixfmrqopk59f6FkCZkT8XeCqqUa-GWQZMLgWp-cbeSCqZIe632yoqIMv4zzFIoLS9Itr61FPcUSeOF80FIRqNxJP8UEVXGlVUL6MaRD5ZMi20WXs7-k1-SYg/s1600/tennis+ball+pump.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcwKKOft0RcJuiPx3-G2ixfmrqopk59f6FkCZkT8XeCqqUa-GWQZMLgWp-cbeSCqZIe632yoqIMv4zzFIoLS9Itr61FPcUSeOF80FIRqNxJP8UEVXGlVUL6MaRD5ZMi20WXs7-k1-SYg/s320/tennis+ball+pump.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>A plastic tube, all this past fortnight.</i><br />
<br />
This interest resurrected itself when a tubeless tyre refused to hold pressure and I had recourse to the bicycle shop which has a compressor. There I found a New Device called a flash pump into which we will not go since Google will take us there if we're interested and anyway nobody is. Reading this. Unless I'm sore mistaken.<br />
<br />
Persons unknown have made their own flash pumps all over Youtube and you may youtuble them, I expect, if the subject enthralls.<br />
<br />
I have confined myself to gluing ends on a bit of PVC pipe, one of which screws off and didn't quite seal on an 80mm O-ring cos I couldn't get enough torsion twixt lid and pipe. Accordingly I machined a large tight hole in a bit of oak and chopped it in half and got a better purchase on the pipe in the bench vice and that worked: the tyre pressure gauge revealed that 60psi still remained within from Waitangi day until this afternoon, viz., for two weeks.<br />
<br />
JE Gordon (p119-123, Structures) told me that the pipe is twice as likely to burst like a sausage than the ends are likely to shoot off, but they - the ends - are a bit bulging and I housed this thing out in the shed in case I got that wrong and it transformed itself into a pipe bomb. Which is itself stupid: I should have put it in the grapefruit tree and then only grapefruits rather than sheds will be damaged.<br />
<br />
The balls were sealed inside and the test to see if some of the 60psi leaked into them was done by dropping them on a concrete floor and seeing if they bounce as high as a new tennis ball. They didn't. Well, one did, but four others were mediocre and one bounced with little enthusiasm. So they're back in the pipe and back up to 60psi for another week and we'll see how long it takes before they all go bouncy.<br />
<br />
The pipe, if this is of interest, has an OD of 82mm and a wall thickness of 3.4mm and somehow or other I calculated this would give a safe working pressure of 115 psi but I can't recall what possessed me to come to that conclusion. Was it a website somewhere? Anyway it seems safe at 60 psi. The inlet valve is a Presta valve cut from an old inner tube, sealed on the inside merely with the remnant of the rubber inner tube and the locking ring tightened with pliers on the outside of the end cap. <br />
<br />
What all the Youtublers do is fit a second Presta valve, connect it to the putative tubeless wheel valve with a bit of soft plastic pipe, fold the plastic pipe over and nip it closed with a Mole grip. The device is pumped to something approaching pressure vs volume, the Mole grips flicked open, and the outrush of air is claimed to seat the tubeless tyre on its rim. Some Youtublers claim that a plastic fizzy drinks bottle will hold 150 psi and so it might if it's a small one, but I have bitter experience of this and can assure you a three litre fizzy drinks bottle will swell and burst at 130psi and woe betide your hand if you chance to be holding it while this bursting occurs. Compressed air is a <b>lot</b> more dangerous than folks imagine.<br />
<br />
There are so many videos online that I can't be bothered to locate one for viewing pleasure, but the general clues used by Mr and Mrs Google are cheap ghetto tubeless inflator.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-82609325040932804562018-09-16T16:01:00.002-07:002018-09-16T16:01:50.875-07:00Foam ChaincaseIt will be remember-ed - we few, we happy few, we band of brothers - it will be remember-ed (no it won't, cos no-one's paying attention and frankly, why should they) that I built a foam <a href="http://colonial-diaspora.blogspot.com/2017/04/one-year-on.html" target="_blank">chaincase </a>around my no-maintenance rainbike so I could dose the chain with oil and not worry about it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Said rainbike started making a whoosh-whooshing noise t'other day and on my return, dripping, I chanced to examine the back tyre and decided, on reflection, that it was probably about time to replace it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQc4QbS3Kftv_DdBBTZSpty3DbkPkJPVG17c95HeYFo0wYYG13X_Go0nf8DD-Al1YaUcpt6hXolHyiMR5pQHtLHFK9OVL7I1C2V4SNWkmC41WXqHTsGS5_eu1pT3XgLEIxMYoya973_o/s1600/Chaincase+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQc4QbS3Kftv_DdBBTZSpty3DbkPkJPVG17c95HeYFo0wYYG13X_Go0nf8DD-Al1YaUcpt6hXolHyiMR5pQHtLHFK9OVL7I1C2V4SNWkmC41WXqHTsGS5_eu1pT3XgLEIxMYoya973_o/s320/Chaincase+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Back tyre. Past its sell-by date</i><br />
<br />
Using the time-honoured method (1) of undoing the LH axle nut only and pulling the frame apart just enough to get the old tyre out and the new one in, I replaced it and found to my annoyance that the chain had come off. Stuck inside the foam chaincase I couldn't get it back on, so peeling back the foam I discovered that my endeavours had not been entirely successful in keeping the chain oiled and clean and maintenance-free.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd87OsB3DdLdL4jgVEoXPPGoHHazDwtQcjSWmGiaszFZYsICPA8UPcayz-H1V0bSeqBiMzR3shi1DL95w-cRkzmRQ6QgQ5vxufohiz1m9bltO60XV5iwqoTBLe4AnmGdxUwFuctpVW1rU/s1600/Chaincase+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd87OsB3DdLdL4jgVEoXPPGoHHazDwtQcjSWmGiaszFZYsICPA8UPcayz-H1V0bSeqBiMzR3shi1DL95w-cRkzmRQ6QgQ5vxufohiz1m9bltO60XV5iwqoTBLe4AnmGdxUwFuctpVW1rU/s320/Chaincase+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHM7NjBiVqUpVH3mQF8j2xmNXXb8EPDkLTr-YKyEjLwqfDbCL-QlPHsiOsm3c11Ga1hlz7np3nBTFi6UZDZYI-3bqf9spH25rQM5zf0lvCgGr8lrpnKRDfDsmKFUPsBLwCvRlpmQz_AY/s1600/Chaincase+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHM7NjBiVqUpVH3mQF8j2xmNXXb8EPDkLTr-YKyEjLwqfDbCL-QlPHsiOsm3c11Ga1hlz7np3nBTFi6UZDZYI-3bqf9spH25rQM5zf0lvCgGr8lrpnKRDfDsmKFUPsBLwCvRlpmQz_AY/s320/Chaincase+006.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1hxcvl19wFToPXwzaXNgZ-jREaW9C5VFfvKdUK4_LNDYkG2h3GG0suTkKu72HmyUwM9hc56ryzjU5AFKeG4ZiCBh4bfcuy_LgmkUhMdtUkpkaWkKZ4QLFlifCOp15i0MSoQhvBVDhVQ/s1600/Chaincase+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1hxcvl19wFToPXwzaXNgZ-jREaW9C5VFfvKdUK4_LNDYkG2h3GG0suTkKu72HmyUwM9hc56ryzjU5AFKeG4ZiCBh4bfcuy_LgmkUhMdtUkpkaWkKZ4QLFlifCOp15i0MSoQhvBVDhVQ/s320/Chaincase+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrLuaGU8WfMmKZoog1D2QBqz2CzWrysJJRi5mlwip9803iqcnUxVRk2d_LliTdiJeeWvVQKS2fA5u4ky5mcYJu3lBOB7LRSDXPG-72WIHm8OJ1sOBjHiRbTvScIZKowiOz4OhBCApq1I/s1600/Chaincase+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrLuaGU8WfMmKZoog1D2QBqz2CzWrysJJRi5mlwip9803iqcnUxVRk2d_LliTdiJeeWvVQKS2fA5u4ky5mcYJu3lBOB7LRSDXPG-72WIHm8OJ1sOBjHiRbTvScIZKowiOz4OhBCApq1I/s320/Chaincase+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So it was an interesting experiment but in the interests of honesty I think we can discard both the chaincase and the idea. I prefer waxing chains as road dust doesn't stick to wax and a waxed chain lasts longer than oiling it, but I think this bike can be an exception and since it's made out of old junk and exists solely so I can get my daily exercise even in inclement weather, we'll oil the chain and live with the need of occasional replacement.<br />
<br />
(1) As explained to me by Mr. Knight.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-34962460466584287842018-07-11T01:02:00.000-07:002018-07-11T01:02:35.108-07:00Violin muteIt is a truth universally acknowledged that I am a pretty atrocious
violinist. - Actually not universally: only acknowledged by those
admitted to the privilege of hearing me play, of whom unfortunately
there are all too many lurking in my history. - Luckily in an orchestra
you get drowned out by everyone else, and the only way the audience
detects how useless you are is when they notice that you're doing an
upbow when everyone else is doing a down, except when your bow is
jiggling a bit because you're way back on bar 73 and everyone else has
moved on to bar 81 which doesn't have any semiquavers in it. "Ah," say
all my devoted fans, "but how come you were outside desk?" Simple:
inside desk, who is a good deal better than you are, turns the pages and
then you don't have to hiss "where are we?" quite so often. If you
don't happen to play in an orchestra I will let you into a secret - your
inside desk knows exactly how bad you really are. Never sit next to
someone unless you're prepared to share your darkest secret with them.
This is the chief reason I haven't played in an orchestra for, oh, 36
years. Well, that and there not being one. - There is a ukulele band. - I
do not belong to it.<br />
<br />
If you are as bad as I say I am,
and let's face it you are if you're me, the only way you can play a
violin is with a mute. And there's the prob. No mute. I had one:
indeed I had two. I had a proper black <a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxQJIkqI26mrrSBzfbOIcxpRiwXxlc98SDeToQZ6tm0XbkAaZi" target="_blank">one </a>made of soon-to-be-extinct
ebony, and I had one of those wire <a href="https://bluegrassdaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/image-5.jpeg" target="_blank">plastic </a>rolly-onny-thingies that sit
behind the bridge on the squeaky bits of string, and now I have
neither. I have searched my violin case. I have searched John's violin
case. I have searched his old ¾ case and I've searched that wooden
Antonius Stradivarius case which contains the instrument with several
wormholes and the date 1776 which means he was still making violins
forty years after his death. (It does have a nice tone though.) But no
mute.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNSTdC6cNRthkTIDL1zsbM0bYwcbo_qdSNnaLORAWzE6BocarQo_JpzcbSVuswjgHKhDH-Kp0R_KYZZAeWbnQYzZ-Zq17KLOquSkOD3lCn_IDL33Y0sCSSA6eCrAzfL-gnBtDSdHjJsg/s1600/IMG_4766.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNSTdC6cNRthkTIDL1zsbM0bYwcbo_qdSNnaLORAWzE6BocarQo_JpzcbSVuswjgHKhDH-Kp0R_KYZZAeWbnQYzZ-Zq17KLOquSkOD3lCn_IDL33Y0sCSSA6eCrAzfL-gnBtDSdHjJsg/s320/IMG_4766.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>My Stradivarius with home-made mute</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAhzhGXwIe3ll9VHM8JGA0d0f4O2-IiM6_8VZNNDSB4WG65vQXIGiUV5fh_lDpkYYj2Kenr1czLT-gXnkF44qUGiZrN37THr44FUdpy-JFW4zUHcnHJ7i23j0kRlbU2LwKz2Nt7wp8ME/s1600/IMG_4771.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAhzhGXwIe3ll9VHM8JGA0d0f4O2-IiM6_8VZNNDSB4WG65vQXIGiUV5fh_lDpkYYj2Kenr1czLT-gXnkF44qUGiZrN37THr44FUdpy-JFW4zUHcnHJ7i23j0kRlbU2LwKz2Nt7wp8ME/s320/IMG_4771.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Don't believe me? Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlksEXRZNDw57QRl22ucDL4FBBvszI1iUE_qXm1xLkIALtbgyz500Vq7yAtlxNWQ8aQgUkxQ_ZPIqFX9XrM0a9ZR_2dbCrY6iypGDaBhTkx7ohDsAUQWx94Zj2PfMpM8LG66XLPbubus/s1600/IMG_4773.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlksEXRZNDw57QRl22ucDL4FBBvszI1iUE_qXm1xLkIALtbgyz500Vq7yAtlxNWQ8aQgUkxQ_ZPIqFX9XrM0a9ZR_2dbCrY6iypGDaBhTkx7ohDsAUQWx94Zj2PfMpM8LG66XLPbubus/s320/IMG_4773.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Faciebat Anno 1776. Absolutely genuine.</i><br />
<br />
Accordingly
I had to make one. This isn't as difficult as making a bicycle, but it
does rather undermine your case for prevarication when your daughter
asks you to fix one of those things to a coat that she's made, you know,
one of those press things that don't have a name. So you acquiesce.
And a good job too. She opens the packet and works out which of the
four bits goes where and you lend her a punch to make the holes in the
cloth and she gets the tool (supplied) and whacks it with a hammer
(yours) on the tiny anvil (supplied) and the clicky-onny-bobble works
perfectly. But the clicky-tooey-bobble doesn't work at all. The smart
whack with the hammer flattens the sticky-outy-tubey-thingy into the
concave recess of the anvil, and ten minutes and your 2½ x magnifiers
are required to work out why, and you realise that the tools supplied
aren't up to the job and she really needs a tiny supporting anvil, not a
concave one, to prevent the sticky-uppy-tubey-thingy collapsing while
being whacked. So you find an old bolt picked up from the road - one
always collects bolts and this is why - half an inch in diameter and
chuck it in the three-jaw and machine a 6mm OD base 0.7mm high with a
3.3mm OD point 2mm high to support the thin sticky-uppy-tubey-bit and
you hand her a centre-punch for the initial belling of the
last-mentioned-thingy and then a small ball-bearing and behold! your
anvil works perfectly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pfmES7FYH3wMF_VhgBIRM2YO2t3J-GrQXr5eO5FapB9EV9nVWQo1gwtOZf8xnGwu8Nh7otADiNO4EalRK2DzNvBbWJWGlC5TcDB2VSOe-jP8xw5O7rB0532XZGYD58YXNAGHUrJ-PiI/s1600/IMG_4764.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pfmES7FYH3wMF_VhgBIRM2YO2t3J-GrQXr5eO5FapB9EV9nVWQo1gwtOZf8xnGwu8Nh7otADiNO4EalRK2DzNvBbWJWGlC5TcDB2VSOe-jP8xw5O7rB0532XZGYD58YXNAGHUrJ-PiI/s320/IMG_4764.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>All the tools required for dressmaking.</i><br />
<br />
"So when they sell snap fasteners in Spotlight for needlework, they should mention that all you need is a hammer and an engineering lathe."<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-55689987214008618792018-03-09T01:55:00.000-08:002018-03-09T01:55:50.296-08:00Mr English's tandemMr. English has been for a visit. He came once more on his
recumberent tanderem which, it may be recalled, was not unlike the machine they were a-riding <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3150996550460171805#editor/target=post;postID=1708089763804507534;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=postname" target="_blank">four years ago</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_E0DF8ljfhqJIx7uwQZpMFBcKKne1jyboG5LLDyHCxlgR8j8_S_DPfY7qC5LNkRI_AMN_ZspKc3_MS14HQmdz4GuY480j8phDzuXCxStj6QDUzc4os3AEBiSIEQHpriJufF9QpUBkIRs/s1600/English+2018+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_E0DF8ljfhqJIx7uwQZpMFBcKKne1jyboG5LLDyHCxlgR8j8_S_DPfY7qC5LNkRI_AMN_ZspKc3_MS14HQmdz4GuY480j8phDzuXCxStj6QDUzc4os3AEBiSIEQHpriJufF9QpUBkIRs/s320/English+2018+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
He had balanced his wife on the back of this
recumberent tanderem, but without too much difficulty I tipped her
off and occupying her seat, obliged him to pedal me up Marahau
Hill while I amused myself by making encouraging comments and pointing out objects of interest at the wayside.<br />
<br />
Normally I
manage the steep bit to the grey box in seven minutes but Mr. English
managed it in five. It takes me a minimum of thirteen and a normal
of seventeen from there to get to the summit, but Mr English managed it in
eight, whereafter he was a little puffed. The whole ride, which I have once
(but only once) done in one hour and twelve minutes, he did in one hour
and nine. Towards the end of the ride he tried to break away, but he was unable to drop me. This may be
attributed to my Youth and Superior Musculature. I considered overtaking him on the final stretch but thought it might cause him to lose control, which would be unkind.<br />
<br />
This warmed us up to a small degree so off
we went to Stephens Bay for a swim, and Mrs. English did not fully
believe my warning about the stingray, so afterwards we walked to Apple
Tree Bay and peeping down from above saw two of them after which she was<br />
1. convinced and<br />
2. nervous.<br />
"I'll wait till we get to Auckland before I go swimming." <br />
<br />
Next day off they went to Golden Bay, taking 1 hour 40 minutes to ascend the 791 metres of Takaka
Hill, I daresay taking sips of water from time to time <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eucdGpj04RCt-nRhP8sT4TZ4DgObh-_H9m-upcSLT_XQSg01nIXkItz62C62Ld_3aijRa1fmxinNgTGuz7Moxmq79d5v2LFwm2RCyqPHIGlzOp7Q0JVEUquYwAcvNi9nkJZW_VKCJVw/s1600/English+2018+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eucdGpj04RCt-nRhP8sT4TZ4DgObh-_H9m-upcSLT_XQSg01nIXkItz62C62Ld_3aijRa1fmxinNgTGuz7Moxmq79d5v2LFwm2RCyqPHIGlzOp7Q0JVEUquYwAcvNi9nkJZW_VKCJVw/s320/English+2018+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After
they'd had their fill or Takaka, which means to say sampling the tofu,
they returned and I snuck a number of pictures of their green bicycle
for the purposes of Industrial Espionage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI57ztA7_d909_Z9VhiQBKYStbkOFLcWtbv-PzuRWLVIgR0P_LQJY1YZAnxU5x8B2qJtAQl22Q55LE4HRXN-WjPWDZUVEEZd9wiMWyanIUQ3UiPYS6fgK77eNK-beqMQ6TcB5EZAwULSI/s1600/English+2018+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI57ztA7_d909_Z9VhiQBKYStbkOFLcWtbv-PzuRWLVIgR0P_LQJY1YZAnxU5x8B2qJtAQl22Q55LE4HRXN-WjPWDZUVEEZd9wiMWyanIUQ3UiPYS6fgK77eNK-beqMQ6TcB5EZAwULSI/s320/English+2018+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcq3EtMAtqUomnAy7Wb-jzioIVKkZ4jdz_W6fqGUNvStT0RH6lkma0Q-Jn5kAs_mG9G1Pyc2R6_jhuAPXG8KhJOODmuvLBsKZfYE6Wb4gwjZCs5SSLb3sqzvCNB-aNBwx54Q1Uf-64TY/s1600/English+2018+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcq3EtMAtqUomnAy7Wb-jzioIVKkZ4jdz_W6fqGUNvStT0RH6lkma0Q-Jn5kAs_mG9G1Pyc2R6_jhuAPXG8KhJOODmuvLBsKZfYE6Wb4gwjZCs5SSLb3sqzvCNB-aNBwx54Q1Uf-64TY/s320/English+2018+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR5ay96uhVKeA0SE9p_03jwKMcpCaO8hQB-KWKCt1_YUBUI7vMH-uXM9nwDs_3nxV3kfskdCauo7op2ze5Pch9kD-1ty4EqdeHN8e7FJDRtrKx_z_1Oc5upX4ZLnDlkJFSKybPuo5icA/s1600/English+2018+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR5ay96uhVKeA0SE9p_03jwKMcpCaO8hQB-KWKCt1_YUBUI7vMH-uXM9nwDs_3nxV3kfskdCauo7op2ze5Pch9kD-1ty4EqdeHN8e7FJDRtrKx_z_1Oc5upX4ZLnDlkJFSKybPuo5icA/s320/English+2018+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzt3Hg7UwZRZVIYJvTE0ykv-kV-M_icCizMnc9vVpFX4N0T5gfYxCpJuw7nugrvadALqB_ERqoz19Y_5Xi_xIO_QxuSuW48xr5_-nOmwKSIDpHiv4NKBf7UWsXc7LcYe1Q_TfJHmQgjrA/s1600/English+2018+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzt3Hg7UwZRZVIYJvTE0ykv-kV-M_icCizMnc9vVpFX4N0T5gfYxCpJuw7nugrvadALqB_ERqoz19Y_5Xi_xIO_QxuSuW48xr5_-nOmwKSIDpHiv4NKBf7UWsXc7LcYe1Q_TfJHmQgjrA/s320/English+2018+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYn1xCZNW8gFw4LHXWFkgXMNe1ulH0dLKPs1JqRTQh9_3wg2BQ5cN6pLbb0KbxBomx9QUtwTZ1qKriZayeZSWr6EpHqKOrdxydIgvbBEbjikvrk7AQczC44_D6CB0G57PhWKVhl_e7V4/s1600/English+2018+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYn1xCZNW8gFw4LHXWFkgXMNe1ulH0dLKPs1JqRTQh9_3wg2BQ5cN6pLbb0KbxBomx9QUtwTZ1qKriZayeZSWr6EpHqKOrdxydIgvbBEbjikvrk7AQczC44_D6CB0G57PhWKVhl_e7V4/s320/English+2018+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIL-pfZgX-aw_zhJicbdWRxZN-4lViq0BnQ2Uz_LX3mrRJzzEeBSqP1TZbTLOGYbjbdDOKrHXI7K7rwX89Y22Z2UWuEjDiv8mgWY9F2-AwyoXI31fu50BUwYWRukAw9kpozsyDcWbhho/s1600/English+2018+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIL-pfZgX-aw_zhJicbdWRxZN-4lViq0BnQ2Uz_LX3mrRJzzEeBSqP1TZbTLOGYbjbdDOKrHXI7K7rwX89Y22Z2UWuEjDiv8mgWY9F2-AwyoXI31fu50BUwYWRukAw9kpozsyDcWbhho/s320/English+2018+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5L6BAbj7n_oCCb05kvuQLHpr-9FxqGMRQS1iPJnlC7BRES8V5pwJIJcmr2StqYw5KwlWCFl0OdU_ndGyN7yTVX2TU2xL6jL97Cuv8LLtUKs1BIEVJRyWAXZizc7dguxjoqA1ypyY5mAE/s1600/English+2018+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5L6BAbj7n_oCCb05kvuQLHpr-9FxqGMRQS1iPJnlC7BRES8V5pwJIJcmr2StqYw5KwlWCFl0OdU_ndGyN7yTVX2TU2xL6jL97Cuv8LLtUKs1BIEVJRyWAXZizc7dguxjoqA1ypyY5mAE/s320/English+2018+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsJGwL1YNAUou0rnPtIXobX_xi0hHvfZGSS5SUYqOslW_8ihq3PGC4hqjRftikbSGnrPY9FePV48L-Vrjapd4yQQOLz_N2wN-xYo5Fx45gze9CqozQUOHs0xDIshFM7btkZjrcv66KWw/s1600/English+2018+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsJGwL1YNAUou0rnPtIXobX_xi0hHvfZGSS5SUYqOslW_8ihq3PGC4hqjRftikbSGnrPY9FePV48L-Vrjapd4yQQOLz_N2wN-xYo5Fx45gze9CqozQUOHs0xDIshFM7btkZjrcv66KWw/s320/English+2018+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydPem2I8WeG7mo9TG_0sv1Y9ECoWXYMfD75gfLi4z9mwv3Ausisk_5csx6JfnHpuq7GeJZlTqPDJU_ZSjS1F7_lVIRFi40Lk0PsPwxZsCiPyn3zaDEwI67rgDrZzkyT1LshBKrrDW35Y/s1600/English+2018+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydPem2I8WeG7mo9TG_0sv1Y9ECoWXYMfD75gfLi4z9mwv3Ausisk_5csx6JfnHpuq7GeJZlTqPDJU_ZSjS1F7_lVIRFi40Lk0PsPwxZsCiPyn3zaDEwI67rgDrZzkyT1LshBKrrDW35Y/s320/English+2018+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimW-sE4V6yrD_SFryKgv9Iv8UPDsf_OuVuoD_Oo2Jww41oKEyAdPk4lQzEam2HQumcrKlaIlxcdN5FAmfk9bblZj-7hxIUy8pQHYyjSP74cs0nA3QpfeaUtoqQd3tFAV_1AS8AU8dtbw/s1600/English+2018+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimW-sE4V6yrD_SFryKgv9Iv8UPDsf_OuVuoD_Oo2Jww41oKEyAdPk4lQzEam2HQumcrKlaIlxcdN5FAmfk9bblZj-7hxIUy8pQHYyjSP74cs0nA3QpfeaUtoqQd3tFAV_1AS8AU8dtbw/s320/English+2018+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvt2Cj9x_dhOYL9mEB5UsekvwqwNVSnizRJRTAjOhUw4UCZGHIKRRN8iRL1wTe87NEwl2PZoXG72dUgJb82aMJvhWpOv3id8r5WqOHiYnkZk2eNY8Qb0PoT2hj2qlWIsjwwYbkJJ_hMI/s1600/English+2018+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvt2Cj9x_dhOYL9mEB5UsekvwqwNVSnizRJRTAjOhUw4UCZGHIKRRN8iRL1wTe87NEwl2PZoXG72dUgJb82aMJvhWpOv3id8r5WqOHiYnkZk2eNY8Qb0PoT2hj2qlWIsjwwYbkJJ_hMI/s320/English+2018+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYaG4fy_vikVynHhZBHrDwh_3jHN_PO4eO_BNKnwNMDG_w3yvZ8NOA7rcFJkUKx3xGJt-VajVzCXWk8ByJPFBjBtl5bgA2KR5a3_ITirIS1a7JhWuMaDqHGkd8Ruol_nG283K1_bkznY/s1600/English+2018+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYaG4fy_vikVynHhZBHrDwh_3jHN_PO4eO_BNKnwNMDG_w3yvZ8NOA7rcFJkUKx3xGJt-VajVzCXWk8ByJPFBjBtl5bgA2KR5a3_ITirIS1a7JhWuMaDqHGkd8Ruol_nG283K1_bkznY/s320/English+2018+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3UeohC0XEqfo3IgbjVpDeiWDxiAMhMTGpxGFlvw_11c2_sqP_al0ZkwybsiedEAwtQ58FKGgI-8XDY9Hzcj4vsTPR36_vFQwvOe33iLg3QvufAqSGx5hpc5Nrr5ux444YhT5nlQ9cDs/s1600/English+2018+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3UeohC0XEqfo3IgbjVpDeiWDxiAMhMTGpxGFlvw_11c2_sqP_al0ZkwybsiedEAwtQ58FKGgI-8XDY9Hzcj4vsTPR36_vFQwvOe33iLg3QvufAqSGx5hpc5Nrr5ux444YhT5nlQ9cDs/s320/English+2018+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahJJSB1ixIxh3JCTJE7aE4TSAJCngb3BuhH10dR1uWfFqqToz0uIgQK3MQbZ9ZNLEui7MnVqCBlYZojxTWJ1b43y1FV0QkjEIFHFmFTpGIyjPzAv_zv53aXi6cHxxYOS0sY57bBiK3ys/s1600/English+2018+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahJJSB1ixIxh3JCTJE7aE4TSAJCngb3BuhH10dR1uWfFqqToz0uIgQK3MQbZ9ZNLEui7MnVqCBlYZojxTWJ1b43y1FV0QkjEIFHFmFTpGIyjPzAv_zv53aXi6cHxxYOS0sY57bBiK3ys/s320/English+2018+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvLRMksU0XRzcmrhXBzyrkRBf-mWq7WjvgObfRn2JQDHqAwScQEflvXfqoEaaThpOSrpMPs1JtTKzMmKT8GTQNpUsMmSyIizfq5Th5dKuw3pMgb4AznSKTcQJeyT1ivIbAqW3ETljCTY/s1600/English+2018+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvLRMksU0XRzcmrhXBzyrkRBf-mWq7WjvgObfRn2JQDHqAwScQEflvXfqoEaaThpOSrpMPs1JtTKzMmKT8GTQNpUsMmSyIizfq5Th5dKuw3pMgb4AznSKTcQJeyT1ivIbAqW3ETljCTY/s320/English+2018+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8C4IhHqnnuNPdUZ1x6tXGEd9owegEhlEw401ukbNqjVGntU3M7LTN_E6InOeJCJN-F3DN-RPsZxj6k7UP_NCeATfghGEkNP8NLHJU0NML46GnJeGSc6L1BEaKU2LSsjsvlw2DV54CFtg/s1600/English+2018+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8C4IhHqnnuNPdUZ1x6tXGEd9owegEhlEw401ukbNqjVGntU3M7LTN_E6InOeJCJN-F3DN-RPsZxj6k7UP_NCeATfghGEkNP8NLHJU0NML46GnJeGSc6L1BEaKU2LSsjsvlw2DV54CFtg/s320/English+2018+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMVb1CtBr_PBrRxANx01XuAhYN5F-QjU2l_PJTK9SM5OKK5PHQMt3eC2KGcirljFEeIy8dD-o3tlGpwMdbHhojZ2e7PhvZwg5EH-q3ryGTdbfnpEplfMFq_lwmJkh27kwJyOf1ok4NHg/s1600/English+2018+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMVb1CtBr_PBrRxANx01XuAhYN5F-QjU2l_PJTK9SM5OKK5PHQMt3eC2KGcirljFEeIy8dD-o3tlGpwMdbHhojZ2e7PhvZwg5EH-q3ryGTdbfnpEplfMFq_lwmJkh27kwJyOf1ok4NHg/s320/English+2018+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_843268824"></span><span id="goog_843268825"></span><br />
<span id="goog_843268824">Then, amid the precursor to the rainstorm that placed eight inches of rain on top of New Zealand and caused one or two <a href="https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh60-takaka-hill-repairs/gallery" target="_blank">problems</a> to those motoring over Takaka Hill, off they went to Auckland. Where Mrs. English went swimming. And where she didn't meet with a stingray. Rather, with a great white shark.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrtu1fPD0ZfEVfMl8cGedOYSh-AKuHYVsT5SrmVcYYVVU6JoeOthxFKzgUmpCzrgB_om3wKZ7mZWLR2Hp7_Kqc1ygyhK2FI7lgiN42k2iaJ1fCO379pkqzygNh1nHLfayB8Up_1FfiqU/s1600/Misha+Auckalnd+2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrtu1fPD0ZfEVfMl8cGedOYSh-AKuHYVsT5SrmVcYYVVU6JoeOthxFKzgUmpCzrgB_om3wKZ7mZWLR2Hp7_Kqc1ygyhK2FI7lgiN42k2iaJ1fCO379pkqzygNh1nHLfayB8Up_1FfiqU/s320/Misha+Auckalnd+2018.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-85491915938387394142018-02-24T20:31:00.000-08:002018-02-24T20:31:07.210-08:00Binocular collimationIt has often been averred that I am a genius. Admittedly there is only one person doing this averring - viz., me, but that doesn't detract from the frequency of the observation.<br />
<br />
Today's observation concerns fixing a pair of Swift Audubon 7x35 roof prism binoculars which were out of alignment. Nice optics for each eye provided t'other was closed, but that reduced them either to a heavy monocular with a spare attached, or attached monoculars for two viewers having Very Narrow Heads.<br />
<br />
There are lots of internet <a href="https://www.cloudynights.com/articles/cat/articles/how-to/%E2%80%9Ccollimating%E2%80%9D-binoculars-r408" target="_blank">articles </a>on collimation and any amount of discussion but the problem is always finding how the wonky binoculars in the hand are originally aligned. Some have cunning screws hidden away to tweak the prisms. Some have eccentrically mounted objectives. Those before me turned out to have one eyepiece adjustable for focus, and the other eyepiece loose and rattly and only held in place by three dabs of glue and an eyepiece cap screwed firmly on top of them. Indeed I was a bit startled, unscrewing the wobbly one, to find the objectives were covered with flat protective glass.<br />
<br />
Anyway the problem with a loose eyepiece is that of holding it in the right place while tightening the cap to hold it in the right place. If you point them at the communications mast on the skyline down the valley you have to levitate the lens by mystical powers inside the eyepiece cap, powers that I do not yet possess.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjU0h16JqEuWHWUoJgXGeP52mf8hEr2lY32MLS4JLXv8Yfql_iEGpP9vMxfqB-8_K0KZQdNMvceToo9-GLNNoiyZsF9pjuCoKT7dGWqKgvKZkpuKUW3wzqs_75mkLhKwq-KPnZOVfhB8/s1600/binoculars+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjU0h16JqEuWHWUoJgXGeP52mf8hEr2lY32MLS4JLXv8Yfql_iEGpP9vMxfqB-8_K0KZQdNMvceToo9-GLNNoiyZsF9pjuCoKT7dGWqKgvKZkpuKUW3wzqs_75mkLhKwq-KPnZOVfhB8/s320/binoculars+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So I made a little wooden box with two holes in the top for the binoculars to sit on, and took the mirror off the bathroom cabinet and propped it under the holes at 45 degrees, pointed the apparatus at the horizon, and managed the job in a couple of minutes. The errant eyepiece lens obeyed Sir Isaac and sat where I prodded it while being clamped into place.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFwiT_V-swb9bZVbrvlvSF9xEwmENY79VgfndBrsl8JtsQfx5Ua5FkVBpAg15Hzm7HQSnXQyF4iFNp3QdQXWuexcVTIjcqElBXJLzqokqbcV7KGVQdSuPkiqsvxDKRZvL69OyqpHenWo/s1600/binoculars+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFwiT_V-swb9bZVbrvlvSF9xEwmENY79VgfndBrsl8JtsQfx5Ua5FkVBpAg15Hzm7HQSnXQyF4iFNp3QdQXWuexcVTIjcqElBXJLzqokqbcV7KGVQdSuPkiqsvxDKRZvL69OyqpHenWo/s320/binoculars+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There, another averral of genius. Unf. still by the same person. Unf.ier, I didn't put dabs of glue in place, so I 'spect it will come loose rattling around under the driver's seat of the car.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-69009653941602699282017-12-03T01:15:00.000-08:002017-12-03T01:15:33.994-08:00Tandem repairCame a phone call from Carl: could I fix his cracked tandem frame. He brought it in his van, and here it is:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1hyphenhyphenPYuMjbU4U9HLF9a0UD5gF48T0kJVS_F7eLRvvaG0sry_Wjid_OuXyMVRqA2k-9cHJEzBbG_CwbRIzi5uHTfFjBbzUwX4sREDNFSqp8e-CzClFEr94GFe1dk8bPN-zwNCDDNQcYnc/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1hyphenhyphenPYuMjbU4U9HLF9a0UD5gF48T0kJVS_F7eLRvvaG0sry_Wjid_OuXyMVRqA2k-9cHJEzBbG_CwbRIzi5uHTfFjBbzUwX4sREDNFSqp8e-CzClFEr94GFe1dk8bPN-zwNCDDNQcYnc/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Built without a top tube it would have been perfect for a couple of mice provided they had long legs - say, a pair of jerboas - but Carl is heavier than a mouse, and he told me an equally heavy dentist occasionally rode on the back, and I can imagine even his children tugging away on those stoker bars. Anyway, it had, as he said, cracked the captain's seat tube exactly where every engineer in the world would predict there to be a stress concentration.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6HYf_0GOSFOeOqDtaz2RpTo-tqw-e_xiNZcTYdH2QERe916PP3Oc6VFccSZdjsuh8gTnBrnAUumL-sVN_JxAguV6QMaQA-dozyaU1NJLMoalZU-53xT3myoK-05Kz-ZThoCSipvn1YM/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6HYf_0GOSFOeOqDtaz2RpTo-tqw-e_xiNZcTYdH2QERe916PP3Oc6VFccSZdjsuh8gTnBrnAUumL-sVN_JxAguV6QMaQA-dozyaU1NJLMoalZU-53xT3myoK-05Kz-ZThoCSipvn1YM/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Carl being mostly composed of leg, I thought it wouldn't be a bad plan to extend the frame's seat tube and then brace it. If I retained the original clamp, there could be two seat post clamps and that would use some of the strength of the seat post itself.<br />
<br />
First I pulled the seat tube straight with a sash cramp and welded the crack closed. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY4OJkdMjVMEx-5MExGuXnx_76ty4ISCuAxdDUAeAHI8xSu1en9UeJ0g-K3eEmge6EsgXBJi5TF8E1es9dUjvCSHe6Az9VSwoRpjyO_36qsxQXKmw8fCdzjgVH4-szZ9acM3ROR6PkK8/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY4OJkdMjVMEx-5MExGuXnx_76ty4ISCuAxdDUAeAHI8xSu1en9UeJ0g-K3eEmge6EsgXBJi5TF8E1es9dUjvCSHe6Az9VSwoRpjyO_36qsxQXKmw8fCdzjgVH4-szZ9acM3ROR6PkK8/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Rummage in the bike heap for a seat tube top, add an inch of oversize tube to match the existing seat clamp diameter, drill and plug-weld the two together only at the front. Cut a slot in the back so as not to interfere with the existing seat clamp.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM6TO6R2uJ_XYrUKeBjDAQQwOurDdl2h2NYA9lIBv0_GEq6xyRw7EY-oVPSNTVRDkiU2-guLFXFMsDDGa-HBof86qhyphenhyphen3z1jPesxq_Z9JJxIdM3DHT9qXNZ2C_cS3hEc_rBRLALAmw17M/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM6TO6R2uJ_XYrUKeBjDAQQwOurDdl2h2NYA9lIBv0_GEq6xyRw7EY-oVPSNTVRDkiU2-guLFXFMsDDGa-HBof86qhyphenhyphen3z1jPesxq_Z9JJxIdM3DHT9qXNZ2C_cS3hEc_rBRLALAmw17M/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbF-deP_9bzRPo-e_flDY6hz7tZESkqsy6nj-kM-uR9Aln9H6Y04kUDw7P30FYOJkmBS68NOhpnH7Y9wDMM_eMiFJbj2y-qvNsJY1xOkfbXYSLNG9lkke21BZqDjn_3B00u0meOwVbdVY/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbF-deP_9bzRPo-e_flDY6hz7tZESkqsy6nj-kM-uR9Aln9H6Y04kUDw7P30FYOJkmBS68NOhpnH7Y9wDMM_eMiFJbj2y-qvNsJY1xOkfbXYSLNG9lkke21BZqDjn_3B00u0meOwVbdVY/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span id="goog_2110444494"></span><span id="goog_2110444495"></span>Insert another seat tube to keep everything in line.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHphNcKoj6m0a8adlM7gcImeTpDvxD5z3eCksqTg7_d1qY_DNoQDpUd2NT0WDXSzN4Cp3NHyTHDVXxwFfqMpgOWm1M3Jtfw7A-MmhpspH_Fjj6VDBYmf9oT0RynNsUjPrZ2J3xjovcVJw/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHphNcKoj6m0a8adlM7gcImeTpDvxD5z3eCksqTg7_d1qY_DNoQDpUd2NT0WDXSzN4Cp3NHyTHDVXxwFfqMpgOWm1M3Jtfw7A-MmhpspH_Fjj6VDBYmf9oT0RynNsUjPrZ2J3xjovcVJw/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Poke into frame, and weld again only to the front.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-ri-CcqNGr6rzHQxy-4I4q41qIaKWJ5WB4uPRdLqqHLdmu1C05HmYOGWZDC3rfX7jE62vRo2UwEIBUYx4Z89a7-289ZHHkB8b_5dYX1QneGtYWRx8xu-2bWgwL543K5_giJnhjwBd78/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-ri-CcqNGr6rzHQxy-4I4q41qIaKWJ5WB4uPRdLqqHLdmu1C05HmYOGWZDC3rfX7jE62vRo2UwEIBUYx4Z89a7-289ZHHkB8b_5dYX1QneGtYWRx8xu-2bWgwL543K5_giJnhjwBd78/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Clearly this is a bit of a feeble joint, so weld a bandage to the front of the joint, top and bottom.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod3ShFq1d31W-h0WDWDpdE_xy4s8sZPISSR3_AE0l9e9xa7V2MyYyMy9r3taUcpeO1OD6e7ttl6oOKb4qB2AenMzVWEPR0ge4VVfsQYVGfJ5_GWxg5-kj1fbXvHb77zV4QCoEOFSmG3w/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod3ShFq1d31W-h0WDWDpdE_xy4s8sZPISSR3_AE0l9e9xa7V2MyYyMy9r3taUcpeO1OD6e7ttl6oOKb4qB2AenMzVWEPR0ge4VVfsQYVGfJ5_GWxg5-kj1fbXvHb77zV4QCoEOFSmG3w/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KIzeTkSfdZwNb1XpTrp2TVjHH4ONR_yxEwJ1CYDJlL-gBuwUnxm3U7y_9-6SyeQqTKsMVWlH707-4vSXW6FjT9gu6U2lpwYzfWvw_XzQB_QnlT9SAzqnLjSOPb5pBKGYSAVBvj0f5GI/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KIzeTkSfdZwNb1XpTrp2TVjHH4ONR_yxEwJ1CYDJlL-gBuwUnxm3U7y_9-6SyeQqTKsMVWlH707-4vSXW6FjT9gu6U2lpwYzfWvw_XzQB_QnlT9SAzqnLjSOPb5pBKGYSAVBvj0f5GI/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Now for some bracing. The top tube should be in compression, so the welds ought to be okay without gussets. Lop a couple of top tubes off donor frames, preserving cable clips where possible.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrY_yamC-kN2gPiFBKtNpkDthIbgGTUL4aKaFzhfGq0jLPznju7ix4d_J88bUaKHgXrdcm_H6HxD8PsYSZKw4AikJqDhJNOU9Rgf1yyR4bCtct_i1v2-dbPGz845s2Bac7FDcO9cqcIZs/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrY_yamC-kN2gPiFBKtNpkDthIbgGTUL4aKaFzhfGq0jLPznju7ix4d_J88bUaKHgXrdcm_H6HxD8PsYSZKw4AikJqDhJNOU9Rgf1yyR4bCtct_i1v2-dbPGz845s2Bac7FDcO9cqcIZs/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39G7i9iYHHOjoY170oum3lpXWWjFw-d-3mwgc1AQQ1BqJ2YCFpz3c-nOq-BhDYhlHnSluPTrx49MsSq_DpazTS_TH_UsAs45eiBK_LNydO6WpbQc4pleuuEI1RXAQ1ritZLmDkRjtGkM/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39G7i9iYHHOjoY170oum3lpXWWjFw-d-3mwgc1AQQ1BqJ2YCFpz3c-nOq-BhDYhlHnSluPTrx49MsSq_DpazTS_TH_UsAs45eiBK_LNydO6WpbQc4pleuuEI1RXAQ1ritZLmDkRjtGkM/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoEuz8MoyWACanhU5iF4iyLZKKrbNNhi281DI05whAXAtKWHb2GmN1L0B9mG0rBsG7RRHZeUzNAi_FQvQIG87dlspW0-pve1rB9rtdZD_pORg3JU7mTr2ovAdLH84B__QD9M8gn-eP4k/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoEuz8MoyWACanhU5iF4iyLZKKrbNNhi281DI05whAXAtKWHb2GmN1L0B9mG0rBsG7RRHZeUzNAi_FQvQIG87dlspW0-pve1rB9rtdZD_pORg3JU7mTr2ovAdLH84B__QD9M8gn-eP4k/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Sit back, admire, and telephone Carl. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2OwFKOm3r5pm6oTIJaWMv2dg8TGfHD8Wgw92UKb7md5A30sPRa36XxbfooKmTBszxzsQ5nadxuOlhkvZCXS-fEnxAAydf6Ud0SxHfqF8TnmQVqDfpcc9iV9P-Jz3AYN0GupWxMw_SD4/s1600/Carl%2527s+Tandem+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2OwFKOm3r5pm6oTIJaWMv2dg8TGfHD8Wgw92UKb7md5A30sPRa36XxbfooKmTBszxzsQ5nadxuOlhkvZCXS-fEnxAAydf6Ud0SxHfqF8TnmQVqDfpcc9iV9P-Jz3AYN0GupWxMw_SD4/s320/Carl%2527s+Tandem+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
With a bit of luck that'll prove adequate, and the jerboas can retire in favour of weightier crew. My only concern is in the 700c wheels, which have but 36 spokes each, none of them especially tight. I suggested he take it off to see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MotuekaBikeShed2016/" target="_blank">Ross</a> (warning: Facebook), who is blessed with both enthusiasm and knowledge for and of old bikes. I think this takes the town's total to five tandems.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-9875391860152051752017-11-27T16:14:00.003-08:002017-11-27T16:17:28.546-08:00Tallbike painted<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, cousin Kate is going to marry Angela Merkel, is he? Well
if you can't be king of England you might as well be chancellor of Europe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where were we. Yup, the tallbike is even finisheder. It got racks welded on and it got painted. It can now stand innocently until the tyres go flat or I think of a use for it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlpNWywr7JQRyD0lDwXGLmw19IV3xyE9PaG5z2Rya2usBfdnx4YJstTAlpZzyx1bq2zKMRGMdeIxSFlAFp2pP4k3GbW0kXpYENUWP307_FoHn19C11ZjUx0ipgN9PEiHn17Ejb58mrdg/s1600/Tallbike+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlpNWywr7JQRyD0lDwXGLmw19IV3xyE9PaG5z2Rya2usBfdnx4YJstTAlpZzyx1bq2zKMRGMdeIxSFlAFp2pP4k3GbW0kXpYENUWP307_FoHn19C11ZjUx0ipgN9PEiHn17Ejb58mrdg/s320/Tallbike+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Still no triangulation of that whacking great big unstable parallelogram. We shall see if we ever need it. Unlikely if it never gets ridden and becomes a mere shed encumbrance.<br />
<br />
Moving on, a big fat German plumber came to stay with his slender wife and tiny child and demanding activity after he'd eaten two dinners and helped himself to several evening beers and smoked a cigarette in bed, all of which made me wonder who won the war, and lacking a baby seat we had recourse to phoning Suzanne, who volunteered either of her machines, one a huge Dutch bicycle and the other a perfectly good gentleman's mountain bicycle, if I'd fix the seat of the one and the tyre of the other. Nothing loathe, since the option was watching the perfumed plumber (he'd occupied the bathroom and emerged leaving behind such fumes of eau de cologne as would eliminate borer insects deep in the beams) eat his way through bacon eggs tomatoes sausages ("The German are better, English no good, like their cars. My Mercedes van has 130 horsepower, nothing it can't conquer." - Oh,thank you for that enlightening discourse. Anything else you'd care to tell at me?) several times, I walked down to the wharf where Suzanne lives and located the bikes and effected the one repair with nothing more than a track pump, and the other by riding it home on a wobbly seat and welding reinforcements to the whateverit'scalled gizmo atop the seatpost. Here's a before and after:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFOpjqablj7iNkej6jCWEqahQ7taJERK9smuS8xTv0xlAD4j5grpv83sywlPeSFYzrYWW__KiroIOoQrFQc-NlBugIwty9kmffsPPkknXsCdZmPE4EGG2es53UdAfKMyZS8IWPg0V2Sg/s1600/Suzannes+Dutch+bike++001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFOpjqablj7iNkej6jCWEqahQ7taJERK9smuS8xTv0xlAD4j5grpv83sywlPeSFYzrYWW__KiroIOoQrFQc-NlBugIwty9kmffsPPkknXsCdZmPE4EGG2es53UdAfKMyZS8IWPg0V2Sg/s320/Suzannes+Dutch+bike++001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Before. The cradle thingy for the seat rails bent, as you may imagine, where those thin bits either side of the hole lie.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10veiwYLlh4ritVchR1l_F9NXfXzqeQKtSGsCkg0ythj4iC2TpdmU5DZSt3_wPO5bbkmtiuBQz4SfcLLXy80MFc6vf5NWs2gDvMfbL1fF7pROGHX59D29lHd0FsYvur47mci07PAvW-w/s1600/Suzannes+Dutch+bike++002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10veiwYLlh4ritVchR1l_F9NXfXzqeQKtSGsCkg0ythj4iC2TpdmU5DZSt3_wPO5bbkmtiuBQz4SfcLLXy80MFc6vf5NWs2gDvMfbL1fF7pROGHX59D29lHd0FsYvur47mci07PAvW-w/s320/Suzannes+Dutch+bike++002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>After. 3mm steel welded in place and left untouched as much as possible to give vertical strength. Not much to show for three hours of a Saturday morning. Still, one hopes it works.</i><br />
<br />
When the plumber went off in his camper van to Picton normal service was resumed, which is to say Carl the electrician telephoned and suggested I repair his tandem. This will have to wait till another post gets itself blogged.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-89909908963938484672017-10-15T01:15:00.000-07:002017-10-15T01:15:14.177-07:00Tallbike luggage rackOut with the weekend welder, and the Tallbike which <i>was </i>finished is now even finisheder. -<br />
<br />
On with a front mudguard - easy - and then on with a rear mudguard, which required two tags welding to the frame for 6mm bolts, and a bit of alteration of an old TV aerial to turn it into a mudguard stay which, hitherto, was missing. <br />
<br />
'kay, that dealt with the non-issue of riding it through puddles which I don't propose ever to do.<br />
<br />
It had struck me that since it's easy to mount and dismount, it wouldn't be a bad plan to use that most valuable of space, low between the wheels, for luggage. Accordingly I propped up the world's standard disposable container (a banana box) underneath the pedals and welded on a couple of hangers for a roller-skate wheel to hook the floppy-half of the chain out of the way. One of those rubbish folding chairs gave of its flimsy, lightweight, very thin-walled 5/8" ERW tubular legs and got turned into a rack, and a piece of old sturdy mountain bike (perfectly good, thank you PC Morris, a perfectly good gentleman's mountain bicycle) front fork got sawn off and welded to the lower mainframe to attach the front thereof.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQ9jfqXYvCQjMY-Xpd1H0iq5K7R8O4tcXRq3hyphenhyphennLMweddfOnxkK8gqQp5JiSj839iRR5KCFdmPVUbuzcysOlWvu_09_Nr1i2L43OuxC3sIzSWQMtb1kqpp7dc40LPVUTZ60CtRb2AMec/s1600/Tallbike+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQ9jfqXYvCQjMY-Xpd1H0iq5K7R8O4tcXRq3hyphenhyphennLMweddfOnxkK8gqQp5JiSj839iRR5KCFdmPVUbuzcysOlWvu_09_Nr1i2L43OuxC3sIzSWQMtb1kqpp7dc40LPVUTZ60CtRb2AMec/s320/Tallbike+041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now for weight to test the wobbliness. Garden raided of river-cobbles, 51 lbs of which were uploaded into banana box.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5znB7b0wjy0dKBG1SB8Ji5Lnnx-K0lK_Z33327f2qao3c7uYkoqVUH8JbrPDBNhi0Yh9JSpJbTuBm2JldEKSEiFKcxoXRxY8ziI3bkUQOj8ITq5uzaDgktVf7j1dT06WE6BK85LlxUg/s1600/Tallbike+040+51lbs+stones.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5znB7b0wjy0dKBG1SB8Ji5Lnnx-K0lK_Z33327f2qao3c7uYkoqVUH8JbrPDBNhi0Yh9JSpJbTuBm2JldEKSEiFKcxoXRxY8ziI3bkUQOj8ITq5uzaDgktVf7j1dT06WE6BK85LlxUg/s320/Tallbike+040+51lbs+stones.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Onto rack, and round and round the garden like a teddy bear, digging deep grooves into the grass which I don't care about. What's the purpose of a lawn anyway? You only have to mow it, and nobody actually enjoys a lawn. We ought to keep a sheep.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPadx5cJxdb5dpvrFVNQp1YssKVnlZbmMwpicmaKPPiIKTlmfUkpCmeRil-Cvmyodc8kqfqCyVrCHmvMXcjoJGkxwE1l9W7ntYMz-0jFPl_QRt_ryxsgFeO_Zr85i0DT4rG5UEI1MNPvk/s1600/Tallbike+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPadx5cJxdb5dpvrFVNQp1YssKVnlZbmMwpicmaKPPiIKTlmfUkpCmeRil-Cvmyodc8kqfqCyVrCHmvMXcjoJGkxwE1l9W7ntYMz-0jFPl_QRt_ryxsgFeO_Zr85i0DT4rG5UEI1MNPvk/s320/Tallbike+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, it rode okay, but was wobblier than it should've been. Scratch head: grab rack, wiggle, determine that there is movement in the two rear members.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYeJjTlqPIDMR2D7DQaWZ5wN0LJrkKoZaUKAWBxInzBp3DF9JuPTr1HvrXh5P1mhh3P1kBwXB6hHoPfugTlxOEUpdC6qzS9VV_YjZcodl3r6kEqE3oJWI0_vID5XNsWLyR_vps8zfrVc/s1600/Tallbike+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYeJjTlqPIDMR2D7DQaWZ5wN0LJrkKoZaUKAWBxInzBp3DF9JuPTr1HvrXh5P1mhh3P1kBwXB6hHoPfugTlxOEUpdC6qzS9VV_YjZcodl3r6kEqE3oJWI0_vID5XNsWLyR_vps8zfrVc/s320/Tallbike+042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Decide to add triangulation, gaining the approval of all the world's engineers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdJ1GzamhSUubuKplU-jnCgOL8OjsvRCI2ba-mBhHWMMseviI7JWL3Eh29mymu8iXgG_35cqYf7Bcit-R-WmvNQKofRkOunWvrorWS2e7QG1oq05C6pbuBuo3fCzbGnpTkXZDkj2JfjU/s1600/Tallbike+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdJ1GzamhSUubuKplU-jnCgOL8OjsvRCI2ba-mBhHWMMseviI7JWL3Eh29mymu8iXgG_35cqYf7Bcit-R-WmvNQKofRkOunWvrorWS2e7QG1oq05C6pbuBuo3fCzbGnpTkXZDkj2JfjU/s320/Tallbike+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Lo! It no longer wobbles. Moreover I discovered that the left-hand pedal is a folding one, which I had not spotted before. Amazing what you find when people dump bikes on you.<br />
<br />
So it is becoming a useful cargo bike, like one of those ancient <a href="https://tradesmansbike.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Trades Bikes</a> that Chris Darby used when we were kids and he wasn't distracted by November the Fifth and blowing up cowpats with bangers. And I bet young teenagers would be a jolly sight keener on delivering groceries on a Tallbike than one of those heavy things, if there were groceries requiring of delivery, if anyone used bicycles for delivering anything these days where one cannot function one child to school without the aid of a ton of four-wheel-drive metal.<br />
<br />
Current weight increased to 38lbs. Still thinking about bracing that worryingly empty parallelogram.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-89050692063240252752017-09-24T16:34:00.000-07:002017-09-24T16:41:07.891-07:00Tallbike finishedLots of cable-stops, Mig-welded on despite the remaining braze material. Yes, I could have silver-soldered them but Mig is quicker and involves less cleaneryuppery afterwards and no painful shards of borax-glass which is the inevitable result of being too impatient to apply eyeball protection to front of head. And no, Mig isn't beautiful but I do lay claim to the view that my glorious Tallbike isn't quite as ugly as those affairs where the citizens of Portland in the county of Oregonshire in our colony of America simply weld a Walmart bike on top of another Walmart bike, much as that might be the best and quickest thing to do with Walmart bicycles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaO3Ett3OpsrFO_fZeUVYBF_8Ghml43qYbMgB8Lq4h9W_hA-N9sjF2hCsBIj-lTy8yZ7ngkigJgpPvXlrbK_A-QwWgRD2N3H1duXVnHm6Kzt_TA8HSLCm0kru8uRxZg-2Sx8WESdZejA/s1600/Tallbike+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsaO3Ett3OpsrFO_fZeUVYBF_8Ghml43qYbMgB8Lq4h9W_hA-N9sjF2hCsBIj-lTy8yZ7ngkigJgpPvXlrbK_A-QwWgRD2N3H1duXVnHm6Kzt_TA8HSLCm0kru8uRxZg-2Sx8WESdZejA/s320/Tallbike+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Visible, if one can be bothered to look for them, are two cable joiners, and a quarter-circle sawn out of that headtube with the groove filed in, that persuades a gear cable to turn 90 degrees and get the front mech to work. Cunningly the front mech is missing from the picture, so deducing where it might be can replace tonight's cryptic crossword for one's brain exercise.</i><br />
<br />
Handlebar from somewhere and combined brake/gear levers from somewhere else. Haven't diagonalised the parallelogram: riding round the garden hasn't stressed matters enough to feel the need.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFJv8udMtnag0xboLhrI5WxuBIOSKmBxM7N8xWNF2G3yPgPE4fX_38dW6qij5PWfsP56Y-DzAq2BMCtS9RCyERqGImvjtdVEmWkvBmCXf43kesdhZ9xYWkqzy45LOMbQuWECZ_MjXZP0/s1600/Tallbike+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFJv8udMtnag0xboLhrI5WxuBIOSKmBxM7N8xWNF2G3yPgPE4fX_38dW6qij5PWfsP56Y-DzAq2BMCtS9RCyERqGImvjtdVEmWkvBmCXf43kesdhZ9xYWkqzy45LOMbQuWECZ_MjXZP0/s320/Tallbike+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It turned out to be easy to get on and off, much easier than the penny farthing. You put a foot on the pedal, scoot a couple of times, and get on just like a normal bike. Get off in the same way. And it feels just like an ordinary bike to ride too, even though you're higher up. Indeed you're higher than on the penny farthing though mine has but a 48 inch wheel, and is therefore a small penny farthing. The penny's seat is 52 inches off the ground, so five inches lower than this machine. (If I may dignify it with the title 'machine'.) And you don't feel that you're in peril of your life, as you do on the penny; nor do your arms have to counter the pedalling thrust which on a penny farthing tends to a slight side-to-side waggling of the big front wheel which is the case if you're a nervous penny farthing rider, which I am.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhae1DP1MLNp3WkUx56Hq3-ACkhTVYZuExMJV1RWdXBdB1cEXrI2avoah-72TewPfIr1YRQMwwpFSLRHRpv8l_urH6UpGXuTEzFSp70FfF7QjyrgyD0C3GnPV3jbPSjkAeQ9stAOQTbXkQ/s1600/Tallbike+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhae1DP1MLNp3WkUx56Hq3-ACkhTVYZuExMJV1RWdXBdB1cEXrI2avoah-72TewPfIr1YRQMwwpFSLRHRpv8l_urH6UpGXuTEzFSp70FfF7QjyrgyD0C3GnPV3jbPSjkAeQ9stAOQTbXkQ/s320/Tallbike+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Tallbike vs Penny Farthing</i><br />
<br />
Vital statistics:<br />
<br />
Wheelbase: 58"<br />
Seat height: 57"<br />
BB height : 28"<br />
Weight: 36 lbs<br />
Wheels: 700 x 23c<br />
Gearing: 14-28 rear, 28/38/48 front<br />
Cost: <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">£0.0s.0d. unless you count the Mig wire, gas and electricity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Time: three weekends</span> <br />
<br />
S'ppose I'd better take it for some rides up the valley before painting it. Bracing that parallelogram with a diagonal or adding carrier racks is best done while the steel is raw since it saves on wire-brushing paintwork off.<br />
<br />
And then it can be stashed away until the Pienaars come for lunch and their teenage boys can amuse themselves riding it, along with all the other useless vehicles I've built, up and down the road and afterwards Lenny can come and tell me off vicariously for them not having helmets on. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-25212920198814753322017-09-23T01:19:00.000-07:002017-09-23T01:24:42.813-07:00Tallbike seat stays etc.Decided to preserve Healing seat stays because = simpler. First I took my Tarini frame and snipped off the seat stays and lengthened them to accommodate a 700c wheel, being too lazy to weld on cantilever bosses. The lengthening was easy, ugly and may need reinforcing if for no other reason than to pretend there isn't a stress concentration which there probably isn't because when you ram a tapered thickened seat stay backwards into another one and weld them together, there's an awful lot of thick and heavy steel sitting there.<br />
<br />
Back to the original plan, and extending the bottom tube for the ostensible reason of creating a rear luggage rack. And preserving the faux seat tube for the front derailleur mech. And snipping some seat stays off a few other bikes to see what would fit. Burning off the paint. Wire-brushing the ash. Pretending the ash molecules aren't pollutants and won't have any effect on the garden or on my unprotected lungs.<br />
<br />
On to drilling 4mm holes for plug-welding, and since I can no longer get the machine onto the drill table, doing so by hand with the inevitable blood sacrifice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSMPczGB2Yo9Y0aE2zafegLE0hQVcCcbQ5UoZqXCFbWdmDvyUoyw0tfnxYld9lU8T1c_6X3SiOvo2aVaC7fU9W1Xo__GPK13LFa6fDIHu9mLuZOpcoAWwcY-7EGPa5JkULPV5-68NNZo/s1600/Tallbike+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSMPczGB2Yo9Y0aE2zafegLE0hQVcCcbQ5UoZqXCFbWdmDvyUoyw0tfnxYld9lU8T1c_6X3SiOvo2aVaC7fU9W1Xo__GPK13LFa6fDIHu9mLuZOpcoAWwcY-7EGPa5JkULPV5-68NNZo/s320/Tallbike+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Don't feel sorry for cut, feel sorry for stupid.</i><br />
<br />
Since back-of-knuckle wounds aren't self-sealing, into the bathroom for plaster, knock mirror off shelf, into kitchen for dustpan-and-brush, mirror-shards wrapped and binned, plaster on, resume welding. As I say, don't feel sorry except for stupid.<br />
<br />
Lots of shaping, lots of extra bits of tube, lots of weight. Did I really hope it was going to end up a lightweight? No, I didn't. And a bit more Googling reveals that one was right to be concerned about that elongated fork steerer tube. I found someone else who built one, and it cracked exactly where <a href="https://tallbiketour.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/the-breakdown-which-almost-never-happened/" target="_blank">anticipated</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR6ResIaUAexRk1cAUcgNE9cTitHXdchKOzZppINrn4qJydE0cB_3VVB7iqqLm3GYc-1tDOzx5rmJaFkjoZ5PpUuhOPFg2QhITk561JIxA7nnNfka8Q4A-uH5yji8puIGZt2dF_at7wc/s1600/Tallbike+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR6ResIaUAexRk1cAUcgNE9cTitHXdchKOzZppINrn4qJydE0cB_3VVB7iqqLm3GYc-1tDOzx5rmJaFkjoZ5PpUuhOPFg2QhITk561JIxA7nnNfka8Q4A-uH5yji8puIGZt2dF_at7wc/s320/Tallbike+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Gnarly seat stays to match gnarly chainstays</i><br />
<i><span id="goog_598215720"></span><span id="goog_598215721"></span><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBfLr-V1S-K7Jibql-iwYzc3kTimLD7BdetENuxRkx77XdUl9jju2TSQToeRqvNDltF98IL1MgvOqK3fbUXAJ1gONlOV0HLvHnJIVOfWl-FNpu3MNxFXUZv89aVnlFChk7xn0aA3M0ak/s1600/Tallbike+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBfLr-V1S-K7Jibql-iwYzc3kTimLD7BdetENuxRkx77XdUl9jju2TSQToeRqvNDltF98IL1MgvOqK3fbUXAJ1gONlOV0HLvHnJIVOfWl-FNpu3MNxFXUZv89aVnlFChk7xn0aA3M0ak/s320/Tallbike+028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Methinks that parallelogram may need diagonalising.</i><br />
<br />
My neighbour was impressed. Actually he was more impressed with Ron's bike which had luckily remained untouched, and since all it needed was air in the tyres I pumped them up and gave it to him, and he rode it down to the wharf this afternoon and came back puffed.<br />
<br />
On to contemplate cabling, a job I hate. Couldn't get the cable to come from underneath the front mech cos there's that horizontal in the way. Why didn't I think of that before? Because I'm stupid, that's why. I needed a curly channel thingy to get the cable to curve round smoothly. Ideally this would have a 72mm diameter curve but one of those wasn't to hand, so I filed a groove in a snipping of Grotesquely Heavy Headtube from some other discarded bike.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFNX977KH5mFgXUxwrzV_BOTOmYrvCg80sPCLml9arIZh553LNUWhGYNeGIz3vgV6QBb1CVOyuT7PzPoOFMMu-Mg8kgTLXV3nf4X0RrNvq396jPrdDF1kQEet3orWiubVdREBE-Grx8w/s1600/Tallbike+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFNX977KH5mFgXUxwrzV_BOTOmYrvCg80sPCLml9arIZh553LNUWhGYNeGIz3vgV6QBb1CVOyuT7PzPoOFMMu-Mg8kgTLXV3nf4X0RrNvq396jPrdDF1kQEet3orWiubVdREBE-Grx8w/s320/Tallbike+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Rubbish photo cos camera's gone All Funny. </i><br />
<br />
Sudden awareness that those seat stay cantilever stubs are too far apart. Squidging a Vee-brake at the top will impart more of a diagonal than a horizontal motion to the brake pads. Why didn't I think of that before? See above; stupid's why. They're four and a half inches apart. Need to be three.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr7uyXjwYQp11Wn6Zus3WOuCnRZoGggaKSFcCw-KQtq0foqpVqGKpLUu6UQX3KHdeXlzMqda6sznWpQGeXQmy8IsKI8UMUh7WKM8spbNt_nyO4C-wygsPSyk1lt4nAAyNQpN5ZLGohP8/s1600/Tallbike+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr7uyXjwYQp11Wn6Zus3WOuCnRZoGggaKSFcCw-KQtq0foqpVqGKpLUu6UQX3KHdeXlzMqda6sznWpQGeXQmy8IsKI8UMUh7WKM8spbNt_nyO4C-wygsPSyk1lt4nAAyNQpN5ZLGohP8/s320/Tallbike+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Camera's still funny</i><br />
<br />
Chopped a front fork in half to extract the cantilever stubs, and welded the entire fork section in place, using the altogether better idea of nipping the brake pads onto the rim while welding.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFWZXBQpLz4fD5wIHEFW7-APUhTcxg3g7MQHCgRCVzg0ue9AMc6e-AspfO2qg7T41sUiNegXr_Jdfa6e-_eR0e50kpojKNmcxgWBzXQkz3oFezQnRDPomUD22e9Jd6BQ6X2gV9j-8n0w/s1600/Tallbike+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFWZXBQpLz4fD5wIHEFW7-APUhTcxg3g7MQHCgRCVzg0ue9AMc6e-AspfO2qg7T41sUiNegXr_Jdfa6e-_eR0e50kpojKNmcxgWBzXQkz3oFezQnRDPomUD22e9Jd6BQ6X2gV9j-8n0w/s320/Tallbike+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Must google Canon Powershot A430 and find out why it's misbehaving. The trouble when you inherit your electronick devices from your children</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDMB1JBRtDUk4ARKCyg1EZGP9tTomWq9WIIZ6hXIoutP1ZaHtktSLY7Fihh6fOIkl3cUQ5lNpmL2aAK38d2Q0IWMCN4mWNssPX4L-8N4nA86ENQOOCaM0epMWQLTtNNtwXQXKO0Ah1YU/s1600/Tallbike+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDMB1JBRtDUk4ARKCyg1EZGP9tTomWq9WIIZ6hXIoutP1ZaHtktSLY7Fihh6fOIkl3cUQ5lNpmL2aAK38d2Q0IWMCN4mWNssPX4L-8N4nA86ENQOOCaM0epMWQLTtNNtwXQXKO0Ah1YU/s320/Tallbike+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>A bit ugly, but who'll be looking at this partic'lar bit of ugliness when there's so much more?</i><br />
<br />
And on to making cable joiners. An intelligent person would simply go to the bike shop and buy tandem cables, but an intelligent person wouldn't be building this machine. Anyway buying stuff defeats the repurposing purpose. Besides, it's quicker to make a joiner than to cycle to the shop and home again, esp. if someone's thrown a bottle onto the bridge, which they have, and you have to go home and get a broom, which you do, because the Council won't come out for a month, which they won't.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6anBfyzqdcvd19NccadZCmQ6hvLT9lqY54r1oB6jDH52NVABDevJ50iP_p-giUHD59h3wetcKCpFiyXFJuilGg3WATBBftXvLOBNGAWiTqBEv5OKuNpTLXLhNalBq3Y0Aknrsc1PnRpI/s1600/Tallbike+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6anBfyzqdcvd19NccadZCmQ6hvLT9lqY54r1oB6jDH52NVABDevJ50iP_p-giUHD59h3wetcKCpFiyXFJuilGg3WATBBftXvLOBNGAWiTqBEv5OKuNpTLXLhNalBq3Y0Aknrsc1PnRpI/s320/Tallbike+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Two bits of 1.6mm mild steel. Folds introduced with hammer and vice. 3mm screws 21mm apart.Gap at side 2mm to allow two 1mm gear cables to enter above one screw, cross the middle, and exit below other screw.</i><br />
<br />
Tomorrow's task can be to weld cable stops on and get the back brake to work. And to fix the camera.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-25951555334125138532017-09-16T02:35:00.002-07:002017-09-16T02:35:57.706-07:00Tallbike frameA hacksaw has revealed that the reason Healing bicycle frames weigh somewhat more than seven elephants is that they too were built with tubing of 1.6mm wall thickness. I was amazed. Makes for very easy welding, though. The downtube got its ends hacksawn and hammered to the approximate fit that is adequately hidden underneath Mig welds provided neither Mr. Knight nor Mr. English happen on them and make Adverse Welding Remarks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTwoR1mkaiQZEDBybpL52J_Ea_tNjg9ZxNTBPLaDbyVi0R4Cgy0qFeF849ZHBMew52UUnZqdNcWLBD1Vpp6vYExjjb0FRorC17anrsPeH0kykXgilx01CTGG1F4yfp2zC3vIUPD7OWoU/s1600/Tallbike+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTwoR1mkaiQZEDBybpL52J_Ea_tNjg9ZxNTBPLaDbyVi0R4Cgy0qFeF849ZHBMew52UUnZqdNcWLBD1Vpp6vYExjjb0FRorC17anrsPeH0kykXgilx01CTGG1F4yfp2zC3vIUPD7OWoU/s320/Tallbike+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Shaped</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9bcJ4ktVFNdAoVMU0NpTOA2SQEQrk_Z97CuyE-Wz9mohAadWUw41tYzrnVCEdfUzprgc0X9XlJKOUUTGVCfKeZAw1q7JYxMve6lE3o0Pg-VHvW8hIPKmuyomiRBCSMfwYtRfvj68lNE/s1600/Tallbike+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9bcJ4ktVFNdAoVMU0NpTOA2SQEQrk_Z97CuyE-Wz9mohAadWUw41tYzrnVCEdfUzprgc0X9XlJKOUUTGVCfKeZAw1q7JYxMve6lE3o0Pg-VHvW8hIPKmuyomiRBCSMfwYtRfvj68lNE/s320/Tallbike+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Fitted</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBi7oPKMeZF_jWjYTSXFnD8CXS5SlJLoFcnbxft1P_QxKEy4gzgZp_nops2jitmPbjmr7IVgIQsRR81_vdsTS5lfdxAOzlm5OoYCmnijmQLCysO3qDB7l_CbPzFNi6qa0RczFIKOVtiQ/s1600/Tallbike+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBi7oPKMeZF_jWjYTSXFnD8CXS5SlJLoFcnbxft1P_QxKEy4gzgZp_nops2jitmPbjmr7IVgIQsRR81_vdsTS5lfdxAOzlm5OoYCmnijmQLCysO3qDB7l_CbPzFNi6qa0RczFIKOVtiQ/s320/Tallbike+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i> Paralleled</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEv_R1djP-7SCIloCrheHK04WJiTQI7Qd-cHSdUfz5ri7enXM6fYzzaMqQuXzLM6Z1ESNChSs5POuuIqzzrz-Aql3O_0veV_dxuiuwuy5dr5Mp8XeuRI5dyOs8RNniqALzQQP3H2TpkU/s1600/Tallbike+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEv_R1djP-7SCIloCrheHK04WJiTQI7Qd-cHSdUfz5ri7enXM6fYzzaMqQuXzLM6Z1ESNChSs5POuuIqzzrz-Aql3O_0veV_dxuiuwuy5dr5Mp8XeuRI5dyOs8RNniqALzQQP3H2TpkU/s320/Tallbike+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Welded</i><i> </i><br />
<br />
Then to rummaging about in the Bike Heap for scraps to turn into chainstays. Elderly BMX frame produced 7/8" chainstays ready-fixed to a strange 40mm tube, and slicing off most of the Ashtabula housing and a healthy bit of grindery persuaded this to fit the Healing BB shell. Some ancient MTB gave of its chainstays which terminated in squashed 7/8" tubing. Some other shards of unknown rear triangle, chopped off long ago and forgotten, slotted into these bits of 7/8". With a gap of 2.75" between them filled in (with bits lopped off the handlebar sacrificed to plug the fork steerer tube) to maintain the pretense that this was unbroken tubing, all was ready to weld.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn26XmZupjt24bvT1UbtF7ddJZT9TSvpGGgWn_nFogJyW-7U3JspMs8GhhRZHwA0QXNro4d84xhtQaWQ3vcJwcgHktbzSeAAs4IuJ0m90xOmtGzyniQJsrEkI0eF8UGkZAMrU0z7ILlA/s1600/Tallbike+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn26XmZupjt24bvT1UbtF7ddJZT9TSvpGGgWn_nFogJyW-7U3JspMs8GhhRZHwA0QXNro4d84xhtQaWQ3vcJwcgHktbzSeAAs4IuJ0m90xOmtGzyniQJsrEkI0eF8UGkZAMrU0z7ILlA/s320/Tallbike+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Plug-welded through 4mm holes</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUDDW9-aknMZzvH9BKn8M1GwinizqA75dpny1n05dlPlqcnGXZXC3YBnbtrFO5x-0Zt0bm1djxX0FLV4VkdqGwwifx5CamZdvOCKmNdRELrdL2F8sN0mY21WvA2IkR1AYACYzfeMvZr0/s1600/Tallbike+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUDDW9-aknMZzvH9BKn8M1GwinizqA75dpny1n05dlPlqcnGXZXC3YBnbtrFO5x-0Zt0bm1djxX0FLV4VkdqGwwifx5CamZdvOCKmNdRELrdL2F8sN0mY21WvA2IkR1AYACYzfeMvZr0/s320/Tallbike+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Slightly gnarly welded chainstay</i><br />
<br />
Then to contemplating how to align everything for attaching to the mainframe. Easiest is a jig but then you're left with a jig afterwards. So out with the bike stand (thanks, Matt) and a spirit level and a bit of manuka-wood propping up the back wheel until it's about in the right place and about in line and about vertical. Amazing how accurate this can be. Doesn't have to be manuka-wood though. Other timbers would have sufficed. Oak, ash or elm - even a stick of lacewood at a pin- oh shut up. Idiot.<br />
<br />
<i> </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2KWbwEFuewmHiBt8gjaS1DZAcMh6SEwPm04UtgMRNZNvvNHTYr1O5sMLnNZZyaoke4jKB6vmZVvkCuptCNrL7sqdjMtEPIksCTlK6fM_oF-6HLFGgMkzvrlKQmeTKAg9tHyAXHwolvM/s1600/Tallbike+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2KWbwEFuewmHiBt8gjaS1DZAcMh6SEwPm04UtgMRNZNvvNHTYr1O5sMLnNZZyaoke4jKB6vmZVvkCuptCNrL7sqdjMtEPIksCTlK6fM_oF-6HLFGgMkzvrlKQmeTKAg9tHyAXHwolvM/s320/Tallbike+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i> </i><br />
<br />
Once welded, on with the faux seat-tube for the front derailleur mech. This tube's critical angle is gauged by holding up another rear triangle and tying a stick across the severed Healing seat stays and lots of filing and welding and whatnot. Do we keep the existing seat stays? Not sure at the moment. A straight line goes from rear axle to top headset and by happy chance clears the top of the derailleur mech tube, as determined by a stretched bit of inner tube rubber. That may do the trick with a bit of beefing up. It may prove too twisty, however. Four long undiagonalised tubes are scarcely a torsion box. - Shut up, computer. undiagonalised <i>is </i>a word. - So for the moment we'll leave the Healing seat stays dangling there in the wind, ready to be used if needed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbmWp6H2YtzE3EJgPONM-zbE4RpTO3Qp4bFSteAyg9NeEKMAmUgPph0WoS5BgHxzN5tAWvC736i05yFZPt7DHtddvdPpmkFNd0XqDhE2DTIsTACMPl47NNjhEdpeGbrryQFi5cnBEWd0/s1600/Tallbike+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbmWp6H2YtzE3EJgPONM-zbE4RpTO3Qp4bFSteAyg9NeEKMAmUgPph0WoS5BgHxzN5tAWvC736i05yFZPt7DHtddvdPpmkFNd0XqDhE2DTIsTACMPl47NNjhEdpeGbrryQFi5cnBEWd0/s320/Tallbike+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Tomorrow I shall be forced to disturb the neighbourhood with a bit of antisocial Sunday morning angle grindering like as if I'm a bogan, and weld together some more bits of frame to make seat stays. Yes yes yes, I know it would be easier to use pristine tube but that would defeat the primary object. I'm not a <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2088536/these-two-brothers-are-traveling-and-living-tall-bikes" target="_blank">Zenga </a>brother. I'm trying to get rid of bits off-ov the Bike Heap. Repurposing, it's called.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-69410244671583185772017-09-11T22:58:00.000-07:002017-09-15T23:46:13.581-07:00TallbikeRon has bought himself a new bike. Naturally he brought his old one round and parked it in my shed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM297ETIpJ0PJcJikICMRBRkZ32xTwO3wQTd-d_yOt8LbzCFyIUJ6HlqLE7ONyHeJtwZ3g7js357YDpfqwOzO96ylnNOnIxJreJtfr8GXLugXne69dE9wvIK8t_WPjN7gKnu-VFM8NcE/s1600/Ron+Sharp%2527s.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM297ETIpJ0PJcJikICMRBRkZ32xTwO3wQTd-d_yOt8LbzCFyIUJ6HlqLE7ONyHeJtwZ3g7js357YDpfqwOzO96ylnNOnIxJreJtfr8GXLugXne69dE9wvIK8t_WPjN7gKnu-VFM8NcE/s320/Ron+Sharp%2527s.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm told Healing bicycles were standard NZ issue in the 1970s. I already had three of them so I thought I'd make a tallbike. I got a scrap of paper and spent an idle half-hour sketching this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnyO9iwzvsJGTRdyXsOHXscX_s0Tji98bEGUr5ej3QugQ1tpGJ1cb4znJnj4QAf1y0Caw1zy3QEih55ugEh1MKkzLGf1ztOGjwehwF_lLlymcUXJ2JqFuWiZBBvVD5N0pEFvs5b2lMOs/s1600/tall+bike+6.9.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnyO9iwzvsJGTRdyXsOHXscX_s0Tji98bEGUr5ej3QugQ1tpGJ1cb4znJnj4QAf1y0Caw1zy3QEih55ugEh1MKkzLGf1ztOGjwehwF_lLlymcUXJ2JqFuWiZBBvVD5N0pEFvs5b2lMOs/s320/tall+bike+6.9.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
No particularly good reason other than the fact that the idea exists. <br />
<br />
Advantages:<br />
1. Visible on the road, so drivers give more space when overtaking.<br />
<span id="goog_1259836097"></span><span id="goog_1259836098"></span>2. Penny farthing height (amusin') but, having a longer wheelbase, reduced danger of a header.<br />
3. Uses up bits from the Bike Heap.<br />
4. Any weight can be carried low and between the wheels.<br />
<br />
Didn't want to go too high cos<br />
a) difficulties of ascending and descending, & <br />
b) broken leg = not much fun.<br />
<br />
I took a perfectly serviceable gentleman's mountain bicycle frame from a nail whacked in the shed wall and removed the 35mm top tube, it being the same diameter as a Healing steering tube. Popped it in the lathe steady and machined the end square to the bore.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoJIdm2Umqm8ALsQYxYa-TBAE5QB15g-ruFA0c_2u-E9zzoPUPLR5B7wmoe55vjgLam4khanCpqK6pCCfTehFVHZCA-PACzPu5SScPyrBRS3-iEBL2B18smnQ-WHa0YyQCOxvTqAHAqY/s1600/Tallbike+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX35g9GK33wNH5MqtthqzihBg2vZLGEYg5XHU01_DTJNgxIfpVVXKotufiscqbFrTTgnGgZd8BJ9vr-mtjY9O7JcPf24fpK900EQ8ZEJnpWWhb6_wDaGD8qNTlBdrWhoHDdByRZ7W9CqE/s1600/Tallbike+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX35g9GK33wNH5MqtthqzihBg2vZLGEYg5XHU01_DTJNgxIfpVVXKotufiscqbFrTTgnGgZd8BJ9vr-mtjY9O7JcPf24fpK900EQ8ZEJnpWWhb6_wDaGD8qNTlBdrWhoHDdByRZ7W9CqE/s320/Tallbike+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Not for off-road use or stunting. Wouldn't want to over-stress that 18-gauge 2" steel downtube.</i><br />
<br />
Chopped the downtube out of a Healing Tenspeed, cut the headtube in half, machined the lower half to fit inside the 35mm Tarini top tube and plug-welded it and then butt-welded it in place and tidied everything up with an angle-grinder. Dremeled the inside of the Healing half-headtube to fit a scrap of 18 gauge 32mm and plug-welded it in place.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPn8PQZstBPkzGyEdm8tYqyd5hAJK_ZvY9C0gCw-xBQrGPBpmi3vjOrWMbczr3yT-qLbV8wdxFFyO8Exj-1JI0bjTb4JYiNr2bgNTOwAlQmJrurV-CmP6bknb_6XP426NAKwTF1c4TY0/s1600/Tallbike+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPn8PQZstBPkzGyEdm8tYqyd5hAJK_ZvY9C0gCw-xBQrGPBpmi3vjOrWMbczr3yT-qLbV8wdxFFyO8Exj-1JI0bjTb4JYiNr2bgNTOwAlQmJrurV-CmP6bknb_6XP426NAKwTF1c4TY0/s320/Tallbike+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUk-l1Z1kj3OjwG7jzNm997yq1C1ru-vQGUwAfNb99mo_rZ-H7YMThus_f4de_lSm1lG0gIa5gKQXLKjy4_p_69nmNHnUi_0p3dp7vbqJ-qgovtXfyL25w5dQNSWssgCsIVahnu6ILjU/s1600/Tallbike+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUk-l1Z1kj3OjwG7jzNm997yq1C1ru-vQGUwAfNb99mo_rZ-H7YMThus_f4de_lSm1lG0gIa5gKQXLKjy4_p_69nmNHnUi_0p3dp7vbqJ-qgovtXfyL25w5dQNSWssgCsIVahnu6ILjU/s320/Tallbike+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Thought for a few minutes about which side a front Vee-brake cable
might like to lie before welding the Tarini top tube as an extension of the
Healing headtube. Guessed there'd be a problem getting the top and bottom cups parallel, so I used a square to nip two blocks of aluminium onto a bit of box-section, and popped the extension between them before welding.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV0l6HoknFVg192xQec3nxc1tDmAcK1ZOvtqSK9qN1230aGTtaOx2U1xAd7UzuMsDteoGXgPvDSbowj2LPAxAzKvwcseRvC1sGvcG3EdGuB8Z7bPdAydslVd-AITWDHAbYH1_XEOpF5s/s1600/Tallbike+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV0l6HoknFVg192xQec3nxc1tDmAcK1ZOvtqSK9qN1230aGTtaOx2U1xAd7UzuMsDteoGXgPvDSbowj2LPAxAzKvwcseRvC1sGvcG3EdGuB8Z7bPdAydslVd-AITWDHAbYH1_XEOpF5s/s320/Tallbike+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Only other major problem is extending the front fork steerer tube. The fork bearing cups are now twenty-three and a half inches apart. To extend the fork tube I need to weld a long 1" tube, and at its top, weld a piece of threaded fork tube onto which to screw the top bearing. The middle bit of this steerer tube is likely to bend when the front wheel hits a bump. A Huffy yielded a stiff piece of top tube: those old Huffys had 16 gauge frames in anticipation of being ridden by sturdy Americans. Another fork yielded a threaded end, and had the thinner 21mm ID which was sometimes used to ensure frustrating incompatibility between bicycle parts, but meant that this was of thicker gauge tubing. Machined all the ends square to the bore, natch. I found a steel handlebar from a perfectly good gentleman's mountain bicycle, chopped bits off it, and machined them as inserts in the various bits of fork steerer tube.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPhi9xKRSuFXH1Q5FFB30xCADznpLNXLSZ4aBGPslv8oqQ2JHJv8haHH7kk5s4A-wMDs8I-CP7aZmbSum2pAi6O7L3fSspFcguGCtM7zdqPgBlMxWM1nyjprzLKrX0fjnVdAL1adVqNM/s1600/Tallbike+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPhi9xKRSuFXH1Q5FFB30xCADznpLNXLSZ4aBGPslv8oqQ2JHJv8haHH7kk5s4A-wMDs8I-CP7aZmbSum2pAi6O7L3fSspFcguGCtM7zdqPgBlMxWM1nyjprzLKrX0fjnVdAL1adVqNM/s320/Tallbike+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Steerer tube bits cut and machined square to bore</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzpDYddjTEaVIdGWcGu2FiQTVfMhLk5ghXm9p9lv6iP3vAkjL6yHv8jrbmpqck1wuwcQagYy0UAYq_sjRmvj0vXAQb7_tPLAMvQ_hVhVpGrpd4H8teAXRl8v2-UfuoMhPpcRC322VR98/s1600/Tallbike+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzpDYddjTEaVIdGWcGu2FiQTVfMhLk5ghXm9p9lv6iP3vAkjL6yHv8jrbmpqck1wuwcQagYy0UAYq_sjRmvj0vXAQb7_tPLAMvQ_hVhVpGrpd4H8teAXRl8v2-UfuoMhPpcRC322VR98/s320/Tallbike+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Inserted and plug-welded through 4mm holes</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60wlbH3bUrKT11UDsRLtW92xlLMz8GfAdUThRrYiivgxLGdCe4v62q7JEFidQc_mWwDJ74ar6d-lH1PNA1xEWu72gPNe25EOnWVPVoSWuuIA4SKuYX9YYSdTLVDT5rcXIjDViVxSBd9s/s1600/Tallbike+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60wlbH3bUrKT11UDsRLtW92xlLMz8GfAdUThRrYiivgxLGdCe4v62q7JEFidQc_mWwDJ74ar6d-lH1PNA1xEWu72gPNe25EOnWVPVoSWuuIA4SKuYX9YYSdTLVDT5rcXIjDViVxSBd9s/s320/Tallbike+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i>Butt-welded together</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOo-E6baSN6KxXUU2fK2biQxAk9kmeHO5w-Occ598TI-TfCavvEnyqSy0UqjEdS0KM4nOXNmyJjjehOQUudxu0346QDmlgxgrg9Vtz3ZLgMvDN6eDDJJw71Xo86KlIvADT-vRMKOTNbY/s1600/Tallbike+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOo-E6baSN6KxXUU2fK2biQxAk9kmeHO5w-Occ598TI-TfCavvEnyqSy0UqjEdS0KM4nOXNmyJjjehOQUudxu0346QDmlgxgrg9Vtz3ZLgMvDN6eDDJJw71Xo86KlIvADT-vRMKOTNbY/s320/Tallbike+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Tidied up with angle-grinder. Fingers crossed that it's not so angle-ground as to be weakened.</i><br />
<br />
It occurred to me that from the fork crown to the handlebar is three times as long as a normal tube, so when the front wheel hits a road bump, that tube running between the steering head bearings is 3x3x3 as likely to bend. Which is a lot. The ends of the frame head tube are of smaller ID than the middle of the tube, so I can't slip a bearing around the middle of the fork head tube. I consulted a design engineer on the other side of the world who builds these:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_frcuXEFtgngW92sAILrAS-_pR4YyQxvb4lHIrumyS4YDAQSfWq-O26dmix97Z-2R2WWHnCESyGqGOdte9vKx5gYiB9Lsgve9etL2AwcGO_LT3HeGXhDGaC1oESqqst814GvQnKOLz8/s1600/DSC_0297+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_frcuXEFtgngW92sAILrAS-_pR4YyQxvb4lHIrumyS4YDAQSfWq-O26dmix97Z-2R2WWHnCESyGqGOdte9vKx5gYiB9Lsgve9etL2AwcGO_LT3HeGXhDGaC1oESqqst814GvQnKOLz8/s320/DSC_0297+%2528Medium%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
He promptly replied<br />
<br />
<i>Remember that if you have a fork tube 3 times the length, the force on the top bearing is 1/3 of the force on a short tube. I think you don't need to do anything. Easy to test anyway. Set up a tube or bar between supports at the proportional distances and apply a load to the end and measure the deflection. Move the end support to the other position, apply the same load and measure it again. I'd use the fork itself if I had it made, a heavy weight and a dial indicator, but you could use any material with the same cross section along its length to see what happens.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I think I'm going to see what happens. <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-79813172340756078842017-08-22T03:29:00.002-07:002017-08-22T03:29:57.135-07:00Clean and GreenNew Zealand is. It often boasts about the fact, mostly on aeroplane videos, which also try to entice you to jump off that bridge at Hamner with only a rubber bungee to prevent liquification of all your insides and a more-or-less prompt but adrenaline-heightened death.<br />
<br />
It's pretty well established that actually everyone hates cleanness and greenness, so most people try to alleviate the problem by throwing KFC and McDonald's wrappers out of their windows, and like the fact that you're never more than six connections from knowing the Queen, you're never more than six metres from a slime-infested beverage container in New Zealand. To be fair to them, KFC and McDonald's wrappers are largely paper these days, so if you can bear daily passing a Coca Cola cup on your ride, only the plastic top and the straw will lie there for ten thousand years. The paper will decay to something unpleasant in three months, and two years hence when the earwigs have finished with it you won't know it's there. Why d'you always find an earwig inside a paper cup at the roadside? Life is full of mysteries.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr23AisjBBZ7D1vRPlLEpdwdM5BHhVkdoovmZ7UHuUeNzJstxJdxXCfJjM8yDLM3dS09HrkNV36oDLf5AS3uFO7WukpXGm_QdHALnLsFxr7MlmrHhJumaoPclC3ChqZHVPLAxEHiHVsDU/s1600/Umukuri+rubbish+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr23AisjBBZ7D1vRPlLEpdwdM5BHhVkdoovmZ7UHuUeNzJstxJdxXCfJjM8yDLM3dS09HrkNV36oDLf5AS3uFO7WukpXGm_QdHALnLsFxr7MlmrHhJumaoPclC3ChqZHVPLAxEHiHVsDU/s320/Umukuri+rubbish+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Rubbish collected from the roadside</i><br />
<br />
There are several paddocks I pass each day, and when I notice a cow in difficulties I drop in on Mr and Mrs Williams and they telephone the appropriate farmer and get him to attend to the calving. I know who the farmer is: he's a churchwarden up the valley. I even know his number - it's in the telephone book. It's just that I intend to be the last person alive without a mobile phone, and then people'll cheer me like they do Robert Marchand. But Mr and Mrs Williams like me dropping in: at least I think they do, because they always wave when I cycle past, and I think they like doing good deeds to their neighbouring members of the farming community.<br />
<br />
Today was more-or-less the start of Springtime, and the roadside grass is still very short. Wherever the churchwarden has heaved a bale of hay over the fence for his cows, there are four snippings of baling twine, each two inches long, all of them a distracting blue, and all of them much more difficult to pick up later in the year when the grass has grown. It crossed my mind today that since the farmer <i>is </i>a churchwarden and probably dislikes roadside litter as much as I do, he'd probably appreciate it if I gathered all these unsightly blue snippings and dropped them in his letterbox. He could even tie them all together to make one long piece of baling twine, and auction it off for church funds. And he must find it really irritating that some horrid person is evidently following him round and, after marking the exact spot where there's a great armful of hay half on the road and lots more trampled in the paddock, throwing four short pieces of bright blue baling twine onto the public verge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKr6OHEk1LHj93wiOIVpPalMCzxwKWOLBECC9naxsLUv-Lz0byteNHX9e1vMRfGliGEUIIYaarhcdNDTBu9hRitA4KHl0QsnoaRcODNLPwlXZvsD0L3LUkoN-InnMY6uZYqMxaULvqBU/s1600/Tucker%2527s+litter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKr6OHEk1LHj93wiOIVpPalMCzxwKWOLBECC9naxsLUv-Lz0byteNHX9e1vMRfGliGEUIIYaarhcdNDTBu9hRitA4KHl0QsnoaRcODNLPwlXZvsD0L3LUkoN-InnMY6uZYqMxaULvqBU/s320/Tucker%2527s+litter.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>When you gather it all up there's more than you think, and it won't fit in one envelope</i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-14496582081285455602017-07-11T01:19:00.000-07:002017-07-11T04:20:01.614-07:00Mid-winterIt is mid-winter. More-or-less. Many would disagree, depending on the hemisphere. Midwinter brings the Nelson Book Fair where the Lions Club - or it might be the Rotarians or the Freemasons - same diff. - charge you an exorbitant two dollars to wander about a freezing hall and examine millions of old books, and then charge you a far from exorbitant fifty dollars for a sackful of them.<br />
<br />
This year I struck gold, viz., a List of Wedding Gifts at the marriage on 20th November 1947 of HRH The Princess Elizabeth and Lt Philip Mountbatten, which publication I have been looking for for, oh, approx. no years no months no weeks and no days whatever. But I bought it instantly. And better than gold, the previous owner had gone through it and diligently marked every person/persons who gave the royal couple a pair of nylon stockings. Mrs. L. R. Talbot started it off with two pairs of nylon stockings, followed by Mrs. H. Fielding who only gave them one pair. Miss Doris D. Crockett gave them a pair, Mr. Philip Ponder gave them two pairs, Miss Elizabeth Byerly two pairs, Mrs. Davis and Miss Sara Davis likewise, Mrs. Ella Wehage Pair (it doesn't specify the number), Mrs. H. Walters and Mrs. D Chamberlain two pairs, and Miss Elizabeth Cameron McCahill an extravagant six pairs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLS21WU67iemjFSsaNt3JGbl-zaW1ZF8gGHGl2xrsSP1kwyuM91cU25ute3_8Y4d__gf2YAzZljCyVOD2u9Jhyphenhyphennr0IgM0CDRsWfrOrHq9QxhRwZ-dvRjsiaU8qScFZZKFPMkFpkfXClQ/s1600/Royal+wedding+gifts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="718" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLS21WU67iemjFSsaNt3JGbl-zaW1ZF8gGHGl2xrsSP1kwyuM91cU25ute3_8Y4d__gf2YAzZljCyVOD2u9Jhyphenhyphennr0IgM0CDRsWfrOrHq9QxhRwZ-dvRjsiaU8qScFZZKFPMkFpkfXClQ/s320/Royal+wedding+gifts.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_0Ih6jX3oDL1g3wXniDP0hHfxmJF2lsyiKr7yIzAcbo-SHNO6nxFL9ippnqs-fXkbGs7Sl1j59XXh_7QlT5-D2Nl_Vnh5HBaLvt1S0jwEl6i-kuzkw61VqQOiwrbQvRYeaiq4bYJ9u4/s1600/Royal+wedding+gifts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Well, not all that diligently. He gave up by page 52, when with Mrs. T. J. Hume's stockings he'd reached a hundred, and that was only item 580. The book goes on to enumerate gifts all the way to 2,582 (Eight lengths of woven material, from the People of Blackburn), and since that was page 234 we can calculate that between them, they accumulated 450 pairs of nylon stockings.<br />
<br />
Actually I rather feel this shows remarkable good sense. 1947 still saw rationing, and the more thoughtful of folk must've thought that Her Royal Highness was going to need quite a few stockings what with laddering, and they didn't want the future Queen appearing in careworn leg attire. I can imagine the Princess thinking "Yup, pop those in the suitcase when the Royal Train goes up to Edinburgh" whereas I can't imagine her getting so enthusiastic about A black basalt urn-shaped vase and cover on a pedestal bearing a medallion portrait of Louis XVI, carved with cupids in relief and mounted with ormolu with which they were encumbered by The Hon. Sir Jasper and Lady Ridley. Nor can I imagine Lt. Mountbatten settling down to an evening's reading of seven volumes of the Pocket Poets even if they were bound in morocco. I can rather imagine him looking at the donor's surname and wondering if he could come up with an anagram (it was The Rev. Walter Fancutt).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigywv6nqnFnHWyZo1SszeYwTQRRDJX7EZU6oK0bUGKAwU4uqvIiOnUrvALF61Dhl4OO3n1tUZkefWkra7dQJUWqUOLFUE6pzRlWz5dVBzSAdcyyVI0zRfWVOsbRES5It78dRMpfBiGTAM/s1600/Rev.+Walter+Fancutt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigywv6nqnFnHWyZo1SszeYwTQRRDJX7EZU6oK0bUGKAwU4uqvIiOnUrvALF61Dhl4OO3n1tUZkefWkra7dQJUWqUOLFUE6pzRlWz5dVBzSAdcyyVI0zRfWVOsbRES5It78dRMpfBiGTAM/s320/Rev.+Walter+Fancutt.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Page 55 of 234pp</i><br />
<br />
I, alas, cannot boast any nylon stockings, nor a Gold-mounted glass snuff-box with pheasant decoration on the mother-of-pearl lid (Viscount and Viscountess Portal of Hungerford) which must've got the royal couple pretty excited. I don't even have an Old lace handkerchief (Dear Mrs. Glass, the thank-you letter started). Not that nylon stockings or old lace handkerchiefs or a Paris porcelain Cabaret decorated with panels of figures in 18th century costume on turquoise blue ground overlaid with foliage in burnished gold (The Lady Duff) would keep me terribly warm in a New Zealand mid-winter.<br />
<br />
All I can boast is my old sleeping bag and not-quite-matching Berghaus duvet coat, the latter a little frayed in places but, I'm proud to say, still keeping me as warm as when I was first given it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbOtXHhD0gp8KrqtY-UdIS6W6TtOIlG1X8jKK_Dh2WOuG76cFTvwhlZBAjVieEHz1OSWDjg_tmhaiwE9s-aAQ204690lczGYQjYECQgnyJKoY4qCkDQiEKNBlk2XpUMpwiBR6H2IrecA/s1600/winter+plumage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbOtXHhD0gp8KrqtY-UdIS6W6TtOIlG1X8jKK_Dh2WOuG76cFTvwhlZBAjVieEHz1OSWDjg_tmhaiwE9s-aAQ204690lczGYQjYECQgnyJKoY4qCkDQiEKNBlk2XpUMpwiBR6H2IrecA/s320/winter+plumage.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Self-portrait in winter. Unf. I was the photographer (obv.) and therefore up a ladder, rather obviating the portrait bit.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150996550460171805.post-40249864453063613732017-04-30T20:41:00.000-07:002017-04-30T20:41:34.660-07:00Trailer reversingI submit a list of all the people in my family who can reverse a car with a trailer behind it:<br /><br /><br /><br />It is not, as perhaps you can see, a very long list. It occurs to me, as a result of an experience I just had which I shall not now discuss, that a particularly interesting motor sport would be this: to set up a row of cars each with a trailer attached, and have them race, in reverse gear, around a track. Curborough might be suitable. I would even come to watch.<br /><br />In other and wholly unrelated matters, I have finally added a seat to the penny trike. Equipped with bits of wood to sit on, it proved popular among teenage visitors, but only one could ride it.<br /><br /> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLl6S0qvWMZF2GuTBFQisiCfvgkMvf1nJLiztAoTOgvaG_2_Zayl3lkp4Oyu3MigqCLwF484ONW_x7f0C6b969CwI79xCjsyAH6A3z1KWDAVIdD86VuTJN5BLgtgSQy_T3Q5kr2lemfs/s1600/penny+trike+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLl6S0qvWMZF2GuTBFQisiCfvgkMvf1nJLiztAoTOgvaG_2_Zayl3lkp4Oyu3MigqCLwF484ONW_x7f0C6b969CwI79xCjsyAH6A3z1KWDAVIdD86VuTJN5BLgtgSQy_T3Q5kr2lemfs/s320/penny+trike+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Bits of wood as seat</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDIkYxOF2GsILk542PE_RO3IFlSNnP0xsliG6L2LeZS1hC0uRz3ZuwfJsilZ_ytW_L5KmQzvjPWZdhb3UpBf0zh1BLP0h8O1p3MTzqLQqmhTVX8Y8ez5AwhVQAjDo4CG9MROulwl0nUg/s1600/Penny+trike+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDIkYxOF2GsILk542PE_RO3IFlSNnP0xsliG6L2LeZS1hC0uRz3ZuwfJsilZ_ytW_L5KmQzvjPWZdhb3UpBf0zh1BLP0h8O1p3MTzqLQqmhTVX8Y8ez5AwhVQAjDo4CG9MROulwl0nUg/s320/Penny+trike+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>More bits of wood as seat</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AMmtD44X-rCUMWH9uNTHB4XvCptt1Ox3UdP02rN8rcUlpPQebNBaaK1iAjr4oxAmN52ntgPaTMQlYgQSyEUmfxe5aUyBfddWJaR8mg-hiz1J1BCdsIL18Rriuat0GHe87g1rKeUq6M8/s1600/Penny+trike+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AMmtD44X-rCUMWH9uNTHB4XvCptt1Ox3UdP02rN8rcUlpPQebNBaaK1iAjr4oxAmN52ntgPaTMQlYgQSyEUmfxe5aUyBfddWJaR8mg-hiz1J1BCdsIL18Rriuat0GHe87g1rKeUq6M8/s320/Penny+trike+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Sort of mobile park bench</i> <br />
<br />
It can now be ridden by one person, or by two side-by-side provided each co-operates using one pedal and one side of the handlebar, and it can accommodate two further passengers facing backwards provided they don't all mind their bums touching. It is not the fastest vehicle I have ever built, but it has occasioned some merriment from those using it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1