I’ll give you £50 and THREE packets of Haribo Tangfastics. Can’t say fairer than that.

It’s not a matter of belief, but yeah I think he can.

Based on what? Because we haven’t seen any evidence so far.

Maybe it’s dragging the Labour Party back to being a viable party of potential government and away from the electorally catastrophic shambles delivered by the last regime?

So you mean back towards the failed neoliberal project as started by Blair, and which fell right into tory hands, thus making it very easy for them to gain power? IE; doing nothing other than what those currently in real power, ie the oligarchs, bankers and media barons, want?

Please explain how that will achieve the major changes our society actually needs? I’m dying to find out.

Have to say, I’m someone who can’t stand the faux ‘rustic’ look. It’s so overdone, in bars and places.

Scaffold boards are ok for making temporary structures for outside, perhaps. If you can get a few free (many scaffolding firms are happy to leave you one or two if you ask nicely, if they’re doing a job nearby), that’s good. Don’t be paying good money for them though. Personally, if I’m going to the trouble of making something, I’d much rather use some decent wood; you can get a lot of really nice stuff from reclaim yards etc. Or find a local timber place that does proper planing and jointing; they can make something really nice out of lovely timber (often there’s a choice of stuff like Oak, Ash, Walnut, Cherry, Beech etc). Stuff that’s been properly seasoned and milled, and stored inside at least. Problem with scaffold boards, is that they tend to warp and twist and often split, when placed inside a warm, dry environment. Decent wood will offer a much more stable surface, and will age nicely anyway. Leave scaffold board furniture for students and **** bars.

Not much reason really, apart from other contractors seem to rave about the Fuel range being the best

I’ve always found it really difficult to get any sort of ‘consensus’ on what tools are the ‘best’. Sometimes, certain brands do particular things really well; I bought the Festool plunge saw on the basis it seemed to be the best in terms of function and value. I would choose other tools (drills, drivers, sanders) over Festool because their versions are ludicrously expensive and offer no significant advantage for real world use. I think all brands have their strengths and weaknesses, and do some things better than others. I’ve just bought a Bosch green belt sander to do some decking boards, because I basically need it for just this one job really, and even with a load of belts, it’s still cheaper and far less faff than hiring something. If it’s still good when I’ve finished, bonus.

So how do you propose achieving that seismic shift in public attitudes?

Snowball effect. You start small, with local level campaigning/boots on the ground activism. The Women’s Suffrage movement started with a small group of dedicated activists. The US Civil Rights Movement gained huge momentum because one woman sat in the ‘wrong’ seat on a bus. It’s about showing people what CAN be achieved, and galvanising them into believing something can work. History has shown what change can be achieved from the smallest of actions.

I would imagine that it’s similar to what Biden has done in the States. Try not to scare the horses and show yourself to be a safe pair of hands, then once in power go on to deliver a far more radical agenda than you originally proposed, which has largely been met with approval even from Republicans.

And you genuinely believe Sir Keith can/would do that, do you?

OTOH if I can hand saw them in an evening after work we’ll save £110.

A circular saw is a poor tool for that type of task anyway. Circular saws are best for cutting large sheets/panels, accurately. That type of circular saw is vastly inferior to a plunge saw (the blade and motor mechanism is sprung loaded so retracts up clear of the baseplate, meaning it’s a much safer tool. you can set the plunge depth as well, so you can cut partially into a piece, rather than all the way through, so good if you were needing to cut through say an existing worktop to adapt it, without damaging the structure underneath. You can also start a cut in the middle of a piece, not just at the edge. Plunge saws are often used with a ‘track’ system, which enables very accurate clean cuts. Just a much better tool. Take that thing back and get a plunge saw. Not from BnQ.

If that was true then which is the manliest way to fetch 40kg of groceries*?

*Answer: C. You’re too busy with powertools to fetch groceries. Send the good woman in her Croydon tractor.

Wrong. It’s D: you are rich and successful enough to have the ‘power’ to employ someone else to do such menial tasks for you. And you are rich and successful because you are so manly. You’d know this, if you were a real man. ;)

Any tips on hand saws?

Any generic ‘hardpoint’ handsaw with a low teeth count (8Tpi or so) will do the job. You can often get packs of 5 or more for not much. Screwfix have an ‘Irwin Jack’ 8Tpi saw for £5.99. Oak will blunt a saw quite quickly, as it’s dense, hard stuff, but using wax will help a lot with that. As I said before; let the blade do the work. If you try to force the saw, as many ‘beginners’ do, the flexible blade will warp and twist, and make things even harder.

Go slower than you think you need to and you’ll cut quicker.

This is true. Your first few will be bloody hard work, then you’ll start to get the feel of it more. Subsequent cuts will be straighter and easier. Oak is easier than some other woods. Iroko, for one. That stuff is really hard to work with, and has nasty toxic dust. It should go without saying,that you should wear a mask, even outdoors, whatever wood you’re cutting. And definitely eye protection if you’re using power tools.

And you seriously think that most people care about that as they sign the lease deal on their new Audi and upgrade their iphone to the latest model, while ordering a takeaway from Deliveroo?

No. The vast majority only care about the ‘now’. The problem with that, is that 10, 20 years down the line, you’re ****. Or rather; your kids are, because they’re the ones who can’t afford housing, education, access to decent healthcare etc. And are in debt.

You think that going in to an election saying that all this is evil and needs to stop is going to deliver you power?

Is a good point. So what’s Sir Keith’s plan?

At the risk of getting repetitive (perish the thought!) – we need to deal with the world as it is, not with how we’d like it to be

Problem is, we aren’t; all those problems I mentioned, are real, and they’re here, right now. We’re 24 years on from ‘Cool Britannia’, and things can only get shitter. Unless there is a seismic shift in public attitudes. You’ve got to start somewhere; maintaining the status quo will be disastrous. So again; what’s Sir Keith’s plan?

A proper India Pale Ale should be at least 6.5% anyway; the original IPA was brewed strong to better withstand the journey from Britain to the East. I think people have forgotten/don’t know what an IPA actually is, and should be. Get it stronger!

the problem you have here is that for an awful lot of people, I’d say a majority, neoliberalism has delivered them a nice comfortable standard of living, nice house in a nice area, nice Audi parked in the drive, good school to send the kids too, laptops and iPhones, a few grands worth of carbon fibre mountain bike to go and play on… etc, etc

The problem with all this, is that this was all ‘delivered’ via cheap credit, and with cheap goods made possible by cheap overseas exploited labour, via privatisation of the education system (‘academies’), the sell off of public resources, and a strong pound bolstered by Western imperialism. The reality of all this, which is only now sinking in for most, is a grossly overinflated housing market, a shrinking economy, less decent paying jobs, shoddily built housing, poor maintenance of existing infrastructure, failing schools and increasing debt. That’s before we even go anywhere near the genocide and demonisation of ‘others’. So we’re now looking at the yawning chasm of increasing personal debt, negative equity, homelessness, joblessness, collapsing public services, education and healthcare, and steadily increasing costs of all those previously cheap goods.

So that’s worked out well. Still waiting for any Starmerists to explain how their Lord and Saviour is going to reverse all this, and deliver the neoliberal utopia that Blair promised us.

My (geographically closest) LBS are rip-off merchants, who will happily con people into doing work that isn’t necessary. Recently quoted a friend around £200 to service a bike, claiming it needs new wheels etc. All it needs is a new saddle and some grips, and a new brake cable. Everything else is fine. This same place has a reputation for ripping off women particularly, which is despicable. Dishonest. I would be happy to see them go bust.

Since CV really kicked in, there has been an explosion of little bike workshops popping up; places that only do servicing, and don’t sell stuff. Set up in sheds, garages etc. Some are doing pretty well; one local to me is making a reasonable amount, and is booked up at least 2 weeks ahead at any time. So perhaps this is the new model going forwards, for bike shops. Advise customers on what they need, customers buy parts online, shop fits and services everything. Seems to be working for some.

Breadcrumb – We currently pay £12 per hour Wakefield Pro Rata – London £42 2 Hours minimum (Daylight Robbery)

Paying someone barely over minimum wage, to do something that requires good physical strength and fitness, as well as a depth of knowledge, is disgusting. That such trades have become devalued to such an extent, is shameful. £42 an hour in London for such work isn’t ‘daylight robbery’, it’s just about acceptable. You can’t do a full 8/10 hour day, as you’re travelling for some of it (and not getting paid for that), you have tools and protective equipment/clothing to have to lay out for, a vehicle to run, etc. Gardners aren’t on 40 hour weeks, they’re lucky if they get paid for half of that. Life in Wakefield might be a little less expensive than London, I grant you, but £12 an hour? Really?

It’s like being an adult, or that ancient bloke who had to roll that stone uphill – Geoff Capes?

Ha ha! :D

My neighbour has discovered a big lump of concrete in his garden this weekend, that he wants removing so he can plant things. I’d love to help him, of course, but my back is playing up a bit at the moment…

If I was starting again, I’d go Milwaukee if not Makita.

Any particular reason? I’ve used and owned all sorts, from cheapo MacAllister and LiDL Parkside, through to Bosch, Makita, Festool etc. My Festool plunge saw feels better than other brands I’ve used, but for stuff like my drill and impact driver, I just went with the DeWalt because they were on offer and good value for money. I don’t use stuff on ‘site’, so I’m not experienced with heavy duty daily use. I’d have thought that there’s not much, if anything, between Bosch, Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee though. Makita and DeWalt always seem the most popular brands I see on sites. Interested if Milwaukee are seen as ‘better’ though.

The other half wanted to use traditional linseed putty. On paper this sounds better, but it should really be left 3-4 weeks to harden before painting, however I guess this is a bit impractical for pro decorators who want to get in and out quickly so one suggested he would prime it within an hour and the other said he’d give it the weekend to skin over.

Do it properly. The ‘pro decorators’ just want to get and finish the job, take their money and move onto the next job, and have no concern for what your windows will look like in time. Use proper putty, as it helps absorb shocks which could shatter the glass, as it never fully hardens (well, it takes a very, very long time, and you’ll be removing old stuff and replacing it when you next paint your windows anyway). I’m currently restoring a Victorian front door, with leaded glass panels, and I’m doing it properly, because it’s my home, and I want it to look as good as possible, for as long as possible.

Get some better decorators in.

I’m concerned with the number of people recommending a chainsaw, circular saw or chop saw. Basically all these tools are extremely dangerous if you have little to no experience of them. I did a 2 day course in chainsaws and wouldn’t recommend one.

I totally agree. I think some people see it as very ‘manly’ to own and use a chainsaw, which is just complete egotistical nonsense. I love buying new power tools as much as the next person, but I ALWAYS get advice and if possible, some ‘training’ from someone who has experience of using potentially lethal tools. Listen to those who know. Anyone who is recommending using a chainsaw to cut some oak timber, should not be listened to. As others have suggested; buy a hardpoint saw from whatever DIY/Tool suppliers are near to you, and spend an hour or so cutting them. Great workout, and far, far safer than using a chainsaw. And if you really want the ‘manly’ bit, then obviously a hand saw is far more macho, because you’re not relying on power other than your own strength, to do the job. Grrr.

I think it may have already been mentioned, but wax the blade with candlewax (I use a tealight pulled out of the foil tin, just rub it on the teeth). This helps lubricate the blade, and helps lessen heat build up, which leads to the blade wearing faster. Take your time, and don’t force the saw; let the blade to the work. There’s a knack to sawing wood, and once you’ve got that, you’ll find sawing anything by hand, much easier. I own a chop/mitre saw, but it’s been round a friend’s house for about 5 years now, when he borrowed it for a job and then it’s been left in a cupboard since. There’s been a couple of times I could probably have done with it to speed things up on a job, but it’s ultimately proven unnecessary.

If you want a square cut, then you can use a set/T-square to draw a line all around the piece, then turn it over when you get part of the way through. Won’t be as neat as a machine, but you’ve said you don’t need it perfect anyway. Have fun!

I don’t think we need to substantiate it do we, in this context? I mean it’s my opinion that modern bikes are better, having been riding the things since 1992, and I’m.hapoy with that. If you aren’t, then fine.

And that’s ok. Because you are making the distinction of explaining that it’s your opinion, rather than attempting to state a fact, as some people seem to be doing. And that’s all I’m after really.

at what point does someone become British

(My correction, I assume that’s what you intended)

For me, it’s the moment you decide you want to call Britain your home, and identify as being a citizen of this nation. Certainly, having British nationality and a passport makes this more official, but national identity is a social construct anyway, so there are no real ‘rules’ beyond legal citizenship stuff. Even without all that, if you’ve lived here for a while and want to identify as British, then that’s your choice. Nobody else has ‘ownership’ of such an identity, no matter what the knuckledragging racist idiots think. You can also identify as being of other nationalities as well, if they play a part in who you are. So you can be Jamaican and British, or Australian and British, of Ghanaian and British, etc. Because let’s face it, no matter how much people try to impose physical, cultural, social or political ‘borders’, they are nothing more than imagined at the end of the day. Nobody is born anything other than Human.

Exactly, you are the one who is so keen to see the evidence that a modern bike is faster as apparently you are looking to buy one. If anybody should spend the time doing any sort of cursory research then it is you.

Oh I’m doing my own research, don’t you worry. I’m just finding it amusing that you’ve made claims that you have so far failed to substantiate. I’m not arguing one way or the other; I expect a more current bike to be somewhat of an improvement in certain areas, over an older bike (depending on brand and model of course; there are still a few brands producing mediocre products, I’m sure). Make a claim; be prepared to back it up.

Just tried the impact driver out on some rusted old screws in some pieces of ‘scrap’ wood I’d salvaged; I think it’s possibly Mahogany, it’s certainly heavy and a gorgeous dark red. I’m going to strip the paint off, plane it all down smooth, and use it to make something, not sure what yet. The impact driver made short work of the stubborn old screws; it’s very noisy though! Impressed so far, it all feels solid and reliable. Definitely far more capable for that kind of job, than the drill/driver.

The DeWalt TSTAK cases, like so many plastic cases you get with power tools, are shite. One piece moulded thing, so can’t be used for other things very easily, and the plastic is cheap and flimsy. Contrast with Festool; I have a couple of bits in Systainer cases (designed by German company Tanos, I believe), and they are so much better, not least because you can remove the inner plastic moulded specific insert, and use the cases for loads of other things. Much better quality plastic too. I have a Bosch sander with an L-Boxx, and that’s not as bad as the DeWalt, but still not great. I can’t see that lasting very long with rugged daily use. I might just buy a couple more Systainer cases to store all my power tools in.

One quick mention for Bosch Green tools though; I have an older 14v drill driver, and whilst it’s not up to the DeWalt, it’s still a remarkably good little drill/driver, and perfect for quick jobs around the house. Might not drill into reinforced concrete, but it’ll cope with most things. Good battery life, mine’s lasted many years now. Small, light and easier to use. I think I paid about £60 in a homebase sale, so worth looking out for such things in bank holiday deals. In my experience, Bosch green tools are better than most other ‘DIY’ type stuff.

It’s still just the chip from an iPad pro. I’m sure they’ll make bigger in the future, but it’s not AMD Vs Intel Vs Apple quite yet.

It’s not, it’s a new chip that’s currently only in a couple of laptops and the Mac Mini. By all accounts, it appears to be faster and use less energy than previous Intel chips. The M1 machines also can’t use the e-GPU that the Intel Macs can, so obviously something new will have to pop up at some point.

Who’s going to buy a laptop for word processing, with an expensive 240hz 1440p monitor, and a separate brick to take advantage of it?

Well, I would. That would suit me perfectly; an iPad type device for simple portable browsing etc, but which would connect with a more powerful integrated system for more complex work. An iPad/tablet style computer is perfect for probably at least 90% of all users, outside of ‘business’ etc. The whole ‘connected home’ type scenario is closer to how most people actually want to use computer devices; most people are on their ‘phones more than anything else. So; a central ‘hub’ type device, that handles the big processing tasks, and smaller devices all linking up to that. So, if you need a big screen/3D rendering capability, it’s there. Along with all your media etc.

Really? It seems like you’re claiming that everyone is wrong and newer bikes aren’t faster?

Where have I claimed that ‘everyone is wrong’ Where have I claimed ‘newer bikes are faster’? Think what you like, but please don’t make stuff up.

Certainly wouldn’t be difficult.
Will I be doing it for you, and wasting my own time – not a chance.

So- you’re not actually providing any evidence to back up your claim then. Look; it’s fine, I’m not disputing that newer bikes aren’t ‘better’. All I’m asking for, as someone interested in actually buying a new bike, is some sort of indication that these improvements are measurable. Helping educate someone isn’t ‘wasting time’. It’s just being helpful.

I hate gardening

So employ a gardener. You get more time to go out and do other things, someone else gets paid employment, and your wife is satisfied. Winners all round!

I’m not the one making any claims though. So I have nothing to ‘prove’.

As a slight aside; I see that you can now get seperate GPU boxes to plug desktops into; I think Apple use something like that. So you can run multiple screens/mega demanding graphics applications without needing some massive tower full of mad-looking glowing liquid pumping through it etc. With advances in CPU design and technology that we are starting to see (Apple Silicon etc), is the way forward going to be in having smaller separate devices that all connect together to make up a more powerful system? So essentially, you could have something as small as your ‘phone, yet it’s still part of a powerful ‘machine’?

Picked up the DCF887; slight issue with me not having photo ID on me to collect the item, which I wasn’t aware that I needed, but sorted out. Not had a chance to properly try it out yet; it’s quiet, warm and sunny and neighbours are all in their gardens, so I don’t want to piss them all off. You can definitely feel the torque in the thing though; the drill driver is pretty powerful, but this thing feels like it’ll shift anything. And the 5Ah battery doesn’t actually feel too bad; it’s noticeably heavier than the smaller one, but doesn’t make the tool unwieldy as I thought it might. Brrm! Man have tool! Man have power!

The biggest change will be that we will be governed by a party that actually gives a shit about people and won’t see the sort of bullshit the tories continually come out with.

O…k.

What makes you believe that?

Government report: ‘Society isn’t racist!’

Oopsydaisy:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56604470

Simple Physics, I’ve heard.

;) Nice. I like that.

Or I can save you the time and tell you that a current bike versus a bike from 20 years ago is faster and there is a lot of evidence to back that up

So; provide the evidence then. If it’s there, as you claim, then it won’t be difficult for you, will it?

They won’t be rentacop, councils have powers that let them fine people and can subcontract the activities to a company. It’s the way that they fine people for littering for example. Or enforce no cycling areas in town centres

But in order to fine someone, you first have to ascertain their details. Which, as I’ve said, even the police can’t force you to give. Contracted security personnel have no more powers to demand such details, as any other Tom, Dick or Harry. They also have no powers to detain you, other than via a citizen’s arrest, which they can only legally justify if a person was committing an actual crime, or posing a threat of harm to themselves or others. So you can just tell them to **** off, and leave, and there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it. That’s the bottom line.

Yep, loads of it if you want to look. Have a search around on YouTube and see people testing old versus new using same power.

Ok, so assume I’m a lazy bastard who can’t be bothered to trawl through YT to find the evidence you claim is there; could you point me in the right direction please? Just curious, is all.

I’d just like to ask the Starmerists what they think would actually change in the UK, if he did by some chance, become PM. Given that the actual people who run the country, IE the media barons, bankers, CEOs of massive corporations etc, many of them not even resident in the UK let alone UK citizens, won’t allow anything that upsets the status quo. So; things like the privatisation of the NHS, education system, and public services, the increased authoritarian nature of social control, and the increasing social, cultural and economic divisions in our society, will continue unabated, unless somebody actually stands up against that, and takes steps to curb their power and influence. Given that Starmer isn’t anywhere near capable of that, he can’t even lead his own party effectively, what do you think would actually change?

£55!

Git.

£56.

I’ve owned a Leatherman Juice CS4 for about 20 years, and it’s been fantastic. Such good quality. If Leatherman are still anywhere near as good as that, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a new one. I don’t know what the current equivalent is called though.

I’ll give you £50 for the lot.

But in some ways they’re not as good as they should be – like the fact that we’re being sold £5,000 bikes that still weigh north of 30lb for anything other than DH

OMG don’t say that on here! You’ll get death threats or something. ;)

They have got expensive though, haven’t they? I’ve noticed that.

Out of interest; is there any actual scientific type data that ‘modern’ bikes are faster* than bikes from say 10 or 20 years ago, or is it all just subjective opinion as to how much ‘better’ they are?

*Being about the one metric that can be used to demonstrate any actual performance improvement.

Part of a regular ride I do involves riding along a lovely quiet (well, in normal times) trail, the Dollis Valley Greenwalk. Most of it is shared cycles/pedestrians, but for some reason, bits of it are ‘no cycling’ according to signs. Not sure why, perhaps different local authorities. Utterly stupid, as there’s no suitable alternative signposted, and there appears no sensible reason to allow cycles on some bits, but not others. So I just ignore the signs. As do loads of other people. You get the odd old **** huffing and puffing over people riding bikes in the ‘Verboten’ sections, but that’s about it. Been like that for years. No-one’s died yet.

My friend has an endless pool in their garage for proper swim training. Think swimming treadmill.

I put that straight into the same category of treadmills and static bikes. IE; the work of Satan. A quick Google suggests such an affront to all that is decent, would cost from about £16k, so not so bad if you really, really, really need a personal swimming pool. So a fraction of what a real pool would cost, yet still more than a lifetime’s pool membership for me, plus it’ll last what, a few years?