After finagling the joint-surfaces, I glued up Snare #1 for a second second time, so to speak. Part one of the second glue up was the spline-attachment; part two is today’s joint of the three resulting segments.
After cutting and rasping/sanding the splines to better match the shell, the re-glue-up funds the drum back to a fully rounded thang…
I ordered two heads, batter and snare side, for the 13” snare. The batter – an Evans (?) – arrived today (snare side is due by Sunday). I prob’ should’ve bought a CS Dot.
The diameter of the Keruing drum is pretty much perfect. The Rosewood and White Oak one, on the other hand, is the drum that’s gone from silk purse to sow’s ear.
Evans and Aquarian heads, just to see…
Snare #1, which has been cut up, splined, and is now gluing up, again, is the right diameter on one side (I’ll call that the top), but 1/8” too small on the other! Even after all the trouble I’ve been to ‘true’ the sides, and ‘re-enlarge’ it.
Further work on my two current snare drum projects…
SNARE#2 – Keruing & White Oak, w Holes! 13”x?”
The above photos show snare #2, getting rounded on the inner and outer surfaces.
Initially I pencilled in two lines: a thinner one; and then a second one, giving a finished shell thickness closer to 1/2”. I went with the thicker option.
Today, Flo’, our car, was in for some serious repairs (mostly brake related). So I got a whole day at home, to work on these two drums.
The biggest thing I did with snare #2 was, using two rasps and numerous grades of sandpaper, smooth out and make thinner the inner face of the shell.
I also ran through numerous grits, from 40 to 120 (so far), on the outer surface. Sadly both the outer and inner surfaces still have visible striation marks, from my Monday misadventures on the lathe at Shedders & Fixers.
I finally came up with a simple rig for holding the shell whilst working on the inner surface. It involves a Black & Decker Workmate, a ratchet-strap, and sundry other bits’n’pieces. It works pretty well; holding the shell still, and allowing me to work with both hands.
SNARE#2 – Rosewood & White Oak, 12”x?”
Snare #1, meanwhile, which I’d butchered on the lathe, on a previous Shedders & Fixers visit, got cut in three. A crack in one of the staves also appeared. So I glued that up.
The idea was – and indeed still is – to compensate for the ‘over-turning’, so to speak, that resulted when Clem did the bulk of the exterior face. The net result of that had been that the diameter of the drum shrank (especially after my remedying of the slightly off kilter ‘bowl’ profile), making the drum too small.
To grow or enlarge the diameter, I cut the shell into three six-stave segments. More butchery… as my cuts were pretty appalling! Some facet sanding, intended to neaten up the butchery, didn’t go perfectly, either.
But the basic idea – adding ‘splines’ ‘twixt the three segments, to restore the desired diameter – does still seem to offer some potential for rescuing this otherwise butchered drum.
As the ruler in the final two pics of the second gallery, above, attests… I’m back to the desired 11 & 3/4” overall diameter.
Having already tried and failed with one attempted glue up of the ‘splined’ drum, I decided to glue a spline to each of the three segments. On my first go the splines were slightly too small. So on this next attempt, they are oversized, and need reducing.
The next step is to glue the three segment+spline sections together. I just ardently hope it yields a usable result!?
Another very enjoyable military history book, by Max Hastings.
Having just read and very much enjoyed Operation Pedestal, I picked this up, locally, for just 50p!
I knew next to nothing about the Korean War. I hadn’t even twigged that M*A*S*H was set in this conflict. I’d just assumed it must be ‘Nam! So, this title has been an education.
It’s fascinating to learn how close we came to WWIII, with the US military hawks being very keen to use the atomic bomb. And it illustrates how most wars are far less black and white – esp’ morally speaking – than WWII turned out to be.
Just five years after 1945, the US – having scaled down military forces (as all combatants had inevitably done) – finds herself, despite emerging victorious from WWII, becoming ideological enemies of their former Allies, Stalin’s Communist Russia (who have at least a joint, if not a stronger case, for defeating Hitler).
When North Korea’s Communist leader Kim Il Sung invades South Korea, the US see this as Moscow’s doing. The US manage to bring the UN onboard, albeit reluctantly. But really this – whilst started by North Korea – was an American war.
WWII war hero MacArthur, the most Hawkish of the right-leaning US military, is appointed commander. Rather than being satisfied with taking things back to the initial position – the infamous 38th parallel – he storms beyond, Northwards, taking the war to China’s borders.
As Hastings gleefully recounts, President Truman had a very hard time preventing MacArthur and his supporters from attacking China herself.
And, as Truman and America’s UN allies feared, even without attacking China directly, MacArthur’s aggressive pursuit of Kim Il Sung’s forces, deep into North Korea (right up to the Yula river/border), rather unsurprisingly, brings China into the war.
As Hastings points out in his intro, the Korean War has been rather neglected. Why? Well, for starters, it was relatively short; 1950-53. And most of the ‘war of manoeuvre’ occurred in the first year. After which – gung-ho loose cannon MacArthur having eventually been sacked, and replaced by Ridgeway – a state of stalemate and trench warfare (akin to WWI on the Western Front) arose, back around the 38th parallel.
Years two and three of the conflict were a protracted period of simultaneous warfare and bargaining, under a rather shaky banner of ‘negotiation’. This aspect of the war made it ever more unpopular, both with the UN nations, and back home in the US . Lives continued to be lost whilst possible roads to peace were endlessly havered over.
Another factor leading to this war being sidelined was the fact that whilst Kim Il Sung’s Communist north was undoubtedly awful, the regime in the South, under Syngman Rhee, was not very much better; mired in corruption and blatantly brutal.
Hastings conveys the lead up to war, and the first more dramatic year of combat, very well. Then it goes a bit weird, for me: having started out quite detailed, and chronologically, once ‘peace talks’ start, he switches to more thematic chapters, tackling such subjects as the air war, and POWs.
As a result the feel or flavour of the book changes. From frequent exciting tales of military action, to slightly less gripping but still important and informative discussion of ‘issues’, with gritty combat, or humanised (ie anecdotal) experiences becoming a slightly lesser feature.
Hastings is clearly on the right wing of the political spectrum, and often snipes at left wing takes on the subject, as expressed in Western media. This bias is clear, and has to be borne in mind. He partakes of a legacy or lineage that goes waaay back, and can be clearly seen in the way British historians, over many generations, continue to deal with Revolutionary and then Napoleonic France.
In the end, despite my own more left-leaning (or at least sympathetic) history, I find myself mostly – tho’ not entirely – in agreement with Hastings.
The Korean War was an object lesson to the US (which it failed to learn, viz. Viet Nam, etc.) and the UN, in how post-WWII warfare – especially against so called under- or lesser-developed (in terms of capitalist style industrialisation) nations or peoples – was both morally and practically (strategically and tactically) far harder than the victors of WWII might’ve liked.
Ultimately Hastings concludes – and it’s hard to disagree – that, whilst it’s a war that’s largely been forgotten, sidelined/overshadowed by ‘Nam, it was worth fighting; a just cause. You may not agree?
But, whatever the ‘truth’ may be, this enjoyable and informative book is certainly well worth a read.
NB – This book has several useful maps, and quite a few black and white photos. But, frustratingly and inexplicably – esp’ given his other books usually do – there’s no glossary. These ought to be mandatory in such books; they’re esp’ useful for explaining the many potentially confusing abbreviations!
Upon finishing N. A. M. Rodgers’ astonishing maritime trilogy, I wanted to keep up the naval reading theme. This was the book I chose.
Funnily enough I saw Hastings give a Topping Books author’s talk on this very book/subject, in Ely, about a year or more prior to my actually reading it.
It’s a gripping account. And I’d highly recommend it. I won’t synopsise the events. Suffice to say Hastings sets the scene, and handles every level, from the whys to the hows, and addressing both strategic and tactical aspects, balancing an unsurprisingly Brit’-centric perspective with due attention to both Allied (American, French, etc) and Axis (German and Italian) combatants.
It’s also fascinating how much of the book and the real world events give consideration to the whys and wherefores, which extend beyond the events, to continued shades of opinion as to whether Pedestal was an Allied or Axis victory; and/or worth the effort/sacrifice. Was it justified, or necessary?
All told, a fascinating narrative, liberally peppered with engaging firsthand testimonies, of an exciting moment, oft’ overlooked, in WWII.
NB – This book has several useful maps, quite a few black and white photos, and – crucially – a glossary (esp’ useful for explaining the many abbreviations!).
After the trip, we watched a couple of Hockney documentaries, on the BBC iPlayer. And I started reading about things that were mentioned at the same time.
One such was Richard Silver, a fellow Bradfordian, and the man who bought and developed Salt’s Mill. There was a piece by Hockney in The Telegraph, about Silver. It’s a fascinating read.
Green velvet sofa-bed.Sofa-bed under construction, plus footstool.
It was at about this point that I realised something… This was clearly not the sofa I had ordered.
It was the arms (which, to compound matter, didn’t work), that really nailed the realisation. The sofa pictured on the Amazon listing could be totally flattened: both back and sides fold down.
Whereas, with the sofa we received the back didn’t adjust at all – the two panels were just solid – and the arm mechanisms are very clearly totally different!
The clearest point of of difference is #3.
After much wrangling – during which the manufacturer, Yaheetech, maintained that it was the correct sofa-bed; whilst their middleman supplier, Monumart, agreed it wasn’t – a resolution was eventually reached.
But the biggest annoyance of all this is the waste of time and energy. And we still don’t have a replacement for the ‘old and busted’ sofabed.
Bummer!
Very pleased with this!
On a happier note, my restored footstool looks ace. And is now doing sterling service.
We got one of our numerous easels down from the attic a few days ago. Teresa felt she couldn’t use it, as a couple of bits are missing.
So I agreed I’d fix it, if poss’. After some measuring, I ordered some parts from Amazon, yesterday. They arrived this afternoon.
Pic
I couldn’t find anything quite like what the easel is fitted with (the feet appear to be resin, or something like that). So I just got something that’d do the job.
After adding a replacement foot-pad, it’s time to try and do the same for the missing lobed turn knob. I measured it very carefully, and the ‘male’ thread:
First time using this tool since I bought it.
So… I think the ‘pitch’ is 0.8 mm, as pictured above. And I thought the male thread was 4mm…
Temporary fix…
Sadly the M4 threaded turn knobs I ordered turned out to be too small. So I guess I should’ve ordered M5? I hope they don’t turn out to be some weird imperial thread that’s a bugger to match?
Anyhoo, I’ve ordered M5 knobs, and they should arrive tomorrow. Hope they’ll fit!
Sure, the first and original Under Siege is great fun. But have you seen some of Seagal’s more recent stuff!? Also, in my view, most Hollywood blockbuster movie franchises rapidly deteriorate. Another reason I’ve avoided this for years.
But Teresa suggested we try it. So we did. And I have to confess, it was great – if utterly ridiculous – fun.
Woah, Nelly! Both train and landscape are terrific.
The train setting could’ve been humdrum. But the ‘Grand Continental’ is quite a train. With upper and lower decks, and large viewing windows, it passes through some terrific landscapes and locations – e.g. The Rocky Mountains, inc. a ghost town – which add to the charm of this otherwise potentially formulaicly gonzo follow-up to the formulaicly gonzo (but equally effective) original.
As in Under Siege, Ryback just happens to cross paths with malevolent über-villains, to their inevitable detriment. In this instance the plot-driving McGuffin involves a crazily powerful satellite weapon, launched at the movies start (allowing the movie to shoehorn in some suitably impressive Space shuttle launch footage).
McGill, Bogosian and Afifi Alaouie.
I don’t always or often go in for plot synopses. Particularly so on cornball mainstream fodder. So you can look elsewhere for that.
Amongst the villains we have: the motor-mouth über nerd (Bogosian), and two noteworthy evil mofos (Everett McGill and Peter Greene*), plus a load of less notable cannon-fodder hoodlums. Charismatic villains are a necessary counterweight to movie ‘goodies’. And Under Siege 2 does well in this department.
*Zed, in Pulp Fiction!
The flat-footed govt and military folk – inc. such stalwarts as Nick Mancuso, Andy Romano and Dale Dye (reprising their characters from Under Siege) – are suitably remote and ineffectual functionaries. Leaving all the ‘meaningful’ on-the-spot problem-solving to ex-Navy SEAL Casey Ryback, the deadliest chef on the planet.
Katherine Heigl as Sarah, Casey’s niece.
This sort of lone-male fantasy, in which an imperturbable and gruff-voiced bloke single-handedly defeats hordes of evil ne’erdowells, to the oohs and aahs of all – from grateful hostages to bodacious babes – is such a core trope of modern American cinema.
The frankly pornographic brutality and violence movies like this revel in is made permissible because it’s being doled out to hyper-evil villains. It’s a cartoon world. Simple, brutal, and… shamefully thrilling.
Very firmly part of that core of modern US culture that Zappa refers to as ‘dumb fun’.
After watching Warfare a second time, and still enjoying it. Another film was requested, by Teresa (she hadn’t watched Warfare).
After much confusion we wound up trying MI3. Teresa promptly fell asleep. I wasn’t even watching it. And our guest, Patrick, regaled me with how much he dislikes J. J. Abrams, the director.
Since I wasn’t watching it, and had already had my fill of televisual thrills n’ entertainment, I very happily switched off.
In fairness to the film, this is hardly a review, really. It’s just a space-filling opportunity to say I’m totally uninterested. I could see and hear much gunfire, glass-breaking and explosions. But I simply wasn’t drawn in.
I couldn’t have cared less. So it’s off to bed, to continue reading The Price of Victory. Spend my precious time on something worthy of attention.
Capricorn, the jazz, funk n’ soul band I ran for some years, used to play Jimmy McGriff’s wonderfully funkified ‘The Worm’.
I’ve been collecting chunks of recordings by cats like Groove Holmes and Jimmy Smith, and have been feeling the urge to splurge on organ-meister McGriff.
I absolutely love the early Solid State album covers, particularly A Bag Full of Soul. That’s got to be made into a funky tee-shirt for my collection.
Uh-oh…
Well, I splurged. On the excellently useful cdsvinyljapan website, my go-to source for anything that can’t be had cheaper at Amazon or Discogs.
Trying to get this lot via Amazon UK would’ve cost me circa £75 – see above – and that’s for just three – only half! – of the albums in this order. The others being currently unavailable…
Or there’s this… but it’s just a sampler, not the full four albums pictured.
Every which way you spin this, the cdsvinyljapan order comes out top trumps. Even with a hefty £17 shipping charge.
This still leaves huge chunks of Mr McGriff’s recorded catalogue to be explored. I’m most interested in the Solid State and Groove Merchant stuff, plus a few odds and ends on labels like Blue Note and United Artists.
Yes please!… and maybe these?
Oh, sheeit… also bought these:
All this buying CDs from Japan means I need to book more work. Dang it!
