CaptainBeaky

Thank you, kind sir.

Ta

I've just searched for this, and can't find it - anyone have a link, please?

If nocturnal visitors are a concern, then consider a serious LED torch running on lithium batteries, with a strobe setting. O-light, Klarus, Nitecore, Eagletac all do pocket sized torches running on 2 x CR123 or 1 x 18650, outputs in the 500/600 lumen range, with instant access to the strobe mode. They also have multiple output levels, so you don't always need to use full power. I would suggest a browse through the candlepower forums, where you will find more torches than you can readily shake a stick at.

No1 son did this with my ancient Diana... I made up a crossed chisel-tip drill with a piece of brass rod - harder than the lead, too soft to scratch the bore. Then just drilled the whole plug out by hand, which took all afternoon.

Thank you so much - that is a mental image I would rather not have experienced...

You're welcome He probably won't be any gentler when he does the surgery, but on the plus side, you will hopefully be in La La land at the time! I was considering this one when I was diving regularly, and for the same reason, multiple nose breakage meant I had difficulty clearing ears. In the end I stopped diving instead! Best of luck

Not a sub-mucosal resection? Hope it all goes well.... and.... Man up!

Tom Knapp?

Thanks - it was definitely worth it The DI didn't really blunt any tools, but that is more a reflection of the tools used - I did the rough shaping with a hand saw, then the rest with belt and drum sander, up to the point of finishing, when I switched to Micromesh. Mind you, you really need to wear respiratory protection when sanding this stuff!

Thank you, kind sirs. This one I kept...

Hmmmm - seems the profanity filter isn't an Ifor the Engine fan after all. Strange how it came up to start with, then got the asterisk treatment

Don't know about your handloads, but Ifor the Engine said, "*************************************** (big Oliver Postgate fans at our house )

Having read some of the recent knifemaking threads on PW, I have been motivated to clear out the man-cave and make some more blades. The fact that the Management is pestering me to clear out the garage that contains the man-cave is, of course, entirely irrelevant! Looking through the Box of Things to Finish reveals 6 blades in various stages of completion, from 'waiting for heat-treatment' through to 'ready for a handle', with one detour into 'bolster fitted but it's carp so I'll have to do it again'. There is also a stock for an SKB sxs lurking on the bench in a bath of turps, so I'll have to finish that first. Anyway, here's one I made earlier, and one of which I actually remembered to take work-in-progress photos. Bolster and first spacer fitted and clamped: Handle sections fitted and glued up. Glue set, tang rivetted over, handle marked up ready to start shaping. Finished! Blade is by Pekka Tuominen in what the Finns refer to as 'silver steel'. Handle is desert ironwood with nickel-silver and black fibre fittings, and the accent is piece of mammoth ivory. SHeath is wet-moulded 4mm veg tan leather, dyed with Fiebings oil dye and finished with carnuaba wax. Thanks for looking

+1 for Fiebings oil dye - much better than the water based, or even the spirit-based dyes. Best surface finish I have found is carnuaba wax or paste - a couple of coats rubbed in well then burnished. For edges, I find a better look is to paint the edges with gum tragacanth, and burnish with a piece of very hard wood (I have a very old holly stick for this which I have had for years). Two coats of gum followed by a burnish and a coat of carnuaba wax gives a solid, glossy finish, the sane colour as the rest of the sheath, but with the end grain nicely sealed. hth

No, just the Olympic .38 blank-firer which is specifically banned.

You could always approach a local theatre group - you might at least get a beer out of it or some free tickets, and it's easier than cutting it up, and less upsetting than handing it in to be destroyed.Or if it is an accurate replica of something specific, try the Living History Forums.

The VCR Act and amendments are very opaque - it's quite difficult to work out what is legal and what isn't. As I understand it, a blank-firer has the same legal standing as a non-firing replica or an Airsoft gun, i.e. an Imitation Firearm or a Realistic Imitation Firearm, and you are only allowed to buy one if you are either a re-enactor, a museum, a theatrical group or an airsofter. Of course, a deactivated firearm is an entirely different kettle of fish, and quite legal to buy just because you want one. What? You expected logic? (sigh) Beaten to it! "For the purpose of theatrical performances" is the other category.

Contact cleaner - gets powder residue off as well.

On your marks Get set G...

Really nice blades, consistent, sharp out of the packet. They are machine-, rather than hand-made, which is reflected in the price. I used one of the Enzo Nordic blades to make a knife for No 1 son, and it has been most satisfactory. Brisa also have scales and bolsters for the Enzo range, so if you're buying a blade from there, look at the other bits as well - you may save something on postage.

Don't know much about Lanbers, but have had 3 Baikals, and still have 2 of them.1. Tough as a very tough thing, go bang every time. 2. Bit short of stock, but nothing a spacer can't sort out. 3. Balance can be a little odd, but a little lead in the right place works wonders. 4. Not the lightest of guns, especially given 3. above, but also see 1. 5. Cheap secondhand - if you don't like it, sell it on, without losing much in the process.

Nice work there, Graham, and a lovely piece of timber.

Nice shooting! Do we gather you like your new gun?

Nice work, and getting better, bazza. I would suggest you try a stitch groover when you punch the holes. You'll find that it would make it much easier to get your stitch line parallel to the edge of the sheath. One of these: The gouge runs along at a fixed distance from the edge, and cuts a shallow groove in the surface of the leather, which you then run your marking wheel along. The stitches lie in the groove, which protects them from abrasion. I would also suggest trying a diamond awl instead of drilling your stitching holes - it is a bit more effort, but it pays off in neater stitches. The diamond is set so that the long edges are parallel to the stitch line, so the line of diamonds is slanted. The stitches then lie at a consistent angle and make a nice elegant pattern. Have you been warned about the addictive nature of what you have started? Oh, and I really love that bog oak