How are you filling in your day in lockdown?

[red750]

A bit of a different evening this evening. My son packed up his home office so I can use the computer desk, and I was just getting fired up while waiting for the 6 o'clock news, when everything went black - TV, lights, computers, the lot.My daughter had to buy a few things for tea, and was about to head down to the supermarket.It was pretty windy out, and she was a bit afraid to drive in those conditions, particularly with no street lights etc. She asked if I would drive her. 

 

When we turned the corner at the end of our street, the street lights were on in the other street and houses appeared to all have lights. But when we got up to Canterbury Road, there were no shop or street lights. A couple of fences had been blown over. Got to the supermarket and it was in total darkness. We decided to go to Forest Hill Chase, the next shopping centre down the road. Got to Springvale Road, a major intersection, no traffic lights. Could see that the Chase seemed to be in darkness also so turned into Springvale Road....lots of flashing red and blue lights - 3 or 4 fire trucks and a number of police cars. There was a small white car on the other side of the median strip badly damaged, looks like a tree had fallen on it. Drove on to Burwood Highway, with no street lights and shops and service stations in darkness. Turned into Burwood Highway back towards Vermont South. Darkness till we reached Vermont South Shopping Centre where the lights were on and Coles was open. A big Dumpmaster bin in the car park had been blown onto its side.

 

My daughter did what shopping she had to do while I sat in the car, (only one person per family permitted in the store). Got home and started preparing dinner in the dark, peeling the vegies by the light of an LED torch. I was just about to start cooking the meatballs in a skillet on the gas stove when the power came back on, so I was able to use the air fryer.

 

I had been burning a DVD from the recorder hard drive when the power went out, so I'll have to toss that out and start again. Must get around to resetting the electric clocks (alarm, stove, microwave). The wall clocks are battery powered thank goodness.  

[old man emu]

8 hours ago, red750 said:

when everything went black

That story shows how reliant we have become on the electricity supply. How many of us have a supply of candles, or camping lights in case of a blackout? You're OK if you have gas in the house for cooking, otherwise it's out to the barbie.

[Subria]

I've lived on a property for many years, one gets smart and never relies on our useless utilities! I have a back up generator as well, several battery operated lights and a radio, the latter very important for news broadcasts. Both gas & elect for cooking as well as a well stocked freezer. We don't have to rely on power just cleverness👍

[onetrack]

I long ago ensured we rely on gas for cooking and hot water. I would never ever become 100% reliant on a power utility supplying electricity for my basic needs, it is just not reliable, particularly in stormy weather.

 

Here in the West, we get salt-laden ocean air driven well inland. The salt precipitates out of the moist air and settles on the insulators.

 

Then we get a foggy morning and the result is "flashovers" - whereby the now-wet salt deposits on the insulators, leads to arcing and short-circuits that trip circuit breakers, cutting the power to thousands of homes.

[red750]

Yes, we had a couple of LED torches, and my daughter had bought an LED lantern which looks like an old Hurricane kero lamp. Has 12 LED's, and was a real saving grace. You just need to make sure you have a supply of batteries. The torch on my iPhone was also handy. It surpridsed me, driving around as described, at the number of houses with solar panels which had no lights on. Obviously no battery. There was the odd one or two lit up like a Christmas tree. Apparently there were around 100,000 homes left in the dark, and some may not get power back for a couple of days. Three people killed by falling trees. The water utility advised that their purification plant had failed allowing unsanitised water into the drinking water. They advised us to boil all water for drinking, etc.

[old man emu]

Yesterday, I finally finished installing a new voltage regulator, flashing turn indicators and a new speedo to my bike. This morning I'll give it a wash and then take it out for a road test. 

 

One more job off the To Do list.

[old man emu]

Don't count your chickens ...

 

I hate electricity!

[old man emu]

I finally got my bike's electrical problems sorted out - sort of. It took nearly a month to get a new electronic regulator from Holland to Sweden, then five days to get it from Sweden. After a lot of checking and double checking, I've got the systems all wired up. I did have a problem with the warning light not going out, but a lot of checking wiring and putting in insulation now has the warning light glowing dimly. That's progress. I'll just have to get the generator output checked.

 

One quick project that I finished on Monday was a vibrating parts tumbler cleaner. I made it from a 12V computer power supply fan, some scrap wood and stuff. I only had to buy four small springs and a cake tin. I am using fine Bonsai gravel as the cleaning medium. This is what it looked like when the prototype was almost finished. I've since fitted an ON/OFF switch and replaced those yellow things (lengths of hot glue stick) with lengths of bamboo garden stake to shorten the open space in the springs and to make things rigid. It hums along unobtrusively as the gravel and dirty parts flow up the outsides then down to the post in the middle. I thres some rusty nuts an bolts in for about 15 minutes and you could see that they were being cleaned up.

 

I was going to use some silicone sealant to seal around the screws that hold the tin to the wood, but since I have another similar fan, and plenty of scrap MDF, I might just buy four more springs and a plastic bowl and make a "sub-sonic" cleaner with liquid cleaning medium.

 

Some time ago, my grandson grew out of his 6V powered car, so I stripped it down and kept the battery and the motor/gearbox. I figured that all I needed to do was mount the motor/gearbox on a board whose joint with a base board was cut at an angle of 20 to 30 degrees to provide a slope. Then whatever container I can find will be supported at the other end by a bolt turing in bushed hole. The good thing about the motor/gearbox is that the connection to the wheels was a simple cogged insert that fitted into the output sprocket of the gearbox. This means that I can simply screw the lid of the medium container and slide it in and out of the output sprocket when necessary.

 

However, the other day a big fat guy with long white beard, and a penchant for red clothes with white trim, engaged me to make a super hero's helmet for my Grandson for Christmas. So this is what I am spending this week making.

What I am enjoying is that making the helmet is employing all my modelling, woodworking and model painting skills. If it turns out OK, I might make another super hero's helmet for my son. Both the boys are crazy for these things.

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

Great stuff OME.

[Marty_d]

5 hours ago, old man emu said:

 

 

However, the other day a big fat guy with long white beard, and a penchant for red clothes with white trim, engaged me to make a super hero's helmet for my Grandson for Christmas. So this is what I am spending this week making.

What I am enjoying is that making the helmet is employing all my modelling, woodworking and model painting skills. If it turns out OK, I might make another super hero's helmet for my son. Both the boys are crazy for these things.

 

Hey OME,

 

My kids are seriously into the Mandalorian helmet too and I'd love to make them one each (that would be 3...)

 

What's your method?

 

I was thinking of carving one out of foam as a plug to make a fibreglass mould.  Is that what you're doing or do you have a more sensible method that I should consider?

[onetrack]

You can acquire the whole costume for your young blokes, for just $60, in the link below ....

 

https://www.costumebox.com.au/products/star-wars-mandalorian-deluxe-boys-costume?variant=32304524656695&currency=AUD&gclid=CjwKCAiAnvj9BRA4EiwAuUMDfx_DkkqO1S-1Q00fzrLTaPL07TUaVj-NOixz5vWR4NautdWy6QKGxxoCVoMQAvD_BwE

[old man emu]

11 hours ago, Marty_d said:

What's your method?

There is a number of videos on Youtube. This is the one I am following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2km0YWMACA

 

I got the 10mm foam from Bunnings ($10 for a pack of 4 sheets) and the 5mm and 3mm foam from an arts supply shop, although Office works also has it but more than you need. It is possible to replace the 5mm stuff with the 10mm foam. 

 

If you are going to make these, you have to think about the various ways you cut templates. I found that by laying the paper template on the foam then using a liquid chalk pen like this

 to go over the edges of the template you end up with a sharp line for the edge of the piece. When you cut the shape from the foam, you cut into the ink outside the edge line the sand back to the sharp line. The 10mm foam sand to a flat edge with a bench disk sander. 

 

If you want any help making these, PM me and I'll give you my email address.

 

OME

 

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

On 25/11/2020 at 11:19 AM, Marty_d said:

Hey OME,

 

My kids are seriously into the Mandalorian helmet too and I'd love to make them one each (that would be 3...)

 

What's your method?

 

I was thinking of carving one out of foam as a plug to make a fibreglass mould.  Is that what you're doing or do you have a more sensible method that I should consider?

Or, you could make another and export to England.. Any chance by XMAS.. Size 52..

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

make another and export to England.. Any chance by XMAS.

Which Christmas? How 'bout I make one and give it to you at immigration arrivals?

[Jerry_Atrick]

If only.. Working on it still... Harder than I thought.. Darned COVID...

[old man emu]

Wow! Tomorrow I've got my first mini-bus driving job since 23rd March. The money will be handy as I have to renew my Bus Driver's Authority which expires early in December. Too bad the State Government didn't extend the expiry date when they closed down all the places that I used to take people to and from.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Bit of good news after a long break. How long does the job go for (time, not distance)?

Edited November 27, 2020 by Jerry_Atrick

[red750]

Just completed my 75th Airliner profile for the Aircraft showcase. That makes 570 profiles all up. (Plus O.M.E's 3 profiles.) While I have tried to intersperse other categories, I have concentrated on airliners because I had a file full of photos on the hard disk to use up. Now I can look at other categories again.

 

Lockdown is now over for me. Victoria is officially COVID FREE!!. 28 consecutive days with no new cases, no deaths, and no known active cases. We just have to keep an eye on anyone coming in from overseas. Quarantine will (should) be a lot stricter this time around. Most restrictions have been lifted, we just have to maintain our vigilance and care  -  wash hands regularly, social distance, wear a mask in enclosed spaces, and get tested if you show any symptoms. Restaurants, hotels, clubs, cinemas, gym's etc can open, albeit with social distancing restrictions. AND, we were advised this afternoon that the Men's Shed will re-open next week, again with some conditions (yet to be advised).   YIPPEEEE!

[old man emu]

11 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

How long does the job go for

Just a quicky. Leave the depot at 11:00 am; pick up at 11:30; drop off about 12:15. Then home in an hour. Back out about 3:30; pick up and drop off. Back to depot about 6:00.

 

Gunna be fun in 40 degree heat!

[Marty_d]

The Mandalorian helmets are more of a long term project so thought I'd make the kids wooden swords & shields for their main xmas present.

 

The progress so far - today I made & glued on the crossbar / finger protector thingies (they probably have a proper name).

 

I'm planning on coating the wood with some resin before painting the blades silver, pommels and crossbars gold.  The grips will get a ribbon wrapped around them in their favourite colour.

 

All the wood has been from stuff lying around the shed!

 

 

[willedoo]

3 hours ago, Marty_d said:

The progress so far - today I made & glued on the crossbar / finger protector thingies (they probably have a proper name).

Marty, it's the hilt, as in shove it in to the hilt. Nice job.

[nomadpete]

Hey! What are you thinking?

That doesn't look like rivetted aloominum! At this rate you'll never finish that big metal garden gnome!

[old man emu]

14 hours ago, Marty_d said:

so thought I'd make the kids wooden swords & shields for their main xmas present.

I'm thrilled with what you have done. Have I given you the impetus to do that? 

 

Go to you $2 shop and get some coloured "jewels" for decoration. To get the best response from the top coat of silver, put on a white undercoat. When you have finished with the top coats and they are dry, mix up some brown acrylic paint with a dash of black and dilute the mixture until is is like muddy water. Then paint the solution over the swords and wipe most of it off before it dries. That will leave "dirt and grease" in the grain as highlights.

[Marty_d]

On 06/12/2020 at 10:47 AM, old man emu said:

I'm thrilled with what you have done. Have I given you the impetus to do that? 

 

Go to you $2 shop and get some coloured "jewels" for decoration. To get the best response from the top coat of silver, put on a white undercoat. When you have finished with the top coats and they are dry, mix up some brown acrylic paint with a dash of black and dilute the mixture until is is like muddy water. Then paint the solution over the swords and wipe most of it off before it dries. That will leave "dirt and grease" in the grain as highlights.

Pretty much.  I knew I couldn't make the helmets in time for Xmas so thought about what else I could do.  They love making swords from the bamboo that grows near our creek so figured I'd make some nice ones.

 

Good advice with the paint & jewels!  Will post more pics when finished.

 

How's the helmet going?

 

Wish I had a 3D printer sometimes - there's some videos about people using those to make the Mandalorian helmet and it comes out exactly like the original.  Slosh a bit of resin inside it for strength, light bog and sand of the outside, and paint.

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, Marty_d said:

How's the helmet going?

See my new thread