Help! We seem to be dying chaps!

That is my attitude to news groups too, if I can contribute reliable information I will, otherwise I listen to see if others can add to my knowledge. Greg

Damned inconsiderate place to put London Al

I am like Nick, I read the posts every day that I am able to but work is getting a bit in the way for me at the moment as I fight to keep the job over in this country but that is another story.

I do enjoy the wealth of experience on this group so keep up the posts guys I suspect there are a lot of lurkers who feel the same.

Well quite.

Actually, I'm 70 miles to the east of infernal place. Probably a damned inconsiderate place to put the east coast of England as well!

I really do feel sometimes, that the rest of the world has been so badly laid out. It takes many hours to reach any sort of civilisation from the east coast of England (OK, Essex then). Being imprisoned by those man-made barriers known as the M25 and M11 is no fun you know. Still, we make our own fun in our own peculiar isolated way. Worrying really........

Even though I admit to being little more than a spectator, on the 'wrong side', so to speak, of the rallyfield engine-line fence, I've not felt any compulsion or need to be subservient. Obviously I'm not qualified to discuss engine matters in which I have no experience, but when it comes to things electrical, for example, I can sometimes contribute. I was tempted to offer an opinion on that curious multi-commutator motor/generator, but enough was said to make my comments superfluous.

Absolutely; and the replies, too. The absence of tone and visual clues certainly doesn't help.

True; it can take a few 'running-in' posts, so to speak, to establish one's good faith.

Likewise, in the nuts-and-bolts line.

Likewise.

Likewise still lurking, but nothing to offer recently - still working on building projects before getting back to a bit of mechanical engineering.

For those who may remember my post about the 36" flywheel in Zummerzet (ex baler - possibly Denning of Chard) - I did buy it and it looks beefy enough to do the job on the 1HR when I can get the crank sleeved up to suit the bore. John Ambler Sussex, UK Return E-mails to snipped-for-privacy@skiprat.net

I do feel that some souls with much to contribute don't do so on the basis of "who'd be interested in that"?.

I recall still a most interesting thread about getting delicate sparkplugs out of a Ford Ka engine. Sod all to do with stationary engines, although I bet there wasn't a lot in motion during the work in question! Nonetheless, the number of interesting and in depth suggestions that surfaced made it well worthwhile.

In many ways, this NG is a sort of engineering weblog (I hate & detest the corruption to "blog") and although it is stationary engines that bind us to it, it is a broader interest that keeps us reading.

Bear in mind that what may seem very ordinary to you might well interest a wider audience. Let's face it, there is rarely anything earth shaking in any of the articles I send in to SEM, but it appears they are generally well received .

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana

"Kim Siddorn" wrote (snip):-

Yes, I rather enjoy the 'what I dun at the weekend' type of posts - especially when I don't seem to have done very much constructive myself lately. There is a vicarious pleasure to be had in reading about other's achievements, aquisitions &c.

Hi Kim,

I do believe that you're right, many of your posts are weblog style and all the better for it (I certainly enjoy reading them). I guess, like me (usually), many people tend to use the NG only if they have a problem that needs solving. It may be that a few could be encouraged to share their experiences a little more.

I'm still wading through the SEM index project (yes, it has become a project) and am bored to death - I've got something over 10,000 entries to date and still have three years worth of magazines to go! So some light relief from the NG is definitely welcome!

As a matter of interest (I told you I was bored), why would one bother to remove the sparkplugs from a Ka? They don't fit any SE's that I know of. :)

Sorry, back to the scanner.

Regards

Mark

I'm still here ! I look at the group everyday , and like most - i only post when ive something to say regarding engines !

Good to see all the regulars are still about , despite the lack of new topics/Quietness of the group .

Hope your all well , Regards, John

I lurk. Have posted, mainly on open cranks & older engines, but I must say stupid things as no one replies. Don't post now, but still watch every day. Rarely comment, as I know little about anything, & even less about post-1920 engines.

I suspect a few of the old hands are similar.

Colin

I always read your posts.... :-))

Seriously, it is very difficult to produce a continuous stream of interesting posts for 'any' newsgroup, not just this one, and apart from factual corrections or comments/assistance type posts then there is not a lot left.

I've gone over the top of the acquisition curve and now am concentrating on the few engines that we have kept, the rest have been sold or given away. That still leaves a dozen or so, so I won't be stuck for something to do for a few years yet!

Therein lies part of the problem, as once you have a small to medium collection, there is probably enough work there for a few years at least, so you don't really need anything extra, which is why we don't go as much to auctions and Enstone/Sodbury sales as much as we used to.

We are also involved with our website which takes up a lot of time (and money!) and we are about to start a major rebuild on our house, so space is very much at a premium all round the site as scaffolding starts to appear...

Allowing for the stuff up at the farm as well, we'd hate to move anytime real soon! :-))

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Luton, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

"once you have a small to medium collection, there is probably enough work there for a few years at least, so you don't really need anything extra, which is why we don't go as much to auctions and Enstone/Sodbury sales as much as we used to. "

Peter --

You make interesting points. I agree with your thrust. I've also been on ATIS since it was at Indiana (1995-6?). Noticeable that they too are literally dying -- so many stalwarts fading away, & so much knowledge gone.

The great thing about groups is that such knowledge can be, & is, shared. I have reference stuff, although insignificant compared to some collectors, & to the Museum of Rural Life. I often have a clue as to where to look, & enjoy sharing that info. Not the same as original, contemporary knowledge, but often the only substitute.

I've always been interested in early stuff, so my reference material reflects that. Other NG members have vastly better knowledge than I on anything post 1920.

Enstone/Sodbury are great social days out, where you meet many of your chums with similar diseases. Have learnt not to take the trailer, as you only fill it up with things the wife might find, & that you don't know where to store ...... NG's avoid the latter risks, whilst hopefully allowing some social contact.

I'll continue to lurk, until that social benefit fades away. Prime cause of that would be if no subject matter was of interest, and/or one felt excluded or patronised.

Rather more sad is the certain knowledge that, soon, when I hit my box, the wife will call in the scrapman within 10 minutes to gain revenge & dump my open cranks. Think my will should say they have to be buried with me, in the manner of the Pharaohs...... would bring a new dimension to tomb-robbing ...

Colin

It would be sacrilege to allow that. These rare old engines should be protected from such a fate. Out of the goodness of my heart, I'm prepared to take them away for safe keeping before that happens. Just send me your address. I will even do it for free!

:-)

John

When one posts and no-one replies, it isn't 'cos they hate you or even don't care - it's because no-one knows the answer!

We've evolved a tacit system of "constructive silence" that avoids a chorus of " dunno guv" that drags on over a week or so.

So if it's quiet, at least one knows why!

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Seriously for a moment.

If anyone feels that their "collections" might suffer a fate they would not wish, make a will - over two thirds of UK adults have not done so when they shuffle off the mortal coil & join the choir invisibule.

Whilst still around, ask a - preferably younger! - friend to deal with an aspect of your collection that interests them too, then write it into your will that they must be contacted to dispose of the collection.

The other way is to convince the wife/partner/son/daughter etc that the pile of rusty junk cluttering up the place is actually an untaxable pension fund in disguise & occasionally sell something at a price that astounds the unbelievers! SEM adverts & especially E-bay prices are useful here without actually having to sell anything ;o))

Finally, you could adopt the "if I can't take 'em with me, I ain't going approach" much in use throughout Pharonic Egypt & arrange to be interred in the workshop surrounded by your Iron Toys. It will make the house hard to sell, but it'll serve 'em right for not seeing it your way all these years.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana

I still have a lot of emails stored since the snipped-for-privacy@indiana.edu days, mostly when we were on AOL :-((

The main problem with ATIS or the SEL list as it is known now, is that it suffers as we do here from a few regulars, a lot of lurkers and one or two in a clique who tend to set agendas rather more than perhaps is healthy?

The loss of folks like Ted Brookover is a major loss to the hobby, and some of these people are taking major knowledge to their graves, although Ted did have a sort of 'apprentice' who hopefully can carry on with Ted's work although Ted himself is irreplaceable.

We are trying to accelerate the volume of information that we are putting on the website, but scanning/cleaning/writing webpages is very time consuming and although we have managed up to 1000 pages a year at the most, it is a long way off what we hope will be the final item.

I suspect that all our engines will be in safe hands before I pass away....

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Luton, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

"Colin" wrote

Not all posts demand a response. For instance, I read John's recent "BSA repair" with great interest but don't feel there is anything constructive I could add. So don't think that just because there are no replies, your efforts are somehow being 'dissed'.