CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[MattBLancs]

Santa has delivered

For me too,

Spoiler: show

from my wife:
Loctite, two tins of grease and a tool belt

From my Aunty:
A pack of brake unions

I couldn't be happier!

[CitroJim]

Santa has delivered

For me too,


Magic Love it

[Rp0thejester]

I have a harmonica. However, I don't know how to play it!

You hold the front row of holes to your mouth and blow into it James!!

That's what she said.... hopefully not....

[Rp0thejester]

Welcome to the battery generation Jim, it's a hell of alot easier than the cabled generation but not as powerful...like electric cars....

[Rp0thejester]

[CitroJim]

Welcome to the battery generation Jim, it's a hell of alot easier than the cabled generation but not as powerful...like electric cars....

Having played with it Ryan, I have to disagree, it's got an incredible amount of grunt about it for its diminutive size It's going to be so valuable to me

[Stickyfinger]

My way was to cut out all the mouldings inside the case (I HATE rattles) then using the pre cut (for the boxes, from Tool station https://www.toolstation.com/dewalt-tsta ... lay/p30420) foam inserts I fitted one box up for my large and small rattle guns, socket adaptors, battery and a few other bits and bobs.... I then used alloy ducting tape to secure the foam and protect it from damage/oils etc.

Good bit of kit, I've got the drill/driver version of that which has proven infinitely useful. Now you've got the batteries etc it makes future tools in their range seem cheaper too as you can get the body only. They're quite often on sale at Toolstation.

This is basically the "grab bag" which accompanies the socket set to pretty much any unknown task.

[bobins]

For any cheapskates like me - you may be interested in the Makita boxes that are currently being sold here there and everywhere quite cheap.
This seller on eBay has a discount on that drops the price to around £5 each for 5 inc P&P (i.e. around £25 all in).
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166451825882

These are a bit smaller than the Dewalt ones, and like a lot of them you'd have to cut out the plastic moldings to make full use of the internal space, but a Dremel / slitting disc / multi-tool with a blade on should take care of that - but at that price, they have to be good

Oh Makita is it you ? as Elton John never sang

[Stickyfinger]

Looks like a bargain for those inclined to having good storage

Internals for ref:

when a bit of foam is more expensive than the box
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1263992972

[bobins]

My only concern with them is how cleanly the plastic can be cut out. The DeWalt ones can be done quite well - I've done quite a few over the years , but these appear to be a different plastic so a bit more care and/or heat may be needed to clean things up. Still, they're ideal for things that will spend most of their time on the shelf and only be used in anger occasionally

[mickthemaverick]

This seems a lot of hassle for a storage box, I have one great big one - the garage!!

[CitroJim]

That's a proper job you've done with yours Alasdair and I shall try to replicate it as far as I can but less the alloy tape...

I've had loads of experience of this in the past through making custom foam inserts for transporting and operating delicate electronic instruments that lived in Peli Cases..

I have a Peli Case I use as my travel toolbox when out and about in Bluebell or even Polly if I think I may need tools...

Today's been a good day We enjoyed a magical 2023 edition of the traditional Redway Runners Boxing Day muddy trail run... 7.5 miles designed to blow away the Christmas Day cobwebs and excesses...

This year it was gloriously wet and muddy Just what I love in a run. As a runner I'm much more a small 4x4 rather than a sports model and I'm a better running in the mud than I am on the tarmac... Today I was one of the faster runners and had to run a mile more than some as I had to loop back so the slower runners could catch up...

Here I am talking to a friend as we summit a long muddly climb up from the river... We gained enough height to end up close to an OS Trig. Pillar...

Our run took us through Little Linford Wood. Here hangs an interesting tale. Nowadays it's an SSSI and has regrown over the last 40 years or so from almost scratch after being harvested for its timber. Back in the 1990s when the Channel Tunnel was being built it was necessary to relocate a colony of dormice from their Kentish home and the young Little Linford Wood was chosen for their new home. It was fenced off and nobody could enter whilst they and the wood re-established themselves. And they have, very well. The dormice even have their own little tunnels under the M1! Once again the wood is open but restricted to the public rights of way through it and on foot only.

The M1 also has big person-sized tunnels to maintain public rights of way. Amazingly, all these tunnels are totally grafitti and rubbish-free as they are just too remote and hard to reach from the conurbations... It's refreshing to see.

Looking at the gps overlay of our run on an OS map it appears we ran along the motorway! We didn't, it was just a small (normal) GPS error... A public right of way runs right on the edge of the southbound carriageway with only a flimsy fence to divide the two. It looks like we ran across all eight lanes of the M1 but we used the aforementioned tunnels!

After the run I went for a nice bike ride... It was too lovely a day not to

All in all, a perfect way to spend a Boxing Day

[mickthemaverick]

I can't make up my mind whether that's Michael Bublé or Michael Schumacher you're running with Jim?

[Stickyfinger]

I know Christmas is a time for miracles .....and if that is Schumacher....that time has come !

[CitroJim]

I can't make up my mind whether that's Michael Bublé or Michael Schumacher you're running with Jim?

He calls himself Darren these days

I know Christmas is a time for miracles .....and if that is Schumacher....that time has come !

It's amazing who I know and many wish to maintain anonymity... More than my life's worth to reveal who exactly 'Darren' actually is...