Weekend debrief

[guest18]

Hmm ups and downs this weekend!!
Swmbo went to guide camp (she runs a Guide Company) so I went up and left my bike there and brought her car home so I could use it, turns out I didn't need to as wasn't able to go diving but had a relaxing weekend and caught up on some sleep and motoGP 
The nsr wheelbearing on her car has been getting worse and having driven it I decided I *had* to sort it for her(surprised she's not deaf the noise it was making  ), didn't do it yesterday as I might have wanted the car for diving (priorities  ) so I parked it up in the drive today, in front of the garage and set about the job...
What a pig of a job  it took me a good while and some heavy hammer application to get the hub off, weird Renault arrangement, the wheel bearing is in the hub, so I got the thing into the garage and tried drifting out the bearing... one tap and the bearing collapsed leaving the outer race in the brake drum.....
One and a half hours of, erm... persuasion and I've flattened off two drifts, almost run out of butane and shattered a cold chisel... and moved the race approx 0.5mm  the piece is now cooling off as I've tried running an arc weld round the inside of the race to hopefully draw it in and give me something to hit!
Have arranged a lift back for swmbo but... the perceptive amongst you will have spotted the one small slip I've made that I didn't notice until about ten minutes ago... my outfit is parked in the garage... my bike is about 25 miles away... the drive is blocked by a car with one hub removed... and I'm supposed to be at work at 8 tomorrow morning... getting there exactly how?
DOH!!

Wish me luck getting this damn bearing race out!
Smudge 

[squirrelciv]

Sounds like your in for a late night matey Either that or maybe a nasty stomach bug in the night might force you to be off sick tomorrow??

[Steffan]

Sat AM family trip to Army disposal shop - bought nothing mind.
Sat PM Spent several hours on academic work followed by a brief trip to the shed to sort out the fittings for my new big tank for the Bullet. 22L at her MPG could mean close to 350/400 miles range.
Having accepted Mr M's kind loan of a dremel I now see the need for one of these baby grinders.

Today I was up early and off to Cardiff to my first Sabre tournament. Placed 8th and made it through to the second round of the eliminations so I was quite pleased. Kept an eye out for Castle Carrick on my way up and down the A470 but failed to spot any scruffy combos.

Steffan
With both me and the good Dr laid low with lurgies I have not been out for good bike ride for ages. Maybe next weekend eh...

  

[guest18]

Sounds like your in for a late night matey Either that or maybe a nasty stomach bug in the night might force you to be off sick tomorrow??

Have been honest and texted the boss...so it may cost me a days leave, ho hum. Off back to the shed to hit things with hammers! 

edited to add, 2345hrs and the job is done, the trick with the welder (and so much work with the hitting stick that my arms hurt!!) did the trick again looks like I get to save my leave for another day!

[guest27]

Today I was up early and off to Cardiff to my first Sabre tournament. Placed 8th and made it through to the second round of the eliminations so I was quite pleased.

OOoh never done fencilg - but have a couple of friends who represented Wales at the commenwelth games at sabre - oh and another who was Scottish Epee Champion (Junior) but missed out on his best event (Sabre) as he was shagging a lass in the changing rooms when he was supposed to be on the piste and was scratched from the comp. - He was also caned at school for fighting a duel over a grudge.  It was not the duel that led to the punishment but the lack of protective clothing...

Hope you had fun

R

[Richard]

Friday (day off) - spent trying to fettle the Beemer until foiled by recalcitrant rocker needle bearings, which are now out.  Then found I had ordered half of the number I needed.  Duuuuh.  On to Motobins again.

Saturday did a tour of shops along the coast looking for an air rifle for the 14 year olds birthday tomorrow.  Picked up a nice underlever sprung model .22 in Cardigan.  Can't wait to try it myself !  There are some lovely looking rabbits on the grass outside the County Council offices so next time I'm on nights, watch out.........curried bunny is on the menu.

Sunday was spent fitting new skirting board.

Such an exciting life.  The good news is that I have tomorrow off as well so may do some more to the Beemer and even some academic work.

Richard

[Steve Lake]

Excellent weekend....with loads more hardwood rescued from the skip next door to where i work (window & door frames and cills) to play with, I made a 5' round slatted garden table....very pleased with the result....even swmbo had a favourable comment!....what with the sack barrow I finished last week....that skip is providing me with some lovely wood to work with (earlier in the year I replaced all my kitchen units shelves with some lovely old pine facia board...even smelt lovely to work with)...sunday I collected my next project bike....a mini thumper....BSA Bantam which had, at some time been set up for sprinting...needs lots of tlc + parts....will have to see if there's a club...will post pics and progress on the project section.....and last night one of my bantams (the bird this time!) who spends most of her time being broody...started to hatch out her latest clutch bless her....I expect most will be cockerels...usually are.....afraid they will be destined for dog food (unless anyone here would like a bantam cock?) as I have 2 cockerels already.

[guest7]

Funny weekend for me. Saturday was spent looking after the boys and we had a lazy day. Jethro and his father called around to pick up a shed I'd given them (the old plastic one from the Stafford show).

I didn't watch the cup final, but half of Cardiff was either at the match or in a pub. I had an early finish Saturday because I knew that Sunday was going to be hectic.

Early on Sunday morning I drove over to Bristol to finish clearing out a garage for my emigré friend Tim. His ex-wife was delighted that I'd turned up to do the job and we had a nice cup of coffee and a natter before I started work. Then it was a morning of slog, loading up carloads of rubbish for the tip.

I dashed back to Cardiff for lunch at my mother's in honour of my uncle who had flown in from Australia to go to the Wembley match. I returned home a bit pissed and had to sleep it off in an armchair. Then, to cap the weekend off, I got a call inviting me to the pub so I sloped down there until closing time. I missed the MotoGP 

I got on the bike this morning and realised that I could no longer ignore its worn out condition. I nursed it through the working day and when I got home I stripped the back wheel out and replaced the chain and sprockets. I tried to fix my sticking brake problem, but I can't get the brakeplate out of the drum (long story) so instead I turned my attention to the front brake and topped up the fluid as it has been getting low. This is perhaps more attention than the bike has received all year.

Cheers
GC

[pigafetta]

Finally finished my OU for the summer. Been spending all my time de-nitting my kids, fixing other peoples laptops and tryng to rebuild my CB900. What the hell was I thinking when I bought that? It's becoming apparent that my labelling and storage routine at the dismantling stage was sadly inadequate. I know I've got a whole bike there but I can't find a bloody thing when I need it. I stored my brake calipers bagged up in a plastic box in the back of the garage when I rebuilt them in autumn. I must have shoved the box under a hole in the garage roof as I've just found it full of rusty brakes in about 2" of dirty rainwater. Nice.


My money saving idea of painting various odd bits with black 'garden furniture paint' didn't go too well. Everything looks awful next to the powdercoated frame and I appear to have used magic self-removing paint. Why is it that when you splash paint on your shoes/side-panels/coffe table etc it's there forever, you need a grinder to shift it. But when you apply it neatly with a nice brush to where you want it to be, it'll all flake off if you so much as brush it with your sleeve?

The brakes on my XBR are feeling decidedly ropey too. I've been putting it off because I can't afford to pay for anything I might need and I can't afford to take the bike off the road. It's all I've got. Anyway, the front is developing a strange rattle now and the rear's been crap for months so I'd better get it sorted.

All good fun though. 

Dave B