fredk

There has been a great increase in 'creeper' car thefts in the UK. N.I. is seeing the biggest increase. Several expensive cars just last week. It targets 'key-less' cars. In a 'creeper' theft the thief uses a special scanner reader to read the details of your electronic car 'key'. They can do it from up to 30ft from your key. Then they transfer the information to another device with which they can open your car and start it and drive away. All this inside about 3 minutes. The technology these thieves use is the same as used for reading debit or credit cards, oe even bus passes

People still get eaten by snakes in those regions

The aluminium tape works, why look for an alternative? Why should it not work long term? There is no 'wear & tear' on its blocking I made a simple card case as tester. The case held four cards. I put a piece of the adhesive aluminium tape on the inside side of each outer cover. Each piece was slightly larger than the cards. I covered that with thin cloth and sewed it up. No card reader could read any of the cards in the case.

Of course. They can come from almost anywhere. I was just thinking of the most likely places within the British Empire they might be brought in from. Back then the British did buy a lot of corned beef from South America I was just thinking; the snake skins could be brought in fresh; Capture your snake, starve it until just before shipping, then feed it a goat. The snake will become docile and the goat will last it for a few weeks, long enough to ship it in a crate from India, South America or wherever.

Good photo, thanks Can any of our experts perhaps identify the species? I recon these would have come from either India or Africa. India most likely

I use plumbers' aluminium tape. A roll of about 45mm x 45m costs, generally, under £/$5, Wider widths and longer rolls are available but I find 45mm wide suitable. I've tested it and it works well, it blocks even sensitive card readers from reading cards right up to touching them. And a roll will last you a lot of card holders or wallets. Its very thin and self-adhesive. Just stick it on one or both pieces of leather forming the card pocket and cover with a thin piece of cloth lining material

My turn; the holster is partly sewn to the back piece, just about where it will be folded over, then after the holster is folded over and shaped it is sewn to the back piece at the same time it is sewn closed Is there a prize for the best guess?

@Handstitched as far as I know Newcastle Brown is still available. I think I saw some in the alcohol beverage section of a supermarket. Its not one I buy. I'll check for it tomorrow

Slightly OT, but anyone remember this? A summer-time challenge; make one and see how far you can launch a small pebble

Thats the one. I miss remembered the style of holster in the tute I have no need to make holsters, but I might try to make a couple for my Denix replicas. I have a length of very stout cardboard tubing and a couple of empty spray cans for wrapping leather around. Instead of putting empty/used up spray cans straight into the recycling I'm measuring them for possible use. I've already, a few years ago, covered one can with wood strips for use in making dice cups

I'm seeing the pics ok

I must check my stock

My father did the same. I still have lots of it. But, he actually crated it all up and shipped it over when we moved here. There was enough to open a small hardware store. It all came in useful when I had my Caddy and Olds. No problems finding bolts to fit. And my son and I bought another mans 'junk'. His father had been the same type of squirrel but had gathered nuts, and bolts and bits from British cars of the 1930s thru the 1950s. 'Junk' to his son but to us a gold mine, to help us keep our 1930 Austin on the road

and 'internet influencers' My fav cook book is an American/Canadian (two writers, one from each country) book from about 1955. I can look up and try to cook or make foods I was brung up on

Looks very nicey indeedy. I think the art work is extremely good

Actually somebody did. Canon. Nearly 30 years ago. But it cost about £30,000, just for the main body

I had a look on youtube last night. Not one maker glued the lining curved. In fact some of the tutes are really bad and in some cases use of tools is dangerous However, I did, some years ago, download from this forum a PDF tute on making a 'California' holster and the maker tells how to glue the lining on curved

I believe that is actually a catapult, A trebuchet works differently, with a sling A catapult A trebuchet Notice the different lengths of the main arm. The one in the video appears to have only the one long arm for the missile whereas a treb has one short arm for the drop weight and a longer arm with a sling for the missile

Join a local group who gather paper for re-cycling, Many years ago my wifey did some volunteering with such a groups and right from the start she said she told them she would be keeping old interesting books - but putting some money in to the coffers for them. We got several dozen old books that way. My favourites are 4 old 'magazine books from 1802 to 1816 A most excellent book there chuck. But be careful using those recipes which need lead!

I should have started on some special little sewing accessory pouches as gifts for the ladies in my Knit & Natter group A simple pouch to hold three (supplied) items; a pair of snips, a tape measure and a thread cutter. With a fold-over flap with 'K&N 2023' stamped on it. I need to do 16 or 18, all the same-ish. And one variation with a few small tools in one for the other man in the group I think I'll glue up a couple of frames for setting the spacing on the pouch pockets et cetera

After that very negative response from me; I don't think there is any one phone which will meet your needs I think you need to make some compromises; Write down in order of preferences what you want. You may have to compromise on water protection. I know there are sealable cases to take smart phones under water and still be usable. You can get mixed rubber covers for phones which will protect them from drops and hard knocks. #1 uses one on a 'tablet' (?), it works well but it doesn't make it weather proof

You are looking for a unicorn My #1 son goes through about 9 or 10 phones a year. He buys 2nd hand cheap ones. He breaks BMW cars and sell the parts. He has 3 yards and several workers. The mechs keep a phone on them so he can call or text them at a yard to find out if a certain part is available there. The phones get knocked about, dropped, near welding or metal cutting, rained & snowed on, photos & videos taken, but the phones don't last very long

Before the petro-chemical industry weapons were stored in goose grease. Right up to WW2. In the late 1990s several barrels of iron arrow heads were found stored in a spare basement of the Tower of London. The barrels and their contents dated to the mid-1300s. Just over 600 years old. The arrow heads were packed in goose grease. About 8 years ago a friend of mine, a curator/caretaker of some places here discovered several boxes of unused crated Brown Bess muskets in an old fort, date of the muskets is uncertain, but of between 1780 and 1820, all packed in goose grease. All very perfect. One was cleaned and test fired. No Problem Apparently goose grease does not go bad, it will harden and not be edible though. It can be removed from weapons, such as muskets, simply by pouring boiling hot water over them In the recent past when I / you bought high quality steel tools they came wrapped in greased paper. Many of the older tool companies still used goose greased paper, even if they didn't know it was goose grease. Some tool companies use oiled paper and in the main the oil used is a petro-chemical oil of the form like 3-in-1 oil The US started to use petro-chem oils sooner and more of than Europe / UK did, mainly because the US has so many, and easily accessed, oil fields

Its easy-peasy; just add a wee bit of olive oil to beeswax. Just enough oil to make the wax soft enough to spread with a cloth. Like butter just out of the 'fridge

I'll throw this idea in the pot here; if you have some nice chrome tan you want to use, maybe for its colouring or pre-made impression, you can laminate it with veg tan Glue the two leathers together flesh side to flesh side. Use the veg tan for the inside of the sheath or holster and have the chrome tan on the outside. If the veg tan is thick enough and the chrome tan thin enough you can even wet mould the laminated leathers I do this but use them the other way round on shoulder bags; ie I buy thin chrome tan leathers for their colours and laminate it with thicker veg tan. The coloured chrome tan is the inside lining of the bag and the veg can be tooled or stamped for the outside