New Computer Desk

[Joe]

"All too often it seems that pride and prejudice play ponderously upon the purse as the purveyor and purchaser of such over-complicated technological implementations fail to engage the faculty of rational thought." [Allen Mornington-West: Audio & Hi-Fi Handbook (Second Edition) - Interconnections]

[Yorkie]

Never a truer word!

I take it that we won't see you in a Paul Smith bobble hat any time soon then Joe?

I have a chum in his 50s who is a really nice guy. He decided he'd trade in his high mileage BMW car for something smaller and nippy, so he's bought a Fiat 500 Gucci which he had to wait a couple of months due to a waiting list. He's over the moon about it and thinks it's really 'cool' and maybe in some circles it's considered to be, given that they have a full order book and a waiting list. Each to their own of course, and it's not for me to pontificate and preach to others how they should spend their hard earned cash, but to me, a 55-year old guy squeezing into a Fiat 500 Gucci with a personalised 'vanity plate' is the epitome of perceived style over actual substance. True, it's small and nippy, so it meets that criteria, but...

[Retired]

HI,

Thanks for your kind words David; I used Beech for my handles as I bought a big lump from a local sawmill very cheaply; Ash would be better but the Beech does the job.

I've had a go at using the thread chasers and actually cut some decent threads but more practice would be beneficial; I bought the chasers as I turned a couple of small boxes many years ago and wanted to have a go at turning better boxes but with threaded lids; the ones I did turn make a lovely popping sound as the lid is removed due to a perfect fit.

Thanks also David for the link to the turning site which I've had a look at; I like the turned boxes a great deal as something about such boxes holds a fascination for me; they take little material to make them and can look stunning when finished.

Regarding your stance about the Olympic Torch; I fully agree and will add that both Bron and I are absolutely fed up with wall to wall sport on everything on our TV every time we switch the thing on; it dominates the news and even the weather forecast; it's on the adverts in fact I could cheerfully brick the telly. To add insult to injury I believe Wimbledon starts next week; not my idea of entertainment. I had looked forward to the recent Leyland Truck program but even this proved a huge disappointment; a lot of old guys falling out with each other with the main focus being the old guy in the kitchen; what's it coming to?

Many cars now share the same parts; our Toyota Aygo has the same engine and running gear as the Peugeot and Citroen but is the more expensive of the three. Whilst walking to our local post office during a rare bit of sunshine earlier this week I heard a tractor approaching; it was an overweight guy with a beard wearing the usual black crash helmet and sunglasses; he was laid back on a big V twin motorcycle with his hands about two feet in the air holding the handle bars with his feet pointing forward; the bike was fully loaded with things like leather panniers and to be honest I thought he looked a fool. He looked so un-cool man!! The bike made a racket as it passed by and I bet it must rank as one of the most uncomfortable bikes to ride.

£70 for a woolly bobble hat. This amused me so much I sent an email to our friends Terry & Becky over in Indiana; Becky enjoys knitting scarves and is very good at it so I suggested Becky stop knitting the scarves and start knitting these bobble hats to make her fortune. What's the difference between an M&S T shirt and a football shirt? A lot of money.

Thanks Joe but for a simple Yorkshireman like me I'd reduce the statement to something like a fool and his money?

Kind regards, Col.

[Retired]

Hi,

I've just got around to adding up all the invoices incurred during construction of the desk and they amount to £257.93 inc VAT.

It was well worth this amount for the enjoyment I got out of making the desk.

I'm now having a major clear out of the garage and workshop. I was in the garage by 8 o'clock this morning and by dinner time I had run a car load of junk to the tip. Lots of part used spray cans; tins of paint; a large biscuit tin full of old nuts and bolts which would come in handy but seldom did in fact anything I could do without.

This afternoon I've just broken up three woody radios; the cabinets will go to a wood burner and useful components to stock. This saves me considerable hassle. A while ago I tried to sell a PYE radio on eBay and it didn't attract the starting price of 99p. I've given things away but even this can be a nightmare. I don't like breaking sets but I want some working space and if I can't sell them or give them away then I have little option.

My plan is to convert the workshop back into a woodworking workshop and it's well on its way as I can see bench tops appearing. A few years ago I bought two expensive Aumann electric coil winders. There is only one foot control and this foot control no longer works; I intend to sort this out which should be easy enough as it isn't releasing the motor brake then I'll sell them as they take up space and are very heavy.

This desk gives me a great sense of achievement and satisfaction and once the workshop is ready I want to see what I am really capable of. Hopefully I will be able to do the heavy work in the garage and the finer work in the workshop. Life's good.

Kind regards, Col.

[Yorkie]

I'm having one of those 'watershed moments' Colin too - gearing myself up for a good clear-out and de-cluttering phase. Over the next few months, I intend to get rid of most of my amateur radio stuff, have today put my telescopic antenna mast on e-bay with my son's assistance, and have booked a table at the G-QRP Club Convention at Ripponden in October - an annual event for low power transmitting and homebrew enthusiasts, when I hope to dispose of most of my amateur radio stuff - equipment and components built up over the last fifty years which I'm never likely to use. I just don't want the hassles of scores of e-bay listings of bits and bobs, packing and posting, and so forth.

I must slim down my vintage radio collection too, especially where I have more than one of the same set, so I might try listing a few on e-bay to see how things go. Over the years, when I've restored radios I don't then like to part with them, and rarely would the cost of restoration be covered by the selling price. For example, I recently restored a Pye Fenman1 - not a very sought after set. I put three NOS valves in it - in the FM tuner, output stage and a magic eye. Those alone cost more than what the set would be likely to fetch. My outlook is that it's my hobby, and hobbies cost money, so at best, I aim to cut my losses.

I too have garage shelves full of half-empty aerosol paint cans which probably have blocked nozzles, and the biscuit tins and jars full of nuts, bolts, screws etc which I'd have to spend an hour rifling through to find (or not find) the elusive item that I could buy for a few pence from Screwfix or wherever. And quite how I've come to have four sets of garden shears is one of life's mysteries. This last month we've taken at least fifty books to the Oxfam bookstore - all pristine, read only once, and we still have more books than we'll ever read, and CDs that we'll ever get round to listening to.

It's a truism that possessions expand to fill the space available. In my case, a double garage with a 60 ft of shelf space and a loft, a shed, a workshop, a study, a loft in the house, a small storeroom, four bedrooms. Even the greenhouse has stuff in it. If I don't truly grasp the nettle I risk becoming one of those eccentric old buffers - the 'hoarder next door'.

In part, this is what comes of having a very supportive and tolerant wife who ought to nag me into action. My motto needs to be 'if in doubt, chuck it out'!

I take the view that it took a long time for this stuff to accumulate and it's not going to be dissipated overnight. I've hung onto my amateur radio stuff for far too long, in the belief that my interest might be re-kindled, but it hasn't - I've not been on the air for years - it's far too sedentary an activity, I'm too much of a fidget, and my interests always lay in constructing rather than operating.

[Retired]

Hi,

Good luck with your clear out David; it's amazing how long it takes just to clear a single shelf of junk and dispose of it; also good luck with the sale of your mast.

This morning I loaded the car for another trip to the tip. Amongst the items to be dumped was my old but faithful 17" CRT Compaq monitor; the three radio chassis and a newish Epson all in one. The Epson was a huge disappointment as it ate cartridges whilst printing extremely little; it was a pleasure to throw this into the skip and watch it break into pieces; I refused to keep feeding it cartridges and had I read the reviews before buying I wouldn't have touched the thing.

Gary who owns the wood burner visited this morning and cleared out the oak logs and the three broken radio cabinets. This afternoon I gave away a very nice Bakelite Cossor Melody Maker to very close friends who will never part with it so it has gone to a good home. I had two of these.

Next to go will be lots of old electrolytics salvaged over the last ten years but of no use to me and taking up space followed by lots of speakers. A proper clear out means being brutal otherwise nothing will go. I don't have the same attachment as you David to sets I've restored because once the set is restored then I lose interest in it as I can't do anything else other than keep dusting it. The enjoyment for me is in the doing and I agree hobbies cost money but I regard the money as disposable not expecting or even wanting a return on it.

It does indeed take a lot of time to dispose of items collected over many years and I keep finding items I had forgotten I had. A bare workshop would be wonderful then I can start all over again but this time with woodworking. The main thing is to retain interest and occasionally have a change of direction to provide new challenges. Life's too short for watching the rubbish TV day in day out.

Be careful though David not to replace single disposed of items with two more.

Kind regards, Col.