Retro DIY?

[charles]

On the other hand, would you want a car with no heater - no heated rear window - no screen washers - no synchromesh on the gearbox. I doubt it.

[whisky-dave]

The original enterprise idea came from electric cooker coils. Certainly some imagination there ;-0

[Andy Burns]

Are you saying NCC-1701 is a Belling part number?

[whisky-dave]

Might not be belling....

[Nick Odell]

I'm still using my 1950s Electrix drying cabinet though these days I mostly use it for drying home-made pasta: I hang damp clothes on the Victorian airer hanging over the kitchen fireplace.

Nick

[Johny B Good]

That was the problem. They cost significantly more to produce.

[damduck-egg]

Apart from the syncromesh you have just described the A35 van which was my first road legal motor vehicle. Used to leave a paraffin stove in it overnight to make it warm for the morning, fumes went out of the little flap vent in the roof,I did try trimming the element of a 1920's electric fire to run on 12V and put in the passenger footwell but the battery flattened too quickly with the limited power from the dynamo. So yes I would not use such a machine everyday* as a modern one does the job better even if was legal to use one that has a normal screen without washers. But in the examples I gave above the improvement in some circumstances may not be much or indeed any at all, it's just that many younger people do not consider that their own muscle power may do some tasks in less time than getting a powered tool charged up or plugged in.If the threatened power cuts come this Winter how long before we see a helpless 20 something who cannot cook an omellette on a gas ring because she can't user her electric stick blender and has never realised a hand wire whisk will do the job.

*OTOH there are many cars fitting your criteria that are now regarded as classic and interesting,having one for suitable occasions for pleasure is something I have considered and many people already do.

G.Harman

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sounds like you need to do some basic maths. An A35 had a dynamo with an output of around 20 amps. Or 120 watts. Which isn't going to do much in the way of heating an uninsulated steel box, even if you could use all of it which you couldn't. Whereas getting 3000 watts or more worth of heat from the engine cooling system is easy.

[Nightjar]

On 10/10/2014 11:36, charles wrote: ...

You forgot cable brakes:

[Roger Mills]

Ah, that brings back memories! I made my own CH programmer back in the

1960's by mounting one of those in a box, and adding two 3-way switches

- giving (almost) independent control of CH and HW with on/off/timed for each, and with LEDs (no, probably neons) indicating what was switched on at any given time.

[Theo Markettos]

My 1990 world-band SW/MW/LW/FM receiver died (LCD kaput) so I'm currently in the market for a pre-war valve model to replace it...

Theo

[ARW]

So did my link:-)

And to make the swapping of the spot lights for the Mazda Netaline is a piece of piss. The reason for that is that the spotlights are sat on the bookshelf awaiting fitting and have been sat there for 12 months. No holes to refill and make good. The other side of the computer room does have spotlights but someone altered the furniture around so that the spots were no longer over the computer. I told her I would get round to sorting it and I have.

[meow2222]

They're fun to work with. I assume you're expert in the subject - if not, beware.

NT

[Roger Mills]

Fair enough. I *do* find that useful - but mine does lots of other things as well:

• The ability to turn the heating off for N days while I'm away, but come on just before I return so that I come back to a warm house

• A 'Party' mode which allows you to over-ride the current programme for a specified number of hours. This is useful when I go out shopping. I can have the heating turned down until just before I plan to return

• The ability to act as a frost stat when the heating is 'off' or is in holiday mode

. . . to name but a few. [I won't bore you with things like 'optimum start']

[damduck-egg]

Oh I never really expected it work ,it was put in as a joke really as a girlfriend moaned about the lack of a heater. The fire* originally had two 500 watt elements and I just shortened one till it got a nice glow. Could warm your hands on it for a few minutes till the battery started to get low. It was more useful as a cigarette lighter. It wasn't practical to add a normal heater,the landlady of the digs banned car repairs on her property after someone once ruined the carpets by trailing oil in and leaving the bathroom sink filthy The A35 was what was available locally when I wanted to learn to drive, take my test at 17 and then leave home to get to an area with work . Rather than try to improve it was soon replaced with a Riley 1.5 which had things like comfy seats ,brakes that were reasonable and what seemed really luxurious at the time a radio and an engine with a bit more poke though pedestrian by present standards.

• It was very similar to this one

G.Harman

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And my basic maths are crap too - make that 240 watts.

[Theo Markettos]

I haven't done valve stuff before - that's part of the appeal. I do have a valve scope. I'm aware that 400v DC (or whatever) is 'interesting' to deal with...

Theo

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got a QUAD AM 2 here. Does SW, MW, LW. With a decent whip aerial on the roof with a balanced feeder. That's valve - despite being made well into the transistor days. It matches the FM3 in looks. It's only switched on when wanted, as the valves have a relatively short life.

[Nick Odell]

It's not just the yoofers[1]. I came back from holiday to find that a contractor who had been supposed to remove all our stuff from one building to another had left some but not all of the racking still screwed to the walls. He'd obviously found that his cordless screwdriver didn't have enough torque to get the screws started and given up. I came along with my hand tool, had a a quick yank[2] and out they came without any problem. Contractor was fifty-something.

Nick [1]Yoofertoday [2]That's yank

[Bob Eager]

The first radio I built was (of course) a crystal set.

The second was a 4 valve TRF job. Used it for years.