Magic, nowt further from the kitchen than a BBQ in the back garden. Might get some mesh for it though to save dipping the pliers in and fishing around for the chain :-)

Am I doing it wrong by heating the whole tin? I took the whole Putoline tin with the lid off and put it on the hob attached to the BBQ. I put the chain on top off the wax and turned the hob on, I went off for five minutes. When I came back I fished out the chain with long nosed pliers, turned hob off and hung chain up to dry. When the tin had cooled down I put the lid back on.

Trichloroetheylene: It is not banned as such, but the use of it is much more regulated I guess. I have to ensure the emissions are kept to a minimum, gone are the days of using an open bath trike tank. Ours is an EVT degreaser which is hermetically sealed with zero emissions (or certainly below the EU directive).
There is a reach directive March 2016 which will make it`s use more restrictive again.
Anyway, Putoline: that 90 miles I have done was over 5 or 6 rides and I have rinsed it off three times with a hose. It`s still performing as good as the first ride. On the first ride I noticed it was a quieter and smoother shift than previous rides (cleaning chain every ride and re oiling with chain oil).
Much happier now not having to bother with it every ride.

I`m interested i this thread, I bought some putoline a month ago.
I took my chain and cleaned it in the works trichloroethylene degreaser and then run it through an aqueous wash to shift the debris/grit. So far I`ve done 90 miles on it and done nothing in the way of wiping it down. Seems ok.

I work for a place that us fortunate enough to anneal the 753/953 steel in long length for Reynolds Tech. I get to go in there occasionally and am in awe of what is achieved on what looks like ancient pieces of kit. I love the smell of the place and I am always reminded of the four candles sketch by the two Ronnies, a local hardware store has the same smell. Good folk in Reynolds tech.

The only time I had this a broken axle was the cause.

http://goo.gl/photos/eQi6FLzFBCJVcZxV9

Im hoping work dont notice a little of their 300 bar hydrogen disappearing once in a while.

It is a fair point Zilog. There are two reasons I wear overglasses, the first is I no longer worry how I look – a fat middle aged man with no fashion sense does not care about these things. The second is, I have noticed my eyesight gradually deteriorating over the years and can spend silly money on regular glasses yearly, I have no desire to throw more cash at prescription sports glasses yearly also.
OP – stop worrying about looking like a nob :-)

I use similar to these, although my wife reckons I look like a cross between Robocop and a paedophile.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Womens-DRIVING-OVERGLASSES-Spectacles-Yellow-x/dp/B00FKUADJ8/ref=sr_1_17?s=clothing&ie=UTF8&qid=1442230347&sr=1-17&keywords=sports+over+glasses

unisex I notice

Plusnet here, same problem

Works Manager of a Sub contract heat treatment/brazing company. The title seems to suggest I am somehow responsible for production – which is not the case, I am more of a site manager/Technical advisor I reckon.
I do not like dealing with those staff that just push the boundaries of doing enough but cannot seem to motivate themselves to do any more – albeit this is now a minority of people.
Secondly, I miss my days on the shop floor, brazing and playing with furnaces and fire – unfortunately this is not a financially viable option.
Thinking about it, I came through the ranks from floor sweeper to Manager and my happiest days were once I had reached a management level which allowed me to play with fire but carry little or no responsibility for people.
I like my job, my best mate works there too and he likes bikes.

Bodmin Prison &
Goonhilly Earth Station

My nine year old came home a few weeks ago and proclaimed “she knew something about Santa”, she proceeded to tell me about parents who tell their children to behave or Santa will not bring them any presents. She reckoned it was just a lie told by the parents to make their kids behave, she knew that Santa ALWAYS brought presents and would never miss any children out. Boy was i relieved.

+1 for the 13A chock block. My dropper has been like that for two years with no problems.

Anything with boobs or wheels will cost you money in the end.

Went down the Ronseal route like you, with much the same result two winters running.
Liberon last year, only managed one coat because of time restrictions/weather and the results are impressive – as in it`s still on the decking.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-silicone-spray-40ml/3290f

Previously tried all other methods mentioned above with no success.

Karcher window vac + generic liquid window cleaner in warm water. Do inside everytime, sometimes outside if window cleaner has been lazy.
Takes about 30 minutes and are always spotless.
Lately been using the Karcher after showering, extends the cleaning cycle of the shower glass and tiles no end.

My nine year old girl tried a multitude of gripshifts for her last bike. She found them all too difficult to shift up the gears except for the Shimano Revo`s.

We have a 1920s semi, no cavity wall, dry lined inside. the original render was blown and there is barely any cement in the mortar meaning the only way forward was to have it re rendered. I took the opportunity to insulate externally. Green deal estimate was £4-5k (no official assessment done, just the guys gut feel). Without the green deal grant (which wasnt available at the time) he estimated £8-9k.
I found a firm that stuck 100mm on and rendered £3.2k all in, the detailing was excellent – I couldn`t be happier with the result.
It`s been done two months and so far my gas bill is 20% down on last year – I appreciate the weather conditions may not be exactly the same.
Only downside I can see so far is more more condensation on the bedroom windows that are used. What was previously condensation 1″ from the bottom of the frame is now 5-6″. Just bough one of these – http://shop.dryhomes.net/collections/positive-input-ventilation

i like these

http://www.chimneysheep.co.uk/shop/category/33-draught-excluders

you have mail

my hope pro 2 evo did the same last week. I replaced the bearings – cured it.

Twisted Sister

“like a dick in a shirt sleeve” when referring to something particularly loose or ill fitting.

“as much use as a handbrake on a canoe” when referring to my downhill talent/skills