What did you buy today?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Mike Sales
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Mike Sales »

ncutler wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 11:51am spliced.jpg


Can do ....... although not always as neat as the professionals
Very nice.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
keyboardmonkey
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by keyboardmonkey »

More attempts at staving off the move to 11- and 12-speed stuff...

6700 RD wheels
6700 RD wheels
(The list of compatible RDs is surprisingly long, I think.)

98B11DF7-EFF3-4CAB-BA72-6E4DF22F43C5.jpeg
colin54
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by colin54 »

Hellhound wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 10:40am @Colin54.
Thos.Firth and Sons was what is now known as Sheffield Forgemasters,recently bought by the M.O.D.Harry Brierly(accidently invented Stainless Steel) worked there.Brierly original worked and invented SS at the Stocksbridge Steel Mill when it was Samuel Fox's.
Firths was a massive cutlery maker in it's day.
Many thanks for the reply H-h. I've got a Firth's marked dinner knife of the same pattern blade and handle as the butter knives pictured up-thread., I was just looking at a set of six dinner knives for sale by them only this morning on ebay in a Firth's Cardboard Box with some good period advertising description on. .
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334184817231
P1150012.JPG
A poor picture, but the description on the box reads as follows:- 'Neither rusts, tarnishes or stains.'
'Cutlery made from this Steel is unaffected by food acids, vinegar or other matter and is in consequence a universal boon'.
Fantastic.
The 'Little Mester' title, sounds almost like the way the Japanese still work to manufacture small parts for the automotive industry, they'll have a small workshop specialising in producing large amounts of one small item for the car makers as I understand it.
I've just got to hope the ebay knives sell before my mouse-finger starts a-clicking ! Thanks again.
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colin54
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by colin54 »

ncutler wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 11:51am spliced.jpg


Can do ....... although not always as neat as the professionals
Nice one, that's a good skill to have.
I used to work in the Crane Industry, and the firm employed a rope maker to make custom length steel and hemp ropes with different eyes and socket-ends. I was always amazed how he could splice an eye onto the end of a steel rope. I think he was ex-Royal Navy, he had the tidiest best laid out work-space in the firm, lots of diffent shaped podgers (marlin-spikes I suppose) and tools to work the rope, he was the only one on the firm who could do it I believe.
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Jamesh
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Jamesh »

colin54 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 8:41pm
ncutler wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 11:51am spliced.jpg


Can do ....... although not always as neat as the professionals
Nice one, that's a good skill to have.
I used to work in the Crane Industry, and the firm employed a rope maker to make custom length steel and hemp ropes with different eyes and socket-ends. I was always amazed how he could splice an eye onto the end of a steel rope. I think he was ex-Royal Navy, he had the tidiest best laid out work-space in the firm, lots of diffent shaped podgers (marlin-spikes I suppose) and tools to work the rope, he was the only one on the firm who could do it I believe.
Burscough??
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ncutler
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by ncutler »

I am totally in awe of anyone who can splice wire rope: nasty spiky stuff, bits break and stick out if kinked, hate it.

The old three-strand rope was a doddle to splice, anyone can do that with their eyes shut. Three strand has been almost entirely replaced by modern synthetic fibres spun into a braided rope: commonly braid-on-braid with a braided core for strength and a braided outer cover for handling, colour, UV protection.

Splicing this is magical, I still don't really understand how it works. You separate a foot or two of the core and cover, tuck the cover inside the core, tuck the core inside the cover, heave it about a bit and somehow everything disappears inside the cover to form an incredibly neat eye. The first time I tried this it was a complete mess but somehow it seems to work fine now, and if in doubt there are several good YouTube videos of the process.

Interestingly, tying a knot in a rope reduces its strength by at least 50% and, depending on the rope / knot usually rather more. A reasonably competant eye splice reduces the strength by about 20%. In practice for laid back cruising boats this isn't much of an issue: modern fibres are so strong, and we tend to use ropes that are fatter than necessary to make them easier to handle, so knots are fine. The hardened racing types are different of course: for them every ounce of weight removed and every extra millimeter saved from waving in the breeze is vitally important: exactly like serious bicycle racers.
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Traction_man
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Traction_man »

Tempted by this
Screenshot_20211025-213816.png
and ordered some OSi maps for route planning over the winter months...
colin54
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by colin54 »

ncutler wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 9:36pm I am totally in awe of anyone who can splice wire rope: nasty spiky stuff, bits break and stick out if kinked, hate it
I think that's why the ropemaker was so organised, wire rope always seemed to have a mind of it's own to me,
very wilful & heavy stuff to handle, putting replacement hoist ropes on in the field was one of my least favourite jobs, a few hundred feet of 22mm rope weighs a bit, making it quite awkward to manouvre. Especially heaving it up over the jib head sheaves and back down to the hook return-block a few times, always trying to twist on you. You're correct about the spikes from worn & broken outer layers, nasty stuff even wearing gloves. Our firm used to use Lang Lay Constructed Steel Rope I seem to recall.
I wouldn't want to be re-roping some of the monster truck cranes that are about these days, heavier and longer ropes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_rope
Edit :- Quote - Jamesh, Burscough ?? Are you asking which firm ? You are probably thinking of Ainscough who are possibly Britain's largest Crane Hire firm.
A well known Lancashire family with an interesting history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainscough
My firm, where I did my apprenticeship, was Jones Cranes, who were Crane Makers; mobile and crawler, dock and yard, strut jib machines primarily.
Here's one at Colchester docks, the registration number on my van dates me
P1040313.JPG
P1150767.JPG
Last edited by colin54 on 26 Oct 2021, 6:57am, edited 1 time in total.
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Jamesh
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Jamesh »

I had a Friend now pass on to his heavenly home who was a steel rope specialist who worked in Sheffield for a steel manufacturer and supplier of the steel rope for the Humber and seven bridges .

Such a great man yet so humble.

Cheers James
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ncutler
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by ncutler »

Thanks for that: yet another huge tranche of fascinating expertise that I knew nothing about.

wire rope splice.JPG
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eileithyia
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by eileithyia »

After 2 weeks out of the country, a restock of the cupboards so we can eat tonight.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
Slowtwitch
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Slowtwitch »

10 inner tubes for 2 quid each - winter is a comin!
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Hellhound
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Hellhound »

Osmo Oil for the new Light Oak doors we've had fitted.Recommended by the fitter but not cheap!
Jamesh
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Jamesh »

Traction_man wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 9:39pm Tempted by this

Screenshot_20211025-213816.png

and ordered some OSi maps for route planning over the winter months...
Yes my mistake passed them on run!!

Must apply for next year!!

Cheers James
Godzy89
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Re: What did you buy today?

Post by Godzy89 »

GT Sport to play on the PS5 cos im too impatient to wait for GT7 and placed an order for a perspex display case for the lego millenium falcon my better half has got me for chrimbo
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