and today i have mostly been...

[Doggy]

Just to prove you're not completely on your own here.....

Don't know if available in your manor Steve, but DeWalt kit is our weapon of choice at work, seem to be the best price/longevity compromise.
I think they're re-badged Black & Splutter power tools, but to be fair their industrial stuff was always OK

[steve_earwig]

DeWalt used to be excellent but, as you say, they're now a subsidiary of Blot & Dicker (or more accurately Stanley Black & Decker Inc., how the mighty have fallen ( and I read the quality is dropping to B&D standards.

Just checking if they sell them here, not in Bauhaus (so no form of discount), however Milić does them and they have a shop right near my brother-in-law.

They list 3, starting at 982Kn - I could buy 2 Makitas for that!

[GingerMagic]

I'm here too - I just have nothing to add to the man shed power tool banter

[steve_earwig]

Fair enough I was just hoping this wouldn't look like the "Steve & Welly Show" and put off anyone else.

Just been checking spares for that Makita, nothing like as expensive as that Bosch I blew up, hmm...

[highlander]

Just a thought - maybe the display models are deliberately busted (but in a relatively cheap-n-easy-to-fix way) to deter theft?

Like all those notices you got in the DVD aisle or in Game saying "Display case only - collect the disc at the till"

[trufflehunt]

I'm here too...

[PhillipM]

Today I've mostly been...beating the wishbone bushes out with a hammer. And then beating polybushes back in with an even bigger hammer.



Try to get the wishbones swapped over tommorow and see what they're like.

[Welly]

Polybushing is very good for cars with old knackered rubber ones, currently eyeing a full set for my Volvo, the resulting change in feel/dynamics is supposed to be excellent and very 'new car' like.

Wiggy - I was just kinda wondering what you'd use an angle grinder for around the home/car? I don't have one but also can't really imagine it'd get much use from one. I do have a handheld Skill Saw as below and that f*cker manages to scare the living daylights out of you, I 'whipped' about 50mm off the bottom of the side gate last weekend with the door balanced over a pair of steps laid down....to the horrified onlookers who were the Wife and Kids...."are you sure that's safe?" etc

[steve_earwig]

Err, everything. Cutting, grinding, sanding... I probably use it less than the compressor but more than any of the drills.

I have a similar saw, I last used it trimming the rough ends of the shed door. stepladder as a saw horse is probably ok, so long as it's stable, as would anything that holds it level, even bricks, so long as the blade clears the ground. I have a couple of cheap 'n' cheerful folding saw horses, their rough condition will indicate how much use they get...

[PhillipM]

Polybushing is very good for cars with old knackered rubber ones, currently eyeing a full set for my Volvo, the resulting change in feel/dynamics is supposed to be excellent and very 'new car' like.

Yes, I don't usually like them because of the friction they introduce to the suspension, but I've got sick of replacing the wishbone bushes every 12-18 months.

[steve_earwig]

...ill I am about but I'm not feeling up to posting much.

It started with a fever, low blood pressure, monging headaches and feeling generally washed out. "It's just a cold." said my ever so sympathetic wife. I had that for 2 weeks, last Friday it seemed like I was over it and I managed to get some stuff done. Then Saturday morning I woke up with gut cramps, like I need a good clear out but nothing much doing. Also my blood pressure is even lower, 100/60 at the quack's this morning, so I'm feeling even more washed out. I've almost hit the floor a couple of times while I've been having a slash, the first time I came to my senses hanging off a wall tile by my fingernails. My eyes feel like they're full of grit, I didn't realise it until I was at the quack's but my eyelids are actually swollen, the quack had to show me in the mirror.

Blood sample, cup-of-wee and tomorrow I have to provide a (oh god) stool sample. I have a container for that from the chemist's, it's a little pot with a tiny shovel inside the lid the size of a biro lid clip, apparently I have to somehow produce something the size of a hazelnut sometime today, I can't wait.

No raw fruit or veg, take it easy (!) Also I have drops and goop for my mince pies, I guess the main feature will wait until the tests are done, although they're in-house so pretty quick here.

Oh, and somebody's shoved another kitten in our yard. I wonder how easy it would be to register as a charity...

[Welly]

I thought you'd been quiet, sorry to hear you've been off colour, over here they'd call that a "Virus" [read: we don't know what's wrong with you].

Hope whatever it is is nothing too concerning and it passes asap and then you can start posting about your man sh....err...outbuilding workshop

[Doggy]

Likewise, thought you'd been a bit quieter of late. Hope you turn the corner soon.

Next ultimate man cave update awaited with keen anticipation.

[steve_earwig]

Thankyou chaps! Me too, yesterday evening I was feeling a bit better (hence the post I guess) but today's been more of the same I'm afraid. We've seen the test results so far, the cup-u-wee tests were fine but the blood tests aren't looking too good, about a third of it had a big H next to the number, i.e. above the normal range. We've been arranging a trip to the haematologist today but it'll be after the tests on my no 2's, which will take 7 days. There's also been talk of a bone marrow biopsy, which sounds kind of scary.

Shed-wise, I suspect that, once it had a roof, it stopped being urgent so Mioš headed off to do other stuff that was, he's been back and forth to Bosnia a lot (he has family there), we asked his wife if/when he was coming back last week and she confessed to not actually knowing any of his plans, so long as he's actually working (he never stops) she doesn't bother him about it. However t'wife spotted him in the week and yes, he'll be back. Hopefully after his helpmate gets a bit more useful...

Anyway, have a picture of 7 of 6, who is now called Pickle


and the new guy, who's currently responding to Weou!

He really is timid though, he runs off when I try to feed him but I'm gradually getting closer. It'll take time.

[Welly]

Hope all is ok steve and hopefully whatever it is pestering you will FRO asap!

We had the fun of tending to 3 x Kittens yesterday for a friend who was away for the day, they're about 8 weeks old and I tell you once they get revved up they're all over the shop hanging off curtains, running under furniture, leaping onto each other from chair-height...I was knackered just watching them!

In other news, I hired a Kia Carens this weekend to ferry Daughter_Welly to Uni in that Middlesbrough:

7-seater* 1.7 dizzler, 6 speed manual with 139bhp:


Typical eurobox styling but on the better side of 'meh'.

Interior was high quality with lots of gadgets: heated steering wheel, reversing camera, excellent Sat Nav, bluetool, all that kinda stuff:


Covered 500 miles all in, pretty much all motorways, fully loaded at first but probably an average speed between 75 and 85mph, 1600 rpm in 6th gave 60mph 2500 rpm was showing 90mph so quite high geared. 1st and 2nd gears were hopeless as usual but 4th and 5th worked well with a huge shove of torque between 2000 and 3500 rpm. Gear change had a fairly long throw and kinda grabbed into gear making smooth changes difficult sometimes. All over though it was enjoyable to drive and made long trips a breeze to be fair.

I can see why folk bomb about in these MPV's with a high seating position; you just don't get the impression of speed, the car was also very well insulated from any noise, if you 'felt' like you were doing 60mph you were really doing 70 etc bit weird actually.

Above all this though, and disappointingly for the class of vehicle, check out the MPG's for the weekend:


Shocking! and there was no way I was hammering the thing all day long, I was driving along the motorways with everyone else out there. This hired model was a top spec job with a price tag of up to £24K, the fuel economy would be a disappointment I think. Oh and it don't like side winds at all.