What's made you smile today?

[The Panda Nut]

Mrs was gardening today as we had an all day power out. She referred to a metal thing with a round bit on the end found in a flower bed. I found it appears to be a BMC or BL dipstick, somewhat the worse for wear by still recognisable. The previous owners of this house were 'car repairers' and I have been digging stuff out of the garden for 35 years. I thought I had removed most of it. Around 500 spark plugs and 50 sets of brake pads and shoes, discs a drum, a bonnet - ex Cortina I think- and quite a few other bits. Then there was the fact he seemed to have tipped used oil into the earth behinf the garage for 10 years! I wonder if the dip stick could be made to work in a Fiat TA...lol

 

[AndyRKett]

Mrs was gardening today as we had an all day power out. She referred to a metal thing with a round bit on the end found in a flower bed. I found it appears to be a BMC or BL dipstick, somewhat the worse for wear by still recognisable. The previous owners of this house were 'car repairers' and I have been digging stuff out of the garden for 35 years. I thought I had removed most of it. Around 500 spark plugs and 50 sets of brake pads and shoes, discs a drum, a bonnet - ex Cortina I think- and quite a few other bits. Then there was the fact he seemed to have tipped used oil into the earth behinf the garage for 10 years! I wonder if the dip stick could be made to work in a Fiat TA...lol

If you find any more cortina bits I know someone who might want them lol.

It’s when you get a blocked drain or something and they have to dig the drive up and you find they’ve buried a whole car

 

[The Panda Nut]

If you find any more cortina bits I know someone who might want them lol.

It’s when you get a blocked drain or something and they have to dig the drive up and you find they’ve buried a whole car

You must have lived in one of my parents houses. In Llandough near Cowbridge lies a Topolino. I hate thinking about it. It was in great nick alart from a snapped crank. That was back in 1963. It went under the drive. Dad flattened it to about 10" thick. Many others followed in later years.

I just cut them up in bits and put them in the wheelie bin a little at a time. Keep bits in the house for a while first. That way they become domestic waste. Unwanted paper weights.

 

[Cheest]

I got out and about today at a motorcycle swap meet. I was actually working there with a motorcycle rights group I belong to. After a couple hours on my feet, I left one of my crutches at the booth and wandered around the swap meet to see what I could see. I own a 45 year old Honda CX500, a couple of Velosolex mopeds, and the Ural. In a country where Harley Davidson is king, I don't ever expect to find much for my toys.

However, every now and then, I find something not quite motorcycle related for not a lot of coin. Today, it was a late 60s, early 70s. Mercier bicycle, in kit form, for $25.

I needed another bicycle project like I needed another hole in my head. But, hey, twenty five bucks.

 

[bugsymike]

Mrs was gardening today as we had an all day power out. She referred to a metal thing with a round bit on the end found in a flower bed. I found it appears to be a BMC or BL dipstick, somewhat the worse for wear by still recognisable. The previous owners of this house were 'car repairers' and I have been digging stuff out of the garden for 35 years. I thought I had removed most of it. Around 500 spark plugs and 50 sets of brake pads and shoes, discs a drum, a bonnet - ex Cortina I think- and quite a few other bits. Then there was the fact he seemed to have tipped used oil into the earth behinf the garage for 10 years! I wonder if the dip stick could be made to work in a Fiat TA...lol

In the garden of my first house I found several WW2 war time headlights made for driving in the black out, heavily rusted so no good.
Re the oil I believe one of the 1970s motoring magazines gave full instructions on how to create a "soak away" to dispose of your old engine oil in your garden, it was at the time when some DIY ers used to park over the nearest drain and undo the sump plug I think!!!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Mrs was gardening today as we had an all day power out. She referred to a metal thing with a round bit on the end found in a flower bed. I found it appears to be a BMC or BL dipstick, somewhat the worse for wear by still recognisable. The previous owners of this house were 'car repairers' and I have been digging stuff out of the garden for 35 years. I thought I had removed most of it. Around 500 spark plugs and 50 sets of brake pads and shoes, discs a drum, a bonnet - ex Cortina I think- and quite a few other bits. Then there was the fact he seemed to have tipped used oil into the earth behinf the garage for 10 years! I wonder if the dip stick could be made to work in a Fiat TA...lol

Our last house was built on the site of an undertaker's vehicle garage and it's yard. Apparently they had a whole fleet of vehicles, Hearses, "Private" ambulances, and other vehicles all of which they maintained themselves. For many years I dug up stuff like clutch driven plates and brake shoes. Funnily enough I don't remember ever digging up a brake pad!

The first crop of potatoes I grew were gross with dramatic disfigurations and crusty brown growths on their skins. Although things looked more normal after a couple of years we decided never to grow stuff we might eat but had moderate success with flowering shubs and the like.

 

[AndyRKett]

In the garden of my first house I found several WW2 war time headlights made for driving in the black out, heavily rusted so no good.
Re the oil I believe one of the 1970s motoring magazines gave full instructions on how to create a "soak away" to dispose of your old engine oil in your garden, it was at the time when some DIY ers used to park over the nearest drain and undo the sump plug I think!!!

I grew up in a house that was built only just before WW2, The neighbors houses where built just after as they stopped building during the war, So I doubt there were many such relic buried in the garden at that time, however when I was growing up there was an unbelievable amount of stuff buried in the drive by my father including a whole garage made of asbestos. multiple damaged and broken kids toys and climbing frames swing sets, bikes, the remnants of a thousand bonfires. so in the future it will hold a wealth of information for archeologists. but being a child of the 80s and having older brothers who were born in the 70s. the garden is full of many buried Starwars figures and toys, some of which if in good condition would be very valuable these days. Most of my childhood was spent playing in the garden.

 

[bugsymike]

Our last house was built on the site of an undertaker's vehicle garage and it's yard. Apparently they had a whole fleet of vehicles, Hearses, "Private" ambulances, and other vehicles all of which they maintained themselves. For many years I dug up stuff like clutch driven plates and brake shoes. Funnily enough I don't remember ever digging up a brake pad!

The first crop of potatoes I grew were gross with dramatic disfigurations and crusty brown growths on their skins. Although things looked more normal after a couple of years we decided never to grow stuff we might eat but had moderate success with flowering shubs and the like.

No bodies then, for those looking for a cut price service?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Today's high stress job was to winkle the washing machine out from under the work surface where it's lived for something like the last 15 years. It's done us well having seen out the last years my youngest boy still lived with us and then best part of a couple of years when they moved back in with us while their new house got sorted out - lots of clothing for their then baby boy and 5 year old daughter. It's been making some very strange noises of late and the drain pump is very noisy. I think the drum shocks have broken away as it thrashes it's drum against the casing when attempting to spin. Anyway, Mrs J decided to get a new one and, although I've mended washing machines in the past, my experience is that you don't get that much longer out of them before another bit breaks so I didn't argue.

New machine delivery promised for late morning/afternoon today so can't put off disconnecting the old machine any longer but "bricking it" over the worry I might flood the joint when I disconnect the water. It's on a spur from the mains inlet and our water pressure is very good, if I got it wrong we'd be up to our knees in no time at all.

There's one of those wee quarter turn taps on the connection to the supply hose so it should be simply a matter of turning this off but I thought the same when we did my older boy's machine. The tap turned but when I took the hose connector off a fine spray of water - bit like a wee power washer - came out of the connection. Later discovered the ball was corroded and allowing water to get round it. - it was a nasty cheap fitting. I've learned my lesson with plumbing fittings many years ago and don't use the "cheap and cheerful" option any more.

So, you can imagine, I was feeling nervous. Decided to clear access to the rising main stopcock "just in case" it's under the kitchen sink and a bit "silly" to get at as you have to empty all the stuff my dear Mrs seems to think we need to keep under the sink, then remove the shelf and a couple of securing dowels which then lets you pull the back panel out of the unit and then you can get at the stopcock. The dishwasher power plug and water isolation tap are here too so wouldn't be instantly available in an emergency either. It's inconvenient but the installation was done by a good friend who's a kitchen fitter at a decent price so suppose i mustn't grumble.

Anyway, here's the "stuff" I had to move:



And the shelf and back panel (the one on the left with the securing clips:



Having removed all this the stopcock is now visible:

Bit "tucked away" though isn't it? Not that easy to get your hand in to turn it. However I did manage to turn it about a quarter of a turn just to check it was not seized as I've come across seized ones in the past. I don't really like doing this because you sometimes end up with a leak from the spindle gland if the tap hasn't been touched for years - as they often are. However this one turned easily and isn't leaking. Yippee!

Ok, now for the "main event". Pinched Mrs J's grill pan base and slid it in under the tap/connector in the cupboard next to the washing machine bay. Turned the tap clockwise a quarter turn, it can only turn a quarter turn anyway, and it feels really nice and smooth. I was hoping it would feel like this. The water pressure is being held back by the solenoid valve in the washing machine so the moving ball valve in this tap/connector is not under any real differential pressure - pressure in the hose is equal to the pressure in the supply pipe to equal on both sides of the tap. Nothing for it, quick glance to check the path is clear back into the kitchen so I can reach the stopcock in a hurry if needed and it's time to undo the screwed on hose connector. This installation has been done with a mixture of old copper compression fittings and the newer "O" ring push fit type. The tap itself is a compression fit on to a very short stub of copper pipe which is then a push fit into a plastic "T" piece taking water from the stopcock in the kitchen. I'm very wary of applying twisting rotational forces to these plastic fittings in case they rotate and start leaking, or even actually come apart? So I grip the tap itself with one hand and unscrew the hose connector with the other. There's a very small spurt of water as the seal is broken and then a few drips from the now quite slack pipe connector. This is exactly what I hoped for because it means the tap has to be off, or 99% off anyway. Unscrewing the connector completely until the hose comes away from the fitting confirms the tap is water tight - Oh joy, the relief is just so great! Here's the disconnected tap fitting:

Unplug the power cable and pull the waste pipe off the sink drain spigot then pull the machine out from under the worksurface/unit until I can get the hoses pulled out. The hoses and power lead go over the top of the divider and under the sink drainer through this slot:



Here it is from the other side:



The hoses are fine, just pull through, but the 3 pin plug just won't go. I tried for ages but just couldn't work it out. It went in so surely it must come out some way? Anyway, in the end I unscrewed the wee clip you can see top right in the second last picture above (at one o'clock) which allowed me to lift the drainer slightly and wiggle the plug out between the drainer and top of the unit. Now I can pull the machine clear:

ready for the men who are delivering the new one - just got text - between 3 and 5 pm.

If you're doing this remember to loop the pipes over the top of the machine. If you let them fall to the floor any water still in the machine will be happy to drain out all over your floor!

 

[bugsymike]

Today's high stress job was to winkle the washing machine out from under the work surface where it's lived for something like the last 15 years. It's done us well having seen out the last years my youngest boy still lived with us and then best part of a couple of years when they moved back in with us while their new house got sorted out - lots of clothing for their then baby boy and 5 year old daughter. It's been making some very strange noises of late and the drain pump is very noisy. I think the drum shocks have broken away as it thrashes it's drum against the casing when attempting to spin. Anyway, Mrs J decided to get a new one and, although I've mended washing machines in the past, my experience is that you don't get that much longer out of them before another bit breaks so I didn't argue.

New machine delivery promised for late morning/afternoon today so can't put off disconnecting the old machine any longer but "bricking it" over the worry I might flood the joint when I disconnect the water. It's on a spur from the mains inlet and our water pressure is very good, if I got it wrong we'd be up to our knees in no time at all.

There's one of those wee quarter turn taps on the connection to the supply hose so it should be simply a matter of turning this off but I thought the same when we did my older boy's machine. The tap turned but when I took the hose connector off a fine spray of water - bit like a wee power washer - came out of the connection. Later discovered the ball was corroded and allowing water to get round it. - it was a nasty cheap fitting. I've learned my lesson with plumbing fittings many years ago and don't use the "cheap and cheerful" option any more.

So, you can imagine, I was feeling nervous. Decided to clear access to the rising main stopcock "just in case" it's under the kitchen sink and a bit "silly" to get at as you have to empty all the stuff my dear Mrs seems to think we need to keep under the sink, then remove the shelf and a couple of securing dowels which then lets you pull the back panel out of the unit and then you can get at the stopcock. The dishwasher power plug and water isolation tap are here too so wouldn't be instantly available in an emergency either. It's inconvenient but the installation was done by a good friend who's a kitchen fitter at a decent price so suppose i mustn't grumble.

Anyway, here's the "stuff" I had to move:

View attachment 443656

And the shelf and back panel (the one on the left with the securing clips:

View attachment 443657

Having removed all this the stopcock is now visible:

View attachment 443658

Bit "tucked away" though isn't it? Not that easy to get your hand in to turn it. However I did manage to turn it about a quarter of a turn just to check it was not seized as I've come across seized ones in the past. I don't really like doing this because you sometimes end up with a leak from the spindle gland if the tap hasn't been touched for years - as they often are. However this one turned easily and isn't leaking. Yippee!

Ok, now for the "main event". Pinched Mrs J's grill pan base and slid it in under the tap/connector in the cupboard next to the washing machine bay. Turned the tap clockwise a quarter turn, it can only turn a quarter turn anyway, and it feels really nice and smooth. I was hoping it would feel like this. The water pressure is being held back by the solenoid valve in the washing machine so the moving ball valve in this tap/connector is not under any real differential pressure - pressure in the hose is equal to the pressure in the supply pipe to equal on both sides of the tap. Nothing for it, quick glance to check the path is clear back into the kitchen so I can reach the stopcock in a hurry if needed and it's time to undo the screwed on hose connector. This installation has been done with a mixture of old copper compression fittings and the newer "O" ring push fit type. The tap itself is a compression fit on to a very short stub of copper pipe which is then a push fit into a plastic "T" piece taking water from the stopcock in the kitchen. I'm very wary of applying twisting rotational forces to these plastic fittings in case they rotate and start leaking, or even actually come apart? So I grip the tap itself with one hand and unscrew the hose connector with the other. There's a very small spurt of water as the seal is broken and then a few drips from the now quite slack pipe connector. This is exactly what I hoped for because it means the tap has to be off, or 99% off anyway. Unscrewing the connector completely until the hose comes away from the fitting confirms the tap is water tight - Oh joy, the relief is just so great! Here's the disconnected tap fitting:

View attachment 443659

Unplug the power cable and pull the waste pipe off the sink drain spigot then pull the machine out from under the worksurface/unit until I can get the hoses pulled out. The hoses and power lead go over the top of the divider and under the sink drainer through this slot:

View attachment 443664

Here it is from the other side:

View attachment 443663

The hoses are fine, just pull through, but the 3 pin plug just won't go. I tried for ages but just couldn't work it out. It went in so surely it must come out some way? Anyway, in the end I unscrewed the wee clip you can see top right in the second last picture above (at one o'clock) which allowed me to lift the drainer slightly and wiggle the plug out between the drainer and top of the unit. Now I can pull the machine clear:

View attachment 443665

ready for the men who are delivering the new one - just got text - between 3 and 5 pm.

If you're doing this remember to loop the pipes over the top of the machine. If you let them fall to the floor any water still in the machine will be happy to drain out all over your floor!

Sounds like "jobs a gud un". The only thing I do after fitting and checking for leaks is comeback the next day and recheck as by then the water pressure has sometimes built up causing a drip.
I recently had to buy a new washing machine and was messed around by local suppliers having the wrong details of the machine on their website, so bought a British made one by EBAC and so far very impressed with it.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Sounds like "jobs a gud un". The only thing I do after fitting and checking for leaks is comeback the next day and recheck as by then the water pressure has sometimes built up causing a drip.
I recently had to buy a new washing machine and was messed around by local suppliers having the wrong details of the machine on their website, so bought a British made one by EBAC and so far very impressed with it.

Thanks Mike, I'll not put all the "stuff" back into the cupboard until I've rechecked for leaks. The new machine needs a "cleaning" wash before being pressed into service - and there's lots to do as all the clothes we wore down south plus this weeks too need to be done. The new machine fits in just like the old one, although it's got a bigger loading door:

I'm sure you'll notice the front isn't quite flush with the front of the unit under which it lives? Unfortunately this is due to the "brilliant" way in which the original builder installed the waste pipe:

My friend cut it back, when he did our new unit installation, until it was as near flush with the floor as could be managed but it still stops the machine being pushed fully back against the wall. - Doh! Also means I had to be very careful not to trap any of the machine's hoses between the back of the machine and that pipe. Going to run machine for the first time now - keep your fingers crossed for me please!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Today's high stress job was to winkle the washing machine out from under the work surface where it's lived for something like the last 15 years. It's done us well having seen out the last years my youngest boy still lived with us and then best part of a couple of years when they moved back in with us while their new house got sorted out - lots of clothing for their then baby boy and 5 year old daughter. It's been making some very strange noises of late and the drain pump is very noisy. I think the drum shocks have broken away as it thrashes it's drum against the casing when attempting to spin. Anyway, Mrs J decided to get a new one and, although I've mended washing machines in the past, my experience is that you don't get that much longer out of them before another bit breaks so I didn't argue.

New machine delivery promised for late morning/afternoon today so can't put off disconnecting the old machine any longer but "bricking it" over the worry I might flood the joint when I disconnect the water. It's on a spur from the mains inlet and our water pressure is very good, if I got it wrong we'd be up to our knees in no time at all.

There's one of those wee quarter turn taps on the connection to the supply hose so it should be simply a matter of turning this off but I thought the same when we did my older boy's machine. The tap turned but when I took the hose connector off a fine spray of water - bit like a wee power washer - came out of the connection. Later discovered the ball was corroded and allowing water to get round it. - it was a nasty cheap fitting. I've learned my lesson with plumbing fittings many years ago and don't use the "cheap and cheerful" option any more.

So, you can imagine, I was feeling nervous. Decided to clear access to the rising main stopcock "just in case" it's under the kitchen sink and a bit "silly" to get at as you have to empty all the stuff my dear Mrs seems to think we need to keep under the sink, then remove the shelf and a couple of securing dowels which then lets you pull the back panel out of the unit and then you can get at the stopcock. The dishwasher power plug and water isolation tap are here too so wouldn't be instantly available in an emergency either. It's inconvenient but the installation was done by a good friend who's a kitchen fitter at a decent price so suppose i mustn't grumble.

Anyway, here's the "stuff" I had to move:

View attachment 443656

And the shelf and back panel (the one on the left with the securing clips:

View attachment 443657

Having removed all this the stopcock is now visible:

View attachment 443658

Bit "tucked away" though isn't it? Not that easy to get your hand in to turn it. However I did manage to turn it about a quarter of a turn just to check it was not seized as I've come across seized ones in the past. I don't really like doing this because you sometimes end up with a leak from the spindle gland if the tap hasn't been touched for years - as they often are. However this one turned easily and isn't leaking. Yippee!

Ok, now for the "main event". Pinched Mrs J's grill pan base and slid it in under the tap/connector in the cupboard next to the washing machine bay. Turned the tap clockwise a quarter turn, it can only turn a quarter turn anyway, and it feels really nice and smooth. I was hoping it would feel like this. The water pressure is being held back by the solenoid valve in the washing machine so the moving ball valve in this tap/connector is not under any real differential pressure - pressure in the hose is equal to the pressure in the supply pipe to equal on both sides of the tap. Nothing for it, quick glance to check the path is clear back into the kitchen so I can reach the stopcock in a hurry if needed and it's time to undo the screwed on hose connector. This installation has been done with a mixture of old copper compression fittings and the newer "O" ring push fit type. The tap itself is a compression fit on to a very short stub of copper pipe which is then a push fit into a plastic "T" piece taking water from the stopcock in the kitchen. I'm very wary of applying twisting rotational forces to these plastic fittings in case they rotate and start leaking, or even actually come apart? So I grip the tap itself with one hand and unscrew the hose connector with the other. There's a very small spurt of water as the seal is broken and then a few drips from the now quite slack pipe connector. This is exactly what I hoped for because it means the tap has to be off, or 99% off anyway. Unscrewing the connector completely until the hose comes away from the fitting confirms the tap is water tight - Oh joy, the relief is just so great! Here's the disconnected tap fitting:

View attachment 443659

Unplug the power cable and pull the waste pipe off the sink drain spigot then pull the machine out from under the worksurface/unit until I can get the hoses pulled out. The hoses and power lead go over the top of the divider and under the sink drainer through this slot:

View attachment 443664

Here it is from the other side:

View attachment 443663

The hoses are fine, just pull through, but the 3 pin plug just won't go. I tried for ages but just couldn't work it out. It went in so surely it must come out some way? Anyway, in the end I unscrewed the wee clip you can see top right in the second last picture above (at one o'clock) which allowed me to lift the drainer slightly and wiggle the plug out between the drainer and top of the unit. Now I can pull the machine clear:

View attachment 443665

ready for the men who are delivering the new one - just got text - between 3 and 5 pm.

If you're doing this remember to loop the pipes over the top of the machine. If you let them fall to the floor any water still in the machine will be happy to drain out all over your floor!

I have several pipe caps in that plastic fitting type. Peace of mind as in emergency you can slap one on a pipe and get out of trouble. Pull the collar back and off they slide. Newer copper push fit are single use and cannot be removed. Im glad it went ok. Age seems to dent confidence. Not being able to bend, kneel, turn your head or see owt does not help!

 

[The Panda Nut]

I got out and about today at a motorcycle swap meet. I was actually working there with a motorcycle rights group I belong to. After a couple hours on my feet, I left one of my crutches at the booth and wandered around the swap meet to see what I could see. I own a 45 year old Honda CX500, a couple of Velosolex mopeds, and the Ural. In a country where Harley Davidson is king, I don't ever expect to find much for my toys.

However, every now and then, I find something not quite motorcycle related for not a lot of coin. Today, it was a late 60s, early 70s. Mercier bicycle, in kit form, for $25.

I needed another bicycle project like I needed another hole in my head. But, hey, twenty five bucks.

If you lived on this side of the pond I'd have a home and garage sale! lol

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I have several pipe caps in that plastic fitting type. Peace of mind as in emergency you can slap one on a pipe and get out of trouble. Pull the collar back and off they slide. Newer copper push fit are single use and cannot be removed. Im glad it went ok. Age seems to dent confidence. Not being able to bend, kneel, turn your head or see owt does not help!

Like these fellas?



I was a wee bit worried about what I might do if the wee blue quarter turn tap failed and I couldn't get the riser stop cock turned off so i made this:



It's one of a couple of old feed pipes for washing machines/dish washers which I've saved over the years to which I've fitted an old bath tap to one end. the idea was to use it to stop the water coming out of the blue tap. I've tried stopping water coming full blast out of a pipe before and it's not easy but the plan this time was to fit the open end of the pipe to the blue valve with the tap on the other end fully open. This would let the water fow so pressure wouldn't be built up in the pipe and should enable the other end to be screwed to the blue tap. Then, once tightened, the tap would be turned off and the leak stopped. There would still be a fair old mess but it would be better than just letting it run until the ground floor was flooded!

This conversation has reminded me that I need to clear out the "Toby" (tap of last resort) in the pavement outside the house. When the fibre cabling company were laying their cables last winter they managed to infill some earth into the hole where my Toby is. I got off relatively lightly, my next door neighbour's was completely obliterated and he's still waiting for the council/water authority to come round and dig it out. Mine will clear out with a small trowel and some effort lying on the ground - I can just about reach the bottom of the hole with my arm if I lie on the ground and extend my arm fully down the hole. Been too cold recently though to lie on the ground for maybe half an hour!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Yep

 

[FiatMatt94]

I went to see my sister today & coming down the country lanes on the way home there was a car in front & we were both doing about 45-50 mph when an idiot in a Saab 9-3 convertible comes up behind & sits virtually on my back bumper for about 3 miles, anyway we come to a crossroads up the top of Norwood Hill & the car in front turned off, after the crossroads it's really twisty bits until you come to where I live, so I decided to give the Saab a run for it's money round the twisty bends, you can get upto a fair speed through the bends in the Panda & hold the speed through the twisty bits which was what I did, it was quite funny as you could see he was really trying to keep up in the bends but the inner Ferrari had fully come out in Luigi & there was no stopping him I just laughed & went to myself "you've just been Pandered"

 

[The Panda Nut]

Like these fellas?

View attachment 443702

I was a wee bit worried about what I might do if the wee blue quarter turn tap failed and I couldn't get the riser stop cock turned off so i made this:

View attachment 443703

It's one of a couple of old feed pipes for washing machines/dish washers which I've saved over the years to which I've fitted an old bath tap to one end. the idea was to use it to stop the water coming out of the blue tap. I've tried stopping water coming full blast out of a pipe before and it's not easy but the plan this time was to fit the open end of the pipe to the blue valve with the tap on the other end fully open. This would let the water fow so pressure wouldn't be built up in the pipe and should enable the other end to be screwed to the blue tap. Then, once tightened, the tap would be turned off and the leak stopped. There would still be a fair old mess but it would be better than just letting it run until the ground floor was flooded!

This conversation has reminded me that I need to clear out the "Toby" (tap of last resort) in the pavement outside the house. When the fibre cabling company were laying their cables last winter they managed to infill some earth into the hole where my Toby is. I got off relatively lightly, my next door neighbour's was completely obliterated and he's still waiting for the council/water authority to come round and dig it out. Mine will clear out with a small trowel and some effort lying on the ground - I can just about reach the bottom of the hole with my arm if I lie on the ground and extend my arm fully down the hole. Been too cold recently though to lie on the ground for maybe half an hour!

Wet and dry vacuum cleaner?

 

[The Panda Nut]

Like these fellas?

View attachment 443702

I was a wee bit worried about what I might do if the wee blue quarter turn tap failed and I couldn't get the riser stop cock turned off so i made this:

View attachment 443703

It's one of a couple of old feed pipes for washing machines/dish washers which I've saved over the years to which I've fitted an old bath tap to one end. the idea was to use it to stop the water coming out of the blue tap. I've tried stopping water coming full blast out of a pipe before and it's not easy but the plan this time was to fit the open end of the pipe to the blue valve with the tap on the other end fully open. This would let the water fow so pressure wouldn't be built up in the pipe and should enable the other end to be screwed to the blue tap. Then, once tightened, the tap would be turned off and the leak stopped. There would still be a fair old mess but it would be better than just letting it run until the ground floor was flooded!

This conversation has reminded me that I need to clear out the "Toby" (tap of last resort) in the pavement outside the house. When the fibre cabling company were laying their cables last winter they managed to infill some earth into the hole where my Toby is. I got off relatively lightly, my next door neighbour's was completely obliterated and he's still waiting for the council/water authority to come round and dig it out. Mine will clear out with a small trowel and some effort lying on the ground - I can just about reach the bottom of the hole with my arm if I lie on the ground and extend my arm fully down the hole. Been too cold recently though to lie on the ground for maybe half an hour!

Wet and dry vacuum cleaner?

 

[AndyRKett]

I went to see my sister today & coming down the country lanes on the way home there was a car in front & we were both doing about 45-50 mph when an idiot in a Saab 9-3 convertible comes up behind & sits virtually on my back bumper for about 3 miles, anyway we come to a crossroads up the top of Norwood Hill & the car in front turned off, after the crossroads it's really twisty bits until you come to where I live, so I decided to give the Saab a run for it's money round the twisty bends, you can get upto a fair speed through the bends in the Panda & hold the speed through the twisty bits which was what I did, it was quite funny as you could see he was really trying to keep up in the bends but the inner Ferrari had fully come out in Luigi & there was no stopping him I just laughed & went to myself "you've just been Pandered"

The Saab 93 depending on which model it was, as a cabriolet was quite wobbly and the older ones had a floor in the bulkhead and would crack the bulk head so they did not handle very well at speed.

In my experience most drivers have never had any sort of training or understand how to drive a car "briskly" on country roads, they also don't know where the limits of their cars are or take care of their tires, so its not hard to believe someone who was trying would struggle to keep up with a car on roads that persons knows well.

 

[FiatMatt94]

The Saab 93 depending on which model it was, as a cabriolet was quite wobbly and the older ones had a floor in the bulkhead and would crack the bulk head so they did not handle very well at speed.

In my experience most drivers have never had any sort of training or understand how to drive a car "briskly" on country roads, they also don't know where the limits of their cars are or take care of their tires, so its not hard to believe someone who was trying would struggle to keep up with a car on roads that persons knows well.

It was a later one 04 plate, I've heard that in the past about the bulkheads cracking on 9-3's, I'm pretty sure I've heard about E46 M3's doing the same as well