willedoo

Not sure if this is an old dodgem car or off a merry go round:

The immediate job in the project is to drop a possible contender engine in the bath for a couple of weeks. It's been in the weather for quite a while so could do with a good soak. While that's happening, it's back to the shed renovations so I can get the workshop better set up. It's got to the point of being barely functional and you probably wouldn't want to go in there without life insurance and a map to find your way back out. The main shed adjustments are to: refit a set of steel diagonal braces, and finish replacing some timber wall purlins with steel RHS that I have on hand. Then clean out enough floor space to pull a big heavy steel bench out and away from one wall section. Remove the steel diagonals from that section. Remove the cladding from the timber framed wall behind it. Run cyclone rods in that wall frame (it will be upgraded to a bracing wall to replace the bracing of the steel diagonals. The diagonals need to go to fit shelving flat against the bracing wall). Insulate the wall frame and clad it with bracing ply. Another 6 metre wall section that adjoins another shed section will be cladded in and a doorway blocked off in the process. Build another alternative access to the other shed section. The doorway is already there, I just need to build a ramp leading to it. That would just about finish the construction side of the shed. Then it's just a matter of fitting shelving, making some more benches, setting up the lathe, mill, bench grinders and all the other equipment in their permanent home, sorting out all the tools and bits and pieces and getting it looking like a workshop. Theoretically that should leave all the central shed floorspace free to start this project (and others). It all doesn't make much sense without photos.

I was reading in the news where Pauline referred to Angus Taylor as a smarmy management consultant. It got me curious enough to read the Wiki page on Taylor, and looking at his background you'd think he'd be a much better fit in the National Party considering his extensive agricultural background.

Agree Jerry, a PhD means little these days. Every second Joe Blow has one. Our ex premier did his PhD on trade unionism. Total work experience - straight from uni to work for the unions, then on to work for the Labor Party, then on to being elected as a Politician. What an asset.

It's a bit ironic when you have to bend down to pick up your pick up tool that you dropped.

So it's back to plan A to custom build a frame. A bit of work involved but at least it can be built to requirements instead of trying to adapt an unsuitable frame. I've got an old frame hanging about which might be ok for a couple of donor bits. Chopping the steering head, main spine and front down tubes as one piece and using it is feasible and would save a bit of work.

The old M-63 Ural frame is out of the equation. The high ground clearance frame doesn't allow anywhere near the cradle height to accommodate the engine. From ground to the bottom of the frame is 240mm, and that's with 16" wheels and not the 19" originals. Ok for the original boxer twin engine but hard to fit any other type in it. The Ural frame will hang on the wall waiting for a boxer engine to show up one day.

Jerry, it could be due to decisions being made in a more rushed manner than they normally would. The government is under political pressure and taking into account their so far very cautious nature, they have a need at the moment to be seen to be doing something. Regardless of whether that's distractions, announcables, policy making on the run or good policy, there's space they need to fill as time to the election is whittling down. Another backdown today was their only very recently announced 25% cut to state disaster funding. That idea only lasted days after a huge backlash from councils in my state, which has the highest disaster cost in the nation. It would have been a nightmare for councils trying to fund that extra amount and also a lot of pressure on the state budget. It's rare for me to ever say anything good about this government, but credit to them where it's due for coming to their senses, listening to the stakeholders and reversing a bad decision. The ABC radio news today seemed to be dominated by the two backdowns, but the disaster funding issue is solved now so that's one less prickle in the government's undies. With 18 months to the election and their polling numbers where they are, we can probably expect a few more bad ideas from them, but the test will be whether they can swallow their pride, correct their mistakes and move on.

I wonder if they'll start chanting "Leave my elevator alone".

I've just been listening to the wireless on the ABC channel and they've been talking about high tech household stuff. Stoves that cost thousands of dollars and self clean at 500 degrees celsius. People using their smart phones to turn on the air con while they're driving home. One bloke can unlock and open his gate from anywhere in the country using his phone. Robot mowers and vacuums, the list goes on. With all this smart technology about, I must be in the dumb category. I still don't have a sealed driveway or running hot water.

NAB are a funny mob. My bank offloaded their credit card service to NAB so my card is with NAB now. If the balance is zero you get emails from them trying to talk you into booking up overseas holidays. Then if you spend even a small amount like four hundred dollars you suddenly get emails asking if you need help to pay it off and offering financial councilling. Weirdos.

They're handy people in a workshop. Al Hackel built most of the motor himself but I think he might have got somebody else to grind the cams. Allan Millyard delves fairly deep into it; he even makes his own carburettors at times.

Kickstarting Al Hackel's 1700cc Wright thumper:

I've often thought of doing something with the R-670 jug that I have. It's in good condition with the valves, rocker gear and rocker covers. I just wish I had two of them, it would make a great three litre v-twin. A nice pot with a lot of character. I've also got a couple of Cyclone 9 pots but they're huge and ugly, much like the Millyard P & W's, so they'll remain as paperweights. Just for a laugh I lined the R-670 pot up in the M-63 Ural frame the other day and it took up most of the available engine space, no room at all for a bottom end.

And not to forget Allan Millyard's five litre Pratt and Whitney v-twin. Also American Al Hackel's custom chopper with a single pot from a Wright R975.

It looks a bit like a three wheeled dragster.

That's a work of art. Pete, I don't think the imagination needs stimulating; it's more the work ethic that needs some stimulation.

It's not about just helping Ukraine, it's also about helping preserve the international rule of law and the principal that it's wrong to take someone else's country by force. I'm not sure if the peanut would understand that concept.

If the Chev was a roller, he'd get $2,500 to $3,000 in a heartbeat. Being on four rolling wheels is a big selling factor. $100 car trailer hire vs hiring a crane truck.

You wouldn't dream of restoring that Chev if you were in your right mind. It's potential is as a ratrod donor body. Get it structurally sound and put it on another chassis. Leave the patina as is, just a wax job to seal it. There's a thousand dollars value just in the front guards and grille. Any maple leaf Chev is rare and very sought after no matter what condition.

I watched the bloke in a lengthy interview and he seems very keen but naive. This idea of moving to the left to take voters away from Labor is bordering on delusion. Logic tells you that any far left voters on the market would already be in the Greens camp. To replace Labor they would have to appeal to the centre left and centre. If the Greens want to get anywhere they have to stop dreaming, and that's what this bloke's doing. I think he'll end up being divisive in their party.

Looking at the photos of the grass under and around the Chev ute, it hasn't been sitting there or dragged there. It looks like it arrived there by crane truck and been plonked on the grass.

It would be a shame to see this one go to the scrapyard, an old Chev maple leaf ute. The seller is looking for offers over $200 to sell by the 10th. or it goes to scrap. I'd buy it myself if it was a roller but it's got no rear wheels and quite likely locked up so it would be a lot of work and stuffing around to pick up.

Lucky it was a fizzer, mostly went north and south. I was hoping for some gentle soaking rain as it's been dry for a while. A big storm deluge on dry soil here causes a lot of erosion. There's just not enough clay colloids in the soil to give it some resistance to water flow. It's mostly decomposed organic matter, nice when damp but powders up in the dry.

The dude seems to believe they can replace Labor by moving further to the left. All I can see him achieving is turning their 12% into 6%.