Ups and downs

A day of some small successes and some frustrations... Successes include getting the trunking attached to the hole in the top of the engine room; buying large quantities of nuts and bolts from Midland Fasteners in Cannock, which Jim thought was fantastic. I didn't go because I was painting the starboard side of the cabin. This was frustrating because there was a horrible cold wind today, and it was blowing bits of oak tree into the paint. Half the paint on the port side it is now apparent has measles, because of getting rained on before it was dry. Also counted a success is that Clive has made a start on the electrics, and will be using all the old conduit and panel, plus we tested the dynamo and it appears to be in working order.

I started to make the canvas connection for the cooling air ducting, using some proper green canvas kindly donated by Derek. It would have been a piece of cake if I had access to a sewing machine, but sadly I omitted to bring mine with me. Too heavy to sew by hand, so Jim found some very promising looking glue in B&Q (washproof, flexible, heatproof) but when I tried to use it I found a thin trickle of liquid and the rest of the bottle solid. So that will have to go back tomorrow.

Jim started to fit the exhaust but found that where it was meant to screw together, the thread was so knackered it wasn't holding one end, while the other was stuck tight. However, a measure of success has come out of this, as he successfully cut off the connector and apparently there is another wonderful place next door to the nut and bolt shop where we can get another one. Fingers crossed. So things are coming together but it's been another bitty day, and the weather has been very depressing. I have decided that wind - especially cold wind - is my least favourite weather. I would rather have rain or even snow without wind... I think.