Covid timewasters! Open thread.

[Nod]

How have you all been passing the time while locked down? While there's always photography, it does need putting aside for a while when inspiration fails or subjects tell you to go forth and multiply!


For commercialmas, Mrs Nod bought me a push together kit which converted a few sheets of LASER cut plywood into a box with a combination lock. This led to another and when it became obvious that I'd have more time on my hands than usual, I ordered a few more to help the time pass. I've worked my way up through complexity and the latest one is pictured below. Not sure what engine (or even class) it's supposed to be (if any in real life) but some of the models in the range are definitely based on real life vehicles so it might be a real one - being manufactured in the Ukraine, it's very possible that it's a Soviet design. Kept me occupied for several hours and is all wood, other than the rubber bands used to power it and provide internal springs for things like ratchets and also a drive belt.



The big knob just in front of the cab is the winder; the lever just in front of the door is the forward/neutral/reverse selector and the 2 bits just in front of the rearmost wheel is the stop/go switch.



Winding it up twists the rubber bands you can see through the "firebox" doors (which open and close.)

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Ingenuous looking thing.

 

[Nod]

Here are a couple more, one showing the loco with tender attached (tender sides open using a lever on the other side) and the other showing the underside. The round thing at the back end is a thrust bearing at the bottom of the motor, the power is taken off the vertical motor using simple interlocking gear wheels at 90°, then it goes through a simple set of gears to allow forward or reverse motion. As the thing moves, the valve gear and connecting rods move, taking the drive from the rearmost of the big wheels to the other 2 pairs. The gears inside the "boiler" are purely for decoration - or might be a basic governor mechanism, they do seem to suck a fair bit of power from the system!

 

[mstphoto]

That looks really good, Nod
I'm not really into trains but I can see myself messing around with that kit

Daily life for me hasn't changed much.
Up at my usual time, breakfast, check TP and Flickr then out with the dog.
I'm lucky that I live just a 2 minute walk (I've timed it ) from woodland and the River Don, Aberdeen, that is usually fairly quiet - until now!!
Seems that everyone has the same idea though so I cut my walk short and go out late evening instead.
I can still get out with my camera locally.
I seem to be eating and drinking more than usual as well which is fine but will need to cut back eventually.
The wife is furloughed at the moment so I dare say all this will change owing to her ever increasing list of jobs to do around the house and garden.

On other days I am still working.
I work in a Paper Mill that has not long come out of administration so this couldn't have happened a worse time for us.
The mill furloughed all the workers on 5/4/20 apart from a Business Continuity team.

Stay safe Folks
Hopefully it won't last for too long

 

[Nod]

Stay safe Folks
Hopefully it won't last for too long

[plusone]

Main thing that's changed for us is that we're eating in all the time! Sounds a bit "normal" but we usually go out for 3-4 lunches a week, accompanied by walks along sea fronts or on the moor; an hour round the block (closer to 40 minutes really...) doesn't quite cut it!
The wooden models are basically to fill the time I'd usually spend looking for little white balls (or yellow, pink, orange - whatever I've previously found!), Mrs Nod and I enjoy each other's company so being cooped up isn't too bad. Yet!

 

[mrtoad]

laying slabs, weed control, gravel,
painting a wall
cleaning the old slabs
taking the dog for lots of walks
.....what else when the sun shines?