My activities in 2015 & my plans for 2016!

[Yorkie]

As the year draws to a close, I thought I'd just say a very big thank-you to all who have helped, advised and encouraged my over the year, on my various home-brew projects. My craft skills - such as they are - have always exceeded my technical abilities and as a consequence, for six decades now, back to my schooldays before I discovered girls, too often I've ended up building elegant projects which fail to work!

Most of my projects this year have been simple items of test gear, and other small projects, and I've invariably sought advice on the forum to overcome snags, and to troubleshoot. As a result, everything I've built has worked successfully, which has motivated me to take on other little projects as time has permitted. I've written threads about all my homebrew projects, and have attached a few pics below, of the following, which have enabled me to indulge in my woodworking activities as well as electronics:

Audio Sine Wave Generator
Coil Coverage Test Unit
Drill Speed Controller
'Mini-Mod' MW micro transmitter
555 IC Tester

There have been other simple projects - a 'start trek' siren and door bell timer, an Arduino shield PCB etc, and had it not been for the help I've received on the forum, I suspect that some of these projects would have been quietly sidelined and quietly forgotten.

I've only done one radio restoration this year - the KB 'FB10'  Toaster Radio which I gave a new lease of life to recently, and sprayed red. I've got several radios waiting to be restored, some of which I've had a long time. Firstly, there's an Ecko A77 which I've reported on, and on which I've done a great deal of work including rewinding the field coil, for which I built a coil winder powered by a sewing machine motor, which I really ought to single-mindedly see through to a conclusion. Then there's a Murphy A124 'woodie', which in adition to the restoration of the electronics, needs re-veneering, for which I obtained mahogany and sycamore veneers, but need to build a steam box to bend the veneers against the grain to a tight radius. Then there's a nice Murphy A98 - a model that I know Gary has restored, a post-war Bakelite Little Maestro, and an Ultra T401.

Who knows what 2016 will bring, and what projects I'll actually tackle, but I know that if I get stuck, there will be no shortage of advice and encouragement on the forum.

I've also greatly enjoyed reading about the efforts and experiences of other members and their own activities.

So, thanks to the members for their companionship and friendship, and a special think-you to the admin team for keeping the show on the road. I feel at home here.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and the best of everything in 2016!

[Radio Fixer]

You have done some very nice work David in 2015 and written some articles for the BVWS Bulletin. All that I for have enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures, as I'm sure others have. You are far better than me at wood work but that's mainly as I don't want to get too involved, somehow the sparks of interest aren't there.

I have done a little veneering but not "A Proper Job". I tried that self adhesive stuff, pull off the backing paper and had partial success. It was my fault of course as it does work but on one radio I didn't remove the top veneer as it was solidly stuck down. But maybe it was a balance thing and it came up just slightly to be annoying. On another I used real veneer but didn't know about wetting and ironing it !! So it has ripples that can be seen against the light and annoy me ... It will have to go. Worse I used contact adhesive so no chance of doing it again. My only excuse is that it was years ago, when I first started and there was less on the Net to help and the PC on dial up wouldn't have been up to it anyway. But I expect you will be doing it properly and using hide glue which is perfect for restoration as its reversible. This was something I didn't appreciate until later in the hobby.

So looking forward to good projects and finished radios in 2016.

best wishes Gary

[Yorkie]

Re veneering Gary, my efforts over the years have been modest, but yes, I've always used hide glue, and made my own veneer 'hammers'. The last thing of any note that I veneered was a CD storage box I made in 2011 from beech ply for my son, veneered in rift oak veneer and stained dark oak. Not a very challenging effort as there were no curved surfaces - unlike the burr walnut veneered Barker 88 cabinet that Colin tackled! More than 100 posts and over 23,000 views in the veneering thread:

http://golbornevintageradio.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=306&highlight=Veneering

Of course, on youtube the experts make it look so easy - sloshing glue and water about all over the place, and you look at them and think "yes - that looks a doddle - I'll have a go at that", then only when you're clarted up with foul smelling glue do you realise that maybe you've deluded yourself and there's rather more to it than meets the eye!  Yet if you saw someone doing this, you'd know at first glance that you'd be right out of your depth so wouldn't fool yourself:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5No3Gad_AI

(He's never had a lesson, is self-taught, and came from the roughest Council estate in Sheffield).

[Radio Fixer]

Ah! Colin ... Retired. Of course he loves his wood and although he moans about it has a pretty wonderful workshop. I'm sure that helps, you really cant do much in the tiny space in my garage with hardly any bench space, a cheapo drill press and a worn out bandsaw even if I had the inclination. But top marks to him always, his determination to crack any problem is inspirational.

As to the Mandolin player: just WOW! fabulous. I had a brush with guitar playing and never got beyond strumming 3 chords ... I'll stick to old radios and electronics. You never know I may even go back to those transistor things one day.

Nice box and the lid fitted well ...cant expect anything less from you.

Gary

[Geaney]

Speaking of making it look easy on youtube - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4BYMvVvMg0

or even more impressive .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcsSPzr7ays


Cheers,  John

[Nick]

Nice work David 

Veneering isn't that bad at all if you use the right technique

This is my first ever veneering attempt this Christmas on a pair of uFonken full-range near-field speakers I made from 12mm birch-faced ply - I used Fostex FF85WK drivers. The paper-backed veneer - American Black Walnut Decoflex - and the carcass are both coated with aliphatic glue that is allowed to dry - the veneer is then ironed on using a very hot iron and a layer of protective brown paper. Trimming is done using a scapel with a new blade, a heavy steel rule and a cutting mat.

Finsh is three coats of Chestnut Hard Wax Oil...

                               

[pamphonica]

What amuses me is that all Nick's work has been done on the kitchen table. That's tabu here, under strict orders from SWMBO. I stick to my work-room and the rest of the house must stay project-free!
Very nice job by the way.
Jeremy

[Nick]

What amuses me is that all Nick's work has been done on the kitchen table.  That's tabu here, under strict orders from SWMBO.  I stick to my work-room and the rest of the house must stay project-free!...

I was doing the veneering in the kitchen because SWMBO will not allow me to take the decent iron to the workshop, knowing full well that it'd never come back in anything like the same condition All the other work was in the workshop...

Quite right too!

   

[Mark Hennessy]

That's a building with a story - what's the deal there? Originally stables, perhaps? I think you've mentioned the cellar before IIRC - is it a decent space? Plenty of attic space as well - certainly good for storage if nothing else?

[Nick]

That's a building with a story - what's the deal there? Originally stables, perhaps? I think you've mentioned the cellar before IIRC - is it a decent space? Plenty of attic space as well - certainly good for storage if nothing else?

It was, we believe, a gardener's bothy in eary Victorian times  (or possibly before) - our garden was once the "productive garden" (fruit, veg & cut flowers etc.) for a big country house that burnt down about 100 years ago - we have a good 18" of top-soil as a result of huge amounts of manure being dug in over 100 years or more - the rest of our neighbors have rubbish soil. The cellar, whilst lined, is very damp and can fill with water during periods of heavy rain - I have a sump-pump in there... The building is a completely lovely place to work - my "man cave" - the Windows look out over the river Teise valley, due West. Often, concentrating can be very tough...

20+ years back, I re-pointed it in lime mortar, sorted the windows, laid on a 100A supply (+comms links to the main house), installed a new floor and ceiling - its a lovely electronics workshop & office, but a bit small to wield 8x4 sheets of ply, hence during decent weather I have to move machinery onto the lawn... or use the kitchen to reduce the big stuff to more manageable sizes  The loft is indeed for storage. The main electrics is now acting up (as I mentioned elsewhere).

Much of the larger woodworking machinery is now in another purpose-built building.

Anyway, this is David's thread, not mine