Recent content by Frank House

Of course, since the fifth elephant broke free the pressure on the remaining ones would have increased beyond design tolerances.

Brutally simplified account: Aspirin irreversibly inhibits the enzyme cylooxygenase. In some cells this is involved in events leading to pain perception. Those cells have nuclei, so can replace the enzyme in a couple of hours. It also irreversibly inhibits the same enzyme in blood platelets...

I have had a Power Cap for several years (about 10, estimated from family events, but not checked). The battery compartment fell apart not long after I bought it, but I was easily able to improvise a substitute. I recently came to put the cap on and noticed what looked like metal filings inside...

Several! In my workshop things like that creep away and hide :-( --- perhaps a light chain?

In a recent (ca 12 hr) power failure in my region of northwest Scotland, mobile signals from at least two networks disappeared rapidly when the mains went down, and were not restored until at least an hour after power returned. Landlines remained operative.

No doubt direct interaction with incoming cannonballs would produce its own type of wound, but I have read that most injuries in the days of "wooden walls" resulted from fast-moving wood splinters, rather like shrapnel, so perhaps the experience from that time is still relevant.

I used to stop at a very pleasant tourist trap on the east side of the A9 somewhere between Perth and Inverness (locals will know the one). Next to the restaurant there was a lounge with an open fire, comfortable but elderly-looking armchairs and sofas, plenty of 'country' mags. on a table. It...

I agree with others that memory foam may not be optimal for a settee. I also suggest that you take care with choice of other types of foam. Some represent a serious fire risk (flammable and emit toxic fumes), some are comfortable enough initially but will harden and crumble after a few years...

The setup I have has been running for nearly 20 years has a single 'zone' for the whole (large) house. As Steve said, the boiler automatically switches according to demand, it keeps the pipes close to it hot at all times, not a big cost if they are well lagged. I set it up as an ongoing DIY...

https://www.theregister.com/Design/page/reg-standards-converter.html

Reg Standards Bureau : The Reg online standards converter

I use modern glues quite a lot, but scotch glue still has a place for suitable jobs (to keep in practice, and where appearance, smell etc are not a problem). I prefer its upmarket relative hot hide glue for really important jobs where water resistance is not needed but repairability is.

The customary recommendation for binoculars for "general" astronomy used to be 7X50 (back in the '50s when I started out). A compromise between magnification, light gathering, pupil size, weight, cost, and availability second hand. Look for long eye relief if there is any choice, getting...

A possibility is that the driver made a mistake and delivered to the wrong address. If the person who recieved it notifies Amazon or the carrier (or even drops it off in person), the parcel could easily turn up some days later. I live in a "remote" area of Scotland, and delivery drivers (even...

FWIW beech is very commonly used for domestic and commercial food-contact implements. Most of the wooden spoons, chopping boards, and bowls I have owned and used since the 1950s have been beech. Of course a lot of people have felt free to use tobacco over that period -- so no promises. Frank.