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grendel

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Posts posted by grendel

    Hypothetically speaking...

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    I will give you one handy hint for getting a decent tasting bread from a bread machine - the secret is in the yeast, visit the bakery section at Sainsbury's ask them for some fresh yeast (100g should do to start, and will be enough for about 5 loaves and wont break the bank - I cant remember if I was paying 30p or 60p per 100g))

    the other secret is that the wholemeal setting on most machines is too long, the loaf rises then flops back down, I use the sandwich loaf setting.

    I have played around a fair bit with my recipe, it may just be you had a dud batch of dried yeast (or used the quick one where you needed the normal one).

    to start with be very careful measuring ingredients, especially the flour / water ratio, too wet it over rises and flops, too dry it doesn't rise (trust me I have experienced everything from Brick to something with the consistence of a crumpet).

    when experimenting only change one ingredients quantities at a time of you wont know which one does the job.

    another trick is to just use the machine to mix the dough, then do the rises until it looks ready - rolls work well with this method.

    when I get home I will ttry and remember to post my bread recipe.

     

    also you need to ensure that the yeast and salt don't mix too early (I put the yeast in the liquid then the flour with the salt on top)

     

    Grendel

    Done it!

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    I had my card stopped once - I was on Holiday in Stratford and my card had been used to top up 2 mobile phones (mine and the wifes), they also stopped my credit card that we tried to top up the second phone with. I then just had the cash in my pocket, fortunately the hotel had been paid for, and I had enough fuel in the car to get home, apparently they had phoned before stopping my card - they phoned my home phone number - they said they got no reply - well I was away, so that wasnt very helpful - took them 3 days to reactivate the card too.

    Grendel

    I heard and then saw a thing of beauty this evening...

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    we used to go to Manston airport to watch planes (sadly the airport is now closed despite efforts to keep it open) over the years I have had Lightning's taxi across the road in front of me, we have seen Concorde land (it had the longest runway in the UK) watched the battle of Britain flight take off and land.

    There was one spot just outside the perimeter wire, probably a taxi way from the wartime, as the taxiway joined the runway just opposite, if you walked up to the fence on a display day, the red arrows would come up the taxiway 30 feet inside the fence, and turn onto the runway right in front of you (the noise even when taxi'ing is quite loud when the exhaust is only 30 feet from you) then they would line up on the runway in formation and the takeoff run would start just in front of you, (maybe 10o yards away on the runway). after the display they would strafe the runway at about 4m off the deck (with wheels up) then come round and land, touching down just past where we would watch from.

    the only other place I have been as close was at Bournmouth airport, where the garden of the air museum sits about the same distance from the grass runway they use.

    One time we were watching  at Manston one lone red arrow came back to the airport trailing grey smoke, despite being obviously in difficulties, he still did a pass and wing waggle for the watchers before swinging round and landing. the plane was still there a week later as they had to ship a new engine in to allow it to fly again.

    Grendel

    Awkward question

    in The Broadscot Lounge

    Posted

    it might also be worth while contacting marquee companies to find where they get it or if they could supply it to you. we once made a tent canvas (Viking) from the backdrop curtains from an old theatre, or another source you might be able to get some second hand from would be the side curtains from lorries - maybe a haulage company might have some older ones that had been replaced.

    Grendel

    What would you do next?

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    I have had to use insurance in a similar- potentially threatening situation, As some may know I used to do Viking re-enactment, this involved real (but blunt) weapons. One time while packing up the weapons had been gathered up and put ready to pack into the cars, a group of youths who had exited from the local pub turned up, and before we could stop them they had picked up weapons and were encouraging each other to be the first to attack us. not wanting injuries I started talking to them - asking them to put the weapons down. It was at this point that I realised their leader had backed himself into a bit of a spot, he couldn't back down in front of all his mates, and he didn't like the look of the way the 20 odd unarmed Vikings were looking at him as if appraising his abilities (any one of us could have easily disarmed him ). Spotting this I asked once more adding the fact that if he kept on we would have problems with our insurance - this gave him a let out, he was able to apologise and hand back the weapons, whilst making it appear that he was doing us a favour to his mates (thus not losing face).

    So by invoking the almighty insurance we were able to defuse a potential problem, sometimes people realise they are in the wrong, but need a way out without losing face in front of their mates / family.

    Grendel

    • Like 3

    Lesson in complacency, Batteries they're safe or are they?

    in Broads Chat

    Posted

    the battery isolator should be close to the battery to minimise the run of wiring, personally I would have a isolator solenoid with a remote switch for preference, this would be a fail safe method as you would be remote while switching. in an explosion rated package.

    I have also been the subject of a battery explosion (internal fault - battery exploded when I turned the key on a van) in my case I was in the van and the battery in the engine compartment, so I avoided the spray of acid, but battery shrapnel was found up to 30 feet away, so presumably the acid went at least that far.

    Suffice to say, having seen that I dont want to be around if a battery goes up.

    I have also seen the effect a battery has on someones finger when they accidentally short across the terminals when using a screwdriver and their wedding ring touches screwdriver and the other battery terminal, having the wedding ring cut off was the least of his worries, for a while they were worried about saving the finger. (moral, take your rings off when working with batteries).

    I too work in the electrical industry (in the drawing office) we work at up to 33,000Volts, so we have a great respect for the stuff.

    Grendel

    Hand rails and gas lockers

    in Technical Questions and Answers

    Posted

    if your boat was a Broom, I would suggest Broom handles  :naughty: . sorry..

    how about looking at stair handrails, though I think they are nearer 50mm.

    Hardwood or softwood? maybe approach a boatbuilder who makes bits for saily boats, quant poles, spars etc, I am sure they must have the tools to round off timbers to a desired diameter.

    Grendel

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