CaptainBeaky

It doesn't need to be removed to reload Best answer for me would be an Ithaca M37 or a Browning BPS, but finding one is a problem, as is paying for one!

OK, I confess, it wasn't tonight! Or rather, it is tonight, but 4 days later. The photos from the summer weren't usable, so had to take some more. Picatinny rail mounting, using a couple of sling mountings with the sling swivel replaced by a screw and flat nut. The plate is 1.6mm duralumin, coated with Hammerite, baked on. The catch bag is bike-grade goatskin on a dural frame, held on with a pair of 5mm screws and wing nuts. As cases eject, they hit the angled plate at the point when they are facing backwards, and bounce downwards into the bag. In case you're wondering about the sight picture, removing the swivel mountings means I can see through the rail mounts. It mounts and dismounts in seconds, and dismantles in about 10 seconds... And the plate fits inside the bag (I designed it that way). (Honest!) Yes, it's a bit ugly, but it catches the cases, and holds about 18 before they start spilling. It takes a bit of trial and error to get it mounted correctly - it seems sensitive to fore-and aft position, and this changes with different length and load cases. using 67mm cases, 32g loads have to be one notch further forward than with 28g loads. Hope this is useful, and thanks for looking!

At this stage, I'm not sure - still trying to work out at what level of budget it becomes cheaper to hire one periodically. I like the look of the Titan Mignon, and it gets favourable mentions everywhere I have seen it, especially on the pro tree-folk forums like arbtalk. It is, however, lots of money. I'm not sure whether to go for something expensive and robust, or go cheap and cheerful and risk breaking it

Well, what do you expect from the Mirror? The 84% No vote is amusing, though

MP153! 3.5", steel proof, does 24g to 65g quite happily, won't break the bank. Or you could px a kidney and buy a Beretta Extrema

A request to the PW hive mind: Anyone know anything about powered log splitters? I had occasion to use one today, and have to say I'm a convert! Any makes to look for or avoid, what to look for when choosing one? Thanks

Most makes of domestic softeners use the same few types of valve head (the working bit). Fleck and Clack valves are fairly reliable, Autotrol not so good. Unfortunately, you won't find these names on the box! The seller may not even know what type they are - I have to admit I bought both of mine from a supplier I deal with at work, so could specify everything on it. As stated above, a metered unit will save you money long term, as it will only regenerate when it needs to. Price difference for a metered unit should only be £20 - £30.

You probably won't notice a huge difference in performance between phosphate and a proper ion exchange filter, but you will on price! Phosphate one will be cheaper to run, so I would suggest sticking with that if you don't want to go the whole hog and fit a softener.

The polyphosphate cartridges release sodium phosphate, which cross reacts with calcium carbonate (scale) to give you sodium carbonate and calcium phosphate, both of which are soluble. This is the same as using Calgon tablets. You probably wouldn't want to be drinking this long term, as noted above, because it does increase your sodium intake. The problem with calcium carbonate is that it gets less soluble as the temperature rises, not more, so it deposits on the hottest bits of the system, e.g. your kettle element or your boiler heat exchanger. The cheapest alternative long-term is always the (salt-based) water softener.

If you have surface water drainage to a soakaway, your drainage/sewerage charge should be discounted accordingly - mine is. Had to ask for it, though.

Ok, professional hat on - I am a water treatment chemist... First, magnetic softeners; sorry, but there are no proper peer reviewed studies that show these to work. Every time I have come across these in a commercial situation, they have been an unmitigated failure, and I have been at this for the best part of 30 years. Second: cartridge filters; very good for removing taints from drinking water, especially if your water tastes strongly of chlorine (actually chloramines, which is a reaction product, as you can't actually taste chlorine at the levels used). Not so good at removing hardness, although you can get ion exchange cartridges which will do it - you just need to change filters, which gets expensive. Base exchange water softeners (the ones that use salt); these work. They need to be plumbed in to your incoming mains, with a raw (unsoftened) supply to your kitchen cold tap for drinking water. Salt usage varies with water usage and hardness - at London hardness, you use about half a kilo of salt per cubic metre of water. The plumbing is simple enough, and they generally need a fused spur as a power supply. Happy to answer questions on this

I have made one... Mounts into a Picatinny rail, via a pair of adapted sling mountings. Alloy deflector plate and frame, catch bag is made of goat leather. I'll post some pictures up tonight.

Lovely guns The single trigger mechanism is very elegant - the design means you shouldn't need a mechanical genius to regulate it, and barring a staggering amount of wear, shouldn't go wrong. I love mine to bits - just wish I shot better with it, but my other guns are much heavier, so the SKB I find myself swinging and stopping. Yes, I know - more practice needed!

If you mean 21g loads, yes. My MP153 cycles 24g 70mm pretty well, and 28g and up are fine whatever the case length. The higher end (i.e. expensive!) guns just allow you to shoot from one end of the range to the other without needing to adjust anything. I do hear that the Benelli SBE isn't too keen on light loads, but I haven't tried one myself, so take that with a pinch of salt!

Just watched this - great to see it fly. My only real quibble was playing music during the flight, drowning out the proper 12 cylinder music

On the recorder now! Thanks

Yes please Please pm PayPal details.

OK thanks

Could you put some photos up, please?

Just remembered Jean Turner's site; http://www.knifescales.co.uk/content/knife-making-and-bushcrafting-index.php

Brisa.fi The Good Stuff Shop Market forum on British Blades forum (called Portobello Road sub forums).

"Climbing Mount Improbable" is brilliant - well worth a read.

Not as a front bencher, without losing the party whip and getting fired anyway.

Perfectly put. A tool for the thin of wallet and thick of skin. My o/u has had quite a few thousand cartridges through it in the last 18 years, without a problem. The mp153 has only ever ftf'ed with light clay loads (24g), when the gas valve hasn't been wound in enough. Feed it with 28g or more, and it eats anything. Ok, so it won't go from 21g to 63g without needing adjustment like an A400 is supposed to, but I wouldn't throw an A400 in the back of a pickup under a straw bale, either. Simple, reliable, easy to work on, cheap. What's not to like?

That's the one The scrote with his shirt off looks like he had his bells rung good and proper...