Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

Steady flow of visitors this morning, more this afternoon. Did get half an hour in the shop afore lunch. May not have to fabricate another wing after all! Made a couple of angled longer legs, may get to try them later in the day.
Ideas coming thick and fast, just need time to spend on them------distinct lack of that around here at the minute.
Thinking of applying for an eight day week!

[jackiewilson]

Another day older and deeper--------you all know the song, the one about despair etc:

old friends, relations, neighbors , people "Just passing"-- by four o'clock they were long gone so I dived into the workshop and closed the door.
Jilly called me with a CC7--shortly after six---- here endeth the last lesson of the day----schools out , but not before I had finished the COSWORTH ------looks half tidy! Too late to take piccies, probably show you the finalised item tomorrow .

[jackiewilson]

Another new day, badly need a haircut and beard trim, beginning to look like a Barbary Coast Pirate, Jilly says not to have a shower 'till after!
Murphy has been more loving than at any time since we found her five years ago, funny little thing, you can only touch her when she says so!

Finished the stand for the COSWORTH "concept" at five to six last night, all the tools are scattered all over the hog market, place like a pig sty. First job this morning is a total clean up of the shop.

Had a bit of a chuckle to myself-----youth on the Mercury V 6 site reckoned it was the best site on S&F-------he had to be " educated"------ anyone who ever knew me will have known what was coming next !!!

FYI, OLD BLUE, will be coming up soon, still looking into its history to determine whether it ever had the wrap around cowls at any time, it's still got an old distributer, anyone got pictures of it during its development years?

[jackiewilson]

Told you it wasn't three bad.

[jackiewilson]

Got a table full of metal tunnels of one sort or another.

[jackiewilson]

Never made it back to the shop this afternoon, went to see Matt with Jilly.
Next bed available in the hospice is his, was at Tavares last November when I got the news of his tumour, been downhill all the way since then!

Still have two sailing boats to finish, will make one a four masted schooner and the other one three masted!

Next project is a Spitfire for sister Ange, think she wants to give it to Fishie for Christmas !

Never did get my haircut and beard trim, maybe tomorrow if I play my cards right.
Jesus wept, just realised its rent day (Thursday ), only a month to Tavares !

[jackiewilson]

Seeing as how it was Thursday today thought I might take a trip to the car boogie at Ford, was a fine day with hundreds of stalls-------in the end it was the same old Sh-t, Just a different day.
Had a mad fit of depression and spent a fortune on stuff I wanted but didn't need------a couple of hundred taps and dies-----only about fifty metric pieces, so I'm left with a couple of hundred taps to stick on eBay.
Found. A beautiful set of early woodcarving chisels ,came up razor sharp after a bit of TLC.

[jackiewilson]

Never got back into the shop after lunch--------visitors, arrangements, family disagreement, everyone putts in their fourpennorth -------me, I stay well out of it, mouth tight shut.

Ivans funeral next Thursday, that's if Mathew makes it 'till then-----if not, the script gets rewritten,all the balls are in the air, everyone's lives are on hold.
Long time since there was this much misery, sadness and unhappiness in the air------next will come the fighting ! After a long summer, we inevitably get Storms, Life and old Mother Nature have a pretty close relationship and a lot in common.

Just maybe you can understand what a safe haven the workshop is------my bolt hole ------safety valve-----hideaway, call it what you will. Stuff I make is almost irrelevant ------stops the Athritis , helps keep the little grey cells ticking------makes sure the marbles don't get lost.

I look at the superbly detailed model boats on the market today------way beyond my capabilities, and wonder why the hell would anyone buy one of my "concepts"when you can buy a fully detailed scale model for less than a quarter of the price I charge ? Another of life's ENIGMAS.

HER LYING NEXT TO ME HAS JUST INFORMED ME IM DEFINITELY HAVIN THE THATCH AND BEARD TRIM TOMORROW .

[jackiewilson]

Will wonders ever cease? Just when you think winters here, OMN (old Mother Nature ) throws in a curve in the shape of a beautiful cloudless warm sunshiny day-----just when we could reall do with one.
Haircuts a positive"Maybe", Jillys cooking breakfast and told me not to shower 'till she's cut my hair, her who shall be obeyed eh!
Popped into the scrap yard and picked out a bunch of different metals ranging from very thin stainless to 12mm rod and qUarter plate alloy. Have a head ful of ideas and ambition, it's just that I'm a bit light on ability. Always did punch above my weight, it's stood me in good stead and bought me a whole load of friends, think I got the formula about right.
Reach for the sky, then you can look down at the world instead of looking up from the abyss, you ever know what your limits are until you can't go any further.
Time to end the sermon and get my breakfast, keep her indoors waiting and I could wind up cooking my own in future. Have a nice day.J.

[jackiewilson]

Just read through the last post, looks like a ten tear old with learning difficulties wrote it. I dislike intensely bad English ------bad spelling and sloppy writing so i do Make the effort to get things about right. But there's this intrusive piece of kit called "lnteligent text" that keeps rearing its ugly head, must remember to read through everything BEFORE I post .

[jackiewilson]

Things ran smoothly until lunchtime, my daughter Boo came by to see how we were faring, after she left I went to bed for two hours.
Was still sleepy eyed when the next wave of folk came by, this time it was Jilly's kinfolk, brother and sister and respective spouses---they left late afternoon.

Kate Nickerson Purdie is Ivan's wife-------she put the news of his passing on Facebook-------over 1000 comments and 4000 views, the boy was well liked and respected by a big bunch of people.
If any of you out there would like to see what kind of a guy he was, then take a look at Kate's post .

Next project is the Spitfire and maybe one of Mr. Pughs drag boats, he came along way after my time. Roger H. Posted a piccie, reminded me of a Karlson---------I'm probably way off and I have no idea where that came from !

Ive done all sorts of "WINGS" but think I need to make one last effort at an all metal "Concept"
Never seems to be any two wings the same, so that gave me ARTISTS LICENCE to do virtually anything-------this next one will be of a specific boat, so it will have to be a lot closer to the real McCoy.

[jackiewilson]

I used to have a lot of friends out there who would listen, disagree, tell me I talked out of my rectum, liked or disliked something I furnagled, but it's like I suddenly developed the pox ? Guess you all must be getting prepared for Tavares and too busy to talk, if you change your mind, give me a shout! I'm still here, still me, a little sadder but not an ounce wiser!
Sometimes life deals you a Sh-tty hand, you can't send it back, you just have to bite the bullet and play it the best way you can and hope to make something out of it, that's when you call on God, friends, pets, hobbies and pastimes, anything to dispel despair and hopelessness of losing two sons.
Another fine day forecast, think I might go and forage the "environment friendly recycling facility "
(Scrapyard to you and me).
Not got a lot to show you except maybe better piccies of the same old stuff -----my grand daughter Casey thinks I'm a lousy photographer anyway.
Have a nice weekend, get the most out of it you can! J.

[jackiewilson]

Hit pay dirt at the scrapyard, found everything I could want to keep me in mischief making materials for years to come.
We got more friend visitors this morning, I'm ready for some zuzz time now !

[jackiewilson]

You ever thought about the basic ingredients required for even the simplest " Concept " ?

Those are the billets of aluminium I start off with------then there's the nuts and bolts and the saw blades, flap wheels sanding and polishing discs. I suppose it's all worth it in the end!

[jackiewilson]

I was cold and disjointed in the shop this afternoon, plucked out a few chunks of alloy to begin the next project, zilch concentration. Roughed out the V8, I think this time the cav plate will be the only thing between the motor and the gear case .
Really could do with some idea of what the sponsons look like or does it run on the outriggers?
Deck and cockpit are easy peasey, does it have tunnel sponsons and the outriggers stitched on?
I need a couple more plccies instead of being" Somewhere near" Roger or you could wind up with a Wilson concept of a Pugh that is oceans removed from the original.

Lewis didn't make any excuses, he screwed up on the final run, let's see just how good his team mate really is------at least it's possible to overtake in Russia, time to stand up and be counted!

Bon Continuation pour Le weekend, MYGGWY.J.