A curious instinct tells me I should make Steph get out more. Whether I give her a key or up her housekeeping are a couple of options I’m pondering.

The problem with her doing bits and bobs for me is that she’s very easily distracted. I should know seeming I’m forever having my tract dissed. Once in a while she’ll concoct a scheme or get diverted by an online interest that is, well, remotely interesting.

Of late, she’s been getting into all things Tesla - the first time she mentioned a Tesla Coil I replied that they wouldn’t come cheap at the Family Planning Clinic. Then again, cracking woofers like that and I should be slightly worried about her tapping me up to be the hamster in this particular Tesla cage:

If you like electrical and scientific wonderments - and if you don’t then you’re a bit odd - the Tesla site I found that on has loads of other amazing Tesla-related stuff you can replicate (or not) in your back garden.

I may show you some of the more exciting stuff at a later date, but something I did come across was these Bernoulli Balls:

And this stainless steel Bernoulli Ball:

Now the weird thing is, round about the same time I was being Tesla’d 24/7 by Steph and checking various Tesla sites out, we received an inquiry at Butler Sheetmetal about a stainless steel ball sculpture that bored little oiks kept knocking off its perch:

Stainless Steel Ball Sculpture

And they wanted to know if the boys could do something to ensure the thing remained upright for long enough for people to enjoy it. It’s not too much to ask, is it?

Obviously, with Bernoulli Balls in mind, I suggested an oversized leaf blower and some elongated industrial straws for balance. Personally I thought it was a bit of inspired genius.

They just told me to stick to the blogging. Fair enough fellas.

Hopefully I’ll have something to show you once it’s done to show you how they did it.

I really don’t anticipate any Benny Hill-esque chase routines as they try to fix it and it goes hurtling off down some field.

Not that any of them would catch it, mind.

Harland & Wolff Ship Broken for Scrap

The linked photoset from this weekend’s Guardian:

April 12 2008: Belfast, UK: The MSC Napoli cargo ship lies in a dry dock at Harland and Wolff ship builders as it is dismantled for recycling. The ship was grounded off the English coast after getting into difficulties during bad weather in January 2007. After she was split into two pieces, the largest front section was floated to the Harland and Wolff shipyard for recycling in August 2007. After the removal of approximately 80 cubic tonnes of waste oil and other pollutants 150 workers began the task of cutting up the high grade steel of the Napoli by hand. The steel is then smelted locally in Belfast and will most likely be used for ship building. The whole process will be finished in three to four weeks.

This is one for Jasper seeming he spent his apprenticeship in the shipyards of Glasgow. I’d like to say he’s bored us rigid with his tales of welding ship floors, but we still don’t have a clue from day to day what he’s talking about. Think of it as a blessing in disguise.

But I’m also pretty confident it’ll get everybody who swarms round The Tinbasher for out-of-date scrap steel prices hot under the collar, too.

It looks like one of my favourite steel buildings in the history of building stuff out of steel has had a bit of a makeover. The Atomium in Brussels has had a bit of a spit and a polish.

Atomium post-renovation

But it ain’t the only one. According to a recent Euro Inox email, the following have been done-up as well.

Content:
- In renovating the Brussels Atomium, the spheres were made from electropolished stainless steel grade EN 1.4404/AISI316L to ensure long-term low maintenance.
- A pedestrian bridge at Cala Galdana, Menorca, was fully designed in Duplex stainless steel to withstand the high corrosive stress in a coastal location.
- Vauxhall Cross Bus Interchange was clad in pattern-rolled stainless steel to ensure high mechanical resistance.
- Wales Millennium Centre involved electrolytically coloured stainless steel to highlight the dramatic architecture of the building.
- The Milan Trade Fair is a convincing example of the sober elegance of polished stainless steel.

Format:
- PDF Files, colour

Click below to view or download:

Renovation of the Atomium in Brussels (8 pages, 760 KB)
- Dutch: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_NL.html
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_EN.html
- French: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_FR.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_132_DE.html

Bridge in Cala Galdana on Menorca (4 pages, 560 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_131_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_131_DE.html
- Spanish: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_131_SP.html

Milan Trade Fair (4 pages, 460 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_130_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_130_DE.html
- Italian: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_130_IT.html

Vauxhall Cross Bus Station in London (6 pages, 665 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_129_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_129_DE.html

Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff (4 pages, 530 KB)
- English: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_128_EN.html
- German: http://www.euro-inox.org/fla_128_DE.html

Vauxhall Cross Bus Interchange, eh? Expect breaking news of us powder coating a new dog dipper bin on Hallam road anytime soon.

This is fabulous. Just take a close look and you’ll notice an entire Bladerunner cityscape made out of drill bits and other associated things you may have lying about the old workshop. Well, not our workshop - all the drill bits and hole saws I’ve ever seen aren’t quite as shiny. Chu Enoki, the sculptor responsible for the work, entitled RPM 1200, probably deserves commending as much for his ability to clean the things in the first place as much as for putting it together.

I remember fondly when both Matt and John worked at Sovereign Sheet Metal in Nelson and they’d ask me down to drill the bolt holes and dial holes for conveyor belt casings, that I’d discard nearly as many drill bits as this in an afternoon. I don’t ever remember them being quite as pristine before, during or after, though. Apparently, I was quite good at the monotonous stuff - yeah, I know, just like my blogging.

[via]

Desperate to find out what should be coming to ITV 2 at some low-point in your not-too-distant future?

I bet you are:

On “The Salt ‘N Pepa Show,” VH1 will follow the ladies as they attempt to reunite on and off the stage in this funny, often touching reality series. They soon discover however, that achieving this is easier said than done since most of their past issues are still unresolved. Salt is angry about being unappreciated when they were together and Pepa blames Salt for breaking up the group. Their lifestyles are also polar opposites: Salt has indeed found God and is living a quiet life in Long Island with her husband while Pepa is still the party girl and up for anything. Can they overcome their differences long enough to heal their friendship and perform again?

To my eternal shame, I have yet to tune in to find out.

But not only am I bringing you what you’d wish for in your Christmas TV schedule, it wouldn’t be a Tinbasher Christmas if I didn’t tell you what to buy for that sheet metal worker or DIY enthusiast in your life. Ladies and gentlefolk, I give you the nut bolt and screw salt and pepper shakers:

These Salt and Pepper shakers are definitely something different. Pick them up, turn them whatever way and shake them, and….. nothing…. Bend then shake them however, and the Salt or Pepper will be sprinkled from the gaps that will have appeared between the coils. Once you are finished the shaker will return to it’s original form.

Designed to look like a hex-head-bolt and a countersunk head bolt these innovative devices bring a new dimension to your salt and pepper.

Features:

* Innovatively designed Salt and Pepper Shakers
* ‘S’ or ‘P’ to identify contents of the shaker
* Available in Stainless Steel or Black

Aye, I know; there are some of you thinking what a great thing these are to get your husband, and the husband half thinking they’ll only get lost in your toolbox.

Me? I’m off to push it good.