Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Ah, Norden. That takes me back to the time when I was interested in Baitings Mill, but that's a long story!
Glad your sewing went well and ni9ce to see Bob enjoying the walks. Today should be a bit drier but don't bank on getting sun..... I shall be out attacking Well to see if I can get my meds out of them!
Hope you have a good day.....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual at 06:00 but after that there are no demands on me. The weather is forecast to be wet and windy and so I can see this being a very quiet day.....

[Stanley]

I started by rough fettling the support casting and doing my best to cut the faces square and in the right plane. Then I drilled it for the valve rod and followed that by marking and drilling it 5BA clearance for the bolts that will fasten it to the bed. I am ready now to mark, drill and tap the bed 5BA for those bolts but that's for tomorrow. Now for breakfast!

[Sue]

Morning

A bit later this morning . We went to bed late as we were watching THE BANK OF DAVE on Netflix. I accidentally found it whilst searching for something to watch for half an hour before we went to bed and of course it was longer than half an hour. What a good film, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Someone on the Burnley facebook page said last week that they are filming again.

Its Friday so lunch out with Wendy and Keith at Hollingworth Lake. It will probably be too wet to walk round, there are big muddy puddles at the far side of the lake but we may give it a try. Other than that I will do the button holes on my new shirt so I can sit and sew all the buttons on when Bob goes to his engineers meeting this evening.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue! I don't see much chance of any puddles decreasing today, more likely to expand. Sewing buttons on a shirt sounds like a good occupation while Bob is playing out.
I have just finished my breakfast and am off to bed now. Best place to be I think. I do not envy anyone who has to work outside today......
Have a good lunch at the Lake....

[Big Kev]

Using the M1 to get to Thoresby Hall Hotel today. The A1, our usual route, is currently closed (08:00) due to a lorry fire.

A1 live updates as lorry fire stops traffic in both directions causing long delays
The A1(M) is blocked in both directions due to lorry fire from J34 A1 J34 ( Blyth / Bawtry) to J35 M18 J2, as of 8am on Friday, April 5

[Big Kev]

Using the M1 to get to Thoresby Hall Hotel today. The A1, our usual route, is currently closed (08:00) due to a lorry fire.

A1 live updates as lorry fire stops traffic in both directions causing long delays
The A1(M) is blocked in both directions due to lorry fire from J34 A1 J34 ( Blyth / Bawtry) to J35 M18 J2, as of 8am on Friday, April 5

Lots of diverted traffic on the A57, fortunately it's all heading in the opposite direction to me

[Big Kev]

and relax

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[PanBiker]

Enjoy

[Stanley]

I think I may have said this before..... I was lucky, I enjoyed the glory days of driving on our roads. I have seen me driving up the M1 at night with no other vehicle in sight back or front. I would hate to be out there now.
I shall be in the shed at 06:00 doing careful fitting on the valve train. It won't be long before I am setting my valve.....
Nothing on the cards for the rest of the day and according to the forecast the rain is going to stop about now and allow us a dry day so I might actually get a walk in and not just a trip to the shops.

[Sue]

Morning

Yes a dry day forecast and not even too windy or cold. Its Bacup market but then nothing else is planned. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

We're expecting strong winds here in Barlick Sue. So don't be surprised if they hit you as well.



This morning I started by adjusting the length of the valve rod and the amount of thread on the clevis end until I was satisfied I had the right dimensions for a runner. Then I built the valve train with the support installed and when I had that secure I could mark and drill for the first of the 4BA bolts. (That's right, just as in the previous engine I decided 4BA was a better size for that fastening.) I fitted that bolt and tightened it up then checked the stroke and running of the valve rod again before drilling and tapping for the second bolt through the support. That made sure it was in the right place. Next I set the valve for running and then put the valve chest lid on with its gasket. That tightened the action of the valve slightly but this only made it a better fit on the face of the valve. That leaves me with finishing touched tomorrow and then god bless us we have another engine! Now for breakfast.....

[Gloria]

Morning

Yes a dry day forecast and not even too windy or cold. Its Bacup market but then nothing else is planned. Have a good day all

Hi Sue, is there much at the market nowadays, I’d heard half of it had been closed? We’ve never been, but have kept meaning to. I’ve just reread what you said….Bacup market, I was thinking Bury market

[Stanley]

Markets used to be so important. Stockport market was enormous when I was a lad and my mother never missed going to it.
Today I shall be in the shed at 06:00 and might well finish up with another engine on the table!
There are no demands on my time for the rest of the day and so I may treat myself to a dad nap at dinnertime. Or do I put my waterproof on and go for a short walk in the showers?

[Stanley]

The last fitting job that needed doing was to pack the valve rod gland. That was a fiddly job and took most of the first half hour in the shed. Then a check of all the nuts and the engine is declared finished and joins its mates on the kitchen table. (How many engines is too many?)
Next was a tidy up all spare parts put away, the lathe cleaned and I looked up the candidates for making the crankshaft for the next engine. The larger piece is obviously big enough and just need turning down to size. The smaller one is a piece I have always rejected before but when I measure it and check against my finished engines it is just long enough to serve as stock for the next shaft. I measured again as a check and made the decision, it will do! (I already have a plinth ready for it.) Now for breakfast and I shall have to order a set of castings. Expensive but it has to be done because I can't possibly die while I have an engine building.....

[Sue]

Morning

Yes a dry day forecast and not even too windy or cold. Its Bacup market but then nothing else is planned. Have a good day all

Hi Sue, is there much at the market nowadays, I’d heard half of it had been closed? We’ve never been, but have kept meaning to. I’ve just reread what you said….Bacup market, I was thinking Bury market

Morning
Bacup market is a very small friendly market mainly dealing in fresh produce only. The butcher we go to has his own farm not three miles away, the meat he sells is all his own. The green grocer is his father in law. There is a fresh bread stall who also sells gluten free pies and runs a little cafe. We usually go to the second butcher too, he buys meat in from local farmers in Yorkshire. There is a card stall all hand made, a fish stall on Wednesday and Friday, plus a few others. Its easy to park and not too crowded so we started going during covid. Our friend the french pâtissière moved to Burnley market for more days a week and higher footfall . The market will be knocked down and rebuilt with a new food centre later this year, taking two years before ot will be back. The stall holders are up in arms. Most are retirement age and will not return to the new 4-6 days a week premises. Our farmer butcher has not got the time so is going to do home deliveries. We all think it will be a failure. Meanwhile Bury market is as good as ever as far as I know. I have not heard of anything closing other than people who have retired such as a couple of fabric stalls. As it is much further away from us, and you have to pay to park we haven’t been for ages. I got out of the habit of going as I did not want to run into ex students, as the college there is where I taught. I think after 19 years that risk has passed

I bought some plants on the way home from the plant man who used to be on the market but now runs his stall at a local community cafe. He left before he lost his income from the market going for two years. Anyway that meant I did a little gardening in the afternoon and a little sewing. Today I will do some more of both, depending on the weather, Bob will be at the park. At teatime we are taking Claire Adam and Erin for a curry, now Erin is better.

Have a good day all

[Gloria]

You can see it being the end of your market, such a shame. It sounds as though it is surviving without any interference……… I put help instead of interference at first, but interference it is, not help.

[Stanley]

It's a common story and is driven by councils getting 'advice from experts' which always revolve round doing away with what is there and functioning and replacing it with 'modern amenities'. I think you're right Sue, it will not survive and prosper as the solid regulars who make it a success now won't come back.
I have had a short walk and got me milk at the Co-op. Lovely sunshine but they were right about the -4C wind chill!

[Big Kev]

Playing with the birds in the woods at Thoresby Hall. The trees sheltered us from the wind so the birds were able to fly. Todd the Harris Hawk, Domino a Spectacled Owl, which normally eats small monkeys, Bluebell a Great Grey Owl and Todd a Peregrine Falcon. They were all on their best behaviour and responded well to small bits of chicken despite the local pheasants, being as daft as can be expected from pheasants, and announcing their presence. The Harris Hawk was especially interested in them

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Me and Todd.

[Stanley]

Lovely Kev. I got up close and personal with a Harris Hawk once in a bar but nobody thought to take a pic! She was called Freya. They are impressive birds!
I shall be in the shed at 06:00 this morning and will do some tidying up but then I think I might be starting to turn that piece of 3" shaft down to 2 1/8" to make it good crankshaft stock! I am confident the short piece will do but need to think about the next three engines not just the next one.
You can laugh but this is serious stuff, a matter of life and death.
It looks as though it will rain while I am having breakfast and second sleep but there's a good chance of a walk at dinnertime.

[Sue]

It's a common story and is driven by councils getting 'advice from experts' which always revolve round doing away with what is there and functioning and replacing it with 'modern amenities'. I think you're right Sue, it will not survive and prosper as the solid regulars who make it a success now won't come back.
I have had a short walk and got me milk at the Co-op. Lovely sunshine but they were right about the -4C wind chill!

Morning

They have started a similar rebuild at Haslingden market and are now having to advertise for new market traders. Rawtenstall is also on the list . Now this is a bigger and busier town and already has a bigger market so it may work there .

Today is plates this morning and yoga this evening. I have sewing on the go but I believe there is a little window of opportunity around lunch time to plant out my mangetout peas. We have erected a small cover over the growing area to stop the squirrels ripping them out. I saw the heron again yesterday happily standing in the shallow uncovered area of the pond. I think it may have eaten something but not sure what. That is the second time this week so I have ordered some brightly coloured shiny discs from Amazon which we will string across and hope to deter it. I don’t want anything that makes a noise or is too big as I don’t want to deter the other birds.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue! You seem to attract wildlife, I'm thinking of the visitor in the loft in France..... I hope your fish survive the heron, they are very efficient at their job! I think Bob might approve this morning's activities.....



I started the morning by vacuuming the floor in the shed, cleaning the bench and oiling both CI surface plates before fitting a clean tablecloth. Then I changed the chuck on Mrs Harrison taking the 4 jaw SC off and installing the big original 3 jaw SC. I found the rough centre of the 12" X 3" bar that is going to give stock for two crankshafts and installed it in the lathe with a little shield to contain the chips on the bed of the lathe. I made one pass but then it was knocking off time. I have decided to make the stock for two more crankshafts and this will keep me busy until I order and take delivery of a new set of castings. Time for breakfast.

[Big Kev]

Yesterday actually but realising what a lousy shot I am

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[Stanley]

90% of rounds in the black isn't that bad Kev!
I shall go in the shed at 06:00 and quietly make some swarf. It will stop raining whist I am having second sleep but start again as soon as I have had a pot of tea.... Deep Joy. Could be a good day to order castings. I hate spending money......

[Big Kev]

90% of rounds in the black isn't that bad Kev!

At 50 yards with a tele sight, I thought I would do better.