Category: Current
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Kuiper and Oort Objects
Here is a poster of Kuiper and Oort Objects This poster/wall chart was produced by SPACE.COM as a quick guide to Kuiper and Oort Objects. Knowledge of the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud is sparse but it is known that some objects have very eccentric orbits. I think we can expect many more objects…
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Dwarf Planets In The Solar System
There is a new class of objects in the Solar System – Dwarf Planets – which now includes Pluto. See the poster below from SPACE.COM. Since this poster was produced there has been an addition – Sedna. Take a look at Kuiper and Oort Objects. Reference Source Space.com: All about our solar system, outer space…
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CycloCable Gets Bikes Up That Hill
CycloCable We all know it’s a bit of a pain cycling up steep hills especially on our journey to work, but CycloCable gets bikes up that hill in Trondheim, Norway. This latest version installed in 2013 replaced the prototype Trampe Bicycle Lift installed in 1993 by Jarl Wanwik. This is how the Norwegians do it.…
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Fixing Shelf Battens To Old Walls
Preface This post describes: How I spent a day fixing shelf battens for two shelves in a house. The walls were old and not solid brick as expected. The walls crumbled when I drilled into them so I had to repair them and drill again.
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Cosmic Inflation and Expansion of The Universe
This Poster Describes Cosmic Inflation and Expansion of The Universe I’m sure we’re a long way from hearing the last on Cosmic Inflation and Expansion of The Universe, but here is a SPACE.COM chart briefly explaining inflation of the universe from a pinpoint to its present day size. On 30th January 2015 Space.com announced: Inflation…
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New One Pound Coin in 2017
Why A New One Pound Coin? Due to excessive counterfeiting of the existing one pound coin The Royal Mint has decided to introduce a new one pound coin design, in 2017, with new security features: “It will be constructed from two different coloured metals and contain an iSIS security feature – a revolutionary new high security coinage currency…
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Are Goldfinches Eating Nyjer Seed? Yes!
Cleaning My Feeder Spring 2014 is on the way and I want to see goldfinches eating nyjer seed again. So after a wet winter I have cleaned my bird feeders. I’ve only had a Nyjer Seed feeder for two years and have kept it out during both winters. I might not do that next winter…
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We Make Earwax? What’s That All About?
What Is Earwax? I’ve often wondered what is earwax (otherwise known as cerumen) all about but never specifically investigated it. Well today I just happened across this article on the BBC News website in the Health section and now I am the wiser. It’s entitled: ‘Secretion secrets: things you didn’t know about earwax’. It discusses…
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Airlander Airship v Goodyear Airship
Airlander Airship or Goodyear Airship? The Airlander airship gets competition from another airship making its move, the Goodyear Dirigible airship making its move. It’s 246 feet long, 50 feet longer than previous models, and is dirigible (it has a frame and is not just a balloon). See my other Airlander post Airship Airlander – Made in England.…
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Airship Airlander – Made in England
Introduction This airship Airlander, the longest aircraft in the world at roughly 91m (300ft), from the US military airship Airlander project, has been brought to Cardington, Bedfordshire, England (home of the R101) for further development by a British company who built it in the first place. In fact the development is taking place in the same…
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Dry Ice In Water
Observing The Reaction Of Dry Ice In Water I always wanted to try this (put dry ice in water) and last year I got the opportunity. When I bought some meat from Donald Russell it was delivered packed in dry ice. Dry Ice is frozen CO2 i.e. solid carbon dioxide. This dry ice was used to…
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Teapot Cleaning Methods
Should you practice teapot cleaning or not? Some people think teapot cleaning is unnecessary and that it spoils the flavour of the tea. If they have traditional brown earthenware teapots they probably don’t see all the tannin stains on the inside. With a stainless steel teapot you see them all and they start to form very…
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Fieldfares Visited Alvaston Derby In January 2013
Fieldfare – Turdus pilaris – a member of the thrush family. When Fieldfares visited Alvaston Derby I was ready with my camera. On 22nd January 2013 Fieldfares visited Alvaston Derby where I saw them. First I saw them in my garden and later in a tree overhanging my friend’s garden across the road in the same street. Of course I…
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Opening Dual-Flush Toilet Cisterns
Preface This post describes: Opening Dual-Flush Toilet Cisterns to maintain the inlet valve and flushing mechanism.
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How To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew
This Is How To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew It would appear to be a very simple process to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Just look at this video to learn how: Well, if you watched the video you could see that a shoe is used to cushion the blows as…
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Opening Food Cans By Unusual Means
Introduction The videos here demonstrate some methods of opening food cans without a traditional can opener. If you try any of these methods then be aware that cans have sharp edges where the metal is cut. You could get cut yourself before the can is open. 1st Method of Opening Food Cans This is another method…
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Heating May Make Us Fat!
The title ‘Heating May Make Us Fat’ has no spelling mistake. Check out this article at the BBC where Dutch researchers at the Maastricht University Medical Centre recommend heating homes to no more than 19°C (66°F) because: Heating May Make Us Fat. Below that temperature (19°C) they say our bodies continue to burn calories to keep…
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Zipper Slider Repairs
Introduction Here are two zipper slider repairs that can be done when the pull tab has come off and either: the crown (or lug) is lost, you still have the crown (or lug). This post is an edited compilation of two posts I wrote on this blog in the past describing the repair of Zipper Sliders. I have updated the references and…
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Dripping noise from a rainwater spout
Preface This post refers specifically to downpipes with a square cross section. It shows how to modify a rainwater downpipe spout (shoe) to stop a dripping noise when the drip starts within the outlet shoe. Introduction For drips that drop off the guttering outlet and fall all the way down to the bottom of a straight downpipe and hit the…
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Employees Pose Security Risks To Businesses
Employees Pose Security Risks To Businesses Trend Micro says employees pose security risks to businesses by their carelessness. So don’t allow access to your business data through your employees. Data is exposed by Wi-Fi hijacking and by employees losing mobile devices. Read about it on IT PRO by clicking here.
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Drag-n-Drop Context Menu in Windows
Drag-n-Drop Context Menu Discovered After Nearly Losing Files After many years I have just found that there is a specific Drag-n-Drop Context Menu, in Microsoft Windows 7 & Windows 10 at least. For years I avoided Drag-n-Drop in favour of Copy and Paste. This discovery came about after I found I was Moving files out of folders…
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My Easily Positioned Bed Headboard Wall Fixings
Introduction This post describes a method for DIY readers to make and mount bespoke wooden Bed Headboard Wall Fixings, to my design, so that no bolts are visible and so the headboard can be removed by just lifting it vertically to allow for cleaning or horizontal adjustment. It gives a specific example. Other headboards will be different, but I hope anyone wanting to use this…
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Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 by RING
Introduction This post is about the RING Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 which is an excellent pump for inflating anything with a Schrader valve, (e.g. car tyres, bicycle tyres, etc.) or balls, airbeds, etc. (3 Inflation Adapters are supplied). It has to be powered by a 12 volt (30 amp peak) supply such as a car battery (not provided).
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My Casio Databank Watch is DEAD
My Old Casio Databank Watch I bought this Casio Databank Watch (LEFT) in 1995 and although it has had several batteries and replacement straps it has lasted 18 years until this week when I noticed the digits had all gone off. A week before I noticed it had reset to a date in 1990. I…
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Spilling Juice From Cartons or ‘Tetra Paks®’
Introduction This post contains instructions on how to avoid spilling juice from cartons or Tetra Paks®, with a rectangular cross-section, while opening or lifting them. It’s quite natural to grip cartons by the easiest method (the broad sides) while opening them, or lifting them when they’re still full, causing the contents to pour or squirt out inadvertently. Cartons with a square cross section are indifferent…
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Tin Whiskers in a Wireless Thermostat Receiver
Introduction Tin Whiskers are a crystalline growth made of the element tin. They are in the form of a very thin straight hair with one end attached to the tin from which they are formed. They often form on lead free solder used to fix components to circuit boards now that lead is banned.
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Dyson Slim DC18 Upright – Undercarriage Repair
Introduction This post gives a detailed description, with photos and reference to a Parts Diagram, of how to replace a Dyson Slim DC18 Undercarriage. The Undercarriage would require changing if part of it broke since parts cannot be obtained individually. I changed mine when the Air Input Changeover Valve Actuator broke. “Since I first published…
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Sweeping Car Snow Away Using A Hand Brush
Introduction It’s a nuisance if you get caught out in winter weather without an easy way of sweeping snow away from your car. You might be smartly dressed and have to hurry to your next appointment. So you need to be prepared with a procedure that works and keeps you clean. The scenario when you…
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How Many Parts Make A Shower Head?
How Many Parts? You may be surprised to learn that the shower head that came with my Mira Sport Thermostatic Shower is made from 22 separate parts. If you count them in the featured image above you will see 21 but take note that the main body of the shower head, on the right, is made…
