DIY with function over finesse!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Seeing as its raining again, I have rather foolishly selected a "jobs that don't need doing job" of dismantling a lock which has remained undismantled for about 150 years, but has never worked and which we haven't ever had a key for at Chez Falcon. Could go down to Tool Station and just get a modern one and shove that in, but no I went onto youtube and watched this from Jim Garrity's "Course you can" Channel.

Spoiler: show

Don't expect the nicely finished off...yes I did the faffing about and have made a key and the lock now works conclusion...I certainly don't.

Useful reference for putting it back together after further dismantling/cleaning

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

In pictures, the result is in...

Neil

[CitroJim]

Nice one Neil

[myglaren]

Expert bodgery!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Nice one Neil

Expert bodgery!

Thanks Jim and Steve, don't zoom in too close on the key...precision engineering it isn't

Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Having finally finished working on the car on Saturday, yesterday I cleaned the area I had made dirty:

The bit I had been working on.

The drive after my clean up

Surprise , surprise SWMBO, though appreciative that I had cleaned up after me, wasn't over impressed with the new look of the drive!

So today once she had gone to her voluntary work I set about cleaning the whole drive and path. I had a minor disaster when the high pressure hose on the washer sprung a leak with only 2/3rds of the job done. So I dug out the decking cleaner and stole the hose from that to get the job finished :

The area I cleaned yesterday is just wet here

Hopefully some brownie points earned when she gets home!!

[CitroJim]

Gosh! That looks good Mick

[Rp0thejester]

Unfortunately I have no photos of how it was and how it is now, now because I can't be bothered and how it was I wasn't sure it would work. But I would like to thank, (I think Matt?) whoever done the acid/clean test. My wife spotted a monopoly set which uses 'chip and pin' at a charity shop. She bought it, the 'chip and pin' machine didn't work as the batteries corroded the connections. Vinegar to the rescue!!! Thanks to you guys it's fixed and has gave me 2/2 wins so far, so thx!!!!

[mickthemaverick]

Another unexpected job cropped up yesterday. While having breakkie I heard a crashing in the lounge. I went in to investigate and discovered we had had a chimney invasion. A lot of nest type debris was all over the artificial gas fire and a thick twig/branch was in the hearth! I swept and hoovered up the mess and then realised that, presumably, the branch had broken the tops of two of the nodules in the base plate. So I decided to take the opportunity to repaint the coals while awaiting a replacement base ordered online.:

You can see the breakages as white patches and the painted coals.

However when the new base arrived today it was complete with a new front piece and set of coals so the repainted ones are now stored in the loft with the old undamaged front piece and the fire is back in business with an entirely new coal set:

Just as well for these chilly evenings now the heating is off.

Another brownie point worthy result!

[CitroJim]

With the cost of PP9 batteries going through the roof - they're nearly £9 each now - I looked at an alternative...

I gutted a dead Chinese PP9 and fitted inside a 6 AA cell holder. The case of the battery is plastic and proved very easy to open with a junior hacksaw and remove, in one clean piece, the old zinc-carbon pile.

I'm now testing in one of my vintage transistor radios to see how long this AA-PP9 hybrid lasts...

Even if they don't have quite such a long life it's no problem - AA cells in bulk quantities can be bought very cheaply... Certainly a lot cheaper than a PP9...

[Stickyfinger]

Only £57.

[CitroJim]

Only £57.

I can buy an awful lot of AA cells for that Alasdair and actually, a few rechargeable AA cells and a charger would also be cheaper...

I may look into that...

[CitroJim]

And I checked... I can get 8 AA rechargeables with a charger for £17 from Amazon...

When my bulk stock of AA cells dwindle, I will go down the rechargeable route... Thanks for the heads-up Alasdair

[mickthemaverick]

While that is not a bad plan I'd suggest you consider charging 8 at a time connected in series with your car battery charger, That will save charger cost!!