powerrabbit

Dinky Toys, or Meccano as they were in a previous life, made a vast range of figures, animals, road signs and other such stuff in the O scale, mainly to complement and accessorise their railway models which were supplied I believe to Hornby and Triang railways who later in time took over this side of Dinky toys production.

Your carved shepheards stick Bill is a cracker, must have taken hours to do, dated as well, quite a valuable stick. Seeing we're now back on sticks, here's mine. First picture is of the sticks that I've made myself. The duck head sticks I bought and also the black buffalo horn one, the pheasant, badger, eagle and the two fox head ones, these two are riding crops, I bought at a farm house sale many years ago. The two sheeps horn shepheards sticks were given to me. I like sticks, as you can probably guess, I select the shafts when I go out about cutting my runner bean sticks for the garden selecting the straightest hazel ones for my stick making and always keeping an eye out for anything that lends itself to the making of the handle or mount, I have a friend that does a lot of deer control so he supplies me with antlers.

What you would call a 'dandy' stick Bill, a well to do Victorian or Edwardian gentlemans stick, of no particular use other than, using the modern term 'cool'. Actually sticks are very collectable and can be quite valuable, especially if they're hiding anything like a sword or drinking flask under the top, that's if the top unscrews or pulls out that is. Is the 'pommell' wood or buffalo horn Bill?

I thought that this might make a good topic, something you see very little of, only at shows and events and ver rare to find on the open market, farm carts and wagons. These are often in a large scale and made from wood and metal and the really large models are good with the largest scale china/porcelain draught horses such as those made by Beswick and Melba with harness. Here are a couple that I aquired at different times from a car boot sale, one is the arcatypical design farm tipping cart and a better more detailed dairymans cart. Both made of wood with brass and copper metal fittings and painted detail embelishments, a bit hard to se in these pictures but the farm cart does tip when you pull out the long pin and the tailboard lifts out. The milk cart has proper axle leaf springs, hinged fold down boards on the rear either side the step and metal mudguards. With the shafts they are both ove a foot in length which will give you some idea of their size. I do have another farm cart complete with horse but I'll add that one later.

Ok Bill, that makes me feel a little better! I've got around 48 clocks, a Grandfather inherited from my late parents, a 30 hour longcase cottage dating from 1742 and also a 'modern' Westminster chime longcase from the 1980's, a nice black slate 1886 heavy mantle clock and a few 1920's and 30's mantle clocks in wooden cases, the 'Napoleon hat' type, which should really be called 'tambour' to give them their proper name, plus several wooden cased wall clocks. I've also got a collection of around 250 mechanical winding wristwatches as well. I like old wooden boxes as well, have a few, keep my watches in them, mostly oak and walnut veneer boxes with a lock and key. Also have 3 'sarcophogus' wooden tea caddies as well.

No no no, don't dump it!!!! Look on eBay and you'll see that some types make really good money, the person who told you to dump it wants shooting! If you're good with fiddley things you can repair it yourself or if in doubt take it to your clock and watch mender/shop. The suspension spring is cheap but you will need to know the right one to get for the clock, measure the height from the bottom of the horseshoe bracket to the top of the top block and add another 10mm and this will give you the length of the suspension you will need, alternitavely, measure the clocks height from the top of the base (bottom of the pillars) to the top suspension block and this will indicate or determine what size the clock is, there are different lengths and strengths of suspension springs for different size clocks, the higher they are the thicker the suspension wire. The best type of suspension to get is 'Horolovar', they normally come in a pack of 3, If you post up a picture of the clock and tell me how high it is as I've explained, I have a chart somewhere that will give the correct suspension size and length. What make is it Sue, Kundo, Shatz, Betima, haller, Hermle?, there are so many. Also if you can read the insignia on the backplate, usually some initials in a circle, this will tell you who made the movement. Note to Bill. Sorry for hijacking this topic and going off!!

Funny you should ask Bill, yes I do have about a dozen pocket watches, silver key wind ones in the main, dating from the early 1860's to the 1940's, earlier being fuzee movements and later English lever and a few Swiss movements. I have around 7 anniversary clocks Sue, also known as dome clocks. Better known as anniversary clocks because you only need to wind them once in 12 months and to remember when to wind them people used to do it on an anniversary, like a birthday, Christmas or other memorable annual occasion, the proper name for them is '400 day' clocks (that's the average time they will run on a full wind of the mainspring) There are 2 main types, the ones with the rotating 4 ball weight pendulum and the ones with the weightet rotating disc pendulum. The pendulum, as you know, is 'suspended' on a suspension spring, which is a length of flat thin steel wire with a 'block' at each end, one to hold the pendulum and the one at the top that drives the fork that 'flicks' the anchor escapement pin from side to side when the pendulum rotates and 'twists' the suspension spring. This suspension spring is very susceptable and sensitive to damage but is about the only thing that goes wrong with these clocks, not difficult to replace but very fiddely and setting up the clock to run properly can be a pain, you need to get them 'in beat' so that the 'tick' is the same as the 'tock' and the time between tick and tock is equal. You also need to site them perfectly level by ajusting the 3 feet under the base. To transport or move them you must screw up the winder nut under the base which raises the 'cup' under the pendulum point that 'traps' the pendulum raising it up and locking it against the 'horseshoe' bracket just above it, this protects the suspension. If you need to ajust 'fast' and 'slow' (loose or gain time) you hold one of the balls in one hand and with the other turn the knurled edged disc on the top of the pendulum one way or the other, on the horseshoe bracket it's marked + and -. Am I gabbling on a bit?

Would like to see them Bill, might be able to identify them for you at least.

I collect clocks Bill!

The first item Bill looks like what was called a 'utility' piece, made in the 1940's to the mid 50's, a walnut 'butterfly' veneered top bow fronted side table with two drawers, butterfly veneer being that the top both sides match, the veneer being sliced and than 'folded' out to give a mirroe image on both sides. The carcass looks like mahogany but the bowed legs with the pad feet look like stained beech. I think that at auction it would not make much more than up to £30 at best, generically called 'brown furniture'. The table looks about the same period but is a more usefull and slightly more commercial piece, probably a mahogany top, veneered sides and again with beech stained legs, the 'blocks' in the corners look like pine, or what they call 'deal'.

Nothing to do with space, it's the colour that attracts them, red is good to build in or on as red signals danger to would be nest robbers. Green is another favourite as green offers camoflage. Blue is a cold colour, especially the darker blues so birds avoid that. Some birds don't mind too much though, as long as the nesting site offers a suitable position and site they'll use it.

Could have had scrambled eggs when you started the tractor!, would have taken ages to pick the bits out though.

Most birds nests that I've discovered in or on tractors have been on top of the exhaust manifold usually in the 'trough' between the manifold and rocker cover and yes, this is a fire hazzard. Last season a blackbird built it's nest and reared its young on top of the alternator on my D.B. 1212, saw the old birds fliting in and out with beakfulls of worms so knew it was there. I let the young fledge before evicting them.

Birds do very often build their nests in tractors, especially if laid up for some time. The ones that do, here in the UK are normally Blackbirds, Robins, Wagtails, Pied Flycatchers and Wrens, in fact any small birds that normally nest in holes or nooks and crannies. Wrens will take advantage of building under the footplates on top of the foot pedal 'bars', Robins and the other small birds will build between and on top of the fuel filters and Blackbirds build on top of the engine on the rocker cover. Many years ago we had a Flycatcher build on top of the lift pump on the side of the engine, the tractor was in constant use, although not every day but the bird stayed with it, layed a clutch of egs, incubated and reared her chicks.

The book arrived this afternoon, came by courier. Fantastic book, full of photos, more like 'stills' from the series and a lot of 'posed' pictures as well. If you liked the series, which judging by the posts on this subject you all did, then this book is a must have. I'm going to get the DVDs as well and when they come I'll report back.

Criticism apart Bill it must be quite difficult in getting everything right in the medium they are made in and the scale so we must be a little forgiving so musn't be too harsh on them. The Posthorn is listing the study on their site for £71.96 that's 10% less than the RRP of £79.95 plus with the 'loyalty' card giving another 10% that reduces it again to a total of £64.76. How did you wangle another 10% off Bill?

Don't wish to be critical Bill but being a collector of David Brown and having used them all my life (and still do) it looks a little 'unfinished'. Inside front wheel hubs not brown, sidelights no red rear lense or white (usually depicted in silver) or the black rubber lense 'rings', no reflectors and brackets on the rear of the mudguards, base of the exhaust is poorly painted, bottom looks white above the bonnet, no rear numberplate or light, no ploughing lamp on right mudguard. The wooden base looks a bit 'plasticky' as well. Am I being a little too picky? That reminds me, I'll have to ring them tomorrow and order one up.

Box is upsidedown.

You do occasionally come across the 'autoway' or 'road series' yellow Twose ballast roller un-boxed at boot sales and fairs.

The listing is for a new copy so I have no reason at present to suspect anything different but we'll see when it arrives. If there is anything wrong with it the seller will soon feel my sharp end!

The book is also available but again look around as the price of this one varies considerably as well, cheapest from the book shops is £12 and on eBay up to £24 odd including postage but the cheapest one listed is only £6.99 with £2.75 postage, that's a total of £9.74 I think I'll buy one of these. Link. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wartime-Farm-Rediscovering-the-skills-and-spirit-of-World-War-II-Peter-Ginn-R-/261110246991?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item3ccb622e4f

The three disc DVD set of the series is now on offer from a few outlets. Due for release on 25th November. The price varies considerably between sources so if you're looking to aquire the box set search around for the best deal or put it on your Christmas present list. Rather than add a post I'll add to this one. I notice that someone is listing the booklet from the Open University that accompanies the series, which is free from the OU and is actually hoping to sell it and also charge post and packing for it as well! Someone ought to put this person straight.

Leathal in the wrong hands.

Stripping the old paint off the 'skid' unit is most effective by 'paintin' paint and varnish remover that you can buy in small tins from your local hardware store but wear rubber gloves as it will burn your skin. You may need to apply it a couple of times as it generally will only take off the top layer so you'll have to apply again for the other layers. You could also try nail varnish remover for a more delicate clean, the stuff women use to take the varnish off their fingernails.

Well, I went to the toy fair at the Matford Centre in Exeter just to see what was there. Mostly train related but some other stuff as well, around 50 stalls which were on the whole asing reasonable prices. The only things that I came away with was, Britains Iveco 'Karoli' tipper lorry with tipping cab, excellent condition but someone has at some time painted the wheels outside silver and given the outside of the body a thin coat of red paint but the cab and everything else is original. The next was 14 sections of Britains walling and a good Ford cab. The last thing was the Corgi 'Samual Film Service Limited' Commer 2500 series bus, been looking for one in perfect condition for years but they've always been too expensive. A good little fair, saw everything in less than an hour and home in time for breakfast. Britains tipper, £12. Wall sections and cab, £2. Corgi camera bus, £25.