OneGuyFromBarlick

Another small but error free step forwards. I spent Half an hour cleaning up the stock I dug out yesterday. It's at least 100 years old, I got in in a workshop clear out. Interesting that the 5/16" bar is cast brass. I made the plug for the oil way on the crank pin bearing and of course this included a bit of knurling for David! Now I am chasing my breakfast,

Morning I have just woken up after eight and a half hours solid sleep . I knew it was late as the bedroom was getting lighter. I see a clear cold sky out there this morning, with a cold sunny day forecast.

Nothing much to do today, towels to wash, a bit of cleaning and the packing to do which I never did yesterday. I feel a lot better, not a cough all night though still a bit stuffed up in the head. Perhaps a short walk , and I mean short, in the fresh air later may help. I should think Bob could do with it too as for the last three days he has been preparing and painting both sides of the folding dividing screen between our dining room and lounge. Its a five panelled screen , each having 4 small panes of glass in it. It is the start of a very long much needed decorating job.

Have a good day all

Morning Sue. That's good news about your sleep! Yes it is cold and bright out there. I have just been for a walk and the companion veggies I shall nee when I roast my chicken. It is a bit tricky underfoot but OK if you use your head. Later today we'll see a big rise in temperature....

Stanley wrote: ↑10 Jan 2026, 09:03 Later today we'll see a big rise in temperature....

The Met Office don't think so

You're right Kev, I was a bit previous, it's noon on Sunday when the temperature starts rising....

We are ´t expecting much above 1 degree here

I shall be in the shed early doors as usual working on my crank pin brass. After that I shall be watching the weather changing as I look after myself and keep warm. Because of the high wind chill today we will not feel the benefit of the rise in base temperature until early evening but it will be welcome when it does come....

This morning the last bit of refining of the crank pin brass. Some very careful measuring and drilling to fit the two 5BA bolts that will hold the bearing securely on the end of the connecting rod. Then I bored it 3/8" and it is ready now to be fitted after one last piece of refining but that's for tomorrow, right now I want my breakfast.

Morning

Its a wet start to the day and to the week sadly. We are off to the Lakes for our annual week there. We are having Sunday lunch on the way up with Barbara, Bill, Wendy and Keith who are joining us till Wednesday. I don’t see much walking being done but it will be nice to have a daily swim in the leisure centre. Have a good day all

From the look of the forecast here you could have a good week Sue. I hope that's the case.

Rain and sleet forecast all week with strong winds making it feel very cold. It’s the wettest it has ever been for this week
It’s usually cold Icy and snowy with crisp sunny days

I shall prepare my chicken and get it in the oven and will be in the shed early doors working on the crank pin bearing. Not sure about order or timing as the site is having serious problems.....

At the moment it looks as though I shall have to ditch the shed because of time lost because of the site slow down.....

Very very wet here in the Lakes Temperatures ok just going to Coniston have a good day

Sue. Some would say that the beauty of the Lake District is best appreciated through a thin veil of falling water.....

Hopefully nothing will interfere with shed activities this morning.... After second sleep my course is clear, cook veggies!

This morning I did the final work on the crank pin bearing. This is always the most dangerous stage because a mistake now loses all the work that has gone into the piece. First I made sure that the oil supply drilling was correct, it wasn't and so I made sure there was a passage. Then I counterbored the bolt holes so that there was sufficient thread to attach the connecting rod. Then fitted the bearing to the crank making sure the bore was correct. Last job was to round the edges of the crosshead. I am now ready to make and fit the connecting rod. But at the moment my mind is full of breakfast!

Stanley wrote: ↑12 Jan 2026, 14:04 Sue. Some would say that the beauty of the Lake District is best appreciated through a thin veil of falling water.....

Morning

If you can see it through the mist and the side of your anorak hood when you turn your head. It stayed dry long enough for a short walk by the lake at Coniston but it was mainly appreciated through the panoramic glass windows of the Bluebird cafe.

The rain is no issue to Barbara Bill Bob qnd I but Wendy can only walk a few yards and is dependent on an electric chair for longer distances. That is not a comfortable thing to be in during torrential rain. In the afternoon Barbara Bob and I went for a swim. It hit me how all these cold type viruses had knocked me back. I did my usual 20 lengths but instead of one long swim I could only manage 2 to 4 lengths at a time, punctuated with tryingbto get my breath . I will see how I manage this morning. In the evening two friends joined us and we went out for a meal to the Brittania inn. It was lively few hours

Its due to be a fine afternoon so we have a couple of options to be discussed at breakfast. Have a good day all

Sounds very energetic Sue. I can't talk about twenty lengths.... I think four would be about my limit!
I'm back up after second sleep and have four pans on the hob, veggie cooking is go!

Stanley wrote: ↑13 Jan 2026, 08:31 Sounds very energetic Sue. I can't talk about twenty lengths.... I think four would be about my limit!
I'm back up after second sleep and have four pans on the hob, veggie cooking is go!

Not normally energetic, just constant steady speed. I just couldn’t maintain the constant steady speed.

I hope to be in the shed first thing doing useful things to my engine.
Later, after second sleep I shall be doing my end of year backup. I have just realised I didn't do it at the end of December as is my wont. I think I have to put this down to a senior moment and get it done!

We start on the connecting rod. So this morning I did 30 minutes on reducing the stock provided towards the shape we require. Then breakfast.

Morning

We had a drizzly morning yesterday and a dry afternoon. In the morning Barbara Bill Bob and I walked to the waterfalls and back at Skelwith Bridge, they were quite magnificent. In the afternoon Barbara and I had a swim and a soak in the jacuzzi whilst Bob and Bill went for another walk hunting for flat pieces of scrap slate, for Wendy to paint on. I was in bed just after 9 having not slept well the night before. I feel much refreshed today.

The others leave today so after breakfast we are all driving down to Grange over Sands where we can walk with Wendy in her electric wheel chair. Then we will lunch together before they leave for home and we come back, possibly via shops to buy potatoes and veg for the rest of the week. A dry day is forecast until this evening. Have a good day all

Morning Sue.... it's many years since Vera and I went on a chara trip to Grange.... Dan the driver said he was surprised we were on the trip as Grange was a retirement destination!
I have just spent an hour wrestling with my computer and have now got last year archived on two external drives..... I can never remember how I fid it the year before so I have to fumble my way to a solution and it takes ages.....

Stanley wrote: ↑14 Jan 2026, 08:31 I can never remember how I fid it the year before so I have to fumble my way to a solution and it takes ages.....

Write it down, while it's fresh in your mind, and save it on your machine for next year