Toomanyprojects' workshop / garden / *Insert other* projects

You don't know how close to the truth you are 🤣🤣

Yup was my thinking, am rather looking forward to getting it finished and using it in anger. I just need to find a suitable material for the top.

So a bit more progress on the workbench at the weekend in amongst other distracting jobs thanks to the good weather, more on those in a bit.

Ahead of me putting in a metal order for a few bits as well as the metal sheet top as per martin42006 's suggestion, I needed to put a wooden top on the bench so made use of a couple of sheets of ply I had lying about.


Also having independent pedals for each corner wasn't going to really work, if there was anything on the bench as it would cause it to either roll off, or worst case, become unstable if it was something heavy.

So a plan was hatched... which meant drilling through some box section and the pedals of the new casters...


See where this is going?


That should make things a bit easier, press to raise and hook foot under to lower. Just need to get the drawers added at some stage and the metal top in place.

So what was the other distraction? well as it was so nice weather wise, it seemed the ideal time to give the 7 a quick spin to warm things up before it's long overdue service and fluids change. All well and good but try as we might, we couldn't coax the starter to do it's thing

Nothing for it but to do things the old fashioned way then. Few manual pumps of the petrol pump to prime the carb, choke out and obligatory peg attached to hold it in place and then give the starting handle a good few turns. After a couple of stuttered attempts we had life and it was off for a quick run down the lane and back


it then got hoisted and her ladyship set to work on draining the engine, gearbox and rear axle oils.


Am starting to rather enjoy having this lift rather than scrabble about with jacks and ramps, made this job so much quicker and easier.

While we were at it, and having no idea of the condition of the pan or what might be lurking in it, we decided to drop that and give the filter a good clean too

Hmm, luckily they appeared to only be bits of sealant rather than anything more sinister. Although I did find what looked like a tisted piece of barbed wire in the pan (sorry no pic, will try and get one), the other thought was a split pin but it was far too intricate for that so the investigation of where that may have come from will continue. The good thing was that it was the right side of the filter to do any damage.

Last job of the day was my new favourite worst job due to lack of gear here - refilling the rear axle with a particularly heavy EP 140... took bl**dy ages. My rather lashed up sitting under the car approach was as follows


Thankfully most went in the axle rather than over me and suffice to say I'm going to order a new pumping oil can as a present for her ladyship me the next time I get to do the same job.


Lastly, as it's a new week, it's new area time... and indeed the last of the usable buildings for workshop purposes. The clues for this one have been in quite a few pics already, so the eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted them, if not look closer at the top one above.

Anyway, here's what it looks like in its current empty (and very clean) state.


ok asides a certain person's pilates mat from when she's been teaching online classes.

Yes, it's a heated booth, with some serious airflow and extraction built in.

I've no idea how we're going to use it yet, but we going to have some fun learning and experimenting. A shopping list is already being drawn up of the various bits of kit I need as the PO took most of the filters and water traps etc. however I'm sure some consultancy fees gin might be thrown in the direction of our resident expert grumpynorthener for advice in due course

Speaking of courses, there may be something else in the offing when we are allowed but that's a whole different story