Good Morning Thread - Come say good morning, tell us what you've got on today. :)

We have this thread on TilersForums.com and it's just been restarted because the old thread had 20,000 replies and 500,000 views. And there were 700 pages. Started to lag a bit on slow connections.

I think we had a bash of this before, but I can't find the thread, so thought I'd start another one off.

If you have time in the mornings, come post in the thread before you head off to work, let us know what you've got on and what the weather is like in your area etc. Anything at all is fine.

Posts and likes get counted towards your total stats in this thread.

So GOOOD MORNING PEOPLE - WEATHER IS NICE TODAY IN STOKE. I'M THANKFUL IT'S FRIDAY, HAD A RUBBISH WEEK. THANK GOD IT'S OVER.

View attachment 53708

 

[brianmoooore]

I tow a caravan and normally don't balance wheels but I'm rarely the one at the front of a queue.
There's a long downhill section when I'm nearly home, which has double white lines for miles. I keep it at 60 MPH, and, of course I do get quite a few cars build up behind, although I'm at the speed limit for them. This eventually opens up into a steep uphill section with an overtaking lane.
As I come into this, you see the whole lot behind you move into the RH lane as one, and it is at this point I drop down through the gears and floor the RH pedal.. If there's a reasonably powerful car at the front of the queue he may get past, but the usual scenario is for the lead car to get alongside me three quarters of the way up, then slowly begin to drop back as I'm still accelerating and he's reached terminal velocity uphill.
Totally immature and irresponsible, I know, but it's the way they all pull out to overtake en mass than provokes me, and I'm pi**ed off, because the holiday's nearly over.

 

[nicebutdim]

Mike may have opened a can of worms as there are caravan towers on both sides of this debate.

I'm not among their number

 

[Mike Johnson]

There is no debate, if you drive slowly enough you will not notice your wheels need balancing, but you may notice the deterioration in vehicle ride quality as your shock absorbers prematurely wear out.

 

[nicebutdim]

There is no debate, if you drive slowly enough you will not notice your wheels need balancing, but you may notice the deterioration in vehicle ride quality as your shock absorbers prematurely wear out.

Back when I fitted my own wheels, driving at low speeds wasn't something I did much of.

Vibration from an out of balance wheel can manifest itself at any speed, although tends to be most common in the 50-70mph range. If that vibration appears at 50mph, you won't notice it at 65mph, but it will return again at 100mph. Likewise vibration at 60mph will return again at 120mph. The physics involved is outside my area of expertise, but its effects are very clear.

 

[brianmoooore]

80MPH with caravan for hours on end, with no sign of vibration.

 

[nicebutdim]

80MPH with caravan for hours on end, with no sign of vibration.

Brings back memories of my childhood. Father driving flat out to catch the ferry and mother having a meltdown in the passenger seat, swearing it was the last holiday she'd go on.

 

[brianmoooore]

Father driving flat out to catch the ferry

Have a little story on that, as well.
On the way to Roscoff, years ago, my wife made a little navigational error, which cost us 45 minutes before I realised and got back on track.
I remember seeing a well loaded car on UK plates waiting to come out of a junction about 30 miles from Roscoff, as we passed through a small French town, and we reached the port just in time to tag on to the last of the traffic going through ticket/passport control into the inner holding area.
Well loaded car ends up in a lane almost beside us, driver gets out, walks over, and says "I've never seen a caravan driven as fast as that in my entire life". Those were the days.

 

[nicebutdim]

Looking back at some of his caravan antics, I have to credit my father with having balls of steel (that or being incredibly stupid).

 

[brianmoooore]

Another 'incident' of note was when action by French fishermen required that I moved from one port to another in a fairly short time.
Was alongside a large van up a hill, and when we came over the summit and started to go down, the turbulence from it set off the dreaded tail swing. The caravan really started to sway, and as I watched it in the mirrors, it was actually lifting each wheel way off of the ground in turn. The motorway was quite busy, but I suddenly found myself all alone - all the other traffic seemed to disappear, so I was able to use the full three carriageways to swerve across and eventually bring the speed down and get everything back under control. Once normal flight had resumed, traffic started passing again, and many were actually applauding as they passed.
Inside of the caravan was absolutely trashed, with cupboards, drawers and fridge all open with contents all over the floor.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Talking of tail swing, try a 30ft glider trailer on only two wheels, fun was had turning right at any junction, those that know what I am talking about will laugh.

 

[littlespark]

80mph towing a caravan.

Ever so slightly illegal, unless your driving in a different country to UK

 

[brianmoooore]

80mph towing a caravan.

Ever so slightly illegal, unless your driving in a different country to UK

France. Same limits for cars + caravans as for cars. 80MPH on a motorway.

 

[littlespark]

Never mind caravans.... its how "other" drivers treat any car with L plates on.

Im teaching my middle one to drive just now, so i take it out to a big empty car park, and we switch seats.
I sit at a steady 60 on a straight... but there's always some tw@t speeds right up behind me, pulls out and shoots past at 80/90

"So thats how to not drive properly"


Its a little petrol Kia Pecanto... and gets up to 60mph quite happily...

On a good day, with the wind behind... long straight downhill road.... i can even get it up to 61!

 

[littlespark]

Quick question.

Are iPhone 11’s waterproof?

Been wanting to film that for ages and be a bit crafty with the angles.

I think my blades need sharpened again.

 

[littlespark]

Bit of a messy one yesterday.

Started on a kitchen for a regular customer.
Older lady, always has the cup of coffee and a tray of biscuits for trades.

So it was a quick job, isolating the circuits so the joiner can get on, and I’ll return on Saturday.
Tidying up, drained the coffee cup, grabbed a shortbread, straight in my mouth and popped a tunnocks tea cake in my pocket to take out to the van as my hands were full.

Yes… I forgot about it.

2 hours later, after a drive to the wholesalers, stop for lunch (still forgot about it) and drove to the next job… put my hand in my pocket and…. Well. A mangled mess of chocolate, mallow and red/silvery tin foil…


It’s all over my fleece pocket… drained through onto my t shirt and trousers.

It looks like I’ve been attacked by a diarreah ridden seagull.

 

[nicebutdim]

About as easy to clean as expanding foam

 

[littlespark]

Just back from an after 5pm call-out.

Customer has been constantly blowing fuses over the weekend, and now says there’s a cable sparking in the bathroom.
Sounds like an emergency!

Mid terrace Ex council house with original council MEM fuseboard and council wiring… singles in conduit.

First fault. Loose wire in pull cord touching earthed fixing screw…

Second fault, Tiler had cut the cable that used to be in surface trunking supplying a panel heater. He had cut it off at ceiling height to tile the wall. Left bare ends hanging! Live bare ends!
This has been like this for weeks!

Third issue… the lighting fuse had been replaced with 30A… and the fuseboard cover was still open from changing the fuse.. “my dad did it”

Fourth issue. Shower pull cord… the only circuit covered by an rcd…. Switch and pattress broken, hanging off ceiling.

Fifth. Someone in the past has done work, adding circuits in new colours, but no rcd upgrade to the board. But they did add a “new colours” warning sticker. (Although shower does have rcd?)

Six. Missing smoke detectors.

Seven. Cupboard that board is in was chokka full of crap.

Eight. Up in attic pulling up the cut cable to make it safe, there’s the remnants of an old high bay fitting. Reflector, lampholder, control gear….
I’m sure there’s an innocent explanation, but last time I came across that set up…. It was being used for “horticultural” purposes.


They’re getting a quote for a new db, and any further repair work on hourly rate.
Not expecting them to take heed of my recommendations.

 

[littlespark]

Spending a day at that stately home I’m testing. Still in the basement… rooting through the “butlers pantry” which used to be part of the guided tour of the house, but not now… still looks like it did when it was on show…..

I don’t remember this door being open last time I was here????

Oh… Rot and mould got into the drinks cupboard. What a waste…

And there’s something I’ve not seen for about 30 years…

That brings back teenage memories I’d rather forget.

Drunk from the legs up. Speaking wasn’t a problem… walking was impossible.

Tasted like Bonjela if I remember.

 

[littlespark]

Giving the caravan a spring clean today after getting it back from being serviced.
Also got a new toy fitted

For those of you not in the know, that is the remote control for a motor mover. Not that I have any trouble reversing onto a pitch, but more for getting it into the storage shed.

Handy little thing, but I’m having a gripe about where they put the isolation switch.
As it is, you have to push the mains trailing socket on slightly at an angle and push it against the red cover.
I can take the red cover off, but I shouldn’t need to.
I’ll try and move the inlet plug to the side a bit.

The inlet plug is angled… so that isolator would have been better at the top

 

[brianmoooore]

I bought two non working movers about seven years ago, for £10 each, and made a fully working system from the two. (One was a duff remote, and the other, a broken brush spring in one of the motors).
Like you, I've no trouble reversing a trailer (I've been doing it since the age of around 7), but it revolutionises getting it into and out of it's winter shed.
Now I've used it a few times on site, it's one of the best things, caravan related, I've ever fitted, and certainly wouldn't be without one now. The two biggest advantages are to be able to put your van into a European pitch so that you are positioned in the same place that a caravan with a RH door would be, and no longer end up with just a metre between your open window and your net door neighbour's. The other major advantage is to be able to unhitch and especially hitch up gain in seconds - just place the car tow hitch anywhere in the near neighbourhood of the van hitch and bring the two precisely together effortlessly. Makes unhitching for one or two night stops much more convenient.
It's one of those things that you never knew you needed until you've tried one.
P.S. It also serves as an effective brake if you're parked on a slope with the back of the van downwards.

 

[littlespark]

I’ll not tell you how much I spent getting the movers fitted….

Currently trying to fix the oven igniter….

Cleaning skylights…..

Trying to get the spare wheel bracket dislodged….

 

[brianmoooore]

I've since spent £20 on another faulty remote and control box. Remote was a incorrectly fitted ribbon cable after it had been previously taken apart to replace the battery connector, so I now have a complete working spare mover, with an ebay value of around £250, so, taking paint and a couple of small things into account, I reckon mine cost me about -£100.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The most useful thing fitted to my car is the reversing camera, I don't have to strain to see out of the rear window and I can see my tow hitch to line up the trailer, would not be without one now, in fact I had the last one retro fitted.

 

[littlespark]

Big big event this weekend. Something Great Britain has been looking forward to for years and years…





No, not the coronation….

Eurovision opening ceremony!

 

[littlespark]

Wife’s away up to Aberdeen for a couple days to start bringing the eldest’s stuff back from university. So I’m cooking for the younger two for tonight and tomorrow…..

Is maccy D’s two nights on the trot exceptable?


In other news…. Waiting for an X-ray appointment for my knee. Old age has finally caught up with me, it seems.
Pain behind one kneecap when leg is at a certain angle…. Unfortunately, that angle is driving position.
Getting up off the floor is torturous…
Climbing scaffold, which I did a lot of last week, is now nigh impossible.


Oh, it’s 11…. Time for a Big Mac.

 

[Mike Johnson]

In other news…. Waiting for an X-ray appointment for my knee. Old age has finally caught up with me, it seems.
Pain behind one kneecap when leg is at a certain angle…. Unfortunately, that angle is driving position.
Getting up off the floor is torturous…
Climbing scaffold, which I did a lot of last week, is now nigh impossible.

I bet it's a bucket handle meniscal tear it normally is.

 

[littlespark]

Re me knee.

Blood test tomorrow, just to check it’s nothing too serious, and got x ray appointment for 8th of June. Hopefully doesn’t fall off before then.

Had a phone call from a gym I’ve worked at, asking me if I had time today to disconnect sockets built into his serving counter…
So a quick phone call to the wife….. “ I’m going to the gym after work so I’ll be later home”
Always gets a laugh.

Straightforward 32A radial circuit in 4mm, which I thought was overkill for a computer, bottle fridge and a phone charger… but hey.

Disconnected from RCBO in board, then started testing and removing the sockets. All great til the last one… I find this.

And this!

 

[James]

Using a fan heater to keep the server warm?

 

[littlespark]

Using a fan heater to keep the server warm?

I think he said they plugged some heaters when it was cold…. Nice and cosy in front of that socket though.

That’s the pin of the plug still in the socket… only kept safe by not turning on the socket, and a bit of yellow/ black sticky tape.

 

[brianmoooore]

I think he said they plugged some heaters when it was cold…. Nice and cosy in front of that socket though.

Couple of heaters into a cube adaptor, plugged into that side of the socket?

 

[littlespark]

Todays trip to the stately home was to investigate, repair and get working the pump that runs their fountain…. Not been used for maybe 5 years.
Found this buried behind the the shrubbery.

Weatherproof box, granted, but flex to pump just cut, with choc block connectors then feeding a 12v PSU like you get for Christmas lights.
I removed the isolator lid before taking photo.
No one seems to know or remember if there was ever lights around this. (Pond and statuette fountain in centre)

This box controlled by time clock inside house.

Pump was working fine after I tidied all that up.



While I was down in the basement sorting out the time clock end, I had a sneaky look at their old servant bell system. Opened the front up.

It appears that the connection screws at the bottom are the lines up to the bell pushes in each room. So I could easily test this end by simply shorting between the pair of screws for each push button.

Not sure why there is two bells?
Maybe one for the main front doorbell, and a different sounding one for the rooms?

 

[littlespark]

Sat last night with the wife and a little glass of vino, telly watching, but nothing on as usual.

Channel 4 or 5 at about 9pm… and one of those 999, a&e type programmes is about to start with the usual “the following programme contains surgery and scenes that some people may find upsetting”

I think, oh the usual, little Timmy has come off his scooter and grazed a knee…. Or sweet little Lily has shoved a crayon up her nose…..

Oh no…. This was 50 year old Paul… who has come off a quad bike at speed and has literally SMASHED HIS FACE IN!!!

You see him being slid over from the ambulance trolley to the resus bed as the paramedic is explaining the injuries to the team… broken just about every bone in his face. one eye is so swollen up, you can’t see it… they move a bandage, and his other eye is dangling out the socket…..!

I almost choked on my Pinot.


Emergency tracheotomy as the poor guy can’t breathe normally for all the bone fragments down his throat…

Later in the programme, we’re in theatre… they’ve cut open the skin on his head, folded it over his face, and they’re busy drilling a hole through his skull to loosen a 2 inch wide shattered off piece of skull to put it back where it belongs…

Oh look. A brain…

A million pound Mecanno set is being screwed into the separate bone pieces to hold it together.
They fold back the massive flap of skin to cover what can be described as mini all-round-band cross crossing all over a mainly off white coloured smooth football.

In the end, Paul is sitting up, drinking through a straw and talking with his family. Unfortunately, he is now blind in both eyes…. but still breathing.

All in all, a miracle by the NHS. Worth every penny.

 

[littlespark]

Swapping old 1500W halogen floodlights for more economical LED. North side needed 3 heights of tower scaffold for the car park area… South is the gardens and I could reach off the roof…. But only just.
Luckily never been bothered with working high up

Can you see them?

 

[nicebutdim]

I'd have had a boom lift across that lawn.

 

[littlespark]

I'd have had a boom lift across that lawn.

I did offer that suggestion… went no further.

It might have been easier/quicker on the gravelled car park side… but scaffold isn’t too much hassle to build up.

There’s one light still to change over the East courtyard… not as important as the 4 I’ve done so far… will take 4 heights of tower, and a very good sense of balance.

 

[James]

Swapping old 1500W halogen floodlights for more economical LED. North side needed 3 heights of tower scaffold for the car park area… South is the gardens and I could reach off the roof…. But only just.
Luckily never been bothered with working high up

Can you see them?


View attachment 108376

I didn't know you were working on my weekend house, good work,
can't see any of the wiring you have hidden it well.

p.s. If you have a word with sam, the butler, he will find you a couple of pheasants for your trouble.

 

[littlespark]

This morning, in CEF, I witnessed a lesson in reading the website properly

I was picking up some smokies, and helping myself to their coffee machine when a rather flustered gentlemen came in and approached the counter.

“Hi… I’m in to pick up those relays”

“Sorry… which ones?”

“My office ordered them last night… just to pick up. For XXXXX ltd”

“Sorry. Let me check with colleague”

A lot of to-ing and fro-ing. The guy phones his office. Turns out his office dude had seen the quantity for delivery, not collection. And hadn’t even chosen a store.

The guy had driven 4 hours to pick up a couple of relays for a local hotel kitchen equipment, then he was going into Dundee, then onto Glasgow.

First job of the day failed. He was not a happy bunny when I left.

 

[James]

I have been out the back of a similar store, obviously NOT "city electrical" but I cant remember which one.

customer comes in to front counter
Customer: I Need one of these RCD's must be this particular one.

Manager: no problem, i will just check stock.
comes out back to double check

Manager: I am sorry but we don't have one but I can Get one on an overnight delivery to me, will be here by 8am
Customer: grumbles a bit but says ok, as long as it is absolutely, definitely going to be here in the morning.

Manager: not a problem, guaranteed delivery by 8am, it is a £35 urgent delivery cost to add on, is that ok?

Customer: ok, be back in the morning.

Manager, walks back to the stores, picks up said RCD, puts a next day before 8 sticker on it and puts it on the shelf for collections.

Since that day, I have never been a fan of any company that rhymes with shitty selector factories

 

[littlespark]

Re #1025 my knee.

Doc was on the phone today and it turns out to be high uric acid, gout, leading to arthritis.

Not even bloody 50 yet.


Doc is a customer, so she knows my job involves a lot of kneeling, standing, climbing….
She said if it gets really bad, they can use surgery to shave down the back of the kneecap to stop it rubbing.

Normal healthy eating suggestions… less fat, lose weight, cut down on the booze.. so no more

Thats the wife on a mission now.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I had my right elbow shaved down some years ago, it's now hurting again I had it done because it hurt more in the morning when I got up than when I went to bed, used to sleep with my arm on the bedside cabinet, now I am wearing a strap which helps, but not being able to straighten either elbow is something I have lived with since my 30's, now 75 and feeling every year.

 

[littlespark]

Sitting in a carpark in a local seaside town, and an older fella asks me for advice.


He lives down in Northumberland, and is on holiday just now... but the story is, he's got an old miners house that he rents out.
Agency wanted an EICR, so they organised someone... (red flag!)

The guy tells me this electrician was at the house for 90 minutes (red flag!) and gave an unsatisfactory outcome. Was explained to the owner that the tails needed replaced. (thats all)

I educated the gentleman on what would normally warrant a C1 or C2.... and that C3's were only advisable. I asked if the tails were old?, damaged?

No... nothing like that.... its just that the electrician upgrades them as company policy.

Another red flag.


I also explained that there is no need for the remedials to be done by the same company... you can get others to quote for it...


We watched someone trying to park for five minutes... then i went over the fact again that what he got was a 'report' not a 'certificate'.... and again..... he can get whoever he likes to do any work.


I didnt volunteer my services... for one, he's out my local area... and 2... he was complaining about £150 for a 'certificate' in the first place.

 

[littlespark]

Drove up to Aberdeen on Monday to go to daughters graduation…. Which was yesterday morning at the big exhibition centre.

Left as soon as we could after work, but hit both Edinburgh and Dundee at peak times. Almost a 6 hour drive, which should be 3 1/2.

Proud parents, she got a MA first class honours in Language and Linguistics with Mandarin…. And topping that, her final dissertation was chosen as the best from the language school of the university and is being put forward for a national judging panel.

The drive home yesterday was quicker. Stopped off at one of those family restaurants for dinner as a congratulations for her.

For those of you that know the area, this particular one is just off the main road at Camperdown… and we remember it under the different guise of The Outside Inn… which would have been the last time the 3 of us ate there about 15 years ago…

We sat reminiscing of how it used to look, when some other diners’ Nokia phone went off… that familiar nostalgic tune.. Just seemed very appropriate to what we were talking about.

 

[littlespark]

A word of warning, ladies and gents about the importance of correct PPE. Steel toe capped footwear to be precise.

Before work this morning, (yes, on a Saturday), I booked into the local recycling centre… which you need to do with a van or trailer… just getting rid of a bag of garden rubbish and a couple of broken tvs.

One of said tv’s was an older flat screen, about 40 inch. Easily manhandled in and out of the van… and as I was lowering it to the ground, it slipped, and edge landed on my big toe.

“Gee willerkers” I thought to myself… but my mouth inadvertently said something much different.


Carried on to work, thinking yeah it’s sore, but I don’t think it’s broken or anything, can still wiggle it…
Finished at 4, drove home, took off my shoes……

Socks are now in the bin. Big hole, and stained in blood. What a mess.
And my toe isn’t much better.

Skin off the top, bruising all around, and hopefully the nail doesn’t come off.

Enjoy you dinners!

 

[littlespark]

I can feel my toe again! And there’s a black bruise creeping up behind the nail. That’s going to look great sitting at the side of the pool when I’m on my cruise…. Did I say I was going on a cruise at the end of the month?

Anyway.
Was back today at that farmers cottage, and a took a wander around the empty sheds that surround the property… now it looks like a typical farm install….. these are live… as far as I can tell.

 

[James]

I can feel my toe again! And there’s a black bruise creeping up behind the nail. That’s going to look great sitting at the side of the pool when I’m on my cruise…. Did I say I was going on a cruise at the end of the month?

Anyway.
Was back today at that farmers cottage, and a took a wander around the empty sheds that surround the property… now it looks like a typical farm install….. these are live… as far as I can tell

Have you stuck your finger in to check?

 

[littlespark]

I actually tried a light switch, @James , and it worked.

 

[James]

I actually tried a light switch, @James , and it worked.

probably a better way to test with your finger, but i was close, you did in fact use your finger to check if it was live and it worked!!!

 

[littlespark]

probably a better way to test with your finger, but i was close, you did in fact use your finger to check if it was live and it worked!!!

actually used the insulated end of my hammer to turn on the switch... I'm not stupid, you know!

Ok... i was holding the hammer in my hand, which indeed utilised one or more fingers

 

[littlespark]

Back at the cottage, and in their infinite wisdom, they’ve decided to strap the walls, add insulation and board it before plastering…. Which was suggested at the beginning of the job by the joiner and was rejected.. change their mind now, after I’ve spent hard graft and sweat on chasing out the brick for all the sockets. Going to need long screws for the faceplates now.

Also noticed this, which is the overhead supply.
Worth reporting? . (Zoom in)

 

[DPG]

So they've put the wire that secures the aerial mast over the supply cable? That's a special kind of silly is that. I'd be reporting it.