Engine start

Replacing a Citroen C1 exhaust

New ignition switch

Blade fuse box for a 2CV

2CV wiring loom debugging

Land of the silver birch

Climb classifications in the Le Tour de France

6th July 2018 13:59

Apparently the climb classifications (4,3,2,1,HC) in the Le Tour de France are based on the gear you’d need to use in a 2CV to get up that hill. This is quite clearly horse poop and – as the owner of a 2CV – I have a 100% subjective personal anecdote to prove it:

The Le Tour has been past the village were I grew up twice (’94 & ’07) and both times there was a 4th cat near by. There’s no way you’d get a 2CV up those hills in 4th – they’re solid 3rd and maybe a quick dip to 2nd near the top if you didn’t get a good run at them on the way in.

As for HC (which is supposedly impassable to a 2CV) I similarly call horse. 1st gear in a 2CV is so low it won’t even get you half way across a set of traffic lights without needing to change up – you’ll run out of grip on the tyres long before you torque stall the engine. (Admittedly the grupetto would be faster up the hill but that’s not the point.)

Generally your biggest problem on hills in a 2CV is some idiot in a modern car in front of you that slows down for the corners – it’s all about conservation of momentum, as this person ably demonstrates.

FACT.

Lego Boba Fett

20th May 2018 15:48

Aberdalgie War Memorial

28th April 2018 16:36

This is situated in front of the church.

In honour of those belonging to this parish who fell in The Great War

Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends

Their name liveth for evermore

Saints Etienne

21st April 2018 14:48

Cat Tactics

14th April 2018 10:23

Good work by my cat this morning – only his third day of being allowed outside and he is already showing an admirable grasp of tactics in an encounter with the neighbours’ cat.

My cat doing reconnaissance in his garden spots…
The neighbours’ cat, sat in its garden.
My cat advances and occupies the high ground on the border of his territory.
After a prolonged staring match, the neighbours’ cat retreats to a hidden position.
My cat uses the dead ground in the next door flats’ car park to flank the neighbours’ garden.
My cat occupies the high ground in a position to observe the retreat route of the neighbours’ cat.

At that point I can only assume that the neighbours’ cat was nowhere to be seen as my cat went off to explore the interesting smells on the lids of the flats’ bins.

Gornsdorf War Memorial

4th April 2018 13:47

These are located in the church yard.

Wir wollen sein ein einzig Volk von Brüdern
Wir wollen frei sein wie die Väter waren
Wir wollen trauen auf den höchsten Gott

Featured on this memorial is Stürmer, Albert who was killed at Bixchoote during the battle of Pilkem ridge on the same day that Reginald Clements was fatally wounded around 10km to the South East on the Ypres Salient.

WWII

Zum Gedenken an unsere 256 gefallen und vermissten 1939-1945

Trumpeter 1/72 T-62 hatches

26th March 2018 19:05

As I want my T-62 to have the hatches open as if the crew had bailed out the Trumpeter model needed some modification since the commander and drivers hatches are moulded shut as part of the turrent and hull.

As the hatches on the T-55 are the same I used the Revell kit’s hull turrent and hatches as a guide and opened up the T-62.

Trumpeter T-62 and Revel T-55 in 1/72 scale

23rd March 2018 21:07

To provide a period correct opposing force for my ealrly 70s Chieftain I settled on a T-62. (Early T-72s would have been entering service but they wouldn’t have been present in numbers but, more to the point, the only T-72 model I could find was an M1 variant that entered service in 1979.)

For this I picked up the Trumpeter T-62. This is fundamentally a reasonable kit but the image on the box features a lot more detail than is present on the sprues in the box. As any modeler will know this is a good reason to buy a new kit – in this case the Revell T-55 A/AM which is significantly better detailed than the Trumpeter T-62. As the T-62 is very similar to the T-55 there a a lot of parts that will translate directly across – from headlights to hatches. I think that between the two I can make a detailed T-62 appropriate for the early 70s.

Quick pickle cucumber salad

17th March 2018 21:10

Although not really a pickle, by cutting the cucumber slices very thin they quickly absorb the vinegar so this doesn’t need to be made much in advance.

10 cm of cucumber sliced as thin as you can
pinch of celery salt
pinch of sea salt
pinch of coriander powder
glug of white wine vinegar

Combine the ingredients in the serving bowl, mix thoroughly and leave to stand.