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OK, I never did stop playing, and I have absolutely no intention of stopping now. I don't usually mind sharing my toys, but that's not an immediate consideration. Oh, please note the "usually". I did say 'usually'. I just acquired two glass accumulator tanks - "Accumulator tanks?" You ask... Yes: many years ago, before the war mainly, and for a short time afterwards, lead/acid accumulators were often made with glass tanks to contain the lead and acid bit. This was fine (for small values of 'fine') for applications such as supplying the wireless set with power, but for others, such as installing in motor vehicles, it was Not A Good Idea, for glass is not the most resilient of materials, and sulphuric acid is not the pleasantest fluid to bathe in. By some miracle these two glass tanks have survived all this time. They are not very big, about a foot high, by six inches by five inches - oops! Sorry! You'll think in these tiddly continental millimetre thingies, I suppose. (Thinks) 30 cms × 16½ cms × 12½ cms. That any better? They are a bit too deep and too not long enough to keep fish in, really, as I've found that water doesn't stack very well sideways, so I'm looking for some beastie which doesn't require lots of it, to live in them. Small species of scorpions are a possibility. The trouble is with scorpions though, they rather like spiders, and so do I - not in the same way that scorpions do, you understand, 'cos spider sandwiches aren't really my thing. (Though my venus fly trap is quite partial to them, without the bread and butter, of course.) There's a big aquarium to repair too - one of the ends got broken, and when that's mended it's large enough for quite respectabubble fish, or maybe some small snakes, or a haggis. That's another job waiting for some playtime. More playing-about jobs involve putting up a mast and some radio ærials, and setting-up some transceivers. Much as I would like to justify these activities, they are not priorities. And the job to end all jobs: I want to molish a one-stringed 'cello, or a one-stringed double-trouble-bass. For the uninitiated, this is based on the one-stringed fiddle, where instead of a soundbox made of carefully-crafted maple or larch, the sound of the vibrating string is collected by a stretched diaphragm, and amplified by a horn. If Antonio Stradivari were a dynamo, he would at this moment be generating enough power to illuminate the whole of Europe. (allegedly) musical While we're on the subject of /\ instruments It sounds rather like Dr. Who on a diesel-engined raspberry jelly. On springs. Watch this space! I'm sure I will think of some more. |
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