Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Monday, 24 January 2011
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Sundry Mortifications No17: 6 Clicks.
Way before the winter festivities I was asked to provide The Dabbler (a culture blog) with my recommendations for their 6-Clicks feature
I was chuffed to be asked and, with little effort, compiled my list.
Then I hit the problem.
My writing 'style' can best be described as coming from the 'What I did on my school holidays' category of literary composition.
The Dabbler has some really wordy wizard contributors who can wax long and lyrical about the choices they've made and make them seem enticing even to the casual reader (me).
Try as I might, every time I sat down to write about my choices, I blocked.
So, not wishing to waste a great list, here are the links I click on a regular basis:
Go and have a look.
Friday, 21 January 2011
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Cycle-Motor: The Backwheel.
I creep tentatively forward.
The fiddly job of fitting the drive sprocket to the wheel.
It involves passing a bolt through the sprocket, a rubber mount, the wheel spokes, another rubber mount, a metal plate, a flat washer, a spring washer then into a brass domed nut nine times.
I managed to drop each item listed above at least once.
The worry here was that the wheel wouldn't align correctly in the frame.
Fits perfectly and looks 'right':
The next hurdle involves finding an extra length of 415HD chain for the drive side.
The fiddly job of fitting the drive sprocket to the wheel.
It involves passing a bolt through the sprocket, a rubber mount, the wheel spokes, another rubber mount, a metal plate, a flat washer, a spring washer then into a brass domed nut nine times.
I managed to drop each item listed above at least once.
The worry here was that the wheel wouldn't align correctly in the frame.
Fits perfectly and looks 'right':
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Monday, 17 January 2011
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Sundry Mortifications No17: Another Year, Another CycleMotor Plan.
I can't remember when it was that the idea of building a cyclemotor came to me.
Oh, wait a minute, yes I can.
It was when I saw a picture of a Felt 1903 Motored Bicycle similar to this one:
The 1903
The major difference between the model that made my heart beat faster and Ridley's version being the addition of a copper fuel tank.
My blog was riddled with my various attempts to build my take on the cyclemotor.
All of them, for one unsurmountable problem or another, failed.
(I deleted the posts out of shear embarrassment and frustration.)
The last nail in the coffin was pedal clearance, or lack of it, on the side of the engine.
I put the engine in a box, put the box in the loft where I couldn't see it and forgot about it.
This evening I went into the loft to start doing a winter rebuild on the Black Tractor.
I saw the engine and, just out of curiosity, offered it up to the frame.
Then the solution hit me.
Lift the engine to a point on the down tube where it clears the pedals then extend the rear engine mounting studs till they reached the seat tube:
It works!
I'll have to add some nuts and washers at the engine end to make sure the studs don't work loose but this is the answer!
I messed about for around and hour fitting bits and bobs to the frame and voila! Here's a really bad picture of what I ended up with:
There are some small hurdles to get over but the solutions are all sorted out in my head.
So, here I go again building a machine that I won't be able to use as transport on the roads of Great Britain.
Oh, wait a minute, yes I can.
It was when I saw a picture of a Felt 1903 Motored Bicycle similar to this one:
The 1903
The major difference between the model that made my heart beat faster and Ridley's version being the addition of a copper fuel tank.
My blog was riddled with my various attempts to build my take on the cyclemotor.
All of them, for one unsurmountable problem or another, failed.
(I deleted the posts out of shear embarrassment and frustration.)
The last nail in the coffin was pedal clearance, or lack of it, on the side of the engine.
I put the engine in a box, put the box in the loft where I couldn't see it and forgot about it.
This evening I went into the loft to start doing a winter rebuild on the Black Tractor.
I saw the engine and, just out of curiosity, offered it up to the frame.
Then the solution hit me.
Lift the engine to a point on the down tube where it clears the pedals then extend the rear engine mounting studs till they reached the seat tube:
It works!
I'll have to add some nuts and washers at the engine end to make sure the studs don't work loose but this is the answer!
I messed about for around and hour fitting bits and bobs to the frame and voila! Here's a really bad picture of what I ended up with:
So, here I go again building a machine that I won't be able to use as transport on the roads of Great Britain.
Two Rants and a Brag.
Johnny Mnemonic Rant (edit):
Johnny Mnemonic Rant (edit) by Outa_Spaceman
Howard Beale Rant (02):
Howard Beale Rant 02 by Outa_Spaceman
My version of "The Brag of the Subgenius":
The Brag of the SubGenius (edit) by Outa_Spaceman
Johnny Mnemonic Rant (edit) by Outa_Spaceman
Howard Beale Rant (02):
Howard Beale Rant 02 by Outa_Spaceman
My version of "The Brag of the Subgenius":
The Brag of the SubGenius (edit) by Outa_Spaceman
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Sundry Mortifications No16: Bottom of the Bottle.
I wrote this song in 2005 and it generally goes down well where ever I play it.
About 3 years ago a man with a leather waistcoat and a grey ponytail collared me and said he was sure he'd heard it before and thought it might be one of George Jones' songs.
I assured him that I'd written it but he was still unconvinced and went away mumbling.
I finally get round to recording a video of it and, as soon as it appears on my YouTube channel, I see that there are several songs that share the name.
The most distressing version, for me, is by Ira Louvin:
Bottom of the Bottle
The first two lines he sings turn up in my song.
I can honestly say I'd never heard Mr. Louvin's song before in my life but I know exactly what he means.
Friday, 14 January 2011
Heart (Demo 03)
I'm still trying to get this song into shape.
This version includes Baritone Uke, Soprano Uke, Shaky Egg and Roland TR78 Drum Machine.
Recorded using my computer's internal mic.
There'a 'crash' after the line "In Light Assending" provided by some guy throwing barrels about just outside my window.
It's in Em/D and runs at 155 BPM if you'd like to play along.
Of course it still needs Dogsbody and Girl on Wire adding.
Here's a link to the version on SoundCloud (better audio)
Heart (Demo 03)
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Monday, 10 January 2011
Sunday, 9 January 2011
As I Walked Out To The Littlehampton Ukulele Jam.
A free Sunday!
Bright, bright sunshine, waves crashing on the beach and about 4 miles of coastal walking between me and the Littlehampton Ukulele Jam.
Walking this route can be, and is, difficult at times because the whole stretch is covered in shingle as a defense against the relentless sea.
I got sick of it in the end and moved off the beach on to a footpath.
Big mistake.
For 'footpath' read 2 foot wide trench filled with mud and dog doings.
It took me 2 hours to get from my seat at home to my seat and cup of coffee at Hunnies Bar in Littlehampton.
I must say Hunnies Bar is great. They deliver my coffee to my table. Now that what I call service!
The jam had been running about half an hour and I joined in at the Toots and the Maytals song Monkey Man.
A personal favourite that I'll still dance to in public (because I just can't help myself)
Good selection of common currency songs that everybody knows.
Here's what two of them look like from the chair next to me:
Hmmm, I've just got to get a better quality phone.
The aspect of this type of get together I really enjoy is the willful enthusiasm of it all.
It seems to me that there ain't no tune a group of dedicated uke players can't hammer in to submission.
Usually any distinctive lead break is handled by kazoos and I'm the only person in the room who remembered to bring one.
I decide my walk home will be made at a leisurely pace.
I stopped at the West Beach Cafe for a pastie and a cuppa then back to the beach walk.
There's a problem.
I've got a tune in my head that won't go away.
I plonk myself down on a concrete block, work it out then:
Now all it needs are some words and I can offer it up for BeHeld to flesh out.
I notice that I seem to have a weirdly elongated little finger in this video.
As the sun is setting and I'm nearly home I run into a couple setting off a Chinese lantern.
That'll do nicely thank you.
Bright, bright sunshine, waves crashing on the beach and about 4 miles of coastal walking between me and the Littlehampton Ukulele Jam.
Walking this route can be, and is, difficult at times because the whole stretch is covered in shingle as a defense against the relentless sea.
I got sick of it in the end and moved off the beach on to a footpath.
Big mistake.
For 'footpath' read 2 foot wide trench filled with mud and dog doings.
It took me 2 hours to get from my seat at home to my seat and cup of coffee at Hunnies Bar in Littlehampton.
The jam had been running about half an hour and I joined in at the Toots and the Maytals song Monkey Man.
A personal favourite that I'll still dance to in public (because I just can't help myself)
Good selection of common currency songs that everybody knows.
Here's what two of them look like from the chair next to me:
Hmmm, I've just got to get a better quality phone.
The aspect of this type of get together I really enjoy is the willful enthusiasm of it all.
It seems to me that there ain't no tune a group of dedicated uke players can't hammer in to submission.
Usually any distinctive lead break is handled by kazoos and I'm the only person in the room who remembered to bring one.
I decide my walk home will be made at a leisurely pace.
I stopped at the West Beach Cafe for a pastie and a cuppa then back to the beach walk.
There's a problem.
I've got a tune in my head that won't go away.
I plonk myself down on a concrete block, work it out then:
Now all it needs are some words and I can offer it up for BeHeld to flesh out.
I notice that I seem to have a weirdly elongated little finger in this video.
As the sun is setting and I'm nearly home I run into a couple setting off a Chinese lantern.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Friday, 7 January 2011
Thursday, 6 January 2011
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