Field Coil Winder using a Sewing Machine Motor.

[Yorkie]

Re the brass nuts, they're the original ones buffed up,

I've been using "Horogrene" from http://www.horogrene.com/ .

This is the stuff clock repairers use to clean up bits - its like magic - no buffing required (non-destructive) and is good for stuff like threads and odd shapes that can't be polished by other means (just a soak & bit of toothbrush work). Not especially cheap, but fantastic results. Non-toxic too...

Don't envy you the Cupressus - evil things. Leave a nasty rash too...

Very interesting Nick - not so expensive for the 125 mL kit, or even the 500mL kit come to that, given that you only add 2 - 3 teaspoons (10 - 15 mL) to a Litre of hot water, so it goes a long way. Do you use all three stages - presumably you don't bother with the second stage (lacquer remover)?

The conifers are all down and all the debris has gone to the tip. Just a few trunks left to cut up into logs for our son's wood-burning stove. (For use next year when they've dried out). As luck would have it, a neighbour is having block paving laid so I've been able to get 20 barrow-loads of nice topsoil that's been removed to lay the blocks, so I've been able to use that to fill the holes where the root balls of the trees have been removed.

Wear the old 'uns out first!