albert smith 803 Posted February 29, 2020 Report Share Posted February 29, 2020 Oops, I thought I'd copied a picture of a "Nightingale ward" at the General Hospital. I still think they were better than the 6 bed bays of 'better' & later hospitals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Willow wilson 891 Posted February 29, 2020 Report Share Posted February 29, 2020 Screw caps on the top of car batteries. You unscrewed them (6 of them) and then dangled the rubber spout of a hydrometer in the hole to check the SG of the acid and then you pulled the spout out, to check the next cell, and it being rubber it flicked acid on yer paintwork and yer shirt which was later covered in little acid holes, there were 6 cells to do, and then you had to squint down the battery cell holes to see if plates were covered with electrolyte and if they were'nt you had to find that bottle of distilled water that you meant to fill up 3 months ago and when you found it, cussed as there was only enough for 3 cells so you gave up till you got some more distilled water then you could only find 5 of the caps to screw back on the battery meanwhile the hydrometer rolled off the radiator where you'd balanced it and it smashed on the floor... 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,217 Posted February 29, 2020 Report Share Posted February 29, 2020 The good old days, greasing the kingpins, ball joints and steering linkage, universal joints on the prop shaft, checking the oil in the gearbox and diff, adjusting the valve clearances and checking the brakes and wheel bearings before you went on a "long" journey...…. Nottingham to Skegness? I look under the bonnet of our current car more out of habit than the need to do anything. The only thing I ever need to top up is the windscreen washer fluid Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,711 Posted February 29, 2020 Report Share Posted February 29, 2020 As a lad, I was chemistry mad, but could never get hold of any half decent acid.. so, when I found an abandoned car battery in the fields opposite, I put it in an old sack that was also lying about and set off to carry it home and extract the acid. When I was about half way home I noticed that I was burning a bit... The batery had shifted in the sack and was leaking... on me... By the time I got home I'd ruined a nylon shirt, nylon socks (nylon is easily dissolved by acids) and most of the rest of what I was wearing. It was close run thing to get home before my clothes fell off my back... Mum wasn't best pleased, but I managed to extract about an egg cupful of sulphuric acid, contaminated with lead of course, from the battery.. before taking it down to 'Hendo's' and weighing it in. I emptied an old battery off Mrs Cols car only a couple of weeks ago. It still had the 6 caps. I've got the acid in a clearly marked plastic bottle in the garage. I may see if I can think up a few chemical wheezes to show my Grandson. He's into sciency stuff. I will of course keep him safe. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,711 Posted February 29, 2020 Report Share Posted February 29, 2020 9 minutes ago, Oztalgian said: The good old days, greasing the kingpins, ball joints and steering linkage, universal joints on the prop shaft, checking the oil in the gearbox and diff, adjusting the valve clearances and checking the brakes and wheel bearings before you went on a "long" journey...…. Nottingham to Skegness? I look under the bonnet of our current car more out of habit than the need to do anything. The only thing I ever need to top up is the windscreen washer fluid The only thing I can be bothered doing these is changing the oil on my Civic. I use posh oil and change it and the filter every year whether it needs it or not. It's a pig of a job because you can't see the filter from above or below, so it is all done by feel. Drop the oil, get the old filter off, clean the mating surface by feel, replace filter, etc. The rest.. I pay somebody. I spent half of my best years sodding about changing every conceivable bit on cars, including complete engines.. because I could never afford a decent car or a 'pro' mechanic. These days.. I pay somebody.. mostly. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,071 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Balsa wood model planes used to watch my brother cut out the shape of the wings with precision and gluing the plane together , then when finished wound up the laggey band , and let the plane fly, only to crash and break into little pieces, or well lets start again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,217 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Our new car comes with free servicing for two years and then fixed price services until the end of the five year warranty. If you are passing the dealership they will even give you a free car wash. Still have to vacuum the inside though. If they can have self cleaning ovens why can't they have self cleaning cars? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,711 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Keil Kraft was one of the main producers of balsa wood kits for aero models. You could certainly still buy them in the 1980s, because I made a couple. It seems they are still available... https://www.vintagemodelcompany.com/keil-kraft.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,217 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Can you still get Airfix kits? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,711 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Think so. My nephew has been making Airfix and other brands of plastic models all his life. He is now a 'big noise' in the IT business with BaE Systems, but also makes models from all sorts of manufacturers and reviews them in magazines. He is very, very good at it. He writes for 'Model Airplane international', and 'Airfix Model World'. https://www.magazine.co.uk/magazines/model-airplane-international-magazine https://airfixmodelworld.keypublishing.com/2018/10/11/terrific-treble-3/dsc_1897/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,217 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Thanks DJ and yes you can still get them in OZ. My pride and joy was an Avro Lancaster painted in cammo with Humbrol? paints. The only problems I ever had was getting the transfers on symmetrically. As a retired former toolmaker I can appreciate the skills involved in making the moulds back in the 50's and 60's when multiaxis CNC, CAD CAM and spark erosion were not around. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 When I was young I went through several phases of being mad on Airfix kits. For a while I'd be on the WW2 aircraft; then I'd work my way through all the cars (1960s stuff); then I'd move on to tanks and armoured cars (again mainly WW2); then I'd have a go a ships/boats for a time. I didn't have a problem doing the small, fiddly bits; and could paint all the small details and apply the transfers. The main source of Airfix kits was Woolworths stores. I've read that they had a special contract to stock all the Airfix range, and if you went into a WW store, you were guaranteed to find a large Airfix display. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,711 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 5 hours ago, Oztalgian said: Thanks DJ and yes you can still get them in OZ. My pride and joy was an Avro Lancaster painted in cammo with Humbrol? paints. The only problems I ever had was getting the transfers on symmetrically. As a retired former toolmaker I can appreciate the skills involved in making the moulds back in the 50's and 60's when multiaxis CNC, CAD CAM and spark erosion were not around. Indeed. When I first watched my nephew making them in the early 70s, the first thing that struck me was the way he applied the transfers or 'decals' There was always an excess bit of transparent decal around them, which would remain visible.. except that Alan would very carefully remove it with a scalpel before applying them. He also became very good at trimming the parts for better fit, making slight modifications to represent model variations, and using airbrushing and other technigues to get very realistic paint finishes. At BAe, he's worked a lot on 'Tornado' 'Typhoon' and has constructed lots of models for colleagues, finishing many if them in the sort of dirty yellow/green primer finish in which they are built, before being painted in the 'livery' of purchsing airforce/country. https://www.facebook.com/alan.price.986?epa=SEARCH_BOX One of Alan's Spitfire builds. Note the 'worn' paintwork on the wing root below the cockpit, where the pilot would climb in and out. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 I suspended my Airfix aeroplanes from the washing line and picked them of with my air rifle. I did make a model of HMS Belfast just before the Falklands war but after the war ended we ceremoniously burnt it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,071 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 It's a good job we did'nt use super glue for our Airfix planes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IAN FINN 792 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Is it a ground to air rifle Phil? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 It was an old BSA .177 which I had when I was about 10. I’ve still got it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IAN FINN 792 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 My father had one to i used it to shoot at crows and rooks it also could shoot the different colored darts. I was about 10 years old at the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 I’ve just found it and it’s actually a Webley Junior. I do have an old BSA but that’s a .22. I bought that from a friend who lived in a flat in Mapperley Park where he used to take potshots from his bedroom window! I do have a more modern Theoben Rapid 7 which has a 7 shot .22 cartridge and is powered by compressed air and charged up from a diver’s bottle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,869 Posted March 14, 2020 Report Share Posted March 14, 2020 Toilet rolls in shops. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,094 Posted March 15, 2020 Report Share Posted March 15, 2020 The thread, "Keep one, Drop", that I were on. Been back pages and pages but none that have me on. Just a new thread started by Ian Finn, 10 hours ago. Is this a normal occurrence when a thread is full? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 15, 2020 Report Share Posted March 15, 2020 Just a guess BK, but I think, because there's no reason to refer back as you can in other posts, once so many have been submitted, the previous pages are deleted. Otherwise, there would be zillions of pages for the word game. Might be wrong but that's how I see it, but I'm no computer buff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,869 Posted May 1, 2020 Report Share Posted May 1, 2020 Go Go Girls, the ones I knew have all gone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 Remember when isolation & social distancing was all the rage? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 They’re all queuing for chips at Skeggie, no doubt berating Dominic Cummings or saying ‘if he can do it so can I, except of course that he kept his distance. I foresee another lock down. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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