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We've liked Octopus, and intend to stay with them. The price delta is not their fault - it is in common across the energy supplier industry. And they have not pushed us in any way to get a smart meter - they leave it to the customer to make a personal decision all on their own. They will...

I've studiously avoided going for a smart meter. Part of that is the intensely irritating and various dumbing down adverts with all sorts of very iffy statistics to go for a smart meter (the latest being an Einstein look alike, for heaven's sake), part is no real need to do so because I am...

As mentioned above, I learnt early how to safely use machine tools. This was back in the day of a decent metal and woodwork rooms at school, staffed by teachers who knew what they were teaching. That has followed through to my (amateur) woodwork shop with machines such as a Wadkin radial arm saw...

My Dad used to sharpen drills freehand on a grinder. But then again he was a time served and indentured apprentice (7 years) at Vickers Armstrong on Scotswood Road near Newcastle, so perhaps that skill was not so surprising. I suspect it is similar to knife skills with a professional chef. A...

I suspect that Ada Lovelace had a more complete understanding of the generality of the Analytic Engine than Babbage did. I'm also old and crusty enough to have used punched cards on an ICL machine that used core store.

The Babbage Analytic Engine is what is known as "Turing Complete". In other words it was a general purpose computer in the same sense as the Universal Turing Machine is. It was also punch card programmed. So it anticipated the reprogrammable electronic storage computer by a century. The storage...

The original meaning of computer is "one who computes" - in other words a person. Richard Feynman in one of his books describes his work at Los Alamos on the Atom Bomb. One of his innovations was a room of people, sitting in an array. Each would perform a simple calculation with at most ten...

They abandoned it on 3rd September 2018, from which point no more pensioner Diamond Cards were issued. The B and Q bean counters must have seen the ever rising number of baby boom pensioners was going to actually cost them some profit. After all Kingfisher (who own BandQ and Screwfix) might have...

Mitutoyo do a caliper that is has a resolution of 0.1um and a maximum permissible error of +/-0.5um. It will set you back £1,884

The OP said that he had mis-sharpened a few, and others badly needed sharpening. So it looks like it needs someone with the right kit to help the guy out. Suggesting method A, B, C is not what the guy needs.

This isn't going to go the way of all sharpening threads, is it?

It isn't just buying a Tormek - it is the plethora of turning tool jigs for it. For a T8 and turning tool jig kit is the thick end of a grand. And then you have to learn the knack of using them all, which is not trivial.

I entirely agree that MDF is the right material for a shooting board. Flat, and stable. Mine uses a beech fence, and I have a couple of angle jigs that fit onto it. I got some PTFE tape, which I stuck to the track with aggressive double sided tape. That makes the plane glide really nicely. I...

I have three green Clifton planes (4 1/2, 5 1/2 and 7), bought when they were doing an offer at a woodworking show I went to donkey's years ago. I've retrofitted Ron Hock blades, and they are a joy to use. And they are bedrock, and I think the TF ones are too. I have four LN planes, back in the...

Forgetting the mantra "measure twice, cut once". Once or twice.

What others have said. Don't. Get a qualified electrician (using Checkatrade or similar) who is certified in this 18th Edition resources - Electrical . You'll have to wait, because these folks are usually really busy. But they will do the right job, certify it, and that covers your house...

I've made three out of beech (from thick offcuts left over from building my workbench) for various family members and friends. Then I made an oak one for a mate of my son's. These are all 400 x 400mm. And I have a massive slab of London Plane for one for my son for his birthday, to replace a...

Join or browse UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum . There are many helpful threads and people there on all aspects of all AVO products, Craig

Just a quick word about Disston. All Disstons are not created equal. The best ones are original Apple wood handles - generally rather dark coloured from use. Later ones were beech - which is OK, but the blades were not so good. Older originals have a tapered blade - this means that the blade is...

Good grief Robyn, how awful. But you are the second person I have heard had bad reactions from a flu injection. The other was a good friend and walk leader, Nik - really strong and fast walker. His flu injection about 16 months ago attacked the nerve sheaths in his lower spine, and has left him...