h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I got a box of stuff from a Car Boot last April and just started going through it yesterday. I found an old Clutterwick ball-race. Now here's the thing. How do I tell if it's an Imperial one? The stuff in the box was wrapped up in copies of the Biggleswade Gazette from 1973, but that doesn't mean anything.

Erm, surely you can just measure it with an old-fashioned ruler...

it should be date stamped on the inner race if its before 56 its imperial. The Arsenic & Whippet adjustable split ring inner-race will last longer but they are a bu*ger to adjust.

You'd think the split-ring would make them easier to adjust. I *knew* I was right to ask here.

So, here's the next question; my Gramps always used to clean things like this with a pencil, he said the graphite was a lubricant. But that looks crazy to me. Eric suggested 3-in-1. I don't have any 3-in-1 but I do have WD40. And do I take it apart to clean it?

You take it apart at you own peril, I took apart in 88 or was it 89 it was a hot day either way, The sun was shining feircely over the plastercine factory. Any way I found a previouse owner had rounded of the grubscrew. Never cross the same bridge twice. Graphite lubricants can be found I suggest you get freindly whith your local locksmith. But I reckon your grandad could show them a thing or two. Think on!

Ah, the smell of a plastercine factory when they've got a melt on... I used to drive for miles to get downwind and fill my lungs. That was before the findings in the 1993 Report, of course. Bloody Torys.

I don't think the Tories can be held *wholly* responsible. Don't you remember the Prendergast episode? Although, granted, that led to a few red faces in the cabinet...

Especially when the details came out about the insertion of the 45 dampening muffler.

tut, you mean the 45" dampening muffler.

Rumoured to be the reason Claire Short had difficulty taking her seat.

Well, you say that Prendergast was a factor, but there are those who swear there was real mould in the mouldings and that was the root of the problem. Then there was that whole business with the export documentation.

Y'know, I've heard the mouldy mouldings argument before, and I'm not sure I buy it. When the crank gauge has reached that level of degradation, would it really matter?

I used mould-resistant applicant on my ogives in the 80s. They need a new coat, but you can't get 'white-with-a-hint-of-black' since Texas folded.

I always found the Gregson's Grey Grommetting Grout useful for those sorts of jobs. Another thing that disappeared after the Prendegast episode, come to think of it.

If you mix in a little seagull excrement with the standard Humbrol Matt black you get a very close approximation to the correct shade ~ but it does have a detrimental effect if you are planning to use it to trim nasal hair ~ something I strongly advise against, but I know some thrill seekers do it.

Exciting news!
I finally found a set of orange flanges!
Admittedly, they're from the von Wuhrer import set using the Schmidt key arrangement, but they fit and look the business. I am a happy bunny.

I've also found a very interesting person who co-ordinates a world-wide owners club. They're not exactly purists - more than one running with the post 83 Russian patterns parts - but hey, so long as they keep them going.

This does mean I now have a spare set of 5/8" Harris special flanges if anyone is interested?

Hm... I'm quite well off for special flanges, but thanks anyway.

I was going through some old hobby magazines the other day and someone had written in saying that you can replace the bi-directional sprocket with a 3/16" Hainsworth gubbins, and improve overall operating efficiency by around 25%. Have any of you tried this? I have all the right kit but am worried it'll just end up knocking the flywheel out of alignment.

just dont try it on the wankle set up, a miss aligned fly whell can play havoc with your big end!!! and cause pinking around the grase nipples

Ah, the 3/16" Hainsworth gubbins fix was a well known early cowboy bodge. Yes it'd up the efficiency in the short term, but as Taff mentions, it plays hell with your grease nipples. The flywheel should be ok as it is isolated by the eccentric reciprocator assembly, but the lack of grease on the main shaft into the reduction assembly will eventually lead to bent push rods and the cams being out of alignment with obvious results - works fine whilst it works, but you wouldn't want to be in the shed when it stops working.

I might be in the market for the 5/8" flanges, as long as you'd accept a trade rather than cash, so as to avoid all the hassle of paperwork and export licences etc.

I can offer a couple of various-sized flange 90 degree adapters and possibly two sorts of nitrile flange O-rings? They're in perfect unused condition, being nestled in the back of the biscuit tin with the rest of the spare bits from the DeLorean.

don't suppose you have a DeLorean sphincter assembly??
the type 69 with the rubber bushes and eccentric sprocket!
i might be interested if the diaphrams are not perished!

*goes to check the biscuit tin* It has a few minor blemishes around the connector feed and the inline assembly sprocket seems to be slightly worn? You may be able to adapt it with Perkin's universal d-clamp and a very fine file.