Conor Wright

Thanks. There was no skill involved, sadly. Its held together with screws! I enjoyed doing it, have loads of ideas for little projects. Would have liked to spend a little longer on it and peg and glue it, but it had to be ready for tomorrow morning! I usually get a lot of household jobs done when she's away with work or travelling, that wont be the case for a while now though. Anyway, I'm off to cut a pair of 2x4s. ? Have fun making your gun cleaning bench. That will take a bit more than an afternoon!

Branson 3510 still going well, brought in a few loads of dung for the veg patch from next door. Power harrowed, ridged and spuds n onions are in.

So, I was contracted by she who must be obeyed to make a desk for the spare room because she has to work from home. Starting tomorrow. Found a bit of beech and attacked it with the belt sander. I'm happy enough with the result, of course she told me exactly what height she wanted it, then changed her mind after I made it. At least she wants it lower now, not higher.. I might just nail a pair of 2x4s to her feet instead.

Nope. My arse bandit earns me good money, just have to keep him fed and occasionally clean his leathers between customers. If you're interested I can send him your way. I'll tell him to be gentle. He never listens though.

If it's a bandit 95xp I'll swap for all the chip I have! But seriously, if you list yourself on the tip site you'll get a few loads. For somewhere between free and beer money.

On the woodmizer they turn, i presume yours is the same.otherwise you'd end up with wear on one side of the bearing. Bearings are built to turn. That's my logic and it's worked so far!

Smile!

A few various pics from the last month or so. in no particular order. A mixed bag.

Not a lot. Some stores as pointed out already. You can partially sever the stems of many later sown brassicas in late autumn to reduce growth over winter, this way you could have sprouts, pointed cabbage, kale (without slashing stems) and purple sprouting broccoli.. as well as spinach, purslane, rocket, crisphead lettuce (all late september/October sowings under cover) late sown parsnips are still a possibility as are overwintered leeks, scallions and, in a drier winters some onions too. (They often succumb to downy mildew) Celeriac will be beginning to regrow now but can be picked as late as January and stored. We have overwintered carrots in the tunnel at the moment, small still, but thinning them out now and adding them to soups. You can overwinter potatoes in a tunnel too, we had fresh first earlies on xmas day! (Take a handful of your first pick of earlies, throw them in the fridge for a fortnight, leave them in chitting boxes for a few days/ weeks and plant in the tunnel late august/September.) There are many other techniques both old and modern that are not widely known. Theres the possibility of using the heat generated from woodchip etc. to keep a glasshouse warm (above freezing at night is essential) throughout winter extending the growing season for tomato, cucumber, courgette, squash etc right up to new years, wouldn't be hard to stretch these crops to March with minimal preserving techniques.

"What's important ain't the cough that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in." Hence the ridiculous ones you sometimes see. I think I'll specify a shipping crate and have it wheeled in on a pallet truck when the time comes. Leave the saved cash to the dog shelter.

Consultant for the nhs

Massochist! Last job I did before winding down was a small ash plantation riddled with dieback, covered in ivy and waist high in briers... had i known you were interested, you could have had it!! But I'll agree theres a satisfaction in forestry that's lacking in other jobs.

Thankfully yes. I own a few acres, have no mortgage and no finance, dont have much banked but can live cheap. The result of working like a slave earlier in life. But its paying off now. A few months at home is no big deal, as long as herself and I can remain civil! Not everyone is so fortunate though. Theres people who live week to week. They will feel it much more.

Gov.ie - List of essential service providers under new public health guidelines WWW.GOV.IE List of essential service providers under new public health guidelines. Not that it applies to you as you're in a different country, but theres your link. You could argue the language says should rather than must. But I reckon if we all play our part we may lessen the humanitarian impact of this pandemic.

I'm in ireland so doesnt apply to you.

Factor in cost of sourcing,swapping parts and time required to fit and I'd argue that you're up to the price of a genuine stihl/husqvarna/echo equivalent. Grand if it's a hobby or a chance to learn how things work (or dont!) But for a full time professional I dont see any advantage. Buy the right thing first time around imo. plus theres the more important safety factor, should the worst happen and there is an accident with an inferior quality machine firstly the accident may be worse than if properly designed components were in use ie. inertia brake. Then theres the potential insurance risk arising from the use of machinery unfit for purpose. I agree that just because it's made in china doesnt mean its poorly made, but if it's made to be cheap, it probably is. At the end, theres only a days wages in the difference. I wont be the one to chance it!

Ah, no. It's not credit. It's basically an unemployment claim. I'm not regarded as an essential worker so therefore not permitted to work. I probably could sneak around doing odd jobs if I wanted to but I think its poor form given the current situation. Take the money and sit it out. I'm sure that those who do chance working through will voluntarily give up their place in hospital if they do catch the virus, in favour of someone who caught it in spite of taking all reasonable precautions.

To cover the multiple billions now being handed out by various governments worldwide to keep global economies afloat. Highly unlikely that this will be written off as an altruistic deed by those who have fronted this cash. Far more likely we will be asked (made) to pay it all back with interest over a long time, thus causing a mammoth recession allowing further land and property grabs by various institutions and rights erosion of the working classes on a global scale. Just my two cents. Would love to be proven wrong. Maybe this will instead lead to a situation where we end up with universal basic income, a more stable and caring society, not for profit healthcare systems with some real spare capacity, global business which prioritises employee wellbeing over outright profit and a financial and political class which puts the benefit of every citizen ahead of the short term goal of fast money and outright lies in their bids to be elected. I am however a realist and can't see this happening. The other fact is that we can't just let the pandemic run its course unmitigated. None of us want to see our parents or vulnerable friends/family come down with this. No easy choices to be made right now. No such thing as free money either.

Similar situation in Ireland, however we're being paid differently. 350 weekly. Roughly 90% of claims are being processed and paid out within a week of application. Better than nothing. The payback will be severe though.

I just removed the gauze, think it may be a bit louder with that bit out. Heat may build up towards the engine side of the exhaust too (not sure of this but didn't take the chance)

Pull the gauze out of the exhaust? It made a difference to mine.. two bolts and it's off, Never to impede the escape of fumes again!

Had one years ago. They tow well but if you're towing, just tow a fuel bowser. You'll need it! (It was a 2.5 petrol, I was young and foolish!)

It's only posh if you pay someone else to make it for you! Takes less than 10 mins and keeps you full till lunchtime.

Nice, at the risk of causing all out war, which black pudding do you go with?! I make something similar for breakfast on occasion, drop the chilli, swap the pudding for cherry toms and grate some emmenthal with the avocado then heat it on the bread until the cheese softens, while the egg fries.

Yeah, loaded some spruce onto the log deck this morning, for the first time this year it looks like I may be able process it straight into bags, should save some time. Was finally dry enough to power harrow and ridge up the field for spuds, carrots and onions. Had ploughed it on a frosty morning in early January and hadn't been able set foot on it until this week. Might get some planting done tomorrow. I'm really glad I have a bit of space around me right now.. no shortage of little jobs to keep myself amused.