Restoration is easy.

[Retired]

Hi,

I've done many radio restorations including a TV restoration over the last ten years and I've been thinking about what has been involved.

Because I do outside jobs on the bungalow and in the gardens when the weather turns milder I tend to do projects or hobbies during our nine month winters. I'm forever moaning about the weather; it drives me mad; wind; rain; hail; sleet; blizzards for many months making many jobs more of a misery than a pleasure whilst I try my best to work around the climate.

Woodworking indoors produces lots of dust which takes ages to settle; having the doors open is out of the question because of the freezing conditions; paint/lacquer spraying using my compressors and assorted spray guns is only a dream. If working in the garage I need to pull the car out which in turn gets a soaking or covered in snow meaning it needs cleaning and drying off before being put away again. I have an home made 3 phase extractor in the garage which does a good job whilst running my Startrite woodworking combination machine.

Last year I completely cleared out my electronics workshop and converted it into a woodworking shop for use in winter. The workshop is now very cosy and comfortable with plenty of new lighting; central heating and Hi-Fi to play my favourite songs but the weather is again diving me absolutely mad.

I can get into the workshop in comfort even when its snowing outside but after a couple of minutes I end up wrapped up like an Eskimo because a tool or some material needs collecting from the garage; this means a trip into the bedroom to get the arctic clothes on; change out of my slippers into boots and off I go; it's either raining; snowing; icy or just plain freezing; I open the garage and the car is in the way; do I try to struggle around the car with a risk of damaging the paintwork or do I pull the car out. OK now I've got what I came down to the garage for and the car is once again leathered off. Back in the bungalow I change back into normal clothes and step into my slippers. After ten minutes I need something else out of the garage. Why the heck do I bother as it's nothing but hassle. I can't leave the car on the drive because even our neighbours are subject to police drugs bust; drugs; aggravated burglary and mugging; I had a short ladder stolen from our back garden last year and even had the tax disc stolen from inside the car; neighbours let their kids run against the cars in the street with their bicycles and they couldn't care less.

Bron and I have a beautiful bungalow here with good sized gardens which we love so don't feel obliged to let the low life drive us out. The weather also does its best to upset me and usually it succeeds until I get mad enough to say blow it and ignore the conditions I end up working in.

I started a thread covering fitting a clutch to my Jubilee woodturning lathe but I simply got fed up of the many trips into the garage so shelved this project until I can work in peace.

Not wanting to be idle I decided to have a go at another "Woody" radio cabinet restoration which I've been attempting to do this week. As my workshop is not yet fully set up for woodworking many of the tools are still in the garage. Eventually I managed to remove the original finish from the cabinet right down to bare timber. I intend to have a go at re-veneering.

So far once again this has been nothing but frustration and hassle. Having removed the finish I got up early a couple of days ago with the intention of spending a day on this project; firstly though I needed to pop up to the post office; as soon as the car moved I thought here I go again; sure enough it had a flat tyre; three hours later I had visited the post office and arrived home with a new tyre fitted to the car. The cost of the tyre wasn't any trouble but the frustration caused certainly was and it shattered my concentration for the entire day. As it was dry and sunny I left the car on the drive whilst I had dinner. Immediately after dinner I started to put my Eskimo gear on and Bron said "It's raining". The car was put away before it got a soaking. I had left the car out so that I could search the garage for the double cast iron glue pot and veneering hammers which had been stored safely somewhere? Back in the bungalow the sun came out.

Yesterday morning I got out of bed determined to find the glue pot; once again well wrapped up I pulled the car out and searched under all the benches in the garage but then it started to pour down with rain so I was rained off yet again and put the car away.

After dinner the sun was shining so I wrapped up and set about washing the car making a good job of it; having leathered the car dry I resumed my search for the glue pot; down came the rain so ended another day.

Not one to give up easily I was wrapped up early this morning against the bitter cold pulling the car out into frost. At last I found the glue pot and veneering hammers in the very corner of a wall cupboard; something going right for a change? The car was put away and I thought now I can make some progress on the cabinet at last?

During dinner I turned the heat on in the workshop ready for a session. By now I had the glue pot; veneering hammers; veneer; silver sand; baking tin in which to heat the sand; single electric hot plate; new circle cutter; 400 yard roll of proper veneering tape and all the other odds and ends surely nothing could go wrong and I was now looking forward to enjoying myself? The workshop was well lit and nice and warm with Acker Bilk giving his best on the Hi-Fi. Before I start playing around I'd better soak some hide glue ready for veneering. The hide glue was in a biscuit tin in a base unit in the kitchen; when I checked it was no longer there so the search started; I searched all the kitchen units; Bron searched both bedrooms; I then pulled everything out from under the workshop bench but still no tin.

Nothing for it but the car will have to come out. I had the garage upside down whilst I searched but still the tin evaded me; I put the car away and returned to the bungalow once again removing the heavy clothes. Surely I hadn't thrown the hide glue away whilst clearing the workshop? In desperation I went into the kitchen turned on all the lights and using a torch started to search the last known position. In a base unit hidden from sight until I stuck my head in was a large white plastic tub with a big tin of paint sitting on top of it; I stared at this in disbelief; it suddenly hit me like a lead brick that I had disposed of the metal tin transferring the hide glue into the plastic tub. I'm seriously losing the plot whist steadily going senile. Two hours of frustration just to find the hide glue. If I live long enough I believe I'll get the workshop set up allowing me to do a simple job.

As I say; I've done many restorations over the years but what isn't seen is all the hassle and frustration as told in the story above. My restorations are hard enough and I don't believe the theory that all these hassles will make me a better person because in reality all they do is drive me nuts. I feel better for sharing this and hopefully the cabinet restoration will be added in due course.

Kind regards, Col.

[pwdrive]

Col, I've never washed the Landrover since I've had it! It's slowly changing colour from bronze green to algea green.
I don't mind working outside in the winter so long as I am not hanging around, however I wouldn't work in an indoor unheated space, I would sling the car outside and insulate and heat your garage for extra room as a workshop.
I have been quiet for a few days trying to plan a small extension, I have ordered the timber, that's about as far as I've got.
The weather is gonna do what it's gonna do.
My Landrover has stuff growing in the butt due to all the bark from my firewood activities and the wet. Got a new canvas top coming for it in a few days, not cheap though.

Lawrence.

[AlanBeckett]

It's not at all unusual young Col.

Over the last few (nice?) days I've put a couple of shelves and a light in the upstairs wardrobe over the stairs, a nice simple warm job you might think.

I knew I needed some timber so a trip to B&Q first. Now to put them up. Measure, cut, screw and glue some supports to the walls - one is real brick the other is stud, and this being 1937 it's lathe and plaster. My ordinary Black & Decker refused to have anything to do with the brick, but fear not, that's what I have a big SDS for. However, the SDS would only work while holding the mains cable at an acute angle. That proved to be the usual problem of damaged wires due to the over-tight cable clamp, so strip and rewire. Holes drilled, timber cut, brackets fixed to the back wall so all I need now is some Nonails - Gripfix actually. Surely I have some. Well, half a tube, partially set. Never mind, it will do. It did, but by the time I'd got both shelves up and the hanging rail I was about knackered. Bear in mind that each problem requires a trip from upstairs down the full length of the garden and into the garage. As it was going dark I knocked off.

Day 2 was the light. While I was at B&Q I'd bought a simple striplight with a pullcord to go ever the door. Step one was down to the garage again for some 1.5 T&E and a Joint box, just in case. Of course there was only dog ends of T&E and no Joint boxes, so back to Wickes - it's closer. Now we're motoring so poke a hole in the ceiling with a long screwdriver and go up to the attic to see where it comes through, but couldn't see it due to insulation. Back down the garden to get a cane and poke again. Ah, so, there it is, a bit close to the eaves for comfort, but what the hell. Back down to the garage to get hammer and clips then back up the attic to route the cable to a convenient joint box - miles away of course. Back to the bedroom to mount the light then switch off and back up the attic to connect up. Back down to ground floor to switch on and test - OK - followed by general cleanup, return all tools and consumables to the garage and get job signed off by the Project Manager.

After that I needed a shower and some beer. It's often said that it's the simplest jobs that seem to take the longest. Today it took me an hour to saw off a bit of steel bar and drill the right size hole in it, but that's another saga

Alan

[Aerodyne]

Like the write-ups Col creates - and the articles I've produced - the whole story of any practical task or restoration cannot be told: for one thing there would be the fear of driving the reader to distraction with a too-detailed and fussy record of events and for another, any write-up needs to maintain interest, so the outcome tends toward a series of 'highlights' with the occasional 'lowlight' to prove that the writer is not in fact a genius but as fallible as the next man, if not slightly more so, but is possessed of a determination to see things through regardless (well, almost regardless).
With this thread, Col has put into words a problem that besets most if not all of us for much of the time. We tend to have too little space to work, too much stuff to store and we have to contend with the English weather. Speaking for most of us on this forum, reading this may bring a wry smile or two, perhaps, but we know that Col will sort things out and we look forward to seeing yet another example of his fine craftsmanship.
In closing, I'd like to invite the reader to look again at Col's entry (above) and note the way he's broken the story into paragraphs to make the telling of it so effective. You see, even in his writing he is careful and thorough. I did once suggest that he should write a book on veneering!
I look forward to any and all episodes of this saga, Col.
Tony

[Radio Fixer]

Commiserations Colin.

I have been there too, as evidence of having two of certain items where I have given up looking, assumed it was used and went out and bought another.

Two or three years ago I did get more organised in the garage, used as a workshop and store. Put in new easy clean shelving and bought a lot of plastic boxs, with seal lids, when Aldi had them. Now most stuff is in them, with large easy read labels on the front. For awkward items I used clear Wickes Rubble sacks. Finding stuff is a lot easier and also having a spring clean takes much less time. Take out the boxs and brush clean outside and hoover and dust the shelves so not too bad.

For electronics I bought many component draws, Aldi again, and have a shelved out a fitted wardrobe. I set up the PC to do the labels and try to remember to add another, just done quickly with a marker pen, if I add something.

Anyway now you have found everything lets hope for success with the veneering.

Gary

[Retired]

Hi ,

Thanks Lawrence; Over 35 years ago when I too owned Land Rovers they always remained outside but times have changed and we now own an 18 month old Toyota Aygo which I take a lot of care of and it is always garaged when not in use. its a good job we can't control the weather because the rich would have the sunshine not that it makes much difference to me given the weather I have to endure; I don't mind working in the cold either as long as I'm doing something strenuous to keep me warm but jobs like French polishing and veneering aren't going to heat me up unless something goes wrong. If I planted rice in our back garden we would suffer a drought.

Nice one Big Al; I'm pleased I'm not alone in my endeavours. I can just imagine you saying something like "oh dear I need to go into the garage again". I'm with you regarding drilling masonry using standard hammer drills which are hard work against the power of an SDS drill. Recently I volunteered to drill holes into a concrete garage so that shelving could be attached. These garages have dense concrete resembling granite and when I tried my big Bosch the garage laughed at being tickled and the point of the drill hardly left an impression. I then brought my big SDS to bear never having used it in drill mode before; at first I thought this SDS drill is as bad as the Bosch then I pushed and the drill bit not only disappeared into the concrete it ventilated it breaking through to the outside; whoops!! I'm seldom impressed unless its a big power machine but the SDS was a real eye opener; each hole was drilled in seconds in fact as fast as I could align the drill and push. I hope you didn't shorten the steel bar by cutting a lump out of its middle Alan. Isn't life fun?

Many thanks Tony for your kind comments especially more welcome coming from a well known and respected writer as yourself. However fed up I become I always try my best even whilst doing the most mundane or boring jobs and its good of you to spot that I try to break large blocks of text into smaller paragraphs; to read a large block of text is tiring so by adding breaks it reduces the concentration required and I also run the spelling checker which takes extra time but I always think it worth the extra effort.

I couldn't have put it better Tony than you have; yes it's good to hear of the highlights and successes but in reality these are usually achieved at some unseen cost such as frustration and mistakes along the way; I like to add such frustrations and mistakes whilst writing up my stories then at least the reader knows what to expect should they wish to do similar work. I make many mistakes and have a great deal to learn but it is this which drives me on otherwise it would quickly become very boring if everything went right first time; if this ever happened I would be looking for another hobby. I'm still amazed Tony that I've had so many articles published in the BVWS Bulletin and thank you for your kindness in suggesting I write a book covering the subject of veneering but I'm happy to keep adding my stories onto forums just for the interest and hope the information I try to pass on is of some use to others.

Thanks also Tony for your encouragement I hope to keep adding my stories as they evolve; fortunately I'm not excluded from this forum because my hobbies are other than electronics although the radio cabinet is on topic for a change.

I'm sure many of us have gone out and bought something Gary only to find shortly after that we had the item in stock after all but it evaded us when most needed. Your suggestion regarding storing items in big plastic boxes is sound; this is what I'm slowly doing; I can buy such storage boxes quite cheaply from our local "Home bargains" store and also at Rufforth Auto Jumble; I already have a couple of these boxes in use and one thing I would like to do is to store a number of my woodworking power tools in such boxes; routers; biscuit jointer sanders etc; at the moment all my power tools with the exception of my drills are still in their original containers but these containers whilst fitting the tools perfectly can be a real pain once the tool has been removed and needs replacing; the power lead and plug are the usual items to annoy as the lead often unwinds preventing the lid from closing. Storing items in plastic boxes is something I definitely intend to do complete with appropriate labels attached; thanks Gary for this excellent suggestion and also thanks for your continued good wishes.

I think the workshop should have now warmed up so time to tackle a bit of veneering on the radio cabinet; I cut the veneers out this morning for both side panels so fingers crossed it all goes to plan. The side panel veneers shouldn't be too much trouble but I'm in for some grief veneering the front and top panels as I intend to use quartered Burr Walnut; I'm veneering as usual using the hammer method and hot hide glue so I'd better get cracking. Thanks everyone for your replies.

Kind regards, Col.

[Retired]

Hi,

I finally got stuck in yesterday afternoon; the workshop was very cozy and I veneered both sides of the cabinet. This christened my new workshop and I thought all was well then a couple of hours later my world fell apart.

After years of feeling perished in the workshop it was wonderful to have it central heated; pity it was so short lived; I'm now sitting at the computer wearing two jumpers; coat and hat; the central heating boiler packed in last night!!

I've just arranged for British Gas to visit this afternoon. I was offered a number of options and from memory;

A call out lasting up to half an hour £79.
A call out lasting up to two hours £199
A call out lasting over two hours £409.

All above inclusive of parts.

The final option was for a £99 fixed price repair however long it takes but with a £21 per month central heating insurance on a twelve month contract covering any future call outs and parts.

I've agreed to the £99 repair and insurance as I'm absolutely sick of this boiler playing up at the worst time of year. If I cancel after work has been carried out I'll be subject to a cancellation fee of £179.

Two years ago British Gas spent many hours on three consecutive days fixing this boiler and replacing lots of parts and the cost then was for a fixed price repair of £160 which at the time was excellent value.

OK so now the central heating is covered; when or if the weather ever warms up I've still got the big job of sorting out the water ingress under the bungalow. I wouldn't care so much but every time I want to settle down to do anything I WANT to do I end up doing jobs that NEED to be done and there is a great deal of difference between the two.

I veneered yesterday but now it is bitterly cold in the workshop so I'm unable to say if the veneering is successful; if I carry the cabinet from the workshop to inspect it as sure as anything I'll bump the cabinet into something and damage the overhanging veneer.

The front room is warm because of the gas fire and I could collect electric heaters from the garage but to be honest I'm fed up of all these silly problems which arise every time I want to do something which pleases me; my guardian angel passed away many years ago. I had got into the right frame of mind for this veneering job now my concentration is shattered; I know I'm not alone with such problems but why do I always suffer so much every time I want to do anything that pleases me?

Bron also suffers with me because I had promised to take Bron over to Boundary Mills in Colne which she always very much looks forward to; even this is now postponed.

Today
Bitterly cold, strong and gusty wind with local gales. Showers of rain and sleet will arrive across the Pennines this morning, and then become more widespread this afternoon across the region, whilst turning to snow over the highest ground.

Above is the BBC weather forecast for Huddersfield. Another day in paradise?

Kind regards, Col.

[AlanBeckett]

You're wonderful young Col, 'cause you you keep all the bad luck and bad weather up there
Down here the sun is shining and the garage is actually habitable.
As far as boilers are concerned I get the feeling that modern boilers, while no doubt more efficient than in days gone by, are more 'delicate' than the old ones.

Alan

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Big Al, I doubt you've forgotten what the weather is like up here after living on top of the world in Queensbury?

Earlier the wind was driving something against the front door as I typed; I don't know if it was rain or sleet but there was a lot of it and now the sun is shining but it won't last; even with good sealing around the door I keep feeling an icy blast when the wind hits it.

Its a pity I can't stuff a Lancashire boiler in the garage and ask Lawrence to supply wagon loads of his logs.

If I can't get into the workshop at least I can start the write up covering the new veneering project; not only is it cold here but with two jumpers and a heavy leather coat my arms are becoming tired due to the weight; what a truly wonderful life I lead; once the weather warms up I'll be down a trench digging in sticky wet clay; Bron and I would move but think perhaps we would only be swapping one set of problems for another set of problems. Three score year and ten we are put on earth to suffer; does this mean in four years I can start to enjoy myself?

Kind regards, Col.

[Radio Fixer]

Gee! Good job you are built of tough stuff Colin. It just goes to show that backup sources of heating are essential, gas fire, electric fires etc.

Hope you get a boiler fix quickly... Why do I stay clear of British Gas? I'm not sure but I have an unexplained adversion to them. I have a maintainence arrangement with a local Corgi reg. large central heating fitting company. They come once a year, give it a vac out, light a few candles, pray and charge me roughly 50 quid.

Its about 4 years old and is one of the last stand alone, flued boilers. Non condensing etc. The maintainence fitter praised it and says "it should be good for another 15 years". In todays market that sounds OK.

What happens if it packs up, well I will make a phone call to above company and see what they can do. Obviously I will give the electronics a good once over first.

How about buying an electric blanket and retiring to bed early with a good book Colin.

Dont be optimistic about getting over the 70 hurdle and things getting better ....

Gary