Druidic exploits of a various nature!!

[v8druid]

time for a catch up .......

24th dec......


well I've done my bit of wrapping ...... over to SWMBO for the fancy bit





been absolutely lashing down here this morning .....
got drowned after this bit ... loading Josh's van for a Boxing day departure with miscellaneous crap, we're fed up of storing .... and a gert big box of me firewood ... complete with my blood and sweat from lopping it up ... he's a 'big boy' FFS . surely there're trees etc., in Plymouth


been some bit of water accumulated in two hours this morning ... didn't start 'til I had to go outside and just fell out the sky ...





more than the drains can cope with ... need to get this raised as soon as I can get Steve / Mike here with two loads of planings, hopefully after Crimbo ... his yard stock pile bays are empty apparently ... after someone took 2000+ tonnes off him in December


ditches and drains all over topping ........ there surely can't be much left up there !!!

and so it was on to the next little can you just ...... had no idea what sort of challenge this 'un was gonna be ...





kiddy's Ikea --- sort of .... flat pack doll's house
wasn't too bad, but'd have challenged yer average Joe Soap IMHDO ...
destructions weren't too bad ... but swapped a few processes round to make life a bit easier ... main thing was the space needed


Granny was talking about wrapping it ..... " right .. you have got to be kidding me "!!





'bout 1200mm tall FFS !!!!





went together well, I have to say .... 4 poster bed was the biggest challenge!!!


So ..... dunno what all you builder boys are on about ... whole house in two hours - ish LOL ...... all work under cover ... this house building game seemed a doddle

[v8druid]

so ... nigh on up to date again ..... 01-01-2020


hope everyone had a great Crimbo and a good evening on the 31st ... Happy New Year and decade to you all


Christmas with the little uns was a combination of getting coughed, sneezed or vom.ed on ..... with the inevitable consequence of catching a whole new variety of bugs .... not been great for the last week or so !!


rather knackered my planned new bits fitting regime for the P38 and have done what I can, as I summoned the enthusiasm, between Clara visits, the rain and feeling shite.


been a right bitch of a job .... 20 odd years of salt attack has not been kind to the old girl, with several bolt heads eaten down a few sizes !!


just getting it to this point ... what should've been a POP .... was uphill








and getting it to this was hard fought ....





swivels are fine .... but the rubbers are banjaxed ... MOT man wasn't happy last year and said change 'em ... the rubbers that is .... gotta split it all so might as well do the complete works ....


bottom joint has an 'adjustable' collet holding the taper .... would like to meet the **ick who designed that





constant pressure/tension at max. with heat and much thrashing .....








has resulted in ...... zero progress .... I've 'played nice' ....... now it's gas axe time ......... I miss my 4 poster .. soooo much ... might see if i can buy it back ... don't think the mate I sold it to has used it .... could sit it anywhere on me patch on its base frame


Rough night last night from all the grunting, heaving and straining ... not allowed to play today ... felt fine first thing .. lot better than I did at 03.00 ... but that'd be the Tramadol cocktail talking ... like having a new body


having dragged my sorry arse outside today ..... man flu ... no sleep last couple of nights ... drowning in snot .....
must've looked as rough as I felt - actually been getting sympathetic noises from the boss
..........the hub carrier's ball joints had to have the disc ...





top one was spinning ...
and having successfully undone the bottom nut, had the windy chisel on it, with a ball joint splitter fork, crow bar and all manner of other tactics .................
I cut the ****er off!!!





that ABS sensor was a total bar steward to get out too ....
two on order ...
hour plus to remove it ... totally welded into its copper sleeve, which was also welded into the carrier ........





lollipop stone and flap wheel in the die grinder later and it looked a lot better ...
might get a bit more refinement, once I have the new bits for a measure up first .. don't want 'em ending up loose in there


needle gun on the casting next time I'm out there ...
hopefully tomorrow ... 'sposed to be sunny tomorrow ..
wind was enough to take your ears off today and enthusiasm levels were in the minus category


can well see the rest of the bits of ball joints, in the forks, getting the gas axe to extract them ...
no way are they going to press out, looking at the state of 'em ......
special tool or not .... be handy for pressing the new ones in though


the hard won remnants .....





.. so far, today!!!!!!!


if I can get some zeds, upright, in a chair tonight, without drowning, I'll be well happy ....


I'm a grumpy ****er, deprived of sleep


haven't had a cold for a long time ... an' this one's a bitch ... absolutely drowning in snot ... the Plymouth contingent brought it with them .... and left it with me
did get a couple of hours kip, upright in a chair, last night though ... the 'zombie' factor kicked in and I was gone


the sun eventually shone, this afternoon .... to burn the fog off .... been bitter here all day .... enthusiasm has been -10 all day, especially when Pam kept presenting me with barrow loads of garden crap for burning .... done six stuffed and over flowing, this afters .... dunno WTF she gets it all from .... must've been half a small woodland ...... and smoke !! even with me flame wand attached to a large propane bottle, took some getting going .... I'm kippered ........ did look at the axle for five .... but a look was all it got .... just could not be arsed to wrestle with it ... mañana!!

[245dlc]

so ... nigh on up to date again ..... 01-01-2020


hope everyone had a great Crimbo and a good evening on the 31st ... Happy New Year and decade to you all


Christmas with the little uns was a combination of getting coughed, sneezed or vom.ed on ..... with the inevitable consequence of catching a whole new variety of bugs .... not been great for the last week or so !!


rather knackered my planned new bits fitting regime for the P38 and have done what I can, as I summoned the enthusiasm, between Clara visits, the rain and feeling shite.


been a right bitch of a job .... 20 odd years of salt attack has not been kind to the old girl, with several bolt heads eaten down a few sizes !!


just getting it to this point ... what should've been a POP .... was uphill








and getting it to this was hard fought ....





swivels are fine .... but the rubbers are banjaxed ... MOT man wasn't happy last year and said change 'em ... the rubbers that is .... gotta split it all so might as well do the complete works ....


bottom joint has an 'adjustable' collet holding the taper .... would like to meet the **ick who designed that





constant pressure/tension at max. with heat and much thrashing .....








has resulted in ...... zero progress .... I've 'played nice' ....... now it's gas axe time ......... I miss my 4 poster .. soooo much ... might see if i can buy it back ... don't think the mate I sold it to has used it .... could sit it anywhere on me patch on its base frame


Rough night last night from all the grunting, heaving and straining ... not allowed to play today ... felt fine first thing .. lot better than I did at 03.00 ... but that'd be the Tramadol cocktail talking ... like having a new body


having dragged my sorry arse outside today ..... man flu ... no sleep last couple of nights ... drowning in snot .....
must've looked as rough as I felt - actually been getting sympathetic noises from the boss
..........the hub carrier's ball joints had to have the disc ...





top one was spinning ...
and having successfully undone the bottom nut, had the windy chisel on it, with a ball joint splitter fork, crow bar and all manner of other tactics .................
I cut the ****er off!!!





that ABS sensor was a total bar steward to get out too ....
two on order ...
hour plus to remove it ... totally welded into its copper sleeve, which was also welded into the carrier ........





lollipop stone and flap wheel in the die grinder later and it looked a lot better ...
might get a bit more refinement, once I have the new bits for a measure up first .. don't want 'em ending up loose in there


needle gun on the casting next time I'm out there ...
hopefully tomorrow ... 'sposed to be sunny tomorrow ..
wind was enough to take your ears off today and enthusiasm levels were in the minus category


can well see the rest of the bits of ball joints, in the forks, getting the gas axe to extract them ...
no way are they going to press out, looking at the state of 'em ......
special tool or not .... be handy for pressing the new ones in though


the hard won remnants .....





.. so far, today!!!!!!!


if I can get some zeds, upright, in a chair tonight, without drowning, I'll be well happy ....


I'm a grumpy ****er, deprived of sleep


haven't had a cold for a long time ... an' this one's a bitch ... absolutely drowning in snot ... the Plymouth contingent brought it with them .... and left it with me
did get a couple of hours kip, upright in a chair, last night though ... the 'zombie' factor kicked in and I was gone


the sun eventually shone, this afternoon .... to burn the fog off .... been bitter here all day .... enthusiasm has been -10 all day, especially when Pam kept presenting me with barrow loads of garden crap for burning .... done six stuffed and over flowing, this afters .... dunno WTF she gets it all from .... must've been half a small woodland ...... and smoke !! even with me flame wand attached to a large propane bottle, took some getting going .... I'm kippered ........ did look at the axle for five .... but a look was all it got .... just could not be arsed to wrestle with it ... mañana!!

Been fighting colds off and on here since ing October where I went on antibiotics three times, these last two have been viral I figure so I kept the quack out of the loop. Somehow Asthma makes me more susceptible to colds, pneumonia, and sinus infections. I'm suppose to go for a tonsillectomy in March as they have also been the bane to my existence for many moons.
Anyway rather than complain about ailments how is your SEC grab thing working out? It's got an odd geometry to it but not a bad idea saves welding a bracket to the excavator stick like on all these thumb attachments everybody has here.

[v8druid]

Been fighting colds off and on here since ing October where I went on antibiotics three times, these last two have been viral I figure so I kept the quack out of the loop. Somehow Asthma makes me more susceptible to colds, pneumonia, and sinus infections. I'm suppose to go for a tonsillectomy in March as they have also been the bane to my existence for many moons.
Anyway rather than complain about ailments how is your SEC grab thing working out? It's got an odd geometry to it but not a bad idea saves welding a bracket to the excavator stick like on all these thumb attachments everybody has here.

not done any more to it Bert .. what with the ****ing weather, christmas, the bloody cold I've had AND the ****ing car ...be glad to get that sorted and tested so's I can get on with other things ...
it's either been peeing down, or had to do other things (clara related, usually) ... or just not been up to wrestling the damned thing
should've been at it today, but bad night last night, and been off me face most of the day on me pain killers ... not conducive to rebuilding car steering components ... Clara in the morning, 07:30-ish and the forecast is torrential

I will get there ..... eventually

[v8druid]

had the last one (hopefully) of these yesterday ...








after almost eight years doing it .... gonna be odd, not surrendering 2 hrs of a Monday morning to the chair.


set me alarms on't phone for 12 hourly alerts .... starting 10.30 this morning for me first one o' these ......





had #2 at 22.30 ....


real fancy box they come in ... with a 'lock' .... press at "1" and pull at "2" ..





tha's a weeks-worth ..... ... get a months-worth delivered at a time, like with the enzyme, for a few months to see how it goes ....
bit 'experimental' ... told there's only about 25 others on it ATM ...
if me body'll cope with it they'll let me have 3 months-worth in a hit .....
and no fridge required got to give it a go and can always go back to the old regime ... if i have to


Guts are currently grumbling and growling like never before .... well maybe after a serious curry 'praps LOL .....
but no curry tonight .... all fingers crossed for a 'quiet' night !! ....




there's pages of side effects .... but so was there for the enzyme (hamster juice) and only suffered a few, occasionally ......
must confess to being somewhat 'nervous'!!!

[245dlc]

My mum was on some 'experimental' treatments for her cancer up until a few years ago that was costing the Government $30,000 a treatment. The cancer didn't respond to conventional chemo but this stuff worked kinda, it screwed with her glands and put her in the hospital till the doctors could figure out how to counteract it. I was staying at my parent's place at the time because I had work nearby but I was able to visit after work.

[v8druid]

still not shifted this bloody cold .. head full of snot all the time
have managed to get the off side of the P38 back together, in the odd dry hour or two .....


ball joints took some pressing out ....



bottom one was a bitch







and had to make up a sleeve to suit the job ....
what came with the 'new toy box' just wasn't up to it ...
too big to sit on the very limited face ....





slit some 76 chs and closed it up ...

jubilee kept it nicely tight and adjusted tight to the ball joint ..





remarkable how good a condition the seats are



as were the threads in that tapered seat collet, once I'd gotten it out on the bench, cleaned it all up and put the 1mm thread file over it ...
was winding in/out a treat, so saved meself some silly money on that ....
local factors wanted thirty eight quid plus VAT per side
.... was functional enough to reuse anyway, even if it was missing its 6 flats .. it went back in OK





pressing the new balls in was a bit of a challenge initially, 'til I sussed the press clamp had snook out past QC without a cursory glance ...
some time spent with a file sorted the seat out ...






followed by a bit of die grinder action to get the bore right for the tooling to sit square ...
next time the Ajax is in use I'll bore the whole thing out a mil ... just did enough to seat the tooling square, for now ... worked a treat





bottom one in .... on to the top





new oil seal in the axle tube, set up the tapered collet and mounted up the hub carrier ... top joint gets dogged before the drive shaft goes back in ... weird joint ....
it slides up/down in its housing, to allow height adjustment of the bottom ball, to align the drive shaft in the centre of the axle tube ... took a bit of sussing ,,, but got there



it was now ready for a re-assembly with all its new bits, including track rods,
but needed to get the rod off t'other end to set up the ball centre distance on the new rod.


been like this most of the week..... as it's pissed down here since I don't know when ..
the 10th according to the date on that pic FFS ...


actually had a couple of hours dry today so dragged my arse out to have a look at it ....
and promptly got pissed on ... hour later I tried again ...
and got it ready for the 'really' hard bit





in case anyone's wondering the chassis is sat on sleeper blocks further down the chassis rails .. the jacks simply control axle height/orientation


got the track rod off ... and the drag link, from the drop arm .... damper mount bolt took some unwinding, but was like new once undone - impressed with the bolt quality TBF ...


was about to come back up, after a late snack for 'lunch', to find two cats sat watching two pheasants having at it on the patch





they know better than to join in .... them pheasants got some fearsome spurs .... they won't even bother them on a 2:1 basis


anyway, these are ready to get used to set up their replacements with








and IF it's dry tomorrow ... and I can develop the enthusiasm. I'll wrestle the ABS sensor out of the N/S hub carrier ...
in bits probably .. 'kin solid tonight when i tried it, then see if I can separate the rest of the assembly ....
will be slightly easier as I know how the damned thing comes apart this time
.... but'll almost certainly require hacking to bits .... really can not see it coming apart, without a fight


some sun would be very nice tomorrow

[Wazza]

some sun would be very nice tomorrow

Aye ,and I reckon a shed to work in would be nice ........................lol..................

[Stock]

Aye ,and I reckon a shed to work in would be nice ........................lol..................

Was there not some rumblings of same some time back.........................................maybe it burnt down.............................................. ....

[245dlc]

Was there not some rumblings of same some time back.........................................maybe it burnt down.............................................. ....

Build it out of asbestos! Lol

[Stock]

Build it out of asbestos! Lol

Then watch the H & S boys and building control go into melt down.............................................. ......................................

[Muz]

Then watch the H & S boys and building control go into melt down.............................................. ......................................

Yep took a grinder to a roofing sheet a while back .. and eveyone retired about half a mile fecking idiots

[v8druid]

Aye ,and I reckon a shed to work in would be nice ........................lol..................

[v8druid]

Was there not some rumblings of same some time back.........................................maybe it burnt down.............................................. ....

pots ... kettles

[v8druid]

Build it out of asbestos! Lol