Seemingly trivial things that cheer you up

masjer

pinno said:

briantrumpet said:

Getting a smallish sinkhole in a road repaired within a couple of days cheered me up, but seeing that it's started sinking again (I suspect they just shoved some tarmac in it without any reinforcement to stop it sinking into what I'm assuming is underground drainage, either intended or by erosion) doesn't cheer me up at all.

Or the correct procedure hasn't been followed. [I think that is fairly obvious].

1. Excavate loose tarmac
2. Cut area out neat and beyond the existing hole so that there is sufficient depth for fresh tarmac and unseen cracks are reconciled
2. Blow torch any moisture (as underlying moisture causes a lack of adhesion so it will lift quickly)
3. Fill hole with fresh tarmac
4. Roll
4. Seal edges with hot, liquid bitumen

4. Send out an SOS to Pross

briantrumpet

masjer said:

pinno said:

briantrumpet said:

Getting a smallish sinkhole in a road repaired within a couple of days cheered me up, but seeing that it's started sinking again (I suspect they just shoved some tarmac in it without any reinforcement to stop it sinking into what I'm assuming is underground drainage, either intended or by erosion) doesn't cheer me up at all.

Or the correct procedure hasn't been followed. [I think that is fairly obvious].

1. Excavate loose tarmac
2. Cut area out neat and beyond the existing hole so that there is sufficient depth for fresh tarmac and unseen cracks are reconciled
2. Blow torch any moisture (as underlying moisture causes a lack of adhesion so it will lift quickly)
3. Fill hole with fresh tarmac
4. Roll
4. Seal edges with hot, liquid bitumen

4. Send out an SOS to Pross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoi99X417o

masjer

I didn't know Pross owned a moped.

briantrumpet

Another thing that cheers me up... hoping to project-manage a performance of Mahler's 6th symphony, which requires two (or three) mahooosive hammer blows at enormous climaxes, as well as authentic-sounding cowbells.

Well, I've discovered that there's a shop near me in France which sells genuine farming Swiss cowbells of various sizes, so that'll be fun to research (I need three of different pitches). But the funnest thing will be commissioning the 'hammer' (actually a gert big wooden box & matching mallet). We'll have to make sure that a proper risk assessment has been done (watch to the end...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-yylTEx474

ddraver

Meh, Slipknot sorted that for you...
https://youtu.be/og7N6RWe0RI

ddraver

ddraver said:

Meh, Slipknot sorted that for you...
https://youtu.be/og7N6RWe0RI

(and I must add, all credit to the orchestras that allowed their hammer players to be in jeans and t-shirts rather than literal tails...)

briantrumpet

ddraver said:

ddraver said:

Meh, Slipknot sorted that for you...
https://youtu.be/og7N6RWe0RI

(and I must add, all credit to the orchestras that allowed their hammer players to be in jeans and t-shirts rather than literal tails...)

I think the jeans clips are rehearsals, as mobiles on stage during a performance would be a sackable offence, at least in classical music.

Pross

briantrumpet said:

pinno said:

briantrumpet said:

Getting a smallish sinkhole in a road repaired within a couple of days cheered me up, but seeing that it's started sinking again (I suspect they just shoved some tarmac in it without any reinforcement to stop it sinking into what I'm assuming is underground drainage, either intended or by erosion) doesn't cheer me up at all.

Or the correct procedure hasn't been followed. [I think that is fairly obvious].

1. Excavate loose tarmac
2. Cut area out neat and beyond the existing hole so that there is sufficient depth for fresh tarmac and unseen cracks are reconciled
2. Blow torch any moisture (as underlying moisture causes a lack of adhesion so it will lift quickly)
3. Fill hole with fresh tarmac
4. Roll
4. Seal edges with hot, liquid bitumen

@Pross would probably give you more detail.

Beyond that, I think it needs some sort of reinforced base for the hole to spread the load on the dodgy underneath, as tarmac isn't known for its rigidity, and the sunken area was a good 18" across, with a clearly visible hole and cavity beneath.

As it's on a regular 20-mile loop to Budders, I'll be observing with interest over the next few weeks.

If it’s actually a sink hole all the filling of the pothole is just wasting time and money, there could be a massive cavern underneath.

briantrumpet

Pross said:

briantrumpet said:

pinno said:

briantrumpet said:

Getting a smallish sinkhole in a road repaired within a couple of days cheered me up, but seeing that it's started sinking again (I suspect they just shoved some tarmac in it without any reinforcement to stop it sinking into what I'm assuming is underground drainage, either intended or by erosion) doesn't cheer me up at all.

Or the correct procedure hasn't been followed. [I think that is fairly obvious].

1. Excavate loose tarmac
2. Cut area out neat and beyond the existing hole so that there is sufficient depth for fresh tarmac and unseen cracks are reconciled
2. Blow torch any moisture (as underlying moisture causes a lack of adhesion so it will lift quickly)
3. Fill hole with fresh tarmac
4. Roll
4. Seal edges with hot, liquid bitumen

@Pross would probably give you more detail.

Beyond that, I think it needs some sort of reinforced base for the hole to spread the load on the dodgy underneath, as tarmac isn't known for its rigidity, and the sunken area was a good 18" across, with a clearly visible hole and cavity beneath.

As it's on a regular 20-mile loop to Budders, I'll be observing with interest over the next few weeks.

If it’s actually a sink hole all the filling of the pothole is just wasting time and money, there could be a massive cavern underneath.

Quite, although I suspect it's more likely a collapsed roadside storm water drain. (Though I'm not sure how water escapes from pebblebed heaths such as Woodbury Common - I guess that the sand around the pebbles can get washed away and create natural drainage systems independently of installed road drainage.)

I think they'll be dealing with it again soon anyway.

mrb123

https://youtu.be/mJZQhVFgTys?si=UAcSHxAzg7znRBfq

ddraver

^^wrong rocks to be an actual sinkhole...

JimD666

The wife has just opened her Halifax app to check things, was greated with a splash screen that informed her "There are 231 monthly pays days until you turn 65"

She's not a happy camper. Not sure my laughter has helped things either 😇

briantrumpet

https://twitter.com/JonathanPieNews/status/1727658979193430208

briantrumpet

Tomorrow's forecast, though I'll not be going out too early...

briantrumpet

A vegetable and beef stew after four hours gentle cooking.

pinno

Out for a ride in the brr but sunny conditions and on this single lane.
Ahead of me is a car coming towards me who notices me and the small, muddy stream on his right (my left), at the side of the road.
It was clear to me that we would converge at the point where the muddy stream is and he elected to go to his right (and stop) so that I could pass on my right where the lane was dry. He indicated and then flashed me on.

I really appreciated that. I gave him the thumbs up with no uncertainty.

briantrumpet

I want to get some authentic cowbells for Mahler's 6th symphony (the one with the hammer blows), and one of my French correspondents has sent me a photo from a farm equipment shop within riding distance of my house. Now I'm just going to have to go and try them...

webboo

briantrumpet said:

I want to get some authentic cowbells for Mahler's 6th symphony (the one with the hammer blows), and one of my French correspondents has sent me a photo from a farm equipment shop within riding distance of my house. Now I'm just going to have to go and try them...

I’d get two and use one as a bike bell.

briantrumpet

webboo said:

briantrumpet said:

I want to get some authentic cowbells for Mahler's 6th symphony (the one with the hammer blows), and one of my French correspondents has sent me a photo from a farm equipment shop within riding distance of my house. Now I'm just going to have to go and try them...

I’d get two and use one as a bike bell.

Actually I need three for the musical effect, so might do just that with a smaller one, and use the other two for doorbells.

ddraver

Finally getting frustrated with the secondhand guitar I've had for years that has an action that feels about 3 feet off the neck. Filed 2mm off of the bride and not it's actually playable.

I reckon this heralds a whole month of "being serious about learning the guitar proper this time not just playing stairway and nothing else matters over and over again"...

briantrumpet

ddraver said:

Finally getting frustrated with the secondhand guitar I've had for years that has an action that feels about 3 feet off the neck. Filed 2mm off of the bride and not it's actually playable.

I reckon this heralds a whole month of "being serious about learning the guitar proper this time not just playing stairway and nothing else matters over and over again"...

Did the bride complain?

Taking lessons, or working stuff out from Youtube?

ddraver

Googling 12 bar blues and pouring another whisky "cos that's authentic" so far...

*hic*

pinno

ddraver said:

Googling 12 bar blues and pouring another whisky "cos that's authentic" so far...

*hic*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCiCFOEyrpc

briantrumpet

Getting a Twitter reply from some other chap sharing my name (he did get there a couple of years before me, or rather before my parents).

pinno

briantrumpet said:

pblakeney

Visiting my Dad this weekend and noticing that some of the spoon handles have kinks from being used as tyre levers decades ago.

pblakeney

briantrumpet

That the Bristol Beacon has reopened (albeit way over budget), restored organ and all, and it looks stunning. I really ought to go to a concert there to see & hear it, as I used to go there regularly in the 1970s, as we could get *very* cheap concert tickets through school. It ought to have pretty good acoustics, by the look of it.

veronese68

This made me chuckle, although shop staff with no knowledge is an irritation.
If it's illegible, I very much doubt that full sus bike won hardtail of the year.

briantrumpet

Removing my front wheel, realising that the rims are wafer-thin and thinking I'd need to buy a new front wheel, then finding I had a pristine Mavic Aksium in my small selection of 'spares'. I guess that my stock control system isn't terribly efficient, but happily so this time. Commuting crisis averted.